-b. [Member Since: November 09 '07]
I’m back to working desktop support after about 9 months away. At the moment, I’m working for a large international banking firm in their IT department.
I only got into comics around June of 2006, but right away I was hooked.
Blurbs
I guess Fedora also just put up a new final edition of their distro. Plan on checking it out? I hear it incorporates the new version of OpenOffice right off the bat!
Hey man, having you been sticking with any linux distro as of late? I’m using linux 8.10 right now ant its been great. I definitely plan on checking out the new Linux Mint distro when its finalized.
Hey man, I saw an article saying that DC was canceling Detective Comics, Nightwing, Birds of Prey, and Robin in the wake of the changes made in the Batman book.
I was just wondering what your thoughts were on that. Do you think this is a good move for the Batman books? Are you excited for the end of RIP? Do you think these changes will be permanent?
Glad you’re enjoying them. Zorro is great, but I’m wondering why they’re changing artists for the second arc. As for Brothers in Arms – too bad it’s only four issues. I hope they’ll do more in the future.
-b. said:
Hey MMD, finally (!) got around to reading Zorro. The hold up was I couldn’t find a copy of issue #1. But I tracked one down. I had gotten 2-5 already from HeavyInk. Anyway, just as I thought, it’s a great series. I didn’t read 5 yet, just the first 4. But I love it. You’ve got great taste! :) That makes 3 for 3 that I’ve read based on what you’ve posted. (Brothers in Arms and Man With No Name being the other 2.)
Keep holding on, there is another Clairmont out there to save the title. Thanks for the comment. I thought I was alone here.
-b. said:
Hi Joe,
Just came across your profile, and I enjoyed your two blog posts. I just started reading X-Men, and I don’t see what the whole draw is. I guess I missed the boat. I’ll have to look for copies of Old Man Logan though. Thanks, and welcome to HI!
Yeah, it’s tough to catch up. I got a lot of help from the guys on iFanboy and other forums. I started with Year One and went from there. For Superman I started with The Man of Steel, which is incredible. As tough as it is, it’s a lot of fun.
-b. said:
As someone who got into comics just 2 years ago and decided that Batman was my favourite, I must say it is tough to “catch up” on such a huge figure. Same with Superman. Don’t get me wrong. I still love reading everything I can related to Bats, but there are so many books, you know? Anyway, hadn’t seen you before tonight, so welcome to HeavyInk! It’s a great place to learn about new and/or different comics. Enjoy.
Congrats on the new IT job. Let’s hear it for geek salaries that fund geek habits!
I haven’t sent off a resume in about a month. I am a horrible slacker. But I’m moving next week, so I’ll just find a job when I get there, and eat lots of ramen in the meantime. :)
-b. said:
Hey becca, been quiet lately. How goes the job search?
Thank you for the warm welcome. I am really enjoying being a part of HI…I sit home and draw most of the time and rarely get a chance to talk comics in an environment like this. I am loving it :)
-b. said:
Hi Alex. Just wanted to say a belated welcome and thanks for all your posts thus far. I appreciate your input on different comics that I may not have read yet. You’ve been a great addition to the community. Thanks, again!
Thanks a bunch for “year one” suggestion. It got the whole “departure” section from Campbell’s monomyth down PAT! The middle section (forget the name, I just closed the book) is the section that DC repeats over and over, and the last section is the part that will probably never actually come. So I’ve got it mostly outlined out, at least on the Batman side.
-b. said:
Good luck on your paper.
Northlanders is pretty good so far. Even though there are a couple issues of boring back story. A lot of swoard fights and bloodletting. I’m curious how long the series will run for, the issue in September is about a new protagonist.
Hey Brian, you should definitely read the first 6 issues of Northlanders before you read issue 7. There is a lot of back story you will be missing out on. Issue 7 would just seem like random characters fighting.
“I’m having trouble playing the videos in Ubuntu 8.04. Am I missing something? Thanks for any help.”
Yes, you are, I just played it on 8.04. I used Opera, but FF always has better driver support. It’s not flash, so check out embedded mplayer or embedded vlc support. At least, I THINK it’s an embedded video.
Hey Brian, I usually pick up a Punisher One-Shot when they come out. They are always a nice addition to my collection. What are you getting for august?
I like to go one fantasy at a time. Once that one is fulfilled.. we’ll move on to the next. :P
-b. said:
Dude, now who’s being uncreative? Come up with a new fantasy! :)
I agree completely. For my first venture into war comics I don’t think I could’ve made a better choice. I also enjoyed Man with No Name, even though I’m not really a big western fan. Lone Ranger was actually the first western comic I’ve read. As with Brothers in Arms, I don’t think I could have made a better choice. If I didn’t like the Lone Ranger so much, I probably wouldn’t have even tried Man with No Name.
-b. said:
Holy cow!! I read Brothers in Arms last night. How awesome a start can you get?? Really looking forward to that series. Also read Man With No Name, which I really enjoyed. I’m a huge western fan, so this was great. Thanks for making the general recommendations!
Lone Ranger & Tonto #1 is a special one-shot story that is supposed to take place in the near future of the regular series. Whether that near future is a few months or a few years is unclear, but it’s some time after the Ranger and Tonto have started to establish themselves. It wouldn’t hurt to read it now, it’s pretty self-contained. I enjoyed it for the most part, although the art was not up to the standard set by the regular series.
-b. said:
Question regarding Lone Ranger: I picked up a few issues today, and I also saw Lone Ranger and Tonto, issue #1. I picked that up, unsure if that was a different series or not. Do you know? Should I catch up on Lone Ranger first? Thanks for any input.
gah, goofed the link in the previous blurb and can’t delete it now. Here’s the link
hey Brian, as heavily into Batman as you are, I’m sure you’ll want to get this shirt of “How Batman Really Began”http://www.threadless.com/product/1078/The_Beginning?streetteam=QcFrogMan
Even better, they’re letting them go for only $10. :) I bought one myself.
Pretty good, if slow…I’m through Animal Man and have Doom Patrol 1, but I’m waiting on Doom Patrol 2 and maybe even 3 before I go onward…I hate getting really into a series in trade and not having the next volume or two on hand, y’know? I should file a quick update on my blog…thanks for the reminder.
-b. said:
Hey dude, I’m very much interested in your Morrison project. How is it going?
I hope you enjoy both of them. I thought Man With No Name was pretty good, but Brothers in Arms blew me away.
-b. said:
MMD, just got my issues of Man With No Name and Brothers in Arms in the mail today. Looking forward to them.
hey Brian, won’t wait until I’m finished with it because it may take some time. See, I got the book sitting next to my computer and every once in a while (read mayb once or twice a week) I grab it, go sit in the comfy chair and read an issue or two… Anyway, The first pocketbook is a bit weird cause it’s got a finite three issues arc that was SiP Volume 1, then it sort of restarts and we see a bit more of Katchoo’s background being exposed which will lead to a much more expanded storyline than what the first three issues have gone through. I’ve read five issues of it so far and like it very much. Moore is very good at characterisation and storytelling. It’s definitely no superheros stuff, nor any very involved criminal stuff, but it’s quite good at what it is, sort of slice of life kind of thing.
-b. said:
Hey dude, I’m thinking of ordering Strangers In Paradise myself. I saw the add for the books in my latest Echo issue. Let me know how you like it when you finish the first volume.
Both.
-b. said:
Meaning it sucks or that you tried to leave a comment but couldn’t? :) If the former, yeah, well, it’s kind of a work in progress. If the latter, that might explain the lack of comments from my friends. :)
Oh… Except that’s not the latest iteration of the design. The final one has three columns and shows my open source projects and etc. :)
Wow, someone clicked through?! What happened was this… I started writing my own blog software (a la wordpress… but my own). I got 80% of the way done and decided I didn’t want to do the next 20%. So I dropped it. Then I started designing… I came up with 4 designs. I finally settled on one last week… and it’s completely done. I just haven’t finished writing a new post yet. hahaha. You can, however, see the new design at http://beta.codehallow.com.
-b. said:
So, dude, just how long is your programming blog going to be offline? :)
Not a stupid question. I haven’t closed down my box at the LCS. I will have to keep driving there to get DW Magazine (an import) no matter what.
-b. said:
How come you don’t subscribe to Runaways? Or is that a stupid question?
Don’t boycott the Middleman! It’s going to be way good.
-b. said:
I’d click on the video in your blog, but I’m boycotting YouTube until my friends stop sending me constant links to it. :) And hey, you changed your avatar again. From photo to drawing to photo. Cool photo. Though it almost looks as though you’re wearing some kind of parka. And it’s now Spring.
Sorry to clutter your blurb section, but I also just read this interview where one of the Dark Horse guys says that Dark Times and Rebellion will be on hiatus after their “Vector” stories to make room for tie-ins with the new Clone Wars movie/TV series.
Brian, Thanks for the info. I did some research on the Vector crossover. I found this site which shows all the books in the “Vector” crossover. Looks like if I start with KOTOR in May I’ll miss the Vector story line, If I start with Legacy, the Vector story line will catch up to me in Sept. – Dec. Is that your understanding of the crossover?
Hey -b., Can you give me you opinion on the ongoing Star Wars titles you’re subscribed to? I subscribed to Legacy, but I was thinking about going with KOTOR instead. I don’t really want to subscribe to an enormous amount of titles, so I wanted to limit myself to 1 Star Wars title for now. What’s your favorite? And which is your favorite between Legacy and KOTOR? Thanks, Andy
Hey Brian. I totally plan to write up mini biased reviews on them. Just tough to find the time! Look out for it though. :)
-b. said:
Interesting list. Wish I could say I knew about those titles. Maybe you could give a snippet or two on some of them. Why you love them or something like that.
Uhh… not this? Hey, I’m all for sexualization of characters in comics as long as you do it to the men, too. Last issue of Uncanny had Wolverine in is boxers and it twas nice. :)
No, I didn’t get any prints. I just had some expenses pop up (extra dress, forgot to pay for my hotel) for International Order of Rainbow for Girls, so I’m broke for a bit. Wanna buy some for me? HA. Yeah, I have no shame.
Thanks! I’m mostly looking for tech jobs now, since that’s where all my experience lies, anyway. Now, if only someone would put out the call for Russian-speaking Jr. DBAs, I’d be set…
-b. said:
Hey there! Congrats on graduating! Too bad the weather didn’t cooperate. Math and Russian, huh? Hmm. Not sure how that can combine into something. I have to give it some thought. Do you play chess? That’s sort of math based and most of the greats seem to come from Russia. :)
I do highly recommend Dynamite’s Lone Ranger. I would suggest starting with the origin arc (#1-6, or the first trade). That is probably the best way to see if you can accept the updated Ranger. #12 won’t be out until August, so you have some time to get caught up.
-b. said:
Hey dude, I’m really thinking of getting into the Lone Ranger. I remember watching it all the time when I was a little kid. For us, in NJ, it was on WHT channel 68. :) I would lie down on the floor of the family room with my feet touching the TV stand and watch it with my friend Mike, or just by myself. I loved it. I know nothing about it though. Hopefully I’ll be able to track down the issues.
That would be a hideous tattoo. Almost as bad as that guy with the Zune tattoo. His being worse cause the Zune sucks.
-b. said:
Thinking of a new tattoo daynah? ;)
:) Thanks. It’s actually just a drawing a really good friend/artist did of me.
-b. said:
Dig the new avatar.
Hey man, my birthday was coming up, and I was considering spoiling myself and picking up a DC absolute edition.
I haven’t read Kingdom Come, but the art looks fantastic, is it worth the 52 bucks for the absolute edition in your opinion?
I was considering either getting Absolute Kingdom Come, the two ultimates hardcovers, the justice hardcovers, or Absolute The new frontier.
If ya have any input on these books, hit me back, and do you know what’s up with these absolute editions, it’s hard to find a copy of the new frontier especially.
hehe, I’d also never blurbed you, before now that is. :)
Glad you get some use from the blog posts. I don’t go to CBR much, despite what it looks like, but I do recieve all their RSS feeds through Google reader. That way, if the title of a post looks spoilerish, I simply “star” it and comes back after I’ve read the issue…
Also, not sure you’re going to go back to the Iron Man thread before going to see the movie, but here’s an advice in case you didn’t know about it: make sure you stay through the credits, yeah, all the way through the 7-8 minutes of them. As a comics addict, you’ll be glad you did… I won’t say more ;)
-b. said:
Hey dude. Just realized I don’t think I’ve ever “blurbed” you. :) Wanted to say I appreciate your posts and your blog entries. I enjoy reading about the titles you are trying out. I usually try to stay away from reading CBR because I got tired of the spoilers. I started out there though before HI came along. Anyway, you save me the trouble of going there! :) Thanks.
I’m definitely going to try Spike After the Fall. I only got into Angel (the show and the comic) for Spike’s character, so I may even abandon Angel entirely to read it.
-b. said:
Great pic! :) Are you going to try Spike After the Fall? I would love to, but I didn’t read Angel at all, and I’m wondering if I need to. Any thoughts?
hehe amen. I really recommend that you get the first two digests, the original run. They’re great.
-b. said:
Well, I must admit, the writing in Buffy Season 8 was much better once he stopped. And you crack me up, dude. LOL
Sorry. :( But he’s the Liefeld of writers! And he’s ruining some of my favorite comics. Terry Moore, save us!
Actually, Andrew just told me that he put it all in two boxes rather than using envelopes, should get there soon!
Well, I just took a peak at your profile and it looks like we’re shipping you 7 (!!!!!) envelopes today. So, I guess you’ll be getting caught up!
-b. said:
Hi Pete, just a quick question on my re-subscribing to comics here at HeavyInk… There are quite a few back issues that I’m getting. How will that work? Will they ship relatively soon if they are in stock? I was hoping that would be the case so that I can get caught up on the titles.
I don’t know. I haven’t read either yet. Ask one of the know-it-alls, because I added it because of them. I would be greatly saddened because I think both of those first issues are sold out.
-b. said:
Just checked out the titles you are subscribing to. I liked what I read on Pax Romana and Red Mass for Mars. Might check those out. Is Pax Romana ending with issue #4?
Indeed! I’m running Firefox 3 at work and home now for one reason… Memory usage. Firefox 2 ate memory like uh… Will Smith in Men in Black? Firefox 3 is much more stable.
-b. said:
Mine has gone pretty smoothly so far. I haven’t really had the time yet to take it out for a real spin, so to speak. But I’ve had no problems and so far, I don’t miss Vista. I’ve found replacement programs for most of my stuff, and I hope to continue my searches this weekend. The only thing I didn’t count on was I used to use FoxMarks (I think that was what it was called). It saved your bookmarks on a server. So I didn’t bother backing those up when I did the transition, thinking I would just install FoxMarks again. But alas, it doesn’t work yet with the version of FireFox I’m running. Of course, I could easily switch to the older version of FireFox. But where’s the fun in that? :)
How’d the Ubuntu transition turn out?! I switched my MacBook over to 8.04 this past weekend. It went extremely poorly. Nothing like rebooting to find your 17” 1680×1050 screen running at 640×480. Ubuntu upgrades seem to be flawed… Reinstalling from scratch, however, went perfectly.
I’ve only taken one. I have two more today, including the hardest one. Stupid Brit Lit. I have to take the second half of this class this summer. I miss reading things with pictures. :( There was a comic in my brit lit textbook… AND WE SKIPPED IT!
-b. said:
Finals start yet? How are they going?
Hey, I’m normally a vista/xp user for my laptop and desktop, but I was considering trying out ubuntu or kubuntu, any suggestions? I’m totally new to linux, but I think I’m pretty good with computers (networking administration major).
Any suggestions would be great!
I have not! I’m still running 7.10. Looking forward to it.
-b. said:
Hey dude, have you tried the new Ubuntu out yet? I think I read it’s coming out this week.
Haha at the same time… I’m reading so much for class that there is a pile of comics that I have not read. An easy way to see how back logged it is is to count the DW mags (monthly) which there are three of. Ouch! Just two more weeks of school.
-b. said:
Hey daynah, that’s awesome that you have a chance to write for a comic website. I’ve sort of turned my blog into a comics only site myself, though I too am behind in my reading and thus my blog is behind as well. I think you would definitely have something to say if you thought about it. You’re a good writer and you have more to say than you probably think. But I totally understand where you’re coming from. I have yet to review a single comic on this site. Not sure why. I also feel like I have nothing to say. But I must. I mean, everyone has an opinion, right?
Hey, I’ve been reading Thor and so far its been great. The first two issues are rather slow but from three and out the book has been really really fantastic. It’s great the bond and trust between Blake and Thor, and I think it really makes the run unique.
Anyway, post a review and put up what you thought of it so far. I haven’t really heard anyone knock jms since the one more day debacle, but his books, Thor and The Twelve, have really been some of the best stuff on the shelves.
Thats one serious bummer man. I’ve been in that position before, as have most people. Hope you get out of it soon.
What sort of work do you do?
-b. said:
Hey Tyler, just want to say great job on the shipments and orders pages. Too bad I’ve been off the radar for a bit. I’m out of a job, and had to cancel all my orders, which stinks. But I’ll be back. In the meantime, I still follow what’s going on in the forums and such via RSS. Anyway, great job once again.
They need to stop worrying about how their desktop looks and worry about their website. Like 50% of that is hideous ads!
-b. said:
Speaking of making Linux look like a Mac, here’s this blog post that I read recently:
(blurb to self – don’t tell Tyler and daynah that you found the pdf reader by accident.)
Oh dear god. If you’re using Kubuntu, then THAT’s your problem right there. Seconding Tyler, Ubuntu does ship with a PDF reader.
Sure. One note first though, you shouldn’t need any PDF reader from Adobe. Ubuntu ships with one… I think its called Evince. I don’t remember exactly… but just double clicking on a PDF should open it.
Or wait, you said Konqueror. Are you using Kubuntu then? (Ubuntu with KDE, rather than Gnome)
-b. said:
I’m actually writing this from my newest Ubuntu installation. I’m trying out Konquerer, but it’s not working out as well as I had hoped. For example, when I click on the reply link for blurbs, nothing happens. I had to open HeavyInk with Firefox to get it to work. The only reason I was going to use Konquerer was because of a pdf reader that works well with it. I didn’t want the huge Adobe reader. But I guess I’ll have to go with it. Anyway, I’ll probably hit you up for help with Parallels. If it would be easier for you, perhaps we can take the discussion to personal email? You can reach me at Brian at DurninFamily dot com. Thanks Tyler.
If Daynah hasn’t, I have, and I’d be happy to help if you need it. Parallels is sweet.
-b. said:
By the way, daynah, have you ever used Parallels Workstation? Because if you have, I would need some assistance with it should I go back to Linux. I think I’ll work with that instead of Wine. Let me know when you get a chance. (I’m sure there’s a support forum though for Parallels, just haven’t checked. Too lazy.)
And I have dualbooted my own vista, so I know its own stupidities. hopeAdaintyrose.net
So, sad Batman, collectorz works in Wine on linux like buttar! Like Buttar I tell ya! Well the demo at least. Also, I do you comix to read the stolen ones. If you want to keep comicbase, you can always dualboot. Tell me if you wanna try again and I’ll get online, or you can even call me, and we’ll put the petal to the metal.
-b. said:
So the first program I tried installing from source was a program called Comical, that is until I realized I could install a different yet similar app called Comix from the package installer. I then wanted to install the latest versions of some software that the package manager had older versions of, so I went to the source. To no avail. I finally just gave up and used the older versions. This included Opera, Wine, and others.
For what its worth: Its often a good idea to stick with what Ubuntu dishes out in the repositories.
The stuff that is in the repositories, you can be almost certain will work on your system. Its also dead simple to install and uninstall. And you can be fairly sure you’re not getting bamboozled into installing some sort of malware.
-b. said:
So the first program I tried installing from source was a program called Comical, that is until I realized I could install a different yet similar app called Comix from the package installer. I then wanted to install the latest versions of some software that the package manager had older versions of, so I went to the source. To no avail. I finally just gave up and used the older versions. This included Opera, Wine, and others.
