“Comics aren’t political!”

So, was scrolling through Twitter (or X, sorry) and came across this. Another user reposted it with his own critiques, and the comments were tearing Nachtbrezel apart.

This is a clip from the 2001 Justice League series, which is still one of the best animated superhero adaptations.

If you go into this clip blind, it appears Superman is telling Shazam that superheroes can’t pick political sides or do commercials.

OK, so that seems like it is clear as day. Nachtbrezel is right, Superman is saying superheroes don’t do politics. Superman has a comics history of being political, Kingdom:Come, is a good example. But if we focus on this show, it appears Nachtbrezel found the perfect clip to sum up his point.

However, since I’ve watched this series multiple times (and still remember this episode), I know that’s not the case.

Here, Superman is criticizing Shazam for taking a picture with Lex Luthor. Luthor, at this point in the show, appears to be reforming. He is trying to create a more positive public image, and the pic with Shazam (along with a Shazam quote) is branded as an endorsement by a newspaper.

That is the context for Superman’s quote about politics. Later in this episode Superman realizes he may have been wrong.

The context for all of this is political. This entire season of the show had a story arc revolving around the Justice League’s conflict with the government. A branch of the government, Cadmus, wants them more controlled.

That is political. But it is tough to know that if you’re only exposure is a 12-second clip. This was honestly eye-opening. How often do people post clips from shows they haven’t even watched, cherrypicking and thinking they owned the libs (or the conservatives)?

This is just another lesson in media literacy. Don’t just read a headline, read the article.

When it comes to this tweet, the part that I found most amusing was the mention of Dwayne McDuffie. McDuffie, RIP, was the co-creator of Static Shock and the main writer for this season of Justice League.

McDuffie was very vocal about diversity in comics, which is why he created Milestone, a minority-owned and operated comic book company.

To paint McDuffie as a good Negro who avoids politics, shows that this user probably Googled the writer after finding the clip. Then he got excited because he could get brownie points for liking a black person’s work, thereby getting a “black friend” card too.

Young Justice and Trump Luthor

Note: Yet again, lost track of the days and haven’t been posting regularly for the past two weeks.

Part of this was due to my birthday late in the month. The day and the weekend were great, but hitting 28 has made me take time to re-evaluate my goals. I have been focusing more on the job hunt and a rewrite of Elseworld. I’ve also written an opening scene for a rewrite of Hazard and am actively pursuing publication for my short stories. I hope to have a new full-time job by the end of the year and have a short story published by my 29th birthday. 

I remember starting Young Justice‘s first season and hating a lot of things, especially the character of Megan. “Hello Megan” was annoying and Megan didn’t have much character development besides drooling over Superboy. I felt like I was watching a Wattpad story come to life.

However, I grew to like the series more as it went on. The first season can always be rough since the writers might still be figuring out their characters, and voice actors might be going through the same growing pains.A smaller detail, but I also liked that “Hello Megan” was explained to be the title and catchphrase of an old TV show. Megan became obsessed with it and used the actress as a model for her human appearance. This helped me to forgive one of the most annoying quirks of season one Megan.

The second season was much stronger, and this third is my favourite so far.

It’s interesting to see a more violent version of the show, since the removal from Cartoon Network allows the creators more freedom. Of course, that’s not the only thing that makes it better. I am liking the villains, the cast, the new characters, the writing, but I also love how the media is omnipresent this season.

Aside from just wanting to defeat their enemies via combat, the team realizes the importance of controlling or shaping the media’s narrative. They have to create a positive, public image and actively work to fight misinformation that can turn the public against them. They even go into murky territory of creating fake news to help their cause. This isn’t just a subplot; the media is a defining piece of the puzzle.

I also love the direct jabs at Trump, with Lex Luthor using terms like “sad” and “both sides” when defending his actions.

I am excited to see where the story ends, especially with the Judas Contract subplot of Terra infiltrating the group. I am also hoping we see more of Megan’s brother before the season ends, if a segue back to him can be done organically. I think his appearance brought up a great discussion of self-image and prejudice, which I will likely elaborate on in another piece.

The Boys

Note: Been slacking with the blogging again. Getting back to three posts a week.

Spoilers for The Boys TV show and comic

I’ve been hearing a lot of good things about Amazon Video’s The Boys. I remember a few years back there was news of a potential film, but I didn’t pay too much attention since I’ve seen many films hit the “talks” stage before being cancelled or ending up in development hell (looking at you Halo).

I don’t read comics as much as I used to, but there was a period when I probably went through 100+ issues a month. I remember starting my binge with The Walking Dead, and then moving on to series like Kill or be Killed, Punisher: Max and Preacher. My interest in Garth Ennis’s work then led to The Boys. Ennis aimed to “outpreacher Preacher,” by portraying even more sex and violence than his previous work. The sex and violence were gratuitous as times but overall, I thought the series was a well-written and interesting look at what could happen if people really became superheroes. The same corruption, lack of empathy etc. we see in some politicians and celebrities would only be magnified with people who are physically superior to us.

I generally avoid watching shows or films based on source material I’ve already read. There are so many shows out there and I want to prioritize the stories that are brand new to me. I looked up some clips of The Boys and the acting didn’t seem that great, outside of Homelander and Elisabeth Shue. Karl Urban sounds closer to Australian than British half the time. Jessie T. Usher is horrible as A-Train etc.

The clips also made it clear that there were some pretty big chances from the comics e.g. Hughie and the team don’t know about Compound V at the start. Looking up a plot synopsis also revealed other changes, such as Butcher’s wife being alive. For me, this ruins the reason for Butcher’s crusade against the Supes. In the comics he is a Machiavellian figure willing to use anyone to get revenge for the murder of his wife at the hands of Homelander. What direction will the show go in season two? Since Becca Butcher is looking after Homelander’s kid, will that fuel more conflict between Homelander and Butcher. Or will they become allies?

At this point, the show seems like a property inspired by the comic. It may not make sense, but I am actually less inclined to check out an adaptation when it makes glaring changes from the source material. Instead of getting a faithful adaptation, you end up with a Frankenstein monster of stories you love and others you’re lukewarm on or hate.

Additionally, adding in a bunch of subplots and twists that don’t exist in the comics (like Homelander’s son) just come across as filler. It’s as if the show is padding its length out in order to get more seasons before it reaches its conclusion.

X:Men Dark Phoenix, Author Intentions, SJWs and Guns

The early X-Men films are some of my favourite comic book films, especially X2 and Days of Future Past. While Logan was a great send-off for Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine, Apocalypse left a bad taste in my mouth. Oscar Isaac was tragically wasted as the villain, due in large part to poor writing. Sophie Turner’s acting chops were suspect and many of the supporting villains were dull.

For those reasons, I am cautiously optimistic about Dark Phoenix. While the comic storyline has great potential, I am not sure if Turner has the range to pull this role off. Yes, I watch Game of Thrones, and I generally find her to be one of the weaker links on that show. I am also not a fan of Jennifer Lawrence so her presence as Mystique (which is overdone  due to her starpower) is another reason I have thought of skipping Dark Phoenix in theaters.

Now, I am not defending the writing or the acting in this clip. Lawrence sounds like she’s bored, and the writing is heavy-handed. However, complaints about “SJW” content do not concern the way messages are presented: People who complain about SJW content hate the message, or images, themselves.

Any image of strong women or POC can trigger the SJW detractors. I have seen someone call a scene with homosexuality “forced” because it involves a two-minute exchange with two women flirting with one another. For some people, ANY inclusion or mention of ANY ideas that are left of centre, is SJW.

I believe the above poster is one of these people. There is a tendency among people who cry “SJW” at everything to believe SJW content comes from a new generation of Hollywood execs. These right-wing zealots don’t realize that, sometimes, media just incorporates the messages from the original media. I remember people complaining about “liberal talking points” in The Punisher, even though those “liberal talking points” have been a part of the character for decades.

Likewise, the X-Men — a group of people hated by society because they were born different — have always been viewed as an allegory for discriminated groups, ranging from POC to LGBTQ+.

I never thought I’d see this but someone is actually arguing that the X-Men represent gun owners in America…you know, since they are persecuted and routinely threatened with deportation, extermination, violence etc.

I can agree that sometimes an author’s take on their material doesn’t have to be the only take. Sometimes, people can pick up on additional messages or allegories the author might not have intended. However, I don’t think an author’s take should be ignored, and replaced with a more asinine one (as is the case here). If this person thinks choosing to own a an assault rifle (remember, most gun control recommendations aren’t trying to outlaw all guns) and getting some skepticism for that, is the same as being discriminated against for genetic traits, then he has no idea what real discrimination is.

Robert Pattinson and Heath Ledger

Robert Pattinson “is close to sealing a deal.” Even though it is not official, many sites have reported it as finalized and fans are responding in kind. I remember a similar situation was Asa Butterfield was incorrectly reported by some sites as being the new Spider-Man, shortly before Tom Holland was declared the official replacement.

I have previously discussed my disdain for people bringing up Heath Ledger’s Joker when a questionable casting choice is presented. What bothers me is the assumption that EVERY questionable casting decision will work out as well as Ledger’s did. This just leads to blind optimism about any casting choice, “Chris Rock as Superman! Remember how Ledger worked out? Have faith guys.”

For every Ledger Joker or Batfleck (yes, I’m a fan), we get a Leto Joker, and Cara Delevigne as Enchantress, and Joel Kinneman as Rick Flag, and Jesse Eisenberg as Luthor etc.

Stop using the Ledger argument as your ONLY justification for the (potential) casting. Some people are arguing Pattinson is a great actor outside of Twilight. That justification makes more sense: Using a body of work as opposed to relying on an exception to the rule being repeated.

The director and project can greatly impact an actor’s performance e.g. compare Garrett Hedlund’s performance in Triple Frontier to his performance in Mudbound. Pattinson (and pretty much the entire cast) of Twilight were so bad I stopped watching ten minutes in and refused to check out anything else with Pattinson in it. A bad first impression makes me much less likely to give an actor a second chance, but if this casting becomes official, maybe I’ll check out one of Pattinson’s post-Twilight films.

If Pattinson gets the role and does a great job, awesome. I am not saying it is impossible. I am just saying that blind faith in EVERY questionable call working out like Ledger’s is a foolish way to approach such news.

YouTube Update

Anyone following the blog (God bless you) might notice I sometimes post YouTube videos instead of a written post. I do this since the video usually sums up any thoughts I might have on a subject, like the Stranger Things season 3 trailer.

YouTube was the first outlet I had to share my thoughts on films and TV. It started with The Last Airbender. I loved the show and absolutely hated how it was butchered on film. After venting to my family and friends for a while I finally decided that maybe I should try to vent to people who actually care about these issues.

I enjoyed sharing my thoughts, to what I hoped was a decent audience.

As time has gone on, I’ve lost interest in sharing YouTube videos. Most of my videos get less than twenty views. I don’t do reaction videos, which are the big craze now, and I don’t have fancy effects.

My blog posts don’t get many views either but I generally enjoy the process of writing more. Making a video is easier, and often quicker, but I find writing more rewarding.

For that reason, I may be quitting YouTube altogether.

The Punisher Season 2: Midway Thoughts

The Punisher ranks high in my list of Marvel Netflix originals. I loved most of the performances, with Jon Bernthal and Ben Barnes being standouts. The show had great action sequences and great villains, but also got bogged down with some of its subplots. The love triangle with Frank and Micro’s wife dragged the show down for me. At first, it was interesting seeing Frank interact with Micro’s family. Then the family popped up again and again, and for longer periods of time. Soon, Frank is dealing with Micro’s bratty son.

Additionally, I was hoping the storyline would delve more into some of the material from the comics, especially the Punisher:Max series. Instead, we almost get a repeat of Daredevil Season 2, with more military conspiracies from Frank’s past.

In this case, midway means episode 9…out of 13. One of my biggest issues with some of the Marvel seasons has been the length. Luke Cage season 1 in particular felt dragged out, like a case of writers trying to fit the story into a prescribed amount, instead of writing organically and seeing where it takes them. Luke Cage could easily have been ten episodes. Defenders, the team up show, was only ten. You can argue a team-up show might need more episodes to bring its different heroes together and explore their relationships with one another.

I feel like the whole Ashley/Russian subplot was added for filler to pad the show to 13 episodes. In terms of the narrative, Ashley’s presence basically serves to get Frank back to New York. I am sure Frank would have reached out to Madani when he heard news about Billy Russo escaping. Frank called Madani from the prison, so he has her number.

The Beth subplot could still exist, with Frank having to leave her behind to deal with Billy. Or maybe Billy is able to get his goons to track Frank down, which could lead to Beth getting injured. Point being, we did not need Ashley to reunite Frank and Madani, or get Frank back to New York.

Titans is another recent example of a show with different plot threads (for the love of God don’t make this a Marvel vs DC thing). We had Raven trying to discover herself through finding more about her past and her powers. Kory was trying to recover her memories. Robin is trying to protect Raven. Beast Boy wants to find a new family after leaving the Doom Patrol. The plot points are different and the heroes aren’t always brought together smoothly (Beast Boy just kind of pops up out of nowhere). However, the different threads actually begin to link up by halfway through the season.

With The Punisher, the preacher man (very dull villain imho) and Russo are not connected in anyway yet. Episode 9 out of 13 and they are just two separate villains. Maybe some people like that but if there are multiple villains, I like them to tie into one another. The biggest connection so far is that Ashley needs to be protected from the Russians, so Frank is hiding her and has also mentioned Billy to her. That is pretty much it.

I don’t like Ashley’s character or actor that much and honestly feel like we don’t lose too much with her being gone. I would love to get more screen time with Madani.

Another issue is the love story with Jigsaw and his therapist. For me, the love story makes it clear that the real reason Russo is not injured is that female fans wouldn’t lose eye candy. They can still fantasize about having sex with Russo when he’s banging the therapist. If his face looks like it’s supposed to, the wish fulfilment would be harder to pull off. Yes, Ben Barnes argued the “jigsaw is supposed to be a mental one,” referring to Russo’s mind and not his face. That excuse comes across as an afterthought by the writers, after execs told them not to mess up their pretty boy too much.

The relationship with the shrink also added an element of predictability. Once I saw that Billy’s shrink was attractive, I figured they would hook up. Then, they end up hooking up via the slap, slap, kiss trope. We’ve all seen this device used at one time or another. Two people are arguing, then they end up making out and getting in the sack. I felt like I was watching a bad romantic comedy at that point. Like the scenes with Micro’s bratty son in season 1, I felt like I was watching a different show.

I’ll still finish the season, but I have to say The Punisher season 2 has been disappointing so far.

Marvel Netflix MCU rankings at the moment:

  1. Daredevil Season 3
  2. Daredevil Season 1
  3. Jessica Jones
  4. Luke Cage Season 2
  5. The Punisher Season 2
  6. The Punisher
  7. Daredevil Season 2
  8. Defenders
  9. Jessica Jones Season 2
  10. Iron Fist