This is the only time I ever copy and paste the same post year after year (and the way things are going, it may be the only time I post anything). But this is important and some of you may be new to my blog and haven't seen it before.

Alright. It's marathon time at WFMU. For those of you who have not heard, WFMU is the coolest radio station in the world. It's completely free form and completely listener sponsored . Seriously, if there's another station that plays both The Melvins and Tom Jones, I'd like know about it. If you've never listened, check it out:

http://www.wfmu.org/

Cowboy Baby

This is a really great miniseries that wrapped up a few weeks ago. Written and drawn by Geof Darrow, Shaolin Cowboy is one of the best-looking comicbooks to come out in a long time. The first issue of this miniseries has about (I can go look it up, but won't) two pages of prose in very very small type (which is hilarious) and the rest of the series barely has any words at all. In fact, not much happens in the four issues of this series. Decompression is something that I usually complain about, but the art in this is so detailed and the story is presented in such a unique way that I really enjoyed and loved every panel. If you missed it, it shouldn't be too hard to find. Check it out.

Against My Better Judgement

I'll start the year off with a column that I would like to call popular, but would be a bit of a stretch even by the largest amount of the imagination. Although I do know that one of my friends likes it a lot and would like more. Maybe I'll get back on track with more regular updates. I don't know. Here we go.

Justice League 3000

I gave this the benefit of the doubt because I loved everything that Keith Giffen and JM DeMatteis have collaboratively written since 1987.

This goes against my better judgement because it is simply awful after two issues, and I do not buy awful books.  Yet I'm continuing to buy this for as long as I can stand. The reason being that I don't think it's Giffen's and DeMatteis's fault that this is bad. There are obviously editorial changes since longtime collaborator Kevin Maguire was fired from the book last minute. And you can tell that a lot of the first issue was written for him. There's a two page spread of 18 panels (not sure if that technically qualifies as a spread) of dialog and facial closeups. 

Also the plot should be a lot funnier: The wonder twins (Terri and Terry) clone the Justice League with DNA stolen from Cadmus. Although they fuck up and the clones are brain damaged and their powers don't all work right. Also, Batman and Superman bicker a lot.

This is classic Giffen and DeMatteis humor and it all falls way flat. What keeps me holding out hope is that DC did not want both Justice League and Justice League Europe to be humorous, and within a year or two of each series, they turned full vaudeville and bwa ha ha. I'm also happy to see that Howard Porter is not penciling issue five. He's still on the series as far as I know but at least he can't do more than four consecutive issues even with lead time. I'm not sure what kind of terms Magure left under, but maybe they'll get him back on at some point.

What you should get instead if you don't want to wait it out like me (And you don't have to. I'll update if JL3000 gets better) is Larfleeze.  Giffen and DeMatteis with Scott Kollins (and sometimes Giffen) on art. Though not their best work, this is classic dialog and snappy humor. This is my favorite DC book right now (although I am only reading three and I hate one of them). Very enjoyable.