"Execute Order 66."

When those words were spoken by Chancellor Palpatine we witnessed the fall of the Jedi and saw the birth of the Galactic Empire under the control of a Dark Lord of the Sith. The Dark Times were at hand.

Now we see this moment played out from another perspective - The clone soldiers of the Republic.

With her 4th book in this stellar series, Karen Traviss ratchets up the intensity as the Clone Wars draw to an end and all the plans that had been set in motion during the previous novels come to fruition. For the most part.

As you know, I try to keep spoilers out of my reviews and again, that will prove difficult because this is one book I am going to love discussing with people.

Picking up were "True Colors" left off we reconnect with Kal Skirata and his adopted family of clones and rejects from other walks of life including two Jedi and a treasury agent. Still seeking a way to stop the clones premature aging process and figuring out how to build a refuge camp on Mandalore for clones who are prepared to desert the Grand Amy, Kal and his adopted family are in for the fight of their lives as all their plans run smack into the master manipulations of Darth Sidious. What you get from the story is one of the most intensely emotional Star Wars stories I've ever read - and I've read them all people. I'm not even kidding, I got misty eyed more than once.

Again, one of the strengths Ms. Traviss relies on is her deep understanding of each of her characters and their individual motives over the series. What she has done for Mandalorian culture alone makes the books worth investing your time, but it's more than that. You care about each one of these characters. And that makes what fate has in store for them all the more impactful on you as a reader.

Perhaps one of the more underrated aspects of this series and of utmost importance in this novel is the depth and complexity of the the entire prequel saga.

The prequels have been panned by most critics and fans for a variety of reasons. In my opinion it's because you can only show so much in a film, the true depth of what happening on screen has to be thought about to really be understood. And that is what Ms. Traviss has done better than any Star Wars author to date. She has peeled layer after layer of the prequels back to reveals to true depths and ugliness to which the Jedi have sunk and why they were going to lose this war before it even started. And she also sheds light on the motivations of a certain decapitated Mandalorian that would shake an ardent fan to their core if they were to examine it.

Whether these layers of complexity were really there when George Lucas made the films is certainly debatable, I would like to believe they were and that he was simply challenging his audience to see the subtly of the trap laid by Sidious over the course of the three prequels. Or perhaps it's is all the doing of one incredibly bright and insightful English novelist who has simply captured my imagination in ways that haven't been done in sometime.

This books is phenomenal, this series is phenomenal.

This forth book closes the Republic Commando series. I'm sad to see it go as it has become as favorite in a short amount of time. Good thing it was also just annouced the a new series from Karen Traviss would be out soon - IMPERIAL COMMANDO. The title of book one of the series will bring delight to Star Wars fas everywhere - 501st!

I will be first in line for that one.

KE NU'JURKADIR SHA MANDO'ADE!

"Experts" - I don't think so.

Going into a crucial week three game in my main fantasy league I was faced with a dilemma. This season my QB situation is still trying to work itself out. It's not an unusual spot for my team to be in. I believe the most QB position, while valuable isn't nearly as important as some rank it. And my success at Fantasy will usually support my claim, most season I'm a top three finisher at the very least. (I know what my struggles are but if you think I'm going to tell you that here, you are nuts.)

The dilemma - Drew Brees or Phillip Rivers.

I decided to see what many of the "experts" of fantasy football had to say. Most of them had Brees above Rivers for a variety of reasons.

But I couldn't do it. I just didn't like the match-up. Brees's best WR is out and his TE was playing with an injury. Who the hell was he going to throw the ball to?
Well, he managed to find a few folks as he tossed for 450 yards. But zero TD's.

Heading into Monday's game I was down, by 50 and I used a strategy that normally I'm loath to employ. I had six players from the Chargers going. Essentially putting all my eggs in one basket and with Rivers at the helm, if he dropped the ball my team was cooked.

When Rivers opened the game with a pick 6 I could see my season flash before my eyes.

Then he unleashes some picture perfect passes that hit their marks. Those marks also happen to be on my squad.

Call it luck or call it smart thinking. I really don't care. But it made me think about all the other fantasy players around the globe who buy the magazines, pay for online newsletters, scour websites in search of info from people who are really no different than you or I. The experts don't necessarily have something you don't.

Now also, don't misunderstand. I make my share of bad calls too, but I feel a lot better about them when I make them on my own and not because I followed the advice of some dude, who like me, is sitting in front of a computer and playing match-ups in his mind. Go with your gut. Sometimes it might be wrong, but your gut is usually better than anyone else's because really that's all these guys are doing. You cannot graduate from USC with a degree in Fantasy Sports knowledge. The experts are no smarter than you, they just guess better than most of us. But they are still wrong quite a bit too.

Incidentally, Brees wasn't that far behind Rivers in points, but watching him throw three TD's on Monday night sure made that a lot more exciting.

Yeah...opps.

I know, I know...

So six weeks later and heres the happy ending we were all waiting for.

Inching closer

Spent the day in Denver on Tuesday and had a blast! The rocky mountain region is one of the most beautiful I've ever seen. Lots of things about Denver I found very appealing, may have to visit again.


Spent Wednesday back on the road, we'll be spending Thursday in Vegas visiting some friends.

I'm willing to place bets for anyone :)

Report from the Heartland

Not much to say at the moment. We covered a lot of ground after leaving Ohio. We crossed Indiana, Southern Illinois and into Missouri.

We spent the evening in St. Louis around the Arch and the historic Riverfront area basically being tourists.




Here is a shot of the arch taken at the Hyatt across the street from the park.


Which one is the bear?














Dinner at some Brewery joint in an area called 'The Landing'

Let's see where we end up tomorrow.

Looking for Blinky, the Three eyed fish.

Well, got out from Baltimore a little later than planned but still managed to make to Springfield, Ohio. Not too bad a days travel.
So other than MD, we hit West Virginia, PA, West Virgina again and then into Ohio. Not too much excitement on this leg of the trip. We did stop to briefly in Columbus to check out the Historic German Village. Not too bad, but once we saw the Starbucks we knew it wasn't quite as historic as we thought it would be.
Here are a few of todays pics.


Chilling in West Virginia.
Von Schiller's Statue in Schiller park.









My moment of religious clarity.


The Church of Sinestro!

Exhaustion doesn't even cover it.

So I've already missed one day. Moving is some tiring work.

Well, the semi showed up and managed to wiggle his way into the apartment complex. That was an exciting way to start the day. Once he got set-up we were on the clock. The six hours went by crazy fast as Jeannine brought stuff down from her apartment and I unloaded the Penske I had brought up the night before.
Temper were short. Voices were loud, but no one was hurt, no one was killed, and more importantly no one is single.


Our 10x10 space filled up.Sadly, this is not Optimus Prime.



So next on the agenda after getting some food and a decent amount of sleep was cleaning the apartment and getting the car packed. In what could only be called a miscommunication, I was under the impression we didn't have much to go in the car. This next picture will show the error of that misunderstanding.



But, after some careful work, we managed to get loaded up and hit the road in the early evening. First stop is back to Baltimore to see Dad. Oh and to get some fresh Baltimore Crabs...the kind from the ocean smart guy!

Prelude to Insanity

Yes, that magic day is upon us already. Seems like yesterday we packed up and left San Diego for the undiscovered country. Well, turns out that country is pretty cold for five or six months of the year so it's time to head back home.

Behold, phase 1 - I pack up a truck in Baltimore and drive to Jeannine's for the big day.


Sure driving a mans truck is fun for a while but this big bitch was expensive to fill up and sucked down the gas quick. Good thing the load was light. A full truck and I might have cried.









So I make the trip up with no problems and decide to take a peek in the back and see how much my stuff shifted and if anything was damaged enough to bring a tear to my eye.


Other than the bike sliding a bit, everything is where I put it. Thanks to Pop for suggesting the suitcase as cushions for the TV, worked great!




So tomorrow is Judgment Day. Last time we did this things got ugly, so will this time be any different?
Stay tuned... oh and if photo's of the lading of the big rig don't get posted it's because I got my angry on and photos could be used against me in a court of law.

Lord, give me stength...and patience and... cold beer....

Tom's complete lack of surprise.

Things have been super busy.

For those who may not have heard, Jeannine and I are moving back to San Diego. While exciting, this is very stressful and super time consuming. As a result of that the blog has become a bit neglected. I'm hope to be able to resume semi-regular posting next week, but please don't hold me to that. Everyting depends on how far along the packing is.

Also, if things go well, I'll update the blog with photos from the trip across country.

Indiana Jones - It's not the years, it's the mileage.

I'm not the kind of person who is impressed by celebrities.

I've lived in L.A. and have seen many film and TV stars as the make their way around town trying to lead as close to a normal life as they can while not out promoting whatever project they are working on. I'm happy to let them. I have no real desire to approach a celebrity while they are cutting into a steak with the wife and kids nearby. Because honestly, I really have nothing to say to them that wouldn't sound like the ramblings of a fan. I somehow doubt that we would become B.F.F.'s and start hanging out all the time. It probably the one area in my life where I'm firmly rooted in reality.

Harrison Ford, on the other hand...you can throw all of that out the window.

And Indiana Jones is pretty much the reason why.

Sure, as Han Solo in Star Wars he defined what it is to be a cool space pirate. Indiana Jones defined being cool period.

A lot of people make the mistake of thinking Star Wars is my all-time favorite films. Maybe it is, but so are the Indiana Jones movies.

I could probably go on to gush about all the reason why, but really, I'm pretty sure you already know all the reasons why. So lets cut to the chase.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull opens in less than two days and I really can't wait to see it.
When the project was first announced I must admit to being on the skeptical side. I was nervous about the whole idea, after all it had been 18 years since Harrison had last donned the fedora and Spielberg had evolved as a director and in some people's mind George Lucas had lost his marbles.
Then the first batch of rumors came out, about how scripts kept getting rejected, no one could agree on what the next adventure would be. A script by frank Darabont was turned down, word come out that Sean Connery was offered the chance to reprise his role and turned it down. Things weren't looking good.
BAM - then all of a sudden the principals all agreed, casting was underway and the filming was set to commence. I had trepidations. Most surrounding the rumors that were being spread about Shia LeBeouf's character. Shia is an actor I had never really taken a shine to. Supporting roles in Constantine, I Robot,

Then a funny thing happened. Transformers came out and I really enjoyed it and Shia was very strong reason why. So that alleviated a great deal of my concerns. But everything really fell into place for me when the teaser trailer hit. Once the opening notes of John Williams score sounded I was all in and ready for the adventure. Judging from some of the internet reaction I am not alone.

I can only hope that the fans are kinder this time around than they were when George Lucas released his Star Wars prequels. As I am one of the few defenders of that series I offer a small disclaimer for everyone who is getting ready to see Indy's new adventure - Lower your expectations!
I'm getting sick to death of people who build things up in their minds to such astonishing heights that no matter how good something it it will never top what they have built it u to be. You are going to see Indiana Jones have a new adventure on the big screen. Be happy with that, just enjoy it for what it is, a film that should provide a nice adventure for two hours.
When 'Last Crusade' came out I was 10 years old. It was the 1st time I got to see Indy in theaters. I'm really excited for the chance to go back and see him on the big screen again. Let try to keep our expectations grounded in reality people. Don't join the growing masses of haters who feel the need to go around (mostly on the internets) and blast the holy hell out of a film and everyone involved in it to smithereens.

The man with the hat is back, enjoy it. Harrison can't do this forver...

Or can he?

Justice League Unlimited - Complete series

Yeah, I'm a little late to the party on this one. But seriously, this was an absolutely incredible animated series.

The first two seasons of the show show, simply known as Justice League, focuses on the seven core members of the team coming together to stop the forces of evil. Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern (John Stewart), Martian Manhunter, Hawkgirl star for two seasons of epic two part tales, occassionally a three parter is thrown in. It's good fun entertainment that culminates with the climax of the Thanagarian invasion during season two and the shocking resignation of a core member.

Then the series undergoes a sweeping change - Justice League Unlimited - 52 new heroes, some get more spotlight than others, but it's fun to see who is hanging around in the background.

Bruce Timm and Dwayne McDuffie along with some other creative folks turned this series up to 11.
First, they brought in Green Arrow which was pretty damn cool. Then they bring in the Question! Oh that was a happy day indeed!

Then, to my surprise I found two new characters that I had an absolute blast seeing on the screen. The Vigilante and Shining Knight - these are silver age interpretations that I was simply amazed with and want to find out more about them.

Plus they brought in Task Force X and my favorite assassin Deadshot. (I would love to have clip here but nobody on youtube has one shorter than 9 minutes)

And then, my peronal favorite - With the league down and out against the combined might of Lex Luthor & Braniac (merged into one godlike being) Flash finally gets to show just how powerful he is. Behold!

Season two of the series is also excellent, but a tad short. Two highlights from the season involve Lex and Flash switching bodies and Batman going to the aid of the Flash who is under attack from the Rogues. Seeing Batman's reaction to how Flash deals with his villains is hysterical.

Oh and did I mention they throw in some stuff with Batman Beyond? How freaking sweet is that!

Part of my enjoyment of the series was listening to the characters and trying to figure out which Hollywood star they got for them. Some are kind of obvious, but no less fun! Hell, Clancy Brown as Lex Luthor alone is worth watching. And as usual Kevin Conroy proves he is the definitive voice of Batman.

A great animated series that anyone with even a slight interest in super-heroes can and should enjoy for a long time!

Dexter in the Dark

Jeff Lindsay's third book in his adventures of the lovable yet homicidal Miami Police blood spatter analyst Dexter Morgan is something of a curve ball.

And that's not a bad thing.

A series that doesn't come out and try new things, that stays with a formula is a series that grows stale quickly.

Mr. Lindsay tries some new techniques and some unique ideas out in order to Dexter through the ringer this time around. For the most part it's successful and he is able to lead Dex down a dark and twisting path unlike any we have seen in the series so far.

How does he do this?

For the first time in his life, Dexter is made to feel fear.

The emotionless dispenser of dark justice finds something that lurks in the night that is darker than anything he ever imagined and he is afraid of it. So much so that his Dark Passenger goes into hiding and leaves Dex to fend for himself.

This gives Mr. Lindsay a very unique opportunity to explore Dexter's mind as he feels what it's like to be a human for the first time since his childhood. It also presents a chance for Dexter to contemplate his motivations and what makes him Dark Dashing Dexter.

Obviously I won't talk about the things he learns or much more of the plot. Other than as with the previous books, it moves quick and keeps you turning pages late into the night.

As with the previous books, particularly 'Dearly Devoted Dexter' my favorite scenes involve Dex interacting with Cody and Astor. Even the scenes with Rita have an element that I will always enjoy.

This time around Dex's foster sister, Sargent Deborah Morgan, isn't nearly as annoying as she was in the prior book. I still feel her reliance on Dexter to help her solves cases is a crutch that could be done away with. It makes her look insanely incompetent at times, granted the mystery she is presented with would be a challenge for most.

If there is one thing to nitpick it would be Dex missing bits of information that I'm pretty sure even the most casual reader was able to pick up. Now, again, Dex's state of mind in this novel isn't exactly where it normally, a strange word to associate Dexter with, is so that probably accounts for it.

Other than that, another excellent novel in fun and enjoyable series that continues to surprise by going places I never expected to be taken to.

So what is that can make Dexter Morgan feel fear? Go find out for yourself and have a blast!

Why do I even bother...

Of course a great hockey game is played last night and because I live in stupid East Coast Time Zone land of crappiness I miss a dandy of a 4 OT thriller. I was pushing myself just to stay up through the 1st OT when I realized I had to get up in 5 hours. So I turned on the tivo to record the rest of the game, honestly thinking it would be decided in the second OT. Oops. So the tivo only recorded OT 2 & 3 before shutting off since I didn't change the settings. Which means I missed the end of the game and seeing my adopted Sharks make another early post-season exit.

A small PS to the game - Naby and Turco were excellent and Brenden Morrow's hit on Milan Michalek was downright devastating! And totally clean for anyone who wants to cry foul.

So how did I do in round 2? 50% I got Pittsburgh and Detroit. That didn't take much skill to predict those two teams.

So now in the East we get Philadelphia(7) vs Pittsburgh(2)

The West is Dallas(7) vs Detroit(1)

In the east it's a no-win situation from my perspective. I hate both these teams and either advancing to the next round will induce vomiting.

Out West I'll go with Dallas. They are playing the type of hockey I really did and Turco has looked fantastic. Brenden Morrow is really showing why he is the guy who wears the"C" in Dallas these days. Plus I hate Detroit.

Forgotten Realms: The Legend of Drizzt Vol.1 The Dark Elf Trilogy Omnibus

Created over 20 years ago by R.A. Salvatore, Drizzt Do'Urden, the Drow Ranger, has grown into an immensely popular character in modern fantasy. Springing from the pages of the Dungeons & Dragons novels in the setting of the Forgotten Realms Drizzt hacked and slashed his way into the hearts of many teenage owners of twelve sided die.

I can remember first seeing his books in a classmates hand during freshman history in high school. Sure, I thought Drizzt looked pretty cool. But swords and sorcery? The few times I had played dungeons and dragons I was overwhelmed with boredom and quickly distanced myself from the game and anything that might be associated with it. Plus I was really into Star Wars so it had that to compete with and it lost resoundingly.

Alas, over ten years since high school ended and with a strong nod to J.R.R. Tolkien, I read fantasy books. Not a whole lot mind you, but certainly more than I used to. So what made me pick up Drizzt books? R.A. Salvatore wrote two Star Wars novels. I liked his writing and decided to pick up more of it. Oh the circle of life strikes again!

So fast forward - I've read the first 6 Drizzt novels. Devils Due aquires the rights to adapt the Drizzt stories to the comic format. I'm intriged, but the cover price scares me off. So I wait. And eventually I'm rewarded with the omnibus for the illustrated version of The Dark Elf Trilogy. Collected in the edition are the adaptations of 'Homeland' 'Exile' and 'Sojourn'.

I have to say, it's pretty good.

As with any adaptation some things are cut, somethings are condensed and somethings are just done right. For the most part this series is done right. Having read the novels I'm familiar with what was cut and condensed and I understand why. Scripter Andrew Dabb is clearly a fan of Salvatores novels and makes sure to keep all that is important in place. Tim Seeley does a fantastic job of illustrating a world I'd never seen anywhere but in my imagination. For the most part, my imagination seems to have nailed it. Except Tim draws Drow women way sexier that I ever gave them credit for.

I still think if you are fan of fantasy you'll do yourself a disservice by not reading the novels first. However, Dabb & Seeley do strong work in faithfully adapting the story and cramming as much of it as possible in the pages alloted without making the reader feel as if things they are being rushed through the developing stages of Drizzt's life.

I'm looking forward to picking up the next adaptation by Devils Due whenever it hits the stands.

I must have lost my keys.

OK, So I've been away from here for a little while.

It's not that I've had nothing to talk about, it's just that for one reason or another I've been sidetracked or bamboozled at every turn.

I had planned to talk more hockey, but that's just depressing me even thinking about it.

I had planned to share some stories from the New York Comic Con - This I will get to, but I'm still waiting for a few pics to show up.

I had planned to talk about some DVD's and TV shows I'm watching - I just haven't done it yet.

Yeah, the life in reality has gotten a little busy but I am still here.

Stay tuned for something new shortly.

Round One Results are in...

And the screw job is complete!

With some of the worst officiating I've EVER seen, Philadelphia survives regulation and defeats the Caps in OT.
My bitterness is still overwhelming and really don't feel like venting about it here, so I won't.

Let's see who my picks came out.

Correct - Montreal, Detroit, Pens, Rangers, Avs, Sharks.
Incorrect - Caps, Ducks.

So 6-2 isn't too shabby.

So lets take a breif look at Round 2

Montreal vs. Philadelphia - Biron played his ass off against DC, this round it won't be enough. Montreal advances, lets the riots ensue.

Pittsburgh vs. New York - Seems like Pitt hasn't played in forever, not that I really care. I hate both of these teams more that most folks could possibly imagine. Still, I see the Pens advanceing in a series that should be harder than the last one.

Detroit vs. Colorado - Colorado played better than I thought they would in Round one. But so did Detroit and when The Preds came back to even the series the Wings responded by stepping on their necks. Detroit wins.

San Jose vs. Dallas - Two teams that played each other hard all season. I think this has the potential to be a fantastic series and probably the only one I have a genuine rooting interest in now that the Caps are out. SJ all the way!

Game 7 tonight!

After being pushed to the brink, the Caps have responded with two wins to even the series at three!
Last nights game was great and really embodied the way the team has played since November. I don't want to say too much about it, I'm just giddy right now and really looking forward to being in attendance at the game tonight!

So here is the link to Tarik El-Bashir's story from the Post and some of the pics from the game.

Tonight is your night bro!

It's been a long time coming.The Caps are returning to the playoffs tonight and the anticipation and excitement around the team are at all time highs. I've never seen it like this before. Sure the team has gotten folks in the DC metro area excited before. But never before have they had the whole world watching and following with baited breath. The idea of the Caps getting recognition on a global scale is such a far-fetched idea that I barely know how to comprehend it.

Washington Post beat writer Tarik El-Bashir wrote an excellent story about it this morning. You can read it here.

My memories of bittersweet playoff disappointment still sting. I still get worked up talking about Joe Juneau whiffing on an open net during a penalty shot in triple overtime against the Pens in '95 than watching Petr Nedved stuff one home to kill us a few minutes later. Bastard.

Watching Detroit come storming back in Game 2 of the Finals. A game in which they were down and out after 1 period. Esa Tikkannen missing an empty net goal that may have iced the whole thing. Yeah, they lead to a Detroit sweep I got to see live in DC.

The blood boiling anger in '03 as a talented Caps team, up 2-0 in the series, dropped 4 straight to Tampa bay once they figured out Bruce Cassidy was shit for a coach. As evidenced by his brainless benching of super defender Calle Johanson for journeyman suck-ass Jason Doig, who was exploited repeatedly.

We haven't been back since then. Only one player from those teams remain - Olie Kolzig, who may be spending the post season as back-up.

Gone are former Caps greats - Hunter, Bondra, Konowalchuk, Johanson.

They have been replaced by a team of unbridled energy and youth - Ovechkin, Green, Backstrom, Semin, Backstrom and a talented supporting cast that have come together to do what no team in history had done before. Last place in the conference the day before Thanksgiving to Division Champion on the second to last day of the season. They are confident, dangerous, and ready to sit at the table with the big boys.

Thanks Coach Boudreau.

And it's infectious, not only did it spread around the DC area, soon it crossed the border north to Canada, then across the ocean to Sweden, Russia and other European nations.

I've never seen that before from this team. True most of the attention spawned from Alex Ovechkin and his quest for 60 goal, but as Alex rose up, he made sure to take the team with him.
The trade deadline brought in three new faces - Cooke, Fedorov, Huet. Cooke is physical and has played his tail off in every game he's played. Fedorov has been rejuvenated, winning somewhere around 70% of his faceoffs, tossing crisp passes around the ice and the occasional timely goal. And Huet? Well, when we couldn't afford to lose a game, he didn't. Reeled off 9 in a row. Ties the franchise record.

The Caps have been around for 30 years. But not like this. They were NEVER like this. Last Saturday Verizon center was a level of loud that I don't think I've ever heard before, I was there for the cup run in '98.

I'm excited for this team in way I've not been in a very long time. Go to a game, watch on TV and try to tell me you don't feel it. They believe, we believe and starting tonight it's time to make the rest of the league believe.

NHL Night 2!

The playoffs are underway and while I'm behind after the first night, I'm far from out. So lets take a look at tonights match-ups.

Bruins vs. Canadiens

The black and gold battle the red and blue in an original six match-up that the old farts on TSN just love to get worked up over.
Boston played hard and were beat up down the stretch but earned their playoff with timely wins in OT or Shootouts. Too bad they don't have shootouts in the playoffs.
Montreal is simply too good. And believe me, I really hate to admit that. Montreal is almost a powerhouse compared to what Boston has to over. Tim Thomas will be under siege in this series and I half expect him the see pucks coming at him while he walk down the street.
If their is an x-factor in all of this it might be Corey Price in net. He's young an lacks playoff experience. Though I tend to consider those two bullshit excuses we'll see if they prove to be someting the Bru Cru can take advantage of. I doubt it.

Who should win - Montreal in 4. 5 if Boston gets a good bounce.
Who will win - I just told you!
Who am I rooting for - I still like Saku Koivu, the guy just has guts.

Predators vs. Red Wings

Honestly, I've never dug the Wings. I don't care how dominate they have been and all the shit about Scotty Bowman and Stevie Y. I just don't care.
Oh and don't think I give damn about the Preds either.
Why the hell does this city have a team? They never show up, even for the playoffs. And don't get me started on ownership and management.
But these two teams both have one thing I like - Their Head Coaches.
Mike Babcock and Barry Trotz.
So if the Preds have a chance it's because Trotz can coach. But Babcock has more weapons and he knows how to use them.

Who should win - Detroit.
Who will win - Preds might push to six but I'm thinking this over in 5 - Detroit.
Who I'm rooting for - Babcock

Stars at Ducks

Wow, did Brad Richards fizzle out after that big debut or what?
Not sure what there to really like about Dallas's chances this year. They just don't stand out very well, but they manage to win hockey games and thats the bottom line right? Don't misunderstand Dallas is immensely talented but they managed to piss away a first round series last year and I won't be surprised to see it happen again. Modano, Morrow - These guys can make things happen. Turco is a good goalie but playoffs have not been a strong point and even last season when he pitched 3 shutouts it wasn't enough.
Anaheim, oh Anaheim. You guys haven't seemed the same to me. Strange moves in the off season, strange moves during the season. I feel like you've never quite been on track.Sure you're winning games and I'm happy about that, the OC/SD connection and all, but something was off. Wheather it was Neidermayer and Selanne sitting out half the season (bullshit by the way!) or Chris Pronger repeatedly ramming his elbow through people's noses. Something has been not sat right with me. Maybe I'm just not Jiggy with it.

Who should win - Probably Anaheim, this is what they have been waiting for.
Who will win - Anaheim maybe in 6.
Who I'm rooting for - Travis Moen was a beast in the Playoffs last year. Love to see him do it again.


Tomorrow, it's finally here! Caps baby!

Scalped Vol.1- Indian Country & Vol. 2 - Casino Boogie

Goddamn, I love this comic!

Jason Arron and R.M. Guera have created one of the most memorizing comics I've read in a very long time.

How do I best describe it? It's just dirty. Not dirty in the way of smut and nudity, but dirty in the sense that you can taste the dirt that fills the air when the wind blows across the badlands kind of way.

It's crime noir at it's best in a setting you might not expect, an Indian Reservation. It's intense, brutal, compelling and even a touch compassionate.

I'm very hesitant to mention too much about the story so I'm going to borrow a few lines from the back of volume 1.

"Fifteen years ago, Dashiell “Dash” Bad Horse ran away from a life of abject poverty and utter hopelessness on the Prairie Rose Indian Reservation searching for something better. Now he’s come back home armed with nothing but a set of nunchucs, a hell-bent-for-leather attitude and one dark secret, to find nothing much has changed on “The Rez” — short of a glimmering new casino, and a once-proud people overcome by drugs and organized crime. Is he here to set things right or just get a piece of the action?"

Vol. 1 is outstanding, it's throws you into the deep of a story that has layers. Half the fun is learning what the layers are and how characters are connected to one another. The books reeks of realism that is hard to come across in even novel format.

Vol. 2 serves to provide some background on many of the characters who inhabit "The Rez" and it' set around the opening of the new casino. It's simply fascinating. And sets the stage for big things to come.

The reason I'm so hesitant to say too much about the story is that honestly it's too good for you not to have the chance to experience it all for the first time knowing as little as possible. Jason Aaron is a writer who I had been hearing good things about for a while now, but until I read this book I had no idea what I was missing out on. His talent for dialog is top notch. Nothing a character says sounds out of place or forced. His understanding of Native American culture and their history is deep and compelling he has gotten me very interested in learning more. Don't be surprised if you catch me reading a copy of "Bury my heart at wounded knee" soon.

I know I'm being sort of vague about the details of this book, but i swear to God, it's hypnotic. You will not want to put this down and I'll be more than happy to lend out my copies if you will give it an honest shot. This book deserves as much attention as it can get and I can't wait to read more. I'm thinking of making some cuts to my subscription so I can add it as a monthly. When I do that, you know I like it. I can't recommend it enough.

Playoffs - Round One, Night One, Fight!

I'm battling a bit of a cold as write this up and have had very little sleep. That is your warning for what you are about to read.

Today I'll talk about tonight's first round match-ups and I will not even bother to hide my personal feelings. Yes it's true, my dislike of teams, players and cities has been known to rear it head this time of year. But it's the playoffs and if you want to win sometimes you got to get nasty. So without further adieu....

Senators vs. Penguins 7pm EST

Wow! I'm not sure you could put two teams together for a playoff series that would make me want to claw my eyes out more. The over exposed, over hyped Sydney Crosby vs a bunch of a-holes from Ottawa that almost choked their way right out of the playoffs last week.
Granted, even if Crosby wasn't on the Pens I would still hate them, I have 15 years of playoff frustration that just won't go away. When you add the most media saturated NHL player in years to the mix I just want to vomit blood when I see them on TV. Ottawa is almost as bad. Years back I dug the style of hockey they played - it was pretty. Then it dawned on me that it was also hockey for little girls. Oh and Alfredsson is a puck hog.

Who should win - Who cares?
Who will win - Penguins in 4
Who I'm rooting for - Spontaneous combustion of several players.

Rangers vs. Devils 7pm EST

The Rangers. My God. Look, I'm just going to put this out their if you used to play in the Patrick Division and you aren't named the Washington Capitals I don't like you very much and NEVER will. And if you have Jaromir Jagr on your team I hate you twice as much.
I tolerate the Devils for my brother so I'm going to say they show the moxy they didn't have the week of the season and they man-up to make a series of this. Brodeur is one the best goalies to ever play the game and he can keep his team in this. They just need to score some goals to do it. What I'm looking for is if Jags can try to punch Scott Gomez in the back of the head again this season and dislocate his shoulder again. This would be super great since they are both on the same team.

Who should win- Devils
Who will win- Rangers - unless Jersey can find it's offense. 6 games
Who I'm rooting for - John Madden to check the hell out of Jagr all series.

Avalanche vs Wild

I like a lot of the young players the Avs have been developing the past few seasons. I don't like Forsberg very much anymore. His phantom dive against Vancouver a few weeks ago was funny and yet oh so sad.
And what do the Wild have? Jaques Lemaire. The man can flat out coach hockey. I'm sure some folks hate him for bringing the trap into existence but if he didn't someone else would have thought of it eventually.

Who should win- The Wild could pull the upset.
Who will win- Avs have the talent to move to the next round but not easily. 7 games
Who am I rooting for- I like the netminder Backstrom, if he holds up so do the Wild

Flames vs Sharks

Oh San Jose. You break my heart every year. I'm starting to think you're not playing hard to get, you are just cock tease who knows how to pull my strings. And yet I'm too stupid to realize and I keep coming back for more.
That is a gross, but accurate analogy.
I love the Sharks, I really really do. They have the make-up of a Cup winner but they pick the wort time to have collapses and breakdowns.
Calgary has a fantastic goalie, and staunch defense and nice collection of power forwards, but all rights they are evenly matched against SJ. Don't be surprised when this series gets physical and that may turn out to be something in Calgary's favor. Still...I'm a whore for Ron Wilson and his Sharks.

Who should win - It's close but I'm thinking San Jose
Who will win - See above
Who I'm rooting for - Ron Wilson is my guy and I can't abandon him now!

So throw away the Root Beer and start puttin' on the foil! Tonight we start the greatest post-season in all of sports!

We're in!

In case you missed the fun on Saturday, the Capitals completed their historic rise from last place at Thanksgiving to division champion with a thrilling 3-1 victory over Florida.

Relieve the Moment. Photos are from the WashingtonPost and can be checked out on their website.

Don't Stop... Believing!

Yeah, I know, that song sucks ass, but for some reason the kids on the Caps have adopted it as their theme music for the season.

After last nights super thrilling 4-1 win over Carolina I'm willing to not say that to their faces.

2 Games left, tied for 1st place. TIED for 1st! In case you missed it we were dead last in October and managed to climb to 14th by Novemeber before Glen Hanlon was tossed out for Bruce Boudreau. Since then things have been golden.

Last night's game wasn't just about Ovechkin, sure he scored a sweet goal to ice the game but Matt Cooke played his ass off. Brooks Laich continued his outstanding season by going forhand to backhand on a sweet pass from Tomas Fleischmann. Old man Fedorov with 2 assists, budding superstar Mike Green 2 assists and Christobal Huet being clutch when he had to be.

In short it was a total team vicorty.

Consider this, who was it who opened the game with a big hit at mid ice? That would be the Russian sniper Alexander Semin, not exactly known as a physical force across the league.

And who rushed to his goalie's defense when Eric Staal took an extra whack with his stick? Ovechkin.

The Caps were fired up and played the most complete team game I've seen in a while. And they picked the perfect night to do it. In a packed house that was a sea of red and louder than I've heard them in years. Sadly, I wasn't in attendance. BUt I'll be there when the puck drops on Saturday.

Tonight Carolina play Tampa Bay, in a game they were hoping wouldn't matter. Now it matter more than they thought possible.

Reality check time - We havn't won anything yet. Two games to go and a lot can still happen but I'm optimistic, hope is alive in DC and we're painting this town red wheather they know it or not.
Oh and I by the way, Carolina head coach Peter Laviolette's explosion on the bench was hysterical. I don't care if he had a point or not.

Feeling conflicted...

So it's the first week of April and baseball season is underway, time for my Padres to star on the long road to September showdowns and defeats of the Dodgers to my my heart sing all summer long.

Except...

The Caps are still playing. My Caps, are in the hunt!

I can't remember the last time the baseball and hockey overlap actually mattered. OK, so maybe I can, it's been five years. Five long years since the Caps even got a whiff of the post-season. Not only are they close but the excitement is incredible. Hockey fans can't help but get swept up in the energy being created by this team. You just want to be a part of it all.

Which brings us to tonights showdown - Carolina is in town tonight to play the Caps. They hold a two point lead on us, two points that we can make up tonight!
Basically, the Caps need to win all three games this week to have a shot at making it. Assuming that we do that, we still need one of the teams ahead of to stumble so we can pass and slip in. My God, the idea of the playoffs is so sweet.

Anyone who doesn't think the Caps would be dangerous over a best of seven series is deluding themselves. The Eastern Conference in not dominated by one team, if we make it, we can spoil things for a few teams. Can you imagine Ovechkin getting to play on that kind of stage? Anyone who hasn't seen how good he is would become an instant fan.

But first things first - We need to win tonight; in regulation - tonight is HUGE!

Oh yeah, and as for my Padres - Jake was Jake.

Not only did he shut the Astros hitters down for 7 strong innings, and helped his cause by driving in two runs off Roy Oswalt.
Yeah, that's right, our Cy Young award winning pitcher can use the stick too.

So I'll be keeping checking in on the Pads, but my Caps have my attention right now and I wouldn't be to upset if they got to keep it for several more weeks.

Star Wars: Revelation - Legacy of the Force Book 8 by Karn Traviss

It wasn't too long ago that I was on here singing the praises of Karen Traviss for her latest effort in her 'Republic Commando' series of Star Wars novels.

Well, I'm about to do it again.

This time, the book is from the 'Legacy of the Force', a nine part epic involving the expanded universe of characters set 40 years after the 'Star Wars: A New Hope' aka 'Episode IV' of which this is the penultimate chapter - part 8.

A lot has been going on in this series of novel spearheaded by Travis, Troy Denning and Arron Allston. From the opening of the series with a dramatic turn of popular character to the dark side to the dramatic deaths of several large expanded universe characters, the series is unrelenting in it's ideas.

In a way it has a strange parallel to the Fall of Anakin Skywalker and his transformation into Darth Vader. But I feel it's best not to say too much about that here and let anyone who reads the books to make their own judgments.

The bulk of the story deals with Darth Caedus consolidating his power base and becoming the sole tyrant in charge of the Galactic Alliance. Ben Skywalker conducts an investigation to find evidence linking Caedus to death of a loved one. And Jania Solo, sensing she will be the one drawn into a final conflict with Caedus, but knowing she can't defeat him because he knows how she fights and is superior, seeks new training that Caedus won't know, and who better to ask for ways to defeat a Sith lords than a man who hunted Jedi for 20 years - Boba Fett!

Yes, it's THAT awesome!

For me, the three novels in the series penned by Ms. Traviss have been my personal favorites. And you only get one guess as to why. Boba Fett.

If you are a fan of the Fett then you really have to read these books. I've said it before and I'll say it again, what she has done for Fett, Mandalorians and the exploration of their unique culture has been simply amazing. When I was a child I never had the urge to run away from home, but if Mandalore was real a real place I think I would do it now. I really can't emphasize this enough and I'd love to share some of it with you, but you really should just read for yourself, half the fun is the discovery.

Also fun are they way she ties events and characters from the Republic Commando series into this set of books set almost 60 years later. It really helps to give a real sense of history and perspective to the characters and the events in both eras.

What is truly surprising is that nobody had tried to do this earlier. Boba Fett has popularity that rivals Vader and no one could really get a grasp on the man under the helmet. But in a way I can only be thankful that no one ever did because Ms. Travis has done it better and in a more surprising way than anyone would have suspected.

My only real hope is that once this series wraps, Karen Traviss will be given more opportunities to write the adventures of the galaxy's most dangerous man.

Kandosii!

Wanted

So in case you haven't heard on June 27th there is a movie coming out starring Angelina Jolie, Morgan Freeman and James McAvoy. Feel free to check out the trailer here.

Ok, so it looks like an over the top action flick right? Bunch of assassins with crazy guns and all that stuff right right?

Well, it's a far cry from it's source material.

Yes, surprise surprise 'Wanted' is based off a comic book series by Mark Millar, J.G.Jones and Paul Mounts that debuted about 8 years ago.

And guess what? It has fuckall to do with a society of super assassins.

'Wanted' the comic series is one part pure comic fantasy and one part social commentary directed squarely at the comic book fans.

Wesley Gibson is you. Deadend job with a bitch for a boss, a girlfriend who cheats on him and life full of the mundane, the little things that make you want to snap and take a baseball bat to the back of some assholes head and swing for the fences.

Then one day he's told that his father, who walked out on him when he was two, has been killed. It's shocking news made all the more shocking with the reveal that his dad also happens to be the worlds most dangerous super-villain - The Killer. Wesley stands to inherit everything, and that alot seeing as super villains secretly control the world, all he has to do it take his Father place in the Fraternity.

To do that he needs to learn how to say "Fuck You."

The fist half of the book is Wesley learning how to take his Fathers place and becoming a super-villain, the second half is Wesley dealing with a coup inside the Fraternity that seeks to upset the balance of power on the planet.

Mark Millar turns out one his finest stories and I could only imagine this story coming from his twisted mind. With characters named - Mr. Rictus, Fuck-wit and Shit-head, this has got his odd Scottish humor all over it.

J.G.Jones turns out some simply amazing art. He is insanely underrated due to the fact that he doesn't turn out too many projects a year but if you've seen his '52' covers you know how good he is.

The comic is an excellent way to spend you time. But as for the movie.. well, it's not out yet so it's hard to say. Honestly I don't think I like the changes I've noticed yet, but I would love to be surprised by the film.

For that, we'll have to wait till June. For now you can pick-up the softcover trade or the brand new Hardcover 'Directors Cut' of the series.

Darth Snake-Eyes

The Stephen Sommers helmed 'G.I. Joe film has released some publicity shots of Ray Park geeked up in his new Snake-Eyes costume, complete with shiny ninja sword.

There is a small article with quotes from Sommers and another pick posted at IGN.

Caps keep Climbing!

After a sweet 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators, the Caps have climbed to 9th place in the Eastern Conference standings. We now stand 2 points behind Philadelphia for the 8th spot, but we also move 3 points away from Carolina for the Division lead, which would be very sweet!

Ovechkin turned out another 3pt night including an empty net goal, his 58th of the season, on a bank shot of the boards at mid-ice, pretty sweet stuff.
Christobal Huet continues to be simply sensational in for the Caps. The guy makes the crucial saves at the right moment. We need to reign this man. He will backstop us to many a victory.

Tonight we faceoff in Chicago against a dangerous Blackhawks club. Meanwhile we'll be keeping an eye on TB vs. Buffalo and Carolina vs. Atlanta

C-A-P-S CAPS CAPS CAPS!

Not Dead yet....

OV scores #55 and then with 1 minute and 56 second left in the third period blasts #56 from the point on a crucial power play to win the game!

7 pts behind Carolina for the division but only 5 pts behind Philadelphia for the final playoff spot, I'll take either one gladly.

Congrats to Olaf Kolzig who collected career win #300. Well done sir, you picked a good night to do it!

INCREDIBLE!

This already looks ten times better than that turd that come out s few summers ago!

Check it out and tell me what you think!

Because you know Sci-Fi Channel will fuck it up...

Just read this on Newsarama and it's some very good news indeed.

Considering how much damage the sci-fi channel has inflicted on the Flash Gordon franchise this is very welcome considering they have their sights set on anally raping Buck sometime in 2008.

Dynamite Entertainment is one of the few publishers out there who seem to really have a love for the characters they are licensing.

Lone Ranger, Zorro, Battlestar Galactica and now Buck will live again.

Plus this company gets very talented folks involved - Alex Ross, John Cassaday and Matt Wagner to name just a few.

Now if Dynamite could get publishing right to Flash maybe they could right that sinking ship before oblivion consumes it.

Dastardly Dynamic Dexter

I'm not sure what I can say about this book that you probably have not heard already.

This is just plain fun to read, which might sounds like an odd comment to make considering the books content. But I can't help it, Dexter's first person narrative is funny as hell. I think I might actually get more laughs out of Jeff Linday's anti-hero than I do a Terry Pratchett novel. Which is no small feat.

The premise, for those of you who have been under a rock since Dexter went big and landed a series on Showtime, is simple. Dexter spends his days masquerading as a regular human being but at night, when the moon is full, he becomes Dexter the Dark Avenger. A serial killer with a twist. He has ethics. Honed by his step-Father into a weapon of justice Dexter only kills the true villains of the world in order to slake his thirst for killing and appease the Dark Passenger, the voice inside his head.

'Dearly Devoted Dexter' is the second book in the series, the third book was released a few months back. It picks up shortly after the end of the first novel and few repercussions of that story are having a profound effect on our favorite anti-hero. He's being watched, stalked some might say, by a cop who thinks he knows what Dexter is up to. So Dexter has to delve more deeply into his disguise as a human being and that means spending more and more time with Rita, his girlfriend who serves as a nice cover to his homicidal tendencies. But when a gruesome crime scene is discovered it will force Dexter into the last role he ever suspected to be put in - the Hero.

My favorite parts of this book, like the previous one, are the scenes with Dexter interacting with Rita and her children Astor and Cody. Something about these scenes I just find captivating. Since Dexter, who believes himself to not be human because of the things he does, has a terrible time trying to understand Rita who he admits he is only using to convey the image of a regular human being. These scenes where Dexter tries to understand emotion. something he doesn't feel, are remarkable because they force the reader to examine their own feeling and emotions in similar situations. Very well written by Mr. Lindsay.

The plot of the story is very good and engaging as well. I don't want to talk to much about it for fear of potentially ruining some good shock moments.

If I were to have one complaint it would be a minor one. Dexter's Step-Sister Deborah. She is a fucking bitch in big chunks of the book. Part me me understands her feelings towards a lot of things happening in the book but her attitude to Dexter, to me, is manipulative and slightly abusive. If my sister talked to me like Deb does to Dex, helping her solve crimes would not be high on my list of priorities.

But part me wonders if I only feel that way because I just plain like Dexter and whole-heartily approve of what he does. Dexter doesn't weep for the killing of pedophiles and rapists and neither do I.

Having read the second novel I now feel that I'm ready to watch the DVD's of season 1. I hope to talk about that here soon.

In the meantime go buy Jeff Lidsay's awesome series. We all could use a little Dexter in our lives... unless you are a bad person. You're not a bad person are you?

Capital Offense!

Monday night was the first night I've had the chance to make it into DC for some live Caps action, my boys didn't disappoint!

Words can't really describe so I'll include video - LOVE IT!

Ovechkin is simply amazing, probably the greatest player I've ever had the privilege to see live and in person. Take into account that when I saw Gretzkey and Lemiuex they were at the tail ends of their respective and impressive careers.

Enjoy the the video, being there was even more fun! Thanks David!

Kandosii!

Star Wars: Republic Commando - True Colors by Karen Traviss.

You do not need to be a Star Wars fan to love this series. In fact I'd go so far as to say the less you now about Star Wars the more you'll dig this stuff.

Picking up a few months after the events of Triple Zero the commandos are off to defend a Republic that they are finding to be less than worth the effort to defend.

There really is a ton going on in this book and it's sort of hard to talk about too much of it without spoiling the fun of reading it yourself.

So here is what I can tell you - Delta Squad (Boss, Sev, Scortch, Fixer) Omega Squad (Niner, Darman, Atin, Fi) Three of the Null A.R.C.'s (Ordo, Aden, Mereel) Kal Skirata, Walon Vau are here to teach you how Mandalorians get things done.

The basic premise for the book is the hunt for Ko Sai, the Kaminoan geneticist who created the clones. On the run from her own people, the Seperatists and the Republic, Ko Sai doesn't want to be found. Which is just what Mandalorians are best at.

But really that only scratching the surface for the book. The Clone Wars has been raging across the galaxy for over a year now and the R.C.'s (Republic Commanodos) are starting to get sick of it. Feeling like they should have obliterated the Seperatist forces by now, the troops privately begin to question just who is calling the shots on this war. At the same time questioning morality of a Republic that preaches freedom to all but utilizes what is basically a slave army not - given no choice to serve and given no rights as citizens of the Republic. Feed up with getting tossed aside to die when injuries are beyond what a field medic can fix, the troops can't even count on their Jedi Generals for support. The R.C.'s may serve the Republic but their loyalty is only to their brothers.

But Kal (Their training Sargent and adoptive father) with the help of his Null A.R.C.'s (Advanced Reconnaissance Commandos) Ordo, Mereel, Aden, Prudii and Kom'rk they have a plan to give the clones something that every sentient being in the galaxy has a choice - they just need to find Ko Sai first.

And that's not even the half of it.

The book is utterly fascinating. People love to whine and gripe and complain about George Lucas's prequel series but the simple fact is this - the prequels are brilliant. The films may not equal the original trilogy in a lot of ways. But it has provided such a deep ocean of possibility and several authors have taken full advantage of it (I still say Matthew Stover's adaption of Episode III is possibly superior to the film)

Karen Traviss has created a fantastic series of books full of memorable characters and she has done something that I will be eternally grateful for - She has taught us Mandalorian culture and even created a language full of fun words that we can use in our everyday life to confound our friends and family.

This book is military sci-fi on a very high level.

And even better? This series started as an adaptation of a video game. How crazy is that? Maybe Bungie and Microsoft should have got her to write their Halo books.

If you don't know this series, start with Hard Contact then move to Triple Zero where the stakes really start to get raised. Then read True Colors because this summer the shit is really going to hit the fan - the title of the next book says it all - Order 66

That can't be good for the Jedi...

The playoff payoff?

My beloved Washington Capitals have made a bold statement, 'the playoffs are within our reach and we are going to give it everything we have'.

Yesterday was the NHL trade deadline, it's practically a holiday to die hard NHL fans and teams basically announce to their fan base whether they are throwing in the towel for the season or if they plan to make sure you pay attention the rest of the way out. The Caps want you to pay attention and they aren't asking, they are demanding it.

4 trades of significance for the team and not much in the way of assets lost, George McPhee has done a masterful job of giving his team a legitimate shot at playoff birth. Weather that is secureing a spot in the at the bottom of the 8 seeds or claiming the division lead and leap-frogging their way to the 3rd seed remains to be seen.

A quick examination - Matt Pettinger sent to Vancouver for Matt Cooke. Mostly a contract swap dictated by Matt's struggles this season. If Cooke makes a good impression he could be resigned but in the short term will bring some fiestyness to the line-up.

A prospect swap with Atlanta, we send them Joe Motzko for Alexandre Giroux, who we had in the organization last season. I feel like there is something going on that I don't know about here, like why did we let Giroux go if we liked him this much. I liked Motzko but guess this has to be considered and even-steven trade.

Sergei Fedorov from Columbus for prospect Theo Ruth. Ruth was our second round pick last season but his stock has fallen - projected to be a 5th or 6th D-man, meaning he was very expendable. Fedorov is past his prime but he's not being asked to lead the team in scoring so he should be a great addition to the club, plus he is looking to impress heading into free agency this summer. Here is to hoping the three time cup winner has enough left in the tank for another go around.

Finally, what had to be one of the most shocking trades I've seen in a while - Montreal send us Christobal Huet, their #1 netminder for a 2nd round draft pick in 2009. Yeah, 2009 that is really not anytime soon. This is a steal and a half. But it does cause a stir in that the team decided to keep both Olie Kolzig and Brent Johnson. Can you say 'awkward'?
I like both Kolzig and Johnson, however, in my opinion Huet is the goaltender we need to keep. I don't want to shove Olie out the door, and Johnson is a great back-up so I don't know what the Caps will do this summer, but Huet could be the bridge we need so our very young goalie prospects can develop. I've been impressed with Huet since his days with the Kings when I would go to Staples Center and tell the fans their that he was better than there actual #1 at the time Roman Checkmanek - guess who was right? Me! So I was stupefied when LA traded him to Montreal, but at least there he got his chance and took the job from Jose Theodore and earned a trip to the all-star game last year. Plus the dude is French, not French-Canadian but French French, as like from Paris! How often do you see that? Impressive.

So what will happen with this new three-headed monster in goal? Who knows, but if it helps us makes the playoffs and maybe a nice run deep into the spring, I dnn't think too many folks will be complaining about it.

Oh yeah, and the Caps put together a very nice 4-1 last night over Minnesota, with Kolzig looking like a goalie who knows he needs to stay sharp to keep his #1 spot. Competition can be a wonderful thing. Congrats to Brooks Laich on a career night - 4 points (2 goal 2 assists)

Lets keep it up boys!

I <3 Valiant!

Wow, this book is more effective at time travel than a Delorian going 88mph!

Valiant Comics... I get all misty and nostalgic just think about it all, the glory of comics in the mid-90's, not that there is really too much to brag about from that era, but the beginning of Valiant is one of them.

The end of Valiant is not. But that is a sad tale for another time. Although I am loathe reopen those wounds again.

So lets cut to the chase, there is a new Valiant Comics in town and instead of tying to flood the over crowded comics market with new product they are out to get back their old fans first by regaining the right to properties lost and now that they have them (most of them at least) we are presented with this collection of the first storyline from their debut super team - Harbinger.

Don't let the name fool you, they don't actually have a name. Known simply as 'The Renegades' these four teenagers are trying to stop Toyo Harada, head of the Harbinger Foundation and his plans to change the world 'by any means necessary'.

Pete Stancheck, initially a top recruit for the Foundation, is appalled when he see the changes in his behavior since joining up. When his best friend is murdered by Harada in order to keep Pete inline the effect is quite the opposite, Pete rebels and goes on the run. Knowing that Pete is potentially the second most powerful being on the planet Harada will stop at nothing until 'the renegade' is put down.

Eventually, deciding he can't do it alone, Pete along with his human girlfriend Kris intercept a few recruits of their own, Zepher - a flyer, Flamingo - fire, and Torque - Strength. And the battle against Harada can now really begin.

If it sounds a little X-Men-ish, you'd be right. It's x-men with out the spandex (sort of) and the insane over top comic bookiness. What made Valiant different was the sense that it took place in your world. Everything was done with plausibility in mind.

Going through this collection I'm reminded that even in my youth Harbinger wasn't my favorite comic. If it were to be published it probably still wouldn't be. But that doesn't mean it isn't a very well done book. With talents like Jim Shooter and David Lapham attached does that really surprise you?

Mostly I bought this to show my support for the new Valiant Comics in the hopes that they would publish more books like this. This spring I get my wish as they collect issues #0-#6 of X-O Manowar, possible the coolest idea for a comic book character ever. More on that when it's out...which can't come soon enough!

Shop Class - 2/20/08

Checkmate #23

This is possibly the most underrated comic on the market. Greg Rucka, Eric Trautmann have created an espionage masterpiece set in world of super heroes, villains, terrorist groups and lots of political backstabbing.

It's a damn shame that Rucka and Trautmann have just announced they are leaving the book. Joe Bennett is also leaving, so it's three times the loss three times the misery.

Luckily that is still months away and I plan on enjoying the hell out of the next three issues.

#23 kicks of the "Castling" storyline as we learn what Pawn 502 has been up to since his deep insertion of the terrorist group Kobra. All this leads up to what promises to be a simply spectacular finish in #25 where we will FINALLY see the ROOKS unleashed! Cannot wait.


The Immortal Iron Fist - Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death.

From the too talented for words Ed Brubaker and his trusty accomplice Matt Fraction we get this one-shot tale of the golden age Iron Fist - Orson Randall.

The "Immortal Iron Fist" has been one of the best comics to hit the shelves in a long time and this issue only promises to deepen the mythology that is being created for a character that had been neglected for far too long.

It kung-fun, gun play and as Orson squares off against none other than the Prince of Orphans in a battle that will surely be felt across the years for Danny Rand.

Read it, love it!