After some problems with blogger (and just the general clunkiness of it) I've decided to move this blog to wordpress.
You can find it at www.realmenwearmasks.blogspot.com
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
DC is Retconning!! (Part One)
So, DC announced last week (in the oh-so-relevant USA Today) that they will be setting all comics back to issue #1. This was a huge thing for me for several reasons. 1) Detective Comics and Batman were set to hit #1000 in the not-so-distant future. 2) Issue number ones do nothing to attract new readers. I'm sorry, but they don't. And 3) along with the article there was a picture of the new Justice League, with their "fresh and young" (why oh why, DC?!) costumes, and Wonder Woman looks sixteen.
And then I heard about the retconning.
And my blood boiled.
First off, the Teen Titans. I was never a particular fan of Superboy, so I could care less about his role, and I'm relatively sure that the girls at bottom left and far right are new characters. But from the solicitation I read that Tim Drake was never Robin (so goodness knows what happened to Damian--my prediction is that he'll have never existed) and that that lineage ends with Jason Todd (who I will get to in a moment). Aside from the stupid costume, where would a teenage hacker get field training? Second, Wonder Girl. In the quest for young and the ever-wanted "edgy" DC has made her a teenage thief. I'm going to assume she's the Donna Troy version, because a cleaned-up origin would help that character out in current continuity. Again, who knows what will happen to Cassie Sandsmark, or if she'll even exist now.
Then there's Batgirl. I won't post a picture of this one (go to dccomics.com if you really want to see it) but it's basically Stephanie's costume...with Barbara in it.
THEY NULLIFIED THE KILLING JOKE!!! Besides the fact of yet more heroes apparently vanishing (Cassandra Cain, fan favorite, and Stephanie Brown), this--if it is changing continuity and not Barbara somehow healing herself--means no Oracle, no Barbara-as-leader-of-Birds-of-Prey, and none of the later Dick/Barbara interesting relationship dynamics. More importantly, Oracle represented a maturity in the character, and now DC is sending her back to her teenage years.
I also don't know why everyone is suddenly wearing armor. Even Superman seems to have armored boots and gauntlets, though why an invulnerable alien would need them is beyond me. The best--and one of the only good--of the new character designs is Supergirl, whose costume now has a majesty that her old upskirt-shot one didn't.
Even after all this, I took a deep breath and decided that DC had done well so far. They'd made The Return of Bruce Wayne a reasonably good miniseries and the dual-Batman thing work. I even enjoyed the Green Lantern movie (with some reservations, but it didn't deserve the flogging the critics are giving it). So I almost--almost--said oh well, I'll trust them on this one.
And then saw the one thing that could have possibly made angry enough to consider boycotting the whole enterprise.
Remember when they cancelled the Wildstorm imprint, with it's wonderful Warren Ellis titles like my favorites, Authority (which, in all honesty, wasn't much good after Ellis) and Planetary?
Well, they did THIS:
Ignoring Midnighter's (idiotic) new costume, and ignoring Apollo's ridiculous shaven head (you would remember that he was the gentle one, DC, if you cared about your characters as much as your sales graphs), even ignoring the fact that both of these universes have rich backstories that have nothing to do with the other, this is still a godawful idea.
In order to shoehorn the Wildstorm characters into the DC Universe, you have to destroy them. The Authority--indeed, even Midnighter--cannot exist in the DCU, except, perhaps, as villains. The way the universes work are just too different. The Authority could never do what they do in the DCU because the DCU's idea of morality is that the ends do not justify the means. In the Wildstorm universe, they can, and do.
This Midnighter and Apollo will be a weak imitation of the former iterations (I would be surprised if DC even kept the same relationship between the characters). There is no way the ones I knew and loved can function in the DCU. It simply isn't possible--Superman won't let it happen.
Part Two to follow soon.
And then I heard about the retconning.
And my blood boiled.
Then there's Batgirl. I won't post a picture of this one (go to dccomics.com if you really want to see it) but it's basically Stephanie's costume...with Barbara in it.
THEY NULLIFIED THE KILLING JOKE!!! Besides the fact of yet more heroes apparently vanishing (Cassandra Cain, fan favorite, and Stephanie Brown), this--if it is changing continuity and not Barbara somehow healing herself--means no Oracle, no Barbara-as-leader-of-Birds-of-Prey, and none of the later Dick/Barbara interesting relationship dynamics. More importantly, Oracle represented a maturity in the character, and now DC is sending her back to her teenage years.
Even after all this, I took a deep breath and decided that DC had done well so far. They'd made The Return of Bruce Wayne a reasonably good miniseries and the dual-Batman thing work. I even enjoyed the Green Lantern movie (with some reservations, but it didn't deserve the flogging the critics are giving it). So I almost--almost--said oh well, I'll trust them on this one.
And then saw the one thing that could have possibly made angry enough to consider boycotting the whole enterprise.
Remember when they cancelled the Wildstorm imprint, with it's wonderful Warren Ellis titles like my favorites, Authority (which, in all honesty, wasn't much good after Ellis) and Planetary?
Well, they did THIS:
Ignoring Midnighter's (idiotic) new costume, and ignoring Apollo's ridiculous shaven head (you would remember that he was the gentle one, DC, if you cared about your characters as much as your sales graphs), even ignoring the fact that both of these universes have rich backstories that have nothing to do with the other, this is still a godawful idea.
In order to shoehorn the Wildstorm characters into the DC Universe, you have to destroy them. The Authority--indeed, even Midnighter--cannot exist in the DCU, except, perhaps, as villains. The way the universes work are just too different. The Authority could never do what they do in the DCU because the DCU's idea of morality is that the ends do not justify the means. In the Wildstorm universe, they can, and do.
This Midnighter and Apollo will be a weak imitation of the former iterations (I would be surprised if DC even kept the same relationship between the characters). There is no way the ones I knew and loved can function in the DCU. It simply isn't possible--Superman won't let it happen.
Part Two to follow soon.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Series Review: Magdalena
I started reading Magdalena because my mother was reading it. It's by Top Cow, and I never followed Witchblade or any of there other series because I just couldn't get into them. This one, however, was different.
It's not just the subject (more in line with a lighter version of Lucifer than Justice League) or the good art (not excellent, but good and not flawed). There seems to be a lot of thought put into Magdalena from the paper--thick, not at all like the cheap stuff DC uses on their low-end books--to the way they layer the exterior and interior conflicts. While I loved Lucifer, and read all 75 issues of it, it could be a bit heavy-handed around the middle. The writers of the book balance the religious conflict extremely well.
Try Magdalena out, you'll be impressed. Now only if it'll stop being delayed.
It's not just the subject (more in line with a lighter version of Lucifer than Justice League) or the good art (not excellent, but good and not flawed). There seems to be a lot of thought put into Magdalena from the paper--thick, not at all like the cheap stuff DC uses on their low-end books--to the way they layer the exterior and interior conflicts. While I loved Lucifer, and read all 75 issues of it, it could be a bit heavy-handed around the middle. The writers of the book balance the religious conflict extremely well.
Try Magdalena out, you'll be impressed. Now only if it'll stop being delayed.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Flashpoint!
Flash + Elseworld (even if they're not calling it that) = awesome.
I really like the current Wonder Woman storyline, even if the costume takes some getting used to. The Elseworlds line was one of my favorites--it's fascinating to see heroes in different situations than the usual status quo. While there isn't much out about Flashpoint, the brief little character bios (Cyborg, Wonder Woman, the mysterious Outsider) have piqued my interest. Plus, the action figure designs are fabulous, especially the Wonder Woman one. Not sure about Batman, though:
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Seduction of the Innocent--Prelude
The thesis for my final reaserch paper this year is on the Great Comic Scare of the 1940-50's and how it has affected comics today. As such, I had to get my hands on a copy of Seduction of the Innocent, the book that started the scare and basically nearly killed comics.
Man, is this one heck of a book. I opened it up to the table of contents, and someone had written "This book is a fabrication and a lie--be forewarned."
So, apparently there will be book-sized dents in my walls from when I go into a fit of rage at it and chuck it as far away as possible. Wonderful.
More updates on this project as I finish it.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Batman The Return: Retrospective
While the actual Batman: The Return comic was slightly disappointing, I figured I would do a retrospective on the entire series.
Overall, the plotline was very good. The Vicki Vale stuff got old about issue two, but the nice little moments between Bruce and the other members were nice. There was a whole host of problems, though.
First off, the editing was pretty crappy. In the Oracle issue, they get Batgirl's costume wrong three panels in a row and then suddenly it gets fixed. Also, Vicki Vale gets told three different stories--very inconsistent.
Second, the series was what I hoped it wouldn't be: Bruce going around and testing each of his allies. Why on earth does he have to do this again? Didn't he learn his lesson from the six other times he pulled this? I almost cheered out loud when Stephanie smacked him across the face.
Third, although I usually greatly enjoy Fabian Niceiza's writing, this was very poor. All the issues just felt unnecessary. I really wish DC would stop these one-shots that really add nothing to the mythos. While there were moments in each issue I enjoyed, ultimately the overaching story just fell apart. Maybe a three-issue miniseries would have been better. This certainly didn't warrant 7 issues.
Overall, the plotline was very good. The Vicki Vale stuff got old about issue two, but the nice little moments between Bruce and the other members were nice. There was a whole host of problems, though.
First off, the editing was pretty crappy. In the Oracle issue, they get Batgirl's costume wrong three panels in a row and then suddenly it gets fixed. Also, Vicki Vale gets told three different stories--very inconsistent.
Second, the series was what I hoped it wouldn't be: Bruce going around and testing each of his allies. Why on earth does he have to do this again? Didn't he learn his lesson from the six other times he pulled this? I almost cheered out loud when Stephanie smacked him across the face.
Third, although I usually greatly enjoy Fabian Niceiza's writing, this was very poor. All the issues just felt unnecessary. I really wish DC would stop these one-shots that really add nothing to the mythos. While there were moments in each issue I enjoyed, ultimately the overaching story just fell apart. Maybe a three-issue miniseries would have been better. This certainly didn't warrant 7 issues.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Here's a Goodie
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Young Justice Pilot Review!
I just watched the Young Justice premiere, and it definitely lived up to expectations. Cadmus was suitably creepy, and I love, love, loved the way they didn't just throw Superboy in, but actually showed Robin/Kid Flash/Aqualad rescuing him from the cloners. I actually sat up and squealed. It was completely unexpected.
I also enjoyed the continuity set up. No one-off episodes here! Good use was made of the comics--the Guardian was not only present but featured, and J'onn J'onzz has his modern look. This is a more mature cartoon, and thank god for that. I was beginning to think we would never get back to the feel of the BTAS and JLU cartoons.
That isn't to say that this is as utterly wonderful as the old DC Animated Universe cartoons. Young Justice lacks the subtlety of the DCAU. No subtext here. It is definitely aimed at an 8-13 year old audience, and it is a bit oversimplified. The Justice League is portrayed as overprotective jerks, and all the characters are pretty one-dimensional, except for maybe Aqualad.
As for casting, its mostly pretty good, especially for the adults. Robin sounds a little street-kid for Dick Grayson (I'm assuming that he's Robin, though it's never said), and Superboy is too deep-n'-macho for a teenager. The characters are strange in the first few minutes, mostly due to Speedy's sudden and inexplicable temper tantrum. It makes sense if you know the comics, but in context its completely out of place.
Kid Flash is probably my favorite character. He's got excellent lines, both by him and about him ("Speedy isn't Flash's sidekick? That makes no sense."). He offers a nice balance in an episode that could go to the bad side of strange and creepy very quickly.
Warner Bros. new anime-leanings are on show here, and I felt they worked very nicely. It wasn't crazy-Japanese, nor was it identical to the DCAU style. A good blend, overall. The monsters looked good, and Robin and Kid Flash had very nice character designs. Miss Martian was also good, but she only got a minute of screen time so there wasn't a good chance to look her over.
The only thing that I thought was outright strange was Aqualad's weapon, which was basically an knockoff Green Lantern ring, except in the form of two guns. I haven't seen the new Aqualad, but I didn't think he had that weapon. Guaranteed, he isn't really that much of a threat without it, but I was thinking he'd go more the Tempest-water-sorcery route.
Overall, this was a nice if clunky beginning. It isn't up to the level of Justice League, though, not even the pilot of that show. I think that the characters and plot were a little to simple. I'd like to see more depth, multiple plot threads, and actual motivations for characters. I'm hoping that further episodes exceed this one and this is just the stumbling of a new show, and not a trend.
Overall: 8 out of 10
I also enjoyed the continuity set up. No one-off episodes here! Good use was made of the comics--the Guardian was not only present but featured, and J'onn J'onzz has his modern look. This is a more mature cartoon, and thank god for that. I was beginning to think we would never get back to the feel of the BTAS and JLU cartoons.
That isn't to say that this is as utterly wonderful as the old DC Animated Universe cartoons. Young Justice lacks the subtlety of the DCAU. No subtext here. It is definitely aimed at an 8-13 year old audience, and it is a bit oversimplified. The Justice League is portrayed as overprotective jerks, and all the characters are pretty one-dimensional, except for maybe Aqualad.
As for casting, its mostly pretty good, especially for the adults. Robin sounds a little street-kid for Dick Grayson (I'm assuming that he's Robin, though it's never said), and Superboy is too deep-n'-macho for a teenager. The characters are strange in the first few minutes, mostly due to Speedy's sudden and inexplicable temper tantrum. It makes sense if you know the comics, but in context its completely out of place.
Kid Flash is probably my favorite character. He's got excellent lines, both by him and about him ("Speedy isn't Flash's sidekick? That makes no sense."). He offers a nice balance in an episode that could go to the bad side of strange and creepy very quickly.
Warner Bros. new anime-leanings are on show here, and I felt they worked very nicely. It wasn't crazy-Japanese, nor was it identical to the DCAU style. A good blend, overall. The monsters looked good, and Robin and Kid Flash had very nice character designs. Miss Martian was also good, but she only got a minute of screen time so there wasn't a good chance to look her over.
The only thing that I thought was outright strange was Aqualad's weapon, which was basically an knockoff Green Lantern ring, except in the form of two guns. I haven't seen the new Aqualad, but I didn't think he had that weapon. Guaranteed, he isn't really that much of a threat without it, but I was thinking he'd go more the Tempest-water-sorcery route.
Overall, this was a nice if clunky beginning. It isn't up to the level of Justice League, though, not even the pilot of that show. I think that the characters and plot were a little to simple. I'd like to see more depth, multiple plot threads, and actual motivations for characters. I'm hoping that further episodes exceed this one and this is just the stumbling of a new show, and not a trend.
Overall: 8 out of 10
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Kinda Missing the Underwear...
Well, I've been offline for (quite) awhile but I just saw the new Batman costume, and of course had to comment.The first thing I noticed was that the yellow oval is back. I'm kind of ambivalent to it, really. I sort of like it, but I loved the DCAU batsuit that didn't have it, so I guess for that I'll have to wait and see. I'm not really liking the way it's raised, though. It looks a little strange.
Secondly, there's no underwear-on-the-outside! For someone who jokingly refers to superheroes as the underwear-on-the-outside-community in her fanfiction, this is a travesty. I honestly was happy that it was gone until I actually saw the pics, and then it was just depressing. I really miss it, strangely.
Like Wonder Woman's new costume (which is ten times better than the new batsuit but the only example I have), I intellectually like it but am still nostalgic for the old stuff. Somehow, I doubt Batman's costume will grow on me as Diana's did, just cause I'm closer to the character. I wish that Dick had given Bruce his batsuit--even though I'm still not to keen on that dorky bat-beltbuckle--and gotten this instead.
As for the whole two batmen thing? That's a whole 'nother rant entirely.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Update on RSS Feeds
For some reason, this feed does not seem to be working. The subscribe button will still send post to your dashboard, but feedreaders aren't picking it up. I'll fool around with it some more this weekend and try to get it to work right.
Upcoming: a series of 10 video (not of me/us but of clips) reviews of fanfilms and fan trailers. The video quality should be better since it won't actually be of us reviewer(s).
Upcoming: a series of 10 video (not of me/us but of clips) reviews of fanfilms and fan trailers. The video quality should be better since it won't actually be of us reviewer(s).
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Review: Batgirl #14
Batgirl #14
By Brian Q. Millar
Art by Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott
Rating: 6.5/10
I went into this issue of Batgirl knowing that if it didn't break the sudden streak of mediocrity it was coming off my pull list. Its sad for a comic that started out so strong and whose creator seems to have a good plan going forward. But this issue did not impress.
It was cute, sure. And funny at points, but not enough that I'd read it again. Basically, Supergirl shows up to help Batgirl take down some vampire baddies and they "bond."
It was sweet. It was cute, and had a nice little bowtie ending. But if you're sick of female bonding, then you'll just sigh at this like I did. Personally, the number of bat-titles I buy on a monthly basis has gone way down. I can't wait for Bruce Wayne to come back.
By Brian Q. Millar
Art by Lee Garbett & Trevor Scott
Rating: 6.5/10
I went into this issue of Batgirl knowing that if it didn't break the sudden streak of mediocrity it was coming off my pull list. Its sad for a comic that started out so strong and whose creator seems to have a good plan going forward. But this issue did not impress.
It was cute, sure. And funny at points, but not enough that I'd read it again. Basically, Supergirl shows up to help Batgirl take down some vampire baddies and they "bond."
It was sweet. It was cute, and had a nice little bowtie ending. But if you're sick of female bonding, then you'll just sigh at this like I did. Personally, the number of bat-titles I buy on a monthly basis has gone way down. I can't wait for Bruce Wayne to come back.
Monday, September 6, 2010
Very Nice Indeed
The new Batman: Under the Red Hood DVD Marquette:
Jason Todd is a hottie, as always. So darned expensive though. We need an action figure.
Friday, August 27, 2010
Knight and Squire!!!
DC just put up the preview for Knight and Squire #. And may I say wow. Wow, wow, and ohmygod yes.
I absolutely love the characters of Knight and Squire, who have been drastically underused--basically shoved off into a corner until called upon by Grant Morrison (they were the shining light of Batman: The Black Glove). Knight doesn't have Bruce Wayne's looks, of course, but he does possess a personality to make up for it.
And seriously, just check out the art:
I absolutely love the characters of Knight and Squire, who have been drastically underused--basically shoved off into a corner until called upon by Grant Morrison (they were the shining light of Batman: The Black Glove). Knight doesn't have Bruce Wayne's looks, of course, but he does possess a personality to make up for it.
And seriously, just check out the art:
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Review: Batgirl #13
Batgirl #13
by Brian Q. Miller
Art by Pere Perez
Rating: 5/10
The gist of this issue is that Clayface and Batgirl get into a fight because Clayface wants to break into a bank to get into his safe deposit box. We also learn that Detective Nick Gage (more on his creepy relationship with the Batfamily later) has a dead wife/girlfriend.
Well, this was certainly a dead average issue. Really, it was just kind of a cute little filler issue with a "meaningful" talk between Gage and Stephanie. Also, we see Wendy, aka Proxy, for about three panels. I'm still not convinced that she's a meaningful character.
I don't understand the need to make each and every person who comes in contact with the Batfamily a damaged person. There was absolutely no need for Nick Gage to have a skeleton in the closet. He works best as the ray of sunshine in the Gotham universe, a nice light-hearted character with some wisecracks and a touch of romantic interest.
Then there's the whole Barbara/Nick/Stephanie thing. Seriously, to be a detective you have to be at least 27. Stephanie is, at most, 19. To have both Stephanie and Barbara dating, or at least interested in, the same guy is creepy to no end. This isn't a sophomore girl crushing on a senior's boyfriend. This is a late teenager coming on to a late twenties, early thirties guy.
Seriously. Just make it a Barbara/Dick/Nick love triangle and leave it at that. (Where is Dick these days in Barbara's life? Aren't they engaged, or has that been forgotten again?)
My high points for the issue were the art, which was kind of light and DCAU oriented, the feel Batgirl should have in my opinion. Also, Oracle is finally gone. This is Batgirl's book, after all, and I was seriously getting incredibly sick of Calculator. At least he is (apparently) taken care of for quite awhile.
Miller seems to be faltering these last few issues. Let's hope it picks back up these next issues.
by Brian Q. Miller
Art by Pere Perez
Rating: 5/10
The gist of this issue is that Clayface and Batgirl get into a fight because Clayface wants to break into a bank to get into his safe deposit box. We also learn that Detective Nick Gage (more on his creepy relationship with the Batfamily later) has a dead wife/girlfriend.
Well, this was certainly a dead average issue. Really, it was just kind of a cute little filler issue with a "meaningful" talk between Gage and Stephanie. Also, we see Wendy, aka Proxy, for about three panels. I'm still not convinced that she's a meaningful character.
I don't understand the need to make each and every person who comes in contact with the Batfamily a damaged person. There was absolutely no need for Nick Gage to have a skeleton in the closet. He works best as the ray of sunshine in the Gotham universe, a nice light-hearted character with some wisecracks and a touch of romantic interest.
Then there's the whole Barbara/Nick/Stephanie thing. Seriously, to be a detective you have to be at least 27. Stephanie is, at most, 19. To have both Stephanie and Barbara dating, or at least interested in, the same guy is creepy to no end. This isn't a sophomore girl crushing on a senior's boyfriend. This is a late teenager coming on to a late twenties, early thirties guy.
Seriously. Just make it a Barbara/Dick/Nick love triangle and leave it at that. (Where is Dick these days in Barbara's life? Aren't they engaged, or has that been forgotten again?)
My high points for the issue were the art, which was kind of light and DCAU oriented, the feel Batgirl should have in my opinion. Also, Oracle is finally gone. This is Batgirl's book, after all, and I was seriously getting incredibly sick of Calculator. At least he is (apparently) taken care of for quite awhile.
Miller seems to be faltering these last few issues. Let's hope it picks back up these next issues.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Review: Jenny Sparks--Secret History of the Authority
Secret History of the Authority: Jenny Sparks (GN)
By Mark Millar
Art by John McCrea and James Hodgkins
Rating: 8/10
Though this book is not critical to the timeline of the Authority, it provides and interesting look into the (wonderful) character of Jenny Sparks. It follows Jenny through her first meeting with each member of the Authority and her life through the twentieth century.
The best issues were the Engineer, #4 (an extremely interesting a nuanced look at Hitler) and Jack Hwksmoor by far. Hawksmoor is a character we never learn much of, and this provided much needed background.
The Engineer's issue had an extremely thought provoking plot, but ultimately #4 stood above all the rest, which is sad since it didn't deal with a single other member of the Authority. This brings me to by greatest criticism, which is none of the other characters were given enough attention to feel like anything more than props next to Jenny. The Doctor's issue was mediocre, with only one good scene. Apollo and Midnighter's was flat out boring, and fell prey to the trap of portraying the pair without any personality other than their relationship.
The art, overall, held up the story well. It was the type to stand back and let the plot take over, which worked well in my opinion. Very clean, but not showy. I hadn't encountered either of the artists before this book, and it reminded me a lot of Chris Sprouse's work on The Return of Bruce Wayne.
Overall, a nice book if you're interested in the Authority, but not exceptional.
~Caro
By Mark Millar
Art by John McCrea and James Hodgkins
Rating: 8/10
Though this book is not critical to the timeline of the Authority, it provides and interesting look into the (wonderful) character of Jenny Sparks. It follows Jenny through her first meeting with each member of the Authority and her life through the twentieth century.
The best issues were the Engineer, #4 (an extremely interesting a nuanced look at Hitler) and Jack Hwksmoor by far. Hawksmoor is a character we never learn much of, and this provided much needed background.
The Engineer's issue had an extremely thought provoking plot, but ultimately #4 stood above all the rest, which is sad since it didn't deal with a single other member of the Authority. This brings me to by greatest criticism, which is none of the other characters were given enough attention to feel like anything more than props next to Jenny. The Doctor's issue was mediocre, with only one good scene. Apollo and Midnighter's was flat out boring, and fell prey to the trap of portraying the pair without any personality other than their relationship.
The art, overall, held up the story well. It was the type to stand back and let the plot take over, which worked well in my opinion. Very clean, but not showy. I hadn't encountered either of the artists before this book, and it reminded me a lot of Chris Sprouse's work on The Return of Bruce Wayne.
Overall, a nice book if you're interested in the Authority, but not exceptional.
~Caro
Monday, August 16, 2010
YouTube is Live!
Caro and Hanz (the authors of this blog, under the psuedonym Beckony) have offically posted the first Real Men Wear Tights youtube video. It's recorded on a crappy webcam, and is only the second video Caro has ever edited, but we're still proud of it!
Part 1 of our review of Batman: Under the Red Hood can be found at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKLb97K8qEA
P.S. Don't forget to vote in the new poll!
Part 1 of our review of Batman: Under the Red Hood can be found at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKLb97K8qEA
P.S. Don't forget to vote in the new poll!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Batman: Under the Red Hood
Batman: Under the Red Hood came out last Tuesday, and me being the geek I am bought it on the first day and watched it.
Overall, I thought it was good but there were definitely some flaws.
First up was Joker's voice. He sounded more like Lex Luthor than the Joker, and it was obvious they were going for a Heath Ledger motif which didn't work well in animation (my friend, who feels about Joker the way I do about Batman, took particular issue with this).
Secondly, Dick Grayson's character design wasn't right. His hair was way too short and he was too buff for a lean acrobat.
The ending, while close to the one in the graphic novel, could have benefited from taking more from the original. A lot of the original punch was missing from this watered-down version.
The movie did have it's high points. The animation on the fight scenes and acrobatics was excellent, better even than some of the Justice League stuff. And Joker (however messed up they may have made him) had a fantastic scene with the Black Mask that made both me and my fellow comic nerd laugh for a good thirty seconds.
All in all, I rate this one around a 6.5/10.
Once I get a digital voice recorder (or figure out how to turn off the camera part of my webcam), me and Hanz, the fellow comic nerd, will be doing a full commentary on Under the Red Hood. This will serve as either the first or second episode of the podcast we're working on.
Overall, I thought it was good but there were definitely some flaws.
First up was Joker's voice. He sounded more like Lex Luthor than the Joker, and it was obvious they were going for a Heath Ledger motif which didn't work well in animation (my friend, who feels about Joker the way I do about Batman, took particular issue with this).
Secondly, Dick Grayson's character design wasn't right. His hair was way too short and he was too buff for a lean acrobat.
The ending, while close to the one in the graphic novel, could have benefited from taking more from the original. A lot of the original punch was missing from this watered-down version.
The movie did have it's high points. The animation on the fight scenes and acrobatics was excellent, better even than some of the Justice League stuff. And Joker (however messed up they may have made him) had a fantastic scene with the Black Mask that made both me and my fellow comic nerd laugh for a good thirty seconds.
All in all, I rate this one around a 6.5/10.
Once I get a digital voice recorder (or figure out how to turn off the camera part of my webcam), me and Hanz, the fellow comic nerd, will be doing a full commentary on Under the Red Hood. This will serve as either the first or second episode of the podcast we're working on.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Ellis' Authority vs. Millar's Authority
Recently, I discovered that I'd read ever Batman book the library had. Since the Marvel universe looks completely confusing, and most of the other DC titles were checked out, I began my first foray into non-DC Comics titles. one of the first I picked up was The Authority.
Now having consumed the first run (all the library has, dang it), I'm chiming in on the Ellis-vs-Millar debate. I'm a little nervous to do it on a forum (have you heard some of the crazy people there? And I thought I was an uber nerd), but hey, that's what a blog is for.
Personally, I thought that while the Millar issues were a little clumsy, and definitely inelegant compared to Ellis' run, Millar's plots weren't as formulaic as Ellis'.
Millar might have been hampered by the fact that Jenny Sparks--the most kick-ass heroine ever--was dead, but that doesn't excuse his liberal use of dues ex machina at the end of issue #29. Also, Millar was sincerely lacking in character development for every one except Jenny Quantum, Midnighter, and Jack Hawksmore. I felt that he was too wrapped up in an awesome plot and accidentally painted himself into a corner.
However, he gets props for having a Apollo-cares-for-Midnighter scene, as opposes to the other way around (one of Ellis' big follies, and not unlike the case of them always depowering Superman in the first season of JL--Apollo simply came off as weak).
Ellis had his own share of problems. The first three or so storylines of the run ran basically along the same lines, and I even think the same Apollo-gets-beaten (sorry to harp on it but it seriously annoyed me) happened twice. Midnighter was pretty badass, though.
All in all, I think I preferred Ellis run. Millar's run was too problematic and a little too hamfisted for my tastes. The execution, ultimately, was shaky compared to Ellis' sure grasp of the characters. While Millar seemed to ignore all characterization in favor of his plot, but ultimately undermined himself because of the book's incomplete feel.
Now having consumed the first run (all the library has, dang it), I'm chiming in on the Ellis-vs-Millar debate. I'm a little nervous to do it on a forum (have you heard some of the crazy people there? And I thought I was an uber nerd), but hey, that's what a blog is for.
Personally, I thought that while the Millar issues were a little clumsy, and definitely inelegant compared to Ellis' run, Millar's plots weren't as formulaic as Ellis'.
Millar might have been hampered by the fact that Jenny Sparks--the most kick-ass heroine ever--was dead, but that doesn't excuse his liberal use of dues ex machina at the end of issue #29. Also, Millar was sincerely lacking in character development for every one except Jenny Quantum, Midnighter, and Jack Hawksmore. I felt that he was too wrapped up in an awesome plot and accidentally painted himself into a corner.
However, he gets props for having a Apollo-cares-for-Midnighter scene, as opposes to the other way around (one of Ellis' big follies, and not unlike the case of them always depowering Superman in the first season of JL--Apollo simply came off as weak).
Ellis had his own share of problems. The first three or so storylines of the run ran basically along the same lines, and I even think the same Apollo-gets-beaten (sorry to harp on it but it seriously annoyed me) happened twice. Midnighter was pretty badass, though.
All in all, I think I preferred Ellis run. Millar's run was too problematic and a little too hamfisted for my tastes. The execution, ultimately, was shaky compared to Ellis' sure grasp of the characters. While Millar seemed to ignore all characterization in favor of his plot, but ultimately undermined himself because of the book's incomplete feel.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Why I Still Don't Trust Grant Morrison
My friend and I have been having an ongoing conversation (read: argument) over whether Grant Morrison should be forgiven, by virtue of Batman and Robin of the sin that was RIP. She say yes (she's a really big Damien Wayne fan) and I disagree.
10 reasons I still don't trust Morrison:
1. Final Crisis. I've never understood the whole New Gods thing, and this didn't help.
2. The whole need to put 70+ years of Batman stories (the good, the badm and the ugly) into a supposed 10 years of Bruce Wayne's career. Please. That's just not possible, even for a ninja.
3. Ever since he went on the Batman books, every other story arc has been The Event of the YEAR!!! I'm starting to get event fatigue from all of these Revolutionary! Important! Vital! stories
4. I never liked Talia/Bruce.
5. A shiny, happy Batman and an emo Robin. It was fun for awhile, but its getting old now.
6. He can't make up his mind on how to portray the Joker.
7. The Authority debacle. (Speaking of the Authority, I had a dream about Midnighter and Apollo last night. It made my day).
8. He seems to be stuck inside his own head. A five year long meta story? Seriously, dude?
9. Barbra and Dick stull aren't married. Not his fault, I know, but methinks that if Dick wasn't busy being Batman there would have been a little more on the romance front. Their engagement seems to be completely forgotten by DC at this point.
10. I still have no clue what the heck that was supposed to be at the end of Return of Bruce Wayne #2.
10 reasons I still don't trust Morrison:
1. Final Crisis. I've never understood the whole New Gods thing, and this didn't help.
2. The whole need to put 70+ years of Batman stories (the good, the badm and the ugly) into a supposed 10 years of Bruce Wayne's career. Please. That's just not possible, even for a ninja.
3. Ever since he went on the Batman books, every other story arc has been The Event of the YEAR!!! I'm starting to get event fatigue from all of these Revolutionary! Important! Vital! stories
4. I never liked Talia/Bruce.
5. A shiny, happy Batman and an emo Robin. It was fun for awhile, but its getting old now.
6. He can't make up his mind on how to portray the Joker.
7. The Authority debacle. (Speaking of the Authority, I had a dream about Midnighter and Apollo last night. It made my day).
8. He seems to be stuck inside his own head. A five year long meta story? Seriously, dude?
9. Barbra and Dick stull aren't married. Not his fault, I know, but methinks that if Dick wasn't busy being Batman there would have been a little more on the romance front. Their engagement seems to be completely forgotten by DC at this point.
10. I still have no clue what the heck that was supposed to be at the end of Return of Bruce Wayne #2.