Watchmen, the movie

When I heard the big boys over at Hollywood were planning on making a movie based on the Watchmen comic book by Alan Moore, I couldn’t help but thinking how tough it would be to move that story from book to screen and still have something that was coherent… After the movie came out, I read some reviews and some viewers comments on how much the movie sucked compared to the book and so on…

Last night, I’ve finally watched the DVD and was not expecting much from it… I was pleased with the first few fighting scenes and pretty much with the overall movie itself. The cast was good; it was probably made with the book in mind as I found most actors resembled the characters they were incarnating with the exception of Adrian Veidt. I just thought the actor (Matthew Goode) wasn’t looking alike his character at all…

Regarding the story, lots of things were left off which means some secondary characters that had been more present in the book barely appear on screen… But the movie is already lasting something close to three hours so some skimming was obviously necessary… Then again, when the movie was announced I thought it’d be a trilogy. In that way they could have included all the side stories, maybe even raise some funds to keep the real ending of the story!!!

Yes, you read it well, the ending differs from the book… Which is a pity as it was my favorite part and actually made the book what it was. But apart from that, I found the movie was well conceived and pretty entertaining… I’m happy I watched it at home, though, as my wife kept on asking me to explain what was going on… Imagine me explaining it to her in the theater, without being able to pause the movie! And she’s the kind who asks the ending prematurely as well (if she knows you know) which would not be nice to those who paid their tickets and would be sitting next to us.

Mycomicshop.com weekly promotions

This week's promotion over at Mycomicshop.com are:

5% off pre-1981 issues

10% off modern-era issues in the following groups:
DC 1980's Titles
Archie Titles
Captain America Titles
Marvel M to Z Titles

How can you get access to the discounted prices? Easy, just click on one of the above links and enter my preferred customer password for this week: OLDMANLOGAN

Disclosure:
As I am part of their affiliate program, clicking on one of the above links will help me out raising some credits for my future purchases... Mycomicshop.com will credit 15% of your first order (yes, your first order only, not the following ones) on my account. As a way to thank you, I offer the weekly password so you can enjoy a 10% rebate... So we both win something in the end! Thanks for you support!

About those "grab bag" posts

About a month ago, I started writing "grab bag" posts similar to this one. Unfortunately, I found out I do not find "updated" good deals very often, which means it's not worth posting about it on a weekly basis... So instead of posting, I'll put up a list on my blog's front page that I'll update everytime I deem necessary. It will be more efficient that way.

A few months later…

You’ve finally reached the time to take your first lesson… If your case is similar to mine, you’ll probably have to phone the instructor first to book a specific time. His number should be provided by the driving school you’ve joined.

All schools have their practices taken at the same place. You will have to get to a “practice range” in the COTAI area, it’s the only one in Macau and it shouldn’t be really hard to find.

If you drive there (I know you don’t have your motorcycle license but you may be driving a car), the easiest way is to park in the Macau Dome’s parking lot. It is free of charge and within walking distance of the practice range.
If you do not own a car, I guess the bus is your best choice… Buses going to COTAI or Coloane should get you there, try looking at 15, 21, 21A, 25, 26, 26A bus routes. There are 2 bus companies in Macau, namely TransMac and TCM. Try checking their websites for info but it’s unfortunately all in Chinese. Here's a useful map I've prepared to help you find the location:


View Driving Practice Range in a larger map

When getting there, you’ll have to find a way to know where your instructor is… It can get tricky as all the schools are there and there’s no sign or anything to help out. The best way is to have a business card from your school and just show it to the first guy you’ll bump into… Of course, it’s even better if you can ask a girl ^^.

After meeting him, he will prepare some forms for you and ask you to go purchase some of those MOP10 stamps I mentioned in my previous post. You can buy a bunch of them at once, just do not forget to get them chopped every time you take a lesson as it will act as proof you took all 25 mandatory lessons.

At that point, the instructor should introduce your ride to you. Most schools (not to say ALL of them) use the very popular Suzuki S40 (Suzuki Savage 650 for older models). It’s a pretty reliable and pretty comfortable motorcycle which is probably the reason why it’s so popular among driving schools. It handles quite well too, although it’s a bit heavy and will not forgive the mistakes you may make while still in your first few days of practice… So if you tip it on the side too much, you’ll need some muscles to prevent it from hitting the ground or lifting it up once it’s lying on the asphalt.









A quick note regarding protective gear… The instructor will lend you a helmet every time you come to a lesson, you know, one of those 10 years old Calimero egg shells type helmets that was worn by 10,000 students before you.
So if you want to wear a proper helmet that fits your head, protects you in case of fall and smells funny only because YOU sweat in it and haven’t washed it for a while, do yourself a favor and bring your own.

Summer and Fall

In my first post about Superman for all seasons I was tentatively guessing the remaining 3 issues’ titles, and I was right for at least the second and third one (haven’t got to the fourth one yet)… So spring is followed by summer and fall… What a surprise!

It basically starts when we left off after the first issue. Clark starts his job at the Daily Planet and his new life as Superman as well. He’s a very lonely guy, though, and he realizes he’s not at home anywhere anymore as Metropolitans see him as a farmer boy from Smallville but he can’t seem to “understand” people in Smallville anymore… It’s kind of an “in between” situation that anyone who’s left “home” has probably struggled with before. It’s a different side of Superman, he’s a super being and all but still has Average Joe’s problems, feelings, dilemmas…

In the third chapter, the story is told from Lois Lane’s point of view while the narrator’s spot is picked up by Lex Luthor in the fourth. I still enjoy the story, although I couldn’t help but notice Tim Sale was probably in his “cubic” period when he drew those books… Maybe I didn’t notice in the first issue as most of it took place in Smallville and there weren’t many skyscrapers around, but he sure took his ruler out his pencil case right now… Remember how your art teacher taught you how to draw perspective in secondary school? Tim remembers, that’s for sure… And he’s applying the technique by the book… Maybe that’s intended but it’s far from mesmerizing to me…

No more yellow mask on the shelves

It is, yet again, the end of an Iron Fist series… It’s funny how it seems to get cancelled all the time. So this month, August 2009, you are able to get the 27th and last issue. It’s a good and a bad thing, actually. It’s bad because his adventures are coming to an end (or he’s taking a break) and it’s good because I’ll finally be able to start buying the TPBs and know there actually is an end to the story.

It’s also good as this series was only planned to last for 6 issues, but Marvel probably got surprised by the rise in popularity and decided to have it run longer… It surely has something to do with Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker working on the title. The first issue came out with an USD2.99 price tag; you can now find it at USD18.00… Good return!

Fraction and Brubaker did not actually work on the 27 issues, and lot of people dropped the series when they left. But I’ve read many who regretted it and hopped in again as the series was still good after the new team took over. Seems to me like a good sign, I’ll probably buy the collected issues once the last TPB comes out.

Looking for a school now?

So you’ve read my last post, understood it, followed my advice and setup a budget…? I guess you’re ready to subscribe to a driving school then. It’s not really hard to find one, really, as there’s a plethora of driving schools in Macau. You can find a list over here.

I personally went to Escola Condução Sang Chung Wa (Address: Tak Fok Seaview Gdn Kam Keng Kok in Taipa. Tel: 2882 0655). I had no particular reason for choosing that one over another, it just happened to be near where I reside, which finally didn’t really matter as I never set foot over there after subscribing. At least I was able to find someone who spoke English which helped setting up my application.

I believe most of the schools more or less charge the same, and I know by experience they all practice at the same place and use the same model of motorbikes as well… I’ll tell more about practice sessions in another post.

So if you’re holding a valid Macau driving license, they should charge you as follows:

• Application to driving exam + all related paper works and documents: MOP1,100
• 25 lessons + rental of the motorcycle on exam day: MOP3,250
• Insurance: MOP90
• Total: MOP4,440

You’ll also need to bring your Macau ID card, Macau driving license and 6 ID pictures (size 1.5 inches, in color and with white background). In case you do not hold a Macau ID, you can apply using your passport and work permit (they call it a “blue card” here).

When submitting your application, they will take you to a doctor (included in the price) to check your sight and make sure you’re not colorblind.

One thing that is good to know in advance is that there will be quite a lengthy period of time between the day you apply and your exam. In my case, I applied in April and was scheduled for exam in November… A nice 7 months wait… So basically, although you’ve applied and paid, the school will advise you to wait and start taking your lessons around 2 months before your exam. And you’d better keep good track of time as the school will not contact you and remind you about it.

One more thing not shown above, a MOP10 fee is requested to use the practice range for each lesson taken. Basically, you’ll have to purchase some stamps and get one chopped every time you practice (or two, or three, depending on how long you stay) so it adds MOP250 to the total price, although it is not paid to the school but to IACM (Instituto para os Assuntos Cívicos e Municipais)

Remarks:

• The information/prices shown are up to date on posting day.
• The information/prices shown refer to “A type license for motorcycles of 650cc and over” application.
• The fee related to 25 lessons + rental of the motorcycle on exam day can be paid on application day or later when starting taking the lessons.
• Each lesson lasts 50 minutes.

Morning read

I woke up a bit late this morning, a bit too late to have my morning gaming session like I usually do. So instead logging on to my favourite game, I picked up a book from my comics collection… I was not sure what to read exactly, I was on a lengthy Brian Wood diet and thought maybe I should give somebody else a shot (although I still have to start Local).

My hand finally found its way to one of many Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale’s collaboration I had yet to read: Superman for all seasons

While at first I found the art a bit simplistic, I quickly found back Sale’s style and attention to all the little details he likes to put in his backgrounds. It’s very different than what he did on all the Batman books I read so far, but somehow similar in some ways…

So far the story is OK. It starts in Smallville just when Clark Kent is about to graduate. I’ve only read the first chapter (Spring) and am about to start the second one (Summer)… As it’s a 4 part story, I could bet the 3rd and 4th chapters will be Autumn (or maybe Fall) and Winter. Now I kind of know why the title is Superman for all seasons.

I think the first chapter starts of the book pretty nicely, I like the way Clark’s father is the narrator of the story and also seeing Clark evolving from a teenage kid to Superman, actually discovering more and more of his powers and realizing he should use them for the good of mankind. I know this “Epiphany” thing is such a cliché to some, but it works on me… I know I’m an easy prey and vultures will feast on my flesh, alright…

Only one thing bothered me in this issue… At some point, some kid is chasing a kitty on the edge of a building (you know, those edges that look like they’re actual sidewalks that go around a building?)… All kids do that right? Anyway, so the kid is chasing the kitty and he suddenly trips or something and starts falling off the building. Of course, Superman flies in, saves the kid from certain death, and takes him down to safety… back on the building’s edge!!! Come on, Superman, that’s a big “no-no” to you on the safety side…

Tough decision…

As you have read yesterday in my post, I really enjoyed Brian Cronin’s Cool Comic Book Moment yesterday. Coincidently, Mycomicshop.com is having promotions on Thor titles… Should I shell out USD100 and get the entire Walt Simonson’s run? Is it really worth biting the bullet? Leave comments to let me know what you think.

Mycomicshop.com weekly promotions

This week's promotion over at Mycomicshop.com are:

5% off pre-1981 issues

10% off modern-era issues in the following groups:
DC A to L Titles
Thor Titles
Valiant Titles
X-Men Titles

How can you get access to the discounted prices? Easy, just click on one of the above links and enter my preferred customer password for this week: THOR

Disclosure:
As I am part of their affiliate program, clicking on one of the above links will help me out raising some credits for my future purchases... Mycomicshop.com will credit 15% of your first order (yes, your first order only, not the following ones) on my account. As a way to thank you, I offer the weekly password so you can enjoy a 10% rebate... So we both win something in the end! Thanks for you support!

Brian Cronin

Does that name sound familiar to you? Probably not, just like it was the case for me some months ago… I think I may have linked to a couple of his posts (or should I say articles?) in the past but maybe without referencing to him directly… I think I also had a link to the “Comics Should Be Good” (CSBG) section over at Comic Book Resources, but it probably got wiped out when I accidentally messed up my blog’s template…

I keep a CSBG Feed in Outlook so I’m able to keep track with what is going on at his website and read religiously each and every update; it’s really quality stuff you’ll find there, not only from Brian Cronin but also from other contributors who occasionally share a slice of their lives as well.

This morning, when checking my subscribed feeds, I read through the CSBG section and found Brian’s daily post in his “A Year of Cool Comic Book Moments” series. He was featuring some panels from Walt Simonson’s The Mighty Thor #362, and while I usually enjoy reading this section, this morning was a bit different than usual. Those panels really vibrate, there’s something about them I cannot explain that really touched me inside and brought a sense of respect for that character. I found it so strong it just made me want to order Thor titles right away (I’ve never read Thor before…)

At the end of his posts, Brian always mentions what he thinks being “THE” moment in those panels… I know the year isn’t over yet and there are still 136 “Cool Comic Book Moments” but out of all the ones that have been published so far, I think that particular one gets the crown.

Still in a Wood Mood

One more down, some more to go… After finishing Demo’s last story, I decided to start reading Fight for tomorrow which happens to be yet another Brian Wood’s story. It’s funny, I thought I’d be growing tired of Brian Wood’s work after reading his 4 other books but I am not… It must be because of 2 things, the first one is they’re usually quite different stories that don’t give me a “Déjà vu” feeling when reading them, and the second one must be because he’s just a good writer/artist.

I have not purchased Fight for tomorrow in a trader paperback format but bought all the single issues. Honestly, the story isn’t super original, but the way it’s written kept me wanting to read more after finishing every issue. I also liked the way it’s set in the Asian community of New York. I don’t live there and do not know if they have those small Buddhist temples like in the one in the book but it felt quite believable.

The art was nice as well, the fighting scenes were fun to read, I enjoyed the way they were sketched, the smudgy edges after receiving or giving punches added something to them… Only one thing, I somehow got some trouble recognizing the main character sometimes… His face just kept changing appearances and I’m not sure it was because of the bashing he’s getting all along that story…

Anyway, all in all, this book is not going to change the way you think about comic books, but it was entertaining enough to have me read it in one go and still enjoyed it even I was left with a “yeah I saw that coming from far away” feeling. Still pretty good, just not revolutionary, which is actually nice sometimes.

You are not ready to look for a school just yet…

I had a small hiccup during my application to convert my license to a local one… For some reason, my government decided not to reply to the DSAT’s enquiry regarding my license so they proposed the following to me: “We’ll allow you to have a Macau license to drive cars only, but your other licenses won’t be transferred…”

I felt kind of funny as I had been riding a scooter around for over 7 years without any problem and DSAT was now telling me they thought I was not eligible anymore (something about my country and Macau different requirements when it comes to motorcycles licenses…). So anyway, my only choice to ride legally was to get some lessons and pass the driving test.

I’ll talk about my experience with my driving school and all in a later post… What comes first is a more financial subject that I want to cover as motorcycles’ prices here differ quite a bit when compared to U.S. or Europe… Here are some price ranges for different types of motorcycles:

• 125cc: HKD15,000 to 20,000
• 250cc: HKD35,000 to 60,000
• 400cc: HKD70,000 to 80,000
• 650cc and over: HKD80,000 to 120,000

This short list should give you a better idea of how much money you will have to save to afford your ride. Of course, you may find some exceptions here and there… Also note that I’ve only included prices for street bikes (meaning scooters have been excluded) and this is only for reference…

So take a good look at the prices, go around the different dealers (I’ll give a list and map later on), try to find a bike you like… Once you’ve set your mind and accepted the fact you’ll have to spend that much money on a ride, start looking for a school and subscribe.

Driving in Macau

So here you are… Just off the boat or airplane, you’ve successfully cleared the immigration and now have only one thought on your mind: “I need some wheels!” Well, not so fast… You need a license first! That’s if you want to drive legally of course…

First thing you have to consider is how long you are actually staying in Macau. If you are planning on staying for 1 year or less, you can skip that post as you will be able to get a driving authorization very easily…

Just be on your way to the traffic police station and look for the right counter. They’ll issue a paper, valid for 6 months, that basically states “the holder is allowed to drive whatever is written on his foreign driving license” and you’re good to go… You can actually get that paper first, and drive that way for the first year you’ll be staying in Macau.

After a year, though, you’re supposed to get a local license if you want to keep on driving. Your first option is to start from scratch… Find a driving school, pass the written and driving tests and you’ll be the proud owner of a Macau driving license. One little detail, though, is written tests have to be conducted either in Chinese or Portuguese so if you neither read nor understand either one of these, you’re kinda stuck…

Your best option, that will save you some time and money, is to exchange your license for a local one. That way, you’ll have the written test cleared automatically and will be able to take any driving test you want to (that’s if you want to drive something more than you already can, and if not, you won’t have to take any driving test)

“What do you mean exchange my license to a local one? I do not want to lose the right of driving in my country!”
Don’t worry, the Macau authorities will not take your license away to issue a local one… I am now holding both licenses and can drive when I go back to my country. Although I’ve heard they actually confiscate your license if it was issued by the Portuguese government to send it back to Portugal… So if you’re Portuguese, you may want to find some kind of a trick before handing your license to them.

“OK I’m reassured now, how do I get one?”
Actually, the process is pretty straight forward. You have to go to Direcção dos Serviços para os Assuntos de Tráfego (DSAT) located at the following adress:
Avenida da Praia Grande, 762-804, Edifício China Plaza, 2nd floor.
Hotline: +853 8866 6363.
Website: http://www.dsat.gov.mo (only in Chinese and Portuguese)

You’ll have to fill in an application, and if you want to be ahead of the game, try to get those documents filed in before going there:

• Form nº 3A
• Form nº011/DLC
• Medical Certificate

You will also need to provide:

• a copy of a valid Macau ID (I think passports should work too, call their hotline for confirmation)
• 2 ID pictures, size 1.5 inches, in color and with white background (just ask for a driving license picture in a photo shop and they’ll know what you need)
• Last but not least: 1,000 Patacas

With all this you should be good to go… Of course, do not forget to bring you foreign license and all the originals (ID, passport, whatever…). It could take a while as they’ll try to contact your government to verify the validity of your license and such. I’ve got mine after 3 months but some of my colleagues only had to wait for 1 month, it all depends on your luck I guess.

Mycomicshop.com weekly promotions

This week's promotion over at Mycomicshop.com are:

5% off pre-1981 issues

10% off modern-era issues in the following groups:
1950's comics
Justice League/Society Titles
Marvel A to L Titles
Promotional Titles

How can you get access to the discounted prices? Easy, just click on one of the above links and enter my preferred customer password for this week: VOLTRON

Disclosure:
As I am part of their affiliate program, clicking on one of the above links will help me out raising some credits for my future purchases... Mycomicshop.com will credit 15% of your first order (yes, your first order only, not the following ones) on my account. As a way to thank you, I offer the weekly password so you can enjoy a 10% rebate... So we both win something in the end! Thanks for you support!

Am I still reading?

The answer is yes, only it is at a very slow pace… As a matter of fact, I joined a new guild in WoW and have been enjoying partying with them a lot. We do all kinds of stuff; even more since patch 3.2 went live… We burst through heroics again to get all those emblems of conquest, we’re farming Trial of the Champion in both normal and heroic modes to get some sweet new gear… Tons of fun…

So yeah, I’ve been pretty busy in my virtual world but am still reading some comics and I found the perfect book that fits nicely for these busy gaming times. After finishing Kraven’s Last Hunt, I picked up Brian Wood’s Demo from my shelf and am pretty happy I did. Demo consists in a collection of 12 stories that have nothing to do with each other, and as they’re not related at all, it enables to you read one issue at a time without worrying about how long will pass before you manage to read the next one… So after each story, you can decide to read the next one right after or just let the book sit there for a week, which, I admit, I’ve been doing… So anyway, if you’re being caught up with life recently, this book is for you. You’ll be able to stay in touch with the world of comics without having to spend too much time (in one chunk that is) to do so.

I think Brian Wood must have had loads of fun working on that book as he got to play around with different stories that touch a plethora of topics which I, by now, know he likes bringing up in his books, from war to relationships or discrimination, family, jobs… Different aspects of society are being depicted and you should get touched by AT LEAST one of those stories and the fact that they begin and end in a single issue makes the message they carry even stronger in my opinion.

This is probably one of the books you MUST own, so drop everything you’re doing and order your copy now!

Mycomicshop.com weekly promotions

This week's promotion over at Mycomicshop.com are:

5% off pre-1981 issues

10% off modern-era issues in the following groups:
Charlton Titles
Crime/Mystery Titles
DC Titles
Hulk Titles

How can you get access to the discounted prices? Easy, just click on one of the above links and enter my preferred customer password for this week: EUREKA

Disclosure:
As I am part of their affiliate program, clicking on one of the above links will help me out raising some credits for my future purchases... Mycomicshop.com will credit 15% of your first order (yes, your first order only, not the following ones) on my account. As a way to thank you, I offer the weekly password so you can enjoy a 10% rebate... So we both win something in the end! Thanks for you support!