Splintered review: A return to Wonderland done right

Few books have received the level of utter love across every realm of media the way Lewis Carroll's two most famous works, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, have managed to.

Granted, more often than not these two works are run together, specifically people's erroneous idea that the Tweedles and the Jabberwocky poem came from the AIW when they in fact were in TTLG. But despite the card motif of AIW and the chess motif of TTLG getting mixed up/together, plenty of movies and TV series have been built around this world.

Actually, my first exposure to the characters came in Adventures in Wonderland, a 1990s Disney show for kids that starred Elizabeth Harnois, who is now known as Morgan Brody from CSI, as Alice. I highly recommend this show for kids.

But I'm here today to talk about the sequels and elseworld stories that are built from these two books. Quite frankly, many are quite terrible. The Tim Burton nightmare gave a glimpse into a Wonderland that was actually quite terrifying and served as a warning for what happens when Johnny Depp is given Edward Scissorhands makeup that isn't black.

The one good thing it did, though, is show that a dark Wonderland can work if someone actually takes the time to do some universe building while addressing how a children's story looks so messed up. And boy, did we get that in A.G. Howard's debut novel, Splintered.

Awesome program. Find it on YouTube.

The book is an admirably quick read, finishing up in hardcover form in slightly fewer than 400 pages (about the length of a Hunger Games book, which will be reviewed as a trilogy at a later date). The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and I'm not referring to the girl.

It has a Garden of Eden feel and the girl, supposedly the main character, is given a look of innocence, symbolic of the innocence the source material loses when clubbed by the plot of this story.

But just because it's a darker take does not mean it's a bad story. Heck, in many ways its plot actually has a real flow to it that can't be done in the source material.

The book focuses on Alyssa, a high school junior who is six generations the successor of her ancestor, Alice Liddell, on whom Carroll based his main character. It is revealed that ever since Alice apparently went insane, every succeeding member of the bloodline has gone insane, believing they hear insects talking and having a tea party-based fetish.

(I could go with a politically satirical picture here, but I'd rather not get that comment war going.)

So yeah, Alyssa gets the same sensations as soon as she hits adolescence, leading her to fear that she may end up in an asylum like her mother, who actually doesn't come off as very insane outside of the occasional display of violence (which actually makes sense as you go along).

When she realizes that this insanity may have something to do with Wonderland, she seeks out the location of the original rabbit hole in England and goes down. Unfortunately, her, uh, boy who has friend-zoned her, ends up down there with her.

What proceeds is a hero's journey from the two to undo Alice's wrongs and restore sanity to the bloodline, and there are so many Wonderlandian twists along the way that you'll not be sure where you're going even though you're confident you know how it will end. (And you kind of will be right, but not in the way you were expecting.)

The characters in this book are portrayed with a great amount of depth and intelligently. Alyssa tells the story in the first person, so you get a real feel for her growing emotional conflict as she finds out more about her past.

She's portrayed as a clean, American girl with a rebellious streak that doesn't get nearly enough time to work itself out, and Wonderland does a great job of letting her unleash it.

Wonderland itself is a terrifying world that most likely scared the crap out of Alice when she went through it. The whole thing has a gothic kind of feel and many of the iconic characters from the book come off as unsettling.

The thing is, it works. Unlike Burton's version, which just looks weird, Howard does a tremendous job with universe-building. An explanation given is that Alice was too young to process what she saw, so Lewis Carroll wrote the most coherent account he could based on the story she was telling. The book reveals a more likely (and equally sensible) reason why the worlds are so different, so I have to give Howard respect for giving the reader a frame of mind for her world.

Characters from both AIW and TTLG are brought up, the most important being the Catterpillar, who is now a butterfly named, ugh, Morpheus.

Not that Morpheus! Evidently this one looks like The Crow with wings.

I know it has a mythological connotation, but could universe-bending stories stop using Morpheus as major character names? It's becoming a tired trope and I'd prefer stories just come up with their own unique names. Thank you.

Alison, Alyssa's mom, is a really fun character for the little time she gets. I actually wouldn't mind a book chronicling her messed up life. Sounds like there's a horror story somewhere in there.

Jeb, Alyssa's crush/friend/guy, is a good character, though at times his inability to shut up and let Alyssa get information from characters is REALLY irksome. Dude needs to chill.

The romance between the two comes off as fairly natural, but of course there has to be a love triangle to appeal to teens. This one uses Morpheus and it's framed not only as a romantic decision, but one determining which moral code Alyssa will take down the road.

That's actually a good idea. While Twilight popularized it (somehow) through just being a triangle, this one had a purpose and actually created a rooting interest without turning it into teen angst crap.

My biggest complaints (all two of them) come in the final act of the book right near the climax. The whole time it's clear that a real sacrifice is going to have to be made, and kudos to Howard for still managing to surprise me when Alyssa has to make her sacrifice.

BUT as her sacrifice plays out, it runs by really quickly and the payoff mostly affects a character who had only been mentioned in the book. I think giving said character some time to talk and be notable would have made the scene far more emotional.

The other complaint, which is slightly larger, is that the after we finally have the climax that's been building for more than 100 pages, a second one is then jammed in immediately after. It is set up, so it doesn't hurt the book heavily, but the reader is just recovering from the moment they'd been waiting for and this was not necessary. It also didn't help that in the TRUE final struggle, it took me a couple of reads to properly understand what was happening in the scene.

Overall, though, while some scenes didn't hit their hardest and one really didn't work besides to set up a sequel (PLEASE do a trilogy with Alison/the Liddells as a prequel and a single sequel addressing that plot twist!), this was a great read.

I was hooked from the first chapter all the way to the end and would highly recommend this for anyone who is a fan or AIW/TTLG or is interested in learning about the universe. It really makes you want to go read the source material and try to figure out all the references and what the gothic were like in the originals.

This is by far the most worthy successor to the Carroll universe in book form I've seen, and here's hoping A.G. Howard continues her writing career (and makes that trilogy and some film adaptations).

Follow me at twitter.com/seantherebel and like my page at www.facebook.com/SeanNetworkBlogs.

Scott Lobdell removes the Hood; leaves RHATO to James Tynion

Imagine my surprise this morning when I went onto Facebook when Scott Lobdell posted via ComicVine that he would be leaving the Red Hood and the Outlaws title after Issue #18.

Newsarama immediately got an interview with replacement writer James Tynion IV posted regarding the direction the series will be taking starting in April.

Let me just take a moment to thank Scott Lobdell in advance for all the work he's put into this title. The book has certainly had its fair share of haters. (Heck, I'm pretty sure Linkara still wants the premiere issue on his 'Atop the Fourth Wall' program.)

And I have no problem saying it took him some time to get all three's stories balanced in the book or to bring Starfire's competent, badass warrior character in the story. But for all the hate on it, Lobdell created a nice story that was pure escapist fun.

I'm still rooting for Isabel to survive because of her awesomeness in the space arc. Red Hood feels like a true anti-hero and emotionally compelling for the first time since 'Under the Hood.' Roy Harper, who never interested me in the slightest in any variation, is fun for me for the first time ever.

And Starfire... well, he's at least portrayed her well enough. And the dynamic with Blackfire is actually interesting in that it's not taking the usual path. Much respect for the re-imagining there.

What bugs me is that he said his schedule forced him to drop a book. Why not Teen Titans? I mean, yeah, it's a higher book in terms of status, but it's also his worst book critically.

Between the Culling and DOTF crossovers, I have to actively avoid a major team book altogether. Kudos to those fans, though, I guess.

Tynion IV sounds like he has some interesting ideas in store, but much like when I heard Gail Simone was leaving Batgirl, I'll have to see a work sample before I decide if I want to continue it in my review rotation.

Until then, best of luck with Superman, Lobdell. And thanks for setting up this book nicely in the New 52.

Follow me at twitter.com/seantherebel and like my page at www.facebook.com/SeanNetworkBlogs.

Death of the Family Part 11: Detective Comics #16 (and Superior Spider-Man #1)

It's kind of hard to believe, but I really can't wait for Death of the Family to finish up.

Not because of Scott Snyder's work on the main Batman title; that's been excellent work that should make for an excellent trade paperback. I'm more aggravated by the abundance of tie-ins that have put half a dozen stories on hold.

Joker's plans for the rest of the Bat-family have been completely irrelevant to the plot and I seriously wonder what I'm supposed to take from them other than the fact that Joker has WAY too much time on his hands, as he has managed to kidnap every Bat-family member while he also stages a wedding, a roller-skating date, a coronation, and a freaking zombie/cannibal apocalypse.

Batgirl and Nightwing have been the only two books that have allowed the Joker to actually affect the universe and give the tie-ins some stakes. Robin's tie-in with Batman and Robin is the only one that's executed the cookie-cutter "Joker ties up X, monologues half the book then has a twist ending" format in an interesting manner. And while Red Hood and the Outlaws SHOULD have stakes, but it tied itself into the garbage that is Teen Titans and created an incomprehensible mess.

Oh, and the quicker I can remove Catwoman and Suicide Squad's tie-ins from my memories entirely, the better.

So bearing all of this mess of a crossover in mind, I have one thing to say about Detective Comics #16 (and #15 last month): THANK YOU JOHN LAYMAN!!!

I have never been happier that a writer chose to not include the Joker in his book physically. The angle taken here is that Detective will explore Gotham's more insane reactions to Joker's presence.  That means hoards of copycat gangs that Batman has to shut down.

Incredibly, this calls back to the gang of Joker sympathizers who protested in Detective #5. I honestly thought Tony Daniel's run was going to be thrown out, but I love how Snyder and Layman are both taking elements from the earlier stories to build their narratives.

There are some weaker dialogue moments, such as when he tells a gang of copycats to disperse. He sounds very little like Batman here, but then again, he said these are a gang of goofballs who announce their crimes via tweet, so maybe he figures authoritative warnings are enough to scare them straight.

The main gang Batman is trying to find is called the League of Smiles, who are led by an interesting new villain who is revealed in the final page of the main story. One of the new members of the gang provides a unique look at how someone inspired to madness by Joker can be the way that they are.

Honestly, though, what made this book buy-worthy for everyone, I'd say, is the backup story, which features Ignatius Ogilvy, now known as the Emperor Penguin, seizing control of Cobblepots gang of criminal allies (who were also part of a bizarre Tony Daniel story).

This piece gives a read into how he came into power and showed that he is very different from Cobblepot in how he handles situations. Emperor Penguin has a level of self-preservation and sees no reason not to destroy someone expendable without warning or hesitation.

I really can't wait for this storyline to move back into the forefront because if Layman can advance a plot and make it this compelling through a surrounding narrative (I love how the backup actually ties into the main story event though their plots through details that really didn't get much focus in Snyder's story, by the way), then I'm truly excited to see where he can take this thing.

Just PLEASE don't make it a crossover event.

Superior Spider-Man #1

I felt like I was obligated to skim through this in the comic store after following Spidey's last arc in Amazing Spider-Man #698-700.

For those uninitiated, the final arc of "Amazing" involved Peter Parker's body being taken over by Doc Ock while Ock's body died. So naturally, "Superior" begins with Ock-in-Peter mourning his old discarded corpse and the soul he supplanted.

One problem that immediately jumps out here is that Ock's mentality has shifted heavily from last issue. While it makes sense that he'd be upset all his future accomplishments will be done in Peter Parker's name and not his own, he shows none of the effects Peter's soul supposedly had on him.

Over the course of a few fights, Spidey runs from a fight when it's clear he'll have to take some lumps to win and nearly uses lethal force more than once.

The question is how much 'wrong'
you'll take to undo 'One More Day.'

The only humor in it are the scenes where Ock tries and fails to make Peter-esque jokes (though his quick about D-list villains calling themselves Sinister Six was an actual great line), and where Ock acts like a weird perv in front of Mary Jane.

My only hope for this storyline is that this somehow breaks the deal with Mephisto and the writers at Marvel actually make an attempt to write a 20-something Spider-Man who doesn't whine and complain like he's still a high-schooler.

Much of the character growth I think we're supposed to see with Ock has been thrown out with this new writer and it's not for the better. Oh, and the last few panels pretty much confirm something we already knew would be the case, so thanks Marvel for already establishing from Issue #1 that you have no intention of taking this storyline seriously.

At least with the VERY flawed clone saga, you actually had a new status quo that theoretically could have stuck. Here, you've pretty much given your story a shelf life from the beginning and made it clear that I should keep no emotional investment in your current title character, because he's leaving, most likely only serving to alienate Parker's body from his allies and setting the character (again) back to square one.

Thank you, Marvel, for making my purchasing decisions VERY easy for the foreseeable future.

If you want some Marvel recommendations: Indestructible Hulk, All-New X-Men, and Avengers in that order. If you want one to avoid purchasing, I think I just found you one!

Follow me at twitter.com/seantherebel and like my page at www.facebook.com/SeanNetworkBlogs.

Death of the Family Part 10: Teen Titans #15 and quick Throne of Atlantis thoughts

As I read the Teen Titans part of the Death of the Family crossover, all I could ask is, 'What the H'el am I reading?'

I really do respect Scott Lobdell for actually being able to tell a good story with Jason Todd as Red Hood, but I've not been at all thrilled with his Teen Titans stuff. Tim Drake's bizarre origin story, sadly, has been the highlight of this book.

That deeply upsets me as someone who has read the Wolfman-Perez era Titans and know how good storied can be with this team.

This bit of madness is not only a crossover for DOTF, it's a crossover within a crossover, combining Red Hood and the Outlaws' story with this one.

But if you thought you'd need to read RHATO to understand this book, I can promise you it won't make the slightest bit of difference. The two books share the exact same final page, and everything else is an independent story.

This book is narrated through Tim Drake's somehow omnipotent mind, as he seems to know exactly what is happening in the outside world with his team but can't seem to figure out what is happening with him.

The Titans (who should NOT be in a Joker crossover event) request help finding Tim from Batgirl, who comes off as someone with a superiority complex, looking down on all of them before leaving to  take on more important Joker-related things.

As an aside, if those things are what's happening in her book, I have no earthly idea how she's found time to meet with these guys. If not, the fact that Tim is so low on her totem pole of priorities really makes her seem like a b**ch.

Anyway, the Titans in this book in no way compel me the way the Donna Troy Wonder Girl, Raven, Cyborg, Beast Boy and Starfire did, and much of that can be placed on Lobdell not realizing that new readers would be picking this up and thinking to add give some BACKGROUND on the people he forced into the story.

Seriously, I don't think these characters should even be in a DOTF event, but if you insist, let me know who they are! I know nothing about the naked storm girl or the annoying European guy (supposedly they're Solstice and Danny the Street). The current versions of Wonder Girl and Kid Flash are less competent and funny, respectively, than Donna Troy and Wally West.

Oh, if that's Solstice, WTF happened to her body that she looks like the embodiment of outer space? Background, Lobdell! We need background!

The rest of the book follows a basic formula. Tim is trapped by Joker, who monologues endlessly, then he goes after the Titans, who are trying to find Tim.

I'm sure you're thinking the same thing: Why is Joker going after the Titans? I don't know, because this guy's supposed to be planning to destroy BATMAN'S mind, NOT Red Robin. There is a moment where you become unsettled at what Joker may know, but it's lost in oh so much crap.

I think Lobdell is a better character writer than a plot writer. Part of RHATO's charm is it has a feel like "The Expendables" where the story is basically a conduit for awesome character moments. That is not working here, mostly because if it tries to enter a grander narrative, it feels out of place.

This book needs a new creative team, really. Lobdell made his characters enjoyable to read, but he's taken them as far as he can, and someone has to give them a story to develop before they stagnate any further.

Briefly, I'm going to give you my thoughts on the early issues in the Justice League/Aquaman crossover, Throne of Atlantis. Read it. Buy it. Love it.

This may well go down as one of Aquaman's three best stories ever. I love how although there is a clear good and bad guy, the bad guy isn't a simple evil being. It's a political story where both sides have a philosophy on how to handle land/sea relations.

Aquaman and Orm clearly have respect for each other and neither wants to fight the other. They can respect each other's differences, which will make it all the more tragic if Orm becomes motivated to become a pure villain. This has very much a Professor X/Magneto vibe from X-Men: First Class, but with more awesome heroes.

The books should still be available somewhere, and definitely can be bought digitally, so take a look!

I'll be back Wednesday with Detective Comics' final DOTF crossover piece.

Follow me at twitter.com/seantherebel and like my page at www.facebook.com/SeanNetworkBlogs.

Comic Book Reviews: Amazing Spider-Man #700

With the holidays other than Kwanzaa now passed, comic book stores have to deal with the lack of new books coming out until the new year.

BUT... three ongoing series in the two major superhero companies did get released: Amazing Spider-Man #700 for Marvel and two entries to the Throne of Atlantis crossover with DC (Aquaman #15/Justice League #15).

I will be givig my brief thoughts on the TOA crossover issues later in the week, so let's get to Spidey!

This issue has been long anticipated for two reasons. 1) When Superior Spider-Man launches next month, the title that has been Spidey's home for more than four decades will be retired. And 2) This is supposedly the final issue of Spider-Man where Peter Parker is under the mask.

I've already reviewed the two issues in this arc leading up to this, so you can reference those reviews if needed. As for this issue, a spoiler-free review would be difficult so I'll give my overall thoughts before going into the plot.

I think shifting of wills aspect was an interesting development and there was just really good emotion the entire time. I liked the art, although the narration boxes required a couple reads in order to understand exactly what you were looking at.

I do think the change-up of Spider-Men makes for some interesting stories, but overall, I'm not sure I'm sold on this idea. It didn't help that the change wasn't more gradual. This wole thing felt too hurried.

Now for SPOILERS
*******
*******

Peter Parker is in Doc Ock's body with minutes remaining before the years of damage finally collapse Ock's decaying shell of a body for good.

To get back in his suit, Parker had to enlist Hydro-Man, the original Scorpion and Trapster to form a new Sinister Six Four while the golden octobots that rewired Ock and Parker to begin with are sent out to undo the damage.

The book is a series of clever plans by Parker in Ock's body being thwarted by the always-one-step-ahead Ock in Peter's body.

The best emotional moments by far are Peter's near-death trip to the netherworld/hallucination where he meets every family member and friend who has died in the previous issues (the most amazing being Uncle Ben, and Gwen and John Stacy). and a scene where Mayor J. Jonah Jameson reveals his affection for his brother and Aunt May (who are a couple now).

Ock's scenes with Mary-Jane felt weird, but they gave me hope that this could be a way to overrule "One More Day" and end the deal with Mephisto, so I won't bi*** too hard.

The whole thing ends with Peter dying in Ock's body, but because of their mind link, Ock is forced to experience all of Peter's life as it flashes before them both. As Peter dies, he utters the "With great power..." line and Octavius promises to carry out Parker's mission with their combined intelligence as the Superior Spider-Man.

As I said, this is not going to be permanent. I'd be shocked if it was. As a native Las Vegas resident, I've set the over/under for Ock's tenure at about 16.5 issues/8.25 months (to avoid tied bets).

Admittedly, there are enough stories to keep this up for a couple years, but I think we'll see some backlash here. I don't hate this story as much as One More Day because everyone is behaving somewhat decently, but I'm definitely not sure of this game plan going forward. Otto Octavius (in Peter Parker's body) fighting crime as Spider-Man?

I'd talk about the back-up stories, but they're clearly non-canon. They are enjoyable reads, though, so if you don't like the developments of the main story, these two will at least help you feel better. Have fun with them.

And good luck to Superior's writers. Make me want to see what happens!

Follow me at twitter.com/seantherebel and like my page at www.facebook.com/SeanNetworkBlogs.

Why I... Defend 'The Grinch' as a good movie

Follow me at twitter.com/seantherebel and like my page at www.facebook.com/SeanNetowrkBlogs.

In my blog earlier this month about the Top 5 Fun but Forgotten Holiday Specials, I said that I felt the need to defend a film that has drawn a great deal of critique (hatred) from a great deal of people.

There are plenty who like it, but so many call it a "guilty pleasure," as if conceding the film is bad they can't justify what's good about it.

That movie is the live-action adaptation of Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," known originally as "The Grinch" but given the full title upon release.

This film received mixed critical reactions more than a decade ago, is hated by my mom and was the butt of not one, but two reviews on Channel Awesome.

To be fair, both the Critic and the Chick's videos were hilarious and they both raise valid points about the movie's flaws. But their statements really set out a point in my mind: While so many have given accounts of what detracts from the film, no one has ever really given an account as to what makes the movie good.

This is upsetting because if the general populous just comes to see it as a guilty pleasure, they'll just shut their brains off while enjoying the movie and the aspects of this film that I think are deserving of cultural consideration will be shut out.

That's unacceptable. Director Ron Howard took a basic story that by all rights should not have been able to fill more than 30 minutes and developed it into a full-length feature with a message that could hit home. It's the only Seuss adaptation that I'd consider to be a worthy successor to the story it adapts and it deserves a proper focus on what it does well (weighed against its missteps).

As such, let's dive into it!

This film takes place on a snowflake. Nice move tying this Whoville to the one in "Horton Hears a Who," though I'm not sure how the timeline works.

The most interesting aspects of the early scenes of the film are twofold. First, the Grinch does go down to Whoville at times to mess around with the citizens. This allows the chance to advance the plot and explains how he knows what goes on in Whoville at Christmas (despite the bizarre protests I've heard that he never went near Whoville and instead used an unseen super-telescope to stalk monitor the Whos).

Second, the Whos are aware of the Grinch and do fear him to some extent. I'd have to assume this is true in all other versions of the Grinch even if it's not seen. I really can't imagine Seuss writing the Grinch as an unseen peeping Tom, or the Whos as completely oblivious to the fact that their presents are being returned by a being covered in green hair.

It's at this point that I should bring up Jim Carrey's performance. Carrey is definitely a love-or-hate kind of actor and I do happen to enjoy his films. I liked his personas in The Mask, Batman Forever and Yes Man, among others, and this is no different.

Yes, he puts facial expressions into everything, but when your makeup makes you look like the actual Grinch (and that makeup was epic), you have to be lighter. The Grinch can be unpleasant, but he doesn't look threatening, and both the film and cartoon acknowledge this by inserting lightness into him.

He definitely goes overboard in certain scenes, but mostly it's legitimately funny and I do actually feel for him as a character, which isn't as present in the cartoon until the end (which is by design, but I'm just making the point that Howard wanted the Grinch to have a likability to him from the start, and he succeeded).

While in Whoville, he pranks the post office... Actually, let me just ask: WHY do they need a post office? From what I can tell, Whoville is a fairly small town and I've yet to see another town on their snowflake, so why is a post office that large necessary? I'm just going to guess there's a "Whatville" and "Whyville" on the snowflake as well and this is years of advancement after HHAW.

OK, so he pranks the post office and out of guilt has to rescue a Who girl that he terrified. This is Cindy Lou Who, who is 8 and not 2. I actually prefer that to the cartoon because, well, how on Earth did a 2-year-old have that long of a sentence in the cartoon?

Cindy is played by Taylor Momsen. Yes, this Taylor Momsen:

I don't get it either, but she then finds herself fascinated by the Grinch and his hatred of Christmas at the same time that she was wondering about the hypocrisy of a commercialized Christmas.

And it is when she gets the Grinch's background that we see the message the Director Formerly Known as Richie Cunningham was going for. The Grinch is shown as a baby being "storked" into a tree during a Christmas party, where everyone's fun distracts them from the terrified baby hanging precariously on a branch.

I won't waste time explaining why the stork delivery story makes no sense in practice EVER or questioning what unholy creatures produced the Grinch baby in the first place, as it's been done to death already and there's no additional humor I could add. Besides, the point I'm making is mostly about the partying through a baby's fear thing.

As a kid, he's made fun of for being different and is shamed into a nasty shaving job, embarrassing him in front of his crush. All of this occurs, again, at Christmas, and he decides the utter hypocrisy of the town is enough to give up on his life there.

And thus we see what Ron Howard was going for. Unlike the cartoon/book Grinch, who simply hated the purity of Christmas and was overwhelmed by the spirit of Christmas that lived in the Whos' hearts, movie Grinch was disgusted by the hypocritical nature of the Whos' Christmas, and was not able to see The Light until the Whos did.

That is the message I always take from the movie and why I think this movie resonates with me. Commercialization of Christmas has been pushed to the Nth degree in my lifetime, and for me, the overall message of Christmas can only be found around family, at Mass and in the specials that emphasize that message over stuff like Santa's legend, reindeer and snowmen (which are good in their own right, just not in the same way).

It's so easy to get distracted from the true spirit of Christmas when people are running hog wild in stores mere hours after Thanksgiving dinner, and the Whoville here reflects that. The Grinch here is a lost soul who can't see the true purpose behind the commercial insanity, and Cindy Lou is experiencing the same feelings (without all the green-haired racism).

Unlike the cartoon, where the Grinch is a villain who reforms, here he is a lost individual who society failed, and it takes a cultural shift in order to bring him back into the fray. I really respect how Howard kept the core of the Grinch character intact with a twist to speak to the modern culture.

And this film goes all out with the commercialization. There's a gift exchange, fudge contest, pudding contest (by the way, the guy who tells the Grinch that what he's giving is not pudding is amazing), house lighting contest (which is better in the ABC cut because you see the resolution as well as some antagonistic character development from the mayor) and all kinds of utter madness.

Cindy Lou convinces the Grinch to give Who Christmas a chance by being the Cheer Meister, but the mayor (who was his bully) proceeds to be an asshole and propose to his crush, causing him to give a monologue about the failure of the Whos' Christmas and then... commit an act of terrorism?

Yeah, I like this movie, but I do think that stealing cars and blowing them up in order to commit arson on a pine tree is ridiculously excessive. Same goes for the fake rage he showed when Cindy got into his house. All that said, if you couldn't laugh at the blatant attempts to blindside the crowd, you're kind of a dull individual.

The Whos have backup decorations, though, and the Grinch is upset at the town's confidence through possessions. As such, he goes into the traditional Christmas-stealing story of the book and cartoon. It's executed as well as a live-action movie could, used the traditional "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" song, and even executed a nice Cindy-Grinch dialogue.

It's not without flaws, though, the most notable being the whole 'make the mayor kiss your dog's a**' thing. It's by far the least entertaining scene in the film and really should have been edited out.

Finally, we get to the Whos' revelation that they've been robbed blind, and they are understandably upset. It's not until Cindy's father defends her efforts to bring everyone together and reminds them that no one was hurt that the real point of Christmas comes through and they all triumphantly sing (to the Grinch's dismay).

Jumped the gun for the sake of a gag.

I LOVE this development. In the cartoon, the Whos just come out and start singing. They don't take inventory of the fact that anything is missing, don't make sure they're family is safe. They just walk out and assume that the family is all going to come out the door. I know the message is that they understand the true spirit of Christmas and Total Good defeats Total Evil, but this is a scene that needed to happen if you wanted to make a Grinch movie.

Grinch finally sees the true meaning of Christmas in a nice scene before having a heart attack where his heart "grows three sizes that day." This worked, but it could have been better. The heart growing when he sees Cindy visited him and is in mortal danger would have been WAY more effective.

Nonetheless, he saves the presents and Cindy, and they go back where he gives back the presents.

And once again, we see something the film did right that leaves me scratching my head in the original. In the original, Grinch comes down from Mt. Crumpit, gives all the toys back, and not only do the Whos not seem to register that he broke into their house and stole their crap, but they make him the guest of honor immediately. WTF?

This version does it right. Grinch realizes that he made a mistake and offers to take punishment. The Mayor expects the arrest to be made, but the town is moved by his contrition and forgives him. That little forgiveness scene gives the whole story a more human feel and is a nice touch that caps off the film.

Of course, since it's a rated G film, all things must round out, so Grinch gets the girl (Martha May, his crush, not Cindy Lou) and the Whos celebrate as a town in the Grinch's cave.

This is by no means a perfect special. There are weak points in the writing and gags are occasionally inserted at the cost of a chance to tell a better story. The set isn't as bad as people claim, but it could have been much more imaginative given the source material.

All that said, though, the good FAR outweighs any negatives and it's an excellent Christmas film. I look at it as a Spider-Man 2 kind of movie. Yes, it's goofy and doesn't take itself seriously, but it gets you emotionally invested all the way through and gets the point across that it wanted. That's the definition of a good movie.

I think the reason this movie gets the hatred/disdain it does is nostalgic backlash. The original special is considered such a classic that any attempts to rework the material, no matter how well-executed, will be met with extreme hatred. Similar issues happened with Amazing Spider-Man and Batman Begins, but the difference is that those movies took the series in such a different, more serious direction that they broke the original mold.

This Grinch had the additional issue of staying close to the source material, but with a backstory and modernized message. People insist on deriding it even though nothing it did was really an affront to the source material.

Overall, this film had real humor, nice emotion, great moments and Taylor Momsen's first musical performance. Can't really complain.

This is one of my favorite Christmas specials, and I can't imagine Christmas without this movie and the cartoon special.

I don't consider one outright superior to the other and won't even attempt to compare because their goals were different. Likewise, I don't expect detractors to suddenly love this movie, but hopefully I've given an argument for this movie that at least helps viewers look at this movie in a different light and helps them learn about themselves and what they like in cinema.

Merry Christmas, and I hope reading this at least makes you think about your tastes. If it does, let that be my gift to you. (If not, you now have the gifts of The Pretty Reckless' new single Channel Awesome reviews embedded in here.)

Oh Hai, Gail Simone! I thought you were fired

And just like that, Batgirl will continue her journey.

A mere month after Gail Simone's DC-exclusive contract expired, and her subsequent removal from the Batgirl title, Internet-based protesters have caused DC to bring her back.

Part of me just has to laugh at this, as now Simone is entering Grant Morrison/Geoff Johns levels of untouchable. That could be either good or bad, but here's to seeing her plans in Batgirl come to fruition!

Follow me at twitter.com/seantherebel and Like my page at www.facebook.com/SeanNetworkBlogs.