Election 2012: May it turn out better than the stinker that was DC Universe: Decisions.
Yearly Archives: 2012
Registering for Comments
I’ve had a massive amount of spam in the past couple days – several hundred spam comments at last count. At this point, my spam filter is overwhelmed and is encountering severe lag. (I’m still getting comments from 5 hours ago). Because of this I am switching the commenting on this blog to registered users only.
I have enabled OpenID, so if you have a Twitter, Facebook, Google, or Yahoo account, you’ll be able to comment without creating a WordPress account.
I’m also moderating comments, so there will be a delay between a comment being left and appearing on the blog. (I’ll be checking at least twice a day for comments.)
If it’s been a day and your comment hasn’t appeared, please let me know. You can email me at:
Deadpool Style
I first heard Gangnam Style about three weeks ago. I had no clue what it was. After three times hearing it on the radio while the DJs refused to give the name of the song, I tried to track it down based on the lyrics. Since all I could make out was ”sexy lady” and “Gundam Style” – yes, I’m a nerd – I was surprised when I actually managed to find it. I saw the music video and loved it. It’s probably one of the best music videos I’ve seen in a while, just because it’s so much fun. Music videos tend to take themselves way too seriously, and it was nice to see a goofy music video for a chance. (The fact that the song is a satire probably helps.)
And since the song has become so popular – currently #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 – it has spawned dozens of fan parodies/versions. Most range from mediocre to mildly amusing. My favorite – and the best I’ve seen so far – is this one. Mostly because this is completely in character for Deadpool.
When Comics Meet Mythology
I am a fan of both comics and mythology. In my mind, these are connected. After all, comics have been called “modern mythology” before. Both have fantastic elements, larger than life characters and convoluted continuities.
I tend to get extremely excited when mythological characters are used in comics because it combines too things I love. It’s often difficult to tell which elements of the mythology are canon with the comics, which can be a bit confusing for mythology nerds. It can also become incredibly creepy.
You see, Greek mythology has enough incest to put Ancient Egyptian dynasties to shame.
For example, let’s take the character of Hippolyta, the mother of Wonder Woman.
In both the comics and the mythology, she is queen of the Amazons. In the comics (pre-Reboot), she was brought to life by some of the Greek pantheon. In the mythology, she’s the daughter of Ares.
In the direct-to-DVD Wonder Woman movie, Hippolyta has a son with Ares. Which – if we go by the mythology – means she slept with her father.
In mythology, Ares’s is the son of Zeus and Hera, making Zeus Hippolyta’s grandfather. In the comics, Zeus slept with Hippolyta to produce Diana. So if we go by mythology, Hippolyta slept with her serial rapist grandfather in order to have a daughter. This makes Diana both the daughter and the great-granddaughter of Zeus.
I know Ares being Hippolyta’s father probably isn’t canon with the comics but considering that the comics seem to be trying to be closer to the original myths …
If it is canon, may I suggest this song as Wonder Woman’s new theme song?
New JLA Book and a Rant
DC announced that there will be a new Justice League of America title. The members of the team will be: Martian Manhunter, Green Arrow, Catwoman, Hawkman, Steve Trevor, Stargirl, Katana, Vibe, and the new Green Lantern, Baz.
The following picture of the new team was released.
For the most part, the group shot is good. Most of the team members are in dynamic poses or standing at the ready. Except Vibe, who never gets any respect. Stargirl’s costume – as always – is a bit iffy, but at least she looks ready for battle and happy to be there. (Although I have to wonder where her staff is, since she’s never had any powers of her own before.) I’m not much for the costuming, but for the most part it does work.
Unfortunately, Catwoman completely ruins it.
What DC wants you to think when you see Catwoman’s costume:
- Boobies!
- Bondage!
Desired final thought: Catwoman is hot! I’m going to buy her book!
What I think when I see Catwoman’s costume:
- Catwoman doesn’t know how to work a zipper.
- Catwoman doesn’t realize that going bra-less in a fight is a bad idea.
My final thought: Catwoman is a moron! I’m glad I’m not buying her book!
Sadly, I’m not surprised by this treatment of Catwoman. It’s hard to be after the infamous cover of her anatomically inaccurate butt and boobs. And her first issue of the reboot had her in her underwear for the first pages without showing her face. (And ended in a sex scene, naturally.)
Look, I don’t mind her having sex with Batman. I don’t mind Catwoman being sexy. But this over-the-top crap is getting on my nerves. Every preview and picture I’ve seen for Catwoman post-reboot is advertising Catwoman as a sex-object instead of a person. What’s her personality? Her dreams? Her goals? Who cares? She’s sexy!
If you advertise a character purely on cheesecake, it can hurt the character’s portrayal, because all the readers will see is cheesecake. Maybe there’s more to her portrayal in the books, but with the way she’s being portrayed in the ads, I’m not going to buy her book to find out. Pin-up style poses and outfits may attract some new male readers, but it’s a good way to turn off female readers.
I don’t even like Catwoman as a character, so when I start getting annoyed by crap like this, you’ve probably gone too far.
To any DC Comics artists or writers that read this, I’m asking one thing. Please, please quit treating Catwoman like nothing but a pair of boobs and a butt. If you want to sell me on the character, you need to sell me on her personality. Not on her rack.
Scott Pilgrim: I Don’t Get It
Not too long ago, I saw Scott Pilgrim at my local library, and I decided to check it out. I’ve heard nothing but good things about the comics . . . but I couldn’t finish it. I read the first four volumes before losing interest.
It’s not that I didn’t get the various nerd culture references. I got a lot of them. The world of the story didn’t ruin my suspension of disbelief. I’ve read things that are far weirder and easily accepted them.
It wasn’t the art style. Once I got used to the huge eyes that some of the characters had, I enjoyed the art style. And it seemed to fit the story really well.
It’s not because the comic is aimed exclusively at guys. Most of the media I enjoy is aimed at men. Comics, science fiction, action movies … Even most of the manga and anime I enjoy is aimed at boys and men. Heck, I’ve enjoyed some Michael Bay movies, and those are definitely not geared towards women.
I don’t think the story is a bad story. The plot seemed like a fun – if goofy – premise.
So why didn’t I like Scott Pilgrim?
I think it’s the characters. When I read or watch something, the characters are one of the main things that will make or break my enjoyment of the story.
I’ve never particularly liked slacker protagonists. They tend to be fairly passive characters, and I hate passive characters as main characters. (It’s one of the reasons I was continually angry at the characters during my Modelland sporking.) Passive characters tend to let the story happen to them rather than take an active part in driving the plot.
Along with tending to be fairly passive, slacker protagonists tend to go through little or no character growth. (And heaven forbid they actually mature and grow out of being a slacker.) It’s one of the reasons I’m not a fan of the Bill & Ted movies. I want to see protagonists that grow and change, or at the very least, work hard for their victories. From what I read of Scott Pilgrim, it didn’t really feel like Scott was working for his victories.
I never felt I had any reason to root for Scott. I didn’t like him, but I never hated him either. I was just indifferent to him. And in the end, that indifference was enough to make me stop reading the series.
Hounded (Iron Druid Chronicles #1) by Kevin Hearne
After a long time without posts, I have something completely different to post: a review of an urban fantasy book.
Not too long ago, I read Hounded by Kevin Hearne, the first in The Iron Druid Chronicles. Hounded is the story of Atticus O’Sullivan, the last Druid living in modern times. Atticus is over 2000 years old and is infamous for the theft of the magical sword, Fragarach. But now the Celtic god Aenghus Óg wants it back and is determined to kill Atticus to get it.
Power Girl & Dale Eaglesham
I’ve never been one to pay attention to who draws the comics I read. I would notice things I liked and I didn’t like, but I’d never really connect the art style with the artist name. I’ve gotten better about it, and I’m starting to develop a list of artists I like and don’t like.
Among the artists I love is Dale Eaglesham. I’ve already gushed about Dale Eaglesham’s attention to detail, and now I’m going to gush about his character design.
Dale Eaglesham is great at drawing characters. Even without their costumes, you would still be able to identify the characters he draws. Their body builds are different. Their faces are different. Even the body language of characters is different.
Because of this, he is my absolute favorite artist to draw Power Girl. Why?
You notice two things with this picture.
- The boob window. (Thank you, DC, for getting rid of this.)
- Holy crap, she’s buff.
This is how she should look. She is a powerful woman, and she should look the part. Quite frankly, if you draw Power Girl and she doesn’t look like she can benchpress a truck, something has gone horribly wrong.
Here’s a couple more pictures, because I just adore this design:
This picture’s from a group shot with the JSA members at the time. Although you can’t see it, she’s buffer than all the other women there and some of the men.
This last one may just be my absolute favorite. No boob window, and she looks plenty strong enough to restrain Starman.
Anyone dumb enough to fight her deserves the inevitable beatdown.
Eaglesham’s Attention to Detail and a Question
I’ve been re-reading Justice Society recently, and I have to say: I adore Dale Eaglesham’s artwork. A lot of comic artists will skimp on the background, but he isn’t one of them. He pays attention to details and includes lots of small touches that most artists wouldn’t bother with. It makes his art a joy to look at.
Here’s an example, where we get a glimpse at the inside of Sand’s room.
Sand’s bedroom feels like a real bedroom and it tells the audience little details about the character without needing a single word. His record player hints that he’s old-fashioned or at least has old-timey interests. (He was born in the 1920s.) On this and the next couple pages, we see that he has some Eastern art, reflecting his interests in Asian cultures. He’s got a ton of books, indicating that he’s a bit of a bookworm. He’s even got slippers at the foot of his bed.
It’s a gorgeous page. But it does raise one interesting question.
Why does Sand have a hookah?
Pictures from Justice Society of America #14
Guillem March Artwork
The cover of Catwoman #0 has already been discussed to death due to the fact that it makes Rob Liefeld look like he has a PhD in anatomy by comparison.
The artist for this cover is Guillem March. He was also the artist for the Green Lantern and the New Guardians #0 cover, which made Kyle Rayner look like a triple amputee.
But is all of his artwork that bad? Let’s take a look at some of his recent work for DC and find out.
