Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

I don’t read the Harry Potter books, but I’ve enjoyed the past few movies quite a bit. That Prisoner of Azkaban movie is terrific. Out of the three good Harry Potter movies, though, Order of the Phoenix is the weakest. It’s still pretty, to be sure, but it’s oddly paced from scene to scene (some scenes are redundant, others jarringly clipped short) and, simply, not a whole hell of a lot actually happens in this movie. In general, I like it when things happen.

The wizard’s duel at the end is pretty fucking rad, what with all of its little details and all. Just letting some of Britain’s finest actors pantomime for the SFX artists turns out a pretty handsome bit of action. Sirius Black’s exit couldn’t be much more vague, though, and sure doesn’t have any of the impact that the scenes after it seem to think it had. And how, on earth, you can waste David Thewliss like that, I don’t know. Here’s hoping we see more of Lupin in the next movie or two. But the Death-Eaters look great, the wand battles look great, and while I was let down here, I am still looking forward to Steve Kloves’ return (as screenwriter) in the next one, Harry Potter and a Whole Damn Lot of Alan Rickman, From What I Hear.

Next, I’ll tell you why it’s clear that the Weasleys (or at least the Weasley dad, Arthur) are working for Voldemort, as written by somebody who hasn’t read the books and has no idea what Harry Potter and the Ghastly Title (The Deathly Hallows, is it?) has in store. If you read the books, you can judge the theory and let me know if I’m crazy. In the meantime, let me be crazy.

The Surrogates

The Surrogates is one of those comics that I tried to follow as it was coming out, but failed. I missed this issue and that. In a five-issue series, any one absence is substantial.

But that’s just as well, ’cause the collected volume is a terrific product, like a great DVD loaded with extras. The actual story of The Surrogates is better conceptualized than it is executed, but the interesting explorations of the setting’s futuristic mega-Atlanta are worth your time. In the world of the comic, lifelike robotic avatars, called Surrogates, naturally, are used by people sitting in their homes to go out and explore the world through a kind of VR interface. Like internet avatars, your Surrogate(s) might look nothing like you, and are certainly good at things you’re not. Want to go bar-hopping as a gorgeous blonde girl, but you’re an obese dude with Cheetos in your beard? Want to go rock-climbing, but you’re confined to a wheelchair? Send your Surrogate.

This is, of course, a speculative cautionary tale, and so we have a rogue antihero out to wake the population out of their misguided ways. It’s Steeplejack, the dude on the cover over there, who’s out ruining people’s Surrogates in the hopes that they’ll get out of their homes and live their lives for real. On his trail is a grizzled cop who interfaces with the world through his real, banged-up, fleshy body. A mystery involving corporate interests and mistaken identities ensues, and while some of the storytelling is predictable, the setting evoked throughout the book is pretty well imagined.

Script pages, a “deleted scene,” author’s notes, sketches, pin-ups and a collection of fake Surrogate ads from within the fictional world round out this terrific package from Top Shelf. A classy folded cover goes the extra mile, for bibliophiles. This is what I want all collected comics to be like.

Music: Syrian, “Musika Atomika”