Written by a reclusive woman living with her two fellow authors and sisters in a remote part of in the North of England, Wuthering Heights is a truly beautiful and troubling novel. The language is simple, rather bare from ornamental phrasing, and quite dignified, especially when considering the speaker of the story for most of the book. The choice of narrator is also very apt, for nearly the entire story is told from the perspective of a housemaid named Ellen or “Nelly,” and then relayed to the reader by a nondescript and nearly anonymous newcomer to the scene.

Emily Bronte, before writing Wuthering Heights, wrote mainly poetry, but had always aspired to be a writer since she was very young, along with her sisters. It was not until later in life when they all found themselves living together, and with very little company besides, that the Bronte sisters took seriously to novel writing. Two of them died, shortly after publishing their books, and it is interesting to note that had they not lived together as they did, giving each other advice and inspiration, none of them may have published anything at all before they passed away. Emily Bronte’s death also adds a certain eery validity to her tale, as the plot is based heavily on the deaths of the characters in it, and it could even be said that death, sometimes symbolic death, but much more often a literal death, is the primary component. Indeed, Heathcliff, in a sense the most important person in the book, wishes death for almost all of the people who do die, even going so far as to kill his young, sickly son through neglect emotional, and perhaps physical, abuse. Around this point in the story, I could not help feel somewhat sick and confused as to what Emily Bronte’s motives for painting Heathcliff as such an awfully inhuman creature were, although this feeling certainly melted away by the end.

Emily Bronte must have spent a great deal of time working beforehand on the structure of Wuthering Heights, as at some times during my reading the words were like a puzzle being fitted together with each paragraph another piece put in place. This intense focus on structure also attributed to the simple and sometimes concise style of writing, with all foreshadowing being explained either directly upon its issue or beforehand through the eyes of the man Ellen is telling her tale to. This is not to say that it is in anyway formulaic, as the story itself is very original, imaginative, and poetic in its grief.

As to the believability of Wuthering Heights, I am on the fence. The dialogue leans most often to melodrama, as do the motives of Heathcliff, but everything else appears so natural and mundane that it was hard to completely remove myself from what was happening, even if the motives and reasonings felt oftentimes alien to my own thoughts and feelings.

All together, I enjoyed the winding yet solid story immensely, and feel that that is its strong point, as opposed to style or concept. I would recommend it to anyone who wouldn’t find the writing drab or boring or too slow, which I fear might be too many people in this age of glitz, sex, fire, and Internet.

Warning: Here There Be Spoilers!

On Wednesday March 17th Marvel Comics released Siege #3, the third issue of their four issue miniseries, Siege, written by Brian Michael Bendis and drawn by Oliver Coipel. It chronicles Norman Osborn’s (better known as the Green Goblin) unsanctioned military strike on Asgard, home of Thor and the rest of the Norse gods, and currently floating near the small town of Broxton, Oklahoma. This was a ridiculously cool comic. From the opening double-page spread of Captain America smacking Osborn in the face with his shield all the way to the final cliffhanger, this comic is packed with cover-to-cover excitement. And when I say excitement, I mean it! This issue is the definition of non-stop superhero action. As Captain America and the Avengers arrive in Asgard to aid Thor and his brethren the tides finally begin to turn. That’s when Norman calls in his reinforcements, in the form of The Hood and his gang of super-criminals. Who do…not much at all, quite frankly. I’m not quite sure why Bendis threw them in there, but I’ll just assume that it’ll be justified next issue. Back in Washington D.C. the President authorizes a strike on Norman Osborn’s own strike force, H.A.M.M.E.R., and a squadron of jet fighters shoot down the H.A.M.M.E.R. helicarrier, killing Norman’s right-hand woman, Victoria Hand. Maybe. It wasn’t very clear. She might have jet-packed her way to safety off-panel. But she’s probably dead. Meanwhile, also in the skies above Asgard, Thor is doing battle with Osborn’s attack dog, the insanely powerful Bob Reynolds, codenamed Sentry, who is being taken over by his dark side, The Void. To give you some perspective on just how strong this guy is, the most common description of his powers is the “power of one million exploding suns”. And this was before Norman jacked him up on even more of the serum that gave him his powers. Said powers consist of Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, reflexes, senses, and durability, Energy projection, Matter manipulation, Flight, Telepathy, Resurrection, and Healing. Yeesh. Also, it’s been hinted that The Void is actually the embodiment of the wrath of the biblical god or something. He also ripped Ares in half last issue. Yes, that Ares. The Greek god of war. Ripped him right in two. That doesn’t bode well for Thor. Back on Asgard’s battlefield, Captain America is gaining the upper hand in one-on-one combat with Osborn. To make matters worse for the villain, Iron Man returns to the battlefield and hacks into his “Iron Patriot” armor, and deactivates it’s systems. Osborn knows that he’s lost, and pulling out one last gambit, he calls Sentry back down to Asgard. Actually, let me correct myself. He calls Sentry back down into Asgard. And right through the other side. And then back in, and back out, over and over. Until the whole city is brought crashing to the ground with a series of FABOOM’s and KRAKKAFABOOM’s. Asgard lies in ruins, and Norman is left crawling out of the wreckage. And straight to Captain America. His armor clatters to the ground, revealing a truly unsettling sight. In a scene chillingly rendered by Coipel, we see that he’s gone further off the deep end than ever before. His face is painted in the visage of his trademark goblin mask, and you can tell that this man is one truly disturbed individual. He raves about how the Avengers “HAVE NO IDEA” what they’ve done, until he’s silenced by a punch in the jaw from the spectacular Spider-Man. That had to be the most satisfying single punch in the last decade of comics, made all the more amazing by the years of history between the two men. But it’s not over yet. No, it’s far from it. Back to his senses (at least temporarily), Norman directs the Avengers’ attention to the sky. Hovering in the air, cross-legged, is Bob Reynolds. But there is no more Sentry. There is no more Bob. There is only The Void, a black and red monstrosity covered in massive, spider-like, clawed appendages, and emitting equal parts bright yellow kirby crackle and pitch-black darkness. Looks pretty grim.

Bendis, Bendis, Bendis. Right when I get out, he pulls me right back in. The man has been writing the Avengers for about five years or so now and his writing, which I absolutely loved at first. But lately, it’s really started to wear me down. And then he goes and releases Siege. This series has completely redeemed him in my eyes, and I really can’t get enough of it. And then there’s Oliver Coipel, the man behind the fantastic art that graces the comic’s pages. His attention to details, fluid character movements, and impeccable landscapes make him one of, if not the best of Marvel’s exclusive artists. The only weak points I could see were the return of Iron Man, which, while awesome, seemed a bit tacked on, and the arrival of The Hood and his crew. That just felt unnecessary. But they were only minor flaws, and not nearly enough to lower my opinion of the issue even one iota. It gets Five Falling Cities Out Of Five!

It’s not news that teenagers shoplift. Nova students however, always held a good reputation with the businesses surrounding our old location on Cherry street. This past year though has seen our school relocate to a new set of surroundings; including a new set of lunch-time options. The traditional place of patronage for Novites was Tana Market—an independently owned and operated convenience store, while now the closest store and seemingly the new favorite place to eat of Nova students is one of two neighboring Safeway locations.

The new-found disconnect between us and our snack food has seemingly added to the appeal of shoplifting. I interviewed a Nova student who has only begun to shoplift this year, and when asked if he would ever steal from Tana he responded, “I wouldn’t and I haven’t, because they’re [Tana] a small business and they need the money.”

The same very common initial conditions amongst teens were the reasoning behind this students’ lifestyle change. “I was broke, I was hungry, and I don’t like paying for tasty chicken” confessed the student.

In the mere months since he began shoplifting, he estimates he has stolen, “…$150 worth of food and drink from Safeway…”

When asked if his lifestyle choices are socially acceptable at Nova, he responded, “I’ve never really had any problem with shoplifting, especially from a large corporation.”

Whether this students story is a unique side note or the indication of a trend, it is a sure sign that the face of Nova is changing. You be the judge on if that change is acceptable or not.

I bought two copies of this book by accident when I was book shopping, and decided to give one of them to my father’s wife, a woman named Lisa, for Christmas. She already had it, and told me that she loved it. I originally picked the book up because it is one of Barbara’s three favorite books, and I have a lot of respect for her tastes and ideas. Right around when I started reading the book, some time last month, a blond motherly middle-aged woman told me that it was an amazing book. Middle-aged women I do not know very rarely make contact with me, so she must have held the book in very great esteem indeed. I do not believe in using demographics as focus points for products or anything consumable, as everyone has their own likes and dislikes that may or may not be held in common with people in their own age or economic category, but there are certain things that tend to appeal to certain types of people.

While I did enjoy Beloved, I would not say that it is one of my favorite books, and I would not push it on anybody unless they have never read anything about the Reconstruction, because I believe that this is a period in history, especially southern history, that seems largely ignored by many people today. I believe it was an extremely important period in American as well as international history, where the economic and political future of America was unclear and in turmoil. This book does a good job of showing some of the differences between freedom and slavery, as well as how an exslave’s past might affect them in their newfound freedoms, and does explore being a black person during Reconstruction, but the story focuses more on the home that the main characters in the story live in, detailing the history of before it was “rented” out to Baby Suggs, the first black person to live in the home after the end of legal slavery, to when her daughter and granddaughter live in it. The structure of Beloved is very loose, with some chapters from the viewpoints of different characters, or at different times in their lives, and I felt as if I could see it grow as I read it, as if I could look into Toni Morrison’s head and see her ideas develop. I don’t know how she set out writing the book, whether the story was heavily planned or not, but from the way in which it is written, it seems very stream-of-consciousness in a way, as the ends of stories or ideas are presented before any background story or explanation, as if Morrison built upon her writing in layers, going back and forth with an abstract rhythm. Maybe it is because I have not read very many books like this, surely none as lyrical and poetic, but it was oftentimes very hard for me to piece the story together, and I still feel that there are some small gaps in my understanding of it even after finishing the book, but as I think about it they close up, and I believe that this is quite a writing feat. This is not to say that the story is not graceful or interesting, as it is beautiful and poignant, but I wished that I was able to understand all of the ideas, metaphors, and plot points.

Beloved, at its heart, is very much intertwined with concepts of motherhood, and what that means for people who are not able or allowed to be mothers, as well as a mother’s love for her children through trials and tribulations. In this respect, I feel that people who have been, want to be, or are mothers would be able to relate to and/or understand this book better than I can, and my experiences with other people who have read this book seem to uphold that idea. While I am not a mother, I can think still appreciate what a mother might go through, so while I can sympathize with this novel, it is hard to truly relate to it, as it may be for many other people in my demographic.

Today, “that crazy theater-obsessed girl” is bringing you information about local summer programs available for teens in the area of theater arts. Specifically, a slew of amazing classes hosted at Broadway Bound Children’s Theater, a local non-profit that is known for producing amazing, high-quality musicals casting only students, and giving all youth the opportunity to study and perform theater with wonderful professionals. For anyone who is interested in developing theater-oriented skills over their summer break, without committing huge chunks of time, Broadway Bound’s one-week-long performance camps are ideal.

Each of the camps offered at Broadway Bound (all take place in the University Heights Community Center in the U-district) gives five days to learn songs and dances, and develop skills and make friends, and each camp ends with a performance on the final day. I’m speaking firsthand saying that the camps at Broadway Bound are the most fun thing I’ve ever done on a school break. Over my mid-winter break, I spent four days learning the music and story of a great song, and on the fifth I got to perform it as a solo. It was an amazing experience and it was a great use of my break.

Because the camps are six hours a day and five days a week, and you can sign up in one-week segments, it’s a good option for someone interested in doing an arts camp, but not wanting to sacrifice any other summer activities – like travel, long-running classes, etc.

There are nine five-day long camp sessions available at Broadway Bound, and each week has one class that is specifically for teens (ages 13-17). Classes are available for younger children (as young as 6) as well, if you have any younger siblings, etc. Some of the teen classes include classes on vocal technique, monologue delivery, and dance styles in musical theater. There are also classes that will be learning songs from a selected show and performing them in a musical revue at the end of the week. Teen classes include revues for the shows Rent, Spring Awakening, and the TV show Glee. I’m excited and I want you to be, too!

Full tuition for each week is $250, but there are full and partial need-based scholarships available, and I would advise you to not pass up this opportunity. Broadway Bound is all about bringing the chance to participate in theater arts to youth, and if you’re serious about wanting to spend your break working in theater arts, I suggest you don’t let a lack of funds stop you from signing up! Visit Broadway Bound’s website for more information on the program, and this page for the full run-down and descriptions of the 2010 summer break camps, as well as the link to the registration form. And I hope to see some Nova kids at Broadway Bound this summer!

Scholarship information is available from the Broadway Bound office manager, Lauren Williams. Email for additional information: lauren@broadwaybound.org.

Now, I’d hate to be seen as a wimpy reviewer afraid to give out bad marks, so today I’m reviewing the musical playing for the rest of the weekend at the 5th Avenue Theater, Legally Blonde. Usually I have very little negative say about a musical, because I can find the good in almost any show. So I suppose my review of Legally Blonde will be more “mediocre” than bad. But nevertheless, I was getting sick of raving about every show in town all the time.

I have never seen the movie Legally Blonde, because frankly, I didn’t think I’d want to. So I have nothing to compare the musical version against, but here’s my take on it: the show is humorous. Ditzy. Fun. But it seems to me to be more of the type of musical that 11-year-old High School Musical fans like to attend, rather than a serious musical. I’m never against a funny musical, but this particular one wasn’t side-splittingly funny, and I couldn’t find any huge redeeming qualities in the music or the humor that made up for the tween-oriented storyline.

Really, I’m right on a  fence concerning Legally Blonde. To be upfront with my readers, I didn’t particularly want to see the show to begin with. A friend that went to see my favorite musical, Wicked, at my request, guilt-tripped me into going to her favorite musical in return. (She’s lucky I was able to find a $20 ticket to a weekday matinee, or the deal would’ve been off.) I went to the show trying to keep an open mind for my friend’s sake, which is probably why I’m not flaming the show altogether. The music is admittedly catchy and the plot is a cute, light story. And even though the music isn’t particularly complex and doesn’t really showcase any particular singers, the cast that’s performing at the 5th Avenue Theater is ridiculously talented and I was definitely glad to be able to see them all. The cast includes Becky Gulsvig as Elle Woods, who is a cute actress direct from Broadway who was the understudy for Elle in the original cast; and Coleen Sexton as Brooke Wyndham (a minor character, but Coleen majorly impressed me!).

On the flipside of the coin – Legally Blonde is a light kind of show for kids. If you quiz a group of middle school-aged girls (and possibly queer middle-school aged boys), the most popular musicals among them would almost undoubtedly be High School Musical, Hairspray, and Legally Blonde. (And if you can’t tell, my opinions of the first two are very low.) I consider it to be one of the watered-down, pop-style musicals that aren’t really designed for musical fans. The music is simple and the show overall is cheesy.

And yet, after saying all this, I have to admit that the opening number for Legally Blonde, also a big hit with young girls, “Omigod, You Guys!” has been running through my head since seeing the show, and I downloaded the soundtrack. So I guess I’m undecided. Here’s the short, condensed review for anyone considering seeing the show:

Rating on a scale of 1-10: 6.5

Appropriate for: ages 8+ (official rating is PG)

Best for: young children, people who haven’t seen many musicals, fans of the movie, or theatergoers in search of a lighthearted show

You can buy tickets to the four weekend shows at the end of Legally Blonde’s Seattle run here at the 5th Avenue Theater’s website. Tickets are rather reasonably priced for theater, starting at $29 for weekend matinees. And I’m going to plug the 5th Avenue’s 2010-2011 season here, because it’s recently been announced, and I’m very excited! The 5th Avenue is going to be hosting fresh-from-Broadway shows such as 9 to 5, Next to Normal, and In the Heights, as well as classic shows like Oklahoma! and Guys & Dolls!

images from BroadwayWorld.com and Playbill.com

Attention all Nova gamers: if you’re looking for something to do over your spring break, consider visiting the Seattle Public Library on April 1. The South Park branch of the library (located at 8604 Eighth Ave. S) will be hosting an all-ages gaming event. Why play outside when you could be in a nice, warm library, showing off your impressive finger reflexes to fellow gamers?

The event will be from 2:30 to 4:30 pm, and the news release says there will be Wii and Xbox games, as well as Dance Dance Revolution. There will also be board games for the more mellow “gamers.” The event is free and there is no need to register. There will also be snacks provided! (Thought I’d mention that, since it seems to be a selling point for many Nova students.)

You can call the South Park Branch of the Seattle Public Library at 206-615-1688 for additional information. This is a great opportunity to socialize with other gamers, new and experienced, and have a lot of fun, so I hope I’ll see you there!

Orca cards, the safe, easy, and convenient way to travel throughout King County and its adjacent counties. Orca cards take away the hassle of finding the correct change in your pockets or fumbling through that stack of bus cards. With this handy driver’s license-sized card you can now go easily from place to place or from transit system to other Western Washington public transit agency.  Orca cards work in one of three ways. The first is a regional pass, which would work much like the bus cards we have now. The second is an agency specific pass that allows unlimited rides on only certain transportation. The final option involves charging your card with a certain amount of money that would be deducted in small amounts as you ride public transportation.

Unfortunately for us, we aren’t going to be getting any Orca cards anytime soon. There were rumors going around that we would be making the switch to Orca cards very soon but Karen Podbela was able to tell me that next year would be the soonest and that there are still discussions going on as to how they will be dealt with for high school students.  For more information, go to orcacard.com

This Wednesday, as with every other Wednesday, I made my weekly pilgrimage to my local comic store to purchase what I hoped would be some awesome comics. I wasn’t disappointed. This week’s bounty consists of Amazing Spider-Man #623, First Wave #1, Invincible Iron Man #24, The Mighty Avengers #34, and Ultimate Avengers #5. This week’s books offered a refreshing break from giant crossovers, giving readers a chance to rest before diving back into the overwhelming sea of tie-ins.

Amazing Spider-Man #623, written by Mark Waid and drawn by Paul Azaceta continues the overarching “Gauntlet” storyline that’s been running for the last few months. So far, the story has been great, along with pretty much all of Spider-Man since the horror that was “One More Day” ended. The re-introduction of classic Spider-Man villains has been terrific, and the “Web-heads”, the writers behind the “Gauntlet” storyline (Bob Gale, Dan Slott, Fred Van Lente, Mark Waid, and Zeb Wells) have done a wonderful job of reinvigorating the characters and the book as a whole. Mad props to them. In this issue, Electro breaks the new Vulture free from Ryker’s Island Supermax Penitentiary. The Vulture proceeds to fly off and retrieve his costume. He then sets off to seek revenge on the men who turned him into an acid-spewing, flying freak. Somewhere along the line Spider-Man gets involved and a fight ensues. I don’t want to give away too much, not because there’s a lot to spoil, but just because I’m not really into that whole “typing up a panel-by-panel summary of an issue so you won’t have to read it” thing. Because really, this is a fun comic and definitely worth the money. The dialogue by Waid is engaging and witty, and his characterization of Electro as a grumpy “been-there-done-that” villain reads well. In my opinion, the new Vulture, this issue’s main villain is one of the most interesting new spider-villains to show up recently, both character and design-wise. His mysterious back story, unsettling appearance, and scavenger-like nature make for a seriously intriguing character whom I hope to see more of. And he spits acid and has creepy mandible things. What’s not to love? Paul Azaceta’s art has a sort of subtle, low-key look that I’ve been seeing more prominently in Spider-Man lately, and I have to say I’ve been liking it a lot. His use of shadows in the vulture scenes makes for some really creepy imagery. Overall, I’d give the issue a three-point-five out of five, missing those last one-point-five points simply because not all that much happened.

Over on the DC Comics side is First Wave #1, written by Brian Azzarello with art by the fantastic Rags Morales. Oh golly, what a comic. This is the highly-anticipated first issue of DC’s new pulp series, featuring such classic heroes as Doc Savage, The Spirit, Rima the Jungle Girl, The Blackhawks, and Batman (who, while appearing on the cover, does not in fact appear in this comic). After a month of teasers, this comic is finally here, and it certainly lives up to expectations. The issue throws you straight into the action, with a man being chased through the jungle by a huge, eye-gouging robot. Awesome. After this, we’re introduced to Clark “Doc” Savage Jr. and his band of merry men at Clark Savage Sr.’s funeral. Already, there is a definite sense of mystery in the story, which carries on as we meet The Spirit and his policeman friend Dolan. We’re given a great view of the series’ setting with a look at various scenes throughout New York, narrated by a newspaper piece aptly titled “Insight”. The mystery deepens with an exhumed “body”, a mysterious and ominous Russian, even more jungle action, and BLACKHAWKS! Seriously, this was downright spectacular. A great lead-in to what I’m sure will blow my expectations out of the water and then punch them in the face with justice. Of course, what really makes the comic work is the art of Rags Morales. This man is by far one of the most talented artists in the business these days, and I’ve included a splash page from the issue to show you. The amount of personality he brings to each character is absolutely mind-blowing. I think this is best evidenced in the scene featuring Dolan. Reading those pages, you can just feel Dolan’s smug attitude, conveyed through the little details of the art like the way his lips curve or the lines on his forehead, and the way his eyes wrinkle. The man is truly a master of the medium. Hands down, five out of five.

Back to Marvel now, for Matt Fraction and Salvador Larroca’s Invincible Iron Man #24, the conclusion of “Stark: Disassembled”. Previously, in Invincible Iron Man: After escaping Norman “Green Goblin” Osborn’s corrupt government strike force H.A.M.M.E.R., Tony “Iron Man” Stark is brain-dead. Now hidden in Broxton, Oklahoma, his friends and allies are attempting to get him back in action. To this end, they have recruited former Sorcerer Supreme Dr. Stephen Strange to go into his mind and help him face his personal demons. Meanwhile, intangible assassin and scourge of corporate America, Ghost, has been hired to kill Stark. This brings us up to the current issue. Ghost has finally found Tony’s prone body and is prepared to put a bullet into his forehead. Before he can pull the trigger, Strange comes out of the astral plane and into the physical realm to lay a kung-fu beat-down on Ghost. Of course, martial arts aren’t much use against someone who can phase their hand through your chest. Down goes Strange. Left alone in his own mind-scape, Tony continues up a large blood-covered staircase, flanked by a number of expressionless men and women. Among them is Harold “Happy” Hogan, his best friend who was killed as a result of Tony’s mistakes, and Ho Yinsen, the man he was imprisoned with when he built the first Iron Man suit. These are all the people who have died because of him. The blood they stand in is the blood on his hands. He enters the citadel at the top of the stairs, and has a chilling encounter with two figures from his past which involves copious amounts of blood. Back on the physical plane, Tony’s friends are attempting to fend off Ghost, which doesn’t go as well as planned. But Stark overcomes, pulls through, wakes up, and, with some fancy tech tricks, takes down Ghost. Tony Stark is back. Woohoo! But there’s one problem: The backup copy of his mind he used to reboot himself is missing data. He doesn’t remember the superhero civil war, Captain America’s assassination, the Skrull invasion, or anything else since then. Uh-oh. The character of Tony Stark has been a bit mistreated in the last few years, and I am quite interested in seeing how this sort of soft reset will affect his treatment. Matt Fraction is one of the best writers at Marvel and the best to write Tony in years. His characterization has shown Tony how he should be; nothing short of a magnificent bastard. Salvador Larroca’s renderings fit wonderfully with the the writing, especially in the case of Stark’s mind-scape. Hightlights of this issue included the image of the massive citadel at the top of the winding staircase, the chilling march of the dead, and the blood-stained finale. Four out of five. A great end to a great story.

Oh gosh, The Mighty Avengers #34 by Dan Slott and Neil Edwards. What a conundrum. I want this to be amazing. I really do. And after reading the first volume of Slott’s run on the book, I was really excited for this issue. But it was just kind of lackluster. Not to say it was terrible or anything. I enjoyed it. I did. But it was just a little underwhelming, and there was something off about the issue. I say it was the art. Neil Edwards, the fill-in artist for the issue is not a bad artist by any means. His art just comes off a bit rushed and inconsistent. The events of the issue themselves are awesome, as they usually are. Scientist Supreme Hank “Wasp” Pym and his team of Mighty Avengers fight big blue trolls and capture Loki, the god of mischief in an attempt to learn the whereabouts of the Scarlet Witch, whom Loki has been impersonating. Quicksilver, the Scarlet Witch’s brother, begins torturing Loki for the information. The trickster god calls for help from his big brother Thor. The thunder god arrives and tries to ask the avengers why they’re torturing his brother, but Quicksilver just ignores the god and continues the punishment. Thor doesn’t take kindly to this, and the two throw down, but are eventually separated by Pym. He negotiates with Thor, who allows him one question with Loki before they depart back to Asgard. Now instead of asking Loki where the Scarlet Witch was, like the plan was, Pym of course goes off and serves his own agenda by dropping a bombshell of a question. Hank offers the villain a spot on the team’s roster. Not only that, but he justifies his decision pretty darn well. Nevertheless, his teammates are appalled, and all quit the team on the spot. And Loki doesn’t even take the offer. To make matters worse, Ultron, Hank’s evil android creation, is preparing to strike again. So, yeah. Good story, not so good art. It’s a shame. Hopefully, the next few issues will be better. Wouldn’t want the series to end on a bad streak. Two-point-five out of five.

And lastly, we have Ultimate Avengers #5, written by the ever controversial Mark Millar and drawn by Carlos Pacheco. This is a good comic. For all the crap Mark Millar gets, the man can still write good comics. People usually go and write his comics off as being mindless, shock-driven action-fests. And they’re partly right. His comics are huge on action, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But mindless and shock-driven? Not quite. Sure, they tend to be shocking, but it’s not like it’s pointless shock. It usually works for the story, and for the most part, not completely unnecessary. Alan Moore could write the same scenes of brutal violence and people would say it’s genius. But when Millar does it, it’s distasteful and thoughtless. But whatever, haters gonna hate. On with the review! The issue starts off with a look at some of the heinous crimes of the Red Skull, Captain America’s illegitimate son. He’s evil. Really evil. So of course, Nick Fury’s Avengers (Hawkeye, War Machine, Red Wasp, Nerd Hulk, and the Black Widow) have been sent to stop him before he can build the ultimate weapon: the cosmic cube. When they arrive at Red Skull’s headquarters via teleporter, Nerd Hulk immediately blows chunks all over the snow. We get some insight into the Red Wasp’s backstory, and it turns out she has some history with the Skull. Entering the base, the Avengers find a legion of dismembered corpses of Red Skull’s soldiers, leading to the terrorist himself. They proceed to fire upon him, but the bullets have absolutely no effect. The Skull has already finished the cosmic cube, and used it not only make himself invincible, but also to force his men to eat each other. The Avengers continue the assault, but nothing they can do hurts him. In France, Captain America is being held captive after going rogue to hunt down his son. The Captain breaks free of his handcuffs, and the Frenchmen immediately surrender, but Cap still puts them through a wall. Mark Millar just loves making fun of the French. He continues fighting his way through the base, and steals a tele-plane to hunt down the Skull, while Gregory Stark prepares to set off the nuke in War Machine’s armor. I liked that comic. It was an action-packed thrill ride with some great characterization thrown in. And it was fun. I know, that’s why I read comics. Because they’re fun. And I haven’t even mentioned the art yet! Carlos Pacheco has really been doing a stellar job on this series. His style fits perfectly for the comic’s big-screen, action flick feeling. These guys rock. Five out of five. I eagerly await the final chapter of this story.

The musical and choreographic sensation Chicago is playing at the Paramount Theater this weekend! Chicago is a classic Kander & Ebb musical set in the 1920s, and is packed with some of the best choreography and most memorable music I’ve ever seen on a stage.

I saw Chicago and enjoyed it very much, which was a bit of shock to me, since I’m a modern musical type of gal. It’s one of those pieces that continues to be great long after it’s written (Chicago first hit Broadway in 1975, making it three and a half decades old by now!). Most theater fans who have never even seen the show will recognize numbers from it, such as the standard “All That Jazz.” Chicago is full of numbers that are exactly like what the title “All That Jazz” conjures in the mind – pure vaudeville, with bright and shiny choreography and snazzy staging.

The plot of Chicago is definitely PG-13, as it revolves mainly around a woman named Roxie Hart, who has been accused of the murder of her lover. The story follows Roxie as she goes to prison and encounters several other “murderesses,” all of whom killed a male lover in various crimes of passion and are trying to get off the hook for them. The story has a very clear political message, because as the plot develops, Roxie hires a very expensive, fast-talking lawyer to get her off the hook; a man whose strategy is to “give them the old razzle dazzle.” That is, create flashy stories meant to emotionally manipulate jury members and the public to get a favorable outcome. The message is very clear: if you win the hearts of the right people, it doesn’t matter whether you’re guilty or not.

I really liked those clearly political themes in Chicago, because the writers make very good points and observations. The show is also a bit satirical, poking fun at lawyers similar to the fictitious Billy Flynn character, as well as the justice system as a whole.

It’s humorous and fun and flashy all at the same time. It’s a great experience of classic musical theater, and for anyone who is a fan of the classic, 30s- and 40s-style Broadway musicals, you can’t go wrong with Chicago. This particular production that is at the Paramount is excellent, and filled with extremely talented people, including Seinfeld’s John O’Hurley, and the Chicago veteran Brenda Braxton. If you’re looking for something to do over the weekend, I suggest you stop by the Paramount Theater box office, or click the link below and look into getting tickets for Chicago!

Tickets can still be purchased for all four weekend performances of Chicago here at the STG website. You can visit the official site for Chicago for more information about the show.

If you see Chicago this weekend, or attended one of the earlier performances, let me know what you thought in the comments section! I want to know!