Comic Book MONTH

I'm like a month behind. Forward!



Batman and Robin #1 -- Hot damn! Morrison and Quitely's new series is here, and it it already awesome. I love the characterizations and dialogue of the new duo ("Crime is doomed."), and the art is knocked clear out of the park (the sound effects text blending into smoke and water, that big splash page when Batman and Robin "arrive"). Love the creepy new villain at the end, too. And heck, DC is keeping this series at $2.99, when such a hugely anticipated series with such massive talents would certainly go for four bucks at Marvel. Check this out.

Battle for the Cowl #3 -- The best thing I can say about this book is that it paved the way for the above. The story and telling here (by the same guy) are serviceable, but kind of pale in comparison to what we're getting now (and hopefully what we're going to get from Rucka, Dini and Winick).

Green Lantern #41 -- How did this series ever stop retaining my interest? Fun popcorn action with some gooey lore-expanding additives.



Jack of Fables #34 -- Even though Jack jumped ship to another book, the cartoony sense of humor stuck around as Jack is transformed against his will by what seems like some offscreen Disney genie. Well, it's really omnipotent "literal" (read: demigod) Kevin, who is more or less the star of his own book...

Fables: The Literals #2 -- ...who faces off against his brother in this issue. As Kevin is pretty much The Author, his sibling acts his bane, Writer's Block (talk about inferiority complexes). Kevin finds an... interesting way of dealing with him. It's probably not a coincidence that the "angel" on Kevin's shoulder has a similar way of acting on the actions of his devilish counterpart. Trust me, it makes sense if you've read it.

Guardians of the Galaxy #14 -- This shit is jam-packed. Seriously so much going on. Huge magic battles, kidnappings, explosions, floating heads of dead gods at the edge of the universe, I could keep going here. So so fun.



Nova #25 -- This issue ties up the Worldmind-gone-nutters storyline, so hopefully that means Nova will finally get down to bidness and put some smack down in the War of Kings. Dependable read, always enjoyable, yada yada.

Crossed #5 -- Funny thing about this issue. We get a look at the survivors as they cope with the world after the Crossed hit, how decimated everything and everyone is. There isn't a single infected in the entire chapter, but their presence still haunts every inch of this book. I can't imagine much of a happy ending here.

Battlefields: The Tankies #2 -- After a first strong first issue, I got kind of lost here. We meet up with more tankies (as um, the rest of them are kind of dead), and they yammer back and forth for a while, but we don't really get any advancing story with the characters we spent time getting to know during the last 22 pages. Hoping this one has a strong finish.



Scalped #29 -- This issue is why they say Scalped is just like (or should be) an HBO series, and why it's destined to be a classic and a benchmark for the comic medium. It is just that good.

Deadpool: Suicide Kings #3 -- I'm warming up a lot to this series. Silly, zany fun with Deadpool and some Marvel superstars (Spider-Man, Daredevil, Punisher). The art is just right for the character, too -- reminds me just a little of Ed McGuiness' stuff during Joe Kelly's run.

War of Kings #4 -- Another mini that's picking up steam for me. I've liked each issue more and more, and while the "shocking" death at the end of the book means little to me in general, I'm interested to see what it means for the cosmic Marvel as a whole.



The Boys: Herogasm #1 + 2 -- It's easy to pass off this mini as a crude collection of dick jokes and boobie doodles, but halfway into the second issue I sort of realized its genius. We've got a bunch of these superheroes just standing around completely naked, talking about this or that. Sure, all sorts of dorks and lady parts are hanging out, but how far is that really from the skin-tight cape comics from the big two? Herogasm literally strips away any delusions we have about what we're really looking at when we read superheroes (or at least, when Garth Ennis reads them).

The Boys #31 -- Finally, shit gets real. Can't wait to see how The Boys (the rest of 'em, anyway) react to what happens here. Not diggin' Robertson's sub-in, though.

Final Crisis Aftermath: Dance #1 + 2 -- A potentially cool series about a Japanese superhero team that really wants to do good but is sort of taken over by corporate interests. It's sort of like The Boys, but a bit more optimistic. It's fun so far. The Twitter narration boxes are just a hair out of touch -- the closer you get to real life, the easier it is to screw up the details. I like the poppy art, though. I'll read this through to the finish.



Air #9 + 10 -- Nine was good, but god damn, ten was great. Perker outdoes any previous work in this series with a one-off shot set centuries in the past. Props to G.Willow Wilson for somehow sticking a Star Wars analogue in a book like this.

Captain America #50 +600 -- I love Bru's Cap, but it hasn't been great lately. I mean, it's really good, but I'm missing that drive, that overarcing story that really pulls things together. I have a feeling that we're getting that very soon.

Wolverine: Weapon X #2 -- Love this series already. I don't know that this first arc can measure up to Get Mystique quite yet, but it does have a few issues to step up.



Walking Dead #61 -- I recently read an interview with Kirkman that basically spelled out this whole Most Dangerous Game arc, including who will probably die. I kind of wish I hadn't read it.

Batman: Streets of Gotham #1 -- I don't know whether I want another Batbook on my pull list, but I figured I've gotta give Paul Dini Batman a shot. It's pretty cool so far, but like I read in a review, I wish it kind of pulled back from Batman and Robin and just gave me the peripheral characters and their viewpoint. I think I'll check out the next few issues to see if it sticks.

The Trial of Thor -- My local comic shop likes to sign me up for everything under the sun for a certain character whose series I've subbed to. If I don't explicitly state otherwise, I end up with stuff like this one-shot. And this time it's not too bad! Sort of a murder mystery set in Asgard, with a really great last page. I'm maybe a little ashamed that this is the first of anything I've read of Peter Milligan's. Really looking forward to his Greek Street series, along with the reissue of the first Shade the Changing Man trade.



Young Liars #16 -- Ugh, to think that this issue is the third-to-last. Ever! Seriously, we probably won't ever get such a creepy/funny one-off about a background character from this series ever again. I blame everyone but me. Pay your respects and buy the trades or issues and read this series.

Incognito #4 -- This series is too good to end in two issues. I can't see how things can't come to a conclusion soon, given the chest-deep shit Zack Overkill is drowning in, but I've got to wait out Criminal's single-issue run (only trades for me with that one) before I get more Incognito. I suppoose I should just be grateful that there's a cool series as successful as this one. I mean, it could be another Young Liars.

Ghost Rider #35 -- Can Jason Aaron and Tony Moore just do this series forever? This three-issue arc is just way too tiny! I could do with a few more chapters of batshit-crazy gonzo/grindhouse madness. I hope Roland Boschi keeps some of the magic these two had for the Ghost Riders mini (it seemed like it was there when he worked with Aaron earlier on his run, at least).

Comic Book Day 5/13/09

Action Comics #877 -- I missed the last issue for some reason, and just read two of these back to back. All of a sudden this book is kind of brutal. The awesome fight in 876 basically took up the whole issue, and even though 877 slows it down a bit, we still get the newly-blind Ursa kicking ass like Zod's woman should. Way to go, Rucka.

Fables #84 -- Soo basically, Jack (of Jack of Fables, derp) comes back to his original book in this issue, and of course causes quite the stir at The Farm, basically the last refuge for Fables in the "real world". Farm inhabitants are divided pretty cleanly between worship and revulsion. Hilarity ensues.


REBELS #4 -- I had some catching up to do on this series, too. It is basically DC's version of Guardians of the Galaxy, which means it's great cosmic action with sharp writing and strong visuals (with characters you barely know). Brainiac 2 (aka Vril Dox) is the best asshole ever, as he puts together a team of ragtag misfits (who hate him a lot) to reclaim his army of peacekeeping robot drones. The art is uniquely sketchy and realistic at the same time; Andy Clarke, I think that's the artist's name, has a great knack for subtlely realistic facial expressions. They've got a sub-in guy that's doing a decent job at keeping up the same style, but I hope Clarke comes back for the long run. Gotta say though, these covers aren't doing them any favors.

Green Lantern Corps #36 -- Even though there's a rainbow-colored Lantern explosion battle on Oa in this issue, I was more impressed by the conversation between Sinestro and his daughter. It's seriously like 8 pages of talking heads, but it's written so smartly and put together so well visually that I didn't even notice (I mean, until after I read it and wrote about it here). It's hard to think, sometimes, that this is sort of a "background book" -- there's this whole big battle for the Sinestro Corps leader, but by the time Hal Jordan gets back to him in the regular Green Lantern book, Sinestro himself will have come back, put the smack down, and reign supreme like nothing ever happened. At least I'm taking more of a shine to these characters every issue.


The Unwritten #1 -- First issues are neat and all, but they rarely give me more than what I've gleaned off of solicit info and preview pages. This book doesn't buck that trend, but it still delivers an interesting premise, which follows the son of the author of very popular Harry Potter-esque novels, as he learns that he may share more than just a name with the hero of his father's books. Looking forward to following through with the next few issues.

Walking Dead #61 -- Well, I haven't said "oh shit!" during an issue of Walking Dead in like, three or four months, so it figures it was about time. Funny, I read a fan letter in an issue about that long ago that noted that the twins weren't really doing anything but just sort of standing there. Good of you to rectify that, Kirkman.



Young Liars #15 -- This series is cancelled. Have I mentioned that? And how god-awful it is? After this mindfuck of an issue, we only have three more ass-kickings left before there's no more Young Liars. That is god-damned terrible. This series was great at the start, but really kicked into high gear in the second arc, and has blown dozens of hundreds of minds each month ever since. I feel like this is a rare Vertigo series that would be read a bit better in the monthly issues, for the sake of letting each table turned be properly digested. David Lapham really has a soft spot for this book, and he says he may someday find a way to continue it. Godspeed, you insane bastard.

Deadpool: Suicide Kings #2 -- This surprisingly-good series looks to be home to a series of big-name guest stars for Deadpool to bounce off of. I'm okay with that; while it's not laugh-out-loud hilarious like Daniel Way's monthly Deadpool book, it's fun to see DP brawling with The Punisher and Daredevil and the like.

Comic Book Day -- Catching Up Again

I'm sort of starting to wonder why I do these. I mean, I don't really have more than one or two "readers". I tell myself it's just an outlet, but I look back and all I see is the type of stuff I used to write for Nintendo fansites years ago. Still, the reason I started doing this was because I had all sorts of thoughts brewing without too many people to talk to about it. So it's sort of just me talking to myself. Like now!

Anyway.


The Literals #1-- This is just sort of an extra issue of Fables, but I'm not complaining. I've enjoyed getting to know the sadistic, bratty, god-like Kevin since this crossover event began. There's a good deal in the book that is just Kevin chatting with his creations (really, talking to himself) that's more compelling than the biggest fight scenes in the Wolverine movie. I'm going to savor this miniseries, as it ups the ante to three high-quality Fables books per month. Avengers, eat your heart out.

The Flash: Rebirth #2 -- I'm still waiting for this series to pick up steam. The whole thing is really continuity-heavy; the last-page reveal might shock and awe some, but I really have no idea what it means or why I should care. The art is still fantastic, though, and I have faith in Geoff Johns.

Deadpool #10 -- I'm tired of saying how enjoyable and funny this series is.



Final Crisis Aftermath: Run! #1 -- House of Mystery and Jack of Fables co-writer Matthew Sturges is my kind of smartass. This series, following the no-name Z-list villain who killed Martian Manhunter during the impenetrable Final Crisis, brings out his darker and more cynical side. We're given a character with no discernable redeeming qualities and asked to laugh as he fumbles around, running from capes and villains alike who want his head. I liked it, I admit, but I really hope this character has enough of an arc to last a six-issue series.

War of Kings #3 -- This mini finally kicked into gear, for me, when the talking raccoon and sentient warrior tree showed up; makes me glad I've been keeping up with Guardians. Maybe if I'd kept up with the myriad of other characters in this series throughout the years, I'd care a little more about this series. I am starting to like this Ronan guy a bit more, though. I think he's getting his own little War of Kings series?

Boys #30 -- Okay, so, we had some potentially game-changing mass murder last issue, and the payoff... more guys in suits talking back and forth. Seriously, Garth, you're killin' me here. If I wasn't attached to these characters so much (and if I wasn't a terrible Ennis fanboy), I would've dropped this book a little while ago.



Green Lantern #40 -- I don't know what it was, but this is the first issue of GL that's clicked with me in a few months' time. Before, I was tiring of the exploration of each colored Corps' origins and mythos, but I found myself pretty enthralled with the Orange Lanterns in this issue. Love that back-up story at the end, too -- I'll probably be looking to the Tales of the Corps mini for more of that.

Proof #19 -- I'm getting tired of talking about how enthralling, inventive and pretty this series is.

Nova #24 -- Whenever I open Nova, it's like sitting down to watch an episode of a consistently-good TV series. This is one of my most dependable reads. Lovin' that big Nova hardcover I just bought, too.



Rasl #4 -- God, this series is going to be over in like 20 years. Well, half that (literally). I guess a hundred pages a year of a soon-to-be-classic hard-boiled sci-fi mystery is better than none. I still get the feeling sometimes that Jeff Smith is trying a little too hard to separate this from Bone, though.

Battlefields: Tankies #1 -- I wasn't sure how Ennis could follow up the seminal Dear Billy after that last issue, but this mini is off to a strong start. It definitely helps that I was raised reading books and books of Scottish comic strips -- the dialect reads like butter for me, but I can see how it might be trouble for others. Anyone used to Cassidy in Preacher should be alright, I guess. I've often mentioned I'm a sucker for a lot of things -- a good Men on a Mission story belongs in that canon.

More than one color at The Red House

You see, America? Everything is going to be alright.

Recent Games 4/29/09

Hey look! A non-comics post!


Outrun Online Arcade (Xbox Live Arcade) -- It's been a long time since the high score fever of Pac-Man Championship Edition hit me, but this "new" Outrun has done the trick. It's technically very short; there are fifteen courses, but you only play through five at a time via branching paths. Playing through all the courses in one go will run you about fifteen minutes, but that's not the real draw. What keeps me coming back to the game is the scoring system, which rewards you for speediness, slipstreaming and passing other cars (and special "Rival" cars) without hitting them. It sounds a bit simplistic -- it is! -- but plotting a course through the game and mastering your own little corner is extremely rewarding. It's almost a bit daunting to think about conquering all of the courses in their entirety, to my satisfaction.

This game is incredibly refreshing in a time where gaming is choked with the smog of "realistic" dark browns and greys. The shining sun (complete with Impressive Ten Years Ago Lens-Flare) celebrates the bright blue sky and tall, healthy trees. This game is just so... happy! And that's nice.


Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (Xbox 360) -- I thought I read somewhere that this compilation boasts the highest volume of any console collection to date. Perhaps it does, but the list onscreen just scrolls by too fast. Sure, there are like seven or eight Sonic games, two Shinobi's, three Streets of Rage titles, four Phantasy Stars, and original arcade versions of stuff like Altered Beast -- well, when I guess I say it like that, it sounds a bit better. Anyhow, at 30 bucks, it's a decent deal for a blast processing of nostalgia. It's cool to play old stuff I never got around to, like Comix Zone and Vectorman, however well time has treated them.


Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (Nintendo DS) -- I go through these phases with GTA games. When I first pop them in, I'm a bit disappointed that they're pretty much the same as their predecessors. I trudge on for a bit, because hey, I spent my money already. And somewhere along the line, I'm won over by the silly carnage and surprisingly varied missions I'm sent on. During this period, I can often be seen with a stupid grin on my face, throwing molotov cocktails at police cars and doing whatever else it is that the millions of gamers who buy these games do. And then, probably before the end, I stop cold. I might try to pick it up again, but it won't have that same grip on me. Sure enough, this is what happened with Chinatown Wars, old-school handheld flavor or no. I'm feeling pretty over GTA. Until the next game.

Comic Book Day 4/22/09

I promise I'll get to a non-comic-related post soon. PROMISE.


Ghost Rider #34 -- Holy hell, this is maybe the first issue I've seen where an artist handily trumps writer Jason Aaron. Usually the latter chooses artists that compliments his talents and they both look good, but Mr. Aaron took a step back to let Tony Moore shine (though not before spicing up the book with some great Southern dialect). This issue even outshines Roland Boschi's earlier work on this series, at the start of Aaron's run -- no mean feat at all. This is a great self-contained story that I intend to use on folks to get them into this run of Ghost Rider. And help me god, the next issue has ninjas on the cover.

Thor #601 -- I've tried to get my roommates into this series, to no avail. Perhaps they're bored (or intimidated) by the idea of Norse Mythology Action with Shakespearian Dialogue.I don't think they know that part of the appeal of this series is in the deft mix of Asgardian nobility and weight with Oklahoman hospitality and charm. The way these two peoples, brought together at the start of the new series (a little over a year ago; it's since been renumbered starting with last month's #600), interact is sort of heartwarming in an Everything Will Be Alright kind of way. There have been a lot of moments in Straczynski's run that seem like those one-off chuckles in films that gives everyone in the theater a common smile. It does get to be a bit much at times (Dr. Doom mentioning Wikipedia? Really?), but it doesn't ever grate for very long. No, any harsh feelings I have for this series are currently aimed at the permanent pricejacking to $3.99 an issue. This is becoming awfully common for Marvel books.


Guardians of the Galaxy #13 -- Oh hey, speakofthedevil -- a Marvel book that's both better and cheaper than Thor! Not to dump on a decent comic, but Guardians just kicks too much ass. This issue recaptures the first issue's manic pace; awesome brawls are spotted with zippy little "talking head" panels (think The Office, with cosmic superheroes), and the second half finally catapults the Guardians head-first into both sides of the War of Kings! I know I sound like a solicitation from Marvel, but this is such a blast of a comic.

Jack of Fables #33 -- I am not one to say that It Was I Who Told You As It Was, but, I do remember wondering earlier in this blog if the rushjob on the previous Jack issue was a casualty for the coming of the Great Fables Crossover. Indeed, Braun's lines here are so much stronger, matching the confident swagger of its titular hero. One need look no further than the second and third pages, a spread which details the meeting of dozens of Fabled persons and creatures in a decidedly Mos Eisley fashion. I especially loved one inset zoom-in on Jack, eerily channeling the similarly brutish Beauty and the Beast villain Gaston. The writing here is quite solid, too, especially the bits with the ultra-powerful Kevin. It sounds funny when you say it that way, but this is a guy who can bend reality by writing with his pen, and as it turns out, his creative half is also his sadistic one. I do abhore the ongoing full-page Peanuts-esque lamentations of Babe the Blue Ox, though I do like his newfound Woodstock. Kevin has his own text-heavy six-panel spread too; I wish it would replace its obnoxious cousin.


Detective Comics #853 -- This is the second part of the etherreal Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusdader? arc. I should mention that I take issue with DC calling this an "arc". An arc, by its very nature, has at least three parts, so it can rise and fall. This story is made up of exactly one couple of issues. The absolute most it could ever aspire to be is a line segment. I don't care that it's Neil Gaiman's lovely and surreal love letter to Batman, complimented with Andy Kubert's stunning visuals. It's still horseshit.

Buck Rogers #0 -- I can't complain about the price of this one. Though street-priced at what was once associated with a single Shave and a Haircut, I actually scored this for the low sum of True Love. And heck, it's not a bad comic, to boot! It's gotta be maybe ten or twelve pages, but it's a pulpy and fun dozen pages. I thought the new look of Buck Rogers was pretty cool, until I looked at the front cover of this week's Guardians of the Galaxy to see a dude (Chris Summers, I think? Brother of Cyclops?) in uncannily similar duds. Ah well. This little guy did its job -- I'm interested to check out the "first" issue of the series, whenever that's coming.


Scalped #28 -- I am kind of damned excited that I'm "in" on this series at close to the ground floor. I swear this series will keep growing in stature among comics fans, even moreso when the book concludes in a few years. We finally get RM Guera back to draw this whopper of an issue, wherein we finally find out what happened on that day, more than 30 years ago. Criminy Christmas, this series is great. Have I said it's my favorite series currently running? Because it so, so is.

Comic Book Daypocalypse -- Tax Day Edition

So, I sort of forgot to write about comics last week. Or anything else, for that matter. I really wanted to get something new in before writing about comics again, but here we are. Maybe I should split up my blogs according to topics. Rocket Lawnchair isn't a good name for a comic blog, I don't think. Maybe I should just write more. Like right now!

Two weeks worth of comics. This'll be long. Just so you know, you one or two people who will read this besides me. I'll try to keep it short and sweet, but we all know how that's turned out in the past.


Air #8 -- Soo I think I'm getting a handle on this whole situation with Blythe and hyperpraxis, etc. It's been sort of a rush to get here, but this issue was nice enough to slow down and tie some strings together. I should really get more people to read this book. I should also probably read Cairo.

DMZ #41 -- That last sentence there reminds me. I'm always talking about what I should do, mostly involving rereading comics. Do I read them too fast? Because in the last arc of this series ("War Powers"), I could've sworn that Matty was upset that Zee killed herself? Perhaps it was something slightly more subtle, like his guilt for siding with Parco eating away at him. Anyway, I enjoyed taking a break from escalating political struggle for a good ol' fashioned morality tale with nice, big panels housing clean lines and moody colors.

Green Lantern #39 -- I sort of just want Blackest Night to be here already. I love GL, but spending four issues exploring each color of the rainbow and its Lanterns has worn a bit thin. It's interesting to think that the leader of the Orange Lantern Corps (powered by greed) may actually be the only real member, and the art is stellar as usual, but I somehow I feel overwhelmed at the same time I feel bored. Maybe it's just been the mood I've been in while reading the past few issues, because I sure don't have a problem with the "little brother" series.


Green Lantern Corps #35 -- This is where the Green Lantern action is at. The stories here are smaller in scope than in the main series, but when it comes to GL, that still means jailbreaks, genocide and entire planets at war are all fair game. It helps a lot that the Corps is populated by real characters, as opposed to the somewhat pre-molded Hal. If GLC stays this good, I'm okay with a bit of a dip in GL proper here and there.

War of Kings: Ascension #1 -- I kind of sort of read a little bit of the War of Kings: Darkhawk two-part mini that precedes this new four-part series (it really could just be one big six-parter, but we can't have a side series as long as the main one, can we?). I was a bit interested in the character, but was a bit apprehensive as to exactly how this could be that different than Nova. The end of this issue definitely takes measures to assuage those fears (I always wanted to use the word assuage in a sentence), though it takes a bunch of mindless action to get there. Ah well. I'm a hopeless DnA fanboy these days anyhow.

Young Liars #14 -- In a rare chapter, this issue actually answers more questions than it creates. Things are finally coming back together. I guess that's David Lapham's cue to blow them apart again.Read this series or else the spiders from Mars will get you, too.



Wolverine: Weapon X #1 -- This issue is mostly just a set-up, but knowing Jason Aaron, it's going to pay off big-time in the next few chapters. Because I have to mention both writing and art, Garney's work here is solid. And if that's a Death Wish reference on the subway, I owe both men a kiss on the mouth.

Incognito #3 -- Thanks a lot Brubaker, for making this series a bi-monthly. I really don't feel like waiting eight weeks between each installment awesome supervillain noir action drawn by Sean Philips. I'll never read another one of your comics again!

Captain America #48 -- Hur, get it? It was just like a great sitcom joke, what I did just there. Anyhow, this issue is kinda filler, but then again, so was tonight's Lost. Doesn't mean that episode wasn't any good, and it doesn't mean I regret reading it, but we all know both of them are stalling just a little bit in the shadow of the no-doubt huge events just around the corner.



Ignition City #1 -- The panels in this comic seemed extra wide, to me. So much so, I double-checked it with something else I got last week. Nope. Same size. Maybe it was the great world Warren Ellis has already created, fusing Buck Rogers and steampunk together like it's already been done before a dozen times. Maybe it was the instantly-iconic imagery that pulled that world together (I want a full splash page of the protagonist taking a nap in her spaceplane). I want more of this world. More than just the four issues it has left. I guess that's a sign of a great comic, no?

Fables #83 -- Like Weapon X, this issue is mostly a set-up. It does it well enough, but there's only so much you can ask of the very first part of a multiple-series spanning crossover event. I do wonder how the hell they're going to work this out in trades, though.

Batman: Battle for the Cowl #2 -- This was a nice surprise. I was just sort of going along with this mini, just to "be there" when the new Batman (Dick Grayson, no doubt) takes the cowl. But really, this issue ramped up with some great action and a typically stirring call-to-arms minispeech by Alfred. Still, whatever finale Tony Daniel has in store will probably pale in comparison to Morrison and Quitely's Batman and Robin.

The Walking Dead #60 -- I always rush through a new issue of Walking Dead. It's not my fault. This book is the one that rushes me. I've just got to get through to see what happens, who dies, how many zombies get it right in the head. I loved seeing Rick and Co. literally run right past the Night of the Living Dead scenario (unfortunately for them, the zombies shuffled by it too). Too bad it looks like they're going to stick with the "most dangerous creature of all" bit for the next little while.