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In Time (((Review)))

Will Salas (JT), a working class young man from the ghetto, vows revenge against the rich and powerful in a bleak future where time is the new currency and every second counts. The movie is directed by Andrew Niccol and is supposedly taken from the short story *Repent, Halrequin! Said the TickTockMan by Harlan Ellison. Also staring in the movie are Olivia Wilde, Cilian Murphy, Amanda Seyfried, Matt Bomer and Alex Pettyfer.

I don't know what became of the lawsuit Ellison filed against the moviemakers. He claims they took inspiration from his story without his consent, yet the movie made it to theaters. After having seen the movie last night I found his story and had a fun time reading it. I found some parrallels to be honest, so for me I guess the movie was inspired by Ellison.

Watching the movie it actually felt like a moving short story. I say that because the pacing isn't as epic as some would like, it's very concise, som might say rushed or unbelievable. I thought it was to be taken exactly as it appears, concise and streamlined, very cut and dry, kinda like flash fiction.

The point of the story is that economics has been revamped to include genetics in that in the near future we can shut off the aging gene whenever we want (in this case "age" 25). When the government starts your "genetic clock" you're on your own to figure out how to survive. So pretty much everyone is immortal and the genetic clock is to give everyone a "fair" chance to achieve immortality: survical of the fittest really. If you run of time you "time-out" in what looks like a massive heart attack. And that's it. No long goodbyes or anything, just dead. So everyone is under pressure because the belief is that everyone can't be immortanl "Where would we put them?".

So everyday life is engulfed with making sure you have enough personal time to do what you have to do. The government built these awesome digital watched in the arms of everyone over time and after you turn 25 it begins to count down from 12 months just measured in hours. Every, well the wealthy who came up with this system for an unspecifed reason, decide this plan works to avoid overpopulation on the planet. The movie doesn't say where in the world the movie is set but it seems all over the globe this system has been implimented. Geography has been altered and geographic lines and borders are marked by new age "time zones". Classic Time Zones probably still exist as normal clocks can still be seen throughtout the movie. The story simply focuses on personal genetic time running out and how it affects the system. It's a constant strugle between the haves and the have-nots.

Honestly the movie is in the same league as The Adjustment Bureau in that - the story doesn't puch the envelope. It's good in my opinion and stylish and owns its nuances and tropes and such, but it is weak in some areas; but there are strengths.

WEAKNESSES:

The movie seems rushed. This didn't bother me as much as I thought it would but it's still a factor. Because the script didn't cook for a longer period during the movie's development a lot of meat goes undercooked and so the following issues are a direct result of that. It's very cut and dry and they do enough to get the point across but I sense so much more potential in this story. There was so much more maturity that could've taken place that really would've made this movie great and much stronger than it is.

In Ellison's short story he writes a brief montage of how the time-currency effects everyday people. He writes a simple series of mundane events and how being late, early and on time afffects people. One point of divergence is that in Ellison's story money isn't really a factor like in the movie. In the movie some but characters are introduced at the beginning of the movie and brought back again later in the movie, but it would've been really strong to see those people like Will's BFF Borel, his mom, the little girl and the missionay and various others go through their town of Dayton doing things and showing us how significant the time-currency truly was. Seeing the wealthy in New Greenwich do the same thing only with more expensive and grandiose living would've made the world seem mroe real too, just a montage of both classes doing everyday things, struggling, getting by, galavanting all using their genetic time as money, would've made the movie even stronger.

The movie doesn't tell us why the new time system was put into place. War? Politics? Religion? Medicine? Economics? We don't know how comerce and genetics were tied together or who created the process to retro-fit humans with genetic watches. We don't even know who rules anymore. Everything has changed it's all about New Age Time Zones now and the class tensions. I really wish they'd given us the origin of what happend, either over the course of the movie or right at the beginning.

The measurement of time to currency is a bit confusing. If a little more backstory had been established as to how and why society is the way it is now, rates would make more sense in the story. After a while the steeper the price, like 2 months to get through a particular toll to a year? In my gut I knew it was expensive but I still would like a crash course in Genetic Time101. This would also have helped me understand how people can borrow personal Time or even steal it as is seen often in the movie.

STRENGTHS:

This isn't too important I just liked this, the style of the movie like set peices and things reminded me a lot of the movie Equilibrium. It's gray and dark but more retro-futuristic not too sleek. Like the "police" the Time Keepers all drive retro Dodge Challengers that are cola black in color. The bank vehicles still looks like Brinks trucks too lol. The fashions weren't all that updated, in fact they might have gone back to some old fashions. I read that a lot of what we see in the movie is inspired by the periods of the 60s through the 80s but its not overt. A lot of it is architecture also in both Dayton and New Greenwich. I just really like the style of the world.

The line between the rich and the poor is clearly defined and the resentment between the two classes I think is almost a character in it's own right. The reason behind Hamillton's desire to be free of New Greenwich is that the rich and powerful don't actually live. He tells Will about how over rated immortality has really become and the truth behind why Time Rates keep going up. He emotes that no one is really living, they just exist. You see this in other rich characters too. And Matt Bomer as Hamillton was a real treat. If you watch White Collar on USA you know who he is! He seemed to emote this exhaustion despite looking 25. He's supposed to come off as this guy who's lived for so long despite his great health. He and Olivia Wilde I thought came off pretty well as older [souls] in youthful bodies; not great but pretty well.

During the Time Keeper's pursuit of Will and Sylvia, the two leap from a window. Will is confident they have a headstart on the Keepers because those dependent on the new System fear recklessness. They're afraid to "accidently loose time". I'm paraphrasing but they don't want to risk hurting themselves or jeopardizing their lives. So they don't do anything. They have an ocean view in their backyard? That's nice but they're too afraid to swim in it. They're afraid to do anything except look powerful. It's all an act and it's not worth much despite the everlasting life.

One thing that is incredible in the movie is: there are NO hobos. None. So if overpopulaiton was the problem the new System seems to have fixed it. Hobos and bums are classc dystopian/post-apocalyptic tropes in literature and film. This movie was so weird because their version of hobos are corpses. Off and on characters just walk by dead bodies of 25 year olds who Timed-Out. It's a jarring idea really and evokes images in the present day of addicts and junkies who's own time has run out in some of the seediest parts of the country or even the world.

Justine Timberlake was believable as this young guy, Will Salas, living in a dreary and frightening future. I also thought he and Sylvia Weiss (Amanda Seyfried) made a good Bonny and Clyde of the dystopian future. At one point Sylvia says of their relationship "We look cute together." after watching a news bulletin covering their escapades. Will just smirks good-naturdely. I thought they had a cool chemistry. At first Sylvia is just a mysterious heiress who'e used to being looked after but over time she comes out of her shell and performs recklessly, the way she's always wanted too. She has this steely yet mysterious demeanor about her that she just aims differently later in the movie, from curious about Will to embracing him in her life and the freedom he brings with him after he begins fleeing the Time Keepers. I just like the two of their characters together, the look good on the posters and watching them on screen is just plain cool and fun.

The Time Keepers were intriguing. Especially Cilian Murphy's character, Leon. The Keepers are more like expanded corporate security for Weiss and the Time System. At one point Leon says to Will, "I'm not interested in justice... my job is to keep time." That's it. If justice exists still in this world it's no justice we're familiar with and it falls into someone elses jurisdiction. In this world only time matters. You won't find any CIA or FBI in this world really because crimes are different now, priorities are different now, everything is different. Leon is very charasmatic in this film, it's a sort of quite charisma, but still. And he's more of an antagonist to me than a villain. He also knew Will's dad years back and warns Will against "making the same mistake he did" which is to try to be a hero and give away Time. The system will crush you, there's no beating it. Leon seems like a guy trying to keep blanace really, maybe not uphold justice or do "good" but keep balance. He's not a killer or a bully he just does his job; he doesn't want to see anybody get killed. I liked him and her personified that cop who might be on the wrong side but isn't a bad guy really himself: he's just good at what he does.

OVER ALL:

So I can list many strengths/thing I like about the movie, but the weaknesses are better explained. I really like this movie just for entertainment value. I like the poster, the characters are cool, the world is interesting. If I had to rate it I'd give it a -B. I don't regret seeing it and I think JT should be proud for being apart of this. I just wish it would've tried harder, I don't know if the creators knew what they had. With the economic and health related issues still in the press and still used as a platform in our politics, this movie is quite timely, no pun intended. I think it deserved to be stronger than it was what with such a clever and high concept, time as money and money as time: either you have enough or you don't.

Slight spoiler: the Black guy survives!

HOW IT AFFECTS ME:

In Time marks the end of my themed [movies] for 2011. Officially anyway, I'll dedicate a post to 2011 (which I've never done before, dedications to my year) in December or January so sum up how epic this year was. In my earlier movie theme posts I refferenced The Adjustment Bureau and Limitless because the subject matter in those films revolve around destiny and inner potential: 2 important things that had been on my mind this year. I also had resources on my mind, which I think is a good way to sum up what this movie was all about.

Pretty much I've been trying to figure out who I am: who is Josiah. Identity. These 3 movies pretty much had to do with me wondering where I might be going, what are my strengths and powers and how I stay on top of my game throigh all the pressures of this society.

In Time really shows me how important it is for me to be about my business because I have limited control over my life. I have my choices and free will and that's it. I have to trust in God always for strength and resources. I've tasted depressions and things and fears, feeling like I have nothing. No I've never been destitute. So I feel more so I've believed lies, either lies from Satan or lies I've imagined up myself. I don't like believeing I am by myself. I admit I feel I'll live forever, I feel immortanl most of the time. but I'm not. I'm 22 years old and junior college graduate. I'm moving *forward not backward. I'm not Benjamin Button.

Whatever God has put in me I want to use it to be successful and help others. But my time is short. God has only given me a set portion, of gifts and of time to use them. Like the Harlequin in Ellison's story I don't want to be tardy and miss out on life. I used to feel I was so behind everyone else around me. But I don't feel that way anymore. I don't think it was ever even true I think I just didn't know how to steward my God-given portion.

But you know I want to be... motivated. That was a big theme in the movie, death motivated people. Well I want the opposite to motivate me. I don't want to fear death. I'm afread to have never lived in the first place. So I need motivation to live full out, pedal to the metal being who I am and making people's day the only way Josiah knows how, the only way I can.

There's so much to say about the themes in this movie and it's relevance but I assure you they had a positive impact on yours truley. I wanna be in time for my own life and everyday be on what Kanye West calls a "living spree". That's God's will for me and this story not only entertained but encouraged me in my own walk. I'd encourage anybody to check out the movie, heck try an early matinee if that makes you feel better.

But I think you will like it, maybe not love it, but like it.

"I hate to break this to you, but tomorrow you won't have time to just stand around."

EL FIN

Odd Soul by MuteMath REVIEW

This has been one incredible week, in more ways than one. One of those ways comes through the purchase of the 3rd and latest album from one of my all time favorite bands - MuteMath. I heard about this band from a friend of a friend - I wanna say 3 to 4 uears ago? We were on a beach vacation and the friend, Nick and I roomed together. He's a musician himself and sharred a couple of his favorite bands with me, Muse and MuteMath among them. Ever since that vacation when Nick played MuteMath's first self titled album I fell in love. Songs like Chaos, Typical, Stare At the Sun, Break the Same and Reset were just burned into my mind. Right after that vacation I flew to the nearest Best Buy and bought their first and second albums at the time, MuteMath and Armistice the latter of which Nick knew about but didn't have at the time. And you know it blew me away even more and it was more fun to listen to it because I didn't know anything about whereas Nick and I already listened to their first one.

And now on to the next one. Odd Soul is indeed a slight departure, or as I like to think of it and evolution and adventure from the band's first two albums and their classic sound. They're known for their alternative-rock and electronica styles. The closest thing to electronica I ever got was a song or two by Daft Punk years ago so this was pretty interesting. They've always had a little but of a bluesey lean to their music also and that more blues-rock feel is more intentional on this 3rd go around. And I likes it!

REVIEW TIME:

The title track Odd Soul kicks things off. It's heavy on guitars, and has a minimal synth or electronic feel. It's a classic rock song. Generally lyric-wise I take from it a search for individuality and not giving up when you're rejected. Just keep looking for that place you fit it in. There was some contraversy over the melody of the song becasue it reminded fans of The Black Keys song Brothers. I happen to listen to that song and in all honesty I felt I had to try to find the similarities. But I think that's fair. I think the outcry came from listeners who are die-hard fans fo both acts; I don't have any 'Keys music so I didn't get it. Doesn't mean it's not there, I just didn't catch it.

Sometimes MuteMath turns a phrase in a way that really sticks out: "Everything we've built could be our demise/It's the sticks and stone that where us down that often save our lives" Break the Same, and from their 2nd album "You know the one thing you're fighting to hold/Could be the one thing you've got to let go" Spotlight. They do the same on the song Odd Soul too, "Watch for who you know/Careful what you try". Now the two examples above were really clever to me and challenged me to think about letting things go or about how I viewed hard times, but this line here challenged me in a more immediate way because relationships and new things are happening to me in this season of my life. So the line wasn't something I had to ponder from the past and apply it to my present and future, but something I am going through now; it felt like a Godsend of some kind.

Prytania has one of the strongest blues-rock influences on the whole thing. Darren King's drums are just so wonderful on this track. Prytania happends to be a genus of moth. I know i'd never heard the term before either. I could swear this band sits together and flips through dictionaries and refferences jsut to find the most unique word they can and then write a song about it LOL. The song opens and the just the way the drums and guitars go at it I am reminded of anime, like Cowboy Bebop or something, IDK ha. The song is a "moth to the flame" type story, I think from the guy's POV. Pretty much he's interested in a girl that might be bad for him but he just can't help it: she's the one he wants. Period. The only one. So it slightly reminds me of Electrify from the Armistice album but with a warning.

Blood Pressure has another rock feel to it and is really fun to listen to. Actually in many areas this album is very bombastic, the guitars and the drums! It slightly reminds me of the feel I get when I listen to Typical actually. Blood Pressure is sort another analysis themed song, just looking at something and pulling it apart in song, never really offering a solution, just laying it bear which is kinda what they did on You Are Mine. When they do that I happen to always feel like it's up to me if this is truth, then I have to do something about it. So here do I wanna keep on being compared to others and bottle it up or do I want to be simply me? Now they never really ask this but I somehow walk away with that. They find a way to write simple lyrics that mean something though!

Tell Your Heart Heads Up is a very fast paced song that brings to mind other past MuteMath songs like Noticed and Spotlight. Thematically it's Noticed, another ode to guarding one's heart. So it starts off with "When I was young and unafriad it was all a game". 'Heads Up then continues to open up how immature hearts can't control themselves; they don't mean to be fleeting or aloof or harm anyone. But the rest of us better watch ourselves for these kinds of "admireors". That's it in a nutshell, the song is so awesome to listen to for me just like Noticed haha but I'm mad it's only 2minutes 55seconds >_<

All Or Nothing is a nice slow jam (if I may call it that) about giving your all. Paul Meany's falsetto is so sincere on this track. I really like the verse "Aligning stars that you wait for/Always know if you're holding back" it gives me the idea that even if star formation influences outcomes then even they know if humans are putting our all into our actions. Since I believe that good works made in advance for me to live out through a person Christ determines my outcome then I really know I need to be sincere. The song ends with a nice electronic video game instrumental.

Allies features more rock enthused drums and guitars and it makes me think of a desolate landscape like something out of The Book of Eli. That's becasue I think the song is about relationships, romantic and platonic. It deels with some issues with warfare imagery, kinda like John Mayer's Battle Studies. It' about the stupid fights we have together and we feel our opinion is the only reality. We get lost in the pursuit of a "wrong answer" so we wind up spinning our wheels and "Never find our enemy/We're gunning down whatever breathes". Everything gets out of control as we scrutinize others and swear we have it all together and they don't. We need to remember relationship is most important because both views deserve fair examination, "There is nothing to defend/Nothing to surrendor" so free one's self from that pressure before it's too late. Certainly relevant to me because of my ability to be really critical of things sometimes lol.

Cavalries features some more of that awesome blues-rock. I also love it when a song stars off with a set time of just instrumental before the lyrics kick off. Right now the only thing I can glean from the lyrics is that "He rose". I don't know who yet so i have to give it another few listens and hopefully find those lyrics. I'm working with a digital download sans the PDF booklet. But if it was just a straight instrumental track that'd be fine too!

Walking Paranoia is great it reminds me of the earlier track Blood Pressure, it seems there's this gripping fear to be perfect. One interesting verse has to do with knowing Jesus is coming back ... while you're standing at the porno rack. Lol I really wish I could glean the lyrics from this one cuz the music is great and the story is very intriguing. The band even speaks on preachers too, the oines that only really care about having a TV station, again I think it has to do with fear of not being perfect as you have been led to believe you should be, in a particular culture or vocation and even just as an individual. I know me not knowing all the lyrics blows a bit but I'm just being real, listening to the album as I write so it's experiential. Hopefully you the reader will go out and buy this album based on my report, if you like it. Or at least go on youtube and listen to their music their and watch some music videos for this album and their others.

One More "Flower-made fool I keep parading while dressed in rain" - if I heard that verse correctly it's kinda wild. I see someone doing something out of character, foolish but they find a way to make it look good. Or maybe something positive made someone passionate not really foolish in that sense and those things are bad and dreary "I" keep marching on life is what I make it. I could be reaching here or maybe not, MuteMath does believe in fan interpretation. The rest of the song and the chorus has to do with a second chance of some kind, "One more reason, one more try, one more feeling, one more high". It might be a relationship coming to a close and the one singing is desparate for one last shot at redemption. It's got more blues-rock going on and it's got some cool applause (musical clapping) in the background that makes the song more festive. And Roy's guitar and/or bass riffs are so awesome and just keep getting better and more exciting as the album progresses.

Equals is a chill and thoughtful song about unity, "Nothing's gonna stop what we started/Nothing's gonna break what we've bonded/We can make the world spin however we want it/It's all on us". The song sounds like something what I might hear out of the 70s in one of those big round vans with the silver V on the front? Lol if that makes sense, sorts hippyish and I say that with the utmost repsect ^_^ doves, does and flowers everywhere.

Quarantine is oh man the big one. These guys always have at least one really BIG song, as far as music and lyrics, a sort of send off right before the finale. In my opinion it would be maybe Stall Out off their first album. The second album is harder for me because it's a 3way tie between Goodbye, Armistice and the actual finale Burden lol. So I guess they like to always have big song or two then so this is one of my big favorites on this album. It's also two songs in one because it's heavy on Roy's guitars with a very cool fast versed beginning and middle but but the other half is this slow blues-rock breakdown with the chorus "Let it heal someone". So it's 4 parts, fast-versed, breakdown, fast again and the rest is breakdown. I need to get the lyrics for this too big time. The chorus sounds so cool and I really want to know what it is the band says will heal someone; I wonder if it's time away or possibly boundaries. It's just awesome to listen to, you have to loop it up yourself. Hopefully the guys will do a music video too.

In No Time actually ends the album if you didn't get the deluxe version. It's another chill MuteMath classic talking about not giving up finding what was lost. It sounds like more personal responsibility encouraged on the track in verses like "Where's that old spark a failure stole?" and goes to admit that though the sky, even the world may fall around us we may yet find we were looking for "in no time at all". This is clearly gonn abe used by Hollywood for something dramatic and personal next year or the years to come - ok I don't know that haha but one can hope right? But you listen to it it sounds like something our of a young hiptster movie trailer 20 somethings and 30 somethings would go see. It ends resiliently with words "We can get it back" repeated over and over again. I read another review and the writer put it perfectly the band finds a way to end with a song that "makes you just feel good for no reason". A fine end to a fine album by my boys.

AND NOW THE BONUS TRACKS:

Amendment short and sweet with a message about finding something better than what you already have. It sounds a bit eerie I have to admit but it works. Plus it's got this cool super slow breakdown near the end that surprised me but I had to laugh becasue it was so cool. The music is the only thing slowed the singing is still the same, no altering there.

Cold Sparks is a verse from the the earlier song All Or Nothing "Cold sparks are seconds from burn out". It's a cool song with some great music but I can't really tell you what the song is about lol, Paul Meany can be heard talking about finding them though. I'll figure it out soon enough, it makes a great instrumental overall since the lyrics are few anyway. Maybe it's about the "spark failure stole" mentioned in In No Time, that inspiration that maybe died and now it's time to bring on the thaw. The listener still has the power to figure out for themselves.

Sun Ray is broken up into two parts but you only know that if you buy the deluxe version. I'm so glad for more instrumental on this album because I really missed them on Armistice, the closest we got on that one was the end of Burden. They're cool smooth tracks not as energetic as the ones on the first album like Obselete and Reset, more chill factor like Collapse and After We Have Left Our Homes.

OVERALL:

That's my breakdown. I just love these guys. So many couldn't get with the band's slightly new style, but this might not be permenant, maybe just an exercise or where they happen to be creatively this time around. They might be more straight electrinica when the next album hits.

I do wish Greg Hill, their previous guitarist much success wherever he goes. He left one year ago this month but I don't actually know how much of this album he was apart of; I have to look at when the guys actually started recording and stuff. The band recently welcomed Todd Gummerman on as their new guitarist. Roy is their main bassist but again since I don't know how all the personnel on this album was arranged during recording I don't know where everyone worked or all of their areas. I just know it all sounds wonderful. You'll spot Todd on the Blood Pressure video though!

Odd Soul I think is more or less my final identity album for 2011. God has been so good this year, not that he's never good any other year lol. But it's been quite a ride this year and God and I have been on the hunt for burried treasure I guess you could say in regards to gifts and passions, interests, truths and the like. Some of this I mentioned in my Needtobreathe review of The Outsiders. I know God has always spoekn to me through the arts and music is definitley one of the branches he uses to communicate with me. He is really using the music I talked about here to strengthen me, mold me and fund my one way on the good life express. It takes a lot of courage to live out loud and I am just in a good place to mature further this year and this album cemented some ideas and questions I had been thinking about and asking about.

I really don't have any rating system. Based on my report if you're into music, electronica and blues-rock and MuteMath check out Odd Soul.

MuteMath hails from New Orleans and plays in the styles of alternative-rock, blues-rock and electronica. You'll even hear referrences to their Christian faith in some of their songs. They are comprised of:

Paul Meany on Lead Vocals.
Darren King on Drums.
Roy Mitchel-Cardenas on Bass.
Todd Gummerman on Guitar.

EL FIN

Confessions of A Homewrecker

Revelation just strike my brain like lightning. For a while now I have found myself crushing on young ladies already in relationships... relationships with their painful pasts. Does that still make me a homewrecker o_O ? Lol ok, ok seriously though, me crushing on young ladies with painful pasts, the old me would curse God and shake my fist at the heavens over this, over my rotten luck; of course I would like a girl who's still grapiling with past relationship demons, of course. I could feel real sorry for myself and shut down, just like I always used to.

But I wont ;-]

That was the old me, case in point, OLD. I'm new now, more mature, I don't fly off the handle anymore or turn on God as soon as I don't get MY way. Not anymore.

Truth is I thought the girls was pretty... gorgeous... great smile... nice laugh... great fashion sense... a level head on her shoulders... a passion for God burning in her belly... big dreams... a nice family... accepts me for me and so on and so forth. Truth is that's all still true; poor girl is just in need of some healing =/ That's all, she still needs time to heal, to polish herself up, to allow the intensity of the past to shape and mold her into a stronger and wiser version of herself, her future self, that self that will never back down, pray hard and soar above all the B.S.. And I never want to be a hinderance to her growth.

She just needs the time to heal.

Obviously since most of these young women in the pastt have told me their problem or expressed in some way shape or form. She's clearly fighting. Reminds me of Lupe Fiasco's 'Fighters'; dude I love that song, gotta listen to those lyrics again.

So yeah I'm not mad and I mean NO disrespect to these girls wherever they may be in their lives now. none of them will probably ever know these things went through my mind. I'm just growing up is all. I gotta cling to this attitude though because it is so tempting to turn back to old mindsets. But I need to hold the course and let these lessons make into the man my Heavenly Father desires to introduce me to one day.

Always remember her healing... their healing... anyone's healing is way more important than Josiah... yeah healing is way more important ^_^

EL FIN

Static Shock #1 AWE YEAH!

Snatched up today DC Comics’ The New 52 Static Shock comic that came out last Wednesday. Static is my favorite super hero, yeah he’s obscure and his home company Milestone media is now defunct, plus his father Dwayne McDuffie passed earlier this year (RIP Dwayne), Static is my favorite hero and I’ve been tracking his reintegration 9no pun intended) into the DCU for a while now.

SYNOPSIS:

Pretty much thanks to Final Crisis a few years ago and now Flash Point, Static is back and ready for new adventures. Static, aka Virgil Ovid Hawkins has been relocated from the city of Dakota to New York City for an unspecified reason. In addition to his family, including a new baby sister, he’s got a new close bond with the original Milestone hero Hardware. Hardware now acts as Static’s mentor and has set him up with an internship at S.T.A.R. Labs, a new disc and uniform. He’s about to tackle a new set of villains starting off with the mysterious Slate Gang.

MY TAKE:

I like the look of ther cover. Yeah I judge books by their literal covers so sue me. Static’s costume keeps getting better and I like the minimal look and the throwback to his iconic onesie from the 90s LOL. And that jacket will always be slick. I do miss the baseball cap though… I just miss it really. The new disc is cool but that hole in the middle is … I get how idk the hole makes it look “smaller” o_O … man idk but I wish it was filled up. But I think the thing is the hole makes it look “lighter” if that makes sense but I think my common sense says just fill it beccasue its distracting. It does however add new style, in the comic name, and in watching this renewed Static in action. He’s got more physical personality in 2011 I guess and so I overall like this new design.

I do like that the character lived in NY, his personality and style fit the setting and he’s got a big ego and personality often times so it just fits.

I read a review before buying this comic and I agree with it, the book seems kinda wordy and full of exposition. New beginnings are often like that, maybe they could’ve began with more visual and less dialogue, maybe watching Static in the city flying around, maybe even thinking more [only] about his past life; maybe running into a villain, maybe not. You know just pondering his new life, maybe they could’ve done that.

But when I think back, Static did think and explain the uses of his powers often times and he still does that here.

Hardware. He sounds different. more accomodating than he used to in his own book back in the day, he’s not as gruff and I miss that [in his dialogue]. I like him setting up Virgil’s new Static persona and outfitting it with new gear and links to Hardware’s tech. His connecting Static will be fun to watch with new resources and such but I wonder how much the character will still be able to learn on his own. Honestly that was some of the appeal of the character, him figuring out stuff on his own and the humorous ways he’d mess up; but never mess up too bad I don’t remember.

Hardware’s watching over Static does make the comic feel somwhat like Batman Beyond… and I like that. Just as Terry was coached by an aging Bruce Wayne, Hardware coaches Static. Hardwear even uplinks holo-stats to Static as he flies on his disc which looks awesome. The two living in different cities adds an interesting dynamic so far, like Static is a source or an operative planted in a a foreign environment and Hardware is back at HQ feeding him intel. They have to trust each other from a distance versus how Terry and Bruce could easily meet up in the Batcave.

I’m gonna need to meet Virgil’s new friends sappy-A.S.A.P. though! One thing the character had back in the day were close friends and lots of laughs and drama - real drama. I mostly miss Frieda, especially since in the milestone Media denuemont Milestone Forever, in the future she and Virgil got married and started a family. She and Virgil were on again off again sort of as teens but she knew his secret and always covered for him and was just a warm friend to him. i’m wondering if Virgil skyping or communicating with Rick, Larry Wade, Chuck, Felix, or Daisy but that’s assuming any of them exist in this New 52 continuity; but i especially hope that Frieda does ^_^ But any new friends they introduce will be great becasue Virgil is a people-person and needs friends to ground him and laugh with like a realy kid his age, even if its just a few. So heres hoping for a great supporting cast maybe in the vein of Spider-Man or Invincible.

ULTIMATELY:

The first issue ends on a cliffhanger as Static is ambushed by the Slate Gang’s enforcer, Virule. I wanna stick with the book just to see how it turns out. It’s great to see Static again but i’m nrevouse about the DC reboot/relaunch/revamp. It’s a very unstable endeavor to me or maybe just because of certain characters I’m afriad won’t be recieved well, including Static. I’m actually still collecting the issues from the 90s so this is all nostaligia for me but my hope is the new writers will retro fit comfortably Static’s legacy into this new chapter in the character’s life. Hopefully Scott McDaniel and John Rozum can hit readers and fans with new compelling stories and characters and shot at a new life between comic pages. My fingures are crossed.

Still it’s great to see you again, Static ^_^

EL FIN

The Outsiders

Finally and at long last I got Needtobreathe's third album, The Outisders. I've been trakcing this band since back in 2007 when they first came out with Daylight. Then after that their sophomore album The Heat in 2009. I heard rave reviews for this third go around as well as one negartive review that stuck out to me. The rave reviews state that this album keeps the guys on a successful track and that their sound keeps getting better. They don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. And its true, the band is better than ever, soundwise and lyrically.

The negative review on amazon.com stated that due to the more folksy sound the album isn't as good as its predecessors.

And I understand that.

Needtobreathe has always been country and folksy but their first two albums were more mainstream sounding but this third go around they have certainly gotten more in touch with their folksy roots. Having said that I must admit only 9/14 of the songs really stand out to me. That is pretty good though and I don't abhor the other songs, they just don't excite me as much as the other ones I really like. The others are just good background music to me.

The album kicks off with the title track The Outsiders. The song is about sticking to what makes you happy and that only, not conforming to things that don't feel like the real you, even going so far as to say that it's better to be on the "outside" because you are truly free there. Before I go into the other songs I have to say that the idea of being on the outside as the best place if its where the real you lives, pretty much permeates the whole album. Its kind of a concept album I think in that sense.

Valley of Tomorrow is another one I like, and then after that Through Smoke which I really identify with. It talks about believing in your truth(s) when life get's indiscernible at times. Can you tell the difference between the answer and the truth? When I listen to the album, with the echoing vocals and resonating bass drum I swear I can see smoke and fog in my mind's eye. It's a very tangible song, if that makes sense. I love it and it stuck out to me way after I had stopped listening to the album.

Next is one of their singles called Lay 'Em Down which encourages the listener to just give up pains and troubles, to stop believing they define you or make you stronger when it is clearly folly. It remidns me of the verse in the Bible about feeling indebted. I really love the3 end of the song with the whole band singing in harmony and the rising power of the song, encouraging to just "lay 'em down".

Just FYI these are just the songs that immediatley stand out to me after buying it yesterday.

Next is Hurricane which sorta reminds me of Signature of Divine from their 2nd album. Its really fastpaced and has some cool shouts in the the chorus like in that song which amps you up, a classic rock feel, more audience-like singing at the end which makes the song all the more epic. After that I really like Prisoner which has this really neat piano openning, idk it's sort of naughty sounding, like in a mean little kid sorta of way... maybe "mischevious" is what I'm trying to say lol. It also reminds me of the hit song from the Disney movie Holes (diggit up, up ohhh diggit...). Its another of many of the girl themed songs but as usual the girl sounds like a real person and she's not demonized in anyway, well certainly not in this one, the guy is "a prisoner of your heart" as the chorus goes; has a folksy/rock feel.

Something Beautiful is of course the #1 single off the whole album which I think is everyone's opinion. It's just about seeing the wonder in life and not settling for anything less, very mainstream sound, very encouraging, keep the beautiful, pure and strengthening things in life close to your heart; rock influenced as well and its great. Just whenever I wanna be encouraged or think on positive things I wanna hear this song. I could go on and on...

Garden is about Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane praying for strength. I remember the band talking about wanting to write the song from the point of view of someone just admiring Jesus' strength versus something rally preachy in the lyrics. I think they capture that, admiring Jesus' devotion to his father and desire to be strong and face his struggles.

Let Us Love ends the album on a fun yet critical note. Critical in that it is about us realizing that life has been and get more intense: "in a world I know is burning to the ground". The admonision is to love through it all. The song is like one big defiant scream in the faces of our weaknesses and just sounds like a hoedown near the end and I really think it suits it. Kinda that feeling that you don't wanna join the dance out of fear but then someone grabs and wings you around on the dance floor; I guess choosing love over hate can be like that.

Those are my favorites, the 4 other songs I didn't mention are good to just have in the background while studying, or maybe not haha but they're cool songs, but the ones I talked about above stand out the most. I love this band and this album raly makes me walk away with the feeling that I am an outsider in my own right but I have to own it and own what makes me different. And if I look closely enough I'll find other just like me and we'll be on the outside together balancing the world out. Speaks to me in this year since God has been on this track of showing me who I am lately...

So I can't wait for their 4th album they can only get better!

EL FIN

Static Shock SPECIAL One-Shot!

Got this comic yesterday with my friend, its a good read, simple story about Virgil (aka Static) having his uncle back after 10 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.

The story is pretty much about how bad things happen but you gotta keep pushing forward. Virgil's uncle has to deal with the thugs from prison out for revenge after the uncle stood up to the ringleader 10 years ago. The ringleader was badly wounded. The ringleader, on the outside now, has achieved Bang Baby powers and is "untouchable". "Figure it out" is what Virgil's uncle tells him, about life, that no matter what use your mind to get you ahead. No one can think originally as you can.

The book ends with Static almost breaking the 4th Wall telling the reader "...I am the legacy" after having done what his uncle said and coming out the hero yet again, despite tragedy.

The Static Shock One-Shot SPECIAL is again, a simple read with a simple yet enduring message. But even more so than the arc are the words shared about the creator of the character known as Static, Dwayne McDuffie in light of his passing earlier this year and the new things happening at DC Comics especially in regards Static and other Milestone properties.

Later the cover art by Keron Grant and several others make the book even sweeter to behold. Its pretty much a full package. I respond very well to Keron's look on Static, he makes him look so sleek and confident and cool, even though you know that under the lightning is a 15year old with girl trouble, money trouble and is an outsider becasue he loves gaming and comic books. And he's cool with that!

Virgil has shown me that though you're not accepted by the WHOLE WORLD you are accept into the world of those who have proven to you time and time again that you belong in their world. The world of friendship, family and heroism. In his own right Static has achieved all of this and has gained the respect of countless other heroes and readers alike.

For the Longest time I was intimidated by the legacy of milestone Media, specifially the super hero Static. Intimidated and afraid to claim him as my favorite hero, because I love and respect him so much and he's so important and beloved by so many minorities, I thought since I wwas late to the party in the early 2000s that I hadn't eanred the right to love him. Even through all of the back issies and trades I've hunted down since the cartoon ended in 2004, it wasn't until McDuffie died this year that I finally could say outloud for myself to hear, "Static is my favorite superhero." I'm sorry it took me so long to say it and claim it. Almost like I didn't know what to do with a good thing. But I'm claiming it now.

There are talks that the DC Comics EPIC reboot after the events of Flashpoint will be good for books like the new Static Shock coming out in September. I'm quite leary of the new overhaul and revamping of the line, despite how crucially sexy many of the new uniforms look (Robin for example, no homo lol) I have always seen Static as sorta separate from DC and he's been out of print for so long; I don't think it'll mess anything up. The only new thing is his uniform(s) and that he will now reside in New York City. I'm hoping the name "Dakota" will show up in the new on-going series somehow, I'll be ok if it doesn't but it'll be different him being someplace new. I don't know if the rest of the milestone heroes n' villains will show up there too, we'll see. Maybe Virgil will be older and the writer (Felicia Henderson) will keep with the Milestone Forever book and put Virgil on the path to becoming a doctor. It'll fun to see. Honestly Static is the only one I'm excited about with the new reboot becasue he's so old yet so retro and kinda new and fresh while the others have had 50-70 years of history to deal with. Static has only been around 20 years and was only in serious print up to 1998 or so. We shall see what DC has in store for the swashbuckling exploits of Static soon enough.

You're my favorite Static!!!

"I'll put a shock to your system... don't start none, won't be none."

EL FIN