I'll freely admit it, I'm a bit of a lump (ok, a lot of a lump). That's the story of my life. I don't get out a great deal, various reasons for that. So, one thing I don't do very often is go to movies. I joke around that I'll go to one movie a year, whether I need to or not. Now, sometimes I may end up being a couple of movies, but seriously, I just don't go to many movies.
Yet, when the Incredibles came out, I went to the theater to see it, either three or four times, I forget. Not because I was going with new groups of friends either, I went alone each time. What was it about that movie that resonated with me so strongly at the time?
I'm not a huge person for literary analysis. I read books and go to movies largely out of a "sit back and enjoy the ride" perspective. When I look at what some people can get out of things, I'm always like "whoa... never would have even thought of that." Yet, there are some things that get my attention and get me thinking in those terms. The Incredibles is one of those things.
It's not just my love of Superheroes that made the movie for me, but the far more profound stories of each of those characters. They each have an "arc" of their own, and each arc is interwoven and fascinating.
The opening of the movie, with the "candid" interviews with Mr. I and Elasti-Girl are in so many ways the key to the movie. In many ways, it's easy to argue that in those "shorts" the characters are either lying, or more likely, self-decieved. Mr. I wants a chance to settle down. His rant about the maid is one of the classic moments from the movie. On the other hand, EG, she's blunt and outspoken about rejecting "settling down".
Yet, as the movie progresses, at first blush, it seems that the truth is the opposite for both of them. Mr. I, when finally given a chance to "settle down," finds himself to be frankly miserable. On the other hand, EG? Of all the characters, she seems to take to domesticity the most readily. However, I have questions about that (see below).
In a way, you can divide the "Incredible Family" by the male and female. The males (Mr. I and Dash), are straining at the bit, wishing for the chance to reveal who they are. Mr. I wants to go and be a hero again. Dash? He knows he's special, and he just wants nothing more than a chance to strut his stuff.
The females are more complex (and frankly, more interesting). Violet is the easy one. Her transformation through the movie is at the same time well done, yet overdone. It's too fast, too profound, but that's Hollywood and looking for a happy ending. The thing though, is that through most of the movie, Violet is pretty obviously ashamed of who and what she is. I suspect that if you'd given her Rogue's choice from X-Men 3, she'd have taken it in a heartbeat. "Normal! What does anyone in this family know about normal?"
That's what brings us to Mrs. I. The family early on is disfunctional at all levels, but I begin to wonder if she's not the most disfunctional of them all. When it comes to the kids' powers, she's the most openly repressive. Mr. I can't help but feel (and express) a bit of pride over Dash's escapades (and speed), while Mrs. I seems to want to shove all of it away into some deep, dark family closet, hidden from all. I've got a sneaking suspicion that Violet's emotional problems have been helped along more than a fair bit by her mother. (By the way, have you ever noticed, that Violet speaks "shrink talk" really well? I take it she's seen a therapist...)
With Mrs. I, I'm starting to wonder if her own "life of quiet desperation" is the most dishonest of them all. She calls her husband to brag that she's finally unpacked (after however many years). Is that really forced? Is there a piece of her that doesn't fully accept the life that they have?
So, the males seem to be accepting of their powers, but frustrated and beaten down by their inability to actually use them. The females seem to be far less accepting of who they are.
Now, as you follow each of them though their arcs, it remains just as interesting. I don't think any of them become "perfect" or even especially healthy, but they certainly grow and mature.
Mr. I: As the central character, he grows in a few different ways. Aside from his frustration at being forced into a dead end life, I think you can also argue that he doesn't fully understand being a hero. The most telling scene in that respect isn't how much self-confidence he gains when he's given that "false chance" to become a hero, but something small and subtle. When his boss at the insurance company is telling him off, he sees the poor guy getting mugged. His "heroic instincts" cry out for him to go out, but his boss won't let him. Up to this point, there's no problem. But, did you catch what he said, "he got away." For Mr. I, heroism wasn't about helping the weak. It was about the glory, the fun and the rush. It was about the "game." Once the game was over, and all that was left was a poor victim, Mr. I's interest waned.
It's obvious that he grows as he realizes the place of his family, where's he's willing to go into the final fight alone, not for glory or the "rush," but because he'd rather fall alone than risk those he loves. However, does he begin to understand the higher purpose still, that he's there for those who are helpless? The movie is unclear. I'd like to think he does, but you can't really say one way or the other.
Mrs. I: She's probably the most confusing of them all. She clearly is willing to "step back" into the fray, but aside from "don't mess with mommabear's mate or cubs," it's unclear why. I guess, it's because she's the most mysterious to begin with, so her arc is the hardest to see. Yet, the final moment of Violet's epiphany is the moment that Mrs. I says she's proud of Violet. (at the plane crash).
Violet: I love Violet, she's my favorite character in the whole movie. I think that her epiphany is a bit "hollywood" in that it is very fast and very profound, where she goes from a scared, neurotic kid to a self confident young woman who dictates the terms of her date with Tony. Still though, her story is really a story of acceptance. Acceptance of herself, who she is, and what she is. It may be a coincidence, but as the movie goes along, her powers shift. While both her invisibility and force fields are established early on, we generally see her invisibility early. (Hiding from Tony, hiding on the plane, hiding from the guards), but later on, we mostly see her force fields (the first time the four fight as a team, breaking out of the prison, when Syndrome's jet crashes, though she did use her invisibility once in the big fight to get the controller). It's almost as if the invisibility is a sign of her self-loathing, while the force fields come along as she accepts herself. Maybe that's reading too much in.
Dash: Dash is easily the one who matures the least, which shouldn't be surprising. He is a pre-teen boy after all, they can only handle so much maturation. Even in the end, his "goodie" is getting to race and get the accolades of the victor.
As you can tell, I just love this movie, and the characters who make it up. There's a side of me that hopes that Pixar makes another one, because this one is so wonderful. Yet, I always have to wonder, how could they follow it up? The character arcs are so deep and profound, that another movie would be very difficult to make and do it justice.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Civil War!
Yes after not posting for month upon month, making everyone think that I'd given up on this thing, I'm making two posts in one day.
Does this mean that I'm joining the world of regular posters?
Nyaaaaaa.
This thing will continue to be posted on the same old schedule. When I feel like it.
So, after my extreme overindulgance in 52, I've moved on to Civil War, which I got in TP form. (I'm slowly shifting most of my books to TP).
So far, all I've read is the main Civil War TP, and then the YA/Runaways one, and I'm just going to focus on the main story right now.
It wasn't honestly that bad, though a bit fast paced. Maybe once I get all the ancillary books read that thought will go away.
The main interesting thing to me is the moral and ethical dimensions to the primary storyline.
Who is right? Tony Stark or Captain America?
At least in my view, the answer is, at the same time, both and neither.
Ideally, Tony Stark is absolutely right. To steal the classic line, with great power comes great responsibility. Now, that's more than just the way Peter meant it, in terms of having to be able to live with yourself (as important as that is). It also means being accountable to the larger society for your actions. The ability of a hero to make a mess and just fly away has been one of the traditional pieces of "unreality" that's attached to comic books. The X-Men back in their heyday joked "you can always tell where the X-Men have been by the mess they make," and that really is the "old school." Heroes can make an enormous mess of any battlezone, destroye homes, cars, even lives, and the very next issue they're back to business as usual.
The series (quite obviously) has taken that unreality and tried to shape it to a more "realistic" way of doing things. In a very real way, what Tony Stark is asking is not in the least bit unusual or troublesome. If we live in a world where Taxi drivers can be regulated and held accountable, why not professional heros? Now, this field of law could get wondefully complex, but the essential idea isn't bad. By complex, I mean things like this: "A hero saves a small child from a rampaging supervillain, but in the process a 3rd party's car is destroyed. Who has accountability for the replacement of the car?"
So, I'm suddenly all in favor of Tony Stark? Not exactly, and I say that for a couple of reasons. First of all, is that Stark played very much too "hard sell". He should have (from all perspectives) been more patient with the holdouts, let them see how the system was working before he started pushing enforcement of the law.
However, more important is another factor. Everything I just said about accountability and the like is the ideal, and for it to work, one essential assumption must be fulfilled. That assumption is that the authorities themselves must be trustworthy. The government in the MU has not proven itself to live up to that very basic, yet vital truth. There are (or have been) renegade groups around, such as SWORD, Onslaught's group, and any number of problems within SHIELD itself. That doesn't even begin to look at other problems within the Congress and Executive Branch.
Full liscensing and disclosure would open any number of catastrophic cans of worms. Not only would the government have all sorts of nifty opportunities to manipulate individual heros, but the power of the government over all society would be massively increased. In a world of superhumans, a superhuman monopoly would be a system without any meaningful checks and balances. It would be a system that would only be workable so long as the person who is at the top of the entire food chain is both highly ethical, and also determined to make sure that the rest of government does the right thing. As soon as either one of those preconditions slip, the avalanche begins.
In effect, what "unregistered" superhumans become is a "check and balance" upon the abuses of the government. However, that system only works so long as there are heros who are willing to "police their own", and take that role seriously. Of course, in the Marvel Universe, the best candidate for that job is the one they killed in all of this, Captain America. Now, by "police their own", I'm not saying vigilante justice, but that they'd make sure that any hero who went "over the line" ended up in court, even if they had to hunt them down and capture them.
If there are no heros who are willing to take that sort of leadership role in an unregulated hero society, you'd end up with the situation the DCU had in the opening of Kingdom Come.
So, who was right? Tony Stark or Captain America? Both and neither. That said, for either system not to be a trainwreck, you need the right person running it. Put in those terms, Registration with Tony Stark, or No registration with Steve Rogers?
No brainer.
I want Steve.
Does this mean that I'm joining the world of regular posters?
Nyaaaaaa.
This thing will continue to be posted on the same old schedule. When I feel like it.
So, after my extreme overindulgance in 52, I've moved on to Civil War, which I got in TP form. (I'm slowly shifting most of my books to TP).
So far, all I've read is the main Civil War TP, and then the YA/Runaways one, and I'm just going to focus on the main story right now.
It wasn't honestly that bad, though a bit fast paced. Maybe once I get all the ancillary books read that thought will go away.
The main interesting thing to me is the moral and ethical dimensions to the primary storyline.
Who is right? Tony Stark or Captain America?
At least in my view, the answer is, at the same time, both and neither.
Ideally, Tony Stark is absolutely right. To steal the classic line, with great power comes great responsibility. Now, that's more than just the way Peter meant it, in terms of having to be able to live with yourself (as important as that is). It also means being accountable to the larger society for your actions. The ability of a hero to make a mess and just fly away has been one of the traditional pieces of "unreality" that's attached to comic books. The X-Men back in their heyday joked "you can always tell where the X-Men have been by the mess they make," and that really is the "old school." Heroes can make an enormous mess of any battlezone, destroye homes, cars, even lives, and the very next issue they're back to business as usual.
The series (quite obviously) has taken that unreality and tried to shape it to a more "realistic" way of doing things. In a very real way, what Tony Stark is asking is not in the least bit unusual or troublesome. If we live in a world where Taxi drivers can be regulated and held accountable, why not professional heros? Now, this field of law could get wondefully complex, but the essential idea isn't bad. By complex, I mean things like this: "A hero saves a small child from a rampaging supervillain, but in the process a 3rd party's car is destroyed. Who has accountability for the replacement of the car?"
So, I'm suddenly all in favor of Tony Stark? Not exactly, and I say that for a couple of reasons. First of all, is that Stark played very much too "hard sell". He should have (from all perspectives) been more patient with the holdouts, let them see how the system was working before he started pushing enforcement of the law.
However, more important is another factor. Everything I just said about accountability and the like is the ideal, and for it to work, one essential assumption must be fulfilled. That assumption is that the authorities themselves must be trustworthy. The government in the MU has not proven itself to live up to that very basic, yet vital truth. There are (or have been) renegade groups around, such as SWORD, Onslaught's group, and any number of problems within SHIELD itself. That doesn't even begin to look at other problems within the Congress and Executive Branch.
Full liscensing and disclosure would open any number of catastrophic cans of worms. Not only would the government have all sorts of nifty opportunities to manipulate individual heros, but the power of the government over all society would be massively increased. In a world of superhumans, a superhuman monopoly would be a system without any meaningful checks and balances. It would be a system that would only be workable so long as the person who is at the top of the entire food chain is both highly ethical, and also determined to make sure that the rest of government does the right thing. As soon as either one of those preconditions slip, the avalanche begins.
In effect, what "unregistered" superhumans become is a "check and balance" upon the abuses of the government. However, that system only works so long as there are heros who are willing to "police their own", and take that role seriously. Of course, in the Marvel Universe, the best candidate for that job is the one they killed in all of this, Captain America. Now, by "police their own", I'm not saying vigilante justice, but that they'd make sure that any hero who went "over the line" ended up in court, even if they had to hunt them down and capture them.
If there are no heros who are willing to take that sort of leadership role in an unregulated hero society, you'd end up with the situation the DCU had in the opening of Kingdom Come.
So, who was right? Tony Stark or Captain America? Both and neither. That said, for either system not to be a trainwreck, you need the right person running it. Put in those terms, Registration with Tony Stark, or No registration with Steve Rogers?
No brainer.
I want Steve.
How to go absolutely insane in one night.
All righty, yes, I live. I had a wonderful computer crash last night, which left me unable to use the thing until I got it into the shop, so I had to find another way to pass my time.
So, I grubbed around in all of my comics boxes, pulled together the 52 issues of 52 that I'd had sitting around (which I'd neglected for a considerable period) and did a kamikaze run of all the issues.
I'm getting too old for this. I was up way too long.
Anyway, I have to say that by and large, I think that 52 was one of the better "large events" I've ever read. That said, it could very easily be "damning with faint praise" since I'm not a big fan of events as a rule, but honestly, it wasn't all that bad. I certainly won't call it the most compelling thing I've read, but I've read far, far worse.
I'm going to have to go back and read it in detail to look into some of my personal concerns though. As an overall story, I'm still a touch unclear on how stories were meant to interconnect into the larger issues. Now, it may simply be that they were setting the stage for Countdown, but I'd really like to see things tied together.
So, to look at the major "stories" as we go. Here's the way I "break them down".
Steel/Everyman
Black Adam/Doc Magus
Question/Montoya/Batwoman
Booster
Ralph Dibney
Starfire/Animal Man/Strange/Lobo
(watch me forget something important, I've got a headache from staying up too long last night)
Anyway to consider each of those in turn.
Steel/Everyman. In many ways, the strongest of the substories to my mind, and one that very much goes back to the introduction of John Henry Irons lo so many years ago. I still remember that whole idea that Irons shared Superman's "soul". Now, that was just a goofy little thing that a wacky neighbor said, but it does get to something very simple. There are two characters who deserve to wear the big red "S". Superman is one of them, and the other is John Henry Irons. Conner was just starting to grow into that role when he died, so we'll give him an incomplete.
We see the best of JHI in this story. We see a man who is just leaking nobility from his pores. Yeah, he made a bit of a mess with 'Tasha, but even then, you can see that he truly did want the best, he just wasn't sure how to deal with an ambitious, smart and headstrong teen. I'm not sure anyone could deal with her at that point. His fight with Luthor is the best fight scene in 52 bar none. JHI is to my mind, one of the best characters in the DCU, and can serve as the rock upon which you can build a great team. If he's not the leader of the JLA at some point before all is said and done, someone in the DC offices needs to have his ears boxed.
The entire everyman concept is interesting, and is mining from much the same turf that we've seen before in places like Kingdom Come. I do wonder what further long-term developments we may see out of this one.
Black Adam/Doc Magus: If Steel is the strongest of the Substories, this one isn't far behind. One of the best parts of it is the interconnectedness between the two stories that comes together when we find out what they were creating on the island. Isis is an interesting character, interesting enough that I'm a bit sorry they killed her off. Maybe she'll end up being some sort of a "ghost" for Adam.
Adam is a character I have mixed feelings for. Mostly because they can't seem to get him to settle down. At times, he's achingly noble, even if his code of nobility is barbaric, other times, he's an insane beserker. Still, they've made him one of the most interesting villains that the DCU has, though they may be moving him past Capt Marvel (which is a bad thing). To my mind, this story forms the "public" part of the story of 52, the thing that will influence the people of the DCU most obviously.
Booster Gold: All right, I admit it, I've traditionally hated Booster with the heat of a thousand suns. He barely rates above Venom, Lobo and the Punisher in my book. That said, his personal arc was interesting in this book, and certainly provides a reasonable "boost" for the character in the future. I think it was a mistake to give him Skeets back (at least so quickly). He truly learned responsibility in this story, and to so easily give him back his best friend? That said, Booster's going to be in a difficult spot. He's lost his true best friend (Ted), has probably permanantly disillusioned his other friends (like Bea), and is left without much beyond Rip Hunter, who doesn't strike me as a "best friend" type.
Of course, if Adam's story is the "Public" half of 52, this is the "hidden half" the storyline that changes everything. It's opened up a very specific multiverse. Interesting to see one of the legendary decisions of comics (to close down the DC Multiverse) and reverse it, even if they do try to put some deliberate limits on it.
Ralph Dibney: I have to admit it, they got me good on this one. Though I should have expected it from the moment that Ralph "broke up" the resurrection ceremony, I truly didn't think that Ralph was nearly as "on his game" as he proved to be. I love "ha!" moments, and when he went stretchable and revealed he hadn't gone into booze bottle but the gingold bottle,that was just plain sweet.
That said, I was a bit disappointed with his death. I suppose that binding Neron for a time (I can't see comics writers letting that be permament) is a good thing, but really, it seems a waste for a good character.
Question/Montoya/Batwoman: There's no way to speak of this but with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the view of Renee Montoya (who really is the focus of this arc) as a broken woman? It is outstanding. Perhaps a bit cliche (dive into a bottle? Check. Jump into the beds of strangers? Check.), but overall, it works. I have to admit, I am intrigued with the idea that she's going to end up being the new Question. It will take a skilled writer to pull it off, but that book would have potential.
I have much more mixed feelings about Batwoman, but all of that really comes down to one thing. "Why?" Why is she the Batwoman? It's obvious that she'd already started putting on the Batsuit before 52 started, or, at a bare minimum had made the preparations to do it (getting the equipment, the fighting training and so forth). Yet, we are never once given a glimpse into her head to see what lead her to that decision. Obviously, if they wanted to make a Batwoman series, that's the first thing they'll need to deal with. Until that point in time, the character is so incomplete that I wouldn't even want to say if she's a good character or not. In fact, you can fairly argue that at this time she's more stereotype and character concept than character.
I'm saddened to see that they decided to kill off the Question. With his usage in JLU, I really think they could have made him an interesting ongoing character, with that "Rohrshachesque" quality they gave him in the animated series.
By and large, I liked all of those substories.
Now, to the one I didn't like?
Adam Strange/Starfire/Animal Man/Lobo. Now, this story gets off to a bad start with character selection. You have a character I loathe with a white hot passion (Lobo), a character I generally dislike (Starfire), and two that just don't interest me much (Animal Man and Adam Strange). Well, this story didn't change my mind about any of them in any meaningful form.
My bigger gripe with it though, is what place did it really play in the story? Did it add anything? Not really, at least not to me, unless there's something in those yellow guys who saved Animal Man that's going to be important down the line. Overall, yuck, yuck and yuck.
A few other thoughts and nagging questions.
The Tibetian Monestary: Come on guys? You had just about everyone traipse through there except for Detective Chimp! Is it the only place in the entire DCU where you can get your head together? Yeesh.
Wonder Girl: Sorry, Cassie's subrole just doesn't work. Yeah, losing Conner hurt her, and hurt her badly, but she's too smart and headstrong to fall into that sort of nonsense. Sheer idiocy.
Mr Mind: I'm a bit confused on this one. I hate when writers try to set up inside time loops. Rip and Booster arranged for Sivania to capture Mr. Mind, which gave him the opportunity to become the super-worm, which forced Rip and Booster to do what they did and arrange for Dr. Sivania to capture him.... my head hurts.
Oh, by the way.
Please give me my old school Marvel Family back. Now. Billy is Capt Marvel, Mary is Mary Marvel, Freddie is CMJ, and the Wizard is on the Rock. This is just plain painful.
thank you for your support.
So, I grubbed around in all of my comics boxes, pulled together the 52 issues of 52 that I'd had sitting around (which I'd neglected for a considerable period) and did a kamikaze run of all the issues.
I'm getting too old for this. I was up way too long.
Anyway, I have to say that by and large, I think that 52 was one of the better "large events" I've ever read. That said, it could very easily be "damning with faint praise" since I'm not a big fan of events as a rule, but honestly, it wasn't all that bad. I certainly won't call it the most compelling thing I've read, but I've read far, far worse.
I'm going to have to go back and read it in detail to look into some of my personal concerns though. As an overall story, I'm still a touch unclear on how stories were meant to interconnect into the larger issues. Now, it may simply be that they were setting the stage for Countdown, but I'd really like to see things tied together.
So, to look at the major "stories" as we go. Here's the way I "break them down".
Steel/Everyman
Black Adam/Doc Magus
Question/Montoya/Batwoman
Booster
Ralph Dibney
Starfire/Animal Man/Strange/Lobo
(watch me forget something important, I've got a headache from staying up too long last night)
Anyway to consider each of those in turn.
Steel/Everyman. In many ways, the strongest of the substories to my mind, and one that very much goes back to the introduction of John Henry Irons lo so many years ago. I still remember that whole idea that Irons shared Superman's "soul". Now, that was just a goofy little thing that a wacky neighbor said, but it does get to something very simple. There are two characters who deserve to wear the big red "S". Superman is one of them, and the other is John Henry Irons. Conner was just starting to grow into that role when he died, so we'll give him an incomplete.
We see the best of JHI in this story. We see a man who is just leaking nobility from his pores. Yeah, he made a bit of a mess with 'Tasha, but even then, you can see that he truly did want the best, he just wasn't sure how to deal with an ambitious, smart and headstrong teen. I'm not sure anyone could deal with her at that point. His fight with Luthor is the best fight scene in 52 bar none. JHI is to my mind, one of the best characters in the DCU, and can serve as the rock upon which you can build a great team. If he's not the leader of the JLA at some point before all is said and done, someone in the DC offices needs to have his ears boxed.
The entire everyman concept is interesting, and is mining from much the same turf that we've seen before in places like Kingdom Come. I do wonder what further long-term developments we may see out of this one.
Black Adam/Doc Magus: If Steel is the strongest of the Substories, this one isn't far behind. One of the best parts of it is the interconnectedness between the two stories that comes together when we find out what they were creating on the island. Isis is an interesting character, interesting enough that I'm a bit sorry they killed her off. Maybe she'll end up being some sort of a "ghost" for Adam.
Adam is a character I have mixed feelings for. Mostly because they can't seem to get him to settle down. At times, he's achingly noble, even if his code of nobility is barbaric, other times, he's an insane beserker. Still, they've made him one of the most interesting villains that the DCU has, though they may be moving him past Capt Marvel (which is a bad thing). To my mind, this story forms the "public" part of the story of 52, the thing that will influence the people of the DCU most obviously.
Booster Gold: All right, I admit it, I've traditionally hated Booster with the heat of a thousand suns. He barely rates above Venom, Lobo and the Punisher in my book. That said, his personal arc was interesting in this book, and certainly provides a reasonable "boost" for the character in the future. I think it was a mistake to give him Skeets back (at least so quickly). He truly learned responsibility in this story, and to so easily give him back his best friend? That said, Booster's going to be in a difficult spot. He's lost his true best friend (Ted), has probably permanantly disillusioned his other friends (like Bea), and is left without much beyond Rip Hunter, who doesn't strike me as a "best friend" type.
Of course, if Adam's story is the "Public" half of 52, this is the "hidden half" the storyline that changes everything. It's opened up a very specific multiverse. Interesting to see one of the legendary decisions of comics (to close down the DC Multiverse) and reverse it, even if they do try to put some deliberate limits on it.
Ralph Dibney: I have to admit it, they got me good on this one. Though I should have expected it from the moment that Ralph "broke up" the resurrection ceremony, I truly didn't think that Ralph was nearly as "on his game" as he proved to be. I love "ha!" moments, and when he went stretchable and revealed he hadn't gone into booze bottle but the gingold bottle,that was just plain sweet.
That said, I was a bit disappointed with his death. I suppose that binding Neron for a time (I can't see comics writers letting that be permament) is a good thing, but really, it seems a waste for a good character.
Question/Montoya/Batwoman: There's no way to speak of this but with mixed feelings. On the one hand, the view of Renee Montoya (who really is the focus of this arc) as a broken woman? It is outstanding. Perhaps a bit cliche (dive into a bottle? Check. Jump into the beds of strangers? Check.), but overall, it works. I have to admit, I am intrigued with the idea that she's going to end up being the new Question. It will take a skilled writer to pull it off, but that book would have potential.
I have much more mixed feelings about Batwoman, but all of that really comes down to one thing. "Why?" Why is she the Batwoman? It's obvious that she'd already started putting on the Batsuit before 52 started, or, at a bare minimum had made the preparations to do it (getting the equipment, the fighting training and so forth). Yet, we are never once given a glimpse into her head to see what lead her to that decision. Obviously, if they wanted to make a Batwoman series, that's the first thing they'll need to deal with. Until that point in time, the character is so incomplete that I wouldn't even want to say if she's a good character or not. In fact, you can fairly argue that at this time she's more stereotype and character concept than character.
I'm saddened to see that they decided to kill off the Question. With his usage in JLU, I really think they could have made him an interesting ongoing character, with that "Rohrshachesque" quality they gave him in the animated series.
By and large, I liked all of those substories.
Now, to the one I didn't like?
Adam Strange/Starfire/Animal Man/Lobo. Now, this story gets off to a bad start with character selection. You have a character I loathe with a white hot passion (Lobo), a character I generally dislike (Starfire), and two that just don't interest me much (Animal Man and Adam Strange). Well, this story didn't change my mind about any of them in any meaningful form.
My bigger gripe with it though, is what place did it really play in the story? Did it add anything? Not really, at least not to me, unless there's something in those yellow guys who saved Animal Man that's going to be important down the line. Overall, yuck, yuck and yuck.
A few other thoughts and nagging questions.
The Tibetian Monestary: Come on guys? You had just about everyone traipse through there except for Detective Chimp! Is it the only place in the entire DCU where you can get your head together? Yeesh.
Wonder Girl: Sorry, Cassie's subrole just doesn't work. Yeah, losing Conner hurt her, and hurt her badly, but she's too smart and headstrong to fall into that sort of nonsense. Sheer idiocy.
Mr Mind: I'm a bit confused on this one. I hate when writers try to set up inside time loops. Rip and Booster arranged for Sivania to capture Mr. Mind, which gave him the opportunity to become the super-worm, which forced Rip and Booster to do what they did and arrange for Dr. Sivania to capture him.... my head hurts.
Oh, by the way.
Please give me my old school Marvel Family back. Now. Billy is Capt Marvel, Mary is Mary Marvel, Freddie is CMJ, and the Wizard is on the Rock. This is just plain painful.
thank you for your support.
Wednesday, March 07, 2007
One of the Great Ones falls
Wow. The news today. Wow. I'm assuming that he's truly gone, though I know that in the world of Comics, nothing is forever, and there's a decent chance he'll pop up.
I've not been following Civil War (going to get it in trade), so my judgement is a tad limited but.
Why Him?
Why Now?
Why that way?
From some of the comments the Marvel types are saying, they see it as an allegory of the current situation in the world.
Captain America is an incredible character. Maybe today, many would think that the world needs to get rid of things like Cap, since he's so much from another time. Yet, I think he is, and isn't.
He stands for America, but I've always thought in a good way. We all know that this nation has problems (though we may well disagree with what those exact problems are). He's not about what America is to my mind, but, what America could be. He's about those things that are actually worthwhile. He's about honor and integrity, about making the world a better place. As much as Clark Kent in the DCU, Cap is the Moral Center of the Marvel world. This isn't to say he was perfect, but he had honor and integrity, and always stood for what is right.
I find it a bit sad that they are getting rid of him now, when so many members of the Greatest Generation are passing away.
What are they getting at though? Is killing him that way some sort of a statement that "Liberty is dead?" He fought against registration, and lost, and then was killed. If so, that's the wrong message to give. If someone feels that Liberty is dead, then they should have pictured him fighting, even if it is a lost cause.
To die on courthouse steps? That's not a bang, it's a whimper. A pathetic, foolish whimper.
I'll be honest, like most comics geeks, I've thought from time to time about writing them. Back around 1994 or so, I had an idea for a big All-Marvel crossover, based around the Mutant Issue (I called it World War X.. yeah, yeah). Anyway, at one point, I thought of the idea of having the Government turn on Wideawake, the Sentinals. However, the info of that got to Nick Fury, who called Cap... the two old WW2 Warhorses, and their response was "Never Again." I saw Cap leading a mixed force of the Fantastic Four and every Avenger they could get their mitts on to demolish the factory. If you wanted to kill Cap, that's the kind of moment to do it. Fighting the good fight, showing what he truly stands for. Not the victim of an assassin's bullet on the courthouse steps.
I imagine that we'll see a New Captain America soon. It's been done before. I can see it with Cap more than some of the others like Batman or Spiderman. Bats is eternally Bruce Wayne, and Spidey is always Peter Parker. Yes, Steve Rogers is gone. I hope though that they don't decide to put some post modern, ironic character in that slot, who would mock all that has gone before. Man or woman, black or white, it makes no difference. The Spirit of Captain America demands a person who will hold the shield with honor. I only hope that the people in New York understand this.
I've not been following Civil War (going to get it in trade), so my judgement is a tad limited but.
Why Him?
Why Now?
Why that way?
From some of the comments the Marvel types are saying, they see it as an allegory of the current situation in the world.
Captain America is an incredible character. Maybe today, many would think that the world needs to get rid of things like Cap, since he's so much from another time. Yet, I think he is, and isn't.
He stands for America, but I've always thought in a good way. We all know that this nation has problems (though we may well disagree with what those exact problems are). He's not about what America is to my mind, but, what America could be. He's about those things that are actually worthwhile. He's about honor and integrity, about making the world a better place. As much as Clark Kent in the DCU, Cap is the Moral Center of the Marvel world. This isn't to say he was perfect, but he had honor and integrity, and always stood for what is right.
I find it a bit sad that they are getting rid of him now, when so many members of the Greatest Generation are passing away.
What are they getting at though? Is killing him that way some sort of a statement that "Liberty is dead?" He fought against registration, and lost, and then was killed. If so, that's the wrong message to give. If someone feels that Liberty is dead, then they should have pictured him fighting, even if it is a lost cause.
To die on courthouse steps? That's not a bang, it's a whimper. A pathetic, foolish whimper.
I'll be honest, like most comics geeks, I've thought from time to time about writing them. Back around 1994 or so, I had an idea for a big All-Marvel crossover, based around the Mutant Issue (I called it World War X.. yeah, yeah). Anyway, at one point, I thought of the idea of having the Government turn on Wideawake, the Sentinals. However, the info of that got to Nick Fury, who called Cap... the two old WW2 Warhorses, and their response was "Never Again." I saw Cap leading a mixed force of the Fantastic Four and every Avenger they could get their mitts on to demolish the factory. If you wanted to kill Cap, that's the kind of moment to do it. Fighting the good fight, showing what he truly stands for. Not the victim of an assassin's bullet on the courthouse steps.
I imagine that we'll see a New Captain America soon. It's been done before. I can see it with Cap more than some of the others like Batman or Spiderman. Bats is eternally Bruce Wayne, and Spidey is always Peter Parker. Yes, Steve Rogers is gone. I hope though that they don't decide to put some post modern, ironic character in that slot, who would mock all that has gone before. Man or woman, black or white, it makes no difference. The Spirit of Captain America demands a person who will hold the shield with honor. I only hope that the people in New York understand this.
Friday, January 19, 2007
"Adult Content"
Just how important is "Adult Content" in telling a story, whether it is in comics, or elsewhere? Of course, I'm a bit fussy, but there are times that I think that people really equate "adult content" with good too much.
One example of this is the first trade book of Supreme Power. I'll be honest here, I haven't finished the trade book, as it didn't grab my interest very much. However, early on, there's a scene where the Superman analogue (I forget the name, I told you I wasn't that fond of the book), as a young child does something that makes it very clear that he could kill everyone around him in an instant... and by accident.
The response of the two people the government has raising him is to run off and for the one time, have sex, and the scene is drawn in a way that leaves no real doubt as to what they are doing. The overwhelming idea is that they are using sex as a way to "feel alive", to get back in touch with the fact that they are alive after realizing what the kid was able to do. The message is rather clear, but it still struck me as being a bit forced, and ultimately, unnecessary.
That's the thing, what adult content (both sex and violence) is used often used for isn't absolutely necessary, in that writers are able to make their point in other ways. Yet, this isn't to say that it's always bad either, as it can be an integral point to building a story.
Take Watchmen for example. The sexual content of the book becomes a very profound metaphor for the development of Nite-Owl as a character. Early on, when his "old life" as a hero is lost, he feels lost, useless, yes, imporent, and he is literally impotent. However, as he starts to get back into things, and take action in the world around him, he is able to have sex once again. Maybe not the most subtle thing ever written, but it makes its point very strongly. I don't consider what is in Watchmen to be in the least bit gratuitious or the like. It is integral to the story, and meshes well with the story.
Yet, at the same time, is it truly necessary? Much the same story arc (to the point that I've heard it called a rip off) is found in the Incredibles. Early on, Mr. Incredible feels "out of touch" with his life. The path of heroism is closed to him, and the only thing he can truly do is help little old ladies who are being take advantage of by the insurance company he works for. However, as he's given the opportunity to be heroic again (as fake as it turns out to be), he "refinds" himself, and the metamorphasis is obvious. He starts working out, he loses weight, he's more attentive to his family... in short, he's happier. The same sort of arc, but the sexual overtones are limited to a few bare hints of "play" between Mr and Mrs I.
For that matter, while Violet's arc isn't "refinding" her self, it's "finding" herself, much the same happens, as we see her grow out of her shell, and become confident, and willing to engage the world.
Which is the better story? Honestly, you can argue that for awhile, both stories have their strong and weak points, but are, in the end, top notch. However, what the Incredibles proves is that you can tell a good, profound, meaningful story without those things, if you want to. Indeed, it is far more Adult than many things I've seen that have much more "adult" content, in that it's smart, well written, aware, and the like.
One example of this is the first trade book of Supreme Power. I'll be honest here, I haven't finished the trade book, as it didn't grab my interest very much. However, early on, there's a scene where the Superman analogue (I forget the name, I told you I wasn't that fond of the book), as a young child does something that makes it very clear that he could kill everyone around him in an instant... and by accident.
The response of the two people the government has raising him is to run off and for the one time, have sex, and the scene is drawn in a way that leaves no real doubt as to what they are doing. The overwhelming idea is that they are using sex as a way to "feel alive", to get back in touch with the fact that they are alive after realizing what the kid was able to do. The message is rather clear, but it still struck me as being a bit forced, and ultimately, unnecessary.
That's the thing, what adult content (both sex and violence) is used often used for isn't absolutely necessary, in that writers are able to make their point in other ways. Yet, this isn't to say that it's always bad either, as it can be an integral point to building a story.
Take Watchmen for example. The sexual content of the book becomes a very profound metaphor for the development of Nite-Owl as a character. Early on, when his "old life" as a hero is lost, he feels lost, useless, yes, imporent, and he is literally impotent. However, as he starts to get back into things, and take action in the world around him, he is able to have sex once again. Maybe not the most subtle thing ever written, but it makes its point very strongly. I don't consider what is in Watchmen to be in the least bit gratuitious or the like. It is integral to the story, and meshes well with the story.
Yet, at the same time, is it truly necessary? Much the same story arc (to the point that I've heard it called a rip off) is found in the Incredibles. Early on, Mr. Incredible feels "out of touch" with his life. The path of heroism is closed to him, and the only thing he can truly do is help little old ladies who are being take advantage of by the insurance company he works for. However, as he's given the opportunity to be heroic again (as fake as it turns out to be), he "refinds" himself, and the metamorphasis is obvious. He starts working out, he loses weight, he's more attentive to his family... in short, he's happier. The same sort of arc, but the sexual overtones are limited to a few bare hints of "play" between Mr and Mrs I.
For that matter, while Violet's arc isn't "refinding" her self, it's "finding" herself, much the same happens, as we see her grow out of her shell, and become confident, and willing to engage the world.
Which is the better story? Honestly, you can argue that for awhile, both stories have their strong and weak points, but are, in the end, top notch. However, what the Incredibles proves is that you can tell a good, profound, meaningful story without those things, if you want to. Indeed, it is far more Adult than many things I've seen that have much more "adult" content, in that it's smart, well written, aware, and the like.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
I return
I return. Perhaps in time I shall divlulge what dangers I have faced, but you'd be bored stiff reading about it, and I'd be bored stiff telling you, so let's just pretend that I've been preoccupied on the mundane, it's more or less true anyway!
So, what would drag back your fundamentally boring scribe to work his way back here?
The Society is Back!
Yes, as always, I'm behind. The joys of living in places that the boonies consider uncivilized!
Still, there is nothing that can make my little heart quite so happy as to see that the JSA is back in full force!
I have some questions about some things (which I'll get back to), but overall, it lived up to my every expectation.
It hit me viscerally in the gut, when I saw the one person I never wanted to see in this comic. I was not ready to see Mr. America. If you've ever read the classic Elseworlds* The Golden Age, you'll know why.
It made me laugh out loud. The new Red Tornado, she's going to be SUCH a great character, I can see already. It's going to be interesting byplay, considering she's older than Courtney, but she's coming on like an obsessed younger fangirl.
So, the only things that bugged me? Ok, we saw the relationship between Hourman and Jesse Quick hinted at back before the break, so their getting together isn't an issue. I do look forward to seeing why Jesse has gone to Liberty Belle as opposed to Jesse Quick, but I'm patient. That said... oi! They are a truly annoying couple! Who gave them the lobotomy? Young love... bleh. Hopefully they'll grow out of it.. soon. I like both chars, and I like em together... but yeesh.
Ted's Son? Very interesting. We'll just have to leave that one sit.
The new Starman? The jury is out, but the outright loon thing is really hard to pull off for a writer.
So, the big speculation is... who did Mr. America? I'm going to reverse the psychology, and figure it was a previous incarnation of the Manhunter (not Kate). I imagine some of you can see where I'd get that.
All said, woo!
*Yes, I know, there is debate over the status of the book, but my trade paper is under the Elseworlds imprint, so it shall be listed.
So, what would drag back your fundamentally boring scribe to work his way back here?
The Society is Back!
Yes, as always, I'm behind. The joys of living in places that the boonies consider uncivilized!
Still, there is nothing that can make my little heart quite so happy as to see that the JSA is back in full force!
I have some questions about some things (which I'll get back to), but overall, it lived up to my every expectation.
It hit me viscerally in the gut, when I saw the one person I never wanted to see in this comic. I was not ready to see Mr. America. If you've ever read the classic Elseworlds* The Golden Age, you'll know why.
It made me laugh out loud. The new Red Tornado, she's going to be SUCH a great character, I can see already. It's going to be interesting byplay, considering she's older than Courtney, but she's coming on like an obsessed younger fangirl.
So, the only things that bugged me? Ok, we saw the relationship between Hourman and Jesse Quick hinted at back before the break, so their getting together isn't an issue. I do look forward to seeing why Jesse has gone to Liberty Belle as opposed to Jesse Quick, but I'm patient. That said... oi! They are a truly annoying couple! Who gave them the lobotomy? Young love... bleh. Hopefully they'll grow out of it.. soon. I like both chars, and I like em together... but yeesh.
Ted's Son? Very interesting. We'll just have to leave that one sit.
The new Starman? The jury is out, but the outright loon thing is really hard to pull off for a writer.
So, the big speculation is... who did Mr. America? I'm going to reverse the psychology, and figure it was a previous incarnation of the Manhunter (not Kate). I imagine some of you can see where I'd get that.
All said, woo!
*Yes, I know, there is debate over the status of the book, but my trade paper is under the Elseworlds imprint, so it shall be listed.
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