I thought today’s comic by Clay Bennett was great (from GoComics.com).
Category Archives: Comics
The Dark Knight Is Strongman Claptrap—A Spoiler-Laden Review
In The Dark Knight, the latest film featuring Christian Bale’s best attempts at a WWE-Smackdown! voice, the Joker’s greatest asset seems to be his ability to escape from any plot hole, no matter how large.
Want to threaten a meeting of the city’s top crime bosses? Just walk right in the back door. Feel like shooting rockets at police wagons and taking officers hostage? It’s ok—none of them will shoot back! Want to assassinate the mayor by posing as a member of his honor guard? No problem—policeman apparently have no idea what their peers look like, nor are they suspicious of people whose scars match those of the madman terrorizing the city.
For that matter, looking to kill the commissioner of police? Just sneak into his office off-camera. This same tactic can be used to load hospitals, ferries and abandoned warehouses with hundreds of barrels of explosives. It also comes in handy for leaving Bruce Wayne’s penthouse after Batman throws himself out the window. (“What’s that? Batman jumped out the window, leaving us alone in a room full of people we were terrorizing? Well, we might as well just take off then…”)
Continue reading The Dark Knight Is Strongman Claptrap—A Spoiler-Laden Review
Recent Reads—Fell, Sandman, Batman: Year 100, A People’s History of Science
Clifford Conner’s A People’s History of Science: Miners, Midwives and Low Mechanicks offers a nice corrective to the great-man history that often serves as the discipline’s founding myth. While notable names from Pythagoras to Newton receive attention, Conner’s focus is on the unnamed artisans, craftsman and observers of nature who incrementally created a body of knowledge through countless hours of labor. He inverts the notion that scientific advancements are rooted in theory, showcasing quotes from eminent researchers throughout history about the value of the knowledge possessed by the “miners, midwives and mechanicks” cited in the title. (The relative uselessness of the classical curriculum offered by Oxford and other academies throughout much of their aristocratic past is oft-referenced as well.)
The book is most fascinating at the beginning, when it explores the knowledge and learning of traditional cultures, touching upon the astronomy of prehistoric people and the advanced navigational skills of Polynesian sailors. The book falters a bit as it nears modern times; it lacks a comprehensive take on the successes of modern, professional science, and it also falls into the trap of muddling research and politics. Systematic theories of nature, rightfully frowned upon by Conner when they’re formulated by the Greeks, are presented as a compelling alternative during the French Revolution.
Ultimately, the book is refreshing in presenting a more democratic history of science. Great anecdotes and a lively contrarian nature make for a good read.
Continue reading Recent Reads—Fell, Sandman, Batman: Year 100, A People’s History of Science
Comics Depict Desolation of Chinese Earthquakes
Chinese artist Coco Wang has written a series of comic strips featuring stories pulled from the rubble of the recent earthquakes in China. Most of the episodes center on people trapped beneath collapsed buildings; excruciating rescues, last-minute losses, and even incidents of parents shielding children with their own bodies are presented in heartbreaking detail.
The tone verges on mythical, and it can even veer into sentiment, but the situations depicted are rending, particularly since many victims were children trapped in their schools. There’s some light humor to break the tension as well, with rescuers cracking jokes to keep victims awake. Sometimes they suceed; often they don’t.
Get Fuzzy Made Me Laugh Today
Consider this to be the equivalent to taping this strip to a very big refrigerator.
For those unfamiliar with the strip, Get Fuzzy is a daily comic produced by Darby Conley. Most of the humor revolves around the malevolence of Bucky Katt and the sweet stupidity of Satchel, the dog. Pet owner (and Conley stand-in) Rob Wilco is responsible for maintaining some semblance of order (while also using his job for some work gags from time to time).
Wordplay is a common vehicle for jokes. In this instance, Bucky has spent the past couple weeks designing Soviet-themed products that he thinks will be a hit in Russia. As you can see, his instincts are rarely on the mark.