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Batwoman – Elegy
Batwoman: Elegy tells two stories. The first is of Batwoman taking on a villainess named Alice who has plans to gas Gotham City with chemical weapons. The second story tells of how Kate Kane took up the mantle of Batwoman. In the first, the action occurs quickly and ends half way through the book after Alice’s failed attempt to unleash the weapons, but strands of the Alice plot line interweave into the second story as we find out who Alice might be. Told in a series of flash backs, Kate Kane grew up a military brat with a twin sister, Beth. Her father received a promotion to be stationed over seas. There, she, her mother and sister are kidnapped, and the bloody rescue only saves Kate. Later, upon nearing graduation from West Point, we find that she’s a lesbian after refusing to lie under the military’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy. Determined to serve, she becomes a vigilante, supported by her father’s military connections and her own variation of the Batman symbol to show “whose side” she’s on.
The story by Greg Rucka tells an origin in an interesting way, but as interesting as Kate’s origin is, it feels like one long denouement. Perhaps it could have been woven better with the Alice story. J.H. Williams III’s art actively moves around the page, but at times it seems too frenetic with overzealous layouts. However, Batwoman/Kate Kane are drawn realistically, unlike some comically drawn, female super heroines.
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Paper Arts, Dallas, TX
Tucked away in a small strip center South of downtown Dallas (Peak and Elm), Paper Arts offers a mind boggling selection of papers from all over the world. One of a kind, hand crafted, exotic, off beat, special purpose–they have it or can get it. In my own impromptu tour, I was told that “we have access to 8000 different kinds of paper, but only have 1500 in stock” at the store. In a sense, if you like paper, you’d be like a kid in a candy store with the ceiling high cabinets full of brightly colored offerings.
In meandering the store, looking at what there is to offer, scrap bookers have options with patterns and brightly colored stock, but the heart of the store is for those that need a unique feel, beyond what the paper aisle at Hobby Lobby or Micheal’s offers. Wedding invitation designers can find elegant and contemporary stock for the occasion. Collage artists can find one of a kind (literally, there’s only one sheet with that pattern), hand marbled papers and papers with various thicknesses, translucence and tension. Origami folders can find wet and dry folding stock. Book makers can find cloth papers with special backings to prevent glue from seeping through. Papers are sold in half sheet or whole sheet options, sizes ranging from 8.5″ x 11″ to 32″ x 40″. Prices vary from $1.99 a sheet (basic papers) to $20 a sheet (specialty, exotic paper).
The owners are friendly, extremely knowledgeable and willing to help you find what you’re looking for. Mention you want something like XYZ but in a different ABC or 123, and they’ll guide you to a cabinet with suggestions.
Paper Arts is open Tuesday through Saturday and can be reached by phone at 214-828-9494
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The Head and the Heart
A debut album from a Seattle sextet is perfect for those late summer drives at dusk. The sun fades into the horizon while warm shades of yellow, orange and red light up the sky. The Head and the Heart’s self titled clocks in at 9 tracks, spanning 35 minutes. In that time, the harmonies come together, comforting and uplifting with folksy pop arrangements reminiscent of the Beatles or Simon and Garfunkel. In the Sounds Like section on their MySpace page, they list: “melodies, harmonies, shakers, foot stomps, beautiful things, epic things.”
The album begins with a sprightly track, Cats and Dogs with the timbre of Josiah Johnson’s vocals warming up to lead a backing of “ooo-ooo’s” as a kick drum thumps and the rest of the band joins in on the fun. This seamlessly transitions to the next track, Coeur D’Alene where the keyboards and bass line drive the song’s catchy hook. The rest of the album has a rhythm, steady and buoyant and never strains. If anything, the album peaks with Lost In My Mind and glides to a safe landing during the last three tracks, closing with a reverent finale in Heaven Go Easy on Me.
Here they are performing live for KEXP:
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Jakob Dylan – Women and Country
Jakob Dylan’s Women and Country album feels good on the first listen. There’s no trying too hard, no songs with the familiar country, singer songwriter tropes. It’s paced well, with diverse arrangements. Nothing But the Whole Wide World and Holy Rollers for Love stand out.
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Five for Fighting – Slice
Five for Fighting’s Slice is more of the same piano pop balladry but with different lyrics. Safe, digestible and unoffensive.
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Brett Favre is like the Internet
In a great example of divergent thinking, Kottke collects a series of tweets by Tim Carmody comparing Brett Favre’s career to that of the Internet.
In 1995, Favre wins the MVP, the Packers get to the NFC Championships, and Windows 95 brings the internet & graphic interface to the masses.
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Of terminology and semantics
Debates over terminology and semantics are for archivists and academics. If you’re interested in the living heart of what you do, focus on building things rather than talking about them.
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Extreme Photography
Extreme Photography: The Hottest, Coldest, Fastest, Slowest, Nearest, Farthest, Brightest, Darkest, Largest, Smallest, Weirdest Images in the Universe… shows the physical and technological limits of photography. From volcanoes, Antarctic exhibitions, outer space, thermal, infrared, x-ray, MRI, examples are given as to the potential of the application, its practicality and a little bit of how-to thrown into the mix.
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Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Mumford & Sons Sigh No More paces a contemporary blend of folk, Americana, blue grass and rock across 48 minutes of diverse instrumentation. Starting slowly with the title track, Sigh No More, the song builds into a foot stomping jam. The lead vocals seem raw at time, but powerful and emotive with four part harmonies adding coolness to tracks such as The Cave, Winter Winds and Roll Away Your Stone. Little Lion Man is a rocking, angry song, and Dust Bowl Dance tells a story straight out of Dorthea Lange’s Depression era photos.
If there’s a comparison, Mumford & Sons could be an edgier Fleet Foxes but with a banjo and darker lyrics.
