Alan Kistler's Thoughts and Opinions

When the mood is right, I occasionally publish an opinion piece concerning something that's on my mind.

I'd like to stress that these pieces are not just self-indulgent "let me tell you about why my job sucks and how I'm unfulfilled in romance and oh my god this cab driver was so rude and it ruined my entire day and how could she say she just wants to be friends" blog. You don't care, I don't care, and a lot of the every-day stuff that annoys us really doesn't matter except when we make it matter.

Instead, these rants opinion pieces of mine cover broader topics that you may have pondered while indulging in your guilty geek pleasure. Things such as: film adaptations, strong women in pop culture, could Thor beat up the Hulk if he didn't have his hammer, how exactly does Keanu Reeves keep getting work, etc.

Unlike my long-winded essays, these columns are kept to 5 pages max.

December 27, 2007 - Film Adaptations - Part 1 - Comparing comic book Batman and Tim Burton's version and discussing the importance of source material.

December 31, 2007 - Thoughts on New Year's Eve - A fun message between me and you.

January 3, 2008 - Film Adaptations - Part 2 - Some of the worst Hollywood ideas for comic book movies that thankfully weren't made.

January 11, 2008 - Film Adaptations - Part 3 - Story essence vs. story detail and a discussion of the different interpretations of the Hulk.

March 10, 2008 - Ignorance of History - What happened to curiosity in the U.S.? And what the Hell is this about the Beatles getting back together?

March 19, 2008 - Arthur C. Clarke - A brief reflection on the death of the last of the Big Three of science fiction.

April 02, 2008 - Six Worst Moments in Skrull History  - Marvel's crossover Secret Invasion has all the heroes running scared because the shape-shifting Skrulls have infiltrated half the planet. Maybe they wouldn't be so scared if they remembered how many times those guys have screwed up.

April 05, 2008 - Women In Marvel - A new disturbing trend towards weaker female characters and questionable tactics in certain (though thankfully not all) Marvel comics.

April 09, 2008 - Why Marvel Super-Heroes Secret Wars Was Better Than Marvel's Civil War - Pretty self-explanatory.

April 24, 2008 - Top Six Worst Super-Hero Names - They protect us at night and defend our lives. Now if only some of them hadn't gone with the first name they came up with.

May 14, 2008 - Top Six Worst Super-Villain Names - Some villains may have threatening powers, but still find a way to make you laugh at them.

July 16, 2008 - Top Six Joker Victories - Few villains in comics can claim a scorecard like the Joker's. Just because you catch him doesn't mean he didn't already win. 

August 7, 2008 - Life and Stress - A reminder to not be so hard on yourself and to keep things in perspective.

August 22, 2008 - Christopher Reeve Still Soars - A look back on the actor who continues to make us believe a man can fly.

August 26, 2008 - Batman's Super-Powers - Six bizarre times that Bruce Wayne wound up with super-human abilities.

October 8, 2008 - Where Have All The Editors Gone? - A critical look at the ever-growing number of gaffes in today's comics.

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