The late 90s and early 00s were a bad time for San Francisco. The "dot-com boom," they called it, and all it successfully did was to rape all sense of diversity and irreverence from a city long known for it's ability to skirt the status-quo, embrace left-of-center lifestyle and thinking, and yet to remain globally relevant. Basically, this era DESTROYED SF, and the City's been struggling to re-define itself ever since.



Now, the last 2 years have been a phenomenal time for us here in our little city. The biotech industry has boomed, new neighborhoods are being born WITHOUT the whiteshirt mentality of "$$$," people are tentatively starting to come back for all the reasons they used to come here (art, culture, diversity, etc.), and we're finally starting to see a cultural rennaissance with hip new bars and restaurants popping up all over. (See my old review on "Farmer Brown.") We've got a super-secret speakeasy, a bar with jacuzzis in the VIP room, a bar entered via a playground slide (hopefully, an upcoming review), and now, an 80s street-themed bar called "Double Dutch." This was extremely high on my list of new joints to check out, and luckily, we had dinner last night at a creperie which was a block away -- a perfect excuse to get hotWife(tm) out on a Monday night.







"Double Dutch" is located in the old "Doc Bombay's," which was a killer divey joint with a pool table in the back and the hovering likelihood that a barfight could jump off at any second. I liked that place quite a bit.



Not that i completely dislike "Double Dutch." But I mostly dislike it. Basically, it has no vibe. It's decorated super cool, and the music bumps, but that's about as far as it goes.



The decor is sweet -- lots of boomboxes, hanging Air Jordans and Pumas, interior "Double Dutch" signage in Lite-Brites, neon chandeliers (sweet as fuck), art everywhere of breakdancers, a brick bar, comfy couches, bumpin 80s beats or mashups from 80s tunes on constant rotation, 80s toys all around the liquor shelves (Simon, Rubik's Cube, etc.), and a brindle Pitbull named Amy that is the sweetest fucking dog ever.



But despite the decor, it doesn't have any concept. There's so much more they could've done. They could have a pile of cassette tapes that you could put into individual boomboxes, by way of a jukebox or something. They could have cardboard on the ground in the back. You could actually PLAY that Simon or Rubik's Cube, or any number of other cool 80s games. It's just missing something.



I like the look of it, and I'm always down for a pint or 13 of Guinness, but in the end, I have to saddle it with...



4/10 CLANKS!

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3. Super Bowl XLII

Starting off with a swinging 70's flashback this episode of CSI was lots of fun. Roger Daltry was supurb as aging mobster Micky Dunn. while this might no of had much high excitement id did display CSI's greatest strength. the characters are beautifuly rendered.



The moment where Catherin realizes how much influance her father had on her life even if she didn't realize it was beautifull and the hospital bedside chat that Cathren and Micky had was charged.



I would love to see more 70's flashback or even 60's. they got the style and even the cinimatography of the era perfect ly



10 out of 10

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3. "i am legend" prequel confirmed

Again, these are in no particular order...



52 Week 29- Good stuff this week, as the JSA is has an awkward encounter with Infinity, Inc. and thier poorly named new member, Will Magnus gets taken off his meds and Steel discovers the length of the fuse on Luthor's superpowered powder keg. It's a week where we're getting some real movement. And next week, the Batman Family! 7 of 10



Noble Causes 25- which with all the minis and specials is more like Noble Causes 50, but hey, it's an Image book with double digits we'll cut them some slack. A multitude of future plot points are laid out as a temporarily empowered Liz super-speeds across the time stream. There were a bunch of things that could be a lot of fun in here. Plus, when Kris grabs a book from the stack with that much enthusiasm you know it's good. 7 of 10



Action Comics 845- The Johns/Donner Experiment continues, and I'm not sure I like it. There are a bunch of ideas here, but I hesitate to call them good. Plus, didn't we deal with these Phantom Zone criminals during the Byrne era of Superman? I realize that's a long time ago now, but it was a significant event... 5 of 10



Daredevil 91- Losing some steam here. Brubaker and Lark deliver another solid issue, but I can't get all that excited about the potential identity of the person behind Matt's troubles. If it's Elektra yet again I'm done here. 5 of 10



Jack of Fables 5- Kris was delighted by the identity of the old Fable helping Jack in the Golden Boughs. I wasn't well read enough to know why it was a big deal. Guess that puts me on the bad guys side. I am digging Jack's adventures a little more than she is though. 6 of 10



Conner Hawke 1- Chuck Dixon returns to the son of Green Arrow, and it is good. Derec Donovan, the artist is good too. Nothing groundbreaking here, but the set up is good and the art a pleasant suprise. 6 of 10



Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters 5- I'm not always sold on Daniel Acuna's interior art, and I'm still pissed that there's a diffrent Ray, but I am really enjoying this series. It's kinda warped fun to see what they'll do in revamping the next Golden Age hero next. Far more hits than misses. I mean, c'mon, the Red Bee!!! Extra point for that alone. 8 of 10



Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes 2, Number 2- Joe Casey is giving good Thomas, while Will Rosado gives good Buscema. I'm not being dirty minded, just saying this tribute to the not-quite-so-early days of the Avengers works very well as both original story and homage. Although I did mistake the Black Widow for the Wasp, but either way... MMM-HMM good. 7 of 10



Perhapanauts: Second Chances 2- Found this one a little easier to read than the first issue, and a lot more fun. Good story and art as the team comes out of one crisis only to create another on thier own. 6 of 10



Casanova 6- Anyone else out on this trip? We're moving to the endgame of volume one of this criminally fun series. I can't wait to see how this all ends up, especially as all the ladies in Cass's life are dressed as brides to meet a giant robot doomsday device. 7 of 10



Blue Beetle 9- Teen heroes done right. We get some of the mystery behind Peacemaker (who is in fact the Charlton character Peacemaker, how'd I miss that one) and Brenda finds a Mother Box. Plus, Jaime's parents lay down the ground rules for superheroes in the house, including Peacemaker. It's the DC version of Ultimate Spider-Man and I love it. 8 of 10



Wonder Woman 3- finally came out, and boy is it pretty. DC should throw obscene money at the Dodsons to keep them on this book as long as possible. Not bad in the story department, but waaaaaayyyyy too long between issues to really get excited about it. 6 of 10



DOUBLE DIP PICK OF THE WEEK: Ultimate Spider-Man 102 and Amazing Spider-Man 536







I make no apologies for my love of Spider-Man. He always was and always will be my favorite superhero. This week I got a double-barrel justification of my love.



Ultimate Spider-Man takes us further into Bendis's gutsy reimagining of the Clone Saga, and it is awesome! Spider-Woman gives Peter the straight dope on the situation after saving him from Nick Fury and his Spider-Slayers, though the Fantastic Four were running fine interference of thier own. Tere are a lot of twists and turns in this one, but they are all fun parts of the ride. This can't end well for Peter and the Clones, but for some of them I really wish it would. Spider-Woman and the Black Suit Clone seem like very interesting characters.



The there's Amazing. I picked 536, but in fact it's the whole War At Home/Civil War tie-in I'm impressed with.



Let me go on record as saying that I'm not a fan of Civil War. While the components are interesting, the series itself leaves me cold. I can see how as a springboard for the Marvel U it could be huge, I just wasn't interested in that particular story. Now Spidey's role in it all, that's another story.



The linking of Spider-Man and Iron Man made a lot of sense to me. With Spidey in the Avengers, and his scientific background Pete and Tony seemed like a perfect fit. But Peter as part of the Pro-Reg movement didn't make a lick of sense. He was always a heart right, not law right character. Which is why his turn in 536 thrilled me. Despite the cost, Peter remembered who he was and acted on it. There's still some road to go down here, but I like what I've read.



Plus, story-wise, JMS makes all the little beats work; Peter freaking out about being in the White House, Jonah suing him, Peter's qualms about Yancy Street, his being the nagging moral voice on the Pro-Reg side, and of course, both his getting the upper hand on Tony and his declaration against the Registration act. This is the Spider-Man I know and love.



I also noted elsewhere that I thought the upcoming "Back in Black" arc was going to be Spider-Man: Outlaw, and this more or less confirms it.



And let me take some time to sing the praises of Ron Garney's work on this book. He has some Romita-esque touches, but he's his own man, and his art looks great. I've been peeking in here and there and every time I've been impressed. I cant wait to see what he'll do with the graphic nature of the black suit.



In closing, Ultimate and Amazing Spider-Man, 9 of 10 for both!

More next week, and FRONTIER comic news soon.

Jay

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Third Rail Design Lab has been given a new look! I have rebuilt the illustration site to perform enhancements in the way the content is managed and navigated by users. It is my hope that the new gallery system will allow for a more interactive and entertaining browsing experience for guests perusing for comic art. All illustrations have been integrated with the R3 Forum for better comment threading, so you can click the icon wherever it's found to comment directly in the forum. And frankly, it’s just easier to find stuff to look at.

The site is broken into three main sections, reflecting the Third Rail iconography: TRDL Universe, Finit-e and Tribute. TRDL Universe is dedicated to our expanding collection of original characters, stories and game materials set in the TRDL Original Universe. As we continue to draw and design, we will be offering much more in this area, including sequential art stories. Finit-e is my graphic serial and the Tribute section is dedicated to mainstream, franchise or miscellaneous illustration content. The TRDL Store has been opened for public access, offering aesthetically-pleasing, in other words fly, garments and sundries in the TRDL style.



I’m most proud of the release of the first Scene of Finit-e, my graphic serial. The comic can be read through a viewer in high-res and low-res formats, directly from the Third Rail Design Lab. It can also be downloaded in print-quality PDF format for those that wish to have a tangible reading experience. Finit-e is a very large story and will be told Scene by Scene, each one added to the site in it’s entirety in full-color. Those that wish to be notified immediately of new Scenes can either watch for updates in the TRDL News log for the latest news, or subscribe to the mailing list on the main site, or, once I get it going, subscribe to the RSS Feed.

Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you on the TRDL site and to read any comments you may have. We will continue to share new TRDL Universe original content every Friday, and other art throughout the week as available.


Enjoy!

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You can now show your TRDL pride by wearing the brand! Cultivate a secret pride in knowing that no one is going to know what it all means...

The TRDL Store

There are a small number of TRDL Brand items available, with many more to come. Initially, I'm simply offering the smart TRDL + R3 logo. On black, it has a sweet white piping border.



Some very excellent #1 good products for your consideration include:




TRDL R3 Black T: This shirt came out quite nice. You get to choose what system of image transfer you want when you place your order. The image above is 'Direct Printing' as opposed to 'Heat Transfer'. It allows for longevity in the wash because it's been infused into the weave. The alternative, Heat Transfer, is the familiar applique that's glossier and bright but fades over time. We recommend the Direct Printing method. You can read more about these here. This shirt is technically also available in maroon, military green and blue, so you have options! Sweet, sweet options. It also comes in long sleeve, and both are available for men and women.




TRDL R3 White Baby-Doll T: This one is fitted and very cute. The model is pretty gorgeous, too. Anyway, if this style doesn't suit you, there are others on the site, listed below.




TRDL R3 Massive Mug: This is the best mug EVER. It's two-coffees tall, heavy and glossy. I'd use it every day if I could. Most days, I do.





TRDL License Plate Frame: Want to display your TRDL pride on your Aesthetically-Pleasing Automobile? Now you can, while simultaneously educating and entertaining your local law enforcement under difficult citation processes, with this smart frame. "What is Finit-e?" at the top there. Don't know? Better get readin'!


The complete list of currently-offered items includes:

Apparel

TRDL R3 T
TRDL R3 Long Sleeve T
TRDL R3 - Women's Cap Sleeve T
TRDL R3 - Jr. Baby Doll T
TRDL R3 Jr. Spaghetti Tank
TRDL R3 Thong (yeah, that's right! with extra rock in back, too!)
TRDL R3 Camisole

Misc.

TRDL R3 Massive Mug
TRDL License Plate


There will be more designs to come, as well as other product styles, but we're starting slow. Super #1 collectors items, sure to go nuts on ebay by the time Finit-e is completed in 2047!

Anyway, take a gander and grab your goods! International Friends of TRDL, if you have issues with the Cafe Press site, you can email or PM me and we can work something out directly.

UPDATE: The TRDL Sourcebook 1.0 is now available. Click here for more information!

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Seriously? I think I'd consider forgoing a limb in order to have this guy around just to hand me pens and bacon and coffees and what not, with his mean Gansta-Leanstyle. The robot, not the other guy. Air hockey is just the gravy.

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I just read 3 Iron Books:



Civil War #5

Iron Man #13

New Avengers #25



Each one focuses on Tony. Each one has Tony at a different stage of "being."



New Avengers is up first. Last issue we saw Tony Bitch slap Gorgon. You know, Gorgon, the In-freakin-human that crushes oppoenents like they were nothing but dust and wind. Bitch slap. Not even a second though. This episode we have some jerk (whom I should know I am sure) say a few hocus pocus words and Bammo Starks security, the security SHIELD has trouble getting around suddenly STOPS working? HUH?



Fine, I'll let it go and say that is this guy's power. He spent all his Hero points in "Knowin' Tony's secret words." Not a bad power I guess. Granted it is the set up that I have the problem with, not the story. the story is Solid and it actually makes me like the current Head of SHIELD a little. SHe's a ball breaker, but she's loyal.



We get to see Tony completely at the mercy of another. And we don't have to worry about him pleading or begging. Tony is Tony to the end. He is stern and obstinant. It is perfect.



However, we compare this Tony to the Tony we see in Iron Man. A broken, bewildered man. A man who, if pushed will fight, but would rather work through his funk. He ignores those close to him. Pushing through what he was doing to the world. This I love. THe Human being without his armor. And who pulls him from this funk? Happy. With one fo the best lines Civil War has shown me yet. Who better to make the rules than a man with a foot in both arenas? A Human who is a super hero. IN all ways.



Sure, you may disagree with him. You may hate him, but Tony IS a hero. He fights for an Ideal. He fights to make the world safer. And he does it at the cost of his sanity, his health, and his humanity.



Now we move on to Civil War. Here we see the Tony that is the closest thing to a Super Villian that I ahve ever seen. The used car sales man in the most expensive piece of military hardware ever made. We see it in how he talks to Peter. We can see it in how he talks to Daredevil. He almost seems blinded to the fact that he is the bad guy. Like the thought that he's doing wrong never crossed his mind. But then we are left with him standing alone holding the piece of silver. Which in my fanboy heart I want to be a message from Steve to Tony conveying information about the real bad guy.



But there isn't one. Tony is the bad guy. Pym is doped to the gills to keep from thinking about what he's doing. And Reed is just plain delusional. But I don't care about them. I care about the multipersonalities of Tony. I am under the impression that Iron Man predates both other books. And New Avengers can happen at any time during Civil War. And Civil War happens after he's commited to his course. Regardless of who hates him for it. Becasue Tony isn't doing this to be popular. He's doing it to protect people. Because, I think the way he sees it, is that if supers are outlawed, the resulting conflict would be much, much worse.



Coming to grips with the fact that You will be hated. History may look back at your involvement and run you through the mud. Your name will be stricken from the record as aceptable. Then you go and do what you think is right and pray it saves people in the end. And you try to make ohers see. But you know they can't.



Just my perspective on three characterizations of the same man.

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A slew of the new, the wrong, and the amusing.

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Directed: Martin Campbell

Writing credits: Neal Purvis & Robert Wade



That's right folks. Sneak Peek Dorito has scored the MOTEHR LOAD! I got to witness the bad assery that is Casino Royale a whole 24 hours early. You'd a thunk the line would be longer.... anyway.



There is one word for what Bond has been missing. I will not tell you what this word is. But if you haven't figured it out after a few names and mention of a few nouns, you are not a true fan. I promise you, I was almost out of my seat with glee and happiness.



To all the haters: Craig is the effin' MAN! He Rocked the Bond like I wanna see it Rocked. He was cold. He was smug. He was dashing. He was a bastard. And if I may say so, the man is ripped three ways from sunday. He is possibly the most physically fit Bond there has ever been. The man is bad. I wish to be him when I grow up. That's how bad this man is.



We get answers to so many questions. In fact, we get answers to questions I didn't even know I had. that is how well thought out this flick is. All those little Bondisms no one questiosn, the movie addresses. I will not go into any of them. They will be surprises.



The story is fast and loose with the history. Yes, this is true. This is a retelling/re-imaginig of the series, of the charcter. You know what? It effin' rocks. We get to see James without the armor and the bullet-proof attitude. We get to see his ass FAIL.



You know how cool that is?



FAIL!



Not screw up a little. EFFIN' FAIL! Not gonna tell you how or why or when.



The story, good. I was expecting typical adventure/action fare. I got a few twists and turns. I can't say I wasn't expecting them, I was. They aren't that hidden. But the pacing was good. The action was solid. The Card game should have been Bacarat, but oh well. Do what the masses like.



Gadgets... not many. But the ones that are used are practical, cool, and well placed. The cars are so sweet. I have jealousy.



On a last note, the theme song. Rock. CC of Soundgarden fame does a great sequence. Along with the opening being very cool and unique, the song really worked. You'll see.



SO, do I like this flick?



You damn skippy.



10/10 Crunches.

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Okay, so South Korea decided that THIS was a good idea....



Coupled with their recent announcement that we taste like YUMMY BACON!



I say BAD IDEA!



I give unto you:



the first step toward our Downfall

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