Frosty Winds Made Moan

I can't quite believe we've reached the festive break already; I need some "Me Time". The shops in Elgin are in Christmas siege mode this morning , as is traditional in the dying days of December. I'm groggy since my upstairs neighbour woke me from an unusually sound sleep. She crashed in last night during the final hours of "Black Eye Friday".

The food at our departmental Xmas meal at the Drouthy Cobbler was quite disappointing, frankly. But I can smugly say my marking is up to date and I have planned classes for the first couple of days back in 2019 ( so futuristic!).


This might be the last post before Christmas and possibly the last one until January. Often, I don't get around to commenting on everything I plan to; months ago, I wanted to review the Savage Sword of Kull. That may still happen. In the new year, I hope to combine the Thomas/Giordano Dracula with a review of the Night Stalker tv series on dvd. Today, I'm going to cram a trio of pop culture reviews together and crave your indulgence.


Last Sunday afternoon, after marking some BGE creative writing, I went to an almost-deserted Moray Playhouse to see Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.

As you doubtlessly know, this is a dazzling animation introducing the Miles Morales -Spidey to the cinema-going public. Alongside Kamala Khan, I think Miles is the most important Marvel creation of the last ten years and this film was funny and charming.


 Relationships were a focus of the movie: between Miles and his uncle, secretly the sinister Prowler ( a revamp of an early 70s Spidey creation of Romita Senior and Junior) and with an adult Peter Parker. This Spidey-schlub reminded me of both the cinematic universe Ant-Man and the later years of the Ted Kord Blue Beetle.

The pudding was overegged with too many web-slingers, however. The Noir web-head was amusing but the film had peaked already with Ghost Spider ( or Spider-Gwen). The dimension-smashing climax was over-familiar, even from other Spider-movies. However, this is a stylish and engaging addition to the Marvel movie canon.

This week, walking to and from school in the dark was sound-tracked by the fourth series of Big Finish's Diary of River Song. This box set of four adventures chronicles the struggle between Doctor Who's Old Lady and a race of so-called "Time Cannibals", the infernal Discordia.


 There's an interesting supporting cast including a "warborg" and a female ant-person. But this timey-wimey quest's USP was an appearance by Tom Baker's Fourth Doctor, cooing "Hello sweetie". I don't think John Dorney writes well for Tom's Doctor. A sentimental and adoring Four is more a version of Tom's own public persona, rather than the Olympian brooder or boggling madcap from either extreme of the Fourth Doctor's tenure. For me, the highlight was a parody of detective fiction, guest-starring versions of Poirot, Lord Peter Wimsey and Velma Dinkley. I found this saga a little wearing and difficult to follow; I hope to enjoy the next boxset more, with its bevy of Masters.


Finally, this week, I have been reading a portion of the Nineties adventures of Marvel's Protector of the Universe, Mark Gruenwald's Quasar.

I bought a sale copy of 2017's hardback graphic novel collection of the earliest issues of the Gleaming Guardian in Aberdeen's Plan 9, some weeks ago. I also have a grab-bag of the last ten issues purchased somewhere in Glasgow - perhaps City Centre Comics - maybe almost a decade ago. Although the art can be a shade amateur and the series is almost as wordy as a Byrne book, I was quite entertained.


The earnest and unpretentious Wendell Vaughn was a member of the Avengers twenty years ago but also a pastiche of Green Lantern. I think Quaze unfortunately lost some of his USP when Starlin took over Silver Surfer from Englehart and resurrected Thanos and Adam Warlock. However, the series is studded with all sorts of "Kozmic" guest-stars and extra-terrestrial obscurities, from Alpha the Ultimate Mutant to the Thing from the Black Hole Star.
This year, in UK reprints, I've read a couple of appearances of Avril Kincaid, the new, gay Quasar. Avril replaced Phyla-Vell, Captain Marvel's daughter as wielder of the Quantum Bands. I'd like to see her in the Avengers one day or even onscreen.

Over the next few days, I plan to re-read some DC and Marvel yuletide comics, like Chaykin's "Justice Society Canteen" tale. I'm also listening again to the festive stage play, Curse of the Daleks. Have a peaceful holiday.


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