I just couldn’t think of a title that wouldn’t ruin this week’s comic punchline (such as it is).

I'm sure it's happened to someone out there.

And this is a filler comic, although what does that mean when you’re talking about a one-shot comic? It means I didn’t have a current event to poke fun at. And there may not be for a while because I’ve come to a realization. I don’t care anymore.

Marvel & DC have been pulling all these big deaths and superevents out of their backsides because of all the press they get. Marvel recently announced that they were going to kill someone off each quarter because the newspapers tend to pick it up. I’m still hoping that was a joke, but it explains the current status. I’m so put off that I can’t even get enraged anymore. Death happens for shock value, a spot in the newspapers who only know the characters from the movies or if a real-world place is blown to bits in the fiction, and it only gets reversed if a character becomes marketable or the writer/editor grew up with that character. And I gave up on most of Hollywood’s offerings years ago.

How does this affect the Spotlight? There will probably be more focus on older stuff until someone says something stupid enough that I have to comment. I’ll still be on the lookout for newly-produced stuff of course, but I’m ready to write off the big two comics and all the networks, and try to put more focus on my own works. I’m not going away just yet, but if there isn’t already a noticeable focus shift there will be.

In the meantime here are some current events that might interest you.

comics

First I wanted to show this.

• For Will Eisner’s 94th birthday, Google put up a special frontpage image as well as a write up on their blog. (thanks to Four Color Media Monitor for the latter info)
• DC is cancelling its pulp-based “First Wave” line. I didn’t even know they still had it.
• Is George Perez playing with a new art style?
• Geoff Johns does a number on another Flash character.

television/movies

• I encourage all of you to check out this defense of the “happy ending” in fiction.
• The new head of the Motion Picture Association of America is former senator Chris Dodd. I wish I could say Connecticut apologizes, but considering we (not me) kept electing him and our new governor wants to tax us up the porthole, I sadly can’t.
• The classic sci-fi anime Star Blazers will be airing on SyFy.
• Was a recent episode of crime drama Castle controversial. One review says no.
• Trailer for an upcoming Kamen Rider special.

video games

• I’m calling the next video game controversy; naughty ping-pong in Yakuza 4. (I’m also betting they’ll ignore the fact that your playing a Japanese mobster.)
• One of the upcoming 3DS titles is Super Mario. Are you really that surprised? You can find some more GDC news here.

in other news

• Is there a “civil war” in the real-life superhero community, or is the media just trying to create a story that doesn’t exist? Knowing how people like to make fun of the movement, I’d be willing to bet the latter.
• Why wait for the future when you can future-ize your home now?
• The Clutter Report: This week I just cleaned out my closet. But look at all the related articles I found. (Well, the Zemanta service WordPress uses did.) Apparently it’s a big part of clutter clearing.
• This Week’s Cracked: I like yogurt, chocolate anyway. This possibility is lost on the 6 Most Baffling Things Every TV Ad Assumes Are True. They also don’t know about traffic, what pets eat, even our own bodies. Maybe Carol Burnett was right.

Speaking of going through old stuff, that doesn’t mean I won’t have anything to complain about. Next week’s “free days” will be devoted to tearing apart one comic miniseries. One so bad I couldn’t do it proper assault in one “Scanning My Collection” post. Prepare yourself for…

Liefeld’s Galactica Week!

Prepare to know…fear. On the upside, new comics to review this week in the daily reviews.