Tomorrow is the general UK release date for V for Vendetta, the major motion picture based on the classic Warrior/DC comic strip (depending whether you first saw it in black and white or colour) by Alan Moore and David Lloyd. Tomorrow is also the day I embark on a two night stag (not my own) in the beautiful windy Isle of Arran. Anyhoo to commemorate one if not the other here's the first page of David Lloyd's 'Elemental', which was published in Metal Hurlant and written by li'l old me. Does this make me two steps removed from Natalie Portman (yeh, yeh, like right it does)!

Portrait of a Writer as a Large Lugged Man. This little sketch was drawn by Michael Avon Oeming in a New York bar on a Saturday night. What can I say I am that real-life caricature. Someone recently compared me to their favourite mug.

You know I might have my revenge on the world yet by giving regular updates on my face. Like the pluke on the side of my nose that's resided there for the last three weeks...

It seems everyone and his or her granny has something to say on my BOP. I am very gratified. I am so very used to otherwise being ignored. But have to confess to a little ‘review fatigue’ creeping in. I know what you’re thinking, there’s no pleasing some folk is there? Mind you one of the more unusual reviews is from Polite Dissent, entitled ‘Birds of Prey # 91: A Medical Review’. It begins with a quote from Page 1 of the comic: The prognosis is acute renal collapse.

And proceeds to comment – "That’s really more of a diagnosis than a prognosis."

Incredibly insightful, I immediately awarded myself a D minus and promised to do better. Catch the whole review on:
http://politedissent.com/archives/1130

If you have your fast boots on then dash down to your local WH Smiths and pick up a copy of Panini's Spectacular Spider-Man #130. This shouldn't be viewed as much of an obligation as you can always hurriedly put it down again. Spidey teams up this issue with Spider-Woman against the dread might of Dormammu! I have to admit writing the script was as torturous as it gets, but it's come out surprisingly well. Worth buying for Spider-Woman saying the word 'mitts' and for John Royle's terrific art. Oh, and there's a free Spidey click camera 'n' all!

Oh, blog how I have neglected thee. To be fair I have been rather busy. The Birds of Prey issue came out as expected. And blow me down people seemed to like it. Of course I’ve now noticed a few bad reviews popping up recently. Yin and yang have so much to answer for don’t you think? But I’m glad most of the guys and gals who picked up the issue feel they got their 2 ½ bucks worth…or 1 pound 60p for that matter.

Then it was off to New York to meet my adoring public. Unfortunately that one guy had to spend the weekend in a clinic, leaving me to soldier on in my capacity as bit-player-C-celebrity-comics-writer-honest. It was a good Convention. I’m in this strange situation where most editors are aware of me but aren’t quite ready to talk projects. But y’know I met Ben McCool on Sunday 12.30pm at the Bull Moose Saloon and drank until 4 the following morning, so at least I have the memories – or I should say had the memories until I obliterated them with much lashings of alcohol. It was good seeing everybody. You know who you are.

I got into Glasgow on Wednesday morning, the threat of jetlag following me around like a black ominous cloud. Then had to plunge what energy I had left into revisions on my Star Trek Original Series Manga script for Tokyopop. As one great philosopher said to the other – "I could sleep for a week." As the other replied: "I could sleep for a fortnight."