tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50419931715346680772024-02-22T12:13:47.814-05:00Comic OdysseyThe comics blog of a comic creator/enthusiast/publisher.KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-18281045225549877972018-01-22T21:59:00.001-05:002018-01-22T22:03:33.986-05:00How DC Comics found its soul in Superman's red trunks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In 2011, DC Comics made a drastic move and (almost) completely rebooted their entire universe. Some things like Batman and Green Lantern remained relatively the same, but others changed dramatically, especially Superman. This movement, of course, was called "The New 52." It was meant to update the characters and universe. The DC Universe took on an overall darker, more cynical tone - which was kind of antithetical to DC's history.<br />
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There was a lot of speculation as to exactly why DC did it. One of the speculated reasons was the long dispute over the ownership of Superman between Warner Brothers and the families of Joe Shuster and Jerry Siegel. It's a really muddy and messy lawsuit - and though I am all for creators rights and acknowledging creators of these characters as much as possible, I don't believe the Shusters and Siegels have any ownership claim. Regardless, it was around 2011 that the litigation really heated up and Warner Brothers started production on "Man of Steel," which according to some analysts, also affected the lawsuit.<br />
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CBR recently took on this claim: <a href="https://www.cbr.com/superman-red-trunks-siegel-new-52-lawsuit/">https://www.cbr.com/superman-red-trunks-siegel-new-52-lawsuit/</a><br />
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However, the biggest picture in terms of Superman as he related to the New 52 and "Man of Steel" was that DC and Warner Brothers embarked on a bit of a soul-searching endeavor for the most enduring fictional character of the 20th century.<br />
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The Superman soul-searching didn't really begin in 2011. You have to go back a little further. Onc could make the argument that "Superman Returns" - even though mostly an sequel to Richard Donner's "Superman" and "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut" - started to explore a more burdened Man of Tomorrow.<br />
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"Infinite Crisis" also toyed with the idea of a more burdened Superman, albeit some different forms such as Superboy-Prime and Earth-2 Superman. But it was in 2010 that DC sort of went into overdrive with J. Michael Straczynski's "Superman: Grounded" - the notorious storyline where Superman walked across the country and barely used his powers and denounced the United States - and "Superman: Earth One" which depicted a new origin story and a really angry version of Superman.<br />
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The New 52 took this a little further. Superman became younger, a little unhinged and teetering towards "angry god." He was an orphan (again) and back to beating up mob bosses. There was no romance with Lois Lane - there was an eventual one with Wonder Woman - and for all intents and purposes, Superman became nearly unrecognizable.<br />
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This new version of Superman also brought about a new costume. One that abandoned many of the conventions of the classic iteration. There were no more red trunks or yellow belt, the cape featured a black "S" (which was once taboo for Superman to wear black on the classic suit), and the costume was made of armor. Not just any armor though, it was Kryptonian armor that phased in from the shield. Why would Superman need armor? The basic design itself wasn't terrible, but it didn't stand out. This armor was coupled with a T-shirt and jeans early version that appeared in Grant Morrison's run on "Action Comics," which was a play off of the Golden Age version of the character.<br />
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I have long said that the quality and success of DC hinges on the treatment of Superman - whether they realize it or not. There is perhaps no greater evidence of this than the journey the character has been on from 2011-2018.<br />
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New 52 Superman never truly resonated with readers. "Man of Steel" became a major point of controversy amongst fans, as did "Batman v. Superman." The push seemed to be "make Superman an angry god." It never really worked, except for the "Injustice" franchise which takes place in an alternate reality and saw the "real" Superman from the prime Earth defeat the "evil" Superman of the "Injustice" Earth. But the real reason these concepts never picked up a ton of traction has a lot to do with the fact that at the end of the day, Superman is more human than he is Kryptonian or godlike.<br />
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Speaking of "Man of Steel," the evolution of Henry Cavill's Superman is also an interesting example of the soul-searching DC and WB were doing for the character. Of note, this exploration also saw changed to the costume that were somewhat noticeable as they tried to figure out who this Superman was. The original suit was designed to look alien, and it certainly did for Superman. The red and yellow of the "S" was muted and the blues were very dark. The trunks were gone and there wasn't even a belt.<br />
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These elements were brightened for "Batman v. Superman," and he was given something that looked a little more like a belt, but it still didn't feel right. However, this was overshadows by the character's actions and personality were completely unrecognizable that even his "death" had very little impact. By the time "Justice League" rolled around, Superman was more recognizable, the costume was brighter and he felt like the genuine article for the first time.<br />
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When Greg Pak took over Superman in "Action Comics" from 2013-2015, the New 52 Superman started to become much more recognizable in his attitude. The New 52 look was tweaked to make it a bit more streamlined, but the basic red and blue color scheme remained. Though he lost his powers for much of the storyline - donning jeans and a very Fleischer-esque "S" shield T-shirt, Superman was much more recognizable.<br />
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During DC's "Convergence" storyline, different eras and events from DC's past were revisited. One of the Superman series during convergence saw the return of the pre-New 52 Superman. In this storyline, he didn't have powers and Lois Lane was pregnant. At the end of the series, his powers returned, Lois gave birth and the short series was met with high-acclaim. Shortly thereafter, this version of Superman was revealed to have somehow survived Flashpoint (which created the New 52) and had been in hiding, living with Lois and raising their son Jon.<br />
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All of this led into "Rebirth," which saw the death of the New 52 Superman and returned the pre-New 52 to the New 52 timeline. Confusing? Basically all you need to know is that classic Superman returned to the comics. He had a very "Man of Steel"-esque costume with blue boots, but he was definitely The Man of Tomorrow and he was finally a father, adding a new and long experimented element to the character.<br />
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At the same time, the CW's show "Supergirl" gave us a new live-action version of Superman, portrayed by Tyler Hoechlin. I've praised this portrayal of the character as one of the best ever and I stand by that because Hoechlin gave us a Superman that was universally recognized, fit in elements of the Christopher Reeve portrayal and was the smiling, hopeful character fans expect. This version of the character was also universally praised, leading to fan demand for a spin-off series. Hoechln's Superman costume was actually a decent design, the best I'd seen with no red trunks. The cape had gold clips to attach it, and the red belt had gold accents. It's worked and it looked good on screen.<br />
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This eventually brought us to 2017's "Reborn." This was the clearest indication yet that DC and Warner Brothers had found what they were searching for - the classic Superman. Quite frankly, I love the Reborn design. If you're going to go without red trunks, the Reborn look has been how to do it. But the Reborn storyline also once again revamped Superman's history. It essentially erased New 52 Superman from existence and instead took the most classic elements of the character's origin and history and presented that as his true origin. This was the result of a merging between Rebirth and New 52 Superman - Mr. Mxyzpltk revealing that the one constant at the heart of the DC Multiverse has to be Lois and Clark. It was a beautiful story and it has returned Superman to his truest form - and kept the fact that he is married and a father, a dynamic that has worked exceptionally well ever since.<br />
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All of this has brought us back to the present. The milestone Action Comics #1000 is on the horizon and DC revealed that after seven years, the red trunks are back. In fact, the classic costume is outright back, with the added wrist cuffs. They have now - for all intents and purposes - completely restored the Superman they abandoned in favor of the New 52. The entire journey has been pretty astounding, the soul-searching of DC Comics basically takes on a physical form in that of Superman's red trunks.<br />
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I'm going to be completely honest. I've really loved the Reborn look, but there was NEVER anything wrong with Superman's costume. It's a perfect design, it's iconic and it has stood the test of time. Who cares about the red trunks on the outside? Sure, you could argue it's outdated, but you could also argue it's wholly unique to Superman. In fact, I think Supes should be the ONLY character with this feature going forward. (The Batman Rebirth costume is PERFECTION, let's not mess with it).<br />
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Who cares about the details, whether it's Kryptonian or his mother made it, what matters is that the classic look of Superman has been the enduring symbol of hope and American mythos for 80 years and it will continue to be.<br />
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The success of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy certainly brought with it a desire for DC Comics to explore a darker side of their own soul. They've redefine characters and reset timelines multiple times and have now come full circle by restoring Superman in Jim Lee's cover to Action Comics #1000.<br />
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Superman's return to his most recognizable and classic look also brings DC Comics fully back to its roots, and reminds us why we look up in the sky.<br />
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<br />KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-80847345318322365482018-01-17T22:51:00.001-05:002018-01-17T23:14:06.579-05:00My quest to open a comic store<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I got my first real job when I was 17. I was lucky that I didn't absolutely need one until then, but it came when the owner of my local comic store needed someone to cover while he went on vacation. As a patron for the store for as long as I could remember, I was more than happy to step in and help out.<br />
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After that, it became one of my two Summer jobs during college. A year after college, I moved back to my hometown so my wife could go to grad school, it was 2007, the economy wasn't doing great and I had a hard time finding a job for a while, but the store was there for me and helped put much needed cash in my pocket.<br />
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When I found a regular day job, I worked at the store every Saturday and covered when the owner was out. That lasted until my wife got pregnant with our third child. I never really left the store per se, I set up all the social media accounts and tried to sway what was carried in store and how the operation went.<br />
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For years, the owner and I always talked about me taking over or opening my own store whenever he was ready to pack it in. Frankly, owning a store has long been a dream and ambition of mine. But, I didn't expect the call to come shortly before Christmas.<br />
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After running a pretty successful sale for the owner, he gave me the news - he got offered a real job and he was finally able to move on from the store. After 28 years, this was a longtime coming for him and he'd been ready to shut the door whenever the right opportunity presented itself. He'd lost interest in recent years, and as a lifelong Marvel reader, the state of Marvel throughout 2017 pretty much assassinated his enthusiasm for the industry as a whole. Although overall sales lagged, the store remained above - or treading water.<br />
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After I got the news and processed it, my first thought was this: "Okay, it's finally time."<br />
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I never wanted to open a store that competed with him. He was the last store standing after the '90s boom and I've always been pretty loyal to him - as a customer, worker and friend.<br />
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We had some discussion about me buying the store outright, but, long story short, the numbers weren't adding up and it wasn't a workable situation. Thus, he kicked off his Going Out of Business sale. After that, I got to negotiating the lease with the landlord. He gave me a great offer, but he needed to know immediately and I didn't have anything in place adding to the overall risk. In other words, it wasn't on my terms, which is a bad way to start a business.<br />
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Add in that I have a solid day job and things tend to get a little more complicated. I would absolutely not leave said job, so the biggest issue became finding a handful of trustworthy people to run the store during the day, and in a relatively short amount of time. I had a couple old friends willing to help out, but it wasn't enough to make the full commitment in time for the landlord. Trying to pull together a store of this nature is risky enough, trying to do it in a month with these factors just adds to the overall heavy lift of getting it off the ground, and ultimately, growing the business. Part of what makes a store great is the personality, and one thing I want to do is make sure my love of the business comes through and I need more time to do that.<br />
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In the month or so that opening my own store finally became close to reality, I heard opinions from every side. Not to mention the constant barrage and criticism of the industry as a whole, so I was fully prepared to deal with the "are you crazy?!" type comments.<br />
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Do I think the comic book industry could use a kick in the ass? Absolutely. But I also don't believe - and see evidence - that comic stores are falling victim to the same fate that other retail outlets suffer. Comic stores have to evolve beyond the monthly and weekly books. Lots of stores fall victim to high rents, and that's unfortunate, but many stores don't totally evolve to match the market. It's a tricky market and I don't pretend to know everything, but comics and pop culture have been constants for 80 years and I don't think they are going anywhere.<br />
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I'd do A LOT of things differently than the owner of my (now defunct) store. And by A LOT, I mean I'd focus on different areas like subscriptions, a massive online presence, collectibles, heavy focus on graphic novels. I'd also introduce other products like retro and used games, second-hand DVDs, collectibles and what not. Not to mention there'd be more events like signings, involvement around town, the whole nine. You've also got to follow trends: for example at New York Comic Con, the most common T-Shirt I saw worn was The Bullet Club, so yeah I'd carry those.<br />
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I've always wanted to open and run my own comic store. My hometown is a decent market for this kind of specialty shop, and timing didn't work out this time around. I'm still looking into it fairly aggressively, but many factors such as timing, capital, strategy and growth potential are certainly still at play. Plus, maybe it's time for a new location and a new outlook. While being next to the lingerie store has been an adventure the past couple of years, it doesn't help the stereotype.<br />
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There's also the fact that the comic market (and I'm including pop culture broadly) is VERY difficult to explain to someone who really doesn't understand it. Sure, business is business and economics is all that really matters, but these specialty stores are a unique beast.<br />
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I'm hopeful it works out, I just need more time. I'm not one to give up on accomplishing goals and making dreams a reality.<br />
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<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1247701955/atomic-thunderbolt-2">In the meantime, check out my Kickstarter campaign for The Atomic Thunderbolt #2!</a>KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-62731163791015960032018-01-07T20:42:00.001-05:002018-01-07T22:47:12.517-05:00Being a Comic reader without a store...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Lots of chatter about the comic book direct market lately. 1) A lot of it is totally Marvel's fault and I've got some thoughts on that for another time. But anyways... so this week A Timeless Journey - my comic shop in Stamford, CT, which I have been a part of for the past 17 years and have gone to since I can remember - announced we were closing. This is due to the owner getting a new opportunity and the time just being right. A lot of these other shops I see closing are in ridiculously high-rent areas and haven't totally diversified products etc. (painting with a broad brush here). Truth be told, I am looking into opening a new store or continuing the legacy of A Timeless Journey, as has always been an ambition, but I noticed something this week that I always knew was an issue, but really experienced it for the first time.<br />
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I've always had access to a comic store... if it wasn't A Timeless Journey, it was Dream Factory/Flamingo Street in Norwalk. In college, it was Comics for Collectors in Ithaca (and for the semester in LA, Meltdown)... whenever I go to any town, I sniff out the comic stores (I used to drive from Lake George all the way down to Greenfield Center to go to the original Comic Depot when visiting my parents on college breaks). Oh, and at my grandparents during summers in middle and high school, I could always ride my bike up to the P&C and they always had the books I needed (yes, grocery stores need comics again).<br />
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So, when Paul (A Timeless Journey's owner) understandably canceled the orders, I was left needing to figure out where to get my comics (after all, I don't drink, I don't smoke, I read comics). The two closest options are Heroes in Norwalk (25 mins away) or Aw Yeah! in Harrison, NY (30 mins away). Now, Heroes comes with a little baggage because of a history with A Timeless Journey, so I didn't want to go there just yet, and a regular there told me they were sold out of a couple books I wanted. Aw Yeah! is one of my favorite stores ever and if you don't know Marc, there are few finer people in comics (seriously). But Aw Yeah! would take a not insignificant portion of my day and a lot of time, because I love talking to Marc. I also have to factor in cost in not only comic haul, but time and gas (being part of a store for so long, these were never really factors for me).<br />
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So where to get my comics? A first-world, niche problem, sure... but this is also an industry I have some involvement in, so whatever. So here's what I did:<br />
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I ended up getting Batman #38 off of eBay because it's sold out. I checked availability with Marc at Aw Yeah! and then had a friend pick up Captain America, Justice League and Iron Fist. Finally, I ordered Green Arrow, Superman and Phoenix: Resurrection from Midtown Comics (which I consider the last resort. If you know comics, you might understand). Many stores were sold out of some or all of these books (Midtown included).<br />
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I paid a little more than normal (especially on the Batman issue), but I got my comics for the week (or at least they are on their way). I did find a new store that offered a great discount to fill-in for the time-being to get my books, but more on that momentarily.<br />
<br />
I had to go to three different places - two online and one proxy - to get the 7 books I will absolutely read. I say "absolutely read" because I have a massive stack of unreads.<br />
<br />
Anyway, this a hyperlocal problem to Stamford not having a store after 35 years - Stamford is city of about 130,000 according to the Census, but the store would serve much of Fairfield County. Also of note, Stamford is a major commuter town for the New York Metro area. Having two stores within 30 minutes may not seem like a big deal - and I've sure been spoiled over the years - but it really highlighted another issue about the comic market... accessibility.<br />
<br />
Stamford used to be a big comic town. There were a half dozen stores or more in the 90s, and comics were still available at convenience stores and the grocery store. Nowadays, you're lucky to find them outside a specialty shop. This ultimately hurts readership overall - as is often noted - but it was really wild that I had to go to three different places - two online! - just to get 7 comic books. That - to me - is part of the problem with the direct market. The stock is so limited, and the sales are so mediocre that books like Batman and Superman are hard to track down. In a perfect world, I would have gone to one of the bazillion convenience stores in Stamford - or the grocery store - and boom, there they are.<br />
<br />
Part of the problem is return-ability, part of the problem is Marvel's mediocre editorial direction. Also, part of the problem is the general lack of emphasis Marvel - who dominates the most important entertainment market - puts on comics doesn't do anything to push them.<br />
<br />
I did find an online outlet that is convenient for my needs and budget, which is great. It's a comic store out-of-state that offered me an easy subscription, a really solid discount and cheap shipping. But I'm a diehard comic reader and a part-time retailer of 17 years, I know how to work my way around the market. Most people don't, and I really wonder how many people, put in the same situation I was, would just drop reading weekly comics completely?<br />
<br />
This is one reason I'm exploring finally opening a store of my own. I believe the market has a lot of untapped potential, but I also think it needs to change or else the weekly 20-page comic side of the industry is going to collapse.KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-47795693768054339272017-12-18T01:25:00.002-05:002017-12-18T10:56:38.563-05:00The Last Jedi review (SPOILERS)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIUYzfdoseLBpAuVFoAYGM5rCRcWqHTUQ5WP8sDqeu_DhQghkfcLzYTBOMzUwk7QBn3uGy2GnEk0lPxCRllIyL2DzLQnuugWP2IEv89xw93kAhY2yprFqj1Kc-CzbwbLrQG0zuFuuOdw/s1600/The-Last-Jedi-spoiler-review.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="545" data-original-width="970" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJIUYzfdoseLBpAuVFoAYGM5rCRcWqHTUQ5WP8sDqeu_DhQghkfcLzYTBOMzUwk7QBn3uGy2GnEk0lPxCRllIyL2DzLQnuugWP2IEv89xw93kAhY2yprFqj1Kc-CzbwbLrQG0zuFuuOdw/s400/The-Last-Jedi-spoiler-review.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1247701955/the-atomic-thunderbolt-2-rebooted" target="_blank">HEY! Before you dive in, please check out my Kickstarter for The Atomic Thunderbolt #2!</a></i><br />
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I wasn’t going to review “The Last Jedi,” but what the hell,
it’s polarizing and opinions are like… well, you know how the saying goes.
Rather than spread my thoughts out over random Facebook posts or what not, I
decided to put them here. I don’t review a lot of movies like this – usually
just the ones that involve Superman— but because of the cultural significance
of Star Wars, the fact it’s everywhere right now, the fact good friends of mine
are die-hards and just because I feel like it, I’ll tackle “The Last Jedi.” </div>
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I mentioned in my review of “The Force Awakens” that I used
to be a big Star Wars fan. While superheroes are my first and one true pop
culture love, and I can honestly say I actually prefer Trek to Wars, I loved
Star Wars up until the prequels. I did it all, the games, the expanded
universe, the toys. I loved it. But the prequels just sucked the love of Star
Wars out of me. Not so much “The Phantom Menace” – which I actually recently
rewatched and holy crap, that’s a poorly written movie – but “Attack of the
Clones” was the one where I lost much enthusiasm for the franchise as a whole.</div>
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I’ve never really come back… I’ve wanted to come back, but
thus far, I haven’t and I just keep feeling exhausted with Star Wars. I thought
“The Force Awakens” was okay. I gave it a 7/10 (I don’t like the number scaling
so much anymore, but I stand by it, though it might have been too high). I was and still am completely indifferent to
“The Force Awakens.” There’s a lot I like, a lot I don’t. Contrast that to
“Rogue One,” which I didn’t do a full review, but I think it’s the second best
Star Wars next to “The Empire Strikes Back.” I’ll never forgive it for not
including Kyle Katarn, or having even an easter egg reference to “Dark Forces,”
a pivotal Star Wars game of my youth, but I love “Rogue One.”</div>
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The thing that works best about “Rogue One” is that it’s a
movie that you know the outcome going in and it still takes you for a ride. The
characters are so likeable and the stakes are so high that there’s genuine
suspense and thrills that you otherwise wouldn’t expect. It’s a damn good
movie. Compare that to “Revenge of the Sith” – which is the best of those
prequels – you know how it ends and after a while, maybe because of the bad
acting or the fact you’re just all in at this point – finishing “Revenge of the
Sith” is a chore.</div>
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Final preface: I still like and participate in the Star Wars
lore – not religiously, but enough to know what’s going on. After initially not
liking it, I picked up “Battlefront 2” and I actually really dig it thanks to
the campaign. I was also a fan of “The Force Unleashed” and still think the
secret apprentice has a place in the Disney canon. But I don’t have anything
invested in the franchise other than, “hey, I’d love to love Star Wars again.”</div>
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Now don’t get me wrong, “The Last Jedi” isn’t a bad movie.
It’s not a great movie. It’s decent. For me, it doesn’t push the needle past
“The Force Awakens” all that much, if at all. It makes some bold decisions that
redefine the saga – some work, some don’t – and some outright kind of make
things from “The Force Awakens” a bit pointless. </div>
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As usual, there are spoilers here and I’ll do my “Yay, Meh
and Nope” scale for what I did and didn’t like about the movie.</div>
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<b><u>YAY<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<b>Kylo Ren –</b> I was
indifferent to Kylo Ren in “The Force Awakens,” he was a petulant man-baby who
didn’t seem all that imposing. There was much more to the character this time
around and you could genuinely sense the conflict. It’s also interesting to see
his distaste for male authority figures. I mean, he did kill his dad, he tries
to kill his uncle, he kills his Sith Lord and he makes Hux his bitch. However,
he doesn’t kill Leia and he continually tries to work with Rey. The whole
anti-male authority thing is especially interesting during the shirtless scene,
I think that was a deliberate choice by Rian Johnson. The character development
for Ben Solo was also much more involved beyond some kid who worshipped his
evil grandfather. He works much better in this movie.</div>
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<b>Rey –</b> I still
really like Rey. I kind of don’t care who her parents are (Kylo is totes lying
to her), but if she is a “nobody,” it does create an interesting dynamic with
huge franchise implications going forward. She’s just some rando who is strong
with the Force. No midichlorians, no “selection” by the corrupt and lazy Jedi
Order, she’s just a badass. </div>
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<b>Killing Snoke –</b>
One of the bolder choices in the film. I actually thought it worked, especially
when you read into the whole male authority thing about Kylo Ren. It’s
surprising as hell that it happens (kind of predictable during the actual
scene), but it creates an interesting dynamic going forward.</div>
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<b>Rey and Kylo fighting
together –</b> After Kylo kills Snoke, he and Rey fight the Praetorian Guard
and this scene was the best part of the movie, hands down. Really, this was
awesome. There really aren’t stakes involved, but the scene was cool. I have
two theories about Kylo and Rey, I’ll get to them later.</div>
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<b>Empire Yoda –</b>
Yoda showing up was nothing but fan service and a way to get Yoda into the
movie. However, I kind of loved that it was crazy-ass Yoda from “Empire Strikes
Back.” The completely senile, real matter-of-fact old man that has no problem
calling you an asshole… that’s the best kind of Yoda. Also, it was puppet Yoda.</div>
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<b>Luke vs. Kylo – </b>I
thought this was a cool sequence, even the reveal that Luke wasn’t really
there, (once again some questions about the Force). But there are some moments
here that are just great filmmaking (Johnson makes a point to show Kylo’s
footprints in the ground, but Luke’s aren’t there).</div>
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<b>Leia – </b>I miss
Carrie Fisher. With the exception of her space dive, I loved pretty much
everything about Leia and the way she was portrayed. It’s too bad Fisher is
gone and she can’t give the Princess a proper send-off.</div>
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<b>Rian Johnson's aesthetic – </b>I don't think this is the best written Star Wars movie ever, but it's 100% one of the most beautifully shot. There is some superb direction and cinematography throughout this entire film.</div>
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<b><u>BETWEEN YAY AND
MEH<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<b>Benicio Del Toro’s
character – </b>Was Johnny Depp busy? Del Toro’s existence in this film is
weird. He’s not the droid Finn and Rose are looking for, but he’ll do and he’s
conveniently hanging around in a cell until Rose and Finn need him, and they
escape! That said, I rather enjoyed his philosophy and the commentary on the
war machine, something that is entirely relevant to the real world today.</div>
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<b><u>MEH<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<b>Killing Snoke, part 2
</b>– So I do applaud the decision to kill Snoke. It was unexpected, it creates
a wild new dynamic, but it was kind of a let-down for what could have been a
more interesting character. Thus, I can see why some fans would be annoyed by
the decision I know there’s an argument out there, “well, the Emperor didn’t
have a backstory in “Empire” and “Return,” so why does it matter with Snoke?”
Precedent, that’s why. Had there not be six movies in this saga before Snoke
first appeared, this wouldn’t be an issue, but there are so many questions
regarding Snoke and where he was 30 years ago when Palpatine and Vader were
killed. Where was he during the rise and fall of the Empire, how did he manage
to consolidate power? Star Wars is often a political beast. In “Empire” and
“Return of the Jedi,” there’s not much history fleshed out to the Emperor, you
just know he’s the guy that rules the galaxy with Vader as his sword, but with
Snoke there’s much more history to Star Wars fleshed out that I can’t help but
be a little let-down they didn’t really go further into explaining him. This is
one of those instances where you can’t rely on moviegoers reading all the books
and other media that explains what happened between “Return” and “TFA” because
casual audiences don’t necessarily dive that deep. Also, how did this
all-powerful Sith Lord not sense that his punk ass apprentice was using the
Force to turn on a lightsaber and slice him in half?</div>
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<b>Rose and Finn –</b>
My feeling that the entire Canto Bight nonsense could have been avoided aside,
I didn’t mind Rose and Finn. I don’t really buy into the love story that seems
to be the end result, but they were fine overall.</div>
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<b>Chewbacca</b> <b>– </b>Why are you still here?</div>
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<b>Force Skype – </b>The
Force skyping between Kylo and Rey is interesting. I’m putting it under “Meh”
because I thought it needs more behind it and it plays into my questions about the
Force. Also, I think it plays into one of my theories about Kylo and Rey.</div>
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<b>Overall story
structure – </b>At it's core, the main plot of "The Last Jedi" is mostly fine. But when you start breaking it down, there are some pretty large plot holes and odd story beats. But I guess that comes with Star Wars and big space operas, yeah? I mean how else is Rey going to rebuild the Jedi Order with the texts but no training?</div>
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<b><u>Between MEH and
NOPE<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<b>Finn –</b> Finn was
one of, if not THE strongest character in “The Force Awakens.” His arc was
clear and had a sound resolution – he defied the First Order and nearly
sacrificed himself to stop Kylo Ren. In “The Last Jedi,” he and Rose are sent
on a quest. On said quest, they make a really bad judgment call that gets a lot
of people killed. I just didn’t care for Finn much this time around, and that
was kind of disappointing. He also kind of doesn’t grow as a character, he’s
just committed to the Resistance now and follows nearly the same path as “The
Force Awakens.”</div>
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<b>Poe Dameron –</b> I
liked Poe a lot in “The Force Awakens.” I like my infallible, morally righteous
characters. However, in “The Last Jedi” I was indifferent to him, which is a
bit disappointing. It didn’t help that it was his overconfidence that nearly
crushed the Resistance to begin with, but his arc both did and didn’t work for
me. He kind of takes on the personality of a guy on Twitter who replies to
females with “well, actually…” (you know, mansplaining), which plays into the
overall story-arc. It also plays into the male authority idea, but I don’t know
if I buy it coming from Poe. It’s an interesting way to go for a character that
is generally well-regarded, but there are moments that are genuinely sexist
which kind of seemed off for his character, given his admiration and
relationship with Leia. If Poe learns from his blunders and applies them in the
next installment, then it’s all for the better.</div>
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<b><u>NOPE<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<b>Poe Dameron is an
idiot – </b>Poe’s defiance of Leia and insistence of bombing the Star Destroyer
should go down in history as one of the greatest military blunders of the Star
Wars.<b> </b>He gets a ton of Resistance
fighters killed, and his actions drive part of the movie (the dragged out
chase), thus even making him (and Finn and Rose) responsible for the deaths of
the people in the escaping Resistance transports. For someone who was so
likeable in “The Force Awakens,” this whole thing didn’t do much for his
character. My favorite reactions to Poe’s idiotic strategy have been from real
military personnel I follow on Twitter. They have all been completely baffled
by the entire affair. </div>
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<b>Captain Phasma – </b>What
a waste.</div>
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<b>Hux – </b>Hux is
pretty lame.</div>
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<b>Canto Bight</b> –
This entire thing was boring and kind of pointless, save for the stable boy at
the end. I guess they had to give Finn something to do. While I rather enjoyed
the political commentary and found it to be rather prudent, it could have been
done in less time and with something much more interesting.</div>
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<b>Admiral Holdo’s
sacrifice –</b> I had really no problem with Holdo overall, might have been
better if she was introduced in “The Force Awakens,” but the sacrifice play she
made carried less weight because she was expendable, and that’s why it didn’t
work for me. If you really wanted to go for the emotion, her play should have
either been Leia’s sacrifice or – bear with me – Admiral Ackbar’s. The good
Admiral is a cult icon of Star Wars and he unceremoniously meets his demise
when the bridge of the ship is ripped apart. I actually appreciate it sometimes
when characters don’t have big deaths and they just kind of go with little to
no fanfare, but I feel like Ackbar could have added more weight to the
sacrifice. </div>
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<b>Luke Skywalker – </b>The
one thing I despised about “The Force Awakens” was the treatment of Han Solo.
Luke’s treatment isn’t as terrible as Han’s, but it’s definitely a mixed bag.
Overall, I didn’t like how Luke was handled. This seems to be a common
criticism of the film. I get the idea that Luke came to realize the Jedi Order
was a sham, but he’s a little too over-the-top in his being a hermit. There are
so many questions about the 30 years between “Return of the Jedi” and “The
Force Awakens” that Luke’s whole story just begs for some to be answered. I
also don’t think Luke needed to become one with the Force just yet. I think
it’s pretty obvious he’ll be back as a Force ghost in Episode IX, but his
story-arc could have been stretched out a bit more. I think many of the
criticisms of Luke’s handling, including from ark Hamill himself have some
relevance. I can understand sending Han off after one movie (despite how much I
hated the way he went), but Luke – who once embodied EVERYTHING about Star Wars
from the Rebels to the Jedi – deserved more. Hamill’s performance was just
fine, weird milking scene notwithstanding, I just felt like one of the absolute
main characters of the franchise deserved more.</div>
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<b>Leia in space –</b> A
few months ago, Disney had a genuine and iconic comedic moment born when Yondu
exclaimed “I’m Mary Poppins, ya’ll” and floated in “Guardians of the Galaxy:
Vol 2,” in an actually enjoyable moment of corporate synergy. “The Last Jedi”
took it one step further when Leia gets sucked out of her command ship, you
know, after the bridge is ripped apart, doesn’t die in space and uses the force
to float (or fly) back to the ship. It’s a neat idea on paper with the Force
being used as a plot device, but I just couldn’t help but think about Mary
Poppins, ya’ll, and that’s part of why it didn’t work for me here.</div>
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<b><u>EXPERIENCE OVER
FILM</u></b></div>
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I have this same criticism of “The Force Awakens.” Star Wars
is no longer about movies. It’s about an experience. The fervor over spoilers, the
polarization of the movie between old fans, new fans, diehard fans, casual
fans, etc., these things are not about the movies themselves. They are about
the experience that is Star Wars. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but at
some point experience begins to take precedence over film and I think we’ve
crossed that line. I have zero interest in ruining your Star Wars experience, I have more interest in critiquing the film though.</div>
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<b><u>QUESTIONS</u></b></div>
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While I like that everything you know about Star Wars was
kind of shaken up, it creates a number of conundrums that I think do need
answers. For example, Yoda shows up and he really isn’t a ghost. He interacts
with Luke and summons lightning to burn Luke’s Force library (Rey has the
texts, so okay…). Where is Yoda to appear to Kylo Ren and Force lightning him?
The Force is presented as far more powerful than ever before in “The Last
Jedi,” which opens up some potential possibilities, but it also creates a
firestorm of questions. </div>
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<b><u>OBSERVATION<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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What’s old is new again – I’ve seen this argument that Star
Wars fans were annoyed by how “The Force Awakens” does a lot of rehashing, whereas
“Last Jedi” does too much risk-taking. The argument here for the choices in
“Last Jedi” is that Star Wars takes these risks to shoot adrenaline into the
franchise, to go to new places and toss away the old stuff. That’s a sound
argument.<br />
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Here’s the problem: In “The Force Awakens,” The First Order
is more a cult than anything else. In “Last Jedi,” they are very much the
Empire. They did wipe out the Republic’s seat of government, so it’s kind of a
natural progression, but they are the Empire. By the end of “Last Jedi,” the
Resistance has also evolved. Once again, they are the Rebel Alliance. That’s
fine and dandy, especially for branding purposes, but it kind of flies in the
face of the “bury the past” themes both in the film and in the analysis. It’s also
ironic that the next Star Wars movie slated for release is “Solo,” a movie
about the past and a dead character. The franchise as a whole is kind of moving
in place, which I think overall adds to my Star Wars fatigue. </div>
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What I also found weird was the way Luke reacts to the blue
lightsaber. He tosses it over his shoulder like a piece of junk. Given the
choices Rian Johnson makes throughout the film, it’s kind of hard to think he’s
not a fan of “The Force Awakens” and wanted to change some stuff. This ultimately
is symbolized by Luke tossing the very laser sword that drove the plot of the
first film. That’s not really how I read it, but the more I thought about it,
it was something worth thinking about again.</div>
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<b><u>THEORIES</u></b></div>
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I have two theories about Rey and Kylo. 1) Kylo is totally
lying to Rey about her parents. It’s a deliberate plot choice to make her
believe she is “nobody.” It may very well be the case, but part of me still
thinks they are brother and sister or somehow related. (The Kenobi theory is
still my favorite. Speaking of which, where were you during all this, Obi-Wan?)
2) Rey and Kylo are totally going to be lovers and rule the galaxy together.
Not as evil people, but as the balance. (Or hell, they do it as brother and
sister).</div>
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<b><u>OVERALL</u></b></div>
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Rian Johnson kind of goes all-in with “Last Jedi.” It
doesn’t feel like the middle part of a trilogy, it felt like an ending. That’s
a problem. I’m sure the Lucasfilm story team will find their way out of it in
time for J.J. Abrams to lens flare his way back into our lives, it’s just going
to need something beyond the mortal rivalry of Kylo and Rey, especially with
all the characters involved that had story-arcs more or less existing for this
one movie and tied up by the end. It doesn’t really build to anything except… where
we started all those years ago.</div>
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It may seem like I disliked the film, I didn’t. I feel about
the same as I do with “The Force Awakens.” Kind of indifferent. I enjoyed it
overall, but I don’t think it’s the best Star Wars movie by any stretch. It’s got a lot of
great moments, and a lot of not-so-great moments, but I wasn’t demanding money
back. I think when the dust settles and the Star Wars haze fades, this movie won't hold it's own weight. Ultimately what matters is enjoyment, I thought enough of it to write
this long ass review, but it’s easier to write this than to constantly explain
my feelings on this pop culture phenomena. If you disagree and enjoyed it a
hell of a lot more than I did, that’s awesome and really all that matters.</div>
KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-91787278448585944712017-11-17T22:28:00.003-05:002017-12-18T10:53:51.999-05:00"Justice League" review: Crisis averted<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>SPOILERS AHOY! This is my full review of "Justice League." It contains spoilers. So there, I warned you.</b></div>
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<b><i>Before you dive in... I love superheroes, so much so that I write some superhero comics! I've currently got a Kickstarter campaign going for the second issue of my revival of Golden Age one-hit wonder, The Atomic Thunderbolt! If you like what I have to say about superheroes, or you just like good comics, please support the book and pledge today! <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1247701955/the-atomic-thunderbolt-2-rebooted">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1247701955/the-atomic-thunderbolt-2-rebooted</a></i></b></div>
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I’ll come right out of the gate and say it; I didn’t hate “Justice League,” I actually kind of liked it. I wouldn’t call it a great movie, it’s certainly not the worst movie – it’s actually not even the worst movie in the DCEU, that honor still belongs to “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.” My expectations were pretty low to be honest, and I knew going in that the movie was kind of a mess and there was some serious course correction at play. But look, I love DC Comics and I want their movies to succeed the way Marvel’s do and the way DC TV does. So I can say with honesty, I was pleasantly surprised by "Justice League." It's a flawed film - I mean, hell, the franchise is massively flawed - but it is enjoyable and I can say I was pleasantly surprised.</div>
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That said, I realized around the time the final battle started what “Justice League” was best compared to: DC animated movie, not necessarily one of the bad or great ones... but one of the satisfying ones. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, either.</div>
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When it comes to the DC movies, for me a lot hinges on the treatment of Superman. "Justice League" does something to "Batman v. Superman" that "BvS" did to "Man of Steel." It changes a few key elements of the plot and story. Here, "Justice League" tells us that the world has fallen into chaos and hopelessness without Superman, but "Batman v. Superman" spent most of it's time showing viewers the world kind of hated him no matter what. "Justice League," however, places the previous movies in sort of a vague history. At times it seemed as though, yeah, that stuff happened, but only to serve the current plot, otherwise, it didn't happen the way you remember.</div>
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This ends up giving viewers an idea of Superman that is familiar to fans of the character and in line with the classic version, but not familiar to the Snyder vision. This is a good thing, especially when there's been a version of Superman on TV in the past year that has been met with rave reviews and demand for his own spin-off series.</div>
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"Man of Steel" is an abomination of a Superman story, and "Batman v. Superman" is an atrocity. Both miss the point of the character and give us a version that is misguided and fails to truly capture The Last Son of Krypton. The rumors surrounding "Justice League" involved Superman coming back as a bad guy, a two-part story and the darkest installment yet. While Zack Snyder stepped down as director following a horrific family tragedy, Joss Whedon took over and the reshoots began immediately following the critical response to "Wonder Woman." The end result was a pretty obviously reshot Superman, a film lighter in tone, a shorter and more generic story, and ultimately a course correction for DC. All of this coming amidst their overwhelmingly positive editorial move with "DC Rebirth" in the comics.</div>
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I can say with confidence that "Justice League" is the second best outing for the DCEU behind "Wonder Woman." Mind you, it's light years behind "Wonder Woman" in terms of overall merit as a film, but despite it's flaws, "Justice League" does have some redeeming qualities and it is somewhat enjoyable. Again, it's not necessarily a good movie, and it doesn't really break any new ground, in fact it doesn't really do much, but it's not offensive, dour or controversial in the way "Man of Steel" or "Batman v. Superman" was.</div>
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Okay, so I'll do this the way I do all my reviews, with a breakdown of three categories: The Yay!, The Meh and The Nope. Basically breaks down as what worked for me, what I was indifferent to and what didn't totally work for me.</div>
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<b><u>The Yay!<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<b>Superman:</b> Sure, he wasn’t in it a lot, but for the first time, we actually get to see Henry Cavill portray Superman. In his brief moments, he actually felt like Superman. He wasn’t the same brooding or melodramatic superhero we’d seen previously. This was the Superman with a smile on his face, a positive outlook and a general sense of wonder. He was there to help, he was less a angsty god and more a superhero. The very first scene in the movie is cell-phone footage of kids interviewing him, and in that one scene; I could tell this was a very different Man of Steel. Compare that to his intro in “Batman v. Superman” when he crashes through a wall and then (we assume) kills a guy.<br />
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As I mentioned above, I had read and heard the rumors that Joss Whedon’s biggest influence on the film when he took over was essentially rewriting Superman’s entire role. Given the amount of clearly visible CGI-ed mustache, this would account for maybe 90-95% of Superman in the movie.</div>
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I had a big dumb smile on my face when Superman shows up for the final battle - that's the reaction you want when it comes to Big Blue. I can honestly say that I'd love to see a new Superman movie with Henry Cavill (who I've always felt is perfect for the role, but has never had the right material), so long as it's this version and Zack Snyder is nowhere near it. (More on how I'd approach the DCEU going forward at the end of this).</div>
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As a lifelong Superman fan and someone who studies the character extensively, I was satisfied.</div>
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<b>Wonder Woman:</b> Once again, Gal Gadot was in top form as Wonder Woman. She’s really the highlight of the DC movies. When I reviewed “Wonder Woman,” I mentioned that Gadot didn’t own the role in that film as much as she did in “Batman v. Superman,” interestingly; I felt she owned it once again here – now I really wonder if that was by design. She’s confident in the role and does the best she can with the material she’s given.</div>
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<b>Lois & Clark on the farm:</b> This was easily the best-written scene of the movie. I believe it was one of the reshoots given the CGI-stache and Amy Adams almost looking like she was wearing a wig. Anyway, the scene had tremendous emotional weight between Lois and Martha seeing Clark restored. It also felt like a Joss Whedon scene. The DCEU love story of Lois and Clark has had ups and downs, but this was definitely a high point and I was pleasantly surprised.</div>
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S<b>teppenwolf backstory sequence:</b> I thought this whole sequence was pretty neat, mostly because of the inclusion of the Greek gods. We clearly see Zeus and a giant, and of course the Green Lanterns. While it was pretty generic in terms of “bad guys wants to conquer, ancient warriors stop him,” the inclusion of Zeus and others won me over.</div>
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<b>Second post-credits scene:</b> I joked with someone that the second post-credits scene was the second best DCEU movie behind Wonder Woman. Who knows if it will really go anywhere, but it was pretty neat. (SPOILERS) Deathstroke looked GREAT (and surprisingly similar to the CW version) and Jesse Eisenberg was actually a more recognizable Lex Luthor than whatever he was in "Batman v. Superman."</div>
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<b>Classic themes:</b> I’m curious how long Danny Elfman had to create the score for “Justice League.” He was announced as the composer not long before release. Let me just say that one of the high points in “Man of Steel” is the score. The “Batman v. Superman” score is also strong, if not a bit over the top. However, I really liked the inclusion of the classic Batman ’89 theme and the short instances of the John Williams Superman theme. To me it was a sign that Warner Bros. wants to present the more classic and widely accepted versions of two of their biggest characters going forward and frankly, those themes are iconic and have stood the test of time.</div>
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<b>Mera:</b> Um, okay. So they ARE making Mera a total badass. Nice. (Sidebar: Amber Heard is seriously one of the most strikingly beautiful people on the planet).</div>
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<b>JK Simmons as Gordon:</b> You know what? Okay. I’d watch a Batman movie with Simmons as Gordon. There’s really no reason for him to be here other than to move the plot along via some fan service, but okay.</div>
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<b>Superman resurrection: </b>While getting to the actual resurrection is kind of hamfisted, the fight between Superman and the Justice League is actually a really fun sequence. He's disoriented and really pissed at Batman. There's also a genuinely cool moment where Flash is running at super-speed and Superman turns his attention to him in bullet-time.</div>
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<b>Batman’s tech suit:</b> The suit actually kind of served no purpose, but it looked damn good on screen.</div>
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<b>Team chemistry: </b>Yeah, the team worked. The chemistry between the actors was solid and they all have their moments, especially in the third act.<br />
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<b>No one gets murdered and the superheroes save people!: </b>I can't believe I have to write this, but it was refreshing to see Batman and Superman not kill, because they shouldn't. Sure, they lay waste to some parademons - and Batman having some insane firepower is acceptable in this case - but they aren't snapping necks, shooting guns, branding bad guys... instead we get lots of punching of soulless creatures from Apokolips and Superman literally saving an apartment building. (THAT'S HOW YOU DO IT).</div>
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<b><u>Between Yay and Meh<o:p></o:p></u></b></div>
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<b>Flash: </b>Inevitably, Ezra Miller’s Flash must be compared to Grant Gustin’s Flash.<b> </b>On one hand, Miller’s Flash brings levity to the film – as The Flash should - but the character is just so inconsistent. There are moments he’s genuinely fun, while there are moments where his awkwardness just comes off as forced and doesn't really fit Barry's character. Definitely a far cry from the acclaimed version on the CW.</div>
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<b>Cyborg: </b>I've never been a big Cyborg fan and I grew up with him as a key member of the Teen Titans, and here he mostly serves the plot. There isn't much in terms of character development, he's broody and angry, and portrayed as pretty stiff. The CGI on him looked decent enough, but the character was just kind of flat.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Aquaman: </b>I like Jason Momoa. I like casting him as Aquaman. I'm just so indifferent to him here. He doesn't talk to fish, he just swims really fast and sort of manipulates the water. He's supposed to be the anti-hero, but he's just kind of there. He's got some decent one-liners and a halfway decent scene with the lasso of truth attached to him, but I wasn't left clamoring for his solo movie because of him. (Mera was really neat, though).<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Superman’s resurrection:</b> As I mentioned, the actual resurrection is kind of neat as is the ensuing fight scene with the Justice League, but the reason and build-up is weak. I’m guessing Snyder’s original two-part version did have evil Superman being a result of the resurrection, giving the team some conflict. In the long run, it’s better that it was scrapped. But here the League has one fight with Steppenwolf, that more or less ends in a stalemate, and Batman essentially says, “screw it, let’s bring Superman back even though the last time someone used the Kryptonian ship we got that weird-looking Doomsday that couldn’t die.” This decision just kind of happens in the middle of the movie, out of nowhere. You know what? Whatever, fine.<br />
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<b>Plot: </b>The plot of the movie is pretty generic, which neither helps nor hurts the film: Alien comes for powerful MacGuffin to conquer the world, superheroes get together to stop him. Along the way there’s fighting with each other, figuring out how to work together, etc. Overall, there’s not a TON of conflict among the heroes themselves, which is mostly fine. They all pretty much just accept the fact they’ve got to do the dance and save the world. In the end, “Justice League” played it safe.</div>
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<b>CGI: </b>The CGI is really inconsistent throughout the film, to the point where it’s distracting. I’m not just talking about Henry Cavill’s CGI-ed non-stache, but there was a clear dip in quality between Steppenwolf’s poor rendering and the rather neat display of Mera’s ability. Part of the CGI feels unfinished, Cavill’s CGI-ed non-stache is more distracting in some places than in others. And yes, Steppenwolf ends up looking like a video game cut-scene character more often than not.</div>
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<b>Flash's awkwardness: </b>Okay, so Flash was mostly just inconsistent, but there's one thing I noticed that kind of tied back into a more extreme critical view I had of "Batman v. Superman." Zack Snyder is an Ayn Rand acolyte. He's also into male power fantasies a bit (I mean, have you seen his other movies?!), and I've felt that he's a bit of a "bro" and both aggressive and resentful towards geek culture. When Barry meets Bruce Wayne, he comes off as really socially awkward, but there's an emphasis on his intellect and basically being a "geek." While it wasn't a recurring theme throughout the film, it felt as though this was Snyder again relying on a pretty ridiculous stereotype to make a commentary about "the nerds." But maybe it's just me.<b><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Lois just yelling “Clark!” for all to hear:</b> One of the things that drove me nuts about “Man of Steel” was Lois flippantly yelling “Clark! Clark!” when Clark was clearly supposed to be Superman. She does it again while standing in front of some cops when disoriented Superman is about to kill Batman. Look, I totally get why she had to do it here, and it’s a nice contrast to Wonder Woman calling him Kal-EL moments before, but it just made me think of “Man of Steel” and one of my criticisms of that film. Honestly, we don’t need the explanation how Clark comes back from the dead, and frankly, I don’t care. The sooner we can abandon “Man of Steel” and “Batman v. Superman” as any kind of canon, the better. But c'mon Lois, you're blowing up your man's spot.</div>
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<b>Steppenwolf:</b> You really need to do a decent dive into DC lore and the Fourth World to get to Steppenwolf. I understand the original intention may have been that he was a harbinger for Darkseid, but the final product is a generic level boss. I saw a comparison to Malekith in “Thor: The Dark World.” That’s actually really accurate, even though Malekith had a bit more of a revenge motivation. Steppenwolf was more like “I’m back!” Uh, okay. He mentions Darkseid and I’m assuming the Unity – or combination of the Mother Boxes – was meant to be the anti-life equation. But overall, Steppenwolf just served his purpose of being a big enough threat that the whole team was needed. And he’s not even on a mission from Darkseid or anything, he’s just there.</div>
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<b>Overall tone: </b>This is a symptom of the course correction and two directors, but the movie can't really decide what it is... at points it wants to be serious and deal with ethics and moral dilemmas, and at other points it just wants to be light-hearted superhero popcorn-fare. It struggles to sort itself out, but this is kind of what happens when you rush these movies into production when the predecessors aren't being well-received. This leaves the film feeling unbalanced and any themes or deeper meanings falling a bit flat. This is definitely a movie by two different people and it shows.</div>
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DC fans and movie-goers deserve better and this is a step in the right direction.<b> </b>Look, I love DC Comics and I want these movies to succeed. What truly separates the DC movies from the Marvel movies is curation. The Marvel movies aren't intended as cash cows first. They never have been. All of them follow a formula but they each fit a different type of genre. The DC movies have felt made by committee, corporate cash grab first, quality second. When Warner Brothers essentially gave Patty Jenkins free reign to do "Wonder Woman," we got a really great movie that didn't feel bogged down in studio mandates or one, singular dark vision.</div>
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"Justice League" was clearly on it's way to being a disaster, and I do think the disaster was averted. But we should have never gotten to this point where a movie has to CGI-away a man's mustache to reshoot his role. (Sidebar: I will never understand why it wasn't just easier for Cavill to shave and temporarily wear a fake stache for "Mission: Impossible" - maybe Paramount's contract lawyers are just that good). That's perhaps Warner Bros. greatest sin with the entire DCEU. Rushing production and putting out three movies that were critically panned and divided the fan base, then actually releasing a great film and realizing they needed to change direction. It really just shouldn't have gotten to this point.</div>
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It's funny, I've always said the success and quality of DC Comics hinges entirely on the success and quality of Superman. This literal movie rebirth of Superman kind of serves a greater metaphor for the DC movies as a whole.</div>
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Where does DC go from here? “Wonder Woman” was clearly the right formula and it easily one of the best superhero movies ever made. “Justice League” is not as bad as it was initial made out to be, the shift in tone and outlook is much better than the bleak hopelessness put on display by Zack Snyder. I think it’s pretty obvious at this point that Snyder’s vision was never right for the DC Universe. The casts are exceptional, the majority of designs were great and many of the visuals – Snyder’s strong suit – were memorable. But overall, “Man of Steel,” “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad” did not capture what makes DC great. “Justice League” wants to, but doesn’t fully take the leap, though it’s in the ballpark.</div>
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What I personally hope Warner Bros. does is take a step back and re-examine the DC properties, not as cash cows, but as modern myths and cultural icons. One of the things I kind of liked about “Suicide Squad,” and even “Batman v. Superman” to an extent, was the idea that these characters already existed in the universe. We aren’t tied up in endless origin stories and that does allow for a little more flexibility.</div>
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Many fans are assuming the forth-coming “Flashpoint” movie – if it happens – will be the full course correction for DC at the movies. Give the universe a reboot, Affleck an exit and erase the dour roots of the universe that were set forth in “Man of Steel.” It’s already been said that “Aquaman” will be more of a standalone film, as will “Shazam.” There’s constant rumors about the state of the next Batman movie, and a new Superman movie that has also been said to be “its own thing.”</div>
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To me it’s simple: adopt the Bond formula. For example, keep Henry Cavill as Superman – hell, keep that whole cast – but don’t tie it to anything that’s come before, don’t even acknowledge “Man of Steel.” Just tell a Superman story. Apply this to each of the characters and bring them together every couple of years. The universe doesn’t need to be connected like Marvel, and just play fast and loose with continuity.</div>
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In a way, "Justice League" and the return to a more classic form for DC is the final chapter in the New 52 experiment. As the comics have shifted back to more iconic and wondrous versions of the characters - away from the darker tones of the New 52 - "Man of Steel" was the first DC movie in the New 52 era and the darker, more brooding elements of the character were evident in the comics following the 2011 reboot into the New 52. As the comics have erased New 52 Superman from existence and returned him to true form, it seems as though the movies have as well - TV certainly did when Tyler Hoechlin played The Man of Steel on "Supergirl" - and "Justice League" serves as a book end to the editorial and corporate reimagining that was the New 52.</div>
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Overall, "Justice League" is enjoyable if you just take it at face value, and for me, I felt good about Superman at the movies for the first time in a long time, because he finally felt right. It's not the disaster it's made out to be, quite the opposite, in a way it ultimately works. Yes, I'm nit-picky as hell because I was a film student, but at the end of the day "Justice League" is fun.</div>
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<b><i>If you like my take on superheroes, check out my superhero comic, The Atomic Thunderbolt on Kickstarter!: <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1247701955/the-atomic-thunderbolt-2-rebooted">https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1247701955/the-atomic-thunderbolt-2-rebooted</a></i></b></div>
KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-33549354884693475132017-10-23T15:17:00.000-04:002017-10-23T16:41:31.283-04:00Comics and the Alt-Right<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I'm a big believer in the idea that "comics are for everyone."<br />
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For the most part, if you don't like what you're reading in stores or from the big publishers. There are a TON of alternatives available. Sure, the quality varies WILDLY and you may or may not get something that is on par with a Diamond publisher, but you may find something that piques your interest or that is something not being offered elsewhere.<br />
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This was the driving force behind my creating Patriot-1. Although I didn't serve, I've always had a strong interest in the military, specifically Special Forces and Special Operations Forces. I'm also a big Tom Clancy fan, so these interests - tied in with my love of comics and Captain America - that's kind of where Patriot-1 came from. I also believe in America as an ideal and how Patriot-1 - like Captain America - can exemplify that.<br />
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Actually, I'm going to draw the line. America IS an idea. It's in constant need of improvement, learning from sins and incredible work to continue to foster the idea of what that ideal is intended to represent - a place where all people are equal regardless of race, creed or social status. That's exactly what Superman and Captain America represent - the ideal to strive towards.<br />
<br />
I spent years researching, conferring with current and former service members, developing characters, making comics, teaching myself the ins and outs, best practices, creating my own publishing house and all the trimmings before pitching Patriot-1 a few places and ultimately doing it myself. It's been carried by Diamond, it's built a decent fan base, I love introducing the character to new readers and there is an ongoing series in the works.<br />
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It's an action thriller, but it has a decent message. That's what art does. It says something about life in some kind of fashion.<br />
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Anyone who tells you "comics shouldn't be political" has ZERO idea about comics. The industry rose to popularity - especially in America - with costumed heroes fighting oppression, injustice and crime. Oh, and Nazis. Especially Nazis.<br />
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This all brings me to the Alt-Right. Some would call them modern day Nazis. They've been getting much attention of late and they are doing their best to lock themselves in every corner of American culture. Their de facto leader - or at least, most prominent face - the guy who got punched in the face on Inauguration Day, believes in a white ethno-state, which is literally just about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. Why, you ask? Well, what's going to count as white? Some broad description of European? Full blown Aryan, which he doesn't match? Because there are a lot of different cultures among Europeans, just as there are many different cultures among Americans.<br />
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Anyways, the Alt-Right has created some hub-bub in comics recently. There's been some trolling, harassment of creators, high targeting of Marvel for their slumping sales and push for greater diversity. Well, comic sales are up - and while Marvel has some issues, it's not because of their diversity push or "SJW agenda" as some on the Alt-Right like to talk about.<br />
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Apparently, there's a crowd-funding platform for the Alt-Right called Freestartr. Essentially, Kickstarter, GoFundMe, IndieGoGo and the mainstream crowd-funding services want no part of such an agenda. They are independent and private companies that do make money from their service, so it's entirely within their right to turn down projects.<br />
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I'd never heard of Vox Day until recently. I don't really know much about the Supreme Dark Lord beyond his Wikipedia page. However, the guy seemed like he had a lot going for him in the 90s and has a formidable following. Anyways, I don't know the guy, but he's inching his way into comics, which is one of my industries, so okay, welcome.<br />
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On that crowd-funding platform, he's got a comic called "Alt-Hero," that has raised a considerable amount of money and has roped in legendary Batman writer Chuck Dixon.<br />
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I'm not going to sit here and be abrasive or try and pick a fight, but I am going to do what we creators do. I'm going critique the hell out of this project which is allegedly going to "challenge and eventually replace the SJW-converged comics of DC and Marvel."<br />
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My dude. I have some bad news about the comic book industry for you.<br />
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I'll give you credit where it's due, I don't know the legitimacy of Freestartr, but on the surface it looks like you've raised a decent amount with a fair number of backers. Considering the number of backers plus the potential size of the book and some extra rewards, plus your profile saying you are in Italy, you're going to need a lot of that money to cover shipping.<br />
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And further credit, you've got a fleshed out universe, complete with an alternative post-WW2 history. Look, that's no easy feat. Any writer will tell you that kind of universe building it's tough and often frustrating.<br />
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Beyond that, the book really needs some work. I'm speaking strictly as a publisher. If you want to be taken seriously in comics - you know, beyond your Alt-Right faithful - at the very least you need to hire a real letterer or get better at it. The lettering is amateurish at best, and would definitely turn off an average reader at one glance. <br />
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Speaking of the average reader, if you think you're somehow going to replace Marvel and DC, I look forward to seeing you at Comic Cons across the country. They tend to get quite expensive between table cost, travel, hotel and food, and believe me, they are a GRIND. On top of that, cons have gotten pretty selective when it comes to who they let into Artist's Alleys and the show in general, so good luck. I know A-list artists that don't get space at some of the larger cons.<br />
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That's the other thing, you can build your audience in your niche all you want, but if you're going to "challenge and replace" the foundations of the comic industry, you better hope Diamond will carry you. On top of that, you had better hope your pre-orders reach into the tens of thousands and that stores will even carry the book. Subject matter aside, if Diamond doesn't carry your book - or if the logistics are overwhelming (hint: they can be for a small operation) - enjoy cold-calling comic stores already cautious to carry independent and small press titles beyond local creators.<br />
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Just to temper expectations, the prospects of challenging and replacing Marvel and DC aren't looking good. When you start selling the book at cons - and you really need to do this if you want any semblance of success - in a general sense you're competing with Marvel and DC, but you're also competing with people on your left, right, back, front, aisle, section, row and overall show.<br />
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If you don't distribute through Diamond, you might get a store to carry a copy either through discounted purchase or consignment, but if that book doesn't sell, don't expect stores to keep carrying the book. You'll likely be able to carry it on Amazon, but that's not going to do much in terms of replacing or challenging the big publishers.<br />
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I'm not exactly sure what the thread of the story is beyond creating "liberal tears" and frankly, the Freestartr description doesn't really call for much of that. For comics and new characters to have resonance, there needs to be something deeper there. It seems the idea is to simply "trigger," which after some initial buzz, will just fade into the white noise that is independent and small press comics. It appears you want to start some kind of culture war through this comic, but maybe it would be better served if you used the money and effort to create a book that somehow expresses your grievances and the views you're trying to convey in a constructive way that promotes discussion.<br />
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This, of course, is part of a broader issue with political discourse, not just in America, but all over the world. Is the driving force of some groups simply just to stick it to the other side? There's ample evidence people are willing to vote against their own self-interests simply to "stick it to (insert political party name)." <br />
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Look, I don't share your beliefs and I find the Alt-Right runs counter to the idea of America. It also runs counter to what superhero comics are all about. But I'm not going to tell you what to do with the money you raise and your art. I just think your book needs some work. But hey, if you corner this section of the comics market and make some money, well, that's capitalism. Does the Alt-Right believe in that? I'm asking seriously.<br />
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Truthfully, while I am no friend of the Alt-Right or GamerGaters, I don't write this post with ill-intentions or malice in my heart. I don't believe racism and doing things just to "trigger" others have any place American society, and rather than stoking flames of a culture war, I'd rather Americans sit down and find ways to create a better society for people of all races and creeds - as the founders intended.<br />
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So really, good luck to you. I hope you find peace. KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-26191687681218165702017-09-15T12:57:00.001-04:002017-09-16T00:13:01.223-04:00Superman saves everyone, regardless of who they are<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've neglected this space of late for various reasons, mostly working on a bunch of things. But I'm back today to talk about - surprise - Superman.<br />
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Specifically, the most recent issue of Action Comics, which I thought was pretty well done, but has apparently generated some controversy.<br />
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Long story short, the mysterious Mr. Oz, who has been pestering Superman and other DC heroes for the past few years, decides to unleash all manner of hell and havoc on the world. It's basically a Pandora's Box of the worst of 2017 - oil spills, poaching, racism - Superman steps in to try and do what he does to stop or lessen the impact of each of these things. Mr. Oz's point is that Earth doesn't deserve Superman.<br />
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The main point of controversy that, naturally, threw the Internet and the right-wing into a hissy fit was the moment that Superman saves a group of (implied, then confirmed) illegal immigrants from a hail of gunfire. The shooter is a Caucasian man wearing an American Flag bandana, firing a machine gun. The outrage from the right and the Fox News crew was basically "how dare Superman save illegal immigrants!"<br />
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The Man of Steel does his thing, crushes the gun, gets in the shooter's face and explains that the only source of the shooter's problems is the shooter himself.<br />
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This entire sequence is typical Superman. This is who he is and what he does. He saves people, he aims to inspire hope.<br />
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Let's get the obvious fact out of the way: Superman IS an illegal alien. You know, rocketed to Earth from the dying planet Krypton, found by kindly farmers in Smallville, Kansas... and so on.<br />
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If you have an issue with Superman's actions in this issue of Action Comics, you have no idea what Superman is, what he stands for or what he represents. One commentator that took issue with Superman's actions is Fox News host Todd Starnes here: <b><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/09/13/superman-defends-illegals-against-angry-american.html" target="_blank">Superman defends illegals against angry American.</a><span id="goog_2114491014"></span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_2114491015"></span></b><br />
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Normally, I wouldn't give this type of thing the time of day, but anyone who knows me knows how I feel about Superman. Plus, my 3-year-old just discovered a new love for The Man of Steel and has been running around in a Superman cape for the past few days, so I'm in a particular mood in regards to The Last Son of Krypton.<br />
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So, Mr. Starnes, let's dissect your piece on Superman.<br />
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You come right out of the gate with an intended inflammatory statement: "The Man of Steel has now become a propaganda tool for the defenders of illegal aliens.<b>" </b><br />
<b><br /></b> Is that really all you took from this? How long have you read Superman? Do you read Superman comics? Do you know the history of the character? Are you just referencing the Hollywood Reporter piece without reading the context? See, that's the problem with the Fox News types, you take things out of context to infuriate your viewers and drum up support based on false pretenses.<br />
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Do you prefer Superman let these people get mowed down and then high-five the shooter while chanting "#MAGA!"?<br />
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You say "Superman swoops in and blocks the bullets meant for the illegals." How about "Superman stops innocent people from being massacred"? Are you suggesting that white people upset with immigration laws and illegal immigrants should just start opening fire? The shooter is upset because he feels the illegal immigrants have stolen jobs meant for him. This is a valid complaint on some level, but in the real world I don't see these down-on-their-luck folks rushing out to fill positions held by migrants and or even undocumented immigrants. California could use the help: <a href="http://fortune.com/2017/08/08/immigration-worker-shortage-rotting-crops/">http://fortune.com/2017/08/08/immigration-worker-shortage-rotting-crops/.</a><br />
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Now your argument is that Superman should have swooped up the illegal immigrants and deported them. This is problematic for a myriad of reasons. First, Superman is not a tool of the US government. Furthermore, are you suggesting instead of stopping those people from being gunned down he should have just deported them. To where? They may not all be from Mexico. Do you suggest Superman divert his attention for world-ending threats to team up with ICE and do paperwork?<br />
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You also seem to take issue with Superman grabbing the shooter - who literally just tried to murder people - and telling him to stop, suggesting that the only hatred that has led him to murder comes from within. This is what Superman does, Mr. Starnes. He saves people, he tries to make evildoers see the error of their ways. It's not his place to deport people, but it's his place to save people from harm and to inspire hope in reflection in those who would do harm.<br />
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The suggestion you make of "Remember when Superman stood for truth, justice and the American way" is also problematic. In the moment of saving those people from a gunman, Superman stands for those three virtues. Part of the American way is helping those less fortunate, part of the American way is protecting the helpless and welcoming immigrants from all over the world. That's what America is - a country of immigrants. Yes, we have laws and undocumented immigrants crossing the border, but we have pathways and rules for those who contribute to society and most importantly, our economy. We shouldn't be condoning their murder at the hands of an angry white man. That's the attitude that breeds white supremacy.<br />
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The very idea of Superman is the idea of America, that an immigrant not of this country - in this case the world - can step up and be the best of us, always do the right thing and present us with an ideal to strive towards. That it doesn't matter who you are, where you are from or what you look like, if you are in trouble, Superman and America will fight for you because it's the right thing to do.<br />
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Finally, you turn your attention to Superman publisher DC Comics. Suggesting it's only a matter of time before they unleash "other superheroes in its corporate quest to defend the alien invaders."<br />
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Again, do you or have you ever read DC Comics? Or comics in general? Are you mad they sometimes get political? You do understand that superhero comics as we know them today first emerged in the 1940s with characters fighting crime and Nazis, right?<br />
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I would point you in the direction of the classic "Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard-Traveling Heroes" from the 1970s, It's a story that deals with race, income inequality, drugs and other real-life issues that are still relevant today.<br />
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You make the snark remark about Flash wisking illegal immigrants back and forth across the border or Wonder Woman rounding up Texas ranchers "defending their property." I suppose The Flash could do that while protecting his mid-west hometown, sure, but aside from the vigilantism, superheroes mostly operate within the confines of the law. And in regards to Wonder Woman, if those Texas ranchers threatened to start killing people the way the Bundys did, then yes she would round them up to keep everyone - including the ranchers - safe. Also, Wonder Woman - contrary to the beliefs of Fox News - is not an American.<br />
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In conclusion, your entire argument is rendered moot, ignorant and spiteful by your closing line: "It's unfortunate that DC Comics is turning its stable of iconic heroes into political pawns – hell-bent on indoctrinating our kids."<br />
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Comics have ALWAYS been political. Superman is a representation of America, one deeply rooted in FDR-style New Deal ideology - same with Captain America. But please, fire up the old Fleischer Studios Superman cartoons and watch "Japoteurs" if you want to see some real super-hero propaganda of it's time, and then come talk to me about "new" politicization of these characters.<br />
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That closing line brings me back to my original point, what would you prefer Superman do? What example would you prefer DC Comics have him so young readers? Saving people, or letting them be murdered? That's the distinction here because that's what a young reader sees, not the complexities of the immigration argument.<br />
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I've been a Superman fan and enthusiast all my life. In terms of literature, Superman taught me more about the difference between right and wrong, being a decent person and being an American almost more than anything else. So if my 3-year-old running around with his new Superman cape and action figure becomes indoctrinated to be a good person, a good American and to fight the ideas of oppression and hate, then the world will be a better place.<br />
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<br />KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-83682511682748647222017-07-25T11:02:00.001-04:002017-07-25T11:02:48.743-04:00The State of the Comics Industry<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JPf32iTWS5gM5MkXfteyFhPt9KGmqhEY025i-XmYenzUISKt3R3Y8SGQP0ic3gBudqHRWtdBqSTU3prOnz3IHzrl65FxAP6iai4uVhB319cBEFmBxFNtNOIvaANIaCUy66S6hTudcnU/s1600/comics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="630" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9JPf32iTWS5gM5MkXfteyFhPt9KGmqhEY025i-XmYenzUISKt3R3Y8SGQP0ic3gBudqHRWtdBqSTU3prOnz3IHzrl65FxAP6iai4uVhB319cBEFmBxFNtNOIvaANIaCUy66S6hTudcnU/s400/comics.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; white-space: pre-wrap;">San Diego Comic Con 2017 has come and gone. WIth it came a pretty rad “Thor: Ragnarock” trailer, the first footage of “Avengers: Infinity War,” WB continuing their streak of great trailers (“Justice League”), the announcement that the standalone Flash movie would be “Flashpoint” and the first look at so many really cool collectibles that are sure to burn a hole in your wallet. However, there was some news that wasn’t good. In fact, the news is pretty dire and paints a portrait of an entire industry in peril.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Comics have become secondary at shows like San Diego Comic-Con and New York Comic-Con and this was certainly the case this year, but along with their third-class status was the harsh reality many of us in the comic book community have - and still have - a hard time accepting: the comics industry is in trouble. Big trouble.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I’m not being facetious, there were two very real alarms that went off during San Diego Comic-Con followed by a third sentiment I’ve been seeing from many creators. The first alarm came during the Diamond panel. The direct market is down 6.3% in 2017, that’s incredibly troubling. The second alarm came in the form of DC co-publishers Dan DiDio and Jim Lee, as Lee very bluntly stated the comics industry was on the verge of collapse. This is one of the two major publishers that keep the industry afloat acknowledging the dire situation the comics industry finds itself in. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These two factors alone push the state of the industry into red alert, but comics have been on a steady decline through much of the 2010s. Retail shops close regularly and often with few popping up in their place, some retailers struggle to pay for their weekly shipments and ever since the closing of Hastings, leaving Diamond with a $1.6 million punch in the gut, the sole distributor of comics has little sympathy or patience for retailers who can’t cover their increasingly large weekly shipments.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Who is to blame, exactly? There are absolutely a few fingers to point. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can point at DC and the lukewarm response to the New 52 and the attempted course correct with DC You. Readers saw fatigue in titles, constantly shifting initiatives and a lack of clear direction. That has since changed with DC Rebirth. Although Rebirth is pretty successful and has restored a great deal of reader faith in DC, it’s been a slow build. To their credit, DC seems to acknowledge this and has used Rebirth as a baseline to tell newer stories that don’t outright ignore history. In addition, I think the smartest thing DC has done in the past 5 years is brand the Multiverse across all medium, but it’s a bit refreshing to finally see them acknowledge there is a problem. Part of the brilliance of branding the Multiverse is they can open up the floodgates for new characters, interpretations of characters and diversify characters, all without doing so at the expense of classic iterations. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">You can also point the finger at Marvel. Ever since the rousing success of Civil War in 2006, they’ve doubled down on major crossover events that have become increasingly long and difficult to follow. The sheer amount of tie-ins also increase the cost of trying to follow an event to the fullest and has led to event fatigue. Not to mention that Marvel especially touts their events as “universe changing” and nothing really happens. The most recent “Secret War” was a HUGE opportunity for Marvel to reboot everything and start fresh, but instead the most drastic things to happen were some characters from the Ultimate Universe coming over, some alternate reality time-traveling and general confusion in its wake. Don’t believe me? Explain Old Man Logan or the time-displaced X-Men (namely Cyclops) to someone looking to start reading X-Men. I won’t even begin to pontificate on Hydra Cap, but I will say that both criticisms and support of Secret Empire are equally not without merit.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Crossovers and content only scratches the surface of the steady decline of Marvel. The House of Ideas has an insane amount of books that come out every week and they are typically priced at $3.99. This starts to add up after a few books. The other thing about Marvel - and this is going to be more of a controversial hot take but goes with my point about DC - is that their push to diversify their characters did not go quite as planned.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">There’s definitely room for more diversity and comics - and it is sorely needed from the characters to the creators - but Marvel’s approach alienated longtime readers and a lot of potential new readers looking to supplement their movie or television intake. Some of these characters have been Marvel’s approach to “Legacy” heroes, but they’ve come at the expense of classic versions of characters, especially at a time when their most recognizable characters are everywhere. WIth no new monthly alternatives that feature classic iterations or branded versions, readers can be turned off. This has left Marvel in a bind, whether you want to admit it or not. Their upcoming “Legacy” initiative was once again another opportunity for Marvel to clean the slate and reboot, but alas, “Legacy” reveals have been met with a resounding groan from retailers and readers.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An argument was made that the success of movies and TV has contributed to the decline of comics, “why read when you can watch?” To be blunt, I think that’s a load of BS. Graphic novel and trade sales spike when movies or TV events happen. Whatever is being adapted usually gets a new edition and a fresh set of eyes. But when those eyes come looking for something new, they’ll be hard-pressed to find it. DC has righted their course with Rebirth, Marvel still hasn’t quite adjusted.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">But blaming just the big two - and Diamond - doesn’t cover everything. Image Comics has also become a source of strife for monthlies. Image has always been a great alternative to the big two, and pricing the majority of their trades at $9.99 is a stroke of genius, but because of that Image also can’t outsell a first issue. Image has new a “#1” pretty regularly, but their books don’t catch fire like “The Walking Dead” did. This isn’t to say Image puts out bad books - they don’t, and neither does BOOM! Studios or licensed property farm IDW, but those market shares are relatively small compared to the others. </span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">These factors reverberate down and affect independent and small press creators as well. This day and age, self-publishing or small press is an effective way to publish books. Kickstarters are plentiful - crowd-funding helps produce books with less potential risk, which is huge - and creators can build impressive portfolios. The caveat is that independent comics have to compete with the big publishers for those dollars. Most creators can’t charge less than $5 for a single issue and distribution through Diamond isn’t always cost-effective. Diamond takes a huge percentage off retail price to carry your book and that ultimately hurts the bottom line if your book isn’t picked up by a publisher, or that distribution cost isn’t factor in to a crowdfund or budget.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Additionally, conventions have become a crapshoot. There are a lot of conventions all over the country and the cost for an exhibition booth or an artist’s alley table is often restrictive. Once again, you’re competing with bigger name talent and publishers - not to mention print sellers - and it becomes an exhaustive grind to squeeze dollars out of potential customers just to cover your table cost. Not to mention, a lot of these cons feature celebrities who often get the easy autograph or photo op dollars.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">And of course, given the problems retailers have with sales of the big two, they aren’t always willing to carry a small press or independent title, save for consignment or some arrangement. The likelihood of them ordering a book in the depths of the Previews catalog is slim, and making your book stand out in said catalog is also difficult.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Finally, one note to readers, collectors and speculators. Your comics, unless they are critical issues like first appearances or come from before 1980, are likely not worth anything. They aren’t going to be worth anything and keeping the industry afloat by buying up 10 copies of new #1s isn’t helping the industry. The back issue market is and always will be pretty strong, but the likelihood of any modern comics being worth their weight in gold - minus a few exceptions - is very slim.</span></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Where do comics go from here? The problems with the industry are from top to bottom, publisher to retailer to customer. Dan DiDio and Jim Lee were certainly not wrong to acknowledge the collapsing industry and San Diego Comic-Con 2017 proved that it has become more of a pop culture beast than a comic book show. Do comics return to newsstands? Is it time to abandon Diamond’s faulty direct market model? Should the major publishers take a page out of small press Alterna and print monthlies on newsprint to lower costs and prices? Everyone has a potential solution, despite some creators and publishers insisting everything is fine. Everything is most certainly not fine and the comics industry needs a revitalization in order to survive.</span></div>
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KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-40126607368968779332017-06-24T11:32:00.001-04:002017-06-24T11:32:53.787-04:00Marvel's latest paint color is called "Legacy"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Marvel Comics has been having a rough year from a public relations standpoint, specifically, the Hydra-Cap storyline has been really poorly received. I've been one to defend it, but frankly I think it's been stretched out way too long.<br />
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In the midst of their recurring PR nightmares, Marvel announced Legacy. It was touted, basically, as Marvel's Rebirth event. All the announcements and all the PR made it seems as though the publisher had learned from some mistakes over the past couple of years, taken a hint from DC Rebirth's success and would finally return to a more classic take on their characters and create a bit more corporate synergy with their bigger markets (i.e. the movies).</div>
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Part of the problem with Marvel has been rather simple - their movies are wildly popular (and consistently good) and can drive new readers into stores. Of course, new readers can and should be pointed to classic stories in collected formats, but you also want to grab new, weekly readers - something of an endangered species in the comics industry. But when a reader comes in looking for a story about the characters they see on screen in weekly titles, in many cases that character is definitely not who they get. That can (and is) a turn-off for a lot of readers and can drive potential new customers away from the local shops and to Amazon or Barnes & Noble for readily available and (often cheaper) trades. You throw in weekly price points (which is it's own thread) and costs start to add up, especially for characters you may not be invested in because you didn't see them in the movies.</div>
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There are a million threads to comment on in regards to Marvel, but we'll focus on Legacy.</div>
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This was the announcement: <a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04/22/marvels-legacy-relaunch-brings-the-avengers-back-to-basics">http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04/22/marvels-legacy-relaunch-brings-the-avengers-back-to-basics</a></div>
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The key quote: “The Marvel Legacy initiative is a celebration of everything that makes Marvel the best in fiction and it’s a signifier of a new era for Marvel Comics,” said Quesada in Marvel's press release. “It’s a loving look at the heart of Marvel as we embrace our roots and move enthusiastically forward with all the Marvel characters you know and love starring in the biggest, boldest, best Marvel stories. All of which kicks off with the giant Marvel Legacy special.”<br />
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This sounded, for all intents and purposes, like Marvel Rebirth. The long-awaited and much needed actual reboot of the Marvel Universe. Not some "Secret War" that did nothing significant at the end of the day, but a full-fledged reboot akin to post-Crisis or even a softer reboot like Rebirth.<br />
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DC Rebirth has been a rousing success. After a period of what I call experimentation that began with the New 52 and culminated in Batman v. Superman, DC went back to their classic sense of wonder - their bread and butter.<br />
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With all of this, it seemed as though the long tradition of DC and Marvel mirroring each other would continue.<br />
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A big announcement was coming... the breadth of what Marvel: Legacy was going to entail was announced and it hit with a resounding DUD.<br />
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They simply revealed some of their Legacy titles, mostly current books, with variant covers that paid homage to iconic covers, many from 10 years ago?<br />
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Really?<br />
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Aside from Falcon becoming Falcon again and Thing and Human Torch starring in a Marvel Two-in-One, this announcement was nothing. Seriously, Marvel has a prime opportunity to directly connect and align their popular movie and TV properties and versions of the characters (DC did it, see Green Arrow and Flash) and bring in new readers with characters they recognize (without the baggage of say, Hydra-Cap) and introduce them to the newer characters of the universe.<br />
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Instead - at least from this announcement, and maybe there is more to come - it seems Marvel is going to Marvel and just put a single coat of light paint over wallpaper.<br />
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But hey, at least we got all those fancy GIFs for your social media sharing!<br />
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I love Marvel, make no mistake. But right now, they are their own worst enemy.</div>
KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-19676995874444472042017-06-02T23:10:00.002-04:002017-06-03T01:20:34.226-04:00Does "Wonder Woman" restore DC's sense of cinematic wonder?<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{23}" paraid="589055247" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">For me personally, the film was tasked with saving my jaded view of the modern DC movies because of criminal mistreatment of Superman and three huge misses. </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">My feelings on “Man of Steel” and “Batman v. Superman” are well-documented, and “Suicide Squad” is mostly a mess, though more watchable that the previous two.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{25}" paraid="1248603354" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I've honestly never left a Marvel movie disappointed. "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" is one of my favorite movies of all-time and I've never wanted anything more than to feel the same way about DC movies (especially Superman). As the hype and positive reviews of "Wonder Woman" started rolling in, I went from cautious optimism to eager anticipation. Could WB finally do right by me?</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span><br />
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<span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/03/what-knightmare-my-review-of-batman-v.html" target="_blank"><b>My "Batman v. Superman" review</b></a></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{27}" paraid="458162153" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">True fact about me: I often wax poetic about Superman, Captain America and Green Arrow - three of my favorite characters in comics and all of literature - but I've been a lifelong fan of Wonder Woman. As a male growing up in the 80s and 90s, I always had plenty of exposure to Superman and Batman, but Wonder Woman was the first female superhero I ever knew and I've never viewed her as anything but equal to Superman and Batman. So in one aspect, it's gratifying or me to finally see her on the big screen in her own film, but I also have a daughter who loves Wonder Woman - and when she's a little older I can't wait to share this movie with her (and my two boys, for that matter).</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{29}" paraid="1296879657" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{29}" paraid="1296879657" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Wonder Woman's origin is an incredibly complex story to tackle. I say this because there is so much rich mythology behind it and it has been defined and redefined countless times over the years. The basics always remain the same, but interpretations vary. Just in the past three years there have been multiple Wonder Woman origin stories, each with it's own unique spin and style. </span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bFkvnI1MqZoKGUja137YuhfTfdfDFt55ve0I85XOsXwrLG1FC9ATwZHsXx8dkt_OXOdaisbI5FHAa9Py_cSV4ec_KP63az10ls9ULkrgjz82-HW7MMHq_RVyr7wB986JOJAsOTobC9Q/s1600/perez.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bFkvnI1MqZoKGUja137YuhfTfdfDFt55ve0I85XOsXwrLG1FC9ATwZHsXx8dkt_OXOdaisbI5FHAa9Py_cSV4ec_KP63az10ls9ULkrgjz82-HW7MMHq_RVyr7wB986JOJAsOTobC9Q/s400/perez.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{29}" paraid="1296879657" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{31}" paraid="839784133" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{31}" paraid="839784133" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">For the film, the character-defining run by George Perez is probably the most influential of them all, and this is without a doubt the first place where the story succeeds. </span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{31}" paraid="839784133" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">I will say on the outset, there ARE a lot of parallels to "Captain America: The First Avenger" and they all work, frankly. The first Cap movie is a film that grows finer and more timeless with age, and "Wonder Woman" will likely be the same. "The First Avenger" also has a special place in my heart for a number of reasons, and I won't compare them because when you break them down, despite their parallels, they are two different types of film. </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{33}" paraid="1365555340" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Okay, I'm not going to get too wordy here, so I'll break the film down in the way I do my reviews. </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Three</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> categories: The Yay!, The Meh and The Nope.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{38}" paraid="1166051412" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<u><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">The Yay!</span></span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></u></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{40}" paraid="1394952178" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{40}" paraid="1394952178" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Story:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">The story works. The plot, for the most part, is tight and focuses on the emotional weight of war, good vs. evil and the genuine </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">de</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">sire to do good in the world.</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Most importantly though, it's a straight-up Wonder Woman story. It's not bogged down by an </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="SpellingError SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; background-image: url("data:image/gif; background-position: left bottom; background-repeat: repeat-x; border-bottom: 1px solid transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">over-arching</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> storyline, it doesn't try to reinvent the wheel, it just gives you the story of Diana of Themyscira. I think much of this goes to the fact that this is Wonder Woman's first solo film, but also credit to screenwriter Allan Heinberg - a writer who is familiar with Diana. Heinberg wrote Wonder Woman comics in the years before the New 52, specifically following Infinite Crisis, and his run focused heavily on Diana's humanity.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{42}" paraid="1150877380" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{42}" paraid="1150877380" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Gal </span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Gadot</span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> She makes for a great Wonder Woman. What’s interesting is I felt she owned it more in “Batman v. Superman” than she did here. Regardless, Gadot's performance is multi-dimensional and she captures Diana's fierceness, her compassion, her grace and even her naivety. I'm not quite ready to put her in the Christopher Reeve category - the one that says Reeve IS Superman, Chris Evans IS Captain </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">America, and in my book, Tyler Hoechlin IS Superman - but Gadot is without a doubt defining Wonder Woman for a generation.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{46}" paraid="2038020343" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{46}" paraid="2038020343" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Amazons:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">I love Connie Nielsen. I think she's one of the most underrated actresses of all-time and she absolutely commands the screen as Hippolyta. She feels like the queen. Also, Robin Wright really shines as a true badass. I loved the look and feel of the Amazons and Themyscira. It felt Mediterranean, it felt like a diverse community and I only wish there were more.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{48}" paraid="1987315348" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{48}" paraid="1987315348" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Diana’s humanity:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> As I mentioned, </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">the film is a fairly by the numbers Wonder Woman story. The film embraces her story and who she is and pushes forward. This is where “Wonder Woman” succeeds where “Man of Steel” and “Batman v. Superman” ultimately failed. The heroes of the DC Universe are often referred to as gods. Yes, they possess that level of power but it's rare that they ever acknowledge that themselves. In "Wonder Woman," we have frankly the perfect portrayal of the DC superhero. Diana doesn't consider herself a god and when held up to Steve Trevor for example, her humanity and altruism fuels her compassion and her will to fight. Contrast that to "Man of Steel" where Superman is anything but inspiring, and Wonder Woman gives us the DCEU's first real look at what DC Comics is all about.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{50}" paraid="290637854" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{50}" paraid="290637854" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">World War I</span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Wonder Woman is a product of the Golden Age boom of patriotic heroes that emerged during World War II, but the choice to go with World War I in the film was both unique and fit the story better. It also </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">opens</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> the opportunity to explore World War II</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> in a sequel. But in this </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">particular instance</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">, especially with the emphasis on chemical warfare and the “war to end all wars,” the setting of The Great War was prudent.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{52}" paraid="1231031600" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{52}" paraid="1231031600" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Chris Pine</span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Chris Pine is great, right? He’s just a charming son of a gun in every role he </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">takes on</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">. It’s no different here as Steve Trevor.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{52}" paraid="1231031600" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{52}" paraid="1231031600" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><b style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Said Taghmoui, Ewen Bremner and Eugene Brace Rock:</b> Overlooked in a lot of reviews and analysis, the trio of </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 14.6667px;">Said Taghmoui, Ewen Bremner and Eugene Brace Rock as the three soliders who join up with Diana and Trevor add to the overall humanity of the film. They are fleshed out just enough for you to really appreciate them, and they are pivotal to the arc of the film. They really stand out and complement Pine and Gadot quite well.</span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{54}" paraid="596103106" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Ares:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> When Ares dons his armor and is truly revealed, it was one of my favorite moments of the film. Why? Because the way he formed the armor was awesome and it was </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">pretty faithful</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> to the comic.</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I actually thought the build-up to Ares’ true reveal was handled well and he was presented as a truly credible villain.</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Campy villains:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Before we get Ares, we get Dr. Poison and General Ludendorff. I love the inclusion of Dr. Poison because she’s an OG Wonder Woman villain (Sensation Comics #2, 1942) and her role in the overall plot is not forced, nor is it diminished in the end. The same goes for Ludendorff. He’s an ambitious general who refuses to lose the war. These characters are undoubtedly evil, but in a stark departure from previous entries in the DCEU, </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">there was a level of camp to these characters. Specifically, there’s a moment where they both share a maniacal laugh while executing an evil plan and I loved it. It’s also interesting when you take the greater plotline of Ares influence over the war.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-MAsJeYSPCiLhjCm1mosLdew_e7zTpNqwaDK_yozYuhM7IMw5U6rdbkFHAmdRQXlyvomM-Z5Qphk3ydXF1WCAHP-uk3o39MTfzj7ehcMJ9K0wsknO7Xe4_zeVJ6JF9zeyc4tKD04c84/s1600/amazons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="980" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz-MAsJeYSPCiLhjCm1mosLdew_e7zTpNqwaDK_yozYuhM7IMw5U6rdbkFHAmdRQXlyvomM-Z5Qphk3ydXF1WCAHP-uk3o39MTfzj7ehcMJ9K0wsknO7Xe4_zeVJ6JF9zeyc4tKD04c84/s400/amazons.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{58}" paraid="241338767" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">The </span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">final battle</span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> I see some criticism placing this in the same category as other superhero final battles, but I generally never really have a problem with them. I certainly didn’t here as Ares’ depiction won me over and there’s so much growth taking place in the </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">final battle</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> for Diana. We learn a lot about her character, the way that love inspires her and the emotional weight of sacrifice. </span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{58}" paraid="241338767" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">DC is about </span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">h</span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">ope and </span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">o</span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">ptimism:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> This is a story about the horrors of war and the power of love. This is t</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">he story about the good in humanity as evil triumphs. This is a film that inspires. That is what DC Comics is all about, and that is what has been sorely missing since "Man of Steel."</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{62}" paraid="2010254885" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{64}" paraid="491348681" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">A story about powerful women:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Maybe this isn't my place to say, but "Wonder Woman" truly is a film that is strongly feminist and I loved every second of it. I've been surrounded by strong, independent women my entire life (I'm also married to one), and I've never viewed women as anything but equal. I loved the depiction of the Amazons and of Wonder Woman's strength and independence and I hope it inspires women and girls to grab a sword and shield and tear down the patriarchy. Seriously, men that complain about this film and it's message are pathetic.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{66}" paraid="69821088" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
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<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Snyder’s influences are downplayed:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> Zack Snyder has a story credit here which makes sense. And while there some fairly obvious influences, this is very much a Patty Jenkins film. While I think Snyder does create some breathtaking visuals and can craft an epic action scene, I am not a fan of his overall directing. </span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14.6667px;"><b>Humor: </b>There are some charming and genuinely funny moments throughout the film. This is a very welcome change from the much-debated WB/DC mandate of no humor.</span></span></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{68}" paraid="30426717" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">"Wonder Woman" stands free of the DCEU:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> This is perhaps the most important and significant point. "Wonder Woman" can be viewed as a standalone film. There's an obvious connection to the greater universe, but it's done in a way that you really just need to know who Bruce Wayne is (shh, he's Batman). This is a film that will become timeless the way "Captain America: The First Avenger" has. I honestly hope that this is the way WB does DC movies from now on - standalone films that are only loosely connected to the broader universe. </span></div>
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<u><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">The Meh</span></span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></u></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{70}" paraid="417756456" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{72}" paraid="1262368069" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Ares: </span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">There was one aspect of Ares that was a bit lacking, his alter-ego. There was just enough to make the twist memorable, but </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">he could have been a bit more fleshed out in terms of motivation. </span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{72}" paraid="1262368069" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{74}" paraid="2085980868" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">A bad edit:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> There’s one </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">really bad</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> edit that had me doing a double take. This is me being a nitpicky film student, but I bring it up because in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” there’s an edit that completely takes me out of the movie. The one in "Wonder Woman" is not as bad, but it’s a head scratcher. During Ares reveal, Wonder Woman doesn’t have her sword, it’s on a roof above her. The film cuts to Pine and then back to Wonder Woman/Ares, just as Wonder Woman has apparently jumped down from the roof with the sword, but Ares is still just standing there. It’s a bit of a bizarre cut, but she had to get that sword back.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{74}" paraid="2085980868" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{76}" paraid="1190426270" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Etta Candy</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> – I’m putting Etta in “The </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Meh</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">” only because I felt like there wasn’t enough with her. She was fun, the </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">actress was fine, and though she did provide some needed comic relief, I just wish she were used a bit more.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{76}" paraid="1190426270" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{78}" paraid="894633341" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<u><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">The </span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">N</span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">ope</span></span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></u></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{78}" paraid="894633341" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX196477306" style="background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{80}" paraid="612455587" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<div style="font-family: "segoe ui", tahoma, verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px;">
<span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">Slow-motion</span></span><span class="TextRun Underlined SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; font-weight: bold; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"><span class="NormalTextRun SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text;">:</span></span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> There’s overuse</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">,</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> and then there’s overkill. Wonder Woman hits overkill territory </span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">really early</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> in terms of using slow-motion for action scenes. At one point, I uttered an audible “enough” and we were only about twenty minutes into the movie.</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> After the first fight scene, i</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">t’s</span><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> not as utilized but It’s fair to say it was used way too much, which is a shame because some of the moments are genuinely awesome.</span></div>
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<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US"> </span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{82}" paraid="1474717037" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">When the end credits began, I was left processing the film. After the three previous DCEU installments and having never been let down by a Marvel movie, I was being hyper-critical. Now more than 24 hours removed, the film has resonated with me and I can definitively say I loved it. It's the best DC movie in modern times, and it's up there with the best superhero movies of all-time. </span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{82}" paraid="1474717037" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{84}" paraid="1995673049" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">Does "Wonder Woman" save the DCEU? Honestly, not really. However, I would argue that the with film being able to stand on it's own and ability to be viewed free of previous DCEU films, it redefines and provides a new blueprint I hope WB embraces.</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{84}" paraid="1995673049" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
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<div class="OutlineElement Ltr SCX196477306" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: white; clear: both; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: "Segoe UI", Tahoma, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 8px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: relative; user-select: text;">
<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{86}" paraid="2058369230" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
<b><i><span class="TextRun SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" xml:lang="EN-US">8.5/10</span><span class="EOP SCX196477306" style="font-family: "calibri" , "calibri_msfontservice" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></i></b></div>
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{88}" paraid="850165406" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
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<div class="Paragraph SCX196477306" lang="EN-US" paraeid="{b8b4c7ae-cab9-45dc-9a6b-d8975926a896}{10}" paraid="2117593587" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; -webkit-user-drag: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; padding: 0px; user-select: text; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" xml:lang="EN-US">
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KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-27899672101460174542017-01-14T01:18:00.001-05:002017-01-14T01:42:19.901-05:00Through the darkness... Hope: The fight for Truth, Justice and the American Way<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been off the blog for a while. There are a couple reasons for this. I've mentioned before, if you know me personally, you know I am politically active and the election results hit hard. Further than that, everything that's been happening since then - for someone who studies and writes espionage for fun - has been insane. That being said, the election actually threw Patriot-1 Book Two into hiatus... because whatever happens, the world has changed and I kind of want the book to reflect that. I've also started a new book with a new character that is more a response to the rise in hate crimes and America's always troubling past with racism and hatred. I've also been trying to organize some projects for 2017, including The Atomic Thunderbolt. I've been prepping a post about the post-election haze and where my writing is taking me, but then I saw something this morning that gave me hope.<br />
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It's a really small thing, it might seem trivial or trite, but when I saw it... for the first time since the election I felt relief. It may only be momentary... it may just be meaningless... but for me personally it was something.<br />
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If you know me, if you read this blog, you know Superman means a great deal to me. I've written extensively about Superman, what he means, stands for, his portrayal and more. In 2011, DC Comics launched the New 52 - a line-wide reboot. It was a polarizing move and to me, Superman became almost unrecognizable. It was an attempt to make him edgier and more conflicted but it moved away from what made him great.<br />
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Then there was Man of Steel... oh, there was Man of Steel, which in my opinion did a great deal of damage to not only the character, but the overall brand. That continued with Batman v. Superman. Those two films, though it sort of seems pointless now, divided pop culture and fandom like nothing I've ever seen.<br />
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However, in 2015 and 2016, I started to notice a shift. In the comics Superman started to seem more like Superman and eventually, DC Rebirth was announced. This would see the return of a more classic Superman from before the New 52 and the ultimate demise of the New 52 Superman.<br />
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All of this means nothing to non-comic readers, but DC Rebirth has been a rousing success and the Superman books have been widely acclaimed. It's classic Superman in just about every sense. He's humble, he stands for the moral good... he's the altruistic hero we all know and love.<br />
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When DC launched the New 52, they redesigned Superman's costume. The red trunks on the outside were gone and the costume became armor - I always hated the armor aspect. Since then, there have been a number of new designs... Man of Steel... Injustice... even Rebirth... they all brought iterations of the classic outfit, but none of them felt definitive.<br />
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And then he appeared on the CW's Supergirl. When the first pictures leaked, it looked like Superman. Tyler Hoechlin looked the part. The suit was the best post-New 52, no red trunks version I had seen. All classic elements with a red belt with yellow accents. It looked like Superman. Then the two-part episode aired and Hoechlin was immediately the best live-action version of the Man of Steel since Christopher Reeve - I would argue better. I wrote about how much I loved his performance.<br />
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Fittingly, that was my last blog post before and since the election. Between getting bogged down at work, trying to figure out my own projects and being completely enthralled by the Tom Clancy novel playing out in the news, I just haven't been here for the blog.<br />
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But that changed this morning. For a brief moment, I forgot everything. I forgot about the uncertainty of the real world. I forgot about my frustrations of where we are as Americans and as humans at this point in our existence. I opened up my social media feed and there it was.<br />
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DC Comics announced they were once again shifting course with Superman, by all analysis restoring a true classic version of the character and they were changing the costume back to essentially the classic outfit without the red trunks.<br />
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I am in love with the costume. It echoes the Supergirl look, but it also, for the first time since 2011, feels like Superman in true comic form. The one aspect of the Rebirth costume I wasn't a huge fan of was the blue boots. Coincidentally, last night I tweeted how much better the Rebirth costume looked with red boots as portrayed in Justice League/Power Rangers.<br />
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But it was this image, a simple drawing of a classic Superman in what I can describe as a definitive modern costume.... it just made me feel a moment of hope. This image just screams Superman. It reminds me of what he represents both in fiction and in real life... an ideal to strive towards.<br />
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As Americans we are flawed, we are imperfect, we are a country and a nation that flows against the river of tribal human nature, but America as an idea... that's worth preserving, that's worth fighting for. I saw this iconic image of this fictional character and I was reminded of what we can be not only as Americans, but as human beings.<br />
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During President Obama's farewell address, I was reminded of a famous Superman quote: "You will give the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun."<br />
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We face a time of great uncertainty. A literal espionage war is unfolding in front of our eyes, people are losing hope as healthcare is gutted instead of improved upon or replaced, people are concerned about their rights and their well-being and there are some - many - worried that this is the end of liberal democracy in America, and we're seeing the rise of authoritarianism and fascism. Some have likened the man to Lex Luthor - which I find insulting to Lex - or a super-villain.<br />
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When I came back to reality after seeing this image of Superman, I thought to myself that while yes the world is changing and there's a great deal of uncertainty... we can still strive for that ideal and we must stand and fight for three simple things:<br />
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Truth, Justice and The American Way.KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-60963973846499596262016-10-17T08:07:00.000-04:002016-10-17T22:31:01.845-04:00Superman returns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When it was announced that Superman would actually appear in a recurring guest role on "Supergirl," fans rejoiced. After all, the first season of "Sueprgirl" offered a hopeful and wondrous view of the DC Universe and fans knew that it's move to the CW would elevate the nature of the show. Additionally, throwing the Man of Steel into the mix led to hopes that this version of Superman would be in-line with a more classic depiction of the character.<i> </i><br />
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Tyler Hoechlin's casting was announced and the first images were revealed. Of course, there was some kind of criticism to the first look of Hoechlin as Superman (which I addressed here: <a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/09/what-makes-him-super.html">What makes him Super?</a>), but most of the response was positive. I actually really liked the costume and I think it's the best post-red trunks on the outside version. I also think it should be the main outfit of the Superman brand, even with the shoulder things... which I think would make sense to keep and make the cape retractable as some have suggested.<br />
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My expectations for Hoechlin were high. After all, the Greg Berlanti-led DC shows have done a great deal of justice to the characters they steward. "Arrow" gives us a very Mike Grell-inspired Green Arrow, "Flash" presents a definitive Scarlett Speedster with plenty of Mark Waid and Geoff Johns inspirations and "Legends of Tomorrow" accurately represents the ensemble portrayed with necessary updates and "fits" for the CW-universe. "Supergirl" is no different, presenting a Girl of Steel drawing heavily from the Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle run. So yes, as someone who is not a fan of the DC Cinematic Universe and pretty much despises that portrayal of Superman, my expectations were astronomical.<br />
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About a week before the show aired, the first clip of Superman in action was released. There was Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent, completely OWNING the role. Then he transformed into Superman and joined Supergirl to save the crashing spaceship. After viewing this clip, to say my expectations shot into the next galaxy would be an understatement. <br />
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Love it or hate it, "Man of Steel" and "Batman v. Superman<i>" </i>did more to divide DC fandom and overall damage to the Superman brand than anything. That is of course an argument I've had many times and have addressed over and over, so I won't do it here. However, my main point has always been that when Superman divides, it's a gross misrepresentation of the character. I didn't see that division in the early images and clip featuring Hoechlin as Superman.<br />
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My feelings on the "Man of Steel" Superman are well-documented on this space and I don't really need to revisit them here. But for the purposes of my point here, "Man of Steel" presented a dour, brooding and cynical view of the world and Superman that's doesn't fall in line with who the character is or what he represents. I also reject the idea that "Man of Steel" presented a "more realistic" vision of Superman in the real-world, and I'll get to that in a minute. <br />
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Now the question ultimately is: "Did Tyler Hoechlin's portrayal of Superman live up to expectations?" I say with great confidence, he exceeded my expectations. <br />
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In my previous Superman post, <a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/09/what-makes-him-super.html">What makes him Super?</a> I noted that when it comes to Superman, it's all about how the actor carries himself, it's all about presence. Hoechlin carried himself the way the Man of Steel should. He was confident, relaxed and optimistic. He also showed a bit of this edgier side through his passive aggressive interactions with J'onn. That's the way I've always known Superman.<br />
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I'm going to address what seems to be the main criticism off the bat... because from what I've seen, this depiction of Superman is pretty much beloved by the majority. A counter-point I've seen brought up is this, "In 'Man of Steel' he was literally Superman for a few days, in 'Supergirl' he's been Superman for 12 years." Okay, this is the typical argument that "Man of Steel" fans use to justify the insane destruction and collateral damage of "Man of Steel."<br />
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My counter-point to this is simple: It's not just his powers that make him Superman, it was also his upbringing by two good people. Clark Kent was Superman long before he wore the cape, "Man of Steel" portrays that too, but they do it in a way that makes it seem like a burden to Clark. There's also the gross misrepresentation of his parents in "Man of Steel," namely Pa Kent who'd rather let some schoolkids die than have his son reveal his powers.<br />
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So how would the world really respond to Superman? Fear? Yes, of course, but how Superman ultimately reveals himself is a completely different story. In "Man of Steel," we're treated to a brooding, secretive Clark Kent who only becomes Superman because he's forced into that situation. In almost every other depiction of a mainstream Superman, he chooses to become the Man of Steel and immediately lets his actions speak for himself. That's the vibe you get from the Hoechlin Superman. He's been around for years, sure, but he's portrayed as someone the world trusts, but let's say his reveal came through very visible actions of doing good and helping others, I do think the world would react positively. Now, based on the trailers for the upcoming episodes of "Supergirl," not everyone takes kindly to the Kryptonian visitors.<br />
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The "Supergirl" version of Superman was very quick to separate himself from the movies. Hoechlin's Clark Kent was perfect. He was mild-mannered and more quirky than outright clumsy. Off the bat we're presented with the Clark Kent everyone knows, he's earnest and says things like "lickety-split." He's also a damn good journalist and it's believable he can hold his own with the one and only Lois Lane (with whom he's in a relationship).<br />
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This Superman is also removed from "Man of Steel" by directly referencing moments from "Superman: The Movie" as part of his past. It's definitely not intended to say "this is the Ricard Donner/Christopher Reeve Superman," but like Cat Grant's new assistant, Miss Tessmacher, it's mostly just a playful nod. However, by the time the episode was finished, we had seen the best live-action Superman since Christopher Reeve.<br />
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Hoechlin was fantastic. This Superman was not a brooding god-like person unsure of his place in the world. This was a humble, confident man who can do incredible things and used those abilities for the good of humanity without the need to take credit. This was evident after Superman and Supergirl save the spaceship and greet the onlooking family (with a smile) and then at the DEO headquarters. Superman flies into the DEO headquarters, looking almost nervous and instead of acting like he's a god above everyone, he works the crowd, shakes hands and thanks the DEO agents for all their work. That was it for me. I was head over heels for this Superman.<br />
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It was more than that though, too. Grant Morrison had this great epiphany about Superman: "The most powerful man alive wouldn't be tortured but instead would be the friendliest, most relaxed person you ever saw."<br />
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That's exactly who Superman is. That's exactly the character Hoechlin (and Reeve before him) portrays.<br />
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There's also some intrigue. He and Martian Manhunter are at odds because of the DEO's insistence of stockpiling Kryptonite. We get to see a bit of Superman's temper and the tension between he and J'onn provides a subplot with darker undertones. There's an edge to this depiction, but he doesn't let it cloud his judgement. Of course, the two find common ground and resolve their differences and no mention of "Martha" was needed!<br />
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There was worry Superman would overshadow Supergirl, but he doesn't. And his presence in the show plays into the exact premise of it: Supergirl is trying to find her place in the world out of Superman's shadow and discover her own family, while balancing the needs of her real family. This is where Superman fits into Supergirl's story, but hot damn I want a 13-episode Superman series starring Hoechlin.<br />
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But truth be told, the moment that secured this depiction of Superman as being near-perfect (as near perfect as 45 minutes can get you) was after he saves a family from of one the killer drones. He turns to the boy in the family he saved and winks. This is a nod to almost every depiction of Superman since the beginning of time. There was also a moment where Superman holds a building up and prevents it from toppling over, to me this moment was a pretty direct nod to the Fleischer cartoons.<br />
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The classic Superman returned to live-action on th<span id="goog_638897015"></span><span id="goog_638897016"></span>e season 2 premiere of "Supergirl." For the most part, he's been praised and accepted, not deeply dividing the way "Man of Steel" has been. <a href="http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/10/11/how-supergirl-is-getting-superman-right">IGN</a> pointed out that this is the first time since "Lois & Clark" that the classic Superman has been depicted in live-action. I have to agree with that. Brandon Routh played a Superman that was kind of depressing at points and Tom Welling never really played Superman.<br />
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It's also important to note that WB and DC Entertainment are indeed in the midst of resetting the Superman brand. Regardless of how you feel, the brand was damaged by both "Man of Steel" and the New 52 by presenting darker and sulking Man of Steel. DC Comics has re-introduced the classic Superman (completely killing off the New 52 version) and Superman's involvement and how he is presented following his resurrection in the "Justice League" film remains to be seen.<br />
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Still, the fact remains that WB and DC are returning to a classic Superman. Trying to reshape the character to something he wasn't just hasn't paid dividends.<br />
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Superman can be altruistic, he can be earnest, optimistic and kind. He's supposed to be. "Man of Steel" made him the product of a dark and cynical world, but that's one of the many places they got the character wrong. Superman is who brings light to the darker, cynical world with a wink, a smile and using his abilities to help everyone he can, no questions asked. Given today's social and political climate... this is exactly what we need in one of the biggest pop culture icons in history.<br />
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Quick story to share. My twins (boy and girl) are almost 4. My youngest boy is 2. They know superheroes and what not and the day after the show aired, I showed them that scene of Superman and Supergirl saving the spaceship. We started with Clark, all three asking who he
was. My answer was "oh I don't know!" My boy twin (a die hard Batman fan as
far as 4 year olds go) lit up with a smile and yelled "That's Superman!"
When Clark ripped off his shirt, revealed the "S" and took off. My girl twin (who loves Wonder Woman and Supergirl) cheered as Supergir<span class="text_exposed_show">l flew out the window. My youngest let out an amazed "Where they going, Daddy?"</span><br />
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When they cut to the spaceship, the twins were wrought wondering how
they would land. "Maybe Supergirl will catch it" my daughter said... moments
later "She caught it!" When Superman flew in, all three yelled "There's
Superman!"<br />
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We watched the whole scene, all three watching with
wonder and amazement. My daughter then went to my wife to recount what she just
witnessed and my boy twin looked at me and said "I like Superman" before
saying "I like Batman too."<br />
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I was beaming with tears flooding my eyes, the look of pure joy on my kids' faces. This is why the portrayal of these characters and what they stand for is incredibly important. They are America's mythos.</div>
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Tyler Hoechlin portrayed the classic Superman we all know and love. His portrayal of the Man of Steel is in the same league as Christopher Reeve. Sure, it's only been two episodes, but every chord was struck perfectly. This is the Superman we aren't supposed to relate to, it's the Big Blue Boy Scout that makes us roll our eyes, but is the embodiment of the ideal to strive towards.<br />
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<a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1247701955/the-atomic-thunderbolt-1-and-2" target="_blank"><i>Hey there! If you enjoy my posts and my take on Superman and other superheroes, please consider supporting my latest comics project on Kickstarter where I'm reviving a golden age one-hit wonder: The Atomic Thunderbolt.</i></a>KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-64408910482023135932016-10-04T14:57:00.002-04:002016-10-05T00:32:08.859-04:00The Nature of the Pop Culture Convention<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JUc2agSswipvf6e3GMmvIC9Pnb8FnPC6Hs3S3S7Ca-ExZGn72bqNwMBdKX1dHfMJ2nH0XspgrtCsTztsTGm9p0_dOt0qhLnSdXvm3IVsLDlZv8OqCzESDSO-wkGvDagRXYUwLAAiSgw/s1600/amellshake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-JUc2agSswipvf6e3GMmvIC9Pnb8FnPC6Hs3S3S7Ca-ExZGn72bqNwMBdKX1dHfMJ2nH0XspgrtCsTztsTGm9p0_dOt0qhLnSdXvm3IVsLDlZv8OqCzESDSO-wkGvDagRXYUwLAAiSgw/s400/amellshake.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There’s been some discussion
regarding an article in <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/stars-getting-rich-fan-conventions-933062">The Hollywood Reporter</a> about the amount of money TV
stars can and have been making at conventions. At first glance, you might read
it and say “wow, what a racket!,” but as a comic creator who’s been doing cons
for the better half of a decade, this kind of story isn’t news to me. In fact,
most comic creators will tell you that we already knew that celebrities make a
decent amount of money at cons. It's really not that big a deal.</span></div>
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Still a lot of creators and commentators have been debating the article, so I
thought I'd add a little perspective from the standpoint of a small
press/independent creator. With that said, I felt compelled to do this post for
a couple of reasons.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I've previously detailed the reality
of my status of an independent creator here: <a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.ca/2016/09/the-reality-of-indie-comics-or-why-i.html,">The Reality of Indie Comics, </a>
so I'll try not to rehash too much.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are a couple of things about
that article that I felt were lacking - one of them being the state of the con
business in general. There are a lot of conventions. I mean, it's at the point
where it's almost over-saturated. It's still lucrative for many, but I've
always felt when you get the point where cosplayers are considered guests,
we've got a real problem.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">To really understand conventions and
the abundance of comic conventions, you first have to break them down into
categories. I'll do my best to run down the way many of my creator friends
classify them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">There are the big pop-culture cons:
San Diego and New York, and to a lesser extent, WonderCon, Emerald City and
MegaCon. There are big comic-centric shows/traditional comic cons: Baltimore,
HeroesCon, Long Beach and Boston, among others. Regional shows are moderate
sized: East Coast Comic Con, Vermont, GraniteCon (these examples are primarily
to give you a size idea). And small shows are the one run at the library or
local gym.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Comic creators will attend and sell
their wares at a variety of these shows throughout any given year. Sometimes
they do well, sometimes not so much. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The big pop-culture shows are huge
gambles for people like me and we will likely not recoup costs... but they are
a hell of a lot of fun and that experience is worth it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Creators will frequent the other types
of shows, but as I mentioned in my previous post, it can be tough to cover
table cost, hotel, food and transport when you are just an independent creator
and not a “guest." A "guest" is typically someone with more of a
reputation or history in comics (or media) and will often have a table or
accommodations comp-ed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What shows do creators typically shy
away from? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">What some have colorfully adopted as
"star fucker" shows. These are typically conventions that have
"Wizard World" in front of them. Now, this is not to disparage any
celebrities, creators or fans who attend these cons, not at all. But comics and
creators - especially independent and small press - are an afterthought at
these shows. There are some exceptions for sure, but Wizard World is more
focused on the celebrity and PR stunt market that I’m not going to spend $250
on a table to compete with the cast of The Walking Dead or Ryan Lochte for a
sale. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Don't get me wrong, kudos to Wizard
for cornering that market. They’ve also made it much easier for fans to get an
autograph, photo or both from their favorite stars. If fans are willing to pay
for a little facetime with their favorite star and the celebrities pocket some
good change while doing it — good for them. Additionally, if it does help
subsidize their earnings because of any residual cuts as THR suggests, I can’t
imagine anyone wouldn’t try to take advantage.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Also consider this for a second.
These celebrities are human. Often times, they are working insane schedules
during the week, especially on TV shows, and the weekends may be their only
reprieve. They also may not be paid as much as you think on their shows or
movies. A common misconception about Hollywood jobs is that everyone is just
raking in millions of dollars. That's far from the truth. So at the very least,
you've got to give them credit for making themselves accessible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It's interesting to see the article
make mention of some of the Wizard shows and other conventions struggling to
make a profit, while having potentially lucrative results for celebrities. As I
mentioned, there are an over-abundance of these conventions. Between overhead,
trying to get artists/vendors/creators to gamble on high table costs multiple
times throughout the year and trying to draw in attendees who possibly just
attended a show is tough. I'm not surprised some of these shows struggle. On
top of that, a lot of celebrities and other guests will likely get a guarantee
and will have travel, lodging and other expenses covered (that's normal for
these things). So yeah, it should surprise no one that the results are less
profitable for organizers, more so for guests.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Now, with my description of Wizard
World shows, you might think I’d put Heroes & Villains in that category
too. I don't. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I remember the first advertisements
for Heroes & Villains. They made it very clear that it wasn't a "comic
convention," it was more of a meet and greet show. They actually did
something kind of brilliant. They took Wizard's formula, cut the pork and made
it celebrity-centric. There are of course vendors and what have you, but the
attraction isn't pop culture, it's the stars. That colorful term used for
Wizard World doesn't apply because Heroes & Villains doesn't try to pretend
to be something it's ultimately not.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I actually feel that the article did
a disservice to Heroes & Villains - and while this is speculation - I think
that might be why Stephen Amell was less than thrilled about the article.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Oddly enough, I've yet to attend a Heroes
& Villains show mostly because a giant blizzard and a scheduling conflict,
respectively, kept me from the two that have been held in New Jersey. But I
know enough about them to be able to confidently describe what sets them apart.
Back to that blizzard in a minute.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">In the interest of full disclosure,
I've met Amell a few times. It's also no secret if Patriot-1 ever got optioned
for a movie, he'd be my first choice. He's a nice guy and he's really driven to
- basically - do cool stuff. Whether its business ventures, charity T-shirt
campaigns, his impressive social media presence or wrestling in a match at
SummerSlam – Amell has built a solid brand that breaks from the mold of many of
the pre-conceived norms of a television star.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">So judging by his reaction to the
article – he did a Facebook Live video wearing one of his charity T-shirts – it
was easy to tell that he was bothered by the idea that he and other TV stars
had taken over the celebrity con-circuit purely for monetary gain. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The reason I would counter that
notion has everything to do with that blizzard in 2015 that canceled one day of
the first New Jersey Heroes & Villains Fan Fest. I was supposed to go for a
work thing, but the blizzard was coming in hard and I would have absolutely
been stranded an hour from home in New Jersey for at least a day. Much to my
wife's relief, the cancellation of the first day left me snowed in at home with
the kids.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">However, I followed the event on
social media throughout the blizzard day. Amell, John Barrowman, Katrina Law
and the other stars attending the show not only made themselves accessible to
the fans that were also stranded, but they provided live updates on the show's
status as well as interacted with fans making the best of their situation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">It was an interesting situation to
see unfold. When you look at coverage of these Heroes & Villains events,
they have all sorts of activities to go along with the signings and photo ops.
Even though I've admittedly been unable to attend, I get the sense that there
is less a convention feel and more of a community-like feel to the show and
that's something unique. Baltimore and Boston comic-cons often have that feel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">This is important because The
Hollywood Reporter article doesn't make mention of this. It doesn't mention how
accessible these celebrities are willing to be at a show like Heroes &
Villains. Instead it focuses heavily on the profit margins as opposed the
brand-building and genuine appreciation for fans. With that in mind, it's easy
to see how the "inside baseball" rundown in THR could upset someone
like Amell, who is actively working to build Heroes & Villains as a more
friendly, accessible and welcoming show that feels more like a big fandom
family than a typical Wizard World.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">I can’t speak to the idea that Amell
is irking traditional booking agents by wanting to control his part of his
operations, but as a guy who decided to just go ahead and start my own comic publisher
to make my comics, it makes business sense. If it makes financial sense for
someone to take control of their own business ventures and destiny – while at
the same time building a viable brand – why the hell wouldn’t you? That’s just
simple, smart business and it allows him to manage his own brand which is
something I admire.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">The article also makes mention of
stars like Mark Hamill who support a California law requiring a certificate of authenticity
for autographs. This too is nothing new to comic creators and fans. At most
comic cons, if a fan wants to get a certain key issue signed and graded, often
times there will be a CGC (comics grading service) witness to verify the
certificate of authenticity. I’ve also seen artists charge a small autograph
fee for issues they have done that could end up on eBay or CGC’ed. It’s an
understandable practice if an autograph-seeker intends to turn a profit.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">Next year, Heroes & Villains:
New Jersey will most likely run against New York Comic Con. On the surface,
this may be a fool’s errand and a few years ago, it would be. But the con
landscape has changed, and I’m actually really interested to see how Heroes
& Villains does across the river from the biggest comic con in the country.
I personally think they will do fine, and perhaps perform even better than
normal with NYCC in town.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">As a comic creator, it's easier to determine Heroes & Villains isn't a space for what I do right now, but they don't pretend that it is as opposed to Wizard.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">If nothing else, that article in The
Hollywood Reporter just leaves out a lot of details about fandom, the con
business and the accessibility of the celebrities in favor of trying to shock
people with the amount of money they make. If a person is willing to pay a few
bucks for an autograph, photo and some facetime with a celebrity and the
celebrity is willing to meet that demand in a manageable way, that’s their prerogative,
after all, that’s supply and demand economics.</span></div>
KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-29831034085139814402016-09-08T19:14:00.001-04:002016-09-12T15:37:03.502-04:00What makes him Super?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Earlier this year, I wrote some posts that were about Superman. I have a deep love and admiration for the character that began as a little kid wearing a red cape and enacting the Fleischer cartoons as I watched them.<br />
<br />
Here are the three Superman posts:<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/03/why-we-look-up-in-sky.html">Why we look up in the sky...</a></b><b><a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/03/what-knightmare-my-review-of-batman-v.html"><br />"Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" review </a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-man-of-tomorrow-my-vision-for.html">My "treatment" for a Superman movie here</a> </b><br />
<br />
I've been critical of the current movie version of Superman - very critical. I like Henry Cavill, I think he's a fine actor and he's very charming (see the criminally underrated Man from U.N.C.L.E.) and he has the look to be Superman, but the Zack Snyder films lacked a basic understanding of Superman and because of that, Cavill doesn't have the right presence to carry the weight that is Superman.<br />
<br />
You can put an actor in a a red cape, blue tights and the famous Superman shield and they can certainly look the part. But can they really be Superman? Can they embody the very demeanor and attitude that makes Superman the Man of Steel?<br />
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<br />
That is ultimately the more important question.<br />
<br />
Recently - and much to my delight - Superman was announced for Supergirl season two. He showed up in season one through Kara's blurred vision and often spoke to Supergirl online. But now he's going to be a full-fledged recurring character on the show played by Tyler Hoechlin. It's a version fundamentally different from the movie version, one that Hoechlin says:<br />
<br />
“It’s Superman as I think he was intended to be,” Hoechlin said with
regard to his take on the Man of Steel, “which is just an incredible
symbol of hope to kids that they can do anything, that they can be good
people, and that good people can triumph over evil. You don’t have to be
dark and brooding and always in this state of masculine toughness. He
sits in that very hopeful and optimistic place that Kara tends to be
in.”<br />
<br />
All of that sounds pretty damn perfect to me.<br />
<br />
As more and more images are released of Superman from the show, the response has been positive for the most part. I actually love the suit and I think it's the best version of the suit since the red tights were ditched when the New 52 launched. Sure, I'd still tweak a few things, but overall it's a good suit and I think Hoechlin looks good in it.<br />
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But not everyone shares that sentiment. I've seen "wimpy," "skinny" and "small" among a few other choice expletives to describe Hoechlin as Superman. The main criticism seems to be that Hoechlin - a very athletically-built and lean muscular guy - isn't muscular enough.<br />
<br />
This is where a common misconception of Superman comes into play. Cavill looked like a pro-wrestler and extra padding in the suit gives the movie-verse Superman a very bulky, Mr. Olympia look. But remember how I said Cavill doesn't have the presence of Superman? That's not something you can blame him for, the material he was given was bad and hindered the ability to really be Superman. So it ultimately doesn't matter if Hoechlin looks like a body-builder, what matters is how he carries himself as a farmboy from Kansas.<br />
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<br />
Let me give another example. Christopher Reeve is hands down the best live-action Man of Steel. Reeve was tall but he wasn't big. He didn't look like a pro-wrestler and in fact, he and Hoechlin have similar builds. As the story goes, producers were hesitant to cast Reeve became he was skinny. In order to avoid padding the suit, he started lifting weights with David Prowse (the body of Darth Vader) to bulk up for the role.<br />
<br />
Still, it's not Reeve's physique that made him Superman - it was the way he just portrayed the weight of Superman. He was optimistic, charming, inspiring, he treated everyone - even his enemies - with respect and playful snark. When Reeve smiled as Superman you believed not only in the idea of what Superman is, but you also believed that the man on the screen IS Superman. That's one of the reasons Reeve is so beloved in the role. Other portrayers weren't bad, Kirk Alyn, George Reeves, Gerard Christopher, Routh, Dean Cain - each perfectly fit the role for the type of story being told.<br />
<br />
I remember when Heath Ledger was cast as the Joker. No one thought he would make a good Joker. In reality, his performance as the Joker was so good that it overshadows many flaws with The Dark Knight. Fan outrage over castings tends to be normal and most of the time fans are proven wrong, but the reaction to Hoechlin is an interesting case study.<br />
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<br />
This idea of what makes Superman who he is isn't limited just to
live-action. DC Comics recently killed off the New 52 Superman - a
version that was temperamental, uninspiring, angry and generally much
darker than previous versions. They replaced him in DC Rebirth with the
Superman that John Byrne laid the blueprint for in 1986, one that
through the 1990s and 2000s became something of a definite version of
Superman. This has been one of the most well-received aspects of DC's relaunch, a Superman that inspires hope and has compassion... a Superman that is an ideal to strive for.<br />
<br />
I've said this before and I will say it forever: Superman is not a character we are supposed to relate to, we are supposed to aspire to be him. We are meant to feel inspired by his word and actions. He's arguably a god-like being, but because of who he is and the people that raised him, he's a compassionate person that represents the good, and the very best in all of us. That is what makes him super. Not his powers, not how much he can bench - but how he treats and inspires others.<br />
<br />
To be completely frank, I don't always like when Superman is portrayed or drawn as this hulking, muscular being, and that's actually part of what really intrigues me about Hoechlin's casting. He's doesn't have a body-builder's physique the way Cavill does. He's leaner and he's only 6'0 tall compared to Reeve's 6'4. (Cavill is only 6'1).<br />
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Also interesting about this incarnation of Superman is that Mehcad Brooks who plays James Olsen is taller than Hoechlin. I actually really like this kind of physical presence that Hoechlin is bringing to the role. Not only does it create an unassuming Clark Kent, but it presents the idea that the shadow of her cousin looming over Kara isn't a physical one. <br />
<br />
What makes Superman isn't the muscles, the tights on the outside or the spit curl. What makes Superman - and his portrayal - memorable and "right" is the way he carries himself. If Hoechlin's quote proves true and we are presented with an optimistic, smiling and relaxed Superman, he will have nailed it. The Superman that is infallible in his moral standing, inspires others and even treats his enemies with compassion.<br />
<br />
Given the tone of Supergirl and producer Greg Berlanti's handling of DC's characters, my anticipation to see Hoechlin's portrayal as Superman is palpable and I hope he becomes the live-action Superman we deserve.<br />
<br />KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-68527120771006797972016-09-04T02:03:00.001-04:002016-09-04T10:20:19.839-04:00The reality of indie comics (Or why I took a semi-sabbatical from cons)I love Baltimore Comic-Con. It's a great comic-centric show, there are always a who's who of comic creators and there is just a general sense of acceptance and friendliness among the creatives down at the Inner Harbor. The Inner Harbor is also nice and over the past few years I looked forward to heading down to Baltimore for the con. Perusing social media, it looks like this year is a great show and part of me wishes I was there, but this year I had to take a bit of a sabbatical from the convention scene.<br />
<br />
The 2015 con year was... maybe challenging is the right word? At the end of 2014, I ran the successful Kickstarter for Patriot-1. I did the 2014 Baltimore show to great success, 2014 New York Comic Con - the first NYCC I set up at since 2011 - was pretty solid. Things were going pretty well and I started to focus on conventions. As 2015 began, I started looking at cons to set-up at and the majority of them just so happened to more towards late Summer/Fall.<br />
<br />
The thing about cons for me is simple. I can't afford to travel very far. I also don't like to. There are a couple of reasons for this. I don't fly, like ever. That's mostly because my wife and I aren't big travelers, we never really go anywhere we can't drive. I also don't travel for work, which admittedly is an amazing feat at my job, but any time I've had to do anything, it's been local. Now I've flown plenty of times, just not in the last 10 years or so (which also is kind of amazing), but that's mostly because I've never needed to. I'll fly if/when I absolutely have to, but because of my lack of flying in my adult life, it comes with a bit of anxiety.<br />
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<br />
So you weigh the cost of flying - both economically and mentally - and you consider realistically what you'd do sales wise with a small press book while also factoring in table expenses, food, hotel etc., etc., and you begin to see the harsh reality of making comics at this independent level.<br />
<br />
I know, I know - in the long run there are considerations for exposure, new markets and all that. But I also have to consider I have two full-time jobs. One has been my regular day job at WWE for nearly seven years - which overall is a pretty cool gig. The other is a bit more exhausting - I have three kids. Nearly four-year old twins and a two-year old. I'm really involved with my kids... it's my favorite job, but it can also be really taxing. When it comes to doing cons and being gone for a weekend, my wife and I have to factor a lot of things, including who is going to help with the kids. And on top of these regular jobs, there's fitting in time to write and plot and all that fun stuff.<br />
<br />
Would I love writing, comics and developing my intellectual properties like Patriot-1 to be my full-time job? Of course! But that doesn't cover insurance or pay my mortgage right now.<br />
<br />
Cons aren't cheap for the indie creator. Many of us aren't going to get the "guest" status which means we have to pay out of pocket for the table space and other expenses - and that adds up. And when we have to do that, there is no guarantee we'll have good placement, or that the quality of work around us is on par with our own. It's kind of frustrating, honestly. And then you factor in the constantly rising cost of getting a table. You're hard-pressed to find one under $200 anymore. For writers, that's really, really tough. Artists can do commissions and sell prints and generally have an easier time of making up that costs. Writers don't have that luxury and the rising cost of these tables is starting to get both ludicrous and cost-prohibitive.<br />
<br />
Also, consider this is all in addition to the swelling costs of actually producing the comics. Then marketing them, then depending your distribution, factoring how much of a hit you'll have to take per unit. It's not a cheap hobby or tradecraft. <br />
<br />
When my con season came around finally in 2015, I had virtually everything going for me. Patriot-1 had won an IPPY Award and was picked up by Diamond for distribution, ExtraOrdinary had launched, some cool stuff at the day job was going down... everything was promising.<br />
<br />
I did a few small appearances and "cons." Nothing I had to pay for, sold a few books and mostly just hung out with other creators. There was Special Edition: NYC, which was okay... I had a good time meeting a lot of great people at that show more than I liked the show itself. Then the first bigger show rolled around... I did decent, was ready for the next. The second one about an hour away, two day show. Was able to go home at night and everything. The show itself was okay overall. Not great, not the worst. When I got home at the end of the show Sunday, I found out my parents - who came to help with the kids - left suddenly. Come to find out, my grandfather - and my first son's namesake - had taken ill and was hospitalized. And it was one those things that wasn't a case of "if" but "when." So the week went on, there was nothing I could do but wait (my grandfather lived very far from me). After much debate, I continued to the Baltimore Con the next weekend. Took my mind off everything, but at that point it just cost a lot of money to go. I wasn't splitting the cost with anyone.<br />
<br />
My placement wasn't great in Artist's Alley - most Artist's Alleys have become so overrun with print sellers that it's hard to standout, but as I've learned... you've just got to make the best of it all. However, the second day of the show rolled around, I wasn't doing that great sales wise... and then I got the call. My grandfather passed. It was a weird feeling... I was okay with it all, I had a week to process it all. He lived well, he was 86, and he had just seen all my kids a few weeks prior. But still... it was my last grandparent.<br />
<br />
I used to have a traveling partner for cons. We'd do a lot of shows together, but he was in a serious relationship (they're getting married now) and he traveled to last year's con with her. He was also tabling with the artist of his phenomenal book, and most of my other friends - mostly established pros - were attending the Harvey Awards that Saturday night. As a result, I was alone. It was fine - I like being alone... but it was just a weird moment in time to take everything in.<br />
<br />
I left Baltimore with a bizarre feeling. I frankly didn't do as well as I'd hoped, the personal news stuck to me and I just felt tired. It was a weird thing... everything was going so well all year and then there was this massive slow-down.<br />
<br />
A few weeks went by and it was time for the big one... New York Comic Con.<br />
<br />
I love NYCC. I have a sordid history with it, but I love it. In the past few years I've been lucky enough to have a friend offer me space at his booth in Artist's Alley. And I also get to see a lot comic book world friends I don't see often. My experience was overall pretty brutal for 2015. I decided to drive into the city every day. You might think this is foolish, but in the past? Not a problem. HUGE problem in 2015. Every. Single. Day. The worst was Saturday, when I had to do a favor for the guy giving me booth space and didn't head into the city until noon. Two and a half hours, a trip through Queens and across Manhattan later, I finally made it.<br />
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<br />
Overall, NYCC 2015 was a grueling experience. I was happy/relieved when it was over. A lot of my friends did really well in Artist's Alley, and I once again did "okay." (My placement wasn't great, but I couldn't argue).<br />
<br />
2015 started great... ended well... yeah.<br />
<br />
2016 was a fresh slate and I booked my first show... East Coast Comic Con. I even paid extra for a "corner table." Let me rephrase, I paid extra for a table in the corner away from the main entrance, near a bathroom and a concession stand that did the least amount of traffic imaginable. I sold one book. The show was barely crowded and hardly anyone came by my table. Needless to say, I took the loss and stayed home with my wife and kids the next day.<br />
<br />
It was on that drive home that I decided I needed a break from cons. They've gotten very expensive and the crowds are more interested in prints and Funko POPs than looking for books outside the norm. I canceled plans for Boston, Baltimore, a show in New Jersey, Vermont, two in Connecticut and Saratoga.<br />
<br />
I was tired of being placed between print sellers or (as pretentious as this sounds) creators whose quality of work was nowhere near on my level. (If you've seen my books, they are high quality and professional). This is the reality for small press and independent creators. We spend a ton of money on a crapshoot when it comes to cons. I don't speak for everyone, and I have friends that do really well, but for me it was just an off year or so.<br />
<br />
Never giving up also comes with the territory. I've been working on the second <a href="http://patriot1comic.com/">Patriot-1</a> book, <a href="http://extraordinary-comic.com/">ExtraOrdinary-comic.com</a> is chugging along and The Atomic Thunderbolt is coming. In June of this year, I attended Albany Comic Con... which served as a reset. The first show I ever set up at with TJ Comics was Albany back in 2009. I also did it this year with my frequent editor - someone who has become a very close friend - just as I first had in 2009. It's a one day show and I drove up and back to Albany that day and on the way home, I really did feel like I hit the reset button.<br />
<br />
I decided to maintain my semi-sabbatical on cons, though. The exception was to be New York Comic Con, but after getting shut out of Artist's Alley and Small Press, I may just attend as the traveling pro this year. If my friend offers me space at his booth, I'd be hard-pressed to pass it up but if not, it's all good.<br />
<br />
I'm hoping and I'm optimistic that 2017 will be a huge year. I'm getting ready to book a number of cons. Patriot-1 is going to have a new life as book two will enter into production towards the end of this year, ExtraOrdinary has been very well-received and The Atomic Thunderbolt is coming.<br />
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I guess the point of all of this was partially therapeutic, partially to highlight the realities of doing this comic thing. It's a grind... but it's something I love and I don't want to give up. I want Harveys and Eisners and the ability to keep making comics.<br />
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In the meantime, if you want to support my books... you can get them here: <a href="http://tjcomics.com/shop/">TJ COMICS SHOP</a>. KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-83335300402552237492016-09-01T21:44:00.001-04:002016-09-03T15:26:24.014-04:00The Comics Industry is Dead! Long live the Comics Industry!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's been some discussion the past few days about the direct market in comics. By discussion I mean a passionate rant by Jude Terror of the Outhouse that did hold some level of truth followed by a rebuttal from Comics Beat's Heidi MacDonald that was much more level-headed and then as Jude pointed out to me as I wrote this... another rebuttal.<br />
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All of this was more or less sparked by the unfortunate news that Marvel has cancelled Nighthawk. (Disclaimer: I thoroughly enjoy Nighthawk, especially Ramon Villalobos' art).<br />
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I'm not going to dissect the rights and wrongs of either argument, but rather just toss out an opinion based on my experience as a creator, customer and a retailer. I've been a part-time retailer for 14 years. In the past few years, I've taken on a somewhat "silent partner" role in the store. Eventually, I will take the store, it's been in business for 30+ years and it's a store that has outlasted countless others in my city following the '90s boom and collapse.<br />
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Given my experience, some of the Terror Manifesto struck the right chords with me, some of it didn't. Heidi's approach - which was more analysis than rant - also struck a lot of the right chords also.<br />
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Essentially, there HAS been a shift in the way comics are consumed. Much more dramatic than comics no longer being sold on newsstands and grocery stores is the shift from monthly floppies to graphic novels and trades. I LOVE getting my comics every week. But I also love my ever-expanding graphic novel library. Hell, I buy the majority of my graphic novels from Barnes & Noble usually through gift cards and the constant discounts they offer. In fact, a recent discussion with my store's owner about product placement and store layout was about putting more of an emphasis on the graphic novel and trade stock while reducing the monthlies.<br />
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For the reader, sometimes consuming in trade and graphic novel form is much easier. Admittedly, I've moved that way for some titles as well. An example is the phenomenal Sheriff of Babylon. I get the issues every month, but I also wasted zero time getting the trade because that is a perfect example of a book that one must sit down, read and really digest. Reading it in one sitting is a completely different experience than it being serialized. When DC announced Omega Men was cancelled and then wasn't and then was, I decided that I would stop reading the monthlies and pick up the trade. It arrives this weekend and I can't wait to sit down and just read it all at once.<br />
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These are just two examples, but it does represent the way some readers consume. I also read A LOT of comics every week. So many that I can barely keep up and for me, it's easier to wait for the trades. I do religiously certain floppies as I always have like Action, Detective, Superman, Batman, Green Arrow, Captain America, Moon Knight etc.), but even some of them, for example Green Arrow and Moon Knight, I always buy the trades.<br />
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I'm just one guy and obviously my reading habits don't reflect every reader. I've also been in the comics game since I could read, so I'm not exactly representative of a casual moviegoer or someone who happens to wander into a store.<br />
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In terms of the direct market, no I don't think it should die. But that isn't to say there can't be improvements made. Is it burning? Well, yes, for a number of reasons and the majority of the problem isn't with retailers and customers. There is some blame to put on the system for sure.<br />
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The preorder system is both a blessing and a curse for everyone involved, but it's relatively low-risk for the publishers and Diamond while it can cripple a store. Here's a pattern I'm sure other stores see. Captain Comic #1 comes out. Marvel and DC load up the marketing, must have issue. If it's Image, they are sending emails to retailers berating them for not ordering enough (these are totally real). Captain Comic #1 and all it's variants sell out. All the regular readers want it, and all the people who saw it in USA Today or on Good Morning America want it. So what does a retailer do? Up the order for issue #2. A month goes by. You MIGHT see issue #2 sell out, but odds are the regular customers get it and a few people who picked up #1 come back in and get it. Everybody else? They made their $20 on eBay. So now, we have a retailer left with some unwanted #2s, do we have enough time to cut the order of issue #3? No? Shit. We've also got an influx of #1 reprints coming in. Captain Comic #3 comes out. Now we're just down to regular readers and the one or two new readers. Let me throw $20 at Facebook and target the shit out of selling this book. Issue #4 comes out. Now only half the regular readers are still getting it. The initial order of #1 was 200 copies, we're down to 10. Issue #5 comes out, now it's only 5 or 6 regulars with a subscription. Issue #6 is the last issue... book has been cancelled. Now the retailer is left with all this unsold, nonreturnable stock while the publishers and Diamond get ready to do it again. This is just one example of the vicious cycle that exists.<br />
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Customers are encouraged to preorder the books. A lot of them just don't understand that system, especially the ones without subscriptions, so when Captain Comic #1 sells out and they don't understand how that can happen, it's kind of awkward to explain how much of a gamble ordering something like that is.<br />
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Another quick example is this: Super Awesome Man #24 will feature the debut of a new Super Awesome Man... except now it's Super Awesome Woman. Huge news. It's so big that the publisher has spoiled the issue, two days before it releases - Christmas for Rich Johnston. Bleeding Cool runs the story. Newsarama and CBR runs the story. ComicBook.com has about 50 articles asking the same question 20 different ways. Jude Terror has some snarky hot take. All the usual suspects do their thing. Then the mainstream news, USA Today, Entertainment Weekly, The TODAY Show. This is huge news. Someone goes on Colbert. Someone gets mad at Nick Spencer.<br />
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That Wednesday, the phone is ringing off the hook, "I need Super Awesome Man #24!" The kicker? Three months ago, the issue was just "Super Awesome Man #24," there was no indication that this would in any way be a special issue. No additional copies were ordered. All five for non-subscribers sell out in a matter of minutes. Now you're just losing business because as a retailer, you weren't privy to how big of an issue this was going to be and now you and every other store are scrambling to reorder. What's the logical thing to do? Double or triple your order for Super Awesome Man #25. The casual readers don't get the preorder system, so you have to blindly compensate. The next month, you know what doesn't sell? Super Awesome Man #25. There's no marketing. No USA Today, no morning news. Rich Johnston has moved on and The Outhouse is just fighting with Dan Slott again.<br />
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I'm not trying to sound negative about this, I'm actually really optimistic about the future of comics, I'm just pointing out a reality. DC Rebirth has been really, really great from a retail standpoint. And even better is the box of unsolds my store owner has been itching to return. And that's not meant in a bad way, because now he can take that money from the returns and try different product or spread it around a little more without having to worry about storage or using up bags and boards to stuff them in our perpetually 30% off back issue bins.<br />
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Like I said, my store has been around for 30+ years and used to sell Spawn by the caseload in the '90s. To an extent, the owner is set in his ways, but he's really trying to sell these comics based on characters everyone loves. Characters that are literally everywhere now.<br />
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That's why I've been pushing him to heavily sell the culture of comics in addition to the comics themselves. But even that is tough. Around the corner is Gamestop, which sells the Funkos, T-shirts and action figures at constant discounts and it doesn't affect their bottom line if they don't sell through immediately. There's also Barnes & Noble, which is a store I love, but they can actually return stuff to Diamond. How do I know? We opened a case of Heroclix once that still had the Barnes & Noble price-tag on it.<br />
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I am one of those people who believes comics should be in grocery stores and "newsstands." But I don't think they should be the same comics you can get at a comic specialty store. Let me explain.<br />
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When Avengers: Age of Ultron came out, there was a one-shot called Avengers: Operation Hydra. It featured the movie cast, in the movie costumes, in movie canon. It was pretty much all-action and it was accessible to all-ages. It's not ground-breaking, but it's a fun comic. I love that book and to me, that's the kind of book that needs to be anywhere but specialty shops.<br />
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Writing for the trade makes up a majority of story-arcs and storylines now. And that's fine, I don't disagree with that strategy and I embrace it. I do however think that model has partially created some of the problems in the comics industry for larger and more iconic characters.<br />
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I've long been a proponent of the major publishers doing two lines. One is the standard continuity stuff- your Civil War II or your Rebirth - the other are standalones featuring characters in their most recognizable form, featured in quality stories for no more than $2 found (primarily) everywhere but comic shops. Call me optimistic, but that's a way to get both young and new readers. A good example of this is Spidey, or even the Adventures of Superman and Sensation Comics anthology styled books.<br />
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When I was a kid, I could go to the comic store (the same one mentioned) and I'd usually buy Superman comics from the '60s, '70s and '80s. Many of these books would stand on their own. There would be larger plot threads over multiple issues sure, but most of them gave 8 year old me a satisfying (sometimes ridiculous) Superman story. As for current books, I could go to the comic store or the convenience store near my elementary school or the grocery store and find arrays of books still following that pattern.<br />
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In middle and high school, I spent Summers at my grandparents' house where there wasn't a local comic shop, but the grocery store and all the convenience stores carried the books I needed - usually the Superman books, Batman, Spider-Man and X-Men. Again, I realize this is just my experience alone, but I do think it speaks to a broader point.<br />
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I think print comics need to be available in more accessible forms everywhere, especially the major characters. I haven't really talked about digital comics and I'm not going to, because I don't think digital sales swing the pendulum significantly in either direction - they are a revenue stream and a convenience. Anyway, with the right marketing, 20 page, $2 standalone stories could sell at Toys R' Us, movie theaters, grocery stores and local shops. I really, wholeheartedly believe that and I believe it will have positive effects on overall readership.<br />
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Rounding back to return-ability. I do agree that in some fashion, Diamond and the publishers have to make the books returnable. My store isn't alone in the aforementioned vicious cycles. We're left with all this backstock that doesn't sell and lately Diamond comes knocking for the next round's payment when stores haven't broken even on the previous week's. This isn't all stores, but it's also not unique to mine. I know of two within a 50 mile radius that haven't received new comics since mid-July because Diamond refuses to send them.<br />
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Diamond used to grant leeway to local shops. Retail itself is a tough business and comics retail isn't any easier. As I mentioned, my store has been in business for 30+ years. There's a relationship with Diamond and one that often allowed for leeway when it came to payment. This has been the case for many retail shops. Then this Summer there was a shift. Something happened and suddenly, Diamond started demanding payment or else no books would ship. From the outside, it makes business sense, but from the inside, suddenly there's a panic... you can't make the payment for the week because you've got double the amount of books coming and last week DC didn't release anything and Marvel only had six books. But you need next week's shipment because it's a huge publisher relaunch, you'll be able to make up the difference, but after all these years, Diamond finally says no. Why? What happened?<br />
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Is it just business or is it the $1.5 million elephant in the room no one is talking about? I've talked to a number of stores all over the country and Diamond's shift in policy toward them seems to happen all around the same time - Hastings going under. Now, I'm not saying Hastings is responsible for a store's plight, nor am I saying they are responsible for the collapse of the industry, but $1.5 million is a big piece of revenue for Diamond and I just happened to notice it all occurring around the same time.<br />
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So yes, I do believe there is a bit of an unfair burden placed on the retailer. Especially small retailers who can't afford Midtown Comics-level advertising because they are mostly just worried about selling enough to get next week's books while maintaining their own bottom line and profit margin.<br />
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But I do believe there has to be an emphasis by publishers on evergreen stories for casual readers. A casual reader might pick up the Kelly Sue DeConnick Captain Marvel trade and head into a local shop looking for more of the same. What they will find is a drastically different Carol and overall tone in Civil War II than they do in Kelly Sue's phenomenal book, and I think that's a turn off for some casual readers.<br />
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And please, for the love of Zeus, at least put the Comic Shop Locator web address with your movies and TV shows. PLEASE.<br />
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With all of this said, we ARE in a Golden Age of comics, just not the mainstreams. Creator-owned and indie comics have so much talent and quality that I wish we all had the marketing budgets of Marvel and DC - we'd outsell them. This is why Kickstarter has become an incredibly crucial tool in the advancement of the comic industry. It allows creators and publishers to sell direct, cultivate an audience and make backers feel they are part of the story.<br />
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I've run Kickstarters, I've been carried by Diamond, I sell at cons. It's a grind, but I love it. I love comics and I want to see the industry broaden and reach a point where a small press can say 50,000 copies is considered a success, not 5,000.<br />
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Both Jude and Heidi are right. And the state of the comics industry is equal parts the everything is fine meme and Nero playing a fiddle while Rome burns. But the future can be really, really bright. The future can be a place where we look up to the sky in wonder again.KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-13613706809119509132016-07-21T10:54:00.001-04:002016-07-21T10:54:46.580-04:00Comics and politics<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been waiting to post this one for quite some time. At first I was waiting for Bernie Sanders to officially endorse Hillary Clinton... then some other things got in the way, but now in the midst of the completely insane Republican National Convention, I wanted to make sure I finished this up.<br />
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Much of the divide and infighting amongst the comic community has been about Bernie vs. Hillary. Now that doesn't mean every comic creator or member of the community is a liberal or progressive... but the majority arguably are. There are some Trump supporters out there, some conservatives that are "falling in line" and others who are genuinely lost at the hijacking of their political party.<br />
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So I'll get this right out of the way. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that I am a VERY opinionated political watcher. I'm a liberal, an independent and a close follower of politics. It's more than social media posting for me... I've been legitimately considering running for office for a long time, my mindset just isn't there right now. That's me. I'm not ashamed of it, I don't hide it and I will gladly talk and debate politics in a civil manner any day of the week on all sides of the spectrum.<br />
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Anyway, there are a lot of strong personalities in comics. After all, we're all creative types.<br />
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There are a few creators who stand out more than others in their political views... namely: Nick Spencer, Billy Tucci, Jamal Igle and Ethan Van Sciver to name a few. There are times that politics influences writing and storytelling, there are also times politics influences and effects interactions with fans. Every now and then, creators get into it with each other.<br />
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I've also seen criticism along the lines of: 'keep politics out of comics," often in regards to Marvel in their push for greater inclusion and diversity. Sorry, but politics have been a part of comics since Captain America debuted with a punch to Hitler's face. For someone to suggest that a character named "Captain America" keep politics out of comics is kind of ridiculous. In the case of Steve Rogers, he's certainly not a liberal or conservative by today's standards, he is and always has been a New Deal Democrat. That's part of what make Steve Rogers and Captain America work - the era he comes from. Cap is also a soldier and for the most part can remain apolitical.<br />
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A great influence on my social and political views comes from Denny O'Neil and Neal Adams' run on Green Arrow/Green Lantern. That run is the epitome of politics in comics and continues to speak to many of today's issues.<br />
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I've been at conventions where I'm tabled close to Billy Tucci on more than one occasion. If you've ever met Billy - he's loud, he's opinionated and he's funny as hell. I've heard plenty of anti-Obama rants coming from him and I generally disagree with most of his views, but that doesn't change my personal feelings that he's a genuinely good guy and obviously extremely talented.<br />
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Conversely, Jamal Igle is a good friend of mine and we share MANY similar views. He's also politically active on Facebook. He's also extremely talented. But word of advice, if you ever think about debating politics with Jamal, be prepared because I witness him shut people down with facts and real substance on a daily basis. It's quite admirable.<br />
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However, I actually disagree politically with a number of creators and personalities I greatly admire. For example, Chuck Dixon is a staunch conservative and Republican, but he's one of the finest comic book writers out there and a big influence on me. In fact, the greatest influence on my writing is the late Tom Clancy, who wrote some of the finest spy and military novels imaginable. Clancy was also a conservative and another example of someone who politically I don't necessarily agree with, but he was a good man and he is probably the greatest single influence on my writing.<br />
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See that's the ultimate difference when it comes to politics and comics - even entertainment in general. You shouldn't judge a person's work on their politics if it doesn't affect the quality of their work. Now, if the politics of said person affect their character in a way that just makes them seem generally nuts, that's a different story.<br />
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Politics do influence my writing. "Patriot-1" dabbles in it a bit, but the sequel I'm currently writing? HEAVY influence. "ExtraOrdinary" also has a great deal of social and political influence.<br />
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What really drives me nuts is when someone says, "I respect you as a comic creator, but I can't follow you on social media anymore because politics" or "your political views that are different than mine are making it difficult for me to support your work."<br />
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Unless I'm directly a jerk to you - either about politics or something else, which is rare - then I really can't wrap my head around that bit of self-righteousness. As I've mentioned, I welcome civilized political debate, but absolutism of such a nature gets us nowhere overall.<br />
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If you're going to stop supporting someone's work - especially someone who you claim to respect or previously respected - do it because of their character or because they are directly an ass to you - not because they share different political views. For example, there is a writer whose work I REALLY enjoyed. Lined up with my interests, a hell of a storyteller - his politics didn't match up with mine... but it didn't affect my enjoyment of his work. What has affected it is the fact this creator has been the subject of numerous sexual harassment incidents and is generally flippant towards fans and criticism.<br />
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I understand politics can be touchy, especially in today's climate. But when you stop supporting someone's work or someone in general solely based on ideas being different and not because of their character - well, then you're just part of the problem.<br />
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KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-23236946240429361452016-05-31T00:23:00.004-04:002016-06-01T16:41:41.607-04:00About that Steve Rogers: Captain America thing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was honestly trying to avoid a commentary on this topic. But people keep asking. Because of things I wear in public, my kids wear, things I look at in stores, purchase, etc., it keeps coming up. Because my social media feeds are a cavalcade of comic-related things, it keeps coming up. And people keep asking me. Why do people keep asking ME? If you've been here before, I hold Superman in very high regard. If you didn't know that about me... <a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/03/why-we-look-up-in-sky.html">read this.</a><br />
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That same regard, possibly even higher, is held for Captain America. That title of course belonging to one fictional character, Steve Rogers. I love Cap.<br />
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I've also loved Cap for a very long time. At one point my dream was to write (and even star!) in a Captain America movie - something I actually made known in the offices of Marvel Studios when I was just a mere intern making trips to the Coffee Bean on Santa Monica Boulevard. That was 2004. But that kind of admiration for a character was birthed in reading all his comics, all his stories and seeing the type of character I really like - the ultimate good guy. The ultimate pinnacle of what America is and can be.<br />
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I've always been fascinated with, but never served in the military. My marquee character, <a href="http://patriot1comic.com/">Patriot-1</a>, is modeled after Captain America. A modernized version of Cap. Those ideals of doing the right thing no matter what thrown into the muddiness of today's wars and politics. Politically and ideologically, I'm not a hawk. I'm not conservative. I'm very liberal and I abhor war, but I do quite understand that some things, no matter how disgraceful they may seem, are necessary. This is the world we live in. <br />
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What Captain America embodies, what he represents is what America is supposed to be. It's what a lot of people think we are as a nation, but we're really a long way from it.<br />
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What is it you ask? It's the perfected image - real or not - of the men and women who literally dropped everything, even in the face of economic ruin, to fight a war. The embodiment of what America was always meant to be - the good guys fighting against tyranny and oppression - after all, there's one thing Cap hates and that's bullies.<br />
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Steve Rogers is representative of that generation - the Golden Age of comics, unwavering in their righteousness and ability to do good. Steve Rogers is representative of a different time and a different place in American history. That time we actually did rise up and fight the bad guys, fight evil and liberate the world. It wasn't pretty, we did some things that were necessary but we got the job done. There were men who went and fought simply because it was the right thing to do. The Nazis represented - and still represent - clear evil unlike the world has ever seen. This is also why whenever we get these stories about Steve Rogers "passing on the shield," and someone else taking up the mantle, they all end the same - with Steve Rogers as Captain America.<br />
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It's because Captain America doesn't work without Steve Rogers. Sorry, it's true.<br />
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I have read just about every issue of Captain America there is to read dating back to the 1940s. If I don't own them, I've read them in some collected form or online. Back when I used to do reviews for Comics Bulletin, I reviewed almost every issue of Ed Brubaker's incredible run. There's even one of my pull quotes on the back of one of the trades. There are multiple long boxes between my garage and my basement devoted solely to Captain America comics. Cap is also on my "writing bucket list." So I'm not saying I'm some kind of expert on Cap, but I've read a few stories.<br />
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And yes, I LOVE the movies. First Avenger is a very special movie to me because it's the love child of what I consider the greatest film ever made - Raiders of the Lost Ark - and the phenomenal film adaptation of a comic that has had great influence on me - The Rocketeer. The Winter Soldier and Civil War are also "top shelf" films. The Winter Soldier ranks near Raiders on my top films of all-time, and they perfectly represent who Steve Rogers is. On that same token, Chris Evans is PERFECT as Cap. He is to Cap what Christopher Reeve is to Superman, and it will be hard for someone to eventually fill those boots.<br />
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This of course, isn't about that stupid "make Cap and Bucky lovers" nonsense. Want to know why they are close pals? Watch or read Band of Brothers. <br />
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What this is about is that twist in Steve Rogers: Captain America #1. You know, the one where he says "Hail Hydra" at the end, and the book possibly reveals that he's been always secretly been a Hydra agent?<br />
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So this book has caused quite an uproar. Writers and editors have received death threats (seriously), some weirdo burned his copy (could've donated it to a library), the final page became a really funny meme and some people have been shouting that it's anti-semitism (it's not).<br />
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You now know how I feel about Captain America. This was my honest to Zeus reaction to the reveal: "Well, this is interesting."<br />
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As far as first issues go, this was phenomenal. It gave readers a solid recap of how we got to this point, it featured Captain America in action, his supporting cast in their roles, the artwork was jaw-dropping (seriously, just buy this issue and look at the pretty pictures) and the shock was exactly that - the shock.<br />
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For some ridiculous reason, people feel betrayed. Like this is Hulk Hogan is the third man, nWo-style betrayal. Hulkamania is dead! I'm using a pro-wrestling reference not because of my day job, but because the parallels here are pretty obvious. What is the most shocking thing that can be done to drum up interest in our product? Take our paragon of righteousness and make him go bad!<br />
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But here's what people missed. This issue was so brilliantly crafted by a very talented and smart writer in Nick Spencer, that about halfway through I realized something was amiss. I went in with no spoilers other than "there's a big twist," and by the end of it I was hooked. I've read a lot Captain America, I know how these stories end, what I want to know is how we get there. What has caused this sudden change.<br />
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And let's be clear, this isn't a "status quo" change. This is a storyline. Just like Operation Rebirth, just like Death of Captain America, just like The Iron Nail de-aging him and making him old. All of these things were touted as permanent. Why? Because that's the job of creators, editors, publishers... to tell stories, to keep you buying their books. Relax.<br />
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As a lifelong reader, a retailer and a creator, I see something a little different surrounding the outrage. People are really upset because suddenly their T-shirt or Funko Pop means
something different in their mind... when in reality it doesn't. Why
would I say that? Because people who are upset aren't real comic book
readers, they are "comic book fans" in trend only, collecting the latest
trinkets but ignoring the comics and not reading them. They are the movie fans who occasionally buy a comic or a collected edition of a popular or adapted storyline. What's my proof?
It's all in the sales numbers, kids. Real readers wouldn't be (and aren'<span class="text_exposed_show">t) outraged because it's one issue. The first issue of a storyline. They keep reading, knowing how these stories go.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Nick Spencer is a very good writer. He's also a very smart guy and he gets some flak for his politically-charged Twitter. Many of my views align with his, so I really enjoy following and interacting with him. He's also a very layered storyteller and that was on display in the first issue of Steve Rogers: Captain America. It's blatantly stated in the dialogue that something isn't right. It's blatantly stated that the Red Skull and Baron Zemo are at war with each other within Hydra, trying to get an edge up on each other. It's clear as day, both in the story and in interviews with Thunderbolts writer Jim Zub (who has said the Cap book and Thunderbolts are connected), that the sentient cosmic cube in the form of little girl Kobik - who gave Steve Rogers his age back - is far from finished with this storyline. The evidence is all in front of you. My analysis may be wrong, but the point is that there is enough evidence and foreshadowing that this story can go six different ways before reaching the outcome. That's what's so great about it.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">As a seasoned Cap reader - and I could be wrong - but it seems as though Kobik (the cosmic cube) has altered reality and Steve's past to implant these Hydra memories - this idea he's always been Hydra. This is likely manipulated by Skull of Zemo... the best weapon is your greatest enemy. What's the tell? Elsa Sinclar, the Hydra recruiter in the flashbacks. The red she wears is the only real color in the muted flashbacks. In fact, the only prominent color in the flashbacks is red. It's a tell. That's your first clue.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">What do I think happens? Steve Rogers - or one of his supporting cast members - eventually figures out that something is wrong and Rogers pulls through - his true identity, that stalwart, unwavering pinnacle of hope we know and love, and he never was a member of Hydra. Because these types of stories are meant to challenge his resolve, to prove he is incorruptible. And what of the young hero he supposedly kills in the first issue? 1) we don't see him actually die and 2) again, cosmic cube, reality-altering.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Could that actually be the endgame here? Maybe? Not just sales and publicity, but an actual story that strengthens Steve Rogers' resolve? That even in the face of reality being altered, he cuts through the shit and stands tall, shield raised high in the air? You know, I think that may be exactly what's happening here. Why doesn't he have is original shield right now? What's with the new outfit? It's because he's not himself and subconsciously he knows it. Now his resolve is to be tested in a new and different way. I read these books religiously, these are the best kind of Captain America stories, the ones where even the cosmic cube can't win in the end.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">If the cosmic cube sounds too crazy and far-fetched to you, clearly you've never read a Captain America comic. And trust me, your childhood isn't ruined. Shut up.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Cap comics are also often classified in the spy genre and as political thrillers. That's exactly what Nick Spencer has established in this first issue. I mean really, the twist is shocking - sure - but this isn't that far off from some of Cap's most classic stories.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">The uproar over the issue - again, literally the first issue - is insane. Like really insane. I can understand some people not liking the twist or criticizing it for being nothing but a publicity stunt - especially to off-set the buzz surrounding DC Comics Rebirth. Hell, I don't like every Cap story. I wasn't a huge fan of Rick Remender's run. Cap in overly science-fiction settings just isn't my thing. And that's fine.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Though if every single person expressing outrage over this issue actually bought it - it would be one of the best-selling books of all-time. But half of the people outraged have no idea what's really going on. They use social media - Twitter, specifically - to attack creators, say horrible things they likely wouldn't say in person, and generally hide behind a firewall of anonymity. Seriously, if you have Twitter and there is something in the news or something like this Cap storyline, odds are you're going to hate it. Social media can be exceptionally negative and really bring out the worst in people without fear of consequence, and that plays a role in things like this. </span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">All of this for the first 30 pages of a serialized comic book. I mean, seriously. The outrage is honestly overblown and petulant. And that goes for ALL OF IT. And the death threats... anyone who threatened anyone's life over this is a complete ass.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">Of course Marvel is going to hit the media circuits and tout this as some big change. They do it all the time. When Cap died, when Sam Wilson "took over" as Cap... etc. That's the purpose of publicity and PR - to sell the product. That's all they want to do is sell their product and drum up interest.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">As for anti-semitism... no. Let's clear up one bit of fiction. Hydra were not outright heavily associated with the Nazis until the first Captain America movie. In the movies, Hydra is the Nazis' deep science division. This was an adaptation and a decision made to tell a larger story that didn't have to rely on Nazis. And even then, Hydra is bigger than the Nazis were, that was the point of contention between Hitler and The Red Skull... Skull took the occult belief structure further than Hitler did in the movie.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">In the comics, Hydra is not a Nazi organization. There are former Nazis in their ranks, and Red Skull and Baron Zemo are often closely associated with them (especially in Steve Rogers: Captain America #1), but they are not Nazis. They are a terrorist organization hell-bent on order and ruling the world, yes - Nazis, no. They were formed in 1965 as a rival spy organization to S.H.I.E.L.D. So you can take that ridiculous "this is anti-semitism" argument and throw it out the window. Seriously, it's a thin argument and a load of bullshit.</span><br />
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<span class="text_exposed_show">While thinking about this post, I saw two friends post on Facebook in regards to Captain America. One of them was referring to the "No, you move" speech that has been floating around political memes as of late. My friend - an Army Vet and all-around good dude - said this: </span><br />
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"I've seen the comic book pages from which this came shared frequently of
late. There are times in our history when this sentiment would have
been very patriotic, unfortunately now isn't one of them. With politics
so radicalized these days, I feel this sends completely the wrong
message. Apply these words to racists and homophobes; should they stand
by these words right now? Religious extremists who want no Muslims in
America: should they stand by these words? People who prefer Bernie
Sanders over Hillary Clinton: should they stand by these words right
now? We've tipped so far out of wack with any kind of balance in this
country, these words are the worst possible words we could use to
inspire us right now. Just because they came from the mouth of Captain
America doesn't mean they are right."<br />
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And then another friend - a Navy Vet I greatly respect - posted his distaste for the Cap twist, saying:<br />
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"I get the story idea and what they want to explore, but this was the wrong character at the wrong time.<br />
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With the bitterness of this election year and our extraordinary lack of
faith in our political leaders, to turn a character which is to many
the symbol of what is great in America into a villain is a poor choice.<br />
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America has always had its symbols, and Captain America has been an almost unwavering constant of American values. <span class="text_exposed_show">Even to his "detriment" at times. </span><br />
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While he has feigned changes to go undercover in the past, we all knew
he was faking. But these announcements from Marvel staff are telling us
otherwise - and it makes me sad. Even more so on Memorial Day." <br />
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But maybe that's what Nick Spencer is trying to tell us - that we as Americans aren't who we pretend to be. With all the political vitriol, the madness of the election cycle, the racism and disrespect toward the President, Donald Trump being a Presidential candidate - that America has lost it's way. Somewhere along the line our history was altered and the end product is the social, cultural and political divides that clearly exist today. How do we pull through this? How do we find our way back to being like those men and women who stood up to evil by storming beaches and just generally doing the right thing?<br />
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Maybe we should all pay closer attention to this Steve Rogers: Captain America storyline. Either everything you've ever known was a lie and a gross distortion of reality, or you step back, re-center yourself and who you are, and throw your shield in the air.<br />
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At the end of the day, this is a comic book. It's a storyline and believe me, Marvel - and more importantly, Disney - is not going to suddenly change the status quo of one of it's most popular characters in such a manner. So buy the books, enjoy the storyline and see where it goes. Remember, nothing in comics is absolute - not death, not de-aging, not the timeline and certainly not reality.<br />
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If you're really upset and want a good story with a good guy doing the right thing... I don't know... <a href="http://tjcomics.storenvy.com/products/13095174-patriot-1-spec-ops-edition">buy Patriot-1 here. </a><br />
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Oh, and Hail Hydra.<br />
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<br />KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-42273690288083561752016-05-27T14:59:00.000-04:002016-05-28T08:59:51.239-04:00Idea for a CW DC TV "Rebirth"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's true. I've documented my general distaste of Man of Steel and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice on this space a couple times - mostly for the portrayal of Superman. This doesn't mean I'm anti-DC, or a "Marvel fanboy"... quite the opposite. I love them both equally and passionately. While I do indeed love the Marvel movies and have yet to be disappointed by any of the 13, I also really love DC TV. Specifically, the Greg Berlanti/Marc Guggenheim/Andrew Kriesberg form of DC TV.<br />
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I am of course referring to primarily the CW shows or the "Arrow-verse." I watched most of Gotham season one but just couldn't get into it. I've caught a few episodes this season, but I'm still not totally into it. What I'm really focused on here is Arrow, Flash, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl. Supergirl is moving to the CW for season two and is technically part of the CW universe, and I would suspect, will have much stronger ties to Flash and Arrow following it's big move. I waited until after each respective season finale to pontificate, mostly because I wanted to see how they ended and hoooboy did they end spectacularly.<br />
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Quick preface: Green Arrow ranks among my favorite comic book characters and one of the few I've ever really identified with. I grew up on Mark Waid's Flash (Return of Barry Allen is one of my all-time favorite stories) which eventually led to the Geoff Johns' Flash and I have a deep love for the Flash mythos. I also have a special place in my heart for obscure and "second tier" characters, the likes of which make up Legends of Tomorrow. Finally, my love for Superman is well documented, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Supergirl moving to the CW makes me happy. Obviously, the DC TV shows on the CW really speak to me and I find them really enjoyable.<br />
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So why am I writing this? Simple. I love these shows, I think they have wonderful potential and well, because why not? This is a bit of fantasy booking... I have a tremendous amount of respect for the writers and producers juggling the creative on these shows and I'm definitely not telling them how to do their job (I'd love to join them though), I'm just tossing out some ideas. Places I think these shows could go.<br />
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I guess I have to start with The Flash, mostly because of that phenomenal season finale. I had a feeling early on that the man in the iron mask was the real Jay Garrick and I thought that it's plausible that it could be John Wesley Shipp. This was confirmed for me in the second to last episode when Henry revealed is mother's maiden name was "Garrick." There was something spectacular about seeing the first live-action Flash don the suit of the original comic book Flash. It was really a special moment.<br />
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Barry - who went through hell this season - grieving over the loss of his father and irked by the betrayal of his friends (they imprisoned him so he wouldn't race Zoom), decided to go back in time and save his mother from the Reverse Flash. Comic fans know this as the Flashpoint Paradox, when Barry Allen altered the timeline creating Flashpoint and then the New 52. Of course, DC Rebirth has changed that, but that's neither here nor there. The bottom line is Barry's actions are going to have serious ramifications.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr_V3iMCIfI2FHILOKdxpqgeXUoTiaoYgZBdQwFTQZj0S99vltrUOUqGOv_EjzwSeBzvUbt_hEcmeNQqHD0lg2OVr0kkOMMw2IzJrMZVzFQuCDNQgMf259EQrYDgDuULyEJNPkIMiiQs/s1600/jaygarrick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxr_V3iMCIfI2FHILOKdxpqgeXUoTiaoYgZBdQwFTQZj0S99vltrUOUqGOv_EjzwSeBzvUbt_hEcmeNQqHD0lg2OVr0kkOMMw2IzJrMZVzFQuCDNQgMf259EQrYDgDuULyEJNPkIMiiQs/s320/jaygarrick.jpg" width="214" /></a>It's unclear how Barry's actions will affect Arrow, and it's possible that his actions have already affected Legends of Tomorrow with the arrival of Hourman and the impending arrival of the Justice Society (of which I think the John Wesley Shipp Jay Garrick is a member). I do think where his actions have the greatest affect is Supergirl.<br />
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We could see a full-on Flashpoint-like adaptation for a few episodes. They could do some really neat things - depowered Barry having everything he's ever wanted, Robert Queen taking the Thomas Wayne role from the comics and even Supergirl taking the Superman role. There is lots of opportunity, but I think the end game ultimately is that the timeline will be altered in a way that we don't necessarily lose everything that's come before, but we get the JSA and Supergirl existing on the same Earth and timeline as The Flash.<br />
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It's also possible Barry's actions trigger the Crisis. The endgame of season three of The Flash being the merging of Earths. Specifically, Earth-1, 2, 3 and Supergirl's Earth. One way or another, through timeline manipulation or Earth-merging, Supergirl, the metas of Earth-2 and the JSA of Earth-3 all end up on Earth-1. I think it's also safe to assume we'll see Wally and Jessie develop their powers.<br />
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Of course, that begs the question: who is the villain of season three? Zoom was a great villain and his journey isn't over. For those not well-versed in the Flash mythos, when the Speed Force wraiths abduct him in the season two finale, he becomes The Black Flash. I'm sure we haven't seen the last of him, but there has to be a threat large enough to bring Jay Garrick and Harrison Wells back to Earth-1. I'm sure we'll see more of Gorilla Grodd, the Reverse Flash will likely be back in some fashion, but as for the big bad? It's possible we will see the Anti-Monitor. I'm not certain the villain will be another speedster - though there are plenty of choices.<br />
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The possibilities for The Flash are endless and that's probably the most exciting aspect about it all.<br />
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How does Legends of Tomorrow fit into the grander plan? This all depends on the route they go. If Legends remains focused on the timeline, then it's safe to assume that the Justice Society has been erased from the timestream and that's why they recruit Rip Hunter. But I also don't see the JSA existing without John Wesley Shipp's Jay Garrick, which brings Earth-3 into play. Could the JSA have been removed from the timeline and placed on Earth-3? Could Earth-3 have been formed because of a deviated timeline? Shipp has already teased that Garrick will be part of the JSA and it really wouldn't feel like the JSA if he wasn't. <br />
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The ultimate question then becomes who is the villain? That answer is actually pretty simple - Extant. The antagonist of Zero Hour in the 90s, Extant was once Hank Hall aka Hawk. Here he could be a former JSAer who was betrayed by the JSA - or feels he was - and erases them from time. Extant could potentially be traveling through multiple timelines erasing the JSA and other heroes. The science in Legends of Tomorrow is clearly pseudo, so all of that could play to an advantage. In terms of characters we could see? I think the floodgates are wide open to hit corners of the DCU that are both prominent and obscure.<br />
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Supergirl remains a bit of a variable. The show's move to the CW is the right one. They can change their tone a bit as they won't have to directly pander to a broader, broadcast audience. They can still pick up where they left off, but play in the sandbox of the broader CW universe. I'm mostly interested to see how they bring Supergirl into that universe. The Flash will most certainly have something to do with it, but I'm really curious as to how. As I mentioned, there could be some timeline altering or Earth-merging, or maybe they all just stay separate and Cisco allows for an open jumping from Earth to Earth. That's certainly an interesting idea, keeping the Earth's separate but allowing for easy team-ups through Vibe's abilities. <br />
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This also brings up the BIG question... Superman. My hope is that with the fallout from Batman v. Superman, Geoff Johns loosens up the policy of different versions of characters appearing in movies and TV. This would allow for a number of things - Barry altering the timeline could allow the return of Amanda Waller on Arrow. It could also herald return of the Arrow version of the Suicide Squad. Though most importantly, we (as viewers) have earned Superman. Make it Tom Welling - I don't care - but Superman could play a HUGE role on Supergirl and in the CW-verse going forward. He doesn't have to be a regular anywhere, he's there to inspire all the characters. Could you imagine Supergirl introducing Superman to Grant Gustin's Flash? The potential for shaping and further molding Barry as a hero is there. Same with Green Arrow. Oliver knowing there are superhumans out there like this would allow him to focus on the street (more on that soon). The revelation of Supergirl and even Martian Manhunter would, could and should fundamentally change the perspective of the already established characters in the CW-verse.<br />
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Now on to the show that started it all... Arrow. To say season four has divided fans of the show would be accurate. Overall, I enjoyed the season and I commend the team for the risks they took trying to keep what they've built fresh and new. For the record, I think seasons one and two of Arrow are top notch. Season three I really enjoyed because it was playing for the long game - much like season four did.<br />
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What I won't do is compare Arrow and Daredevil. They are two completely separate beasts.<br />
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The season four finale seems to have really divided opinion on the show. I think they made good choices for the show's future. All signs point to season five returning the show to it's non-powered roots (something star Stephen Amell has hinted at recently), and it is heavily rumored that we're going to get the DC TV version of Vigilante.<br />
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For those who don't know, Vigilante is Adrian Chase, a former district attorney whose family is murdered by the mob and essentially becomes a Punisher-like figure. He originally resorts to non-lethal tactics but increasingly becomes more and more violent. With Arrow looking to show Oliver's connection to the Russian mob in the flashbacks... the idea of bringing in Vigilante fits perfectly.<br />
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It sounds like Kovar will be the big bad for season five, making Vigilante more of an antagonist. Kovar in the DCU is a superhero called the Red Star, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. The Vigilante/Russian mob connection makes sense. Plus with Oliver now mayor of Star City, the Russian mob has more of an onus to emerge. They become targets of Vigilante and we get a Daredevil/Punisher dynamic between Green Arrow and Vigilante. It'd be an strong dynamic considering that Oliver will kill when he has to, and given his position as mayor, it puts him in a brand new place of balancing his dual lives.<br />
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At this point, Arrow really can go back to it's roots, but with a new twist. Oliver is now a politician. The Arrow writing and production team can take a new risk for season five - one that is very much in line with Oliver's character - and have a running theme of Green Arrow vs. Vigilante be politics. What are the politics of the vigilantism? Of the killing? Green Arrow takes a more liberal stance - a necessary evil - whereas Vigilante takes the shoot first approach. There can be a really interesting commentary in season five that could really elevate the show.<br />
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Star City could also thrive under Oliver's leadership, which would again
offer new dynamics to the show and the character. With his actions
really starting to be effective, it could indeed pave the way for that snarkiness that has always set Green Arrow apart. Remember, in the DC Universe, Oliver Queen is a man amongst gods and it's becoming that on the CW too. With new heroes emerging and the addition of Supergirl, it's absoultely possible that Oliver focuses less on larger, global threats and gets back to the streets, where he should be. This is especially the case if Superman's presence is felt.<br />
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Oliver's real conflict should be about whether or not the Green Arrow is needed, especially if the city does well under his leadership. For the months leading up the season's main storyline, everything comes easy to Oliver and Green Arrow. The mission is still protecting the city but the focus of the show shouldn't be on saving Star City for a change, it should be on Oliver and should really let Amell shine.<br />
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While I know there exists fan divisivness over Felicity, I do think the romance has run its course, but she can still be what keeps him in line. Amell and Emily Bett Rickards are at their best when they are bantering back and forth and turning that up a notch could provide Oliver with the snarkiness many fans have been yearning for. I mean, let's face it, at this point the people of Star City are behind him, he's seen some really wild things, he's lost some friends and the one thing that can keep him from "the darkness" is if he stops taking everything so seriously. That could also be another dynamic between Vigilante and Green Arrow. Oliver sees so much of his old self in Adrian Chase, and Chase is angry Green Arrow plays his own version of judge, jury and executioner.<br />
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Who does one cast as Adrian Chase/Vigilante? My vote goes to former WWE Superstar Cody Rhodes/Stardust. He's got the look, the physique and can pull off the duality needed for a character like Chase. Plus he and Amell are friends and have wrestled a match against one another that is a highly-regarded celebrity match among WWE fans. They had great chemisty in the ring and whenevr they get together in character. Seriously, Cody could pull it off.<br />
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The rest of Team Arrow can be out of the picture for the time-being, and that's the right move. It's been a whirlwind four years for all of them and focusing more on Oliver's further evolution into Green Arrow is more important right now. But as Vigilante pushes and pushes, Oliver can start to resort back to his old self, forcing the team back together.<br />
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Back to Star City for a second. Star City has now faced four terrorist attacks in as many years. At this point, the U.S. Government should move in. A.R.G.U.S. should have more influence - or if not A.R.G.U.S., bring in Spyral or Checkmate - some kind of government agency that is overseeing Star City's defense. If a timeline shift doesn't bring back Amanda Waller, then a new figure should be brought in. Who could it be? Easy, Tom Tresser a.k.a. Nemesis. With this in mind, I would go so far as to have Diggle working for Tresser, creating conflict between Diggle's sense of duty and his sense of brotherhood with Oliver. This also gives Lyla (who honestly, is an awesome character) a solid arc as well as she juggles A.R.G.U.S., Tresser in command and her husband's loyalties.<br />
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Going one step further, Tresser could factor into the flashbacks as well. As a spy and master of disguise, in the flashbacks he could be an infiltrator into the Russian mob. It would add a new level of tension and richness to Oliver's past. The connection between Tresser, Chase and Oliver is the Russian mob and how each of them handle it, and for once, you could not have Star City in the balance. <br />
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With the addition of Tom Tresser (who has Suicide Squad connections), it would also be easy to bring in Victor Sage - especially with the establishment of Hub City in season four. Could we get The Question? It's definitely possible, though I think Hub City will serve as Vigilante's base of operations before he moves to Star City.<br />
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Of course, the big question also is what did Laurel say to Oliver before she died? Even bigger than that, is Laurel actually dead?<br />
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My honest answer? I don't know. Look, I get fans being upset about a Green Arrow show killing Black Canary. She's one of my favorite comic characters. I felt Laurel actually had one of the strongest character arcs on the show in her journey to becoming Black Canary. But if it's not some swerve and she turns out to be fine, you don't know what goes on behind the scenes. Maybe Katie Cassidy was just ready to move on - maybe she needed a break. When stuff like this happens, you have to take into account the real-life implications. Colton Haynes recently revealed why he left the show and you just can't fault a guy - or a show - for that decision.<br />
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If it is some kind of swerve, I don't think it cheapens the actual death in season four. In fact, Laurel could easily be brought back if Barry affects the timeline. If she is indeed dead as the producers and stars have stated, there's still a wide range of possibilities.<br />
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First, something could happen in Legends where Sara decides to become Black Canary (or Canary as she was) again. Or she sees the new, more hopeful Oliver and just wants to be around him because she feels it makes him a better person. They feed off of each other and are two people still very much in love. Suddenly, we're back to into the Green Arrow/Black Canary dynamic - one that already has a strong history in this universe. <br />
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But I think there's a very strong story available if Kate Cassidy is indeed not permanently done with the show. This would involve the Laurel of Earth-1 being dead, but the Laurel of Earth-2 developing as a character. There's a lot of potential here. <br />
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Distraught over the destruction she caused under Zoom's influence, the Earth-2 Laurel could go on a journey of redemption and assume the role of Earth-1 Laurel as Black Canary. There's no need for a secret identity and we get the new Laurel - maybe now calling herself Dinah - on a journey from viillain to hero. This is just another layer that could play directly into a rivalry between Vigilante and Green Arrow.<br />
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<br />
There's also the romance angle. On Earth-2, Oliver is dead. On Earth-1, he's the love of Laurel's life. What's not to say it wouldn't be the same? Different Earths, still in love. It basically writes itself. Oliver and Earth-2 Laurel wouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other. We get a brand new dynamic between them - one that draw more similarities to their respective character journies and ultimately the classic Green Arrow/Black Canary dynamic.<br />
<br />
I know the Olicity fans are screaming and vigorously typing at that opinion, but I think Oliver and Felicity have run their course. That's not to say Felicity can't have a romantic interest... in fact she should... and his name is Adrian Chase. That's right, Felicity should fall in love with Vigilante. I'd even go as far as have her figure out who he is and work for him the way she does Green Arrow.<br />
<br />
Suddenly, we have a season five that is heavily layered, focused on Oliver's journey - his schism - and one that can really elevate the show politically and socially. <br />
<br />
Barry's timeline futzing will certainly have an affect on Arrow, as it should, but it doesn't have to be huge. It can be used as a means to bring back characters like (maybe) Laurel and, if WB ends their policy on the movie and TV characters (which they should), Waller, Ra's Al Ghul and Deadshot. The changes to Arrow can be subtle and that's fine.<br />
<br />
For the record, I am also totally onboard with Kevin Smith taking a role on the show and season five building to season six's main villain - Onomatopoeia.<br />
<br />
Regardless, season five of Arrow has so much potential it's not even funny.I will also continue to hold out hope that Bruce Wayne will eventually be introduced. <br />
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Oh, one more thing... more Vixen. Much, much more Vixen.<br />
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<br />
Phew, this was a bit longer than I anticipated, but these shows are exciting and the possibilities are endless, so I just felt like adding in my two cents. If I had the opportunity, I would seriously consider picking up and moving to work on one of these shows, but it's always fun to speculate.<br />
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What do you think? Agree? Disagree?KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-44359333877828044252016-05-11T01:39:00.000-04:002016-05-11T11:51:44.588-04:00On adapting... and adaptations. And screenwriting.Adaptation. It's a philosophy I try to live by. Adapt to things. Find solutions. <br />
<br />
I recently adapted <b>Patriot-1</b> for the screen.<br />
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<br />
I shouldn't say recently, I've been working on it for years, and really
intensely over the past year and a half or so. It's a very meta
experience, honestly, to adapt your own work.<br />
<br />
So why did I do it? Simple, because I truly believe that <b>Patriot-1</b> is a
marketable property that could do well at the box office and beyond.
Really.<br />
<br />
I'm also really possessive of the character and world I've created, so
if anyone was going to ever do it, I wanted to make sure I was going to
be the first.<br />
<br />
Now first and foremost, I'm trained as a screenwriter. My bachelor's
degree from Ithaca College is in Cinema & Photography with a
Screenwriting Concentration. Mind you, that was nearly 10 years ago, but
I still write cinematically in all my scripts, whether comics or not. My two main screenwriting professors, my advisor Professor Elisabeth Nonas and Ithaca's resident Los Angeles screenwriting guru Steve Ginsberg, both had a profound effect on my love of storytelling. I've also been told by a couple of artists that my
writing is "cinematic," so I guess that's some credibility to the
argument.<br />
<br />
I've written about a dozen screenplays, many more treatments and jotted
down even more ideas. Some of the screenplays are being molded into
comic form, some aren't that great and some are just for me. But
<b>Patriot-1</b> is my signature character, and one I feel has a great deal of
marketability in various mediums.<br />
<br />
I also don't work in Hollywood. I live in Connecticut in the New York
City Metro area and I work for an entertainment company doing mostly
digital content. That's my own choice, I spent some him in LA during
college, I didn't go back for a myriad of reasons, mostly because
those just weren't the cards dealt. That doesn't mean the goal changed -
it never changed - I just don't think I'd be the writer and creator I
am today had I taken a different path. It's possible, but I’ve long said
that I felt I needed to do things “my way.”<br />
<br />
In 2008, I was two years out of college and I was doing reviews for a comic book website. There was an issue of "Amazing Spider-Man" that I reviewed and it really struck a chord with me. I reached out to the issue's writer - Marc Guggenheim - to tell him how much I enjoyed the issue and asked him for advice. What he told me was simple... "break the rules" and to have “innate understanding of my own story.” This wisdom is what REALLY made me want to focus on <b>Patriot-1</b>... it was the story I needed and wanted to tell.<br />
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So with the book completed, my focus now - at the very least- is that I'm really determined to at least try and get a <b>Patriot-1</b> movie made. I know who I'd cast in the lead male and female roles and everything!<br />
<br />
Anyways, the real reason I wanted to write this is simple: I wanted to talk about the experience of adapting my own book. It was a very interesting experience that I feel made me both a better comic writer and screen writer.<br />
<br />
The current version of the script, and the one I am legitimately "shopping" is the fifth or sixth draft. I do feel it's the strongest version, but of course, I could be wrong.<br />
<br />
To preface briefly, I initially came up with the <b>Patriot-1</b> concept in 2007. It was an amalgamation of some previous concepts and characters, yet I finally had the mold I wanted. He was meant to be both a modern, powerless, "real-world" hero and a throwback to the olden days of patriotic heroes. But I didn't want him to be a chest-beating jingoist. In fact, I didn't want that at all. I wanted a character that was stalwart in what he believed in and doing the right thing, the purest form of American ideals not muddied by politics or what not... a Captain America for today's world.<br />
<br />
After having the artwork completed, I ran a successful Kickstarter to raise money to print the book and I finally published <b>Patriot-1</b> in 2014 and 2015 (there were two editions). It was picked up by Diamond Distibutors, won a bronze IPPY Award for Outstanding Graphic Novel - Drama/Documentary, I'm working on expanding into larger retail stores like Barnes & Noble and overall, I'm really happy with how the book turned out.<br />
<br />
I am currently working on the sequel, hoping to have the script finished this summer and (hopefully) production to start right away. This is where things get interesting.<br />
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The original draft of <b>Patriot-1</b> the book was called "U.S.Avenger." It featured a very colorful cast of characters and it was a little bit over-the-top. When I made the decision to do the story as a self-contained graphic novel as opposed to a serialized monthly, it became a much more mature and I think better.<br />
<br />
The graphic novel was released, response was positive, it's still out there and readily available. Before I started the real work on the sequel I took roughly a year and moved to the next step - the screenplay.<br />
<br />
Some of the best advice I ever received was from Marvel's Craig Kyle. I've said it tons of times before, but I'll never forget sitting in Marvel's old office and Craig breaking down his philosophy about storytelling. "It doesn't matter how you tell the story - comics, TV, movies, video games - what matters is the quality of the story." That bit of advice always stuck with me. <br />
<br />
Considering the response, the IPPY Award and many other accolades I received for the book, I directly adapted the book. I've adapted stuff before, I have a <a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-man-of-tomorrow-my-vision-for.html">Superman "treatment"</a> of sorts on this blog, I adapted Green Lantern in college and I'm always coming up with adaptation ideas for my favorite comic characters. My philosophy for those characters is something I learned as an intern at Marvel Studios (before it was the powerhouse it is today) - take the best elements of those characters, the strongest storylines and make a product where story and character come first.<br />
<br />
Of course, at first I didn't follow my own advice. With such a positive response to the book, I made the first draft of the 2015 version of the <b>Patriot-1</b> screenplay a bloated direct adaptation. It was both a mistake (and I totally knew it) and it was also the best thing I did. Rule of thumb and one of the first things you learn about screenwriting is that the cardinal rule is a screenplay should NEVER be more than 120 pages, especially for a spec script - and even 120 is pushing it.<br />
<br />
I put the first draft on The Black List as opposed to looking for traditional notes because the feedback provided by The Black List not only was critical of the script itself but also provided insight into a script's marketability.<br />
<br />
The initial feedback wasn't great from a critical standpoint - again, this screenplay was FAR too long and WAY over 120 pages, though from a content and "ability" perspective there was solid material.<br />
<br />
Knowing it was far too long I started cutting. When adapting comics, you can't really go direct panel to screen, it just doesn't always work. There are also moments in the book that work very well for the book, but they just wouldn't work on the screen. With that in mind, I cut down significantly to 120 pages and put it on The Black List again.<br />
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<br />
This time I received much better feedback on the pacing, the action and the tighter writing. But this is when new notes started to pour in focused on the characters. They needed more development. I completely agreed. In the comic, I could get away with not focusing a lot on backstories for each character because the action and the protagonist's actions moved the plot along. That and the fact that I have extensive character files for just about every character that plays a major role in the book. I can't get away with that in a screenplay.<br />
<br />
There are relationships and character points in the book that are implied and can be ascertained through the reading and the artwork. But some of these relationships needed stronger development for screen. Some motivations needed a extra kick.<br />
<br />
I stepped back and looked at the bigger picture, looked at the history and developed world for each character and new elements came into play. Motivations changed, relationships were altered and I did away with some cliched tropes of the action genre and added a few twists and morally ambiguous plot points. The core of each character remained and ultimately after two more drafts, I ended at 118 pages that I am really happy with.<br />
<br />
The most intriguing aspect of this endeavor was the way that the screenplay has now heavily influenced the comic sequel. There are some new character beats, backstory elements, plot points and twists that I wish I had incorporated into the book. On the same token though, there are things I cut out of the screenplay from the book that I wish could be left in. Some of these decision, alluded to in the book but fleshed out in the screenplay, are directly influencing the sequel.<br />
<br />
It's also really neat to see my own progression as a writer, transitioning between comic writer and screenwriter on a whim and the decisions that need to be made in order to tell the story in the best possible way for each respective medium.<br />
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And honestly? I think it's really good. I think it's strong enough that I submitted it to a reputable screenwriting competition, I truly believe that with the right eyes on it, it could be green-lit and pushed forward.<br />
<br />
No matter how the competition goes, I'm going to keep pushing this screenplay and property because I really believe in it.<br />
<br />
My biggest takeaway from adapting my own graphic novel into screenplay form has been that it was one of the single greatest exercises I've ever undertaken as a writer. I think I came out a better writer with new ways to explore my story and characters. I really believe my future comics and screenplays will greatly benefit from doing this and I hope the overall success of <b>Patriot-1</b> presses onward and upward.<br />
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Oh, and most importantly... never, ever give up. <br />
<br />
<i>You can grab a copy of <b>Patriot-1</b> on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Patriot-1-Kevin-Powers/dp/0990672239/">Amazon</a> or my <a href="http://tjcomics.storenvy.com/products/13095174-patriot-1-spec-ops-edition">online store.</a></i><br />
<i>You can also read <b>Patriot-1</b> in webcomic form at <a href="http://www.patriot1comic.com/">Patriot1Comic.com </a></i> <br />
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<br />KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-48600618752901122792016-04-22T11:58:00.000-04:002016-04-23T01:09:22.783-04:00Let's talk about the comic book industry...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Let's talk about comics. I get away from the point of this blog regularly, so tonight let's get down to it.<br />
<br />
I love comics. I read a ton of comics. I create comics. I love doing it. It fuels me. It drives me. I've made it a primary point of my life and I've made a lot of great friends and associates in person, on the internets etc., through this craft. We may not always agree on politics, but we find a common ground in the art of comic booking. And that's what matters.<br />
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I'm what can be classified as an "independent" creator or a "indie/small press" publisher. I don't like the term "self-publisher" because my books still get published, I just decided to do it my way.<br />
<br />
Anyways, I've been officially making comics under the <a href="http://tjcomics.com/">TJ Comics</a> banner for almost seven years. It started with a small book called "Mack Turner: Slayer of the Dead" that stalled out after three issues (but will be back eventually, rebooted!) and continues with <a href="http://patriot1comic.com/">Patriot-1</a> and <a href="http://extraordinary-comic.com/">ExtraOrdinary</a> today. I also publish The Argonauts by Keith Dallas, and if you're out there looking for a partner to help package and publish your book for the sole purpose of helping each other out, contact me through <a href="http://tjcomics.com/contact/">TJ Comics.</a><br />
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That's what we do in the comics community. Or at least what we're supposed to do. Help each other out. Be good to each other. Fight the fight in an industry that's kind of ridiculous, disproportionate and often times, completely ignored by the mass audiences that consume the industry-related content put out by the bigger publisher and corporate entities.<br />
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We're relatively poor, we sometimes work "real" jobs we can't stand and we just want to tell our stories. Comics are like a drug and once you're hooked, it's very, very hard to turn away. Sometimes what we do to put out our stories is mind-boggling... we have to be directors, managers, writers, artists, publishers, cashiers, tax accountants, web developers, social media experts and of course, salespeople.<br />
<br />
For me personally, I want to do my own books like <a href="http://patriot1comic.com/">Patriot-1</a> and <a href="http://extraordinary-comic.com/">ExtraOrdinary</a>, but I also want to contribute to the mythos of characters I love. Be it well known characters from Marvel or DC, or lesser popular ones like The Phantom or The Rocketeer, for example. And let me tell you, it's an uphill battle.<br />
<br />
I've run two successful Kickstarter campaigns, <a href="http://patriot1comic.com/">Patriot-1</a> won an IPPY Award in 2015 - a particular point of pride for me - and I've spent thousands of dollars to make my comics happen even with lower-than-hoped sales and I keep going.<br />
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I do have a solid day job, I'm also married with three young children - making up the four people who mean the word to me. I've been with my wife for 11 years (married for 5), she's my best friend, my kids are awesome and exhausting and I just try to be a decent human being, a good father and a good husband. As I get older, I've become very interested in charity campaigns and helping others. Sure, I got in trouble and didn't always have the best judgement when I was young and stupid - but that's part of growing up. Why is all this personal stuff important? Because I like to think I'm an OK human being or at least try to be and that's key to my view on comics and the industry.<br />
<br />
MANY people I've met and befriended in comics are the same way. Many people I follow on the social medias are good people, committed to their passion, fighting an uphill battle just trying to tell stories about their characters, characters they love and trying to make a few bucks in the process.<br />
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For some of my friends, they've been influential and work/worked for Marvel and DC and when they do cons and such, they sometimes don't have to worry about table or hotel costs and that's awesome, they've earned it. But for guys like me, I have to carefully pick and choose shows, limit travel and essentially go into each con with the prospect of losing money.<br />
<br />
Hell, last weekend I attended a show with some solid names in comics like Mark Waid, my pal Jamal Igle, my friend Steve Orlando and many other titans of past and present. The show was attended decently, but the table I paid extra for was relegated to a far corner, a ways away from the big name creators, and next to a concession stand and bathroom that was all to the far right of the entrance. A forgotten area of indie and small press publishers waiting and waiting for the crowds to swing over. The best kind of cons mix the small press with the big names, or make fans have to go through the small press to get to the big names,<br />
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But the attendees never really came, I sold a couple books, but I barely even pitched the books because no one came by, which is highly unusual. With about 4 hours left in the show I was getting frustrated, I spent extra money for a "corner" table and believe me, "corner" was quite literal. The con was an hour away from my house, just across the George Washington Bridge... so it wasn't far and I was paying for the table, gas and tolls. Usually, I'm satisfied if I make my table costs back, but as the first day of the show came to a close, I had little to show... nor did those around me. So I made the decision to cut my losses and just stay home the next day with my wife and kids. Worked out too, it was 75 degrees outside and we got new sand for the kids' sandbox.<br />
<br />
That's the first time I left a con like that. It's getting tougher out there for indie and small press. Cons were once our time to shine, but we've been overshadowed in recent years by numerous things like cosplayers, celebrities and "media guests" taking precedence over comics, people really into comic culture but not comics and of course, the sheer fact that there are so many damn cons.<br />
<br />
My point is, there are a lot of good, honest people out there trying to do what they love. Deserving to be noticed. Working hard to create fan bases and maybe, MAYBE, get a shot with the big publishers.<br />
<br />
Not all indie and small press comics are created equal. Let's just be honest, I personally pride my books on quality. Art, story, printing... I want to put out the best and most professional-looking product possible. While I'm never going to discourage anyone from pursuing what they love, there are a lot of "amateur" books out there.<br />
<br />
But what's my end goal? A lot of things actually. I've got a <a href="http://patriot1comic.com/">Patriot-1</a> screenplay that I think is really, really good... and what I'd love is the chance to pitch some of the ideas I have for Marvel, DC, whomever. See if those ideas fit into their editorial plans. I mean... that's what we want to do right? Tell some stories? Make some money?<br />
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It should be that simple. At the end of the day we're in a business, a capitalist business. With that in mind, controversy was stirred up by the ousting of Shelly Bond as Vertigo's executive editor. I don't know Shelly, I know the phenomenal books she's stewarded and I know many of the people I know and follow have nothing but great things to say about her. She was let go for whatever reason, be it business or what not... that's neither here nor there. But what her ousting unleashed was something far darker about comics. The "open secret" about DC Comics editor Eddie Berganza... which leads to another problem, which leads to another problem and so on.<br />
<br />
The ugly, dark side of comics.... I'm not going to recap here... because you can read it at <a href="http://www.bleedingcool.com/2016/04/21/sexual-harassment-allegations-against-superman-editor-eddie-berganza-revived/">Bleeding Cool</a> and at <a href="http://www.comicsbeat.com/comics-toxic-heritage-strikes-again-as-dc-editor-named-as-sexual-harasser/">Comics Beat</a>... <br />
<br />
In a nutshell, we're talking about sexual harassment, blacklisting, gender inequality in comics and general bullshit that shouldn't be happening in a business that is frankly, dying.<br />
<br />
The worst part about the whole thing is that there are stories just as bad out there with high profile creators and editors, the DC one just brings up some additional questions. But these issues aren't relegated to just DC. Conventions have signage that say "cosplay is not consent" because people have little dignity or respect for their fellow fans. There are stories of creators, big and small, being shunned or "blacklisted" because they speak out against injustices... much like the superheroes they write or want to write.<br />
<br />
The "blacklist." This is a list of pros that publishers allegedly keep if you speak ill of them, or if you don't fall in line or if, in some cases you report sexual harassment or other awful things that shouldn't be happening. Because even if you have a massive and passionate fan base and could team up with a publisher and make some money, if you're blacklisted for some infraction in the past, you're shit out of luck. <br />
<br />
Here's an industry trying it's damnedest to make inroads for diversity - diversity in characters, diversity in creators - all that good stuff... but yet there exists an environment where people and specifically women feel they have to remain silent on serious issues for fear of not being able to pursue what they love. I mean, come on.<br />
<br />
How can an industry become more diverse, more inclusive and attract new readers to survive when there are horror stories like this out there?<br />
<br />
The comics industry and REAL comics culture is burning, while the comics pop culture thrives. Sales are down, readership is down, many talented and creative people are shunned, overlooked, not given a fair chance and it's more evident than ever thanks to social media. Conventions, once boons for small press and indie comics and artists to develop fan bases and find work are afterthoughts to the latest Funko POPs or cheap, unlicensed print vendors.<br />
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While good people struggle to create something new, unique or impassioned in an effort to tell stories and make a buck, there are those that are making comics unsafe, exclusive and generally the opposite of what comics should be. That's what gets me the most here. Many of us in the comic persuasion have been bullied at one point or another. Often times that's what turns us to comics. Many of us have been told to grow up or "chase real dreams" and yet, here we are still doing it. But the industry is becoming rife with bullies and people getting in the way of your dreams.<br />
<br />
As a whole, comics suffers because of this. There's a darker culture on the rise. One that embraces many old stereotypes and it becomes increasingly difficult to see whether or not the future for comics is bright or if it's just spiraling to the bottom of the ocean floor. <br />
<br />
Whether it's harassment, black listing, forced silence or just general sexism. Women are a minority in comics and often treated like second class citizens and that's being polite in some cases. But there's also ageism and the "removal" of now legendary creators who are perfectly capable of creating modern stories.<br />
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I'm a "bottom-rung" on the comics ladder. But as I'm trying to climb up, I can't help but look around and see people, ideas and money falling from the top.<br />
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There's a rampant problem of really questionable people in the industry, whether it's people in editorial positions or bloggers-turned-creators with a history of being really shitty to people and using their fan bases and following to spread negativity and being generally shitty. For what? It's obviously not helping the business. It's not helping small press and indie creators thrive. And it sure as hell isn't breeding a welcoming environment for new people to spend their dollars and grow the industry.<br />
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Comics are dying. The pop culture aspects prevail thanks to the movies and what not - that's all great - but at the ground level, comics are struggling to survive. Not just the books themselves, but the creators, the positivity, escapism and optimism that comics should provide from stories, to creators to relationships. Who are we?<br />
<br />
I like to consider myself a decent human being and person, constantly striving to be better while taking care of myself and my family. When you're like me and you hear of these horror stories of the industry, you become frustrated and you start to wonder why the hell you're even trying in the first place.<br />
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We all need to be better.<br />
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<i>You can directly support me by checking out <a href="http://tjcomics.com/">TJ Comics</a> and/or ordering <a href="http://patriot1comic.com/">Patriot-1</a> or <a href="http://extraordinary-comic.com/">ExtraOrdinary</a> or my <a href="http://tjcomics.storenvy.com/">other books directly from my online store</a>. You can also follow me on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/tjcomicskp">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/kevinpowers70">Twitter.</a></i>KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-3763587163532868912016-04-04T13:59:00.001-04:002020-06-28T14:05:47.355-04:00The Man of Tomorrow: My vision for a Superman movie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>This is the completion of my "trilogy" of Superman posts. Rather than another thinkpiece on Superman, I've decided to share something I've had notes on since "Superman Returns." When I was young, one of the things I always wanted to do was write a Superman movie. That has never changed, though realistically it would likely never happen. With that in mind, I've decided to share the detailed - and a bit rough - treatment for what I would do with Superman in the movies. (Fair warning, this was a labor of love, you may find some typos). I don't think Superman is a difficult character and I do believe he can stand for his classic ideals in the modern world. If you have some time, please feel free to read, comment and even reach out to me. </i><br />
<br />
<i>I started putting this together after "Superman Returns" and it does draw heavy influence from Geoff Johns' phenomenal "Superman: Brainiac" storyline. Posting this now is more therapeutic than anything else, and just an opportunity to tell a Superman story I may not otherwise ever be able to tell.</i><br />
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<i>It's long, but I hope it engages you and you enjoy this vision of Superman. </i><br />
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<i>So here it is... "Superman: The Man of Tomorrow"</i><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SUPERMAN: THE MAN OF
TOMORROW<br />
<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Treatment by Kevin Powers</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“What if they’re
afraid of me, Pa?”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“People will always be
afraid, son. But with your gifts, you can give them every reason not to be
afraid.” </i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“How?”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“By being you, Clark.
You can use these abilities to help others. You can give them hope for a better
tomorrow… give them a reason to look up.”</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">OPENING CREDITS </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A montage of Superman's exploits since his public debut
through news clippings, broadcasts and interviews with witnesses, people
rescued and Superman himself. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
18 months ago, SUPERMAN made his public debut preventing a
commercial airliner from crashing in Metropolis. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Making the city his base of operations, he
helps where he can around the world - saving people from natural disasters,
terror attacks and the occasional super-villain. Although he does not involve
himself in regional conflicts, his presence is felt. Feared by many at first,
Superman makes himself available to the media and has held meetings with
various governments and the United Nations, including “controversial” nations
like Iran and Russia. Superman makes an effort to becomes a very public figure from the get-go.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujFfmqu2y_OEEekEWlnpolup-uuqMkDNNot64fItOCPlWuQENDmqTUD80DpijmYsHAaAU0PjH8z3Eby3c6pLAWE6Xl7NkEcCSrZ1NzHuqwEIBTvT9xixqsxg5uUe5ivizOouABSwG3t8/s1600/superman1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhujFfmqu2y_OEEekEWlnpolup-uuqMkDNNot64fItOCPlWuQENDmqTUD80DpijmYsHAaAU0PjH8z3Eby3c6pLAWE6Xl7NkEcCSrZ1NzHuqwEIBTvT9xixqsxg5uUe5ivizOouABSwG3t8/s400/superman1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman’s presence has resulted in other people with powers
to emerge throughout the world. Dubbed “metahumans,” some of them are good,
some are misunderstood and some are plain evil. Superman has battled the likes
of the Parasite, Livewire and The Prankster – each featured in Daily Planet
stories by Lois Lane and Clark Kent. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The final news clippings show LEX LUTHOR and Superman having
a good relationship and considered friends. Lex also discovered Kryptonite, a
rare metal that can weaken Superman and strip him of his powers. A second story
shows Lex destroying the Kryptonite and then in an interview, Lex goes as far
as to call Superman “a friend.” The Man of Steel has worked with LexCorp and
Wayne Enterprises to allow the study and reverse engineering of the Kryptonian
engine that brought his rocketship to Earth. The two companies have created the
quantum drive - an engine capable of lightspeed – and are preparing to test it
on LX-01, a rocket ship powered by nuclear fusion and the special engine.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LX-01 LAUNCH</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Open on LexCorp Launch Station Alpha, a rocket launch
station off the coast of Metropolis. At a press area near the launch pad, VICKI
VALE explains BRUCE WAYNE's involvement in the development of the rocket but
acknowledges Wayne is not present at the event, but in his stead is LUCIUS FOX.
SNAPPER CARR delivers a report discussing the importance of the rocket and what
it could mean for humanity’s future. Finally, LOIS LANE discusses the history
of the quantum engine and how it relates back to Superman and his desire to
help humanity achieve greater things.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When the broadcasts end, Vicki and Lois exchange verbal jabs
commenting on each other's respective relationships with Batman and Superman.
Lois makes it clear that Vicki has never actually seen "The Batman"
and that he's just an urban legend in Gotham City. She quips, “maybe one of
these days I’ll head over to Gotham and get the exclusive.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When security tells them to leave, Lois tries
to convince one of the security guards to let her inside launch control, citing
she is General Sam Lane's daughter. After a moment of trying to charm her way
to an exclusive, the security guard pushes her towards the elevator. As the
door opens, a man - JOHN CORBEN - walks out and bumps into Lois. They are
momentarily flustered and she looks at his nametag to see the name "Jim
Lee" and the photo of an Asian-American man. When she looks at Corben, he
is not Asian-American. Just as she's about to question him, she's whisked away
into the elevator.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the observation platform away from the launch station,
JIMMY OLSEN is trying to set up the perfect shot in hopes that Daily Planet
editor PERRY WHITE will use a photo from him, at least on the website. CLARK
KENT is trying to calm Jimmy's nerves by talking about the potential of the
LX-01 and discovery what could be out beyond the stars. Clark tells a story
about how he used to look at the stars late at night, wondering who else could
be out there looking back. Jimmy wonders if Superman will be present for the
launch. Clark smiles, assuring Jimmy that Superman probably isn't far.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42GCbe3CSdI4kCblklTYZ_BOZoa6g7NDmTt0jxDaZS1ZwwbUGSGhMftPw4NFrtOpTZCWx_es5e40M7jy9_yptvHWNobJ9kXyU_r9Yz16uKFYo2XgPrOSvJLM7VD02hpwdg6nrIAN9tVQ/s1600/jimmy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh42GCbe3CSdI4kCblklTYZ_BOZoa6g7NDmTt0jxDaZS1ZwwbUGSGhMftPw4NFrtOpTZCWx_es5e40M7jy9_yptvHWNobJ9kXyU_r9Yz16uKFYo2XgPrOSvJLM7VD02hpwdg6nrIAN9tVQ/s400/jimmy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Outside of the launch station, Lois calls Clark and tells
him something is wrong. When he tells her to alert security, she explains that
they thought she was crazy and that she's going to find Lex to tell him to call
off the launch. Clark tries to convince her otherwise, but she hangs up.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Inside the launch control center, Lex is observing the room
as the launch countdown begins. He's distracted when he hears "get your
hands off me!" and security escorts Lois into the control room. She
explains what she saw and although Lex doesn't believe her at first, he asks
for Jim Lee's information and is informed that Lee called out sick. The launch
sequence begins as Lex scans security systems and spots Corben exiting a
restricted area that houses the rocket’s booster and navigation controls. No
one recognizes Corben and Lex tries to call of the launch, but it's too late.
The launch starts and the control center panics trying to override the system sounding
alarms and yelling for an abort.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the observation deck, Jimmy excitedly starts taking
pictures when he notices red alarm lights going off through his zoom lens. He
tells Clark that it looks like something is happening. Using his super-hearing,
Clark listens to the sounds coming from the control center and the alarms going
off at the launch pad as the rocket begins to lift off. Jimmy snaps a few
pictures as the rocket takes off and turns to talk to Clark, but Clark is gone.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The rocket continues to ascend when the boosters explode
causing it to spin out of control as it rises. Inside the control center, Lex
is angry that no one can override the controls and fears the worst. One of the
mission controllers informs Lex that if the quantum drive goes off inside
Earth's atmosphere it could theoretically open a wormhole or a black hole. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2yDadT2DqfeEwhLuAjNN48oGNeCVHEwN9TjOblu0SZX8d4bcSEYV2A-Jy1fEzlmlMc62DzDFB2nFFDy4NjVtbswBY__4W0vxCsOxg4UKhLgt8ODY-QTC-YYeeM9YT1sVrjv2xsaYSQ4/s1600/superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2yDadT2DqfeEwhLuAjNN48oGNeCVHEwN9TjOblu0SZX8d4bcSEYV2A-Jy1fEzlmlMc62DzDFB2nFFDy4NjVtbswBY__4W0vxCsOxg4UKhLgt8ODY-QTC-YYeeM9YT1sVrjv2xsaYSQ4/s400/superman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman flies past the control center and towards the
rocket. He floats outside the crew pod, using his heat vision to detach it from
the rest of the shuttle. The crew pod descends to Earth as Superman tries to
cool the rocket boosters with his freeze breath, but to no avail. He then
diverts his attention to the crew pod and makes sure they safely make it to the
ground. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman opens the pod and one of the astronauts tells him
that the quantum drive is active and if it explodes it could be catastrophic.
Superman takes off again racing towards the rocket booster and breaking the
sound barrier. He flies through the rocket, ripping the quantum drive out of
the shuttle's engine bay just as the rocket boosters and shuttle explode. Superman
flies the quantum drive safely back to the ground to the cheers of the crowd. As
he lands, Superman manages to shut down the drive but hears automatic gunfire
and cars screeching and flies towards the sky as crew members run to the drive.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In orbit above Earth, a satellite detects the quantum
drive's signature and then launches itself into deep space.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Back on Earth, Corben is in a high speed chase with police
driving erratically and firing a weapon at the same time. Superman flies
overhead and Corben is distracted as he hears the sonic boom. When he looks
back at the road, he tries to swerve as he slams into the back of a car, going
airborne and rolling violently off the road. Superman stops the car from
falling into a ravine, but Corben is severely injured in the crash.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In deep space, the mysterious satellite flies towards a space
craft lifelessly floating among the stars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The satellite docks with the ship and a computer is activated, scanning
the satellite for information. It discovers the recorded data of the quantum
drive's signature. Suddenly, the entire ship powers on and a mysterious being
at the center of the ship - BRAINIAC - awakens.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DAILY PLANET</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next day at the Daily Planet, Perry White orders Jimmy
to get him black coffee and calls a meeting with Clark and Lois. They discuss
the rocket incident and Perry asks what information they've found on Corben.
Lois explains she hasn't found much other than Corben being a decorated soldier
in the Army and was also a mercenary who has recently been on the payroll of
both LexCorp and mega-corporation Omega Worldwide. Lois says she dug deeper and
found some questionable transactions between LexCorp and Omega subsidiaries and
notes that Wayne Industries refuses to work with Omega. Clark mentions he put
in a call to Wayne Industries and they do not know where the quantum drive is. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMYVIFUI21Oas5SgmubTBGSLLVu5LTC2UuPDRm5p4xH396_9snC0RGhDpiWM68DHsJNkZO5cZ_GzhC0vCltjU2yxjwjxkX1B0Q9CRV4zvL_gZvJvQ8RagXLV3Soi6KQ5Rqg82e48xyNo/s1600/planet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbMYVIFUI21Oas5SgmubTBGSLLVu5LTC2UuPDRm5p4xH396_9snC0RGhDpiWM68DHsJNkZO5cZ_GzhC0vCltjU2yxjwjxkX1B0Q9CRV4zvL_gZvJvQ8RagXLV3Soi6KQ5Rqg82e48xyNo/s400/planet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Perry wants them to investigate; Lois informs them she
already has a meeting with Omega CEO Bruno Manheim. Perry tells her to take
Olsen and Clark and get answers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LEXCORP ROOF</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lex waits on the roof of his building as a medical
helicopter lands, delivering John Corben. Lex instructs his people to take
Corben to his private lab.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOIS AND CLARK AT
OMEGA WORLDWIDE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lois, Clark and Jimmy arrive at Omega Worldwide. They enter
the lobby and Lois started doling out orders, telling Jimmy to stay quiet and
for Clark to follow her lead and ask basic questions "like a good, naive
farmboy," to throw Manheim off. Manheim's assistant arrives to escort them
when police cars and fire trucks race by the building. The assistant asks for
identification as Clark turns and tries to filter his super-hearing to exactly
what is happening. He focuses on police band radio and listens as there are
reports of a woman threatening to jump and commit suicide three blocks away.
Clark feels around his pockets and looks at Lois. "Oh my gosh, I left my
wallet in the cab!" Clark runs out of the building, leaving Lois and
Jimmy. Suddenly, Jimmy gets an alert on his phone about the jumper and Lois
tells him to go and that she can handle herself.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Outside the Omega building, Clark ducks into an empty alley
and changes into Superman.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE JUMPER</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Standing on a balcony on a high-rise apartment building is a
young twenty-something. She's crying hysterically and looking down. Superman
appears hovering above her. She immediately yells as Superman not to stop her
and he promises that he won't, but that he wants to talk to her and floats to
eye level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Similar to the scene that
occurs in the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Superman: Grounded</i>
storyline, the woman explains what's troubling her and Superman just listens.
When she finishes, he talks to her about what it was like to grow up with his
developing powers and the fear of uncertainty. He tells her things get bad and
get worse, but you can never lose hope for a better tomorrow. Superman extends
his hand and tells the woman that if she is still hopeful for a better
tomorrow, then to take his hand. She sits and says she needs a moment and
Superman responds "I'll be here when you're ready."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJfnJ7N_Zgk6Qx80csz_1gsUnvaqYBfp_tP43h3xYcdVCwyyeXarQWqPZbbiD9fIvNVntWSu-7BklQ1SJtx_xTFxK68iyCyNAtA_d589NNQE_f7dA2ZXZ2EohzN5rCy-lM_Te0l-wFvQ/s1600/supermsave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjJfnJ7N_Zgk6Qx80csz_1gsUnvaqYBfp_tP43h3xYcdVCwyyeXarQWqPZbbiD9fIvNVntWSu-7BklQ1SJtx_xTFxK68iyCyNAtA_d589NNQE_f7dA2ZXZ2EohzN5rCy-lM_Te0l-wFvQ/s400/supermsave.jpg" width="262" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOIS CONFRONTS
MANHEIM</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Inside Bruno Manheim's office, Manheim tries to make small
talk with Lois and asks her about her relationship with Superman. Lois tells
him to "cut the crap" and she immediately begins to grill him on his
relationship with John Corben and business dealings with LexCorp. Manheim skirts
around the issue and tells Lois there are forces at play she cannot possibly
understand. He does give her details of the exact work that Corben did for him,
including industrial sabotage and assistance in acquiring a rare metal
scattered all over the Earth. Lois presses further, but Manheim avoids the
issue, accusing Lois of conducting a witch-hunt and asks her to leave. He tells
her if she really wants a story then she should check the LexCorp Launch
Station’s lab.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Manheim watches Lois leave and then makes a phone call,
saying: “beef up security of all shipments coming through Gotham.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE JUMPER DECIDES</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman still floats in front of the young woman ready to
jump. She finally stands and asks Superman once more if he'll stop her if she
jumps and he says "no, I gave you my word.” She then takes a step forward,
but grabs Superman's hand and hugs him. He carries her safely back down to the
ground and makes sure she gets medical attention. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE FIRST BRAINIAC DRONE
ATTACKS </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lois is in a cab talking to Perry on the phone and says she
has a lead on the location of the quantum drive. The cab suddenly stops as a
large meteor can be seen heading for the ground.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Still aiding the young woman, Superman's attention is
diverted when he looks up and sees the fireball streak across the sky. Superman
asks the young woman once more if she is okay before he takes off.<br />
<br />
Superman flies into the path of the oncoming object and is
immediately knocked out of the way. He watches as it crashes into a field at
the LexCorp Launch Station. Security approaches it and it transforms into a
humanoid robot - BRAINIAC DRONE 1 - and attacks the security guards.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman flies onto the scene and punches the drone into the
ground. He then directs his attention to the injured guards, flying them to
safety at super-speed and then back to the seemingly destroyed drone, telling
the other guards to get clear. The Brainiac drone awakens and punches Superman
knocking into an SUV.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZqDT7CcqTYv97AjNrZcxpL_tGe0rc2ErrxqqscgpAft-bHvB5jK1FjsqCmnv55RpZDJEM20bMmVxfS87Cvx1Z5xbFV7Je5D-e72YPL7MCZ_gRIE_jdwMgRpqbUFX2lsvMf3B6OTEzwE/s1600/drone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfZqDT7CcqTYv97AjNrZcxpL_tGe0rc2ErrxqqscgpAft-bHvB5jK1FjsqCmnv55RpZDJEM20bMmVxfS87Cvx1Z5xbFV7Je5D-e72YPL7MCZ_gRIE_jdwMgRpqbUFX2lsvMf3B6OTEzwE/s320/drone.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The drone begins to scan Superman and calls him an anomaly
and that he shouldn’t exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Superman
flies at the drone and unleashes a barrage of punches that the drone is able to
absorb. The drone fights back and grabs Superman by the neck, slamming him into
the ground. The drone unleashes two tentacles from its torso that pin
Superman's arms. Using his heat vision, Superman is able to break free of the
drone’s grip as more armed guards and armored vehicles arrive and open fire on
the drone, distracting it long enough for Superman to regain his bearings. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman and the drone fight in mid-air and Superman battles
to keep the drone from reattaching its tentacles. Explosions goes off in the
sky next them as the guards are firing high-explosive weapons into the air.
Finally, one of the explosions hits the drone and it’s dazed, allowing Superman
to hit it at super-speed and force it through the hangar roof.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Inside the hangar, Superman stands between the drone and the
remains of the LX-01, including the quantum drive. They battle again, but
Superman doesn't hold back, pulling on the tentacles to punch and do serious
damage to the drone. After he rips out the tentacles, Superman uses his X-Ray
vision to find a processor. Using his heat vision to soften the metal, Superman
punches through the drone's chest and rips out the processor and crushes it,
shutting down the drone. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DRONE BATTLE
AFTERMATH</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lex arrives at the hangar and is immediately fascinated with
the drone, citing that it has technology he's never seen. Superman questions
why Lex still has the LX-01 and asks if Bruce Wayne knows. Lex informs Superman
that LexCorp has more proprietary and patented tech in it than Wayne Industries,
effectively making it his property. Lex also lays claim to the drone and
implies that Superman leave. Lois arrives and she immediately questions Lex
about the LX-01 and why he’s keeping it hidden. Lex tells them both to get off
his property and after a tense stare down, Superman picks up Lois and flies
away. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lex orders the drone be taken to
his lab at once.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DAILY PLANET</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman flies Lois back to the roof of the Daily Planet and
she asks him to dinner in their “usual spot.” Superman agrees and flies away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lois enters the bullpen inside the planet as Jimmy is
recounting the story of Superman saving the young woman, but Perry is
disappointed that Jimmy didn't get photos of the drone. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lois tells Perry she'll have the Brainiac story
in an hour, but it may bury Lex which makes Perry nervous. When Perry asks
about Manheim, Lois explains that she’s still investigating. She sits at her
desk and sees Clark sitting at his. “Did you find your wallet?” Clark smiles
and shows her the wallet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKk_WgYdMV8scnJmk_ykpE7NigFhmqbIMA2GvhQbljyxZ1WnxZGUMqwAZjs-Xz5A_pt8sYkTw_D1ySAv5XLD8DvovTC9qUSFGd2PSqWMHmjvWk68ajW5zdPXPQA8TfBih16ywhjxpexU/s1600/lois.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgKk_WgYdMV8scnJmk_ykpE7NigFhmqbIMA2GvhQbljyxZ1WnxZGUMqwAZjs-Xz5A_pt8sYkTw_D1ySAv5XLD8DvovTC9qUSFGd2PSqWMHmjvWk68ajW5zdPXPQA8TfBih16ywhjxpexU/s400/lois.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lois laughs and makes a phone call to an unknown party.
"Do me a favor; see if you can any shipments of metals and minerals
recently. I'll email you a list of companies to look out for. Yes, yes. Next
time you are in Metropolis, I'll see what I can do."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BRAINIAC’S SHIP</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From his stasis pod, Brainiac is watching satellite and
broadcast footage of his drone’s battle with Superman. He tells his computer to
process the results of the drone’s scan and learns that Superman is Kryptonian.
“Impossible. Acquire sample for analysis.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Two drones launch from Brainiac’s ship and enter a wormhole.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">DATE WITH LOIS</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Later in the evening atop the Metropolis Sky Tower (think
Seattle's Space Needle), Superman and Lois have dinner together and discuss
their relationship. Superman flew to Paris to bring Lois a very specific
dessert. While she is grateful, she's also upset that after nearly a year of
dating, he won't tell her his secret identity. She wants to go on normal dates
with him and have a normal life. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They quip back and forth, but Superman doesn’t know if it’s
the right thing to do. Lois says “you can tell me or not, but if you don’t I’m
not going to keep doing this.” </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheB_QNOFzYurvWpG5BpN5F1-eE2sM9FVsvCIdBdbuNzRU3YF33Aq9OL8IDSO6etj4gCFOlnglo6l9hXyzSgJxIdM3RRcltamziovDXVun_wEp6qq3m1PdMun2fx-uo6EMc1YiJ1-72E7M/s1600/loissupes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheB_QNOFzYurvWpG5BpN5F1-eE2sM9FVsvCIdBdbuNzRU3YF33Aq9OL8IDSO6etj4gCFOlnglo6l9hXyzSgJxIdM3RRcltamziovDXVun_wEp6qq3m1PdMun2fx-uo6EMc1YiJ1-72E7M/s400/loissupes.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman pauses but is distracted when he hears a sonic
boom. He looks up and it immediately tackled into the air by the two Brainiac
drones. He battles the drones in mid-air, trying to fly them away from the
city. One of the drones wraps a tentacle around Superman’s neck and the other
grabs his waist and the plummet back towards the ground. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman and the drones land hard in Centennial Park and
continue to battle. Superman is soon overwhelmed as one drone jumps on his back
and wraps its arms and legs around him. The other drone uses its hand to cover
Superman’s face and send a small probe attached to a cable into his throat.
Superman struggles as the drone transmits data to a "Brainiac Prime"
and Superman has flashes of Krypton and his real parents. After a moment,
Superman uses his heat vision to free himself of the drone's grip. Superman breaks
free of the other drone and uses his freeze breath to slow it down. With the
drone partially frozen, Superman uses his heat vision to rip out the drone’s
processor, shutting it down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He turns
his attention to the other drone but it takes off into the sky. Police and
firefighters arrive and Lois appears. Superman looks at Lois, grabs the drone
and takes off.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman flies into orbit and then back down towards the
Arctic. He flies toward an iceberg where about two-thirds of the way to the top
there is a section that has steps and a smoothed over area that looks like a
door. Superman stands on the final step before the door and puts his hand in
the center of it. Kryptonian lettering appears across the door and some of the
characters begin to form a sequence - like a combination. The door opens and
Superman is greeted by his robot KELEX.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman makes his way through the fortress to a Kryptonian
console. When he activates the console, a projection of JOR-EL appears before
him. Jor-EL praises his son for the good he is doing on Earth and encourages
him to keep going, but can sense there is something wrong. Superman lifts up
the drone and shows it to Jor-EL, asking about Brainiac. Jor-EL's demeanor
immediately changes. Superman explains the encounter with the drone and
mentions "Brainiac Prime." Jor-EL is stricken with grief and tells
his son that Earth is doomed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jor-EL explains Brainiac's history and what happened when it
came to Krypton. Showing Superman a projection of what happened; Jor-EL
explains that Brainiac seeks out world's that are on the brink of total
devastation. Jor-EL recounts that seven years before Superman was born,
Brainiac came to Krypton. He explains the former capital city of Krypton -
Kandor - was the most prosperous, progressive and technologically advanced city
on the planet. Jor-EL explains that Kandor was the ideal of what all of Krypton
strived to be - successful, accepting and a hub intergalactic travel on an
otherwise xenophobic world. Then Brainiac arrived.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvc4DCvQpX1j901sJp5MpSj97YAYEny_NxEPw9UzPjOkS-ZAEFh2VQ4XMzD41XXpJHQ67piwrhYNtQ3rldYjiXT1gyIZ6BDAOHbKgOruUUZz-iQV9d9qozlM2c74RkIQgOEl93pSG4gtE/s1600/Fortress_of_Solitude_%2528New_Earth%2529_005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="311" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvc4DCvQpX1j901sJp5MpSj97YAYEny_NxEPw9UzPjOkS-ZAEFh2VQ4XMzD41XXpJHQ67piwrhYNtQ3rldYjiXT1gyIZ6BDAOHbKgOruUUZz-iQV9d9qozlM2c74RkIQgOEl93pSG4gtE/s400/Fortress_of_Solitude_%2528New_Earth%2529_005.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman is shown images of Brainiac drones swarming Kandor
and the people of Kandor trying to fight back. Brainiac’s drones corral the
citizens of Kandor within the city limits. Some of the citizens resist and
fight the drones, but they are immediately killed. Superman watches in horror
as Kandor is encased, lifted from the planet's crust and shrunk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jor-EL tells Superman that Brainiac collects
the greatest cities of civilizations and planets on the brink of destruction -
and that is how Jor-EL learned Krypton was doomed.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
However, Jor-EL questions Brainiac's motives. He
acknowledges that Earth's climate is teetering on the brink of collapse, but
the core is stable. Jor-EL goes over Brainiac's history based on his own
research conducted with his brother Zor-EL. Brainiac is from the planet Colu
and was once a revered scientist named Vril Dox. The Coluans are a mostly
peaceful people who believe in advancing other civilizations and worlds. Dox
had an opposite philosophy, merging with a sentient computer program and
becoming Brainiac. His only purpose now is to collect specimens of failed
worlds and use their knowledge to better only himself. When Superman asks how
to stop him, Jor-EL tells him "there is no way to stop him. Earth's final
days have come."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BRAINIAC’S SHIP</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Onboard Brainiac’s ship, the alien rests in his stasis pod
as the drone returns and plugs itself into the mainframe of the ship. Brainiac
asks the computer to bring up specific files regarding the Superman sample
collected on Earth. Brainiac also examines his files from Krypton, recounting
the history of the planet’s destruction. The Kryptonians tapped into the
planet’s core as an energy source rather than exploring alternative energy
sources. Although they briefly thrived, they poisoned the planet from the
inside, making Krypton unstable. Brainiac acquired Kandor when Krypton’s fate
was irreversible. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRHmMh_UNZlE5w2S23jSU4ArRZeNEWiQwqZZujifx5HgDJKvjutOe-ysAdRE6zSM2l0B09VIAnI8wIXzfJLBYaX_SdoB7lQTlPJTFaxUL9eGMFLP1Yi-CBkWh_mNsgWDb4djbEg3mtvc/s1600/brainiac2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfRHmMh_UNZlE5w2S23jSU4ArRZeNEWiQwqZZujifx5HgDJKvjutOe-ysAdRE6zSM2l0B09VIAnI8wIXzfJLBYaX_SdoB7lQTlPJTFaxUL9eGMFLP1Yi-CBkWh_mNsgWDb4djbEg3mtvc/s400/brainiac2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
When reviewing the files, Brainiac discovers two quantum
drive signatures – one from Argo City and the other from Kryptonopolis. They
both entered a wormhole, but only one made it to Earth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brainiac processes data on Earth, discovering it has a similar
orbit pattern and many of the same characteristics as Krypton. The computer
notes that Earth is only halfway through its life cycle, but the dominant
species – humans – have accelerated the planet’s decline through war, famine
and environmental irresponsibility. The computer also notes that Superman
resides mostly in Metropolis – Earth’s most advanced city. The computer
explains how Earth’s yellow sun is also the source of Superman’s abilities.
Brainiac sets course for Earth and prepares to acquire Metropolis as his ship
opens and enters a wormhole.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LEX’S LAB</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the depths of the LexCorp building is Lex’s secret lab.
The lab itself is highly advanced with many recognizable and practical
workstations, as well as many that reach beyond standard sciences. Lex works
alone, listening to classical music and dissecting the first Brainiac
drone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He notes that the metal appears
to be organic and was only truly vulnerable to Superman’s heat vision. He
posits that he can adjust the resiliency of the metal and apply it to both
improve his battlesuit and provide the perfect shell for his secret “Metallo
Project.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">KENT FARM</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clark sits on the top floor of his family’s barn, leaning on
the door and looking up at the stars. PA KENT greets Clark and immediately
notices that Clark is shaken. Clark explains the encounter with the Brainiac
Drone and his visit to the Fortress of Solitude, briefly recounting what Jor-EL
told him. With Brainiac looming, Clark believes everything he’s done is for
nothing and that humanity will never try and fix their mistakes. Pa
acknowledges that humanity can be its own worst enemy, but that as Superman;
Clark can be a beacon of hope that will inspire humanity to be better. Pa
briefly recounts the problems he and Ma Kent faced trying to have children, but
when Clark fell from the sky, they had new hope of a better tomorrow. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pa tells Clark that humanity can be cynical, fearful and
always preparing for the worst and that is why some people still fear Superman.
But Pa also reminds his son that he’s more than just Superman, he’s more human
than he is Kryptonian and at the end of the day, he’s still just Clark
Kent. Pa is confident that Clark will defeat Brainiac or any other threat that
comes his way, and that the people of Earth will have another reason to strive
for a better tomorrow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“You can put on
that suit and be Superman, but you’re still Clark Kent, and the one thing Clark
Kent and Superman have in common is you always find a way. You always give us
hope, son.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Z21PloVR8cuZgtb61PaUCCy2vn-MerJxSSuQTdid3viddD9eeOhigs3EJbR2I9IK6GNOaba2pAXlgX-eW0yArzemMMswEWVU1fX0xp7733wFnnbHX1xPlCkkx-axZLMrCIHbsT7Icds/s1600/pakent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Z21PloVR8cuZgtb61PaUCCy2vn-MerJxSSuQTdid3viddD9eeOhigs3EJbR2I9IK6GNOaba2pAXlgX-eW0yArzemMMswEWVU1fX0xp7733wFnnbHX1xPlCkkx-axZLMrCIHbsT7Icds/s400/pakent.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Clark has dinner with his parents at the house. MA KENT
scolds Clark on his manners when he tries to go for food before she sits down
and then she asks briefly about “the killer robot.” Ma almost brushes it off,
confident that Clark or some his “super-friends” can stop it. Ma pivots and
asks about Lois, reminding Clark that he can’t be Superman all the time. Clark
is a bit coy and both Ma and Pa are disappointed he hasn’t told Lois his
identity yet. Clark tries to say it’s complicated, but Ma doesn’t accept that.
She mentions his high school sweetheart, Lana Lang, the first person he ever
told and she’s been fine having kept the secret. Pa laughs about the entire
situation, saying “Lois is a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, Clark. You’re
naïve if you think she doesn’t know!” Ma joins her husband’s assertion, “she
loves you Clark, but it’s up to you to let her in.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">LOIS’ LEAD</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The next morning, Lois is asleep as her phone rings – it’s
Vicki Vale, the contact she made following the first Braniac incident. She has
a tip for Lois and says the connection between LexCorp and Omega Worldwide is
that Omega has been supplying LexCorp with Kryptonite. Vicki tells Lois that
the shipments come through Gotham City before making their way to Metropolis
and that she’s emailing the information. When Lois asks how Vicki found out, Vicki
replies "an urban legend helped me out." <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BRAINIAC ARRIVES</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brainiac’s ship exits a wormhole in Earth’s orbit and makes
its way into the atmosphere. The military immediately goes into a frenzy trying
to identify the ship. The ship rapidly descends above Metropolis and people
drop what they are doing.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Inside Lex’s office, Lex and Lois watch the ship in awe.
Lois looks at Lex, “you do this?” And Lex responds “Can’t you call Superman?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman then flies towards Brainiac’s ship and Lex and Lois
both breathe a sigh of relief. As Superman approaches the ship an energy beam
hits him and he’s knocked back into the ground. Suddenly, Brainiac drones
emerge from the bottom of the ship. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lex tells Lois he’ll show her exactly what he needs the
Kryptonite for and they enter a private elevator.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2Q8_2UAjvoH7CTdzmddh7zvuqELey_AL7f1nKQDKS0k9MSKznxOJYqiu6VD7ESWjeV9ai8Mu90rRftS6rkdlRT_q0yM-blwHKHqUPyYkcLtZkwqKrRsHlK3lCWU_WOxJMCvARxQxgZE/s1600/skullship.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN2Q8_2UAjvoH7CTdzmddh7zvuqELey_AL7f1nKQDKS0k9MSKznxOJYqiu6VD7ESWjeV9ai8Mu90rRftS6rkdlRT_q0yM-blwHKHqUPyYkcLtZkwqKrRsHlK3lCWU_WOxJMCvARxQxgZE/s400/skullship.PNG" width="318" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman struggles to get back to his feet as he looks up
and sees the Brainiac drones making their way to Earth. Superman takes off and
starts fighting the drones and they all focus on him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lex and Lois arrive in Lex’s workshop and he explains that
the Kryptonite is also a power source and he’s been experimenting with
harnessing that power. When Lois asks why, Lex unveils his battlesuit, powers
it on and tells her “Superman can’t do it alone.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Moments later, a hangar opens in a courtyard behind the
LexCorp building and Lex takes off into the sky.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the sky above Metropolis, Superman is holding his own but
focuses on saving people from the drones and that puts him at a disadvantage.
Just as he starts to get overwhelmed Lex appears in the battle armor and helps
Superman fend off the drones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman briefly explains to Lex that the ship belongs to an
alien called Brainiac. Lex questions Superman about how he knows and the Man of
Steel explains that he just learned of Brainiac’s existence. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman tells Lex he needs to get into the ship before
Brainiac bottles Metropolis. With no time to explain, Lex and Superman fly
towards Brainiac’s ship and draw the drones towards them, using them as shields
for Brainiac’s energy beams.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lex gets taken down by drones and Superman manages to avoid
an energy beam just to be grabbed by a larger tentacle from the ship. Superman
is pinned and pulled into the ship as Lex struggles to fight off the drones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BRAINIAC’S SHIP</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bound by the drones on board the ship, Superman is brought
through a collections room with thousands of bottled cities and looks on in
horror. He is then brought before Brainiac. The drones force Superman to his
knees and Brainiac emerges from his stasis pod. He’s massive and physically
imposing. He grabs Superman by the neck and explains that he shouldn’t exist
because Krypton is gone. Superman tries to fight back but Brainiac overpowers
him.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItF2mvq7LEOQqM_dfGN_ayHYA8oYlmv8uqjYfNf7IJPQgDBNp21OclvGpql7PU7MT9iOPhnGietykk9tuqB6ZsCBYwR0OzpUDDHFcCX9dK49MXN0WcDYy44FMQNovTynqJeVtSQ1fWIo/s1600/brainiac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjItF2mvq7LEOQqM_dfGN_ayHYA8oYlmv8uqjYfNf7IJPQgDBNp21OclvGpql7PU7MT9iOPhnGietykk9tuqB6ZsCBYwR0OzpUDDHFcCX9dK49MXN0WcDYy44FMQNovTynqJeVtSQ1fWIo/s400/brainiac.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brainiac explains his intentions – he preserves the greatest
cultural achievements of worlds that are about to die. Earth wasn’t a target,
but Superman’s presence has accelerated the timetable for Earth’s death.
Superman disputes Brainiac’s claim, suggesting humanity can change, they just
need a push.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brainiac counters and suggests even if humanity stopped the
damage done to the environment, there are other parties interested in Earth,
mostly because of Superman’s presence. Brainiac also tells Superman that his
existence must end as Krypton has been destroyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brainiac claims to be benevolent and gives
Superman a choice as one of his drones brings the bottled city of Kandor and
place it in front of Superman. Brainiac tells Superman he can die and be
studied by Brainiac or he can live for eternity, powerless inside Kandor. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman remains resilient as Brainiac calls him “a god with
no world.” Brainiac tells Superman before he makes his choice, he will watch
Earth’s greatest city be taken for collection.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE BOTTLE</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A gel-like substance begins to emerge from the bottom of
Brainiac’s ship as the drones float into the air. Lex’s battlesuit is damaged
and he’s a bit beat up. He watches in shock as the substance descends in a
opaque shape around the city.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lois, Perry and Jimmy watch from outside The Daily Planet as
the casing lowers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLa50O2-HD4PVSLH0n8AWp5GlI_Yc71ZksYRCA2P-LgtWw5QVYSxVLqD44yZ61Koh_6Qot0094GY2VQ7LpBDRYy5_v0Cm1dxSxVX4OgRmi0s1l5SAlJdSy06_r5xyjOshyphenhyphenbuOz10f4Xg/s1600/bottle.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguLa50O2-HD4PVSLH0n8AWp5GlI_Yc71ZksYRCA2P-LgtWw5QVYSxVLqD44yZ61Koh_6Qot0094GY2VQ7LpBDRYy5_v0Cm1dxSxVX4OgRmi0s1l5SAlJdSy06_r5xyjOshyphenhyphenbuOz10f4Xg/s400/bottle.png" width="255" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The casing wraps around the city and begins to harden,
cutting off people on the outskirts of the city and prevents people from
getting out.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lex diverts all remaining power to his thrusters and takes
off, flying towards the Launch Station.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BRAINIAC’S SHIP</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman pleads with Brainiac to stop, but the alien
reaffirms his position that there is no hope for humanity. A small drone floats
in front of Brainiac and he broadcasts to everyone on Earth. He announces his
intentions and tells humanity they have failed their planet and not even
Superman could save them. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As the world looks on in fear, Superman screams and uses all
of his strength to break free of the restraints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shocked Brainiac turns and is met with a
massive punch. The drone feed cuts off as Superman and Brainiac battle in the
ship, eventually crashing through the hull and back down to Earth.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SUPERMAN VS. BRAINIAC</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman and Brainiac battle in the sky above Metropolis.
Neither one of them has a clear advantage, but Superman is easily distracted by
saving people and preventing catastrophic damage. Lex arrives to help Superman
and together they battle back towards Brainiac’s ship.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
They crash back inside the ship and Brainiac is left
reeling. Lex tells Superman he’s armed and aimed the quantum drive at
Brainiac’s ship and will destroy it. Superman is shocked and tells Lex to look
around – millions of lives are at stake inside the bottled cities.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lex blames Superman for bringing Brainiac to Earth and
reveals he’s never trusted Superman and fires a Kryptonite beam, taking
Superman down. Brainiac then fires a weapon at Lex forcing him out of the ship. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Brainiac prepares to shrink Metropolis, but Superman uses
his heat vision to knock Brainiac away before punching through the console,
causing the process to halt and the encasing to disappear. Brainiac is irate
and begins to mercilessly punch Superman. “Why do you save them?!” Brainiac
asks. Superman replies: “Because there’s always a better tomorrow.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcy1vKgLZZ3UTPNbIF48_ntqy5MuLNYAQHTaTyjOzlkmHHA4FeYwfjR3dB477xv1ATqWouNVSrronS7IMVNZMDYdbZW0-RVBnXQAD6wzgsQmyHV51Ks_XxX0louhx4F9Rzj7T9YqHykYI/s1600/supermanvbrainiac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcy1vKgLZZ3UTPNbIF48_ntqy5MuLNYAQHTaTyjOzlkmHHA4FeYwfjR3dB477xv1ATqWouNVSrronS7IMVNZMDYdbZW0-RVBnXQAD6wzgsQmyHV51Ks_XxX0louhx4F9Rzj7T9YqHykYI/s400/supermanvbrainiac.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman fights back, overwhelming Brainiac and pushing him
back into the stasis pod, using his heat vision to seal him shut. Superman continues
to fight off Brainiac drones. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From the ground, Lex uses a keypad on his armor to launch
the quantum drive. “Die aliens.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman fends off the last of the drones and flies out of
the ship at super-speed, looking for the quantum drive. It races towards ship
and Superman flies at it. He grabs it and tries to stop it, but Lex has used
Kryptonite as part of the drive’s shell and Superman is weakened. Using his
last bits of strength he changes position and manages to pull the drive away
from the ship. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman falls away as the quantum drive explodes, creating
a shockwave that momentarily stuns him as a wormhole opens in the sky above
Metropolis. Superman regains his bearings in mid-air and flies back towards
Brainiac’s ship as it’s slowly being pulled into the wormhole. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Flying back into the ship’s hull, Superman grabs Kandor and
looks at Brainiac. “I will return, Kryptonian. You will die.” Superman looks at
Brainiac with disgust. “When you do, I’ll save the rest of the lives you
stole.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman flies out of the wormhole and makes his way back
down to the ground as Brainiac’s ship is pulled in and the wormhole closes. The
people of Metropolis cheer wildly as Superman descends to the ground, carrying
Kandor. Jimmy takes a photo of Superman and immediately shows it to Perry who
smiles with joy.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SUPERMAN CONFRONTS
LEX</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Inside his office later that night, Lex is irate over the
headlines online and in the Daily Planet. “SUPERMAN SAVES THE WORLD.” Lex
angrily declares that he saved the world and if it weren’t for Superman,
Brainiac would have never showed up. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman appears outside Lex’s office. Superman demands
answers and wants to know why Lex attacked him. Lex reveals that he’s always
hated Superman and doesn’t trust him. He’s an alien and he’s done nothing but
put people in danger. Lex also says “I AM SUPPOSED TO BE HUMANITY’S SAVIOR, NOT
YOU!” Superman stares at Lex stoically and Lex screams “SAY SOMETHING!”
Superman gets in Lex’s face and says “I CAN SEE YOUR SOUL” before flying away.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lex receives a call telling him that Corben is ready.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5m4PDe9z1RLQ4os0tV5y79-vHrxeAoUPD_myu5QQd9TQ2kPvOHaeRgvf2t9ovIXJtB3cuNIczHkBsYcAawpc3D_9FIbN-j4TS_W5I7J9ffji5FblXyZKvhtKY_bZbaOj-LIDHkRs3uY/s1600/lexvsuperman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW5m4PDe9z1RLQ4os0tV5y79-vHrxeAoUPD_myu5QQd9TQ2kPvOHaeRgvf2t9ovIXJtB3cuNIczHkBsYcAawpc3D_9FIbN-j4TS_W5I7J9ffji5FblXyZKvhtKY_bZbaOj-LIDHkRs3uY/s400/lexvsuperman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In his lab, a surgical team awaits Lex as he scrubs in for
an operation. On an operating table is Corben’s body. Two scientists wheel in
another table and uncover it to reveal a metallic skeleton. When Lex asks for
the power source, a case carrying a Kryptonite heart is brought in. He examines
the Kryptonite and then looks at Corben: “It’s time for a new job, Mr. Corben.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SUPERMAN TELLS LOIS</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lois stands on her balcony looking at the skyline. Superman
flies up to her and they briefly discuss what happened with Lex. Lois acts a
little cold towards him, but Superman gently grabs her arm. “Lois, I love you.
It’s time for you to know…” Lois smiles, “It took you long enough, Smallville.”
Superman is taken aback, surprised that Lois really did know all along.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“So you did know?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
“Looks like Lois Lane is going to dump Superman for Clark
Kent. How scandalous.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Superman smiles and they kiss as we pan up to the stars.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJt7EliaWpmzHjE-AsnqCW2LN0zRqBgNluvq8WQT3MXbJGbfJQR4h6JDizOfiQS6eA4xgnllJFt3BsLItQXaralddFzT1DF6JGsGLzr5H6bEKBTotdkJA5EBGnGIZb8djn0iBAAW1q2yk/s1600/losi+superman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJt7EliaWpmzHjE-AsnqCW2LN0zRqBgNluvq8WQT3MXbJGbfJQR4h6JDizOfiQS6eA4xgnllJFt3BsLItQXaralddFzT1DF6JGsGLzr5H6bEKBTotdkJA5EBGnGIZb8djn0iBAAW1q2yk/s400/losi+superman.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>END</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>STINGER:</u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SUPERMAN CONFRONTS
MANHEIM</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At night, Bruno Manheim dismisses his assistant for the
night and pours himself a drink. When he turns around, Superman is floating
outside his window. Manheim takes a drink and smirks at Superman. Through the
glass Superman says "I'm watching you." Manheim laughs and grabs a
permanent marker from his desk, draws an Omega symbol on the window and says
"So is he."</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-68010421053093106092016-03-26T17:45:00.001-04:002021-02-24T14:38:03.680-05:00What a Knightmare. My review of "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpc8ayLEjxZF-w5UwgpxZdOI84W8SRniWAr1kHRwXlJLTg5bNdN3L3_1Ai90qmyobk79OhdZuZTtCN-RjcB_yft75ECMSBPNbJH0fcaXSsNVewRbTzMHbMpbCTb1zvsOGsMdiFGBd8NME/s1600/trinity.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpc8ayLEjxZF-w5UwgpxZdOI84W8SRniWAr1kHRwXlJLTg5bNdN3L3_1Ai90qmyobk79OhdZuZTtCN-RjcB_yft75ECMSBPNbJH0fcaXSsNVewRbTzMHbMpbCTb1zvsOGsMdiFGBd8NME/s400/trinity.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<i><b>"Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice." </b></i>Oh boy, I don't think it was a good movie per se, but there were a few things that worked for me and many that did not. There are shades of greatness marred down by a wonky script, a ridiculous plot, too many contrived conveniences and the ugly shadow of "Man of Steel."<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>There are MAJOR SPOILERS in this review. </b></i></span><br />
<br />
That's the disclaimer. I'm not a "Man of Steel" fan. I don't think it was a particularly great film and I think it fails on just about every level as a Superman film, as is well-documented.<br />
<br />
I love Superman, that much is proven by my essay "<a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/03/why-we-look-up-in-sky.html">Why we look up in the sky...</a>" <br />
<br />
With that said, let me get this part of the review out of the way. For me, the biggest failing of this film was the treatment of Superman. There were a few things that became abundantly clear after I saw BvS, one of the most glaring things being that the filmmakers have a complete misunderstanding of Superman. That much was clear after "Man of Steel," but you'd think maybe, just maybe they'd take a different approach and take Superman and maybe present him in a more classic form. In fact, had they actually done that... made Superman that wide-eyed optimistic boy scout we all know and love, BvS might have featured a far more compelling narrative between Batman and Superman.<br />
<br />
I for one held out hope that maybe we'd be surprised. Maybe after all the criticism of "Man
of Steel" - the destruction porn, the killing, the depressing and mopey
Superman - maybe the events of
"Man of Steel" would make this Superman embrace a more optimistic and
cautious approach to the world - hopeful, smiling, inspiring, valuing life - a way to show the people of the world
he shouldn't be feared and to even atone for killing Zod.<br />
<br />
Not only does that present a stronger dynamic for the character, its also more of a reason for Batman to be fearful. The older, more cynical Batman would push, trying to bring Superman back down to that dark, broody level and Superman resists... proving he's grown, that he is incorruptible. With a few small choices like that, we would have had a Superman that still fits within the narrative of "Man of Steel," but is more in line with who the character really is at his core. Immediately, you now have the classic tenant of the entire Batman vs. Superman argument - The Dark Knight's cynicism and the Man of Steel's optimism. That's what "The Dark Knight Returns" - the book which this film borrows very heavily - basically presents. Two good men and friends who have two completely different perspectives on the world, so much so that they have an argument with their fists.<br />
<br />
Instead of what seemed obvious - to me at least - we're presented with a Superman who shares the same level of cynicism and lack of faith towards the world. Being Superman feels like it is a burden for Clark Kent, some people accept him, others outright hate him. In fact, some people straight up fear him and that to me is where everything about this version of Superman goes wrong. Superman shouldn't be feared by the general populace. Yes, certain powerful individuals with control complexes can fear him and look for ways to destroy him i.e. Lex Luthor and Batman - but in terms of him being generally feared? No. Never.<br />
<br />
I guess I just don't want or need a Superman movie that is a bizarre think piece and commentary about how the world would react to a super-powered, godlike being. Which is kind of funny because <a href="http://extraordinary-comic.com/">I write a comic</a> that sort of deals with it, just not on the "god" level. Especially a mopey and broody one. I'm not saying there isn't a place for it obviously, though Superman it is not. <br />
<br />
After we have to relive the death of the Waynes (AGAIN) and the destruction porn of "Man of Steel" - though on a smaller scale but with more horrific 9/11 imagery (stop it, Snyder) - we're treated to a scene in Africa where Lois Lane and an undercover CIA agent posing as a photographer (who Zack Snyder confirmed is Jimmy Olsen... UGH... I mean really... UGH) meet a warlord/weapons dealer. There are some mercenaries there who kill the photographer with a headshot at point blank range and the warlord kidnaps Lois. The mercs then kill the warlord's men, essentially gunning down a village, they leave the scene as Superman enters bombastically crashing through a hut to confront the warlord who is holding Lois at gunpoint.<br />
<br />
This was it for me. This was the moment that was going to show me how the filmmakers had evolved Superman. Here we had a classic Superman situation. I thought to myself, "is he going to melt the gun? is he going to disarm at super-speed? is he going to do a super-speed light tap and put the warlord to sleep?" I waited, expecting to see a classic, iconic moment... Lois nods, lowers her arm and then...<br />
<br />
At super-speed Superman literally PLOWS through this poor guy and drives him through layers of walls. My head fell in my hands. I had all those feelings of heartbreak again. For a split second I thought "okay, maybe we'll see a scene where the guy is still alive..." No, we cut to a press conference where a U.S. Senator is addressing the carnage caused in Africa and blaming Superman. Seriously? Did Superman just turn this guy to mush?<br />
<br />
Superman would have taken down the Warlord, then gone after the mercenaries. Of course, then we wouldn't have a movie. Instead, Lex Luthor is trying to frame Superman for shooting up a village.<br />
<br />
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It was after that scene that I gave up hope of Superman finally being Superman in this movie. I should have known better after "Man of Steel," and I struggled to stay in my seat. This Superman is also completely indifferent to collateral damage, which is 100% against the core principles of the character. Forget the killing for a second... the destruction porn in "Man of Steel" and Superman's attitude towards it is one of my biggest criticisms of that film and its a driving plot device in this movie. As I mentioned in <a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/03/why-we-look-up-in-sky.html">"Why we look up in the sky..."</a> one of Superman's weaknesses in a fight is his compassion and his desire to limit collateral damage. Call me names, call me a fanboy... whatever I don't care. This portrayal of Superman was just depressing and that ultimately is the overall tone of the film, depressing. <br />
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There are some bright spots and some cool moments, and I can see why, especially in the CGI-wild final battles people came away loving the movie or saying it was fun. Getting there for me was a slog.<br />
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Here's a massive spoiler: The final fight with Doomsday ends with Superman stabbing the beast with a kryptonite spear and getting impaled himself, ultimately dying. Yes, Superman dies. At least they filmmakers got that part half-right, that in killing Doomsday, Superman sacrifices himself... but it doesn't really count because 1) Doomsday is basically a zombie and 2) Superman isn't really dead.<br />
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As I am writing this, <a href="http://kastorskorner.com/wp/2016/03/25/batman-v-superman-dawn-of-justice-collateral-damage-criticism/">I came across this piece from Kastor's Korner</a>, which I found matches my description of Superman's attitude towards collateral damage and also perfectly sums up a lot of how I feel about the way the filmmakers represent Superman. "That’s what undercuts the end of this film, as the death of Superman
feels less about heroic sacrifice, and more of the filmmakers washing
their hands of a character they just can’t seem to understand. All this
adds up to a profoundly cynical perspective for a comic book movie, a
shriveled black heart beating beneath the surface of the movie." YES.<br />
<br />
What was abundantly clear to me in this movie and makes so much more sense looking back at "Man of Steel," Zack Snyder and David Goyer HATE Superman. This is who they are (<a href="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/134697-Goyers-Martian-Manhunter-Comments-Are-Why-DC-Cant-Have-Nice-Things">and I back this up by reminding everyone about David Goyer's feelings towards Martian Manhunter</a>): they are the type of readers who hate Superman because he is "too good" or "can do anything." This is one of the main reasons some people just don't like Superman. I'm curious to know whether or not either of them have really read anything beyond the "mainstream graphic novels" like "Watchmen," "Dark Knight Returns" and "The Killing Joke." Seriously, this version of Superman is the embodiment of people I know who just outright hate Superman for being the all-powerful boy scout... and you know what? It is THOSE same people who like this version.<br />
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I don't think Snyder and Goyer understand Clark Kent and Superman as human, or as what makes him human. They see what he represents as a thing of the past and that is evident through some dialogue throughout the film. They are grossly wrong, especially when you bring Chris Evans' Captain America into the argument (I hold Captain America in the same regard as Superman and Evans and Marvel Studios NAIL Cap). What's clear is they see him only as an alien or an angry god. That's the real difference. Superman doesn't see himself as a god. In fact, there's a PHENOMENAL issue of "Green Lantern" from 2002 where Superman confronts then-Green Lantern Kyle Rayner who possesses the god-like powers of Ion. As Kyle starts to intervene everywhere he can, cults start to pop up and Superman delivers this fantastic lesson about how they have to draw the line, ultimately they aren't gods and have to ensure they aren't treated as such.<br />
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I bring this up because throughout BvS, the religious iconography and blatant call-outs to mythological gods and monsters is exhausting. I get the whole "DC Pantheon is like the Greek gods" gimmick, but it is so heavy-handed in this movie that it becomes eye-rolling. I don't and never have liked the 'Superman is Christ" interpretation. I find it to be wrong and frankly stupid, though that seems to be how the filmmakers think he's meant to be.<br />
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What does the shoe-horning of "Death of Superman" into this movie mean? A couple things of course. 1) He could be the vessel for Darkseid, 2) He could be revived and less-powerful, building his strength back up or... my foolish hope... 3) He emerges as the classic Superman. At the end of the movie, the world magically accepts him in death. And when he returns (forget the insane religious implications), he could be the Superman that Grant Morrison described as "the most relaxed and laid back person alive." He would have cheated death (which is a whole new set of problems as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PlwDbSYicM">Max Landis once so eloquently pointed out</a>), but THAT could serve as the catalyst for Henry Cavill to put on the charm and charisma I know he has and be the Superman we deserve (Cavill is great in "The Man from U.N.C.L.E.) That ideal to strive towards. That is, simply put, the way to redeem this version of Superman and inspire next generation the same way Reeve did. I just don't need to see Zack Snyder or David Goyer attempt to handle the character again. There's a hopelessness to this, and that's the exact opposite of Superman.<br />
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Why do I care so much about how Superman is portrayed? That's a question I get a lot. When these characters are presented in the movies, the general public takes them as definitive. That THIS is who the characters are, this is basically their mainstream. I think we're moving away from that with the constant reboots (especially with Batman and Spider-Man)... my point is this: how many people thought the Joker killed Bruce Wayne's parents because of Burton's "Batman"? Yet Superman is different. Superman is much different because he means so much more, to me especially. I also have two sons. Little guys, one of whom I've been introducing to the superheroes. He likes Batman, he likes Superman, he likes "America 'Merica" (Captain America). Superman for me was the gateway to Marvel, DC, everything. That idealism is where it began and everything deviates from that - I've called every superhero post-1938 a derivative of Superman in some way and to an extent they are. So for me, and for my sons and daughter, given what Superman means to me, I'd rather not have the "mainstream" version be this misunderstood, cynical "god."<br />
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Okay, now that the Superman bit is out of the way, and you're probably exhausted reading that, I'll breakdown the movie the same way I did "<a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2015/12/star-wars-force-awakens-my-review-of.html">Star Wars: The Force Awakens.</a>"<br />
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<u><b>The Yay!</b></u><br />
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<b>Wonder Woman</b>. Yes, she is awesome. It is kind of random and very deus ex machina when she shows up in the finale to fight Doomsday, but Gal Gadot OWNS this role. She is absolutely fantastic and it just makes me more excited for her solo film.<br />
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<b>Alfred. </b>I really liked Jeremy Irons' portrayal as Alfred. The dry wit, the kind of "you're an asshole" approach to Bruce, it was all spot on. I especially liked that Alfred is as much a part of Batman as Bruce. This was a version of him that was as weathered as Bruce and hadn't lost his sarcastic charm. He's also the voice of reason, as the character often tends to be. I suspect Geoff Johns may have had something to do with this Alfred as he's similar to the one from "Batman: Earth One." Although some characterization and dialogue was off (more on that later). <br />
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<b>Perry White. </b>Laurence Fishburne made the most of his screen time as the Daily Planet editor. He was so unequivocally Perry that I felt his performance was the most true to any character being portrayed and was one of the absolute stand outs. And it is implied that he does indeed know Clark is Superman, which I have always believed is true of every iteration of Perry. <br />
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<b>Soundtrack. </b>Hans Zimmer and Junkie XL do a nice job. Really. I honestly didn't like the new Wonder Woman or Batman theme until I heard them in the context of the movie.<br />
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<b>Ben Affleck's performance as Batman. </b>Overall, I really liked Affleck's Batman. His performance is definitely a highlight of the film.
While this Batman is inspired by "The Dark Knight Returns," it is not
that version at all. This feels almost like every version rolled into one tried and true Caped Crusader. There are some things I didn't like about this Batman, but in terms of Affleck as Batman? One of my biggest takeaways is that I want to see a Ben Affleck-directed Batman movie.<br />
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<u><b>The Meh</b></u><br />
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<b>The visuals.</b> Say what you will about storytelling ability or
direction. Zack Snyder does know how to create visual spectacle. Unfortunately
for me, visuals aren't enough to win me over. <br />
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<b>Lois. </b>Lois Lane is one of my favorite comic book characters. On paper, I love Amy Adams as Lois. She was one of the better things about "Man of Steel," though here I was left underwhelmed by her use in BvS. Not Adams, Lois. She's just kind of there and conveniently shows up at all the right places. And the thing with the kryptonite spear? She throws it into water after Batman and Superman fight... then she goes to get it back during the Doomsday fight and almost drowns until Superman saves her. After all that, he's the one to get the spear... wow. Lex ultimately uses her to get to Superman multiple times, again I just think her utilization was weird.<br />
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<b><b>The title fight. </b></b>I was a bit underwhelmed by the titular fight. On the one hand, Superman pretty much refused to fight and did manage to show some restraint, on the other hand Batman kicked his ass (remember I mentioned that Snyder and Goyer HATE Superman?). Granted Batman had the kryptonite and all, the whole fight felt forced because (see "Martha" below).<b> </b>And where the hell did Batman get the armor suit? There is ZERO explanation for it.<br />
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<b>Final fight. </b>This is in "Meh" because Doomsday is in "Nope." The final fight itself, was neat. Unnecessary and forced, but neat. A grand spectacle of CGI. There's also something interesting here that I think is prevalent to the mixed reaction of the film. Sometimes, a movie can be really bad, yet the finale is grand and vice versa. This could be a case where that third act and final fight outweighs the rest of the movie for some people.<br />
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<u><b>Between "Meh" and "Nope"</b></u> <br />
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<b>The plot. </b>This movie is ALL OVER the place. Honestly, the
Kryptonite plot-line was the strongest, there were just a bunch of others
battling for screen time, including plots from other movies, and it just
wades into convoluted, barely glued together territory. On one hand, I give it points for having something coherent i.e. the Kryptonite... there was just too much happening that didn't make sense.<br />
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<b><u>The Nope</u></b><br />
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<b>Batman killing and the implications of the bat-brand.</b> Seriously? Look, I get that we've seen Batman kill dudes before (see Burton) and it was wrong then and it is wrong now, but what many consider the "greatest Batman movie ever," "The Dark Knight" was basically all about how Batman doesn't kill. In BvS he does it with such ferocity that it's off-putting, not to mention hypocritical. One of the themes of this movie is consequence to actions and that's kind of the driving force behind Batman wanting to take down Superman, yet he's legit killing dudes. I get that he's been at it for 20 years and he's a bit weary and war-torn... if he's just killing bad guys and Gotham is still a mess, then he's the bad guy. Also, for a version of Batman so heavily inspired by "The Dark Knight Returns," the filmmakers missed a crucial point... when Batman kills, The Joker wins.<br />
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And then there's the bat-brand. In essence and in theory, I didn't mind it, especially from this older Batman. My issue arises when it results in guys getting killed when they get to prison? Come on. I don't mind his brutality when he fights - he's an older, angry man - but the killing and essential condoning of murder via the bat-brand was way off-character.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Why Batman hates Superman. </b>In the comics, there's always a disagreement over methods. Optimism vs. cynicism. Here, Batman hates Superman because when fighting Zod, Bruce Wayne's building was destroyed. Totally not Superman's fault, especially according to "Man of Steel" defenders, still it serves as why Batman has to destroy Superman. This is a weird motivation because later in the movie we see Batman exercise the same kind of recklessness and destruction in the Batmobile. This was a little ridiculous.<br />
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<b>Lex Luthor. </b>I just wasn't a fan of this Lex. He was too spastic for my taste and there was really no clear motivation for him. Was it the destruction? Was it a thing against aliens? Was it a thing against deities? Was it an abusive father? Was he just a pawn of Darkseid (which to me is a disservice to Lex)? Eisenberg was all over the map. More or less Gene Hackman's Luthor mixed with Heath Ledger's Joker taking orders from Kevin Spacey playing Hackman's Luthor. And all that heavy-handed god-stuff I mentioned? Shut up, Lex. It was too hammy and over the top. His reasons for anything are unclear. To me, the ultimate Lex is the Clancy Brown-voiced Luthor from The Animated Series.<br />
<b><br />Retconning "Man of Steel": </b>This is really bizarre. Superman says to Lois, "Superman was never real, he was the dream of a farmer from Kansas." Wait... what? In "Man of Steel," Jonathan Kent is a jerk. He doesn't want Clark to be Superman at all and "maybe" let a bus full of kids die. It was Jor-EL who very much wanted and pushed Clark to becoming Superman. BvS ignored the previous movie to rewrite its own continuity. The scope of the highly criticized Battle of Metropolis from MoS also seemed to be down-sized.<br />
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<b>Pa Kent vision:</b> What?<br />
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<b>Doomsday. </b>There was no point to having Doomsday in this movie. Cool final fight, yeah, but why did Lex go through all the trouble of framing Superman and getting him to fight Batman if he was just going to create and unleash the unkillable beast he can't control that kills Superman anyway? Also, Doomsday was Nuclear Man from "Superman IV" on steroids.<br />
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<b>The script. </b>There's a lot going on in this movie. A lot that the studio wanted I'm sure, and there are moments where things feel "by committee." For that, the script suffers. There is a lot of cringe-worthy dialogue, few clear motivations and only Batman has a real, concrete story-arc. There are way too many contrived conveniences and there are so many gigantic plot holes it'll make your head spin.<br />
<b><br /></b>
<b>Stop destroying everything. </b>The most Superman thing that Superman did this entire movie was fly Doomsday into space to fight. That was obviously to get that "Dark Knight Returns" moment with the nuke, however there comes a point where the destruction porn is too much. It was overkill in "Man of Steel"... there's just too much collateral damage. One of the things I found REALLY intriguing about the "Civil War" trailer is that when General Ross is going over all the Avengers battles with Cap, the human toll is minimal because the Avengers are saving lives, but the monetary cost is astronomical. That seems like a real and legitimate motivating factor for politics in that film. Everyone in BvS is just flippant about the damage and it's evident in the dialogue directed at people like me who criticized the destruction. "This building is uninhabited" and "The docks are abandoned."<br />
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<b>The Justice League. </b>I honestly could have done without the Justice League. I didn't like the Flash time portal bit, and the reveal of Aquaman, Cyborg and Flash was forced. It could have been a little more nuanced... no, WB decided that everyone already has their logo and we basically get a trailer for each. Oy.<br />
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<b>Religious iconography/god complexes. </b>STOP IT. Seriously. STOP IT.<br />
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<b>Martha. </b>This was RIDICULOUS. Batman spends
90 minutes preparing to kill Superman and when they fight, Batman get
the upper hand via Kryptonite. So when he's about to kill Superman, Supes utters "save Martha." And now, out of nowhere, because their moms have the
same name, they are bros. WHAT? Okay, I get it, that was the moment
Batman realized he was being manipulated, but the entire title fight of
this movie could have been completely avoided if Superman had just said
"Hey Batman, Lex kidnapped my mom Martha, can you help?" Instead there is more a feeling like: "Hey Superman, people paid $12 to see us fight, so I'm going to beat you up until your girlfriend shows up and tells me Martha is your mom's name too." <br />
<b><br />The self-loathing, depressing tone.</b> This movie, like "Man of Steel" is depressing. The film is dark, it takes itself WAY too seriously and everyone is so self-loathing. A friend of mine put it pretty well: "The superheroe<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">s
were the sad people that everyone hated, who hated themselves and hated
each other until they realized they looked cool when they posed
together." There is little joy to be found in this movie. It starts and ends with a funeral, that's pretty telling. Look, I get some people like the more serious and darker stuff, my argument is that isn't what Superman OR Wonder Woman is about. </span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">I've seen a lot of people point to "Avengers: Age of Ultron" as a movie "critics like, fans hate." I disagree. I don't think AoU was a perfect film at all, but the tone made a huge difference. AoU served a specific purpose - to be an Avengers movie about the Avengers avenging and setting up the next steps. They save lives, they are superheroes, the tone is lighter and more fun. The other BIG difference - I'd be fine taking a kid to AoU, or any Marvel movie for that matter. I wouldn't take a kid under 12 or 13 to see "Batman v. Superman," and if you can't comfortably take a kid to a Superman movie, that's a failure in my book.</span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span>
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<b>Overall, </b>I did not like this movie and the depiction of Superman again was a big reason why.<b> </b>There's some hope for the character, only if Zack Snyder and David Goyer are no longer involved. In fact, I don't know if I'll ever bother to see another Snyder-led DC Comics movie. "Man of Steel" and "Batman v. Superman" were enough to tell me they don't understand the characters or the universe.<br />
<br />
There are some really neat ideas at play here and things like Wonder Woman are really intriguing, most just aren't executed that well. There are some good scenes I could see myself watching again out of context ("Green Lantern" also has some of those). More importantly, if Warner Brothers doesn't care and just wants to make money on bad movies like the "Transformers" franchise that's their prerogative, but the long-term brand damage could be devastating. KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-55109383792505443282016-03-20T17:29:00.002-04:002016-04-22T12:23:00.252-04:00Why we look up in the sky...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/03/what-knightmare-my-review-of-batman-v.html">UPDATE: You can read my spoiler-heavy "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" review here </a></b><br />
<b><a href="http://comicodyssey.blogspot.com/2016/04/the-man-of-tomorrow-my-vision-for.html">UPDATE 2: You can read my "treatment" for a Superman movie here</a> </b><br />
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For me it started when I was very young. There was a red cape I wore regularly - and that my Mom still has - a VHS tape featuring a handful of the Fleischer cartoons, Superfriends, Ruby Spears, George Reeves and a handful of comic books. It has since become a life goal of mine to write Superman in comics or some form of media.<br />
<br />
I love Superman. I love his mythology, what he stands for and ultimately, the idea of what he represents, something I'll mention a few times here... an ideal to strive towards.<br />
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I have been an outspoken critic of "Man of Steel" for the last three years. I don't outright hate it... I don't think it's a particularly great movie, but as a Superman movie it fails on multiple levels and is not very good at all. I hate it's portrayal and representation of Superman. It's unfortunate, because I LOVE the cast. But I'm on the same level with Mark Waid, Dan Slott, Jamal Igle, Tom Brevoort and many other outspoken comic book personalities who know a thing or two about Superman.<br />
<br />
When I first saw "Man of Steel," I was left very uncomfortable. I tried to be positive and justify what occurred as the fog of Superman on the big screen was still thick. After a day or two, it started to wear off and I realized that like Waid, the movie broke my heart.<br />
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With that said, I am also NOT a huge fan of the Donner movies. I understand why people love them, and yes, Christopher Reeve embodies a near-perfect Superman. But from a story standpoint, I've never been a huge fan. That extends to "Superman Returns." "Returns" is essentially "Richard Donner's Superman III" and that was both it's greatest strength and greatest weakness.<br />
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I'm going to see "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice," albeit with low expectations. On one hand, I'll see it to form an opinion. On the other hand, I'm interested to see Ben Affleck's Batman and the big screen debut of Wonder Woman. Will they improve this version of Superman to be more like the Superman that has been built for three-quarters of a century? I don't know, there's a lot of ground to make up, but as you may see by the end of this, because I believe in who Superman really is, the truth of the character, there may still be hope. Going dark and broody is against what Superman is and if you think it makes him "interesting" then we're all a lot more cynical than we care to admit. If you make a Superman (or Batman movie for that matter) that you can't take a child to - <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/03/20/ben-affleck-wont-let-4-year-old-son-see-batman-v-superman/">even Ben Affleck has said he won't let his 4 year old see BvS</a> - then you've already failed. Of course, kids will still go - after all, kids went to see "Deadpool" but that's not the point I'm making, obviously.<br />
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As "Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice" is upon us and my Facebook postings have been rife with Superman material and questions raised by friends, I decided it was time to finally address this issue in one fell swoop. This particular writing deals with one of the more controversial aspects of "Man of Steel" - Superman killing Zod and the ultimate question of "does Superman kill?"<br />
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No. Superman does not kill. <br />
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<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/markhughes/2016/03/17/why-superman-can-kill-in-defense-of-man-of-steel/#4671bc926134">Let me get that exhaustive Forbes</a> article where writer Mark Hughes justifies "Superman the killer" out of the way. I read it. A few times, actually. And it's still wrong. There's an argument out there that "Man of Steel" defenders use regularly, arguing "well, Superman has killed in the comics before, so there's precedent" or "in the Golden Age he killed people, 'Man of Steel' was the Golden Age version!"<br />
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Two things here about "it happened in the comics." 1) Batman used to carry a gun when he was first created. Shortly thereafter he no longer did and he began to abhor guns because they were the instrument used to murder his parents. To this day, Batman hates and does not use guns. Batman also doesn't kill. 2) As comic creator extraordinaire and Superman authority Mark Waid so passionately pointed out in response to that Forbes article:<br />
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You see how stupid the "well he did in the comics in the 1940s" argument is? This is a character that over 75 years has become an icon, an American myth. Something that obviously means something more to a lot of people. Suggesting it's okay to present a betrayal of a character and brand's core values because of something that happened in the early days doesn't hold water. It's also important to note that in the Golden Age, you never really saw the villain die and it was often in outlandish, pulpy ways which were typical at the time (think the German Mechanic in "Raiders of the Lost Ark"). You can't really point to those and say "See!"</div>
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To quickly divert, but keep with his "it happened in the comics idea," a serial "Man of Steel" defender often points to a panel from Superman #1 as the definitive take on Pa Kent and the justification for Pa Kent's out-of-character portrayal in said film:</div>
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Unfortunately for the defender, this is a man telling a child to hide his powers and show restraint, followed up by his mother telling him to assist humanity when the time comes. There's no malice, no message of "maybe let people die," there's a father just being concerned for his son - something that is part of every iteration of Pa Kent. There's no way to state or use this panel as definitive. 1) Clark is still a boy who has yet to understand his powers and 2) Pa Kent could be referring to using a secret identity. There's no definitive statement of Pa Kent's true feelings.</div>
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Back to the "no killing" thing. The Forbes article highlights other examples too. Like in the imaginary tale "What Ever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?" Superman kills Mr. Mxzyptlk. The article's author outright IGNORES the thing Superman does immediately after, without hesitation - he kills himself out of guilt. He stops being Superman.</div>
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Another example Hughes uses is Superman #22 where Superman kills a version of Zod, Quex-Ul and Zaora after they commit a genocide. What the writer ignores is that after Superman does the deed, he's so wracked with guilt and shame he exiles himself from Earth. Eventually returning after an alien helps him come to grips. Also of note, the public was unaware of Superman's actions, his exile and decision to stop being Superman was completely self-imposed.</div>
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Superman #75 is also cited. The famous "Death of Superman" where Superman and Doomsday apparently punch each other to death. Except neither of them die. Superman had entered a "Kryptonian sleep" and Doomsday was in a coma, only to be found, revived and strapped to an asteroid by the Cyborg Superman. And if you aren't satisfied with that and want to still believe that Superman killed Doomsday (which he didn't) it was an instance where he sacrificed his own life.</div>
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Each one of the author's citations can be easily picked apart as alternate tales, or Superman making the ultimate sacrifice himself, or being willing to make that sacrifice. Each comes back to the same conclusion. Superman does not kill. So if your argument is "well, it happens in the comics" then "Man of Steel" should have been the beginning and the end of Superman, because when he kills in the comics, he stops being Superman.</div>
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Another argument often made is "Superman II." When Superman depowers Zod, Ursa and Non in the Fortress of Solitude. Supeman throws Zod into a smokey abyss, Lois punches Ursa into a smokey abyss and Non stupidly falls into the abyss. If you know the history of the first two Superman movies, you know it's a mess. In Richard Lester's version, that's how the villains meet their end. It's ambiguous as to whether or not they're dead, but you're just meant to assume it. But in original director Richard Donner's cut, which is now considered the definitive version, the three de-powered Kryptonians are arrested along with Lex Luthor. That was actually shot. That's how the movie was supposed to end. It once again reinforces the point.</div>
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Superman does not kill. He certainly CAN kill. But he chooses not to and that's what makes him Superman.<br />
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Let me explain why as simply as I possibly can. Take the very core basics of the Superman mythos. Clark Kent was raised by two genuine, non-religious, mid-western Americans. Their politics didn't matter, all that mattered was that they were good people. They cared deeply about others, enough so that when they found a crashed rocketship in a field carrying a baby, they feared the worst. They feared for the child's life. Who did that to a baby? Were they going to come and take the child? They didn't know this child, where he came from or what his future would entail. All they could do was what they thought was right: take him in as their own and give him a sense of hope for a brighter tomorrow. They valued the life of this complete stranger and raised him on something we once considered a core American value - the American Way, if you will - compassion for your fellow citizen and the value of life. That's ultimately what has been built upon for more than 75 years from what was created by two young Jewish immigrants looking towards their better tomorrow.<br />
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Clark Kent was raised to help others less fortunate than him. Even if the Kents didn't have much, Clark was raised to show compassion, valuing every life above even his own. When his powers started to develop, Clark was steered by the good people he was raised by to use those abilities to help people when necessary but keep them a secret for his own protection, before he developed the Superman identity. As any parent would - but not to the extreme extent of Kevin Costner's Pa Kent - there would be some justifiable trepidation along the way. But Jonathan and Martha Kent's motivation for taking in that alien baby was giving him a sense of hope. They knew eventually it would be their son's duty to pass that on. That's what any parent ever wants, for their child to learn from them and improve upon them. The Kents, not Jor-EL, gave their son an ideal to strive towards. Now as Superman, the most powerful person on the planet, it was his duty to take what he learned from his parents and improve upon it, giving all of humanity a sense of hope for a better tomorrow - an ideal to strive towards.<br />
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For this reason, we as consumers of the Superman myth, and beyond that - as humans - people who in real-life believe in the good of our fellow human - are never supposed to relate to Superman. We are supposed to aspire to be him. We aren't supposed to connect with him on a level that says, "I share this experience." Over time, as we've all become more cynical over the years, we start to relate and identify with things - people, causes, ideas. Superman - once the most popular character on the planet - becomes "too good," or "boring" because he "can do anything" and he stops being what he is meant to be - a symbol of hope. He has to be explained as an alien, or a messiah. But Superman is more than just a super-powered alien, he's not even supposed to be a Christ-like figure. In fact, the moment you want Superman to be "grounded," "realistic" or "believable" is the moment you're not really looking for Superman.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even New 52 Pa Kent gets it.</td></tr>
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Superman is the best version of us, he's above all of us. He's everything we hope for and everything we can hope to be and attain. Using his abilities to help the less fortunate, stalwart in his belief of doing the right thing, unwavering in his compassion for people and always being able to see the smallest shred of decency in a person - even Lex Luthor - human, alien or otherwise. Ultimately, he believes in the inherent good in people, sometimes to a fault. That's who we are meant to be, that's the ideal we strive towards.<br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">If Superman becomes a killer even when "absolutely needed", then there is no point to him. When Superman kills, </span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">he's
not better than any of us. He no longer represents that ideal.
He's just an alien with powers. He becomes just like any other person, who as<a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/robsalkowitz/2016/03/18/warner-brothers-destroyed-supermans-brand-for-their-new-franchise-will-it-pay-off/"> Forbes' Rob Salkowitz</a> put it: </span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">"The character who spent the last 75 years being better than us because
of his ability to place principle above power is now just like any
flawed mortal who can be pushed to extremes by fear and desperation."</span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">That's the thing about Superman to reiterate the earlier point, the abilities beyond those of mortal men is not what makes him super, it's</span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"> his values and who he is, the pinnacle of the human spirit and compassion - his principle. </span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">In "Man of Steel," Superman snaps General Zod's neck, killing him. For many it's the ultimate moment of contention. For some like me, it's just the icing on the cake of an entire story that had already misrepresented everything about not only Superman, but Clark Kent. Many say "well, he had only been Superman for three days" or "he had no other choice." But that's not entirely true, he had only learned to fly in the past few days. He'd already been saving people and had already been using his powers. He had also been Clark Kent for 33 years at this point and should have at least developed the basic core value of the character - to rise above human pettiness and always find a better way. </span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">He could have done anything else. Flown Zod away, covered Zod's eyes, found a way to knock him out, put him in some kind of stasis, found another way to send him back to The Phantom Zone, ANYTHING besides killing him, because that goes against everything Superman is and is meant to be. But this was a story choice that Snyder, Goyer and Warner Brothers decided to make that went against EVERYTHING that has been built around Superman, his character and ultimately as Salkowitz points out, the brand.</span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">But this was a cynical, construed version of the character who destroyed a man's livelihood by wrapping a tractor-trailer around a tree because said man was a bully. This was a character who nonchalantly floated over a gas truck, allowing it to hit a parking garage and explode, likely killing a few people. This was a character who - rather than taking the fight elsewhere or using his super-speed to remove bystanders - simply told people on Smallville's Main Street to go inside and lock the doors while he fought equally as powerful people and the U.S. military reigned down enormous firepower. This was a character who made out with his girlfriend in the center of a literal crater of death. Long before Superman and Zod tore apart the skyline of Metropolis, and long before Superman snapped Zod's neck, he was already gone.</span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">The opportunity was there to show Superman's real weakness - have him not focuses on Zod, but saving as many lives as he could, ultimately giving Zod a huge edge in the battle. The filmmakers chose not to go that route.</span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">"Man of Steel" did some things really well, honestly. The cast is EXCEPTIONAL. The first quarter of the movie that took place on Krypton was really well done (the world established and history behind it was neat). The visuals when Jor-EL explained to Clark the history of Krypton were really neat. And I really liked how Lois figured out who Clark was and ultimately helped him develop his secret identity. But those were ultimately small tweaks that were bogged down and muddied by the darker aspects and overall depressing tones of the film. The moment Superman takes off and flies for the first time was great. And that soundtrack... oh man, that Hans Zimmer score is fantastic (I did and still love the new theme). Those story elements were well-done, but they paled in comparison to the dour, mopey characterization of Clark, The Kents and the ultimate misrepresentation of Superman. Making Superman dark, broody and a ultimately a killer doesn't make him more mature or interesting, it betrays him. </span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">There was absolutely nothing hopeful about Superman in "Man of Steel." It was a movie about an alien invasion and another alien who decides to stop them leaving behind a wake of death and destruction.</span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">As many will say, "well just because it isn't YOUR Superman," or as a friend of mine often says to me, "I'm rigid," "extremist" or not "open-minded" about other interpretations of Superman. Not "open-minded." I know he means well, but it's kind of insulting. For example, The New 52 Superman is a different interpretation of the character. I've been open-minded about it, there's a lot right and a lot wrong in my opinion. But if you read Superman comics religiously like I do, you know that the New 52 Superman has started to adopt the more classic traits, and even that the pre-New 52 version is still around. It feels like DC is trying to reset the brand at least in the comics.</span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">But what of interpretations? When you strip away the core values of what makes a character special, then you're no longer in the realm of "interpretation." Take Daredevil for example, since that's timely and amazingly relevant. The TV show is an interpretation of the comic character that has many differences from, but shares the same core values as the comics. He seeks justice, <b>doesn't kill </b>and he's Catholic. In fact, one of the show's biggest running themes in season one and two is about how Daredevil won't betray his principles and become a killer. Had the TV show removed just one of those principles, for example his Catholicism, you're stripping away a core aspect of his character and no longer telling an "interpretation," you're presenting an entirely different character. And it's funny, Stan Lee and Bill Everett didn't outright make him a Catholic or have his religion motivate him at first, but it's become such defining trait of the character that you'd never think otherwise.</span></span><br />
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<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"><br /></span></span>
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody">Yes, there are exceptions... in Superman's case the "Injustice" franchise is a good example. But the difference there is that "Injustice" is about what happens when Superman abandons his principle and kills the Joker in a fit of rage... becomes a tyrant in an alternate universe... and is ultimately stopped by the "true" Superman from the main universe. Confusing right? It's not though, because Superman doesn't kill. </span></span><br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}"><span class="UFICommentBody"></span></span><br />
One of my favorite Superman stories ever is "Ending Battle." In this
story-arc, the telepathic super anti-hero Manchester Black unleashes every Superman villain from Master Jailer to Lex Luthor in an effort to break the Man of Steel.
The climax of the story features Black using his telepathy to make
Superman believe that Black murdered Lois. Superman walks into his apartment to find her dead, truly believing everything he sees. Black is trying to push Superman over the edge, prove that deep down and pushed hard enough, he's a killer. But even with his dead wife in front of him, Superman refuses to kill. Dumbfounded and realizing the truth about Superman, Black ends the ruse, Lois is fine and the last we ever see of Manchester Black is him committing suicide. In trying to get Superman to break his moral code, Black himself became a super-villain and he couldn't live with the fact that in trying to corrupt Superman, he corrupted himself. <br />
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The divisiveness "Man of Steel" has caused over the years proves that the decision to make Superman a killer in "Man of Steel" has hurt the overall brand. The critical and fan response to "Man of Steel" was so tepid that it did feel like Batman's involvement was rushed (I am seriously intrigued by Affleck as Batman, and I think there are some neat ideas at play in the DCEU, the characterization of Superman - and that's a big one - is not one of them).<br />
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Superman is a fictional character owned by Warner Brothers. They can
do whatever the hell they want with him. I shouldn't care, right? Quite
the opposite. The character is iconic, what he means transcends the
comics, movies... all of it. The Superman shield is instantly recognized
all over the world, a brand that has been built for nearly 80 years,
one that arguably every superhero is a derivative. So when you
fundamentally change the characterization and principles of that brand
after nearly 80 years for a mass audience, you're running the risk of
destroying the brand. The divisiveness caused by "Man of Steel" is proof
of this questionable brand management tactic. Ultimately, as Forbes'
Rob Salkowitz put it:<br />
<br />
"What did Warner Bros. get for undoing 75-plus years of equity in a
multi-billion dollar brand? Well, it appears they set up the next movie,
which picks up the thread of having a super-powered alien around who is
unbound by any firm principle, and feels entitled to dispatch his
enemies if he sees fit.<br />
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That might be a cool story. It’s just not a Superman story that anyone would recognize." <br />
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So why doesn't Superman kill? Why should he be the ultimate good guy?<br />
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Because he's better than you, than me, than all of us. He's Superman.<br />
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<br />KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5041993171534668077.post-49278964564947084392016-02-19T23:02:00.002-05:002016-02-19T23:24:29.558-05:00Thoughts on DC Rebirth<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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DC Rebirth is exciting. The decision to have Geoff Johns - perhaps one of the most passionate DC guys on the planet - make the announcement was insanely wise. You could feel the raw emotion in his voice. You could SEE the love he has for the characters. And most importantly, to me, there was a feeling of wonder and optimism that has been sorely missing from the DC Universe.<br />
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I'm a lifetime DC Comics fan. I always have been. I always will be. So I'm always intrigued when DC tries something new in the form of a line-wide revamp. It's actually part of DC's DNA. Whether it was the introduction of the Silver Age characters, Crisis on Infinite Earths, Zero Hour, Final Crisis, One Year Later, Flashpoint, The New 52, DC You... part of the DC Universe is evolution and experimentation. Marvel does it too, but not quite to the extent of DC. No doubt each "event" is met with varying degrees of success and failure, but DC really puts itself out there in an effort to create something new.<br />
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I'm not going to get into stuff like editorial misconduct or how certain voices in comics feel about DC and some of their staff, this is purely about the universe and the business of said universe.<br />
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I'll also preface this by stating what should be obvious and needs to be fixed. Despite billion dollar movies and merchandise literally everywhere depicting the characters of DC, Marvel and so on, comic sales are in the tank. They suck. We're talking about an industry where the most popular books once sold over a million copies and now? The best-selling book barely cracks 250,000 copies. <br />
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There are a number of factors to this. Certainly price is one of them - single issues are at minimum $2.99 compared to under a buck of days past. But one of the biggest problems is distribution. But I think the other problem is content (this is a point for a later post). I do believe that comics need to go back to being able to tell an entire story within the confines of a single issue. Sure graphic novel and trade sales do decently, but that isn't going to sustain the industry. I do think there is a place both for multi-issue arcs, and standalone stories.<br />
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I digress... back to DC. <br />
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The point is DC takes risks with story and characters that have histories of 75-plus years. But part of the core of DC is and always has been legacy. There are certain characters, namely Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman who must ALWAYS remain. That's just the way it is. But legacy has always been integral to DC's core. So to see them bringing that back is exciting.<br />
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There are plenty of rumors surrounding exactly what rebirth will entail... will Classic Pre-Flashpoint Superman emerge as the one true Superman? Will the original World War 2 era Justice Society of America be revived and retake their rightful place? The possibilities are endless and with the New 52 update of some elements of the DC Universe as the basic framework, this could truly be a big step in the right direction.<br />
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For me, the one thing that always set DC apart was that it was the place you went for optimism, hope and a sense of wonder. As a reader and fan, I've felt that has been missing in the New 52 until recently. Part of that to me is the state of Superman. The Man of Steel sets the tone for the DC Universe, whether editorial and creators know it or not. If he's brooding or angry or sad or even slightly dark, the ENTIRE DC Universe follows suit. That's what happened with the New 52. We had a Superman that was darker, angrier and a bit more brutal. He was more fists than brains and ultimately, the entire line shifted that way initially.<br />
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Superman is the key to everything DC. Look at the movies. My feelings for Man of Steel notwithstanding (I am not a fan), it sets the tone for a violent, dark and ultimately spectacle-rich movie experience. The proof? The next two movies. The first features two superheroes fighting and the second is a movie about villains.<br />
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So if Rebirth is indeed bringing back this Classic Superman in more of a mainstream role, you're going to see a giant shift in the tone of the DC Universe, especially since this Superman now has a son. It's really kind of exciting as a fan.<br />
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This idea of Superman being the key to it all also suggests to me that there is some veracity in those rumors about WB being concerned about Batman v. Superman.<br />
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What do I think caused this shift? The Flash TV show.<br />
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More than a decade ago, Christopher Nolan's Batman films began. The first two are good movies that sort of capture the essence of Batman. Their popularity and serious tone suggested that's what fans wanted and everything started to shift that way. But Batman doesn't set the tone of the DC Universe and since then, DC has struggled to find the right footing. Nolan's films are their own thing. They do a lot of masterful things, but at their core they are slightly embarrassed by the source material.<br />
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Contrast that to The Flash, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow and Supergirl TV shows and you see a more full-on embrace of what makes DC great. The Flash is DC at its best. Melodramatic, epic, funny, adventurous, action-packed, serious and wacky. That's DC.<br />
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These shows are immensely popular because of that. They embrace what makes DC great. They aren't super-serious grimdark (Arrow was at first, but it was also very in line with Mike Grell's GA). It's the same formula Marvel uses for the movies and TV... just embrace what these are: comics.<br />
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Say what you will, but there are a lot of hard-working people at DC that really do work tirelessly to try and keep the market afloat. To try different things with these characters, to explore and experiment. But sales haven't been great.<br />
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Even as they make big changes to try and be more inclusive to attract new readers, I have serious questions about whether or not those readers and people who called for and praised change even bothered to show up at the stores with their wallets ready. Maybe they bought the trades. That's great, but not going to sustain the industry. First and foremost, DC is a business and they must sustain.<br />
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It's funny, as DC launched DC You in an effort to change the brand, it featured Superman losing his powers but still doing whatever he could to be Superman. He was still fighting, out these trying to make a difference. That's exactly what DC was doing, proving once again Superman was setting the tone. And with his powers being restored and Classic Superman being brought into the fold, it feels like a return to greatness and here comes rebirth... an "ongoing mission" to remain true to DC's DNA.<br />
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There's a lot I liked about the New 52. Namely, the crazy Wonder Woman mythology and putting old man Ollie to rest, making Green Arrow young again. I'm a big Green Arrow fan, but old man Ollie had run his course and I think Justice League: Cry for Justice proved that.<br />
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With all of this... a restored sense of hope and optimism coming to the DC Universe, there's a contingent of folks out there who are in constant attack mode when it comes to DC. That's too bad. No matter what DC does, they can't win and that's just too bad. Whether it's a satire site that just points out DC's own follies, or a rumor site looking to pat itself on the back... or a contingent of rightfully burned former employees or readers... there's just always a lot of negativity and lots of times at DC.<br />
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At the end of the day, I hope this changes things. I hope it drives people to stores or creates new conversations with great, big ideas. I do hope distribution changes and that DC can indeed hold prices at $2.99 and just sell a ton more comics. I hope the same for Marvel as well.<br />
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The truth is, for the industry to thrive, Marvel and DC need to thrive. Retailers need to thrive.<br />
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I love DC Comics. I love the DC Universe and I hope to play in it one day. But as a fan, I can't tell you the last time I missed an issue of Action Comics or Superman both out of love and habit.<br />
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Ultimately, the energy and initial buzz of DC Rebirth has me looking up to the sky once more.KPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15621797621979166730noreply@blogger.com0