#4 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

4. Daredevil

Yup – this list is very heavily populated by the mainstream superhero crowd (and it’s only going to get worse). When I sat down and thought of who I really loved, that’s just the way it turned out. Daredevil appealed to me from a very young age, and he’s the reason I became a lawyer. Actually, that’s not true – but he and Foggy made the legal profession look pretty interesting.I was 8 or so when Frank Miller got his hands on this title and I loved it. Many of my favourite issues were published when I was 10 years old (I’m talking issues #179-191 or thereabouts). Even though they were quite sophisticated, I understood that this was groundbreaking stuff. Most of those issues seem as fresh today as they did back then.

Some people see Daredevil as Marvel’s version of Batman. He fights crime at the street level and is pretty far from omnipotent. I’ve never really bought into that comparison, but if that’s how people see DD, I’m cool with that. You could do a lot worse than a second rate Batman. There is much more to DD than that, though. Sure, he has risen from tragedy – but his style and surroundings are very different. Daredevil operates in a very small neighbourhood and, although he is part of the Marvel Universe, seems to keep it at arm’s length. He has a circle of friends and colleagues, but never lets anyone get too close. His love life has been a mess – and who can’t relate to that?

Miller’s run is the finest in my mind, but I truly appreciate almost all of Daredevil’s eras – even the Mike Murdock lunacy. That is fun, fun stuff to read. I had my doubts when the title was relaunched in the late 90s, but was pleasantly surprised. I haven’t picked up a DD book in a few years now, but I have heard very good things about the past few arcs and will look for TPBs.Matt Murdock is probably as well developed a character, as you’ll find in superhero book. Over the course of years, writers and artists have really made sure that readers get a feel for the world his inhabits. His friends seem real and some of his enemies even plausible. All in all, it is hard not to root for the guy.

I love Daredevil – always have and I always will.

#5 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

5. The Atom

Unlike some of my previous choices, I have always loved the Atom. I guess it has something to do with the fact that he’s a crime fighter with a different perspective (worm’s eye view!). To be honest, I think that I’ve loved him because I’ve always felt a little sorry for him. He is not Superman, as his superpower is limited in scope and he really needs to engage the brain to maximize its utility. On the flipside, he’s not even Green Arrow or Batman – since he does have some powers, he cannot climb up on a soapbox and rail against the big guns of the JLA. He’s kind of in the middle, and he’s always fretted about fitting in with other heroes and has often wondered if he really belongs in the crimefighting world.

One of the first Silver Age books I ever bought was Justice Leauge of America #14. It cost me $1.00 in 1980. This is the issue in which Atom joins the JLA, but the final few panels are what make the book for me. I haven’t pulled this one out in years, but I can still see the tiny boardroom chair they designed for the Atom and the look of disappointment on his face when he realized that he would be sitting at floor level. His frown was turned upside down when he discovered that the chair levitated so that he could see eye to eye with his teammates. It was this kind of touch that make the Fox/Sekowsky issues so wonderful, and helped make the Atom such an appealing character.The Atom played a pivotal role in two of my favourite comics from my childhood. IIRC, they both made my Top 10 Favourite Comics from last year.

The first, Worlds Finest #236, is a ‘Fantastic Voyage’ inspired tale in which Batman and Superman are helpless as people are coming down with an incurable disease. Who do they call? You’ve got it, the Atom. This is Dick Dillin at his finest, and the story forever endeared me to the little guy. The Atom shows a some real courage and tenacity as he travels through the body, which serves as a series of booby traps. It’s a really fun story and serves as a great showcase of the Atom as a character. I have been trying to track down original pages from this issue, and I’ve got 5 of them now.

The second special comic is Justice League of America #142. This is one of those crazy Steve Engelhart stories involving sexy aliens and psychotic robots. It’s a real doozy (did I just type that?), but it begins rather quietly with the Atom wondering if he quit the superhero game. He doesn’t have much time to pontificate as he, along with Elongated Man and Aquaman are thrown into an issue full of craziness. In the end, the Atom proves his worth as a hero and feels vindicated in sticking with the JLA. The panels below are of him receiving thanks from Mantis, umm… I mean Willow, the aforementioned sexy alien. It was only in more recent years that I went back to the original source material.

I was probably about 22 when I bought my first issue of the Atom’s Silver Age title (#20 to be precise). I loved it. I love the energy infused into the panels by Gil Kane, and the Gardner Fox stories were nothing short of fun (with a little science and history thrown in for good measure). I’ve now got a complete run of the series, and those books make me very happy. Have I ever mentioned how much I love the Time Pool stories? It’s always fun to time travel with the little guy.I’ll pick up just about anything with Ray Palmer in it. Heck, I’ve even got a soft spot for the ‘Atom Special’ books from the 90s. I am not really plugged into the DCU these days, so I really don’t know what has become of Ray Palmer (was he raped too?). I tried the Simone/Byrne Atom series and it was sorely lacking in just about everything that makes the Ray Palmer Atom great.Here’s to my #5 pick – the little guy who packs a big punch.

#6 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

6. The Spirit

OK – we are now entering the ‘obvious choice’ zone of my list. This is where I reveal that I am nothing more than a clichéd fanboy. If you have followed my postings at all over the past few years, these won’t come as a big surprise to you. Unlike my selection #1 through #5, I became familiar with the Spirit as a more ‘mature’ comic book fan. I had seen the old Warren mags and various Overstreet cover galleries as a kid and always though he looked appealing, but never got into him. That’s probably a good thing, as I think the Spirit can be best appreciated after getting a little comic book experience under your belt.I’ve now got just about every Warren and Kitchen Sink Spirit mag published, as well as a growing number of Archive Editions and the Harvey Giants from the 60s. I will buy just about anything with the Spirit’s mug on it. Heck I’d even buy a Spirit mug if I could find one.

Denny Colt is a bit like the Unknown Soldier in that he is an everyman as well as man without an identity. He is famous in his world and yet relatively anonymous. He works best when he take a hands-off approach to crimefighting and let the bad guys start in-fighting and pretty much brings themselves to justice. It’s a very different technique when compared to most Golden Age crimefighters, and when mixed with the Spirit’s great sense of humour – shows just how far ahead of the curve Eisner & Co. were in the 40s. It was its own genre – with elements of every single genre thrown into the mix. In the end, it’s the humour that gets me – whether the Spirit is pulling a prank or on the butte end of a joke, it keeps the strip fresh and lively.

The Spirit will likely live forever in comics because so many stories can be told with him as the protagonist. He’s been on the high seas and in space and it all seems to make sense. My fingers are crossed for more and more quality Spirit-related projects in the future. The good news is that so many creators respect and admire Eisner, that I am sure that they will try to maintain all of the super duper goodness that makes the Spirit the Spirit.

#7 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

7. Unknown Soldier

My first exposure to the Unknown Soldier was in Brave & the Bold #146. What a great first impression. Oh, did I ever love the World War Two setting and the team up with this master of disguise. It seemed a lot more ‘realistic’ than other books I had read to that point. Prior to that, I was only aware of the Unknown Soldier through house ads featuring those awesome Kubert covers (the ‘Cave In’ cover to #222 stands out in my mind).

One of the aspects of the Unknown Soldier that really appeals to me is the Man of 1,000 Faces side to the character. To me, a ‘master of disguise’ character has almost limitless possibilities (hence my love for the Chameleon as underused Spidey villain). In this case, it allows him to glide from one horror of war to the next, attempting to dull the impact wherever possible.

This Man of 1,000 Faces is also a man without a face, and this allows him to move anonymously through war zones, fading into the background when necessary. The most talented writers realize that the Unknown Soldier can act as a mirror – reflecting his surroundings. This is perhaps what I like most about the Unknown Soldier. Through him we get to experience the moral ambiguities of war, trying to maintain our balance on a razor’s edge.

The panels to the right are from the Michelinie/Talaoc run. The Unknown Soldier is disguised as a German Officer and has just passed a loyalty test by shooting a young woman. He’s had to make this sacrifice to save thousands of other lives. When I read this type of Unknown Soldier story, I feel like I am sharing his pain and outrage.

#8 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

8. Tubby Tompkins

Tubby is probably the biggest shit disturber in comic book history. Nobody gets up to, and into, more trouble than this guy. He is greedy, lazy, arrogant and delusional. I love him.

He is Little Lulu’s nemesis as well as her paramour. He is the perfect Yin to her Yang. Together, they are the 'Hepburn and Tracy Jr.' of the Four Color world. Lulu just wouldn’t be Lulu without Tubby serving as the constant headache in her life.Whether he’s trying to get a free soda, eating someone else's food, keeping girls out of his clubhouse or trying to frame Mr. Moppet for some crime, Tubby does it all with a lack of both grace and class.

They just don’t make kids like Tubby anymore. Tragic.

#9 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

9. Alfred Pennyworth

I think that everyone needs an Alfred in life. Someone who will stick by you through the best and worst of what life has to offer. He is the person who keeps Batman/Bruce grounded, and keeps him from going off the deep end. Like many readers (and Bruce from time to time), I probably took Alfred for granted. He was simply a nice British chap who made tea at all hours of the night.

From time to time, some writers give Alfred his due and capture his essence of Alfred and show just how important a role he plays in the Bat-Universe. More recently, I was delighted to see Michael Caine do Alfred justice in Batman Begins. He was absolutely perfect.There are not many comic book scenes that have touched me as much as the following page from Batman: Dark Victory as Alfred gets Dick Grayson settled in at Wayne Manor and attempts to make up for some of the mistakes he’s made in the past. When I first read this, I was absolutely blown away.It still gets me today.

#10 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

10. Lone Ranger

I can’t really admit to having grown up on the Lone Ranger. I did see some reruns of the 50s show when I was a kid and certainly enjoyed them, but the Lone Ranger was never really part of my childhood. It wasn’t until I read an article in Comic Book Marketplace 6 or 7 years ago, featuring those wonderful painted covers, that I became a true Lone Ranger fan. The moment I saw them, I just had to have them.

Thanks to this era of eBay and instant gratification, within weeks I had a dozen of ‘em. Nice, shiny, beautiful covers. You know what else? Those stories between the covers weren’t half bad, either.I really love the Lone Ranger because he’s the most misunderstood man in the west. He’s not actually wanted for anything, but the very fact the he wears a mask targets him for suspicioneverywhere ge goes. He has to win each person over individually, but once he has – they are an ally for life. Of course, as Lyle Lovett once sang, Tonto does the dirty work for free and he certainly plays a vital role in these adventures. Yet, there is something about the Lone Ranger, whose identity was borne of tragedy (like so many heroes) that makes him the real stand-out for me.

There’s nothing quite like a Lone Ranger comic book. A beautiful painting on the outside and a Newman/Gill masterpiece on the inside.

#11 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

11. Sandman/Wesley Dodds

I was only vaguely aware of the Golden Age Sandman when I started reading Sandman Mystery Theatre. I had seen him in a few JLA books, but that’s about it. I was always intrigued by this guy in a trench coat, fedora and gas mask; as he looked so different from all of the other Earth-Two heroes. I remember that Justice League of America #46 was one of the first Silver Age books I actively tracked down because I just had to know about this guy.

SMT was a revelation. It started during my undergrad years in Montreal – I wasn’t reading too many comics back then as money was scarce and the nearest LCS was far enough away that I’d probably drop the ‘L’. The closet store to my apartment was an artsy-fartsy bookstore on St. Denis that carried a small selection of comics like Maus and Love & Rockets. Luckily, they carried some Vertigo books. I saw this strange looking comic called Sandman Mystery Theatre and thought it might be worth checking out.

I am ever glad I did. In my opinion, there was no finer series published in the 90s. I never missed an issue and was completely enthralled by this lead character who was the unlikeliest of heroes. The great thing about Wesley Dodds is that he’s an everyman (well, except for the cash). He isn’t exactly the most ‘buff’ of heroes, his got bad eyesight and he hairline is in freefall. He’s a quiet fellow and seems quite shy. It took a very strong woman, in Dian Belmont, to slowly bring Wes out of his shell. What a pair they make! What I really love about Wesley, though, is his need to become the Sandman. He is haunted by dreams, and the only way he can fight these inner demons is to step out into the night seeking justice. Quite often, he’s in way over his head and this makes him incredibly courageous as he only relies on a mixture of spooky intimidation and luck.

I was very sad when the series came to an end. There were any other books that gave me the same thrill as SMT. Since then, I’ve purchased the Sandman Archives to see where it all began. I know understand that right from the get go, Sandman was a very different hero – more in line with a pulp character like the Shadow or Phantom Detective than most of the DCU’s cape and tights set.

#12 - Top 12 Comic Book Characters

Over at CBR, we had a series of threads focused on naming out top 12 favourite comic book characters. I tried to go with my initial instincts when choosing so I didn't fall into the trap of overthinking things. It was a lot of fun, so I thought that I'd reprint my choices here:

12. Charlie Droople

Charlie Droople is the greatest one-shot character of all-time. It’s a shame that more people don’t know about Charlie Droople as he should be a folk hero to comic book geeks everywhere. This is a guy who chose life inside a comic book over a woman! For those who have yet to meet Charlie, he was the star of the wonderful little Steve Skeates/Jim Aparo tale “The Best of All Possible Worlds” that appeared in The Many Ghosts of Dr. Graves #6 (it was later reprinted in # 66).

In the story, Charlie and his girlfriend Dorothy slowly discover that they are inside of a comic book story (so post-modern!). Charlie is intrigued by the notion of living inside a comic. Of course, he and Dorothy don’t exactly see eye to eye on this, and the next thing you now; there’s one more Charlton book on the stands. It’s beyond brilliant and everyone should try to grab a copy as Charlie is such a great character. In a matter of 8 pages, we are made to feel like we’ve known him all of our lives. By the end, even though we’d love to spend some more time with him, we know that he’s moved on to a better place.

Sweet Christmas! Luke Cage in my Stocking!

It seems that my loved ones have finally given up all hope that I will ever grow tired of reading funnybooks. For years I have included various comics on my Christmas Wish List and come out empty handed. This year was a major breakthrough as I hit the mother lode. Here’s what I found under the tree:

Alter Ego Subscription
This came from my 1 year old Logan (his mother helped him out a bit). I’ve been a subscriber for years. Roy Thomas’ fanzine (prozine?) can be a bit hit and miss, but where it’s on, it is a wonderful read. I just don’t want any more issues dedicated to Timely checklists. The Nedor/ACG stuff was great and I always love learning about non-Big Name creators.

Back Issue Subscription
Again from Logan (with Kat’s help). I’ve picked up maybe 5 or 6 issues of Back Issue and have enjoyed it quite a bit. It’s not terribly text heavy, so I find that I fly through a bit faster than I’d like but they hit on some topics that I really enjoy (like the Don Newton stuff recently). I am really looking forward to this showing up at the door every month.

Essential Luke Cage Vol. 2
Nice! My sister and brother-in-law live a few blocks from my favourite comic shop in Toronto (Paradise Comics) and grabbed this one for me hot off the press. I grew up reading Power Man and Iron Fist and although these stories haven’t aged very well, I cannot resist them. Call it camp, call it whatever – just don’t call it boring. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with Mr. C.

Essential Defenders Vol. 2
This also came from my sister and brother-in-law. I like, but didn’t love, Volume 1. My hopes are high for this volume as I know that it contains a good chunk of Gerber. I read Defenders as a kid, but that was mainly after issue #75, so this is all fresh stuff for me. It’s a great way to read a ton of old stuff.

DC Showcase Presents: Challengers of the Unknown
This was a gift from my parents. I have only read a few of the Challs’ early adventures, through the off back issue and various reprints in the 70s. I really like this period of Kirby art so I am anxious to get reading. I read the initial Showcase story and it was pretty good – although I wished they’d took a bit more time to explore the ‘living on borrowed time angle’. Darwyn Cooke was able to improve on it in New Frontier without trampling on what his predecessors had accomplished. The Kirby art looks great in b&w – very interested to explore the issues inked by Wood. I’ve always found Bob Brown to be a bit underappreciated, so I am looking forward to his pencils too.

DC Showcase Presents: The Unknown Soldier
This is from my parents. I own most of the issues in the collection, but really wanted it in this collection. I love the Unknown Soldier, and there’s some great stuff in this one. The first few stories aren’t the greatest as it is mostly just typical DC Silver Age war stuff. Once the writers get a real feel of what a great character the Soldier can be, the series takes off. It’s too bad it cuts off halfway through the Michelini/Talaoc run. I just hope that inspires DC to put out of Volume 2.

DC Showcase Presents: The Haunted Tank
My parents gave me this and then asked me what it was about. You should have seen the look on their face when I explained that it involved a WW2 tank haunted by the ghost of JEB Stuart. Some things are better off being discussed amongst us nerds.

With a one-year old running around the house, I don’t get as much reading time as I’d like, so it will likely take me a while to get through this stuff but it’s great to have a stack of wonderful material sitting on the bookshelf.

Charlton Notebook: August 1975

Everybody’s favourite underdog publisher had some ambitious plans for 1975. That summer, Charlton launched 3 new horror titles: Creepy Things, Monster Hunters and Scary Tales. I’ll be looking at first issues of the latter two, both cover dated August, 1975.

Scary Tales #1

Launched amid a relative horror frenzy amongst almost all comic book publisher (heck, even Archie was doing the Red Circle thing), it’s surprising that some of these Charlton titles found any fans at all. This one starts with a fun framing sequence drawn by Joe Staton as we are introduced to Countess Von Bludd. Things go downhill fast, however, as the first story about finding a vampire where you’d least expect is ruined by Sanho Kim art. I try to be open-minded about artwork, and count many of the lesser lights among my favourites, but I have never understood how Kim got work.

The second tale, ‘The Wedding Gift’ is an improvement and serves as the origin of Countess Von Bludd (did any other Charlton horror host have an origin story?). Who is the artist here? The signature looks like “Dementio”, but the GCD tells me its “Demetrio”. Either way, I don’t think I’ve seen that name outside a few Charlton book credits. It’s a little amateurish, but not bad at all. He adds some nice ‘drama’ to the story. Overall, this isn’t the worst Charlton horror book I’ve ever seen, but it’s far from the best. I am sure that the Countess’ legs are all that got anyone’s interest back in ’75.

Monster Hunters #1

This one also kicks off with a cool Tom Sutton cover, sullied by the silly picture of Colonel Whiteshroud. Then we have a nice Staton drawn framing sequence featuring a bit of flirting between the Colonel and Countess Von Bludd. The first story is pretty strong, written by Nicola Cuti. Wayne Howard’s art here is less detailed than usual, but he’s added some high energy Dikoesque panel, so it’s a fair trade.

The 2nd story is great, written by Joe Molloy (who?). It’s a great 4-page morality play concerning greed and mermaids. I’m sure this story has been told a dozen times, but this is likely the first time with fancy Pete Morisi art. Nice. The real treat here is the final story, which is the cover story. It takes place in Loch Ness, and our hero is a world-class cynic, apparently gainfully employed as a hoax detector. There’s a great twist ending that alludes to the ‘Hunter’ portion of the title. All in all, a much better first issue than Scary Tales, although Col. Whiteshroud’s legs never did much for the fanboys.

Quick DVD Reviews

As a new Dad, I only really get to see movies on DVD, and even then we tend to get the 5 day rentals at our local shop, so these aren’t exactly the newest release. You may be interested if any of these haven’t found their way into your DVD players just yet.

The Squid and the Whale
Loved it! I have always had a thing against intellectual snobs, and this movie cuts to the core of how empty some of them can be on the inside. Great performances all around, especially Jeff Daniels who continues to impress after 25 years. A tough movie to watch at times, but it’s got an honest grittiness to it as the layers of the family relationship are peeled back slowly. Kudos to Billy Baldwin for stretching his wings. Grade: A

V for Vendetta
A decent adaptation of the comic – I liked the fact that they kept things British. The flashback sequences were the weakest points, whereas they really strengthened the comic. Portman is Portman, and I liked that she could do vulnerable when needed here. The rest of the cast was equally strong. A little something was just missing – maybe the overall sense of oppression is too tough to convey on screen, I dunno. Overall, it was quite strong and I was happy that it found an audience. Grade: B

Family Stone
Blechh! I can’t believe this movie had decent buzz. What a waste of a cast! Which character was I supposed to care about? The judgmental mom dying of cancer? The son who finds true love after spending 5 minutes with his girlfriend’s sister? This might have worked as a black comedy, but it misfired as sentimental crap. Grade: D

The Matador
I love this kind of movie. More movies should be made in Mexico – so much atmosphere, I was almost sweating watching this one. Brosnan’s work as the “Assassin on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown” was lots of fun. Greg Kinnear plays likeable goof like no one else and his relationship with Hope Davis was about as realistic a portrayal of a struggling marriage as I’ve seen – many are in danger of dying a quiet death. Unfortunately, the movie as a whole does not hang together all that well, but it’s a pretty fun ride. Grade: B+

Pride and Prejudice
What can I say? I never saw the whole appeal of Keira Knightley – always seems like poor man’s Winona Ryder/Nathalie Portman hybrid to me. I was wrong. This is a fine, fine piece of filmmaking as new life has been injected into the tale that has been told a million times. I am always pleased to see Donald Sutherland play sentimental rather than just intellectual. I do wish that Judi Dench would allow some other older British actresses the opportunity to get some work. I certainly hope to see more of Matthew Macfadyen in the future – he was perfect as Mr. Darcy. Grade: A

Memoirs of a Bronze Age Baby: DC Comics Presents #14

DC Comics Presents #14: Superman & Superboy

This is one of those covers designed to blow your mind. Superman and Superboy together? How could that possible happen? Sadly, in a post-Crisis world, it probably wouldn’t. But back in 1979, anything was possible and it made for some pretty trippy reading.

This one’s a real head-scratcher. How can Superboy execute Superman? How can they even appear on the same cover? Well, you’ve just got to read it to find out. Let’s just say that it involves Lex Luthor, Pete Ross and a ton of kryptonite. Making this one extra fun is the fact that Krypto plays a key role.

It’s great Silver Age fun published in the Bronze – something that DCCP excelled at. This is one book that I can remember in its entirety. I must have read it two dozens times. I am sure that one of the reasons I loved it was the Dick Dillin pencils. I didn’t really know anyone’s names back in those days – but I know I liked this stuff – probably because it looked exactly like my JLA.

I lost my copy of this book long ago – probably during one of my short-lived periods where I turned my back on the funnybook business. I’d give anything to find my G/VG copy. I keep hoping it will turn up at my parent’s house but I fear that it has been lost to the sands of time.

The Pulp Report: Giant Bees and a Robot Stalin

Amazing Stories, August 1952

In the waning days of the Pulp, it appears that publishers were moving towards an emphasis on pure ‘sci-fi’ rather than the sci-fi/fantasy/GGA genre that was in vogue a few years earlier. There seems to be a real maturation of pulps, as there seems to have been a movement away from sensationalism.

This cover really caught my eye – it’s wonderfully elegant and leaps off the page. I just love the design and the atmosphere established by the painter. The first story ‘The Return of Michael Flannigan’ involves a Cliff Steele-like protagonist who returns to Earth to only to find that it is on the brink of nuclear catastrophe. We’ve got some love, action, and even theology mixed into this one. It’s quite an engaging story, and the characters are strong - especially the Robot-Stalin who secretly took control of the Soviet Union after the death of the real Stalin. Can you beat that?

The next story, ‘Threat From Above’ is a definite step down – basically just an ‘Attack of the Giant Electric Bees’ story more suitable for one of DC’s comic book anthology titles list My Greatest Adventure. The third story ‘Black Angels Have No Wings’ features honeymooners threatened by bat-like humanoids living deep beneath the Earth’s surface. It bounces along at a nice clip and is good B-movie fun. The story features a gorgeous Virgil Finlay drawing. I wonder if he was still working for pulps at this time, or if it was a reprint.

Quick DVD Reviews

Shop Girl
The only bright spot in the film was Clare Dane’s ass. By that I don’t mean to imply that she has a nice ass. Her ass simply reflects a great deal of light. Dull & Meandering. Grade: D

Match Point
The only indication that it’s a Woody Allen movie is the dialogue, which more often than not sounded wooden rolling off the tongues of the young cast. Not a bad little movie – I thought that it would head off in more of a ‘Ripley’ direction. I’d say there’s about 30 minutes in the middle act that could have been removed, and Scarlett Johansen seemed disinterested much of the time. All of that being said, a big step up after the last several films. Grade: B-

Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang
Ok, so it may be trying a bit too hard to be hip, but it’s as enjoyable a movie as any I’ve seen in the last couple of years. It’s pretty well written, a good mixture of comedy and action and I remembered why I used to love Val Kilmer. Grade: A-