Glenn Walker is a writer who knows pop culture. He loves, hates, and lives pop culture. He knows too freaking much about pop culture, and here's where he talks about it all: movies, music, comics, television, and the rest... Welcome to Hell.
Actress Yvonne Craig, TV's Batgirl, has passed away at the age of 78 after a battle with breast cancer. This was not the kind of news I wanted to wake to a morning earlier this week, or any morning.
For many of us, boy and girl, Yvonne Craig's Batgirl was our first crush. It was never a matter of Ginger or Mary Ann, it was Batgirl or Julie Newmar's Catwoman. Hell, even today, those two women might very well be responsible for my predilection for redheads. Seeing her with Elvis in Kissin' Cousins, and later as the green-skinned slave girl from Orion on "Star Trek," cemented that crush for myself, and thousands of others.
As Batgirl on the 1960s "Batman" TV series, she was the original super-heroine role model - before Wonder Woman, before the Bionic Woman, or Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, and definitely before the Black Widow, Yvonne was kicking butt and taking names and even had her own theme song, debatably cooler than Batman's. And although there was a Bat-Girl in the comics in the 1950s, the character of Barbara Gordon as the new Batgirl was launched almost simultaneously with the TV version, many times taking her cues from Yvonne Craig's portrayal.
I met Ms. Craig once, for just a moment at a convention years ago. She still looked great, was sweet and tolerant of my gushing, and was funny and ironic. Unlike many stars folks meet at cons, she was a delight, and she will be missed.
The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast is shot live every week at All Things Fun! - the area's best comics and gaming store, located in West Berlin, NJ.
Co-hosts Ed (Hand of the King) Evans, Allison (Zenescope Girl) Eckel, and Glenn (Real Head of Hair) Walker discuss the new comics out this week in two fun video segments, in wicked high definition, and available on the YouTube. See it here!
This first segment includes discussion of the following topics: Green Lantern #7, Deathstroke still not a pirate, Frankenstein and the Humanids, Suicide Squad #7, Batman and Robin #7, Legion Lost thoughts, Batgirl #7, Superboy #7, Demon Knights #7, the rest of the New 52 DCs, Fantastic Four #604, fun with audio including Avengers #24 and Avengers Assemble #1, and multiple Zodiacs.
The discussion continues here in segment two including: Punisher #9 by Greg Rucka, Journey into Mystery #635, Incredible Hulk #6 by Jason Aaron, Captain America #9, Ant-Man for kids, Ed's X-titles, inside Kitty Pryde, Allison's Zenescope Comics, pantsless fairies, Robert Kirkman's free pass, Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 9 #7, Knights of the Dinner Table #184, Ed's indies, Game of Thrones goodies, kids comics, trades, and glasses.
Special thanks go to Dina Evans who keeps us all in line, and on the straight and narrow, and runs the show from behind the scenes. And be back here every Wednesday (or Tuesdays at midnight) to watch the new broadcast, and thereafter throughout the week!
The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast is shot live in a real comics and gaming store in West Berlin, NJ - All Things Fun! - co-hosts Ed (reads anything with an X in the title) Evans, Allison (sorts her comics by color) Eckel and Glenn (sick as a dog, be back next week) Walker discuss the new comics out this week in two fun video segments, now in high definition, and also available on YouTube. See it here!
The first segment includes discussion of the following topics: DC's team books of the week, Ed's grab bag o' goodies, including Resurrection Man #5, Batman and Robin #5, Scarlet Spider #1, and the Avengers titles, plus Spidey and evil Deadpool.
The discussion continues in segment two including: More DC Comics from Allison, including Batgirl #5, Superboy #5, and The Ray #2, Ed's Marvels, including Hulk, Ghost Rider, Captain America, and the Punisher, the X-titles of the week, indies including Buffy, Invincible, Avengelyne, Spawn, Star Wars, Adam West, and Brian Michael Bendis' Brilliant #2, kids comics, and trades of the week.
The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast is shot live in a real comics and gaming store in West Berlin, NJ - All Things Fun! - co-hosts Ed (Switzerland) Evans, Allison (Never Seen Doctor Who) Eckel and Glenn (The Devil) Walker discuss the new comics out this week in two fun video segments, now in high definition, and also available on YouTube. See it here!
The first segment includes discussion of the following topics: The Ray #1 by Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti, Mister Terrific #4 by Eric Wallace, Batgirl #4 by Gail Simone, Demon Knights #4 by Paul Cornell, Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes #3, The Shade #3 by James Robinson and Cully Hamner, Damian coming out, Hal and Sinestro buddy trip, Batman Yu-Gi-Oh, Glenn beaten by monkeys, and infected Batman.
The discussion continues in segment two including: Flintstones questions, Doctor Who toys, Allison has never seen Doctor Who, Uncanny X-Force #18, Magneto not Attuma, Carnage USA #1, the Avengers titles of the week, lil Loki, Joe Hill's Locke & Key Clockworks #3, The Walking Dead #92, Ed's indies, Allison's kids comics, Rodan in Godzilla Legends #2, DC Comics The New 52 hardcover collection. Ed's trades, and Hulked Out HeroClix.
The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast is shot live in a real comics and gaming store in West Berlin, NJ - All Things Fun! - co-hosts Ed (The Bowler) Evans, Allison (Batgirl) Eckel and Glenn (Red Lantern) Walker discuss the new comics out this week in two fun video segments, now in high definition, and also available on YouTube. See it here!
The first segment includes discussion of the following topics: Uncanny X-Force #17, the rest of the X-Men titles, Nightcrawler returns in Fear Itself #7.8 maybe, the female Ghost Rider, Avengers Origins The Vision #1, Paul Cornell's Demon Knights #3, Gail Simone's Batgirl #3, the 'real' Superboy, father of the year Batman, Green Lantern #3, and the rest of the DC 52 titles of the week.
The discussion continues in segment two including: Ed reviews some DC titles, Resurrection Man #3, father of the year runner up Deathstroke, the return of Wildstorm, Star Trek/Legion of Super-Heroes #2, Ed's indies, House of Night #1, Zenescopes of the week, 'some' of the Robins, new website, new t-shirts, Ed's trades and manga, and the Food Machine Charity Event.
The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast is shot live in a real comics and gaming store in West Berlin, NJ - All Things Fun! - co-hosts Ed (Batwing) Evans, Allison (Batgirl) Eckel and Glenn (Animal Man) Walker discuss the new comics out this week in two fun video segments, now in high definition, and also available on YouTube. See it here!
The first segment includes discussion of the following topics: Action Comics #1 by Grant Morrison and Rags Morales, Detective Comics #1 by Tony Daniel, Batgirl #1 by Gail Simone, Batwing #1 by Judd Winick, Paul Cornell's Stormwatch #1, Justice League International #1 and Men of War #1.
The discussion continues in segment two including: Brian Michael Bendis' New Avengers Annual #1 with Wonder Man and the Revengers, Spider-Island, New Thunderbolts vs. New Invaders, Ed's Marvels including Wolverine week, Ed's indies, the rest of this week's new DC 52 including Green Arrow #1 by J.T. Krul, Swamp Thing #1 and Animal Man #1 by Jeff Lemire, and Ed's trades.
A Television Review of "Birds of Prey" Episode: "Pilot"
Copyright 2002 Glenn Walker
Batgirl, the Huntress and the Black Canary? Birds of Prey the comic book this is not.
This very loose comic book adaptation by the folks who brought us "Smallville" (there's a line about meteor showers thrown in that's hilarious) is visually stunning. The action sequences (if they could just get rid of that cat howling sound when the Huntress does her stuff they would be perfect) and CGI shots of New Gotham are amazing. You should see it just for that, but there's more, some of it not so good.
Dina Meyer (Johnny Mnemonic and sooo sexy in Starship Troopers - the scene where she takes off her shirt is permanently engraved in my head) is Barbara Gordon alias Batgirl, crippled by the Joker and now called Oracle, master computer hacker chick. Ashley Scott (A.I., "Dark Angel") tries really really hard to act as Helena Kyle (hold on, it's complicated - well, not for comic readers - but most tv viewers are much thicker than comic readers), the Huntress, the daughter of Catwoman and the Batman, who has metahuman strength and reflexes. Rachel Skarsten, a relative unknown plays the role of teenage Dinah Lance (not called the Black Canary - although rumor has it Lori Loughlin, formerly of "Full House" will be appearing as her mother who as the Black Canary was a former ally of Batgirl) who has strange telepathic abilities - woefully unexplained in the pilot.
Rounding out the cast are Ian Abercrombie (Mr. Pitt of "Seinfeld" - which is why I can't take him seriously) as Alfred, Bruce Wayne's butler and heartthrob Shemar Moore ("The Brothers," "Young and the Restless" and if you want to see the website of a man whose ego is completely out of control, check out http://www.shemar.com) as Detective Jake Reese, the David to the Huntress' Maddie. Mia Sara (Legend, Time Cop) plays the series' villainess psychiatrist Dr. Harleen Quinzel (known in the comics as the Joker's main squeeze, Harley Quinn) who was originally played by Sherilyn Fenn. All of Fenn's scenes were re-shot with Sara.
Oracle, the Huntress and Rachel join forces to stop a fear-inducing metahuman from killing innocents (as much as it sounds like the Scarecrow it ain't). Discounting the complicated backstory this is real simple. The backstory, told in flashbacks (and way too few of them) that are the best part of the show, has the Joker killing Catwoman, crippling Batgirl and driving Batman out of Gotham City. The daughter of Bats and Catty, the Huntress, is taken under Barbara Gordon's wing where she learns to be a crimefighter. The flashbacks, with the voice of the Joker by Mark Hamill who has perfected the part on the Batman animated series, and the actor from the On Star commercials playing Batman, are by far the best thing about the show. Especially Dina Meyer in the Batgirl costume. She outsexes Yvonne Craig and leaves Alicia Silverstone in the dust, no contest.
If they get rid of the howling, teach Ashley Scott to act, get her a real costume (instead of the Victoria's Secret get up she wears in the pilot), clear up the convoluted backstory and maybe write some decent scripts this might not be that bad. Rule number one for watching "Birds of Prey" is the same as "Smallville," forget the comics and it's enjoyable.
Want to read more of my opinions about comics on television? Check out Comic Widows at: http://www.comicwidows.com.
For many of us, boy and girl, Yvonne Craig's Batgirl was our first crush. It was never a matter of Ginger or Mary Ann, it was Batgirl or Julie Newmar's Catwoman. Hell, even today, those two women might very well be responsible for my predilection for redheads. Seeing her with Elvis in Kissin' Cousins, and later as the green-skinned slave girl from Orion on "Star Trek," cemented that crush for myself, and thousands of others.
