All in All

I seem to be having problems uploading images at the moment so you don't get a picture to see who I'm on about, but anyway, call me naive but I didn't realise that George Takei, Mr Sulu in Star Trek, is a gay.

Well, good on you, George, once again Science fiction and gay men going together like peaches and cream.

(edited to include the photo, now that I've fixed that)

There was a rather turgid waste of time on BBC2 the other night on about how "Euro" we are (I took the test on their website and it will come as no surprise tio anyone who knows me that I came out as a very pro-eurpoe Mr Chiantishire). Anyway, they were doing all this what makes us different and all the usual's came out like we don't have a total shut down at lunchtime for a couple of hours, and they have longer licensing laws and are not innundated by loutish binge drinkers apart from British tourists, and it made me think.

A few years back a Swedish friend was round at my flat going through my record collection and was amazed at the cover on Abba's "The Album" because the top of it was blue, fading into the white, whereas the European version was plain white (I know, doesn't take much to amaze some people but there you go). Then he looked at the cover of Abba's Greatest Hits, volume 1.

This is it above, if you can imagine it gatefolded in the middle. Admittedly this is a rather strange cover for a group just about to go mega-global. They were sold as two couples, but the front part of the cover had Bjorn bored and reading the paper and Agnetha looking lost and in a stroke of genius with falling leaves on her (I have mentioned their lack of copy control on photoshoots before). Anyway, this is nothing compared to the cover of the Swedish/European version on the right (still haven't worked out how to add a picture lower in the blog, I'm afraid).

Words cannot describe this painting. Why they thought it summed up their first couple of years as a supergroup is beyond me.

Maybe I should subscribe to "This England" after all.

So, we haven't discussed comics for a while, have we? I'm still reading like it's going out of fashion (and I was right, the Adversary in 'Fables' was Gepetto from Pinocchio after all. Full marks, me) but just haven't had time to review. Same old, same old in many cases so not much to review frankly.

Anyway, that may all be changing next week with the first issue of 'Infinite Crisis' coming out. DC comics big universe shattering crossover that has been a couple of yerars in the making. Very exciting. BUT, why next week? When I am away and not within travelling distance of a comic shop? Of course it will sell out immediately so I am having to rely on the kindness of others to look it out for me (This Perez cover for preference, anyone) . I mean, it will be sent back for reprint but as I never managed to get a copy of Wonder Woman 219 despite the reprint, I can't rely on that. So anyone reading this, please buy me a copy next Thursday (if in the UK) or Wednesday (in the US).

What's going to happen? Well, a guess is that a lot of second stream heroes will die because there are frankly too many of them (My choices for death would include any New Blood heroes, and whoever's left of the New Guardians, who are best left forgotten for the cliches contained within). Current situation is that most of the villans are banding together as an army, not least because of the discovery that years ago the whiter than white Justice League lobotomised and/or mind wiped a few villans who knew too much. Also, a government sponsored force of androids are out targetting heroes, possibly in the fear that they are too powerful and what's to say that they won't turn to dictators at one point? Unfortunately these androids have hacked into Batman's secret files on every hero, and Wonder Woman sort of publically executed the human head of the government agency. Elsewhere there is a war in space, magic has been reduced to it's more primal wild state, and there are hints that the now no longer existing multiverse may be involved.

It's all very involved, isn't it? I think the central point is that the public are no longer trusting the heroes and the heroes are no longer trusting each other. So they are splitting into groups where their loyalties lie - a Bat-family, a Wnder family now that the lovely Donna Troy is back, A Super-family, etc.

What will happen? Who knows at the moment, but it's keeping this 40 year old reading comics.

Finally, a picture of Jared Reynolds, bass player with Ben Folds.

Not the best photo but you can get the general idea, and both Ian and I agree he is a hottie so we will be as close to ther front right hand side as we can get in December when they return to play Brixton.

these are Pure Reason Revolution.

I know nothing about them except for the fact that I am going to see them at the ICA tonight.

I shall pass comment tomorrow if they are either very good or very poor. If they are average then you shall know this by my indifference.