geek

Unrelated to comics, but hopefully still on topic here:

I thought I'd point out Chinavasion. It's got all sorts of geeky awesomeness. Like, for example:

A color touchscreen bluetooth cell phone watch with dual sim card support, mp3 player, video player, picture viewer, still/video camera, internet browser, USB port, picture editor, video editor... I'll stop now.

Where do you go for your geek toys?

On the subject of comics, I thought I'd mention WOWIO, a service which allows you to read books online for free. They've got a sizable comics section. Including Alan Moore's not-to-be-missed run on Supreme. (Oops, seems that was only available for a limited time. Guess I got lucky.) But the Alter Ego series was pretty cool. And they've got a selection of Golden Age stuff, too. Just thought I'd share. :)

Following the weekly prompt, I thought I'd pimp C. E. Murphy's Take A Chance, published by Dabel Brothers. It's being released as a miniseries (to be collected in the inevitable TPB later this year), with the hope of launching into a regular monthly.

Actually, I'm going to be lazy and just copy the text from my journal entry.

Concept:

It was a world much like ours. About five years ago, after seeing her son gunned down in gang crossfire, a woman became the first costumed vigilante. No powers. Just martial arts training. And it was a rough start. But, gradually, she learned the ropes. The media dubbed the heroine "Chance" after someone noted that, "This lady likes to take a chance." Then, a few years later, a North Korean WMD experiment got loose. Of those who contracted it, roughly a third died and a third recovered unaffected. The other third... got (random) super powers. They became a class unto themselves. They don't wear masks because they feel untouchable. Above everyone else, sometimes literally. You're either "one of us" or you're just a civilian.

That's the background. Our story picks up shortly thereafter. Chance is pondering her place in this new world. Whether she, no longer the world's only super hero, is obsolete. She quickly realizes, however, that her hard-won experience makes a big difference. Powers or not, she kicks butt. She's effective. And, perhaps more importantly, she's responsible. And she doesn't treat people differently just because they don't have powers.

There's more to it, of course. Her personal life comes into it. There's plot and detail and such. I don't want to give away too much. But... you've got a strong female character with her own identity (i.e. not part of another hero's "family"). You've got beautiful art (there are some scans over at the author's site). You've got an interesting set-up. And some pretty good writing. And a healthy dose of action. And let's not forget the Batman factor - watching a non-powered vigilante kick butt in a powered world is just an extra level of fun. I should mention, too, that there's a dose of realism. Practical details of life that (as Chance notes in her narration boxes) don't often show up in Saturday morning cartoons, and also things like the way she gathers actual legal evidence when she can, rather than confronting every bad guy personally and directly.

The first three issues are out now. More to come shortly. If you're into comics and looking for something new (especially if you're as frustrated as I've been with the Big Two lately), give it a look. Take a chance. I'm glad I did.