Album Review: LOSTPROPHETS - The Betrayed (Visible Noise)

I bet you forgot about them. For quite some time, the Welsh wonders were all over the UK rock press, being all arrogant and "American" and cocky and trendy and all sorts of things that confused pretty much everyone who had actually met them. No doubt there were many sniggers and "told you so's" when stories of the fourth album's initial sessions being scrapped because the band simply weren't happy with them. Prima Donnas, clearly. Or possibly because they wanted to have a decent crack at the thing entirely by themselves. After all, it's not like they didn't have a band member in bassist Stuart Richardson who wasn't able to handle production duties themselves.

It certainly starts off confidently. If It Wasn't For Hate, We'd be Dead by Now strides in on the kind of drum loop that Trent Reznor wanted to copyright before a towering hook rolls thing along swiftly. Dstryr/Dstryr then wallops you round the chops into oblivion. It's four-and-a-half-minutes of relentless riffery complete with an anthemic chorus and hook, a calm before the moshing storm and a bit of shred too. It also becomes one of the best things they've done pretty much immediately. We then cut to the singles one-two of It's Not the End of the World... and Where We Belong, both of which give superb chorus. Next Stop Atro City then bursts through waving their Metal! baton and serves up a bit of double-pedal too.

In comparison, the second half of the record is far less frenetic, but no less pleasing. The likes of A Better Nothing and Darkest Blue both represent a particular epic approach to the "pop-rock" manual that the boyos can claim as their own, while Dirty Little Heart is centred around a classic '8os keyboard line that could easily have fit onto the soundtrack of any John Hughes movie. It then becomes obvious as the record continues that the band have realised what they're genuinely good at and focused on simply making it better. The aforementioned Dstryr/Dstryr is Start Something's Burn Burn, but hooked up to South Wales' premier grid. Where We Belong is Liberation Transmission's Rooftops, but instead of gingerly waving the "Classic Rock" trophy around with shy caution, it holds it aloft with fervent majesty while shouting "It's mine, mine I tell you!".


As expected from what is essentially a solo effort, it's not perfect. For He's a Jolly Good Felon links a nifty New Wave riff and organ to a chorus that is pretty forgettable, while Streets of Nowhere seems to have the mantra "token happy pop song" stamped on it. As a pop song, it's pretty good, but it doesn't seem to fit with what's around it. If anything, it's a great little b-side. There also seems to be an omission of their interpretation of "the quieter ballad" which they were getting rather good at. It's frequently hinted at, but it's only when you get to atmospheric closer The Light That Shines Twice As Bright... that you realise there hasn't been an obvious let-up in the overall pace of the record.

Still, one thing is for certain - this is undeniably and 100% a Lostprophets album. It's even got plenty of that sampling digital doo-hickery between tracks that was missing on their last effort, and that's a good thing. The band built a reputation as a great live band not just for their performance, but their on-stage banter and larking about which always exclaimed "we are bloody well loving this". After previous efforts were limited by budget, a producer's trademarked drum sound and the odd necessary compromise, The Betrayed sounds like the album that Lostprophets have always wanted to make, and the boyos have come up trumps.

8/10

Albums of the year 2009 "From Years Gone By"

This blog should be bleeding obvious in its title. There's a whole world of music out there from the past to be discovered. Here's what I stumbled upon that tickled a lot of my fancy in 2009:

10) THE AUTEURS - New Wave (Hut, 1993)


Vocalist Luke Haines recently wrote a book about Britpop-come-autobiography. It was very good so I listened to his old band's first album. That was also rather good, and I then wondered why they were never that big in the mid-1990s. Then I remember Luke saying in "Bad Vibes" it's because everyone listened to Suede instead. D'oh.


9) THE SMITHS - Strangeways, Here We Come (Rough Trade, 1987)


As a swansong, you can't complain. Veering from jaunty to fey to the somewhat overwraught, Morrissey lets it all out one last time before ditching the "hangers-on". That it also contains some of Johnny Marr's finest riffs as well is an added bonus.


8) NEW ORDER - Technique (Factory, 1989)


Even though they were never that "rock 'n' roll", the Mancs had one of the harshest rides in music. The tragic end to their preceding band Joy Division; The record-breaking single; The funding of a historic nightlcub that never made any money at all; Still, they recorded some classics along the way, thank goodness, and Technique is probably "the one".


7 ) MANIC STREET PREACHERS - Gold Against The Soul (Columbia, 1993)


Big whoops. There I was focusing on the acclaimed likes of debut Generation Terrorists and immortally scathing The Holy Bible and I practically ignored the frequently maligned album in- between, only to find out it was actually rather unfairly maligned. Maybe it doesn't have as many great tracks as other albums, but history now proves it to be a shiny vibrant rock gem as opposed to the corporate cock-suck it was made out to be at the time by some. Idiots.


6) TUBEWAY ARMY - Replicas (Beggars Banquet, 1979)


Young Gary was jamming with his so-so punk rock band one day and started dicking about with a synthesizer that some muso geek had left behind in the studio. Awesome then followed.


5) ROCKET FROM THE CRYPT - RFTC (Interscope, 1998)


Rocket From The Crypt were the best Rock 'n' Roll band in the world to never have a Number 1 hit. They were never huge, and for this reason alone, human society should hang its collective head in shame.


4) DEXYS MIDNIGHT RUNNERS - Searching For The Young Soul Rebels (EMI, 1980)


Weddings and cheesy nightclubs have a lot to answer for, ensuring that most people will only ever remember a great band's "big hit", and maybe even think of said band as a "One Hit Wonder". This is unacceptable. Searching... was the Northern Soul debut from Dexys that precede Come on Eileen by two years. It included the marvellous single Geno as well as justified classics Tell Me When My Light Turns Green and There There My Dear. Listen to it. Dance. Feel Good. Pass it On.


3) VITALIC - Ok Cowboy (Citizen, 2005)


When folk consider what the French are good at, they normally think of the obvious: Red Wine; Kissing; Revolutions; Whimsical movies about benevolent cafe-workers...but no-one ever thinks of synthesized pop, unless they know what they're talking about. Pascal Arbez is up there with Jean-Michel Jarre and Air in conjuring up pure magic with the keyboard, as well as keeping plenty of variety in the mix. No track sounds the same and the whole thing effortlessly flows. From the Motorcycle digital Metal of My Friend Dario through the analogue stutter of Repair Machines to the introverted pulse of Trahison. A ruddy pleasure from start to finish.


2) THE KNIFE - Silent Shout (Rabid, 2006)


It's entirely feasible that Swedish sibling duo The Knife are actually from another planet. There's plenty of electronica out there, but no-one sounds as damn unique as these two. Silent Shout doesn't follow the same blueprint as previous effort Deep Cuts and was probably conjured up during a field trip to the Astral Plane. Iincredibly inhuman and intensely gratifying, when the restrained chill-out likes of Forest Families and The Captain get the adrenaline rushing as much as the extra-terrestrial pop of We Share Our Mothers' Health, you know the world is so very right in parts.


1) CRYSTAL CASTLES - Crystal Castles (Last Gang, 2008)


This may set a precedent in future years in that my top album of "years gone by" is only from the previous year and was discovered ever-so-slightly too late. Had I came across this dazzling belter just a month earlier and it would have certainly made my Top 10 of 2008. As it was, no dice, but the praise is understood. Taking digital "nintendo-core" as far as possible without making it unlistenable, Crystal Castles is a shining tribute to the infinite possibilities of what throwaway computer sounds can actually offer the world of music. Courtship Dating (Pop); Air War (Digital Prog); Xxzxcuzx Me (Rave/Heavy/Bleeding Mental); Tell Me What To Swallow (Ambient) and everything else in between. If The Machines really are winning, they're certainly pacifying us well.

I've made it!

Yes, folks, it's happened. You know your blog has made it when you receive a "DMCA takedown notification‏"! In English, this means that some official record company bod has objected to me sharing an mp3 and gone crying to Blogger like the big baby that they are, DESPITE my little friendly disclaimer at the bottom. Some people, eh?

The problem here is the "offending" blog was my Top 10 albums list...with 10 mp3 links...and no specification which link it was. I said e-mail me directly - it's not hard, you know. I've got to bloody well guess now haven't I? And I'm guessing it was the Depeche Mode mp3, ironically enough. Favourite band they may be, but they will come with baggage. Namely being on a major record label in the USA with the sort of unforgiving attitude towards even the slightest bit of friendly sharing. I believe the same happened to The Vinyl Villain shortly after he posted his first and only DM mp3.

Consequently I've replaced the link with the video for Fragile Tension. Mainly because the vid for Hole To Feed is somewhat on the fucked-up side. All the other links are staying because I'm confident they're safe.

It amuses me as the RSS feed of the blog is already stuck in my Facebook note feed, so that mp3 is still there for folk on my friend list. Oh well. Never mind, etc.

What do you think about it, Jarvis?

Albums of the Year 2009

10) STEEL PANTHER - Feel The Steel (Island)


It's probably heresy to include such an album in a serious review of the year. There's no way anyone could possibly consider a full-on comedic pisstake of the idiotic excess of '80s glam metal in an end-of-year spotlight - it's bad enough it was enjoyed in the first place! Well, comedy or not, this is certainly one of the most enjoyable records of the year, both in daft, exaggerated lyrical output ("What'd you have to do for that backstage pass, 'cause I found a poisoned laminate inside of your ass..." - Girl From Oklahoma), to gloriously questionable song titles - Asian Hooker, Fat Girl (Thar She Blows) - to some of the best glam metal hooks heard in many a year. The sound of men old enough to know better, and doing it anyway 'cause they're bloody good at it.

Check Out: Eyes of a Panther

9) VITALIC - Flashmob (Citizen)


If there's one thing we've learnt in recent years, is that it's never a bad idea to give anyone of Gallic persuasion some synthesizers, samplers and all the rest as they'll probably get it absolutely right. Pascal Arbez's second offering under his Vitalic pseudonym picks up where debut OK Cowboy left off - subtle bleeps and beats juxtaposed alongside robotic lady vocals and introverted rhythms. With a sound more interesting than fellow countrymen Justice and Chromeo, the likes of Terminateur Benelux, Your Disco Song and the title track prove that Arbez is the natural successor in a line including Jean Michel Jarre and Daft Punk. French hands are good for something after all.

Check Out: Station Mir 2099

8) ALICE IN CHAINS - Black Gives Way To Blue (Parlophone)


There are rules in this business. Your first album after fourteen years should be a tepid and slack-jawed affair with only a hint of the fire that kept you going in your classic period, even if there has been a tragic event since. The last thing we should expect is such an assured belter that draws on history whilst adding something new. AIC's return effort takes that distinctive sound but applies it to an epic assurance where there was once utter despair. Check My Brain and Lesson Learned are righteous classics while the title track and Your Decision reminds us that a delicate touch was as much their forte as their riffs. A justified comeback.

Check Out: Lesson Learned

7) MANIC STREET PREACHERS - Journal For Plague Lovers (Sony)


If the headlines were a bit predictable ("The Holy Bible, the sequel", etc.), then the album wasn't. Yes, it was the most caustic and visceral they'd been after a lengthy period of daytime-radio friendly material, but it was by no means a complete retreat to a time when they were the UK's angriest rock band. If anything, delving into missing guitarist Richie James' remaining lyrics book allowed the band to tap into the unique catharsis that they had left behind and apply it to the maturity and assured grasp of songwriting they've developed since the mid-90s. As a result, tracks such as Me and Stephen Hawking and All is Vanity summed up all of the Manics' best attributes from the last 20 years.

Check Out: All is Vanity

6) FLORENCE + THE MACHINE - Lungs (Island)


As much as it's easy to disregard folk who blindly follow hyped artists like they eat cake, we shouldn't forget that those who purposefully avoid said artists are just as foolish. Now and then, there will be a damn good reason why there's hype and Florence is it. Even before the album's release, her live show with her band The Machine was getting justified good press for it's energy and great tracks - tracks which are kinda folk, but a bit rock, and very pop, and slightly dancey, and just plain unique. It translated to an album that was as breathtaking and beautiful as it was epic and hard-hitting. "Worth a listen" doesn't even come close.

Check Out: Howl

5) BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME - The Great Misdirect (Victory)


I have no idea where to start. Is it the Grand-Guignol-organ inspired madness that permeates through the lurching death metal of Disease, Injury, Madness? The jazzy honky-tonk that underpins the ragged hardcore of Fossil Genera..? The sublime bliss of the Western-tinged semi-acoustic Desert of Song? Or do I go with the truly epic brutal prog that is Swim To The Moon? What I will say is this is as good and awe-inspiring as previous effort Colors, and that enough is all you need to know.

Check Out: Desert of Song

4) DEPECHE MODE - Sounds Of The Universe (Mute)


If anything, SOTU is a relief. Previous album Playing The Angel was solid but seemed to tread water and felt frequently uninspired. While nothing on their twelfth album can be described as a radical departure, there's definitely some newly-discovered life in these synthesized bones. The likes of Fragile Tension and Peace are respectful additions to their established canon, but it's tracks such as the grandiose Wrong and disturbing Corrupt that prove that something a bit different is still in reach. There's also the likes of Come Back, which could be their most impassioned offering since Condemnation in 1993. The best thing is, there's nothing to suggest they should call it a day just yet.

Check Out: Come Back

3) LA ROUX - La Roux (Polydor)


It's guaranteed that duos and synthesizers are winners. Soft Cell; Eurythmics; Yazoo; Pet Shop Boys; Erasure; La Roux. Granted, the final name may be twenty-odd years too late, but Elly and Ben are worthy additions. At worst, they're a fantastic '80s tribute act. At best, they're a talented partnership that have mastered the art of colourful songwriting in one shot. Such a triumph will always yield the obvious classy singles (In For The Kill, Bulletproof) but will throw up more aggressive fare in Tigerlily or something as dreamy as Armour Love. Debut of the year, but only just.

Check Out: Tigerlily

2) CONVERGE - Axe To Fall (Epitaph)


British metal fans will probably be a bit fed up with the ignorant criticism "It's just noise" after recent events in the national singles charts. However, it's always been a compliment with Converge, as they have spent the last fifteen years taking the concept of noise and twisting and fucking it into something uniquely primal. The applause that Axe To Fall justifies is not that they continue to do it so well, but that a cleaner, more pristine sound still results in one of the harshest things they've done. Dark Horse, Reap What You Sow and Cutter are relentless bouts of the kind of calculated-but-unhinged savagery we've come to expect, but better. However, it's the unsettling one-two climax of Cruel Bloom and the disturbing ambiance of Wretched World where Converge prove that whatever they do, they are rarely bettered. The other argument of its comparison to the legendary Jane Doe is not one I want to get into right now, but give me a couple of years.

Check Out: Reap What you Sow

1) METRIC - Fantasies (Last Gang)


Simplicity is the key. Stripping rock music to its core and just nudging the vitriol away with a bit of warmth and reason. Taking the bare elements of pop music and adding some epic flourish. You could end up with Fantasies, but it's unlikely now as it's been done and probably won't be done again. These Canadians continue to confuse logic by not being bloody huge already. This is rock music without the headache. Pop music without the feeling of a saccharine overdose. Dance music without the established boundaries. There is no question that this band should be loved and adored by everyone, but they're not. And maybe that's part of their mystique and appeal.

The whole thing is proof that with the right ingredients, magic can be conjured up. Help, I'm Alive is epic beauty without an epic touch. Gold Guns Girls is what a driving compilation really craves. Satellite Mind and Front Row are perverse little bastards that you know you want more of while Sick Muse and Gimme Sympathy are very different but still the two best pop songs you'll hear all year.

Whether they'll be as effective without Emily Haines' dreamy vocals is worth a debate, but there's no denying this is a fantastic group effort. Beautiful, inspired, sexy, magic and pretty much every other positive adjective you can think of - Fantasies should be the album to convert you to this stunning and individual band.

Check Out: Satellite Mind

Boogie days

Cheers to Rol.

List 10 musical artists (or bands) you like, in no specific order (do this before reading the questions below). Really, don’t read the questions below until you pick your ten artists!!!

1: Lostprophets
2: Depeche Mode
3: The Knife
4: Rocket From The Crypt
5: Ladytron
6: Lamb of God
7: Pantera
8: Alexisonfire
9: Crystal Castles
10: Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine

PS - Facebook readers - visit the original blog cos there be videos embedded. Yay.

What was the first song you ever heard by 6?

The title track of the second album As The Palaces Burn - Autumn 2003 on a Metal Hammer mag compilation. I wasn't too sure at first - I was impressed by the scything viciousness but craved a bit more brutality. I quickly realised that the aggressive approach of a deranged heart-surgeon was as good as a hooligan with a sledgehammer.

What is your favorite song of 8?

Really not sure of this one. At the moment, I'm loving Sons of Privilege off new album Old Crows/Young Cardinals more than anything. That'll do for now.

What kind of impact has 1 left on your life?

Where do I start? Seriously, I haven't got a clue, and a few words can't really sum it up.

The band themselves struck a chord being the young British geeks they are who preferred Star Wars over Rock 'n' roll excess. I probably also started to wear clothes that actually fit me as a result of listening to them. I'm not ashamed of it - someone had to do it!

Apart from that, let's just say that I've met people through this band who, honest to God, I love. I don't ever say it, and I don't really talk to them enough - mainly because I'm just a bit crap socially - but these are people who I don't ever want to lose contact with and now hold in higher regard than other folk I've known for as long or longer.

What is your favorite lyric of 5?

Seventeen , Light & Magic (2002)

They only want you when you're seventeen,
When you're twenty-one you're no fun,
They take a Polaroid and let you go,
Say they let you know, so come on

Not from a sing-a-long fun point of view, 'cause that would be just a bit weird. From a poetic view, however, it stands out a bloody mile.

How many times have you seen 4 live?

Never. *Sniff*

What is your favorite song by 7?

Tough one, again. Just like the band. I'm going to put it out there and say Heresy off Cowboys From Hell.

Is there any song by 3 that makes you sad?

I wouldn't say so. There's a particular melancholic euphoria about a lot of their work, but no sadness, not for me anyway. I get sad that most people haven't heard them, though. Not to worry, here's an education.

What is your favorite song by 9?

Air War - Cracking. Not an official video but it bloody works.



When did you first get into 2?

At either end of 1998, at ages 17/18. That probably makes no sense but it's fairly true. At the beginning of that year, I picked up latest album Ultra. I'd always liked what I heard from the band since I first heard Enjoy the Silence at age 10 in 1990 but I never became a fan. As '98 started, I was quite the metalhead, but became aware of Depeche's influence on a few rock bands I was into at the time. Being aware of their '80s pop history swayed me.

I enjoyed Ultra but didn't dive headlong into them as it was metal, metal, metal at the time. At the end of 1998 at Art College, I discovered a small indie record shop in Epsom. They still had a lot of MC cassettes, including all of their '80s albums @ £2.50 each. I started with 1984's Some Great Reward and scooped up the rest just after new year. They became my favourite band a handful of years later.

How did you get into 3?

My first exposure was coming across Heartbeats - yes, a song made famous by some folkie with a load of colourful bouncy balls. This is actually the far superior original. However, it was through reading the second volume of Phonogram that I became curious about them and started digging a bit more. For secondary reference - Phonogram is brilliant and I recommend it for any passionate music fan.

What is your favorite song by 4?

Born in '69. Essential



How many times have you seen 9 live?

None. Yet. Roll on the second album.

What is a good memory concerning 2?

If anything, seeing them for the first (and only so far) time back in 2001 on the Exciter tour. Don't get me wrong, their music is as good as it gets for me, but as none of my mates share those feelings, I've not had any "good times" socially where this band have been the center of great attention. If that makes sense to you.

Is there a song by 8 that makes you sad?

Nope

What is your favorite song by 1?

Last Summer - does it for me every time.



How did you become a fan of 10?

Fan is probably the wrong word. Again, they're a band I liked through Top 40 listens due my early teens, but I never got into them - they never really fit into any big trends at the time, even though they had a solid fan base. What's attracted me in recent years is their identity - I can't think of any band that they sound like. JimBob's poetry is inspired and for me, they remain one of the most English of bands all things considered. So here you go:

Ant's Comic Den: Spider-Man Trades.

In recent years, various friends have casually commented that they should "try comics out". Not with any great enthusiasm, but the kind of positive curiosity you might associate with indulging in an increasingly-socially acceptable bedroom fetish. Why not? - let's try something different, that kind of thinking. Normally they don't, but a handful of mates have dipped their toes, with a couple gaining a taste for certain characters at the very least. However, they have chosen to focus on stocking up on the trade paperbacks - collected editions of the monthly titles. This backs up my thinking that unless you get into the monthly purchasing cycle before your mid-teens, it ain't going to happen as you discover other things. Like being sociable, drinking and meeting women - all things that no comic book fan has ever done in their life cause God said they couldn't. No, really.

Still, there are the trades, and for a few years now, it's been possible to keep up with major characters' monthly adventures simply by getting the trade when it's released a bit later. Add to this a trade history that will showcase classic and signficant storylines and there's no reason not to have a healthy library devoted to one character. On that note, this post is dedicated to Marvel Comics' Spider-Man. A character who I've been a fan of for 25 years and have nearly all the issues from that period. I would gloat at how much it's worth, but I'd be lying as it's the '60s issues that would allow me a mortgage deposit. If ol' Spidey has always tickled your webbed fancy, but his back issue history scares you a bit, just pick up these ten trades for now and work from there:

1: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN OMNIBUS, VOL. 1

Collects Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man (ASM) # 1-38, ASM Annuals #1-2 + other small stories from other titles.

Essential. This is where it all started. Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's original run from 1962-66 is all here with a few extras. The origin, Peter's high school shenanigans, first appearances of too many classic villains. Owning these stories in some format is a necessity to being a Spider-fan. This one handy hardcover (HC) volume is a few bob, though, but panic not. The same stories can be found in the first three volumes of the ASM corner of Marvel's "Masterworks" range, or if you're a tight arse, the first two volumes of the black-and-white "Essential" trade range of ASM.

2: SPIDER-MAN VISIONARIES: JOHN ROMITA SR.

Collects ASM # 39-42, 50,68-69, 108-109.

This '60s ASM collection showcases Romita Sr's interpretation of Spidey - one that would provide the template for Spidey artists for almost the next two decades. These college years are as essential as Parker's high school as his circle of friends solidified and love started to blossom. If you want more of the Lee/Romita run, it can be found in volumes 3-5 of the ASM "Essential" range.

3: SPIDER-MAN: DEATH OF THE STACYS

Collects ASM #88-92, 121-122

Two tragic stories in one edition, the events in here may have you wondering why some folk are so damned insistent that comics will always be throwaway kids' entertainment. They are also a lesson in why Doctor Octopus and Norman Osborn's Green Goblin will always hold a more significant place in Spider-man's rogues gallery than others.


4: SPIDER-MAN: WIZARD MASTERPIECE

Collects ASM #229-232, 248, Spectacular Spider-Man (SSM) #107-10

Industry mag Wizard knows its stuff. Enclosed within are four '80s stories widely regarded as Spidey's best. His scraps with Juggernaut, Mr Hyde and Cobra showcase Webs at his bantering best, while the poignant "Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" is in a league of his own. Spidey also dons his black costume to face off against the psycho serial killer Sin-Eater.

5: SPIDER-MAN: BIRTH OF VENOM

Collects ASM #252-59, 298-300, 316-17, Web of Spider-Man (WSM) #1

Spidey has bought back a nifty new costume from some other planet. Alas, it turns out to be a parasite. Whoops. A two-arc collection with Parker's possession followed by Eddie Brock's. Every hero needs his evil mirror-image villain - Spidey finally gained his.


6: SPIDER-MAN: KRAVEN'S LAST HUNT

Collects ASM #293-4, SSM #131-2, WSM #31-2

It wouldn't be unfair to regard this as Spidey's most macabre story ever. J M DeMatteis' stark journey into Kraven's damaged psyche wasn't common in 1987, but still stands very tall today, more so than similar examinations of villains in recent years. Dark and frequently disturbing, this is also not one for the claustrophobic


7: SPIDER-MAN LEGENDS: TODD MACFARLANE VOL 2

Collects #ASM 306-14

Todd MacFarlane may be a big shot in all areas of comics and toys now, but there was a time when he was just a young hotshot artist with a highly original take on the Wall-Crawler. This collection starts a few issues in to MacFarlane's ASM run when he was at his best and includes his take on baddies Mysterio, Lizard and Green Goblin during the company-wide "Inferno" crossover. You can get his sole-created and violent "Torment" trade but this has way more substance. Probably because David Michelinie is a better writer.

8: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN BY J MICHAEL STRACZYNSKI: ULTIMATE COLL. VOL. 1

Collects ASM Vol 2 #30-45.

"Babylon 5" creator Straczynski teamed with John Romita Jr in 2001 to start a classic run on ASM, which includes these first sixteen issues. Granted, it followed up a 90s' full of symbiotes, clones and a forgettable John Byrne rehash, but the new characters and ideas introduced here are incredibly logical and overdue for a literary character this old. You'll see what I mean. It also includes Marvel's moving tribute to 9/11.

9: CIVIL WAR: AMAZING SPIDER-MAN

Collects ASM # 532-38.

There have been a few significant events in Spidey's title in the last five years, but this deserves inclusion purely for the revelation within - an event that is almost anathema to such a major character. It also includes a brief look at the "Iron-Spider" costume provided by Tony Stark during his time in the Avengers.
It's also worth picking up the main Civil War trade while you're at it.


10: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN: ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOL. 1

Collects Ultimate Spider-Man #1-13

Marvel's Ultimate Universe is pretty much a new-millennium update of the classic Marvel Universe and was a good jumping-on point for new readers in 2000. The first year of issues here are regarded as being almost perfect. Great writing, great art and a brilliant first meeting with the Kingpin. You'll think of this wher you hear any "fat" jokes afterwards.



Just to be clear, there's plenty more out there, but these get my vote for the most essential. I appreciate there's sod-all from the '90s, but there isn't currently a great deal out there save for 1993's "Maximum Carnage" trade - damn good, but a bit flawed. However, the 2-year "Clone Saga" is being released in staged volumes from next year, which in retrospect, is overdue, I think.

The OC, Part 2: You Stay Classy, San Diego.

Yes, alright. Whatever. I have returned home and this particular offering is 2 weeks overdue. But as I was on holiday, and thus automatically supposed to be avoiding internet log-ons save for Facebook checks, this is late. Ok?! Tough.

So, off to Comic-Con to be surrounded by large redneck males of a sweaty variety and hormoneally-rampant Twilight fangirls. A plesant journey along the Pacific Coast also yielded a view of some power station or other shaped like Tits. This only gets a mention as it was featured in a rather funny film once and thus generated the kind of geeky "wows" in a similar way that visiting the "Dawn of the Dead" mall would. Or maybe that's just me.


After checking into our Marriot hotel on the north end of the city, we had nothing to do except go into the city and wander and get our weekend passes sorted. An initial fret over cabbing it downtown each time was quashed by the discovery of a tram line close by that took you right outside the centre. And into the paths of a main road, the main Amtrax West Coast railroad and best part of 130,000 geeks and Cosplayers. The convention Centre is huge, by my stanrads anyway. A nifty glass building that is probably about a third of a mile long. With two floors, it seems to be at least five times as big as Earls Court. The upstairs is a mass of rooms for panels and gatherings but it's the downstairs exhibition hall that hits you. About 5000 booths of companies, retailers, creators, promoters. If it's geek, it's here.


The next 4 days were just me geeking out really. I attended various Marvel Comics preview panels and managed to get into the "Kick-Ass" preview. And despite intitial skepticism, the footage did indeed Kick Ass. One to watch, especially as it includes a perfect interpretation of the scene featuring a 10-year-old Hit Girl slicing and dicing drug dealers in a downtown apartment. To the Tune of Banana Splitz. That's in the film, not the comic book.

I was lucky enoguth to meet and shake hands with some favourite creators who you've probably never heard of but I'll gush anyway.

Frank Cho - Liberty Meadows, Shanna The She Devil, Mighty Avengers
Josh Howard - Dead @ 17, Black Harvest
Scott Kurtz - PVP
John Romita Jr - Amazing Spider-Man, Iron Man, Daredevil, Kick-Ass

And some bloke called, er, Stanley? Stan? Lee? Stanner? Something like that, anyway.
He was nice.

And then there's The Mighty Boosh. Chuffed enough that they were doing a panel and a small show in town on Friday that we were off to, Friday night yielded a bit of a shock when we bumped into them staying at our hotel! Out of all the hotels, etc. After letting them finish their post-flight meal in the lobby, Andrea said hi to Noel and Julian in as controlled a way as she could, whilst beckoning to her British friends. They said hello with handshakes and after a few words, indicated their jet-lagged-ness. "I'm so jetlagged", said Julian. And he was. Our paths crossed occasionally after that.

Also:

- we visited Hooters - nice Tits, not-so-good food.
- visited a submarine and old ship. Well, Matt did, being the military geek he is.
- I got told by a Suicide Girl my accent was adorable. Yeah, well, wait til you see my **CENSORED***
- Matt requested an "offensive insult" be inserted into a Penny Arcade trade by it's creator for his mate's gift. He wrote "Cunt Puncher".
- saw Elvis: