Category Archives: superhero comics

June 6, 2020 · 8:50 am

My New YouTube Channel And My First Video!

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I have an exciting announcement to make. Today, I’ve officially launched my own YouTube channel. I call it Jack’s World. It’s a new creative outlet and one I hope leads me to bigger and better things.

Now, I’ve had this idea for a while. Earlier this year, I announced that I would be scaling back my writing on this site. I’ve also scaled back on writing my sexy short stories and novels. The reasons for that are many, but it comes down largely to time, effort, and response.

I wasn’t getting much traffic from those endeavors. I’d hoped that I could build an audience that would eventually result in forging connections in the publishing world. That effort just didn’t pan out and I’m not confident that it will, especially given the current situation.

I still want to build an audience. I still want to make a living selling books, telling sexy short stories, and sharing my insights with the world. I just can’t do that with this site alone. As such, I’m going to give YouTube a try.

My new channel will be similar to this site in that it covers various topics, from comic books to current events to personal stories to angry rants. It’s my sincere hope that I find a larger audience and greater connections. Today, that journey starts.

I’ve had to teach myself some video editing along the way, but I’ve managed to make my first video. As it just so happens, it involves X-Men and superhero movies. That should shock nobody. It also involves “Dark Phoenix,” a movie that still hold a special place in my heart and always will. I hope you enjoy it.

If you have other ideas for videos or content, please share it. I’ve already got plans for the next crop of videos. Since my channel is small, I’m going to focus on many topics, hoping to eventually find my niche. As for what it means for this website, that remains to be seen. Until then, I hope everyone will join me in Jack’s World.

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May 30, 2020 · 9:25 am

The (Understandable) Reason Why We Won’t Be Getting A Kinberg Cut Of “Dark Phoenix”

We’re living in an interesting age of cinema right now. Between massive cinematic universes, reboots, and all-female remakes, we’re in the midst of some major upheavals to the movie industry. It didn’t start with Netflix, but it’s definitely not ending with it. I’m honestly not sure where it’s going.

However, I am fairly certain that when people look back on this era of cinema, they’ll see the release of the Snyder Cut for “Justice League” as a turning point. It’s not just about a company giving into massive fan demand or big tech companies using major franchises to push a streaming service. It’s a sign that the overall vision for movies as a whole is evolving.

The issues surrounding “Justice League“ are well-known. There are plenty of other issues surrounding movies like it, from “I Am Legend” to “Solo: A Star Wars Movie” to “Spider-Man 3.” Those issues usually revolve around a studio, a director, and corporate executives not being on the same page.

The primary reason why the Snyder Cut is a thing is because executives at Warner Brothers opted to revamp, reshoot, and reconfigure the whole movie, completely changing the tone and plot along the way. That effort just didn’t work and it shows in the box office. If the Snyder Cut turns out to be a hit with fans and drives up subscriptions for HBO Max, the impact could go far beyond the future of DC movies.

This could open the door to other movies whose original vision was undermined. Companies are starting to realize that listening to fans can be profitable, as “Sonic the Hedgehog” showed. They’re also realizing that directors and producers need the whole of their vision realized. You can’t chop it up to the point where crucial parts of the story are left on the cutting room floor, as we saw with “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.”

I hope this will create opportunities for filmmakers and producers alike to realize their visions without having to chop it up for theaters. In an era of streaming services and binge-watching, a movie like the Snyder Cut can totally work. I’m genuinely curious about it and I plan on seeing it the first chance I get.

At the same time, I hope other movies get a similar chance, such as “Suicide Squad,” which was also subject to heavy editing. Sadly, there’s one vision that we’ll never see fully realized in an extended cut and that happens to be a movie that would’ve benefited most from more content. That movie is “Dark Phoenix.”

While I loved the movie we got in theaters, I could tell that it was a movie that had been significantly altered from its original vision. With the pending release of the Snyder Cut, a part of me hoped that we might get an extended version of “Dark Phoenix,” similar to what we got with the Rogue Cut of “Days of Future Past.”

Unfortunately, those hopes have been dashed. In an interview with IGN, Simon Kinberg himself stated outright that there was no “Kinberg Cut” to release. However, he gave a very valid reason for why that is.

IGN: X-Men Movies: Is There a ‘Kinberg Cut’ of Dark Phoenix?

“The movie they released was ultimately my vision for the film,” said Kinberg. “That vision did change over the span of making the movie. There are other scenes that we shot, just as there are a lot of other scenes in [Days of Future Past] that we shot and didn’t end up using. There were scenes we shot for that film and an ending that was quite different than the ending that was in the theatrical release. To release [a Kinberg Cut], it wouldn’t be just be like we splice those scenes back in, because those scenes were never completed because of visual effects and sound – all of the technical aspects that go into completing films of this scale. It would take a whole lot of work, but I appreciate the support.”

Kinberg also told us that many of the changes to Dark Phoenix stemmed from Fox’s decision to condense the project from a duology into a single film. There’s no easy way to create a director’s cut more in line with his original story plans without going back and actually filming that canceled sequel.

Kinberg said, “With every movie, there are things you wish you did differently. On every movie there are things you thought were great and perfect, and then you watch them and didn’t think they were as strong as you imagined and you go a different way. Dark Phoenix was a hard movie because, in its initial concept when I wrote it, it was meant to be a two-part film. And then it suddenly became a one-part movie for reasons that weren’t of my doing. Having to create around that massive change was a challenge in itself. All these movies are uniquely challenging.”

Those bold parts are my doing. They confirm what many already knew. There’s no extended cut to “Dark Phoenix” because it was originally meant to be two movies and that second movie never got made. There’s no extra movie of a “Dark Phoenix” sequel gathering dust in Fox’s vault. The cut we got in theaters was much of what got shot. Some things got edited out, but not enough to significantly change the movie.

These tidbits aren’t entirely new. Long before “Dark Phoenix” came out, it was heavily implied that it was going to be a two-part movie. That makes sense, given how it played out in the source material. The first movie would have Jean become Phoenix. The next would have her go Dark Phoenix. It could’ve been to X-Men what “Infinity War” and “Endgame” were to Avengers.

Sadly, Kinberg never got to make those movies. He was forced to condense the story he wanted to tell into a single movie. That means we probably lost some incredible moments that never made it beyond the storyboard stage. We never got to see a bigger, more dramatic journey for Jean Grey, the X-Men, and plenty of other characters who never showed up. It’s a shame, but it’s understandable.

If “Dark Phoenix” had one insurmountable obstacle, it was the pending merge between Fox and Disney. Once that deal became final, Kinberg’s window to realize his vision was greatly shortened. Granted, I think he did a great job condensing the essence of the Phoenix Saga into a single movie, but it could’ve been so much more.

It’s unfortunate, but understandable. There were forces beyond Kinberg’s control working against him and “Dark Phoenix.” Those same forces ensure that we’ll never get an extended cut because doing so would require that they shoot a second movie, as originally intended. That’s just not going to happen.

While that’s disappointing, it’s understandable. I’m perfectly happy with the cut of “Dark Phoenix” that we got, much more so than I was with the theatrical cut of “Justice League.” I genuinely hope that Marvel Studios will create a bold new vision for X-Men in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I just hope they avoid the same mistakes that Warner Brothers made with “Justice League.”

I trust that Kevin Feige has a vision for X-Men.

I hope that vision is as awesome as it deserves to be.

In the meantime, I’m looking forward to seeing what the Snyder Cut has in store.

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May 21, 2020 · 5:56 am

“Justice League: The Snyder Cut” Is (Actually) Being Released: My Thoughts, My Hopes, And The Implications

It’s happening.

It’s really happening.

After years of hashtags, billboards, and incessant curiosity, it’s really happening. The fabled “Snyder Cut” of 2017’s “Justice League” is going to be released. Near as I can tell, this is not a joke. It’s not some wild rumor that some renegade trolls concocted. This is real. According to major entertainment news outlets, including The Hollywood Reporter, this is going to happen.

Zack Snyder’s original vision for “Justice League” is coming out in 2021 exclusively on HBO Max, the latest entry to the streaming wars, courtesy of Warner Brothers. I doubt those outside devoted fans of comic books and superhero movies understand why this is such a big deal, but as someone within that circle, I can assure you that this is big.

Rather than explain the whole story, I’ll just cite The Hollywood Reporter, which does a commendable job of summing up the issues. If you need more information on the story of this mythical cut of an otherwise forgettable movie, Forbes also did a decent rundown of the timeline.

THR: Zack Snyder’s $20M-Plus ‘Justice League’ Cut Plans Revealed

In the time since its release, something unusual happened: A growing movement of fans, rallied by the hashtag #ReleasetheSnyderCut, had called, agitated, petitioned — even bought a Times Square billboard and chartered a plane to fly a banner over Comic-Con — for Snyder’s version to be released. And on the film’s second anniversary, the hashtag had its biggest day ever — with even the movie’s stars Gal Gadot and Ben Affleck adding their voices on Twitter.

So here, the morning after, was their agent saying that Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures, was acknowledging the movement, and more importantly, was willing to accede. “This is real. People out there want it. Would you guys ever consider doing something?” was what Emmerich was asking, Zack Snyder recalls.

The answer to Emmerich’s question, a whispered-about secret for months, was revealed Wednesday when Zack Snyder confirmed, at the end of an online screening of his 2013 movie, Man of Steel, that his version of Justice League was indeed real. And that it will be coming to HBO Max, the WarnerMedia digital streaming service launching May 27, and is expected to debut in 2021.

Now, I have my share of opinions about “Justice League” and Zack Snyder. I actually saw the theatrical version of “Justice League” when it came out. While I gave it a respectable review, I don’t deny that the movie has its flaws. I’m not an overall movie buff, but even I could tell that the movie was heavily edited. There was definitely a vision and plenty of potential, but a lot of it got lost on the cutting room floor.

In its current form, “Justice League” is one of those movies that gets less compelling with age. You can see it once, have an enjoyable experience, and completely forget that experience within weeks. It’s not a movie that you can re-watch and feel engaged. It’s just too bland and sanitized.

Snyder’s cut of the movie promised to be different. He had a much different vision, but couldn’t realize that vision due to a family tragedy that tore him away from the project. Now, we’ll get to see the essence of that vision.

Personally, I’m curious. I’m not curious enough to shell out money for yet another streaming service, but I’m certainly interested in what Snyder had planned for this movie. A big part of that curiosity stems from Snyder’s history as a filmmaker whose vision tends to get lost on the cutting room floor.

This has happened to him multiple times before and for other superhero movies. There were a lot of heavy criticisms levied against “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and some of those criticisms were valid. However, the longer and more complete Ultimate Edition of the movie directly addressed some of those flaws. I honestly think the movie would’ve done better if that edition had come out.

A far more notable example, in my opinion, involves Snyder’s take on “Watchmen.” That movie is somewhat polarizing among fans, although I personally liked it. However, this movie has multiple extended cuts, including a director’s cut that Snyder himself says is most consistent with his vision for the film.

That’s actually the version I own on blu-ray. I think it’s an underrated gem among superhero movies. It’s more complete, concise, and compelling. It better encapsulates the essence of “Watchmen” and the story it tries to tell.

It’s because of these instances that I believe will help Snyder’s cut of “Justice League.” History shows that he can tell a great story, so long as the critical details aren’t cut out in the final edit. Granted, editing is a core aspect of finalizing a movie. It’s necessary to get a movie to within a reasonable time-frame for a movie-watching experience. Not everyone wants to sit in a theater for four hours unless it’s something J. R. R. Tolkein wrote.

Snyder’s desire to tell a larger story seems to get away from him. In that sense, it might be a good thing that this isn’t coming out in theaters. Instead, it’s coming out on a streaming platform that people can consume at their own pace. People already consume hours on end of old shows. Consuming a four-hour movie isn’t quite as daunting. Just look at “The Irishman.”

This is where I feel the larger implications of this announcement may come into play. A non-insignificant reason why Snyder’s movies keep getting chopped up into something that doesn’t do well with critics or fans is because they’re so long. His efforts to tell a bold story just don’t fit within that reasonable two to three hour time-frame for a movie. Movies like “Watchmen” reveal that those stories can be compelling.

Beyond the story, the impact of the Snyder Cut could extend beyond “Justice League,” superhero movies, and the movie-making process as a whole. This is where I believe there could be larger implications that will likely impact future movies, including those that don’t involve superheroes.

For decades, there has been this idea that movies have to operate within certain restrictions. For the most part, there’s merit to those restrictions. Movies beyond three-and-a-half hours just aren’t feasible for a general audience or their bladder. A trilogy like “Lord of the Rings” was a rare exception, but could never become the norm.

Thanks to streaming platforms like Netflix and HBO Max, this may no longer be the case. Now, there’s a new method for releasing these movies. The current global pandemic, as well as the recent success with direct-to-streaming releases, will further raise the importance of those platforms.

With these new tools and emerging trends, why should movies be confined to the limits imposed by movie theaters? Why can’t there be a four-hour “Justice League” movie? Why can’t there be a five-hour Avengers movie? Why does any movie have to be chopped up and edited to such an extent that it loses important aspects of its plot?

The Snyder Cut could make the case that those restrictions need not hinder a bolder vision. There’s still a place for the kinds of popcorn movies we see in theaters, but why not also invest in a place where a movie like Snyder’s cut of “Justice League” can also exist?

The world of movies, media, and story-telling is changing. Regardless of how the Snyder Cut ends up being in the eyes of fans, its impact could be far greater. Hopefully, it leads to bigger, bolder, and better stories. It may not always warrant the cost of another streaming service, but it opens the door to so many possibilities.

Time will tell. Hopefully, we’ll see if the wait was worth it in 2021.

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April 17, 2020 · 6:00 am

How To Save The Comic Industry (In Four Easy Steps)

The comic book industry is in a state of crisis. I know you can say that about a lot of industries amidst a global pandemic, but the comics industry has been extremely hard hit. Shipments of new comics have ceased. Comic shops are likely to go out of business without that influx of new product. The industry that I’ve loved since I was a kid has never been this vulnerable.

It’s very depressing. I certainly have felt that after multiple weeks of no new comics. A handful of people, namely the whiny agenda-pushing loser types, have been talking doom and gloom about the comics industry for years. However, this hit has nothing to do with some overly political T-shirt that Mockingbird wore.

Even after the pandemic ends, this industry that I love will never be the same. It can’t go back to the way it used to be. This crisis has shown, among other things, that the current model that the comic industry utilizes just isn’t sustainable. It needs an overhaul of some kind.

I’m certainly not smart enough to know what that overhaul entails. I doubt few people are. However, as a long-time fan and follower of the industry, I have a few ideas. To keep it simple, here are four steps to saving the comic book industry in a post-pandemic world.

Step 1: Emphasize Quality Over Quantity

This is a simple metric. There are just too many books coming out all at once. However, this is a problem that predates the current crisis. It’s a problem that has lingered since the industry almost crashed completely in the early 1990s. It came down to simple economics. Publishers made too many books that not enough people bought. Even if they were only a dollar apiece, there’s only so much consumers can consume.

This is not a sustainable business model. Companies like Marvel and DC Comics grew the most when they were just publishing a dozen or so titles a month, with a few mini-series on the side. You could, conceivably, follow every major event in the Marvel or DC universe for less than $40, adjusted for inflation. That kind of easy access is what helped create the massive fandom that these franchises enjoy today.

That said, this isn’t the mid-1960s. The world is changed. Markets and consumer habits have changed. However, there’s still a place for comics in the publishing world. It’s just a matter of making those products more valuable. Books like DC’s Earth One series are basically single-issue graphic novels that tell a rich, complex story at a higher price and it’s worth every penny.

At a time when people are strapped for cash and looking for value, the comics industry is in a perfect position to tap into it. Make every comic count. Make every dollar feel like it was well-spent. It won’t just keep new fans happy. It’ll help create an entirely new generation of fans who are less inclined to go to crowded movie theaters.

Step 2: Embrace Digital (In A Novel Way)

This step plays directly off the first in that it embraces new technology. Decades ago, comics were easy to access because you could buy them at news stands and grocery stores. As a kid, I got most of my comics from the grocery store at first. They were easy and, much to my parents’ delight, cheap ways of putting a smile on my face.

These days, you can’t find comics in grocery stories. However, digital comics have grown a great deal and are more accessible than ever, thanks to companies like Comixology. Most comics are already released digitally on the same day they come out in shops. That’s great, but it’s basically just an extra convenience for those who don’t live near comic shops. That can’t be the extent of how digital comics impact the industry.

At the moment, digital comics are only a small part of overall comic sales, but they’re growing rapidly. In conjunction with that growth, the industry needs to embrace the other opportunities that digital offers. Services like Marvel Unlimited are nice, but they’re just giving us products that were already released. Why not give us something we can’t get anywhere else?

I’m not sure what that something is, be it a motion comic or something that sets itself apart from a traditional paperback. I’m not smart enough to figure it out, but digital offers so many rich opportunities. The first company to figure it out will make millions and entice a new generation of fans.

Step 3: Make Comic Shops More Than Comic Shops

I love comic shops. Some of my fondest memories have occurred in comic shops. I don’t want them to go away. However, embracing digital comics doesn’t mean the same as ditching these important brick-and-mortar structures. It just means changing their role in the overall comics infrastructure.

When I was a kid, there were two types of stores. One were the stores you could hang out in and the other were the stores in which the owners kicked you out if you lingered for more than 10 minutes. The future of the industry needs to embrace the former rather than the latter.

Comic shops can’t just be about selling comics and merchandise. Too much of that is online and relying on that model is doomed to failure. Instead, comic shops need to be part comic shop and part coffee shop. Make it a place where you don’t just browse the racks for new material. Make it a place where you can sit down with friends, get some coffee, get a snack, and enjoy comics in a communal manner.

Once comic shops are an experience again, people will visit them and not just because there are new comics to buy. If comics can become a popular hang-out once more, then they’ll have a place in a new market.

Step 4: Empower Creators (Instead Of Screwing Them Over)

As much as I love comics, I don’t doubt that it has engaged in some shady business practices. There are many stories about comic creators getting screwed over by major publishers. While every industry has shady practices, the comics industry relies too heavily on brilliant creators to screw them over.

While Marvel and DC have their Disney/WB overlords to please, they can’t just rely on being farms for intellectual property. There has to be a new and better way for compensating creators. Alan Moore may be a cankerous blow-hard, but he really did get screwed over when DC flat out broke their promise to him.

Broken promises always cost more in the long run, especially with respect to comics. It’s not enough for the publishers to just acknowledge the contributions of creators. They need to have a way to profit. It’s not impossible. Apple does it with their app store, creating a means for creative developers to profit from their creations while still making Apple billions.

When both benefit, everyone benefits. It’s really that simple.

I know the comics industry is undergoing rapid change. I don’t doubt I’ll be upset with some of those changes. However, I also understand that the industry needs to change in this increasingly chaotic world. These are just some ideas on how to go about it.

Whatever happens, I hope this industry that I love continues to thrive. I don’t know how, but I do know that a lot of people love it and they’ll find a way to make it work.

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April 8, 2020 · 5:55 am

No New Comic Day For The Second Week In A Row (But I’m Finding Ways To Cope)

 

Another Wednesday morning has come and once again, there are no new comics to wake up to. This is the second week in a row that this tragedy has occurred and it’s not something I want to get used to. The news came down on Monday, so I still had time to brace myself.

It still wasn’t enough.

This is the longest I’ve ever gone without enjoying a new stack of comics since the dark days of waiting by the mailbox on Wednesday afternoons, hoping that my comics weren’t late, which they often were. There were times when stores were closed and entire shipments were delayed, but that was usually because of a blizzard or a severe weather event. Those never lasted this long.

There’s still no timeframe for when New Comic Day will resume, just as there’s no timeframe for when sports will resume. According to the Comixology website, some of my pre-orders and pull lists are set for release on April 15th, but that’s very likely to change. Pretty much every release date is likely to change until the pandemic subsides.

Even for those saying the light at the end of the tunnel is in sight, it can’t come fast enough. It’s hard enough going through the first few weeks of April without watching any baseball or going to the movies. Not having new comics to read on a Wednesday morning is just making it worse.

It’s bad.

It’s frustrating.

It’s downright disheartening.

That said, I am finding ways to cope that still involve comics. As hard as it is not getting anything new for weeks on end, it has given me an opportunity to catch up on some other books that I haven’t had the time or budget to read. Most of these books are compilations or older graphic novels that I’ve been waiting to buy on sale through Comixology. Thankfully, there have been plenty of those sales lately.

It’s pretty much the only way I can get new comics. While most are books that have been spoiled, expanded, or retconned, they still have value to anyone who appreciates comics. In that sense, I intend to make the most of some of these sales and catch up on some of the books that I’ve had on my wish-list for a good long while.

To those looking for something to fill that lingering void that new comics aren’t filling, here’s a brief list of books you can buy now to help tide you over.

Miles Morales: Ultimate Spider-Man Volume 1

New Mutants by Abnett & Lanning: The Complete Collection Vol. 1

Y: The Last Man Volume 1: Unmanned

Sandman Volume 1: Preludes & Nocturnes

Fantastic Four Volume 3: The Herald Of Doom

Avengers by Jonathan Hickman: Volume 1

Red Sonja: Worlds Away Volume 1

The Boys Volume 1: The Name of the Game

This will end eventually. It just can’t end soon enough. Until then, I’m going to take some extra showers every Wednesday so that I can’t tell how much I’m crying.

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March 31, 2020 · 5:57 am

Wonder Woman, Relationships, And Misguided Standards For Female Heroes

I love superhero comics. I love romance. Naturally, I love it when they’re combined into a perfect package of super-romantic sentiment. I’ve singled out a few favorites of mine in the past, as well as a few not-so-favorites that act as cautionary tales. Chances are I’ll find plenty more excuses to write about superhero romance in the future.

That said, I’d like to take a step back from the specifics of superhero romance and assess the forest from the trees, so to speak. Instead, I thought I’d highlight something that I’ve been noticing within the pages of some of my favorite comics. It’s not necessarily an egregious flaw, but it is a distressing trend for lovers of romance like myself.

It has to do with how superheroes are portrayed when they’re in romantic relationships. Almost every popular superhero is caught up in a romantic sub-plot. Superman has his ever-iconic love story with Lois Lane. Cyclops and Jean Grey have decades of romance and drama. Spider-Man gets around so much that he has multiple iconic romances.

Not every superhero is defined by their romantic sub-plot, although some are more effected by it than others. It’s hard to tell the story of Sue “Invisible Woman” Richards without involving her husband and children. However, certain characters are held to different standards when it comes to romance.

That’s to be expected, given the diverse circumstances of each hero. Not every hero is going to be affected by their romantic sub-plot in the same way. That effect also changes through different eras. Even the iconic relationship between Superman and Lois Lane has changed a great deal over the years, although not necessarily for the better.

However, this particular era has really twisted the standards for female superheroes in romantic relationships and not in a good way. I won’t go so far as to call it a double standard like the others I’ve cited, but the differences are stark. It goes like this.

A male superhero gets caught up in a romantic sub-plot. The plot progresses, he enters a relationship with his romantic interest, and continues being the same hero he’s always been. The relationship supplements his story.

A female superhero gets caught up in a romantic sub-plot. The plot progresses and she enters a relationship with her romantic interest, but the relationship conflicts with her ability to be a superhero. It gets to a point where the act of her being a hero is detrimental to the relationship. She can have one or the other, but not both.

These scenarios are somewhat generic, but they convey a similar message. Male superheroes can be in romantic relationships without it undermining their heroic persona, but female superheroes can’t have those relationships without it becoming an obstacle.

This strange, unbalanced dynamic played out recently in the pages of “Wonder Woman #754.” I’d even go so far as to argue that Wonder Woman suffers the most from this dynamic, despite being one of the most iconic female superheroes of all time. Given that she’s the ideal that other female superheroes are compared to, I think that’s telling.

The main plot of the issue isn’t important. The side-plot is where this dynamic showed up. There were frequent flashbacks that highlighted Diana’s recent “drama” with her long-time romantic interest, Steve Trevor. I put drama in quotes because it feels less like drama and more like forced excuses.

It’s been an issue for Wonder Woman for decades. Despite being her most iconic love interest, going back to the 1940s, Steve Trevor has never been that official with Diana. Even though they’ve professed their love for one another in many forms and in many timelines, they’re rarely ever shown as being in a functional, mature relationship.

It’s not just with Steve Trevor, either. Even in the classic “Justice League” cartoon in which she was romantically linked to Batman, nothing ever became official. There’s was never a point where Wonder Woman went from being single to being in a real, functioning relationship.

In fact, the only time Wonder Woman was ever in a functional romantic relationship was when she dated Superman during DC’s short-lived New 52 era in the comics. During that time, Wonder Woman and Superman had their own comics and their own stories. Sometimes, those stories became entwined. Sometimes, they didn’t. It never undermined their relationship or vice versa.

I know comic fans have strong opinions about the New 52 as a whole, but I find it telling that this was really the only time Wonder Woman was allowed to be in a relationship while still being Wonder Woman. For her to be someone’s girlfriend and still be the hero she’s always been, her significant other had to be Superman.

Take a moment to think about the scope of that standard. Wonder Woman, the standard-bearer for female superheroes for decades, can be in a functional relationship, but only with someone as capable as Superman. She and Steve Trevor can be in love, but they can’t have a relationship. He’s just an ordinary man. He’d just undermine Wonder Woman’s ability to be the ideal female hero we know and love.

Meanwhile, male heroes like Batman and Spider-Man can become romantically involved with far less capable individuals, many of which don’t have superpowers and can’t fly across the planet to be on time for date night. They’re still allowed to be in those relationships, but Wonder Woman can’t even make the effort with one of her most iconic romances with Steve Trevor.

As a fan of superhero comic, romance, and Wonder Woman, I find this both flawed and frustrating. While the “Wonder Woman” movie did an solid job establishing genuine romance between her and Steve Trevor, they still never got a chance to actually be in a relationship. It’s as though a female hero can’t be in a relationship without losing something. At the same time, a male hero can’t have a complete story without one.

It’s a strange disconnect and I think it’s getting worse. In recent years, superhero comics have made a concerted effort to develop female characters and I applaud that effort. It has led to some major successes. The problem is that, like Wonder Woman, these female characters aren’t really allowed to become anyone’s girlfriend. Being in a relationship is seen as an obstacle to being strong, independent, compelling characters.

Respectfully, I call bullshit.

Being in a relationship isn’t detrimental to any character, male or female, if the relationship is well-written. In addition, female characters don’t have to be completely, 100-percent independent to be great. In fact, making them that emotional single-minded is a good way to make them unlikable and unrelatable because, in the real world, people have relationships. They form bonds, rely on others, and are effected by those close ties.

Now, I don’t deny that writing great female characters is challenging, especially in recent years. It feels like you can’t write female characters without having an agenda anymore, even when it’s not printed on a shirt. Again, I call bullshit. Female characters, like all characters, are deeply affected by the loving bonds they form. They deserve the same development and exploration as their male counterparts.

Why can’t Wonder Woman be in an official relationship with Steve Trevor?

Does being Steve Trevor’s girlfriend make Wonder Woman any less a superhero?

Does any female superhero lose something when they become someone’s girlfriend?

These are relevant questions that are worth asking. If someone as iconic as Wonder Woman can’t be in a relationship with someone without undermining what makes her Wonder Woman, then that’s not a problem with her as a character. That’s a problem with the standards and assumptions we have about superhero romance.

I’m sorry if this rant feels dragged out, but this has been bothering me for a while. I’d be happy to discuss it more. Please share your thoughts in the comments.

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March 24, 2020 · 5:52 am

Marvel’s “New Warriors” Brings Out The Dumbest Criticisms (From Whiny Losers)

A big part of being a fan of anything is enduring the hard times. Whether you’re a fan of a sports team, a celebrity, or a particular author, there are going to be missteps. For every “Dark Knight,” there’s going to be a “Batman and Robin” that’ll make even the hardest of hardcore fans cringe.

It’s no different for superhero comics. There have been times when being a fan of X-Men, Justice League, the Avengers, or Batman have not been pleasant. Sometimes, the quality of the material being produced just isn’t that great. Sometimes, it’s downright infuriating. Just ask any Spider-Man fan about One More Day or the Clone Saga.

However, there’s a big difference between enduring hard times and just whining about something. There’s a big difference between criticism and whining, but some people who claim to be fans can’t seem to tell the difference. A few even manage to whine loud enough to draw an audience, albeit for the wrong reasons.

If you follow comics as closely as I do, you know who I’m talking about. They’re the kind of people who find a comic, single out a few particular elements, and go on these long whiny rants that basically say the same thing.

It’s all blah-blah-blah-SJW-blah-blah-blah-political correctness-blah-blah-blah-it’s too damn woke-blah-blah-blah-the industry is doomed-blah-blah-blah-they’re insulting older fans. I won’t single out any of these frail, emotionally-stunted losers by name or handle. They don’t deserve the extra attention and I refuse to give it to them.

They’ll claim they’re defending the industry they love. They’re just whining loudly and hoping to attract clicks in the process. It’s pathetic. It’s also predictable. That’s why I groaned when I saw this recent news from Marvel regarding a relaunch of their New Warriors series.

Marvel: Introducing The New ‘New Warriors’

When Kamala’s Law goes into effect in the highly anticipated one-shot, OUTLAWED, super heroics will be left to the adults and underage heroes will be banned unless they have official government assigned mentors. That’s where THE NEW WARRIORS come in.

Now, I’m not the biggest fan of New Warriors. I’ve heard of them before and I know their history to some extent, but this is hardly the most outrageous thing Marvel could’ve done. They’re not killing off older characters and replacing them with young, diverse characters, a la Riri Williams. They’re not radically changing the background or history of established characters, like they did with the Maximoff Twins.

In fact, they’re doing exactly what these same whiny losers always say they should do. They’re creating entirely new characters with diverse backgrounds instead of forcing them into roles that others have occupied. They’re not canceling, changing, or undermining the characters we’ve loved since the days of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. They’re just creating something new to supplement those characters.

Despite that, these same “critics” still whine about it. They whine the same way they whined endlessly about “Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker.” The mere fact that this new title exists, especially its two non-binary characters, Snowflake and Safespace, is enough to make them cry like immature babies who just had their blanket taken away.

It’s one thing to criticize Marvel for trying to force new characters into the roles of established characters. That rarely works out. It’s quite another to complain when companies like Marvel try to make new characters from scratch who don’t resemble the many other characters around them. It’s almost as if characters aren’t allowed to be different beyond a certain point.

If that weren’t bad enough, these same whiny losers are judging this book before they’ve even read it. I admit it doesn’t look too appealing to me, but I haven’t read it. How am I supposed to know if it’s good? How will I know that Snowflake and Safespace aren’t good characters?

There’s a word for people who judge things before they actually give it a chance. It’s not a very flattering word, but I doubt the same whiners will admit to knowing it. They’ll still claim they’re defending their preferred genre, but all they’re doing is trying to justify their prejudice by whining.

Once again, the wise words of Abraham Simpson sum it up best.

giphy

Nuff said!

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February 11, 2020 · 5:57 am

A Simple Comment On The Criticism/Whining On “Birds Of Prey”

Sometimes, a movie just fails to find an audience.

It’s not because of some larger social agenda that backfired horribly.

It’s not because of some huge backlash caused by misguided marketing strategies, either.

Most of the time, the world isn’t that fanciful. It’s just chaotic, unpredictable, and messy. No matter how much a movie, TV show, or product attempts to appeal to a broad audience, it can just fail. That’s all there is to it.

Trying to fit an agenda into that failure is like trying to build a conspiracy around why you’re stuck in traffic. The world isn’t out to get you or people like you. Most of the time, shit just happens and you’re just caught up in it. That’s not to say that agendas never squeeze themselves into the media. It happens, but it’s effect is often exaggerated. Most of the time, the final product just doesn’t work.

That brings me to “Birds of Prey.” Now, in the interest of full disclosure, I completely forgot about this movie. I had no excitement for it and not just because I was underwhelmed by “Suicide Squad.” I like Margot Robbie. I like Harley Quinn. She’s a great actress who plays a great character. The movie just did not grab my attention.

I saw the trailer. It was fine, but forgettable. I didn’t feel compelled to watch it 10 times in a row, as I did with “Wonder Woman 1984.” I didn’t feel compelled to see the movie, either. Even though it got good reviews, it just didn’t appeal to me. I planned to watch it when it came out on cable. Based on the early box office haul, I’m not alone in that sentiment.

I’d be perfectly fine to leave it at that. In previous years, I wouldn’t even bring it up. However, due to the growing inclination to make everything political, the under-performance of “Birds of Prey” is already getting the wrong people talking about it for all the wrong reasons.

Some are already lumping this movie in the same category as 2016’s “Ghostbusters” or the horrendously bad “Charlie Angels” reboot. Now, I don’t want to get into the politics behind it, mostly because I value the integrity of my brain cells. I’ll just say this. Whether you’re liberal, conservative, feminist, traditionalist, anarchist, or Marxist, there’s one thing to remember.

It’s a goddamn movie. Sometimes, movies just fail to find an audience. That’s it. That’s all there is to it.

Maybe it eventually becomes a cult classic, like “Blade.” Maybe it rebounds with good word of mouth. Either way, it has nothing to do with an agenda. The public, as a whole, just didn’t respond to it. Any criticism/whining beyond that is just asinine.

That’s all I have to say about “Birds of Prey.” Harley Quinn is still a great character and Margot Robbie is still a great actress. Your agenda, whatever it may be, has no bearing on that. It never has. It never will. Get over yourself and just watch the movies you enjoy.

 

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January 15, 2020 · 6:00 am

New Comic Book Day January 15, 2020: My Pull List And Pick Of The Week

In the times before the internet, comic fans like myself built their entire Wednesdays around when and how they could get to a comic book store. As horrifying as a time before the internet might be to most people under the age of 25, some of us remember it. We also remember the challenges, but we don’t miss them.

For me, it was a tough challenge to get around. There would be days in which I couldn’t get to a shop to get my stack of comics and the mail service almost never delivered subscription titles on time. For that reason, and many others, Wednesdays were stressful. Now, thanks to online shops like Comixology, those dark times are distant memories.

It’s because of companies like Comixology, and their Amazon overlord, that Wednesdays are far less arduous. We wake up, log in, and have our entire pull list for the week at our fingertips. Throw in a cup of hot coffee with a pinch of whiskey and you’ve got a perfect storm of morning heaven.

Today is another trip to that heaven. With it, I have a digital pull list tailor made to make my Wednesday as special as it deserves to be. What follows is my pull list for the week and my top pick from that special lot.

Also, I wasn’t joking about the whiskey in my coffee.

My Pull List

Avengers #29

The Flash #86

Jessica Jones: Blind Spot #1

Valkyrie: Jane Foster #7

Saban’s Go Go Power Rangers #27

Iron Man 2020 #1

My Pick of the Week

Back in the mid 1980s, Marvel published a mini-series called Machine Man by Tom DeFalco, Herb Trimpe, and Barry Windsor-Smith. This underrated gem envisioned a cyberpunk future in which an emerging class of artificial intelligent beings clashed with humanity. On the front lines of that clash was Iron Man 2020.

At the time, it just seemed like a cool concept and a valid excuse to build a world around epic robot battles. Now, it is 2020. While we don’t have the same robot battles envisioned in that book, there are increasingly serious concerns about the emergence of artificial intelligence and what that could mean for the human race.

“Iron Man 2020 #1” doesn’t just take this concept and run with it. It channels the spirit of Jack Kirby in pursuing bold ideas and the bolder implications behind them. Writers Dan Slott and Christos Gage embrace the aesthetics and themes of that old story. The Iron Man that emerges is a different kind if Iron Man.

If you haven’t been following the recent Iron Man comics, that’s not too great an obstacle. All you need to know is that Tony Stark lost control of his company and his Iron Man armor. It’s not because he’s “dead.” I put that in quotes because that’s somewhat of a relative term in this book, as well as many other Marvel books.

The Tony that had been running around as Iron Man was declared not to be the “real” Tony. He was just an artificial intelligence in a fresh body. Legally speaking, that means Tony is dead and everything he once owned now belongs to his brother, Arno Stark. If you don’t know his story, you’d be wise to look it up. For “Iron Man 2020 #1,” it’s not entirely necessary. You just need to know that he’s a new kind if Iron Man.

Tony’s presence still looms large, as do the ideas surrounding artificial intelligence, identity, and how it fits into a society still run by flawed, fleshy humans. There are a lot of new plots on top of ones that have been unfolding for years in the pages of Iron Man. “Iron Man 2020 #1” just sets the stage for what should be a very special year for all things Iron Man.

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January 14, 2020 · 6:00 am

My (Mixed) Reaction To The “Morbius” Trailer

Whenever a trailer for a new superhero movie comes out, I get excited. It’s basically a reflex at this point. In this golden age of superhero movies, we’re at a point where the bar is high, the variety of movies is fast, and it promises to get even more diverse in the near future.

While movies like “Avengers Endgame” and “Joker” have left fans like me feeling spoiled, it’s still possible for some movies to come along and just not strike any chords. That’s not to say they’re terrible or doomed to “Catwoman” levels of failure. They just come along at a strange time when they don’t seem to fit.

That’s what colored my reaction to the recent release of the “Morbius” trailer. I knew of this movie. I knew it was set to come out this year. I also knew that Jared Leto had been cast in the main role of Michael Morbius. After how poorly his rendition of Joker panned out in “Suicide Squad,” I welcomed this news. Leto is a great actor who just needs to find the right role. I thought Morbius could be that role.

It’s one of those roles that could be great for both Leto and the character. Even if you’re familiar with Marvel comics, especially the Spider-Man branch of the comics, you probably don’t know much about Michael Morbius. He’s not a new character. He’s been around since 1971.

However, he has never been a high-profile hero. He’s best known as an occasional antagonist for Spider-Man, but in terms of notoriety, he’s a far cry from Venom, Doctor Octopus, or the Green Goblin.

Since his debut, he’s tried to stand on his own. Sometimes, he succeeds, but he’s never risen to the same levels as other popular Spider-Man characters. This movie could change, but after seeing the trailer, I’m not so sure.

It’s not bad. It’s not great, either. It didn’t get me excited like “Venom” or “Joker.” It didn’t paint Morbius in a unique light, either. It teases a plot that feels pretty generic. It doesn’t feel bold or groundbreaking. It doesn’t come off as stupid or poorly handled, either. Leto looks great in the part, especially at the end.

I don’t hate it. I don’t love it, either. For the moment, I’m ambivalent about this movie. Compared to the colorful antics of “Birds of Prey” and the horror themes of “New Mutants,” this just doesn’t stand out.

I’ll still give it a chance. I’ll still root for this movie to succeed, but I won’t be surprised if it fails. It could be another “Venom” or it could end up as bad as “Catwoman.” It’s hard to say at this point. Only time will tell.

At the very least, this will be a story in which the vampires don’t sparkle.

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