Monday, February 27, 2006

New Comics for March 1


Ms Marvel 1
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.
It's another week already, and it looks like some of my comic book cuts are taking effect. With the price on most books going up to $2.99 I just couldn't afford to keep getting "what I wanted". It is the biggest grumbling at the local comic book shop- we can't afford to read comics anymore!

Oh well, stupid me, I still try.

Here is the list for this week!

Adventures of Superman #649
Aquaman Sword of Atlantis #40
Batman Annual #25
Detective Comics #817
Green Lantern Corps Recharge #5 (of 5)
Infinite Crisis #5 (of 7)
Jonah Hex #5
JSA #83
Outsiders #34
Y The Last Man #43
Ms. Marvel #1 (pictured at right!)
New Excalibur #5
Punisher #31
Ultimates 2 #10
Uncanny X-Men #470
X-Factor #4
Fallen Angel #3 (of 5)
Queen & Country Declassified Vol 2 #3
Red Sonja #7

It looks like a promising week, especially with Infinite Crisis #5 poised to hit stands as well as the start of "One Year Later". Let the games begin!

Sunday, February 26, 2006

Good News This Week for Women In Comics!


Rose & Thorn 1
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.
According to Newsarama,

"Renae Geerlings, a 9-year veteran of comic book editorial, has ascended to a position achieved by precious few women: She will soon be the editor-in-chief of a publishing company. Geerlings will take over as editor-in-chief at Top Cow Productions on March 1, 2006."

While I really loved what Jim McLauchlin has done as editor-in-chief at Top Cow, I respect his wishes to move towards success in another aspect of print. The biggest thing he brought to Top Cow was a sense of timeliness and an influx of great "known" creative talent.

Geerlings is poised to continue what McLauchlin has started and I wish her nothing but the best. While I have at times questioned her emphasis on continuity, I really believe that she has a passion for what she does and has made the industry her home. I am crossing my fingers for more changes like this in the future.

Second piece of news via Newsarama:

"Top Cow Productions is adding top-flight female creators to one of comics' longest-running female character books. And in an unprecedented move in mainstream comics, the entire art team of penciler, inker, and colorist will be composed of women.

Adriana Melo (Star Wars: Empire, Birds of Prey) takes over as the new ongoing artist on Witchblade with July's #99. She'll be joined by inker Mariah Benes (Superman) and colorist Sonia Oback (City of Heroes). Melo and crew will work on Witchblade #100 in conjunction with current Witchblade artist Mike Choi, before taking the reins full time with #101. The new team will also handle art chores on a 4-page original Witchblade story for Image Comics' contribution to Free Comic Book Day."

Wow, I am thrilled about this! Melo's art on the Rose & Thorn mini-series blew me away. I have been waiting to see where she would end up, and to have her working with such a talented group is even better. Both Benes and Oback have proven to be at the top of their game.

Let's all get together and be happy for five minutes about these great pieces of news, okay? I have read sniping and complaining about this from WOMEN (!!??!!) and I am just sick about it. Let's unify and get behind these women!

Once again, congratulations to the women mentioned above!

Friday, February 24, 2006

Get In Shape Weigh In: Week 5

It was a hectic week at Casa Meeley, so I didn't get to post as much as I wanted to. In my mind's eye, I had a perfectly good rant about Infinite Crisis being late on tap. I also had a new musing about women in comics that I hope to get put to blog by tomorrow night. Good intentions , but crap follow through. I guess I will just blame work and working out for it all and move right along to the weekly weigh in.

Yesterday I tried two new classes that were different as night and day but compelling as hell. I did Body Combat- a martial arts/tae bo type of class that involved a lot of punching and kicking. Myself and a dozen other pissed off women got our ya-yas out during an hour of hard cardio. I was a little bit behind at times due to my attempt at learning the routines, but I really enjoyed it.

The other class I took was Body Flow, which is essentially Yoga. Holy crap, that was hard! I loved it for the difficulty level and the strength building for sure. The hardest part for me was the end when we had to lay on our mats and relax. I need a great deal of work there!

The end result was that I was so sore today that I had to take 3 ibuprofen in order to be able to sit in my chair without excruciating pain. I also decided to take today off to let my body recover, so I hope that isn't a mistake.

The good news is that I have already lost 6% body fat, so I am thrilled. As for weight loss, here is the week's results.

Week's weight loss 2 lbs

Total weight loss 9 lbs


Yay! I am back on better track, and hope to break the 10 lb. mark by next week. That would be the coolest!

Take care this evening! I will be back tomorrow to talk more about my contest and muse about random things.

Tuesday, February 21, 2006

About the Rules...

Hmmm. I would definitely agree with the lovely Ragnell that the full body picture is probably a bit much. I am not sure how to go about this fairly otherwise, so I am going to re-think the results "proof". Does anyone have any ideas?

If I were to take a before weight and standard chest, waist, hip measurement would that work better? If I took a solemn vow to only reveal the loss and not the actual stats would that help?

Let me know and we can re-think this. We have one week to get it going!

Take care!

Monday, February 20, 2006

New Comics for February 22


Black Panther 13
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.
Jim and I just went and got cavities filled, so it is quite the sad sight at the Meeley house tonight. To top it off, I made a rookie mistake a work that made me feel like a moron, so it is a banner day that way as well.

At any rate, there is a mystery on the Diamond List this week. I thought Infinite Crisis 5 was coming out, but it isn't on the list anymore. What the heck does that mean??

Otherwise, here is the list for this week:

Batman #650
Catwoman #52
Green Lantern #9
JLA Classified #17
Legion of Super Heroes #15
Supergirl #5
Wonder Woman #226
Wraithborn #5 (of 6)
Freshmen #6 (of 6)
PVP #23
The Gift #14 - where has this book been??
Amazing Spider-Man #529
Astonishing X-Men #13
Black Panther #13 (pictured- very cool Jae Lee cover)
Captain America #15
Exiles #77
New X-Men #23
Sentry #6 (of 8)
Storm #1 (of 4)
Thing #4
Ultimate Spider-Man #90
Ultimate Wolverine Vs. Hulk #2 (of 6)
Wolverine #39
X-Men #183

I hope I didn't make any errors here, as I am still quite numb from my filling and not trusting my brain.

Take care all! Have a great week!

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Comics Fairplay Fitness Challenge 2006


work out
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.
Calling all comic book readers! It is time to answer the age old call to duty! I am holding a month long "fitness challenge" during the month of March. My hope is that the end result will be fitter, happier comic book readers! Also, it is a great excuse to get in shape for all the walking and standing that goes on at comic conventions throughout the spring and summer.

Here are the specifics:

Weigh-in is March 1 by midnight. Contestants must take a full body picture in exercise gear- example: t-shirt and shorts or tank top and spandex. No shoes or layers. The picture and beginning stats should be sent in to heididc@aol.com.

Weigh-out is March 31 by midnight. Contestants need to take a full body "after picture" in as close to the original outfit as the before shot. The picture and stats should be sent in to me again at that time.

My husband and teammates in the Get In Shape contest will be the judges. We will print out the pictures and not look at faces when judging. All judging is based on consensus. The winner will be based on weight loss and most physical change.

What does the winner get? An original sketch from the Emerald City Con and a trade paperback to start with. My husband is contemplating also contributing a piece of original art, so call it a "comic lovers" prize package.

Just to be fair, I will post a picture as well for all to see on my blog to show that I am serious. Jim has agreed to take the picture and check my weights. I am not eligible for prizes, of course, but will be there with you all sweating and training.

One month of your life is all it takes. If I can convince any of you to make a change towards being more healthy I will be happy. Also SMOKERS out there- I challenge you to kick for a month.

Any takers?

Friday, February 17, 2006

Get In Shape Weigh In: Week 4

It has been a hectic but good week for me. I am very happy it is Friday though, as working last weekend made me a bit more tired then normal. Hopefully I can really get back into the swing of things soon and I have an announcement of a contest/challenge that I will post this weekend.

Without further ado, here are my weight loss stats for the week.

Weight lost this week: 2 lbs

Total Weight Loss: 7 lbs

Now we're talking! I still have a long way to go, but feel good about my start. My ideal would have been to lose 8 lbs by this point, but 7 is not too shabby. I am going to try and get a body comp this weekend and figure out how much body fat I have lost- that could be the telling number.

Take care and have a great evening!

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Musings About This Week's Comics

I am going to attempt to talk about this week's stash without spoilers.. let's see how that goes!

Action Comics #836- beautiful but jarring. I think that waiting a week to read this would make more sense.

Birds of Prey #91- anti-climactic. I wish that the end of Nightwing would have filtered into this. The Birds are some of my favorite ladies, and the story has a definite filler feel.

Batgirl #73- not at all what I expected, but I really liked it. Great action too.

She-Hulk #5- Excellent. Five stars every time, especially Awesome Andy's reactions.

Spider-Woman Origin #3 (of 5)- this tale is really heating up. I am loving every minute. Great last page.

Noble Causes #17- provocative cover with a focus on a single sex couple. Faerber did a nice job presenting the story at hand.

Manhunter #19- the book you should be reading. My personal favorite this week.

Batman: Gotham Knights #74- hated it!! A crap ending for sure. I hate it when someone tries to be provocative and it fails so miserably.

Girls #10- one of the best HORROR comics out there. I loves me the Luna Brothers!

Daredevil #82- full of holy crap moments, not in the least the end. Ed Brubaker takes the reins from Bendis seamlessly.

X-Statix Presents: Dead Girl #2 (of 5)- surprise hit of the week in my stack. A must read now.

Those are some short takes, and I have a few more books I haven't gotten a good look at yet, but I must say I really am pleased and excited by this week's comics. I am crossing my fingers for another great week with Infinite Crisis #5 hitting shelves Wednesday.

Cheers!

Wednesday, February 15, 2006

Belated Valentine's Greetings!

Sorry to be a day late with the Happy Valentine's Day wishes! I hope you all had a wonderful day filled with love and laughter! I was a very lucky girl. My husband took me out to dinner and we had a wonderful time. He is a sweetheart; in fact he is my Valentine for life. (Sorry Honey, you are stuck with me)

I also looked at New Avengers tonight, and am really hating the first few pages of full page art. Yikes. I would much rather have had more story. We shall see how it works after another read through.

Not much else to tell. I am working and working out like crazy. Hopefully after this week things will settle down.

Take care!

Monday, February 13, 2006

New Comics for February 15


Manhunter 19
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.
Well, it is Monday again and I am absolutely exhausted from my company's annual trade show. It was a lot of fun and hard work at the same time! As purchaser, I am working on ordering all the products people wanted, so it is still hectic.

Otherwise, things are going well, and I am still riding the old diet train as hard as possible. The list of comics coming out is quite exciting and spectacular, so without further ado, here we go.

Conan #25
Action Comics #836
Batgirl #73 FINAL ISSUE
Batman Gotham Knights #74 FINAL ISSUE
Birds of Prey #91
JSA Classified #9
Justice #4 (of 12)
Loveless #4
Manhunter #19 (pictured)
Girls #10
Noble Causes #17
Witchblade #95
Daredevil #82
Generation M #4 (of 5)
New Avengers #16
Punisher Vs. Bullseye #4 (of 5)
Runaways #13
She-Hulk 2 #5
Spider-Woman Origin #3 (of 5)
Ultimate Fantastic Four #27
Red Sonja #6

Not too bad this week dollar wise, I am hoping.

Take care and have a great week!

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Random Musings and Weigh in

I am doing my weekly weigh in today because I have three busy days coming up at work starting tomorrow but want to keep on task.

Week 3 weight loss: 2 lbs.

Total weight loss: 5 lbs.

It was much bettter so far this week, and I think part of it has to do with being very disciplined all weekend and concentrating on only eating carbs for breakfast and lunch. Hopefully I can keep this up. I know I won't work out the next couple of days, so I put in an hour and a half to two hours at a time the last three days.

Random Musing:
The Wonder Woman mini-bust is much smaller then anticipated. I thought it would be the same size as the Silver Age series of busts that DC did, but it is tiny. The overall look of the mini-bust is excellent, so I give it props for that.

I am going to try and look at my weekly haul of comic books tonight as I won't have time the rest of the week. Top of the pile: 100 Bullets #69 and a slew of DC books!

Take care! I will be checking back in soon!

Monday, February 06, 2006

New Comics For February 8


Sensational Spider-Man 23
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.
It's another big week for comic books as we continue the countdown to One Year Later from DC, and check out Marvel's latest offerings.

Here is the large list for this week!

100 Bullets #69
Captain Atom Armageddon #5 (of 9)
Fables #46
Green Arrow #59
Hawkman #49
JLA #125 -FINAL ISSUE
Jonah Hex #4
JSA #82
Nightwing #117
Robin #147
Supergirl #4 - Late, late, late!
Superman #226
Wildcats Nemesis #6 (of 9)
Invincible #28
Ghost Rider #6 (of 6)
Marvel Knights 4 #27
New Thunderbolts #18
Punisher Bloody Valentine
Sensational Spider-Man #23 - see cover at right!
Son of M #3 (of 6)
Ultimate Extinction #2 (of 5)
Ultimate X-Men #67
X-Men #182
X-Men The 198 #2 (of 5)
Young Avengers #10

Whew! Makes my head spin just thinking about this list!

Take care and have a great week!

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Fantastic Four 534 Fails To Impress


FF 534
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.
I just got done reading Fantastic Four #534, and what keeps running through my mind is that this story is not a Fantastic Four tale. Though the cover would have you think differently, once you open it and turn inside, nowhere to be found are Reed and Sue. The focus of the story is The Hulk. Bruce Banner has been hit with a second dose of gamma radiation and it is up to Ben and Johnny to stop him.

While the art by Mike McKone is incredible, the thrust of the tale misses the mark. This is the second part of a tale that should have been told as a Hulk mini-series, not a FF issue.

I am sorely disappointed so far with J. Michael Straczynski's work on Fantastic Four, and this issue only seeks to reaffirm my feelings. If only the creative team could get the focus back on the Fantastic Four and not try to reinvent the wheel Byrne-style, I would give it another shot. At this rate though, I don't have the extra cash to wait around for improvement.

After attaining a complete run on this third telling of the Fantastic Four, it is time to say goodbye and spend my money elsewhere.

Friday, February 03, 2006

Weekly Weigh In!!


bodypump
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.
It has been yet another week already and working out has really eaten up a great deal of my quality blogging time. I am not complaining, mind you, but it is a complete bummer to not be able to keep both rolling. Hopefully after my company's big trade show next weekend I will be better able to manage my time as I won't be working and exercising so much. I am sure my husband wouldn't mind seeing more of me either!

Workout for the week:
Monday: 45 minutes treadmill going to an incline of 10 at 3.4. 30 minutes of weight lifting (arms and back. Finish with crunches.
Tuesday: 1 hour of Body Pump class. 15 minutes on treadmill at incline of 10 at 3.4. 10 minutes of abs.
Wednesday: 45 minutes treadmill going to an incline of 10 at 3.4. 45 minutes of weight lifting- two complete sets on the machines. 10 minutes of abs.
Thursday: 45 minutes treadmill going to an incline of 10 at 3.4. 35 minutes of weight lifting (legs and side of abs). 10 minutes of abs.
Friday: 1 hour of body pump. 10 minutes of abs and cool down.

Average calories consumed daily: 1200

Weigh in!

Loss this week: 1 crappy pound
Total weight loss: 3 pounds

The light at the end of the tunnel so far is that I have lost two inches off my waist in two weeks. This means that hopefully I am successfully converting my fat to lean mass.

Enough about weight loss and working out. Yawn. It is the end of week two so there are ten weeks left to go!