Hellblazer #6: Ghosts In The Machine
Writer: Jamie Delano
Artist: John Ridgeway

For once in the longest time I’m actually doing my job posting. Don’t hold your breath though, you know how this is a fleeting excitement.  Anywho this episode decides to delve into things I hate and pet peeves. The whole consciousness in the computer thing only works if its presented in a completely different way than this that actually has scientific backing. Having John’s friend catapult himself into ’silicon-space’ by turning his body into pixels was not the way to go. But hey, I’m someone who shuddered at the entire plot line for Live Free or Die Hard (although I still loved it), so this is understandable that the time would come.  However more up my alley was John’s mercy killing. Finally back to an issue where he kills a beloved friend. Plus another has AIDS he got from a sailor, no joke. That one should be on the way out soon, so if I’m lucky, by the end of the book all the main characters will be gone. Personally I think if you are afraid to kill off main characters in a story, you are not fit to write a good plot.  Zombie movies are generally decent at that, but they do it too haphazardly, a bit of finesse helps greatly.

Back to the matter of cyberspace, I do actually have some movies that I really enjoy which have to do with this subject and it’s ever-more real effect on our society.  Ghost In The Shell provides a really messed up look into the future, and while it of course isn’t 100% accurate, it’s sci-fi so at least there is something going on. The dialogue is the main centering point, and often very interesting social commentary. Makes you wonder what it would be like if everyone in the world was living in a shell body and could swap that out entirely.  Also goes to show the only thing we deem to have importance is our minds themselves.

Speaking of Ghost In The Shell, Dalton and I totally need to watch those because hes never seem them. So allow me to use this as a digital post-it reminder note.

Also, if you are interested in the realm of cyber-consciousness (or whatever), and want a total mindfuck movie, check out Paprika. I walked in halfway but still ended up knowing as much as those who saw the whole thing. It’s not a good movie unless you are completely confused in the end.