Culturally Bereft

For the benefit of those of you who don’t know about San Diego Comic-Con, well, in a nutshell, it’s this convention thing every year in San Diego. All the geek people descend upon the San Diego Convention Center to find out more about the thing(s) they love with the whole of their geeky soul while basically geeking out together in one big, long, exhausting geekgasm of joy and wonder.  This is also where smart media producers, say, like the people behind Game of Thrones and other big TV shows, and the people who make (hopefully) blockbuster movies go hog wild with panels, reveals, announcements, and teases, etc, etc, intended to inflame the passions of their audience.

Wait, I’m sorry, I should’ve said most the geek people go there. Some of us, the old and decrepit, the saddled with responsibilities, or the life partners of wiser people who maybe don’t see why spending most of the retirement fund on 4+ days in San Diego drooling and resembling a shiny-eyed anime character (Google it) is really all that important, don’t attend in a corporeal sense. 

Which is to say we spend those 4+ days sitting in front a web browser refreshing our Google search results for “Big SDCC News 2013”.  I’ll let you figure out which camp I fall into. 

Hint: the retirement fund is not currently sporting any tumbleweeds.

Anyway, one of the biggest things to come from Comic-Con this year was news of the upcoming sequel for Man of Steel, which is going to be much, much more than just the next Superman movie in Zach Snyder’s updating of the franchise.  No, the movie is going to be inspired by the much loved Frank Miller graphic novel, The Dark Knight Returns.

Now, just in case you don’t really get what that means, imagine that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny were going to star together in a movie that could, possibly, bring such joy and adulation that world peace would be a forgone conclusion and everyone would have unicorn pony to ride everyday to the candy playground.

Well, maybe that’s a little hyperbolic. They might not be unicorns.

So, okay, great, right? But, uh, Hey Puddin, why is this post-worthy? I mean, after all, it’s the first of August. The news itself is well over a week old. Ho-hum, yeah?

The thing is, earlier today I came to the realization that, Holy Monkey Wing Popsicles, Batman, I’ve never read The Dark Night Returns.

And, yes, that’s sort of a crime. Such an admission of omission makes me question my entire geek upbringing.  I mean, if I’ve never read that what other gaping holes in my geekery need to be plugged?  Is someone going to come take my Geek Card and my replica Millennium Falcon? Sure, my Man Card’s been under suspension for quite a while now, but, meh.  I don’t really need that.  But my Geek Card?  Oh, HELLZ, no.

*shudder*

Thus, I’ve decided that at my next available opportunity, I’ll be remedying this startling lapse in my geekdom. Just as soon as I finish the book I’m reading now, Hounded, by Kevin Hearne.

With luck, this post along with that promise will placate my tribe so they maybe they don’t show up at the house with pitchforks and replica lightsabers to cast me out and shun me, Amish-style.

That said, what about you? Surely there’s something out there you’ve always meant to read, watch, or hear but you just haven’t had the time or opportunity. What hole in your credibility are you trying to gloss over with too much foundation and a little toner?  Inquiring minds want to know!

Plus, maybe it’ll deflect a little of the “I can’t believe you’ve never read that” heat off of me.

Share away!

Pud’n