For this blog I shall be attempting to rank the many incarnations of DC's most overpowered (and overrated) juggernaut; Doomsday. I'm sure I don't need to explain who he is to anyone reading; the monster who killed Superman, a mindless beast whose only thoughts are pain and destruction, the Kryptonian behemoth that adapts to any threat, the Hulk on steroids, an overrated and empty villain, there are many descriptions for Doomsday. He's a regular feature on the battle boards from battle threads to gauntlets to CAVs and tournies, Doomsday is in no short supply on the battle boards. My intention is to rank what I think are Doomsday's weakest to strongest incarnations. This is only for Doomsday's comic book incarnations, not animated, movie and video game appearances. And this isn't meant to be a respect thread either, I'll only be describing Doomsday's feats.
It only makes sense to start at the beginning with Doomsday's original comic book appearance. Having been imprisoned underground on Earth for a long time, Doomsday eventually broke free from the vault that held him in chains for so long. During the Superman: Day of Doom mini series, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold told a Daily Planet reporter that Doomsday's punches were so strong, they had registered on US Seismographs all over the country. He encountered the Justice League comprised of Maxima, Fire, Ice, Booster Gold, Guy Gardner, Bloodwynd (aka Martian Manhunter) at the time and defeated them all with ease. Only Maxima and Superman could last longer than a few minutes against this new threat but even Maxima was defeated in time. That left Superman to wage a titanic battle against Doomsday that cut a path of destruction across midwestern America, with the battle ending in Metropolis. There Superman drew the line and aimed to put Doomsday down for good. DOS Doomsday was one of the few beings who was able to do serious physical damage to Superman's face and body, making him feel that if Doomsday wasn't stopped, his rampage could do untold damage to America, if not the world. Finally both of them put everything they had into one last blow, killing each other in the process. The reason DOS Doomsday is at the bottom of the list is because his feats and fights are the least impressive out of all his incarnations.
This was the first version of Doomsday with intelligence and sentience. After he had been disintegrated to a skeleton by Imperiex during the Imperiex War, Doomsday Rex appeared in Superman #175 (the 100th issue since the Death of Superman finale) He had been regrown by Lex Luthor and set loose in Washington on the anniversary of the day Superman had died to stop Doomsday clad in the same green costume he had worn when he first fight Superman. Superman and Doomsday clashed in The White House, leading Lex to imprison them both in a cage that replicated Kryptonite radiation. Despite this causing him pain, Doomsday broke free and went after Luthor. He faced the Martian Manhunter and resisted his telepathy, then adapted the ability to breath fire to defeat the Martian. However, Superman used this Doomsday's new emotional awareness to subconsciously weaken him, causing Doomsday to be overpowered and defeated by Superman. Despite showing some impressive adaptability, pain resistance and giving a post-mental block Superman a bit of a fight, Doomsday Rex was ultimately physically inferior due to his newfound sentience. That's why he's the second weakest on my list.
The New 52 Doomsday version is next up on the list. This Doomsday had attacked Krypton before its destruction with Zod sending the monster into the Phantom Zone. His first fight had him easily overpower New 52 Wonder Woman and break her arms before vanishing completely. Later, Doomsday was able to move to and from the Phantom Zone casually with a new never before seen ability; a 'Death Field' that poisoned and killed everything in its vicinity. Doomsday's Death Field allowed him to wipe out an entire island resort with over 3,000 people and a trip to Africa caused wildebeest to become an endangered species. Steel needed to bath in liquid organic steel to prevent himself from dying and Wonder Woman's atom cutting sword disintegrated when she stabbed Doomsday. Eventually, Superman faced Doomsday alone, blitzing him to Venus, engaging him in battle where he incinerated him with heat vision. Upon returning to Smallville, Doomsday followed Superman there and continued their fight. After taking a pounding, Superman ripped Doomsday in half, leaving his poisonous ashes to be inhaled by Superman to make SuperDoom, an even more dangerous threat. Although this Doomsday's Death Field was definitely dangerous and it did beat New 52 Wonder Woman, it was ultimately inferior to New 52 Superman, who defeated it twice once he went all out. Its unique ability makes it superior to DOS and DD Rex but I feel New 52 Doomsday is right where he's meant to be on this list.
Which brings me to the next Doomsday on the list. I know some of you will disagree with me placing Rebirth Doomsday above New 52 Doomsday which is fine, I understand why some would rank him weaker than I have. But what we did see from Rebirth Doomsday was still impressive IMO. This Doomsday tanked multiple blitzes from Superman, including one with over 4,000 punches in it, intense heat vision blasts, overpowered Wonder Woman and Superman simultaneously, took no damage from Diana's weapons, was stated to be faster, more savage and intelligent than before and Diana stated they should call in the entire League to deal with Doomsday. So the reason why I personally place Rebirth Doomsday above New 52 Doomsday is because he was much more resistant to being taken down by physical force. Whilst I think the entire Justice League could have overpowered Doomsday, he was above Superman and Wonder Woman combined on his own and could not be beaten by their physical force. Plus Superman mentioned Doomsday would come back immune to what killed him before even if they did kill him so the adaptability thing was still there. He had to be BFRed to be beaten, which is a solid achievement on the Doomsday rankings.
I count New Krypton Doomsday as all of Doomsday's appearances from Infinite Crisis up to the Reign of Doomsday story arc at the end of the Pre Flashpoint DCU. His first fight was getting beaten by Kal-El and Kal-L but that's not necessarily a bad thing being beaten by two Superman. This Doomsday's next fight is a lot more impressive, as during the New Krypton storyline, Doomsday attacks a bunch of Kryptonians and overpowers Superman and Supergirl. Superman blocking Doomsday's punch creates a massive shockwave which staggers Clark leading to Doomsday fighting multiple Kryptonians at once and fending them off easily. It takes at least two dozen Kryptonians blitzing him to the moon and beating him to death after he slapped Supergirl away. That's a pretty hardcore way to go out against a bunch of Kryptonians with Superman's powers. During the Reign of Doomsday arc, the Eradicator possesses Doomsday's body and used it to defeat several Doomsday clones that had duplicated the powers of Superboy and Cyborg Superman. For comparison, it took a combined attack from Supergirl, Steel, John Stewart, Alan Scott, Dr Fate, Captain Atom and Blue Beetle to take the last Doomsday down by themselves. That's a pretty impressive contrast for New Krypton Doomsday.
Not much can be said about this short lived version of Doomsday but the little he did accomplish was very impressive. Gog Wars Doomsday was an evolved form of Doomsday Rex, the same capacity for emotion and intellect, but this Doomsday defeated multiple Gogs, who were alternate time travelling versions of Gog that had developed multiple powers over centuries of time travel. Impressive, but most of the Gogs were featless despite their implied power level via scaling. Because of this lack of feats, I've decided to put Gog Wars Doomsday at number 2 and picked the more feats heavy version of Doomsday for number one.
Probably the most commonly known and fearsome comic book version of Doomsday is his Hunter Prey incarnation. This Doomsday is ridiculously OP. He's even stronger and more powerful than before, he can instantly heal from anything that does manage to hurt him and become immune to it and it's virtually impossible to put him down via brute force. He tanked Darkseid's Omega Beams and defeated Darkseid in battle, he defeated an amped Superman armed with New Genesis weapons, withstood an explosion equivalent to one hundred million nukes and when Brainiac possessed HP DD,he soloed the Justice League which included Wonder Woman, Orion, Martian Manhunter, Wally West, Kyle Rayner and Plastic Man in its roster. HP Doomsday had to be BFRed to the end of time or trapped in a teleporter cycle just to be rid of him since he couldn't be beaten by force. I hardly think it's surprising HP Doomsday is at the top of this list, although some would put Gog Wars Doomsday above him.
So that's my Doomsday rankings list. Feel free to comment and critique in any posts you wish to make below.
My conversation with New 52 Superman before writing this blog.
With Justice League of America #10 released on Wednesday November 30th, New 52 Superman has officially made his last appearance and Rebirth aka Pre Flashpoint Superman is now the only canon Superman appearing in DC Comics. As some of you familiar with me may already know, I was not a particularly big fan of the New 52 Superman throughout his tenure. He was too aggressive, too cocky, too angry, too emotional, too quick to act, too inconsistently portrayed etc etc. There are far worse versions of Superman in Elseworld alternate comics but out of the 'canon' Supermen; Golden Age, Pre Crisis, Post Crisis and New 52, the New 52 version will remain at the bottom. For the most part, these past 5 years have been one of the worst periods for Superman comics in my opinion. However, despite the stormy skies, there were some silver linings within these clouds. There were some decent to enjoyable comics featuring New 52 Superman.
I've written a previous Top 5 New 52 Superman comics blog on this subject back in 2013 but my preferences have changed since then. This blog will include story arcs with multiple issues and only focus on the Superman Family titles. No Justice League or guest appearance comics included. And if you're somehow behind on New 52 Superman, there might be minor spoilers so you've been warned.
This arc was Geoff Johns' return to the character to give Superman a much needed boost after Lobdell's clunky train wreck of a run on the Superman title. In this story, Johns returned Clark back to The Daily Planet after Clark had spent some time away from the newspaper to run an independent news blog with Cat Grant (called the stupidest name ever, catandclarkgrantopolis) During a fight with a mysterious alien, Superman is assisted by a man named Ulysses, who is from Earth but was sent to the Fourth Dimension to escape a laboratory accident in a reverse parallel to Superman's origin. Superman takes Ulysses under his wing to teach him about life on Earth, to work together fighting the mechanical threat of The Machinist and to help him find his parents. However, Ulysses' adopted people come to Earth to offer 2 million people the chance to come to the paradise world of the Fourth Dimension and Ulysses' dark secrets come to light as a threat Superman must oppose.
This was going to be number five on my list but then something occurred to me to change it. In any case, Johns does a decent job trying to fix and restore familiar elements of the Superman mythology that were sorely missing after the mess Lobdell had made of the Superman status quo. Although Johns essentially swept the blog under the rug, nothing was done with it and all it did was distance Superman from his normal supporting cast into only superhuman interaction. I still support Johns' choice to bring Clark back to the planet. Superman was characterised much better than under previous writers, being less aggressive and angry and more calm and reasonable which was in line with Johns' depiction of him. However, Ulysses' potential as a sympathetic villain was wasted once the truth about him and his adopted home was revealed. The Machinist was a pointless waste of a villain who has not been seen since. And this story introduced the dreaded Solar Flare which released all of Superman's solar energy in a blast that left him powerless for 24 hours. Hence why it's an honorable mention.
This mini series was released for Superman's 75th anniversary and generated a lot of buzz with Scott Snyder and Jim Lee as the main creators on it. Superman Unchained involved Superman saving several satellites from crashing onto the Earth caused by the terrorist group Ascension and then searching for an unknown being who stopped a satellite that was heading for a deserted area. The investigation leads him to General Sam Lane and an organisation called The Machine who had existed since World War II carrying out covert operations around the world. They attack him with black hole weapons but are interrupted by Wraith, an alien who landed on Earth in 1938 with even greater powers than Superman. Wraith has no personal quarrel with Superman but believes he isn't living up to his potential and that his connection to humanity is pointless. Meanwhile, Lois Lane is investigating Ascension and barely survives a plane crash having been saved by a deserter of the group who gives Lois a strange crystal before being killed. Lois is captured by Ascension who reveal The Machine received an equation that enhanced human technological progress in the 20th Century. They launch every nuke on the planet that Superman only prevents with one of their own crystals. Wraith and Superman then come into conflict in an all out battle All the while Lex Luthor is sent to, and escapes from prison, kidnaps Jimmy Olsen and uses him to carry a mysterious object and reveals a bigger plot.
All this is just the bare bones of Superman Unchained and at the time it was released, this was the comic I defended the most on the Superman boards as I thought it was the only tolerable comic. With the benefit of hindsight, I can see it wasn't nearly as good as I once did. That doesn't mean there are not still good things about Unchained. It's action packed with some particularly jaw dropping fight scenes between Superman and Wraith. There is a really great sub plot involving Clark, Lana and a farm silo they used to jump off for fun that ends much better than the main story does. Snyder's early storytelling was excellent with some nice mysteries, characterisation and story beats. And despite the delays, Jim Lee did do a good job on the artwork. However, this series is rather flawed. As mentioned, the series suffered numerous delays due to Lee's slow work schedule and his wife giving birth that it took one and a half years to be completely finished. Snyder does try to sound smarter than the story actually is same as in his Batman run and overfills it with too many real parallels. Despite a good start, Wraith too is wasted as a villain by the end. Speaking of the end, the endgame is rushed and forced out of nowhere completely. But worse Snyder makes one of the most fundamental and disappointing misunderstandings of Superman at the end of the story that killed the momentum.
Greg Pak's opening arc on Action Comics is next on this list. Here, an expedition group, including Lana Lang, are being attacked by a giant monster and Superman comes to their rescue. Superman is reunited with Lana Lang, befriends the monster Baka and encounters a new foe in Ghost Soldier. Instead of destroying the monster, Superman takes it to the Fortress for safe keeping. Lana's investigations into an underground ruin bring Superman and Baka into contact with Ukur The Beast Master and a subterranean kingdom. When Superman and Lana discover a certain species of underground creature are drained to death for their energy, they break them out with the help of Ghost Soldier only for the tables to turn in the complete opposite direction and good intentions result in a deadly mistake.
As Pak's run went on, I feel he went too far into certain cliches, continuously had Superman screwing up and not learning from his mistakes and making Superman over-emotional. This story is at least still fresh enough and early on in Pak's run that I can overlook these problems. Pak provided the story and the series with a much needed energy and distinct identity that it had been looking since Morrison had left the series. His inner monologue for Superman was at the time uniquely introspective amongst the other Superman comics at the time. Pak revitalised and revived Lana Lang into a determined, intelligent and capable secondary lead perhaps at the expense of making her too much like Lois Lane since Pak wasn't allowed to use her. Ghost Soldier and Ukur were interesting antagonists in this story whose potential had not yet been squandered. Kuder's art was kinetically charged with his motion style complementing Pak's script. However, the consequences of the mistakes that happened in the story could have been avoidable had Superman been more thoughtful and careful and Pak's approach to Superman was the beginning of an unfavourable characterisation.
A 3 issue filler arc written by Tom Taylor of Injustice fame. A moon rescue carried out by Superman leads to the discovery of a giant alien corpse with the Superman and Batman signals burnt into the moon rock. Superman brings Batman to the moon to investigate revealing a message intended for Superman about a lost Kryptonian. Upon the alien's father arriving, they hitch a ride on board where they are informed the co-ordinates in the message are of a super sun. Superman races off to investigate whilst Batman is attacked by the bounty hunter Lobo on the alien ship. A trap is revealed for both heroes and Superman is captured to replace the dying Daxamite whilst Batman is pursued by Lobo.
This is a short but sweet self contained arc that was much more enjoyable, entertaining and compelling than anything else in the Batman/Superman series, let alone the entire New 52 Superman comics. Superman and Batman's dynamics are much more balanced without losing the depth their relationship has. The plot is a well crafted cosmic mystery that is well paced and has some neat twists. Both Superman and Batman come off naturally (and there is a more New 52 like moment involving a giant alien hand that I'm OK with) and the ending with the Daxamite is a touching bittersweet one where he finally earns his freedom and spends his last moments staring at the sun with Superman and Batman. For his reputation on Injustice writing a brutal and evil Superman, Taylor knows how to write a feel good classic Superman.
Right before one of the worst Superman stories came one of the best. This was the epilogue issue to Johns' Men of Tomorrow storyline and revolved around Clark and Jimmy just spending the day talking about the revelation that Clark Kent and Superman were one and the same. A robbery turned hostage situation shows Superman's true heroism talking to the gunman without his powers completely vulnerable to being killed and Jimmy sees what makes Clark Superman. This story beats out Men of Tomorrow simply for the feels it brings. Much like a recent issue of the Rebirth Superman series, it's simply a slice of life story with no powers, no big crazy major plot, just two friends walking, talking, working and eating together. So simple yet so compelling with the insights and character moments it provided. This story had a major influence on an episode from the Supergirl series so there was clearly a lot of impact from this issue to inspire others. It was this issue that reminded fans of what Superman could be like, which made the loss all the more disappointing.
I doubt I can truly summarise Morrison's complex, psychedilic and era spanning run on Action Comics in just one paragraph on a blog. Descriptions really can't convey the full picture of what Morrison wrote in his 19 issue Action Comics run. Morrison went for a synethesis of every era of Superman, the social crusader of the Golden Age, the insane trippiness of the Silver Age and the pathos of the modern era all fused under one storyline. Every issue is practically connected one way or another so focusing on one arc is pointless as it all ties into the bigger picture with Morrison's style of writing. Although it can often be overlooked and underappreciated, this had the best handling and best New 52 Superman stories for me. I may not have liked the rough and cocky Jeans and T-shirt Superman, but Morrison justified him as part of a character growth for Superman. There were some great ideas Morrison introduced with one of the best origins for Mr Mxyzptlk I've ever read. The banner image is the cover of my favourite issue of Morrison's run, Action Comics #13. Where the Phantom King criminal Xa-Du traps Superman in the Phantom Zone where Superman meets Krypto and The Phantom Stranger and literally beats Xa-Du with the unstoppable force of his will. That's pure Superman comics right there.
Whilst I already prefer the Rebirth era of Superman comics, there were some decent Superman comics in this time. But they only came when the writers adhered to a consistent vision and actually remember the staple characteristics of Superman comics. That's why the New 52 Superman failed to live up to his potential.
Hope you enjoyed reading, feel free to comment below with your thoughts and favourite New 52 Superman stories.
I do have a list for all my favourite live action superhero CBMs already so I might do one for my current Top 10 favourites if I feel like it or it's requested. But with the superhero movie at its all time height in popularity, the critical negativity towards superhero movies of the over the top dark/depressing kind recently and how strongly us fans can feel towards something that we believe doesn't do the character or the comics justice, it's obvious we don't like every CBM that comes out. These are my top 10 worst comic book movies:
And yes the two you already expect me to choose when you saw my blog's title will be on here.
Guess Stryker finally figured how to shut you up huh?
Just beating out the first two Fantastic Four movies is Fox's first attempt to expand on the origin and backstory of the stand out star, and limelight hogger of the original X-Men trilogy; Wolverine. Origins was supposed to bring out the best for Marvel's most famous Canadian anti hero badass but ended up as a cliche filled, monotonous and disappointing movie about Wolverine's background before the X-Men. I find that my main problems with Origins lie in its acting choices, its uninteresting characters, a generic uninspiring script and its insult to injury with the fanbase. A lot of the actors don't really fit their roles, like what was up with will.i.am as John Wraith? There was no point in casting a hip hop artist with no experience in any kind of film role. Same with Lynn Colins as Logan's love interest Silverfox, she had absolutely nothing to do with the comic character whatsoever and was as generic as love interests get in action movies. I remember thinking the script is like every other action movie ever with one liners that have been done so much better. And it would be remiss not to mention Fox's butchery of Barakapool in the final act that wasted Reynolds' immense potential in playing Wade Wilson. Thankfully that has been rectified by now. There may have been one or two decent scenes like the world war opening and the Weapon X transformation but ultimately Origins is a dull superhero movie.
What was I supposed to do? Just let them die? Maybe...
You didn't think I would forget my beef with the genesis of the controversial comic book movie now did you? Of course you didn't, I have expectations to keep up. You probably already know why I have this film on here, for my further thoughts on Man of Steel, see my review of it (Note my thoughts on the action, visual effects, cinematography and Henry Cavill/Kevin Costner's performance as Superman/Jonathan Kent no longer reflect what my review has originally said) but I'll break down a summary for newer readers. This movie intended to introduce Superman to a newer and modern audience and Nolan, Goyer, Snyder and the WB execs believed the way to do this was to make Superman appear more realistic. Unfortunately, Man of Steel's darkness, grittiness and depressing tone cemented it as one of my all time least favourite CBMs. I still believe MOS represents a fundamental misunderstanding and misrepresentation of Superman's character, mythology and reasons he's appealing. What's more, the pacing is shockingly imbalanced throughout the film dragging the overly stuffy lot which is attempting to sound deeper than it really is through fancy buzz words and overt symbolism. The main cast is wooden and never get the chance to present the characters they're playing as because they're slaves to the script and to espousing plot exposition. I find Zack's cinematography to be always trying to go for some intended higher meaning rather than trying to tell a story or a scene. And as for the action, I found it skin crawling over the top violent destruction porn to the point that even Michael Bay might say "Woah Zack isn't this a little too much?" Man of Steel doesn't go for the interesting complexity which lies in Superman's gentle yet staunch selflessness, in doing the right thing no matter what and standing for something greater that humanity can aspire to. Instead, it opts for a bleak, morally ambiguous introspective look at Superman which misses what the character is about. It may be higher than some of the other choices on my list but honestly I personally enjoy watching some of them more than Man of Steel.
I'm not the bad guy, kid.
I still need to watch the rest of the Netflix Daredevil series and avoid the Netflix related battle board threads because that does a superb job at making a captivating and immersive Daredevil story. The 2003 Daredevil film does not have that luxury to me, along with like 90% of the comic book fanbase if I had to guess. It represents what was most wrong with the early 2000s attempts at superhero movies, being overly dark and dramatic for the sake of it. Whilst other movies like Raimi's Spider-Man and Singer's X-Men learnt how to balance a fun and serious tone, Daredevil tried to play it straight all the time and that's why I think it fell flat on its face. Because trying to make itself seem serious when the audience is unable to take the story and characters seriously. Affleck's Daredevil is waay too melodramatic, I don't recall Daredevil being a mopey emo about the state of his life. The absurdity of the weird bath coffin scene and the shower scene did not help the film's titular character portrayal in the least. Jennifer Garner's Elektra was even worse, I think a skit from The Nostalgia Critic's review of Daredevil summarises Elektra's problem. She's hyped up to be a capable independent badass match for Daredevil but then instantly loses to the first antagonist she goes up against. It undermines all the earlier depictions of Elektra and makes them pointless. Irish Bullseye was a weird and inconsistent choice of villain, Bullseye is crazy but not the kind of crazy like the film thinks he is. I haven't gone into much of the writing, story or action but honestly it's forgettable and generic, at least with other bad or hated CBMs you can remember parts of it and the bits you didn't like. Some people say the Director's Cut is apparently better and fleshes out the characters along with establishing more plot and a subplot that was cut but I haven't seen it and this doesn't get the ultimate edition excuse.
Mm, Bruce Wayne meets Clark Kent. Ah, I love it! I love bringing people together!
When Man of Steel discussion and interest was at its peak on Comicvine, I got more involved in it being the big critic of MOS that I am. And not just whether it was overall good but the many nitty gritty facets that were debated in numerous individual threads made to discuss one part of the film. I haven't done that with BvS so much, at least not the nitty gritty debate for one main reason. I hold MOS in great disdain for what it did to my favourite character and what Snyder started to do to people's perceptions on Superman with MOS. So it did surprise me that I was expecting to only dislike BvS about the same as I do MOS and lo and behold, it exceeds my expectations and manages to be actually worse than Man of Steel. I thought that was quite the achievement. BvS takes everything I disliked about MOS and doesn't just pour salt on the wound, it makes all new wounds on top of that one. The acting is even worse including in characters that weren't so bad in MOS such as Laurence Fishbourne's Perry White. My views on BvS' pacing were that it was even worse at dragging its feet across the ground than MOS, exemplified in the fact that the titular fight doesn't start until nearly two hours into the movie, over 2 hours I think in the Ultimate Edition. I saw the same attempts to be deep and meaningful that were merely superficial and only skin deep in what the film actually conveyed. I read a plot that was clunkier and muddled up than MOS' narrative. Oh and what I thought were misunderstandings of Superman, Lois Lane, The Kents and more in MOS got trumped with Batman, Lex Luthor and Doomsday (to be fair Affleck did try his best and was probably one of the better actors, the problem was the script and Snyder) My god, Jesse Eisenberg was the absolute worst, it's all been said and done so there's nothing you won't have already heard about how badly Eisenberg was as Lex Luthor. I genuinely cannot believe there are those actually willing to defend him, it boggles my mind. I can get the defence of Zod but the Lex Luthor in BvS was only Lex in name, not in action or characterisation. Jesse's maniacal, babbling and shrill portrayal was not the smug, calculating or supremely ego-centric drive of the Lex Luthor I'm familiar with. Doomsday is every bad CGI joke or meme you've already seen. I found the attempted meta responses to MOS to miss the point of why the criticisms were made. The action repeated Zack's flashy destruction porn fetish and attempted to sugar coat it with abandoned battlegrounds (with the exception of the warehouse fight I'll concede that one was good) Of course the increased dark broodiness of BvS was not to my liking for reasons already explained. With the dust settled, BvS represented a fundamentally damaged interpretation of DC's finest characters IMO and made me even surer in how poorly I feel towards the DCEU and its future as another expanded cinematic universe alongside its more successful MCU counterpart. Where that has me invested, BvS has antagonised and pushed me away by the road Snyder and WB have chosen to go down for DC's on screen universe. And it pains me because I love DC Comics and its characters which is why BvS' fundamental failures are all the more painful to me.
They're not superpowers, they're aggressive cellular reactions.
I suppose after all I wrote about MOS and BvS you might think there aren't CBMs I dislike more. Admittedly Fant4stic is closely tied with BvS but one of the main differences is the warehouse fight's choreography. In contrast, the action in Fant4stic is lackluster, not immersive enough to overlook the blatant CGI and the final fight is apparently terribly anti climatic. Action is the least of Fant4stic's problems though. Josh Trank' warped versions of Marvel's first family of superheroes represent absolutely nothing of the Fantastic Four I grew up with and loved. I don't buy the Ultimate FF defence either, source material representation was clearly not on Trank or the studio's mind. Worse, the botched mockery of Victor Von Doom in this film is criminal, and that's saying something considering how the first Fantastic Four films made Doom a regular rich corportate tycoon who hooked up with Reed's ex and behaved like a dick with electricity powers who wanted to rule the world. This Doom is a moody lab assistant of Dr Storm who gets telekenetic powers from the Planet Zero dimension and suddenly wants to destroy the world. Moreover, the story just jumps ahead a year for no reason after the FF get their powers, that made no sense The main cast just doesn't feel comfortable in the skin of the FF and most damning of all, I never saw this as an FF film. It feels like a Chronicle film or a Prometheus film but never a Fantastic Four film. Hence why I call it Fant4stic. Even the cheesy and cliched FF films felt like bad Fantastic Four films. This is ashamed of what it was based on, it takes away from the fun and adventure inherent to the FF and as such I've never seen Fant4stic in full. Yeah it's that bad that I never even went to see it at all and damn 20th Century Fox if they're dumb enough to make a sequel to this failure.
I'm gonna make you look good up there. Don't worry, okay? Now let's get these pants off and fly some planes.
The thing about Green Lantern is I have to admit I may have been looking forward to it when we only had the trailers to go on. It was a different time, I was more foolish and not as wise on CBM quality and it looked like it would draw heavily from Geoff Johns' Green Lantern run which was a new benchmark for the Green Lantern mythology at DC Comics. Unfortunately what we ended up with was a colossal disappointment. Right when Marvel was setting up its cinematic universe, DC throw a stinker with this movie. Its effects are terrible considering the standard of CGI technology available to films and the result was a cringeworthy Green Lantern uniform. Blake Lively gave a tone deaf performance as Carol Ferris, I only need to remind you of "Hal, this test today. It's important" as the most bland delivery in this movie. Hector Hammond and Parallax were the most disappointing villains, Hammond because of his non-fleshed out motivations and rushed power up and Parallax for just being a giant CGI monster only there to fight before BvS' Doomsday was a thing. It is a shame as there were a couple all right performances from Michael Clarke Duncan as Kilowagg and Mark Strong as Sinestro but that's nowhere near enough to save this boring, underwhelming film. The story makes little sense even to those who are familiar with the comics and the ending makes no sense to anyone unfamiliar with Sinestro's villanous backstory because there was no indication Sinestro was going to turn rogue. It was just sequel baiting which has turned out fruitless. It's the disappointing lack of expectations and what the movie actually was which is worst about GL to me.
I got nothing, this movie doesn't have any memorable one liners I could find.
Elektra sure was bad in Daredevil but she was worse in her solo movie. Even compared to the other bland and disappointing CBMs, Elektra goes one step further in how generic and uninteresting it ends up being. It deals with Elektra being brought back to life by Stick and trained in a secret martial art but gets kicked because of her dark feelings, becomes a contract killer, doesn't kill a father and daughter, has to protect them from the Hand yadda yadda. The plot's already been done before and Elektra doesn't know how to add anything new to this wheel of 'action hero protects someone they care for' storyline. It tries to do something with The Chaste and her martial arts training but the arc around is resolved without any pathos or nuanced development to it. The acting is useless with all of the actors, the action devolves into pointless slow motion too many times and the plot goes round in circles from flashbacks to present day ultimately being forgettable. I know this isn't as long as some of my other posts but being forgettable might actually be more of a sin than being memorably bad or rage inducing. I know parts of what made Elektra a bad movie but even know I can't remember everything, that counts as a failure on the movie's behalf.
And there will be peace. There will be peace when the people of the world, want it so badly, that their governments will have no choice but to give it to them.
There's no shortage of criticism against the current movie version of Superman and rightly so in my book. Unfortunately there is one movie which is a reminder that there may be something even worse than a dour, unsure and ambiguous Superman. Superman IV is one of those apocalyptically bad cheesy films that try and dumb down a complex issue into a black and white answer. This movie tries to spoon feed some moral of the story lessons to you and fails in every way to create a story with a moral. Superman just up and disarming the world's nuclear missiles without any complaints is completely unrealistic even with a solar powered super strong flying alien requiring the suspension of disbelief for enjoyment. And it's only because Superman gets guilt tripped into doing it by some kid, what a legitimate reason for enforcing worldwide nuclear disarmament. Gene Hackman's once brilliant rendition of Lex Luthor is wasted next to the absurdity that is Nuclear Man. He's supposed to be the menace yet comes off flamboyant and dumber than a bag of hammers. Which leads to some of the worst effects I've seen in a comic book movie. Repeated uses of the same Superman flying shot, more faked fight scenes than a WWE match and Great Wall of China vision. Which is stupider than Superman throwing his S shield in Superman II. Such a ham fisted attempt at a greenpeace environmentally friendly message sabotaged an already terrible movie. Despite my strong feelings towards MOS and BvS, Superman IV is objectively the worst Superman movie to date.
Cats come when they feel like it. Not when they're told.
Where to even start with why I can't stand this one. Its butchery of Catwoman's character from the comics, replacing Selina Kyle with a new character altogether named Patience Phillips, the laughable excuse of a story, the random ass unexplained mystical source of Catwoman or Catwomen prior, the god awful special effects when Catwoman was swinging across the city, the horrifically bad acting, take your pick. I could fill a book with all the things Catwoman did wrong but I imagine other people have done so better than I can. Oh what about the stupid leather costume that isn't as well designed or useful as the other Catwoman costumes, the corny fashion designer villain, the played out "Patience and nice cop date whilst Catwoman causes a ruckus and nice cop chases her whilst figuring out who Catwoman is." Or the randomness of this female scholar who just happens to know everything about the Catwoman blessing after some cats lead Patience to her. Or the stupidity of Halle Berry acting like a cat and getting high off catnip. Ugh it's no wonder this film won a Golden Raspberry award. As far as bad comic book movies go, this film would be the runt of the litter were it not for one universally despised CBM.
This is why Superman works alone.
From bat credit cards to Arnold Schwarzenegger delivering painful ice puns to bat nipples, there's no shortage of reasons why I find Batman and Robin to be the worst CBM of them all. It tries to do the silliness of the 1960s Batman TV show but lacks the charm of the 60s show to pull it off. Consequently, what we get is a camp, silly and over the top display of how not to do a comic book movie. The special effects are ridiculous, the action is as corny as the 60s biff, pow and bam sound effects, the acting is atrocious from Clooney to Thurman and Schwarzenegger is ridiculously miscast as the supposed to be tragic Mr Freeze. The villains' plot is as Saturday morning cartoon corny as it gets and not in a charming good way either. More like oh god that was so dumb kind of way. There's no real story or character growth, Alfred getting Macguffin Syndrome is the most forced bit of tension in a CBM which happens to be resolved in a face palm inducing ending of the utmost convenience. I'd say all that and more gives good reason why Joel Schumacher is much maligned for creating this turd of a CBM. However, I believe the terrible quality of Batman and Robin and its hatred by the fans does give the film one underlooked strength. That it will be a memorable film for a long time to come because we love to hate, mock and criticise this masterpiece of a failure and in its failure, Batman and Robin will be infamous for that bad quality.
That's it for my blog, feel free to post your thoughts on it or your least favourite CBMs in the comments. Or possible BvS banter I predict. Thanks for reading.
Despite living in the UK and being able to see Captain America Civil War since April 29th, I only got around to seeing it today due to work towards my final essay for university taking up my time. Now it's done, I treated myself to Civil War to see if it would live up to my hype. I'm just back from seeing it the first time as I write this small blog up. Full disclosure, this won't be a full review like another certain review of mine, this will be more of a bullet pointed summary mixed in with small analysis and criticism where I feel like it. Oh and obviously SPOILER WARNING: Full Spoilers will be discussed below.
"Oh no, this review is too positive, you're clearly a DC hater and an MCU fanboy" says the imaginary critic of this piece. Although I really liked this movie, not everything can be perfect. As I shall concede below.
Despite the larger cast, bigger story and potential to make things overcrowded, I didn't feel that way about Captain America Civil War. It was a near perfect balance and storm of enjoyment. It was a political thriller when it wanted to be, it was a superhero ensemble when it wanted to be, it was a discussion of freedom of choice vs government oversight when it wanted to be, it was funny when it wanted to be, it was serious when it wanted to be, it could be about values and freedom versus vengeance and collective good. And it didn't hurt it was a damn fine superhero brawl when it wanted to be. Ultimately it was an incredibly satisfying movie that was just what the MCU needed after AOU and Ant-Man, a helluva strong start to Phase 3. Despite the aforementioned potential pitfalls in the first sentence, it's easily the match of The Winter Soldier as my joint favourite MCU film, knocking the first Avengers off the second place spot.
Hope you found this waffling rambling 'review' a decent read, feel free to share your thoughts about Civil War in the comments.
DISCLAIMER: This isn't based on an official announcement or news article from DC, this is based on my opinion and conjecture from the number of comics and projects Jeff is working on.
With that out the way, just take a look at all the comics Jeff will be working on in 2015 thus far:
Feel free to inform me if I missed anything out. Although The Valiant will only be a limited series, Lemire made a blog post stating that 4 of these comics would be ongoings; Hawkeye, Descender, Bloodshot Reborn and Black Hammer. Coupled with the After Death graphic novel with Scott Snyder and another 2 series for Image, I fail to see how Jeff can continue working on Justice League United when all is said and done.
If my predictions turn out to be true, I honestly think that would be a real shame. Justice League United has been a really fun, entertaining and classic feeling team book. It's like a mix of Justice League International, Legion of Superheroes and a Bronze Age tone to it. The roster is an eclectic and unique mix of B-C list heroes who deserve a comic to star in outside of the Batman obsessed marketing DC is exhibiting. The sci fi/fast pace/light hearted levity compared to the rest of the New 52 has been a welcome break from the grim and grittiness of the rest of DC's New 52. But I'm calling now that after the weekly Future's End concludes and Lemire wraps up The Infinitus Saga arc in Justice League United, there'll be some upcoming article where Lemire or DC announce his departure from the series and a new creative team on it.
Hopefully they can continue Lemire's consistent trend on the series and match his tone and vision the series has shown thus far. Or even better I'd really like to be wrong about this and Lemire can somehow still work on Justice League United alongside 5+ other comics. But even if Lemire won't be writing JLU anymore, I'm glad he'll be following his own creative projects for the most part. I'm a big fan of Lemire's mainstream and non mainstream work so I'll try and check some of these comics out if I can. But for now I'm happy with a solid Justice League and team book from DC thus far. Two good story arcs are better than none at all.
Now that the randomness is out the way, thanks to the cool cats of Comicvine who make this a fine place to come to in order to vent on too many events, who wins against who and why MOS is one of the most divisive topics on the entire boards. Here's to 20,000 more folks!
Hey there fellow Viners, me and @squalleon are back for another blog on a subject and character close to both our hearts. After his disappointing results on August's Character of The Month polls, coming in at 9% and second last to Cyborg, it seems apparent more than ever that Superman doesn't have the best rep on the Vine. He may be the most iconic of superheroes but having an iconic status doesn't equal popularity obviously. There are many misconceptions, unfair criticisms and flat out incorrect assessments of the first, original template for superheroes that is Superman. On this blog, we intend to show why Superman has been a compelling, complex and intriguing character in a fitting world for over 75 years now.
Sq: He is one of the most popular characters in any medium. The personification of humanity's highest values, a champion of truth and justice and the ultimate male power fantasy. The countless elseworlds, homages, pastiches and plain old rip-offs that spawn by the months show that people still want to read about Superman. He is the unstoppable force and the immovable object, because of his unbreakable will, unshaken ethical code and unlimited power. A character that is deep and simple at the same time. Providing the reader countless questions about how a being like that would act and think. Why does he do what he does? Can he exist? How much would he change the social and political structure? And when does his mission stops before he becames a threat? Superman has reached the stage that he isn't just another character in tights but THE Super-hero, one whose only equals are the heroes of myth and legend.
Lv: Nice job Squalleon, now I have to match that awesome treatise. (clears throat) In light of the world of 1938 where the Depression hung like a black cloud over the working class citizens of America, two Jewish boys with a dream created a character that would fight back against corrupt landlords, greedy criminals and sleazy politicians for the rights of the common man. That character was the hero recognised as the iconic and legendary paragon of moral virtue and upstanding humanitarian goodness that we call Superman. The character has been through many shifts and interpretations; from the rough vigilante of the Golden Age to the family friendly but overpowered Silver Age incarnation to the modern version with determination and guts in his Clark Kent persona whilst also possessing an unbreakable moral compass and adhering to the highest virtues. That strength of character and of morality is something that, for some makes Superman too much of a goody goody boy scout. To those that actually take the time to learn about Superman, they know that Superman's morality makes him both a simple character with plenty to love about him whilst also allowing for deep, thoughtful if not philosophical stories to be told. How would an alien god on Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men be treated? What would the people's reaction be? How would governments react to him? Does he have the right to do what he does? These and many more questions also raised by my partner make Superman the head of the modern day superhero mythology. That's something I think we both agree on.
Sq: Many think Superman is unrelatable but how can that be? He is constantly burdened by the destruction of Krypton the planet he will never be able to live in or see with his own eyes. He feels like an outsider, doing good not only because of his kind heart but because he wants to be accepted, to stop feeling like an alien in another world and even when he is the most respected man of that world he still feels a hole inside his heart because he deep down knows he will never truly be a kryptonian or a human, destined to be an outcast everywhere and forever. He has to give up personal relationships for his duty. He always has to choose between what is right and what is legal. More importantly he wants to have a family, a normal family but he knows he can't, he can't have a child with the woman he loves and even if he could he can't bring a child to that lifestyle because he is afraid to expose it to the dangers lurking out there(like every parent in the real world). He can't have a happy ending as long as the never ending fight is happening. Many stories touch those subjects and show why Superman is more complex than people think.
Lv: There are those that think Superman is too "Super" to be considered much of a real "Man." But I fail to see how that can be the case. He's grown up on a farm, had to work hard doing his chores on the farm and in controlling and growing his strange powers and abilities. Clark has often felt alone and outcast despite his upbringing from the Kents making him act just as human as any other human being. But that dichotomy of calling Earth home yet never truly belonging there is what makes Superman so compelling. He acts as much of a man as any human does yet his superhuman abilities and alien heritage are a constant reminder that no matter how many human values he adheres to, he will never be one of them. To round this off, I'll use the constant example that Batman is supposed to be more relatable than Superman. Batman is a psychologically tortured, practically has an obsessive disorder with expunging crime and protecting the innocent, is a billionaire playboy in his secret identity and spends every night fighting crime in Gotham sending fear into the hearts of criminals. If we take out Superman's alien heritage and powers and compare their personalities, who sounds more relatable? The guy raised on a farm with a strong work ethic and moral compass to use his gifts and abilities to better himself and to help others? Or the guy who dresses like a bat every night to scare criminals non stop?
Sq: Ok, lets be clear, what exactly does OP mean? Does it mean he can't be beaten by low-mid tiers and street levelers? GOOD because he isn't meant to fight them. Superman's enemies are either world-threatening, having the power, smarts or technology to counter Superman's incredible powerset or challenge his morals, will and heart. And in a world were genius phychopaths, monsters, demon overlords and alien emperors exist Superman WON'T have a problem to find a threat. Plus why are people always complaining about Superman and not Martian Manhunter,Captain Atom, Shazam, Silver Surfur or The Flash, heroes that are either on par or MORE powerful than Supes. The answer is because they want an excuse to hate Supes,even when thats not a good one.
Lv: I agree my friend, this is exactly the kind of criticism that is a real urban myth as to why Superman is not as popular as he should be. The overpowered claim is rooted in the Silver Age when, admittedly, Superman was vastly overpowered and was basically God for lack of a better term. But the modern version of Superman has been nowhere near this level of power for ages yet people still complain when he moves planets or tanks a supernova. This is the power level Superman is supposed to be written at, he's been a powerhouse character for many years now. The trick is not to make him Silver Age levels of OP whilst also showing Superman as a mighty being. Consequently, the counter to this point is "But that means there aren't powerful enough threats for Superman to face." That's a misconception of the threats and dangers Superman faces on a regular basis. In his regular rogues gallery, there's the tyrannical alien overlord Mongul who is usually strong enough to give Superman major trouble in a fight. There's Parasite, a power drainer who can take Superman's powers and use them against him. There's Hank Henshaw, a deranged technopath with Kryptonian and technological abilities surpassing Superman's own. And there's Lex Luthor who is not Superman's most powerful foe but tests Superman's physical might with his near unparalleled genius and vast resources. This doesn't even cover the JLA/other foes that are definitely more powerful than Superman in a pinch. Despero, Darkseid, Amazo, Doctor Destiny, Shaggy Man, Doomsday, the list goes on and on. So if people really think Superman is overpowered in a universe teeming with vastly more powerful beings, that's their misconception to make.
Of course, a hero can only be good as his villains and whilst they're often underrated, Superman's rogues galleries are among the most compelling and threatening antagonists in the comic book business.
Lex Luthor: None are known more widely than Superman's arch nemesis, human antithesis and ultimate rival that is Lex Luthor. Lex is a self made man, someone who has clawed his way to the top of the food chain by any means necessary and was living the high life as Metropolis' so called favourite son, despite his amoral and unscrupulous nature. But all that changed when Superman arrived on the scene. Everything Lex can do and all the property he owns seems to pale in comparison to the ultimate man from the heavens. Someone who Lex feels is a parasite leeching from humanity and depriving them of the will to act on their own accord. If Superman represents the best of humanity, Lex represents our worst demons and vices. Lex has deluded himself into thinking his obsessive crusade against Superman is justifiable instead of using his mind for more worthwhile purposes. This is because he feels it’s more important to focus his efforts on wiping out humanity’s apparent false idolisation of Superman. But outside of the tussel between Superman's brawn and Lex's brain and vast resources, this polar opposite dynamic is at the heart of their antagonism. Lex is driven by sheer ambition and hatred of Superman and endeavours to transcend beyond humanity’s limitations. In contrast, Superman lives his life according to a moral code instilled in him by physically and intellectually inferior beings. Lex wants to be more than a man whereas Superman wants to be less of an alien outcast. Such a dichotomy makes their clashes all the more intriguing.
General Zod: Outside of Lex Luthor, Superman's next biggest foe is the ruthless General Zod. A former Kryptonian General turned rebel outlaw, General Zod was banished to the Phantom Zone for his treacherous crimes against Krypton. At least, this is the mainly accepted version of his origin thanks to Superman II which was also maintained in Pre New 52 and Post New 52 comics to some degree. Just like Luthor represents the worst of humanity to contrast Superman's best of humanity, General Zod stands as the worst that Superman's home planet of Krypton has to offer. Though there have been several versions of Zod in the comics; the Pocket Universe Zod that was killed by Superman or the strange Phantom Zone Zod that showed up in For Tomorrow, the most recognisable version can be found in the Last Son storyline by Geoff Johns and Richard Donner. Although that version first started off as the obvious villain with plans to take over the Earth with Phantom Zone criminals, Zod has been developed as a more sympathetic figure, particularly in Superman: World of New Krypton where Zod's motives and drives are explored further. Though Zod is a meglomaniac despot in power, he does hold the interests of his fellow Kryptonians first. It's why he rebelled on Krypton and, in last year's Man of Steel, it's why he wanted to terra-form the Earth so that his people could survive. This version of Zod is obviously the best way to depict the character, one who is a clear antagonist with powers equal to Superman's under the light of a yellow sun but also with understandable, if not appreciable motives at the heart of his actions.
Brainiac: Another excellent Superman villain for me anyway is Brainiac. A Coluan with a 12th level intellect, Brainiac scours the universe in search of planets and shrinks one of its cities to add to his collection of captured worlds. What really makes Brainiac work is his cold, apathetic and detached mindset from everything but his task of collecting more bottled worlds to add to his knowledge, technology and power. Brainiac is basically the worst of alienkind, our greatest fears and worries about the dangers of other extraterrestrial lifeforms rounded up into an alien cybernetic package. He's a villain I've always wanted to see appear in a Superman film, and no Superman III does not count just because the original villain was meant to be Brainiac :P He can pose a physical, psychological and ideological challenge to Superman all at once and when treated right, it's clear to see why Brainiac is one of Superman's greatest villains.
Mr. Mxyzptlk: Probably the most powerful of Superman's rogues is Mr. Mxyzptlk. His origin is usually very simple, he is just an immortal imp from the 5th dimension("just" hah?), seeking amusement, he often challenges the Man of Steel, who he finds interesting. He is more of a prankster rather than an enemy and he has found himself helping Superman or even giving him life lessons without any gain. But his new 52 origin is quite different. Mxy was an adventurer of the 5th dimension, who learned that the king was sad and no one could make him smile. Mxy managed to make him happy by pulling a universe out of his hat, tricking heroes from around that world, the king's and Mxy's favorite trick was Superman, the only one who outsmarted Mxy every time.
Parasite: Another dangerous foe is The Parasite. A slave to his natural needs, no matter how many people absorbed the life force from, Parasite couldn't satisfy his hunger. Then Superman came along an almost endless source of energy, when the two came into contact Parasite grew stronger and bigger than before. Parasite hunts Superman to satisfy his eternal hunger. His origins are almost never the same but usually end up with him being dosed with chemicals, which made him the always hungry monster.
Bizarro: The loveable monster of Superman's rogues, he is part humor, part confusion. Depending on his origin Bizzaro is a twisted copy of Superman or an alien from Bizarro world a planet similar to earth but backwards. He does everything Superman does just backwards, usually he speaks in broken sentences and he says the opposite of what he means. He is often created by Lex Luthor and his current New 52 origin is another one of those. Bizarro appeared in Forever Evil where he had some of the most hilarious and emotional scenes of the New 52 along with Lex. His powers are always a twisted version of Superman's like Flame breath and Freeze rays.
Lois Lane: Fellow reporter at The Daily Planet, Lois Lane has been many things to Clark Kent over her 75 year history. Reporting partner, friend, lover and eventually wife to the visitor from another planet. Lois is a constant throughout Superman's many interpretations, Elsewords and alternate versions of the character as a representation of what Superman loves about humanity. Now I know some Superman fans and people on here aren't a huge fan of her but there is a reason Lois is a mainstay in the Superman franchise. She might not make Superman more human, a popular belief amongst Clois shippers that annoys those not so fond of the pair but Lois' personality represents a lot of what Superman loves about humanity. Determined, passionate, gutsy, capable yet caring and compassionate as well, Lois is a resourceful role model for women and an ideal contrast to Clark's personality.
Pa and Ma Kent: If ever there were parents who deserved the Parent of The Year award, Jonathan and Martha Kent fit the bill perfectly. It was them who discovered baby Kal-El's rocket in a Kansas cornfield and, rather than hand the strange space baby over to the government, the Kents took the child in and raised him as if he were their own. From then on, Clark Kent was raised by ordinary humans who instilled a strong work ethos and an upstanding moral compass into their upbringing of young Clark. They helped him control his abilities, gave him guidance on who Clark was and where he was from, advised him about what he should do with his abilities to make the world a better place and most importantly, gave much parental love and emotion to Clark Kent. It was the Kents who shaped Clark into becoming not just a man, but a Super-Man. And regardless of whether they live or die (RIP Jonathan and Martha Kent) their role in making Superman cannot be underestimated.
Jor-El and Lara Lor-Van: The desperate scientists of a doomed planet. They are two of the most inspiring and tragic figures in Superman's lore. With their planet destined to die, Jor-El and Lara had to take the ultimate risk of sending their child to earth, dying without knowing their son's fate. That part can be quite metaphorical, as it is a passing, sending your child to face the world alone. Jor-El was one of the most respected scientists of planet Krypton, often called the greatest, Jor-El was the youngest kryptonian to be part of the scientists council in some versions. He is one of only two people to actually repel the multitude(the other being Kal-El), he is the one who discovered and utilized the parallel plane of existence called Tha Phantom Zone He first found out that Krypton was dying but no one from the Kryptonian council believed him. Lara Lor-Van is Kal-El's mother, she is a brilliant scientist, who meet Jor-El at a young age. She, together with Jor-El created Kal-El's spaceship. In the New 52 version she is also an accomplished member of Krypton's millitary force as skilled with the blade as she is with the pen.
The Daily Planet: Metropolis' prime newspaper. The Daily Planet is one of the biggest mainstay's in Superman's lore in one way or another. Most of Superman's supporting cast is connected to the planet or was a part of it at one point. The main characters that work there except of course Lois Lane, are Perry White, the hard-boiled, ex-reporter editor-in-chief, Supeman's Pal Jimmy Olsen one of the few characters from Superman's supporting cast to get their own ongoings and get the Kirby treatment. Depending on the version Jimmy is either an awkward teenager or a dynamic photo-reporter ready foor action. He had many stories dedicated to him even the modern years. He is known for his transformations and disquises. Other members of the Planet are Cat Grant, the lifestyle reporter of the Planet, who currently owns a blog together with Clark, Steve Lombard the brash and overly self-confident Sports Reporter of the Planet and Ron Troupe a level-headed reporter who is also ready to take risks when the he hunts a story.
Superboy: A genetic clone from Superman's DNA and a human doner (originally Lex Luthor but changed in the New 52 to Lois Lane) Superboy emerged after Superman's death at the hands of Doomsday due to Cadmus' desire to create another Superman under their control. But the clone escaped, developed tactile telekinesis powers, met up with Superman in the ruins of Coast City and helped him defeat the evil Cyborg Superman. For the most part, Superboy wasn't really connected with Superman as his own series set him on his own path. But in the mid 2000s, when Superboy joined the Teen Titans, he learned that Lex Luthor was the other doner of his DNA. After a bout of mind controlling, Superboy took up a relationship with Wonder Girl, stayed with The Kents, sacrificed his life to stop the evil Superboy Prime and was brought back to life in The 31st Century. It's the mid 2000s where Superboy has really gained his popularity IMO because his character was made to be much more likeable without Connor becoming a Superman clone in personality. He's his own hero and has crafted his own legacy that makes him a very appealing and unique character.
Supergirl: Many have doned the mantle of Supergirl but the original and most famous of all is Kara-Zor-El. Kara was send from Krypton like Superman but she was at her teens when she did. Because of a meteor shower, she was stuck in suspended animation. Unlike Kal, Kara lived on Krypton making her tragedy, maybe, even worse than Kal-El's. Often hot-headed, Kara has a hard time adjusting on earth because of her kryptonian nature and upbringing. From the clutches of Darkseid to her Amazonian training, Kara got into many troubles before she finally became a full member of the super-hero community.
Krypto: The dog of Steel! Krypto is a kryptonian guardian dog. His courage and loyalty led him to protect the El family from the The Phantom Zone criminals but he was trapped as a result in it. He watched over Kal-El for years from the phantom zone like a ghost. He was there keeping the Man of Steel companionship even if Clark couldn't see him. A fan-favorite member of the Superman cast, Krypto is part of some of the most emotional and moving stories of Superman.
Even if this humble blog hasn't convinced the haters and critics who are reading this that Superman isn't a bland and boring character, at least you can see why there are those of us who like the character for what he is. And to fellow Superman fans reading this, hope you enjoy reading this piece by us. Apologies to those who were hoping their comments might appear in this section but our thread didn't get enough traffic and comments so we scraped that section and talked about the supporting cast instead. Still, feel free to share your comments and views below.
Hi there guys and gals, this is Lvenger and Squalleon here. After a PM suggestion from my co-writer here, we've decided to do a weekly blog for the next few weeks where we detail our thoughts on a piece of comic book related news. It could be DC, Marvel, Image, films or games or anything else that takes our fancy. Since we're both big fans of Wonder Woman as well as a certain Man of Steel, we decided our first blog should be about the strangest yet pre-predicted (thanks to Bleeding Cool) creator change in comics since JRJR came to on DC. I am of course referring to Meredith and David Finch taking over the Wonder Woman series from #36 onwards. After another one of their recent interviews on CBR, we thought we'd write our first blog on this changing of the guard. Read on to see our thoughts!
Sq: If DC wanted to minimize potential losses they would go with writers and artists that have a fanbase behind them. David Finch while popular he is often critisized for his work on women's faces and proportions, so he certaintly isn't the artist you would think, when you think Wonder Woman. Although in David's defence, he said in SDCC he spends 75% of his time fixing his flaws,like females, which are the majority of the characters in a Wonder Woman comic. Meredith is almost -if not completely- unknown, very inexperienced to say the least. So this change doesn't make sense in a business perspective, it is a huge risk even with the good editors DC put behind them. But if everything works out this would be a double win for DC, fixing a known artist and potentially introducing a strong new writer, which DC has done very successfully in the recent past.
Lv:Though I definitely agree an unknown creative team might not be the best way to drum up support for a new run on Wonder Woman, there have been times when Finch's art does look good. For instance, his Siege one shot combined detailed pencils with gritty inking making for an aesthetically pleasing issue. And his early Batman stuff (before he did the writing as well) fitted the gothic, grim tone of the series well. And Wonder Woman has received a much darker, horror inspired twist since Azzarello took over so perhaps Finch's style might carry over to Azzarello and Chiang's vision for Wonder Woman. Having said this, one need look no further than Forever Evil to see how messy Finch's pencils can be.
Sq: For DC to take such a risk they must either believe in their product or plain not caring. Considering how hard they are promoting WW now and considering that WW's popularity is very fragile at this point, I don't believe it is the second option. So Meredith must have a very strong vision for Diana and since she is a new writer she can be easily manipulated by the editorial(another double win for DC). By putting David an experienced artist who has worked in the industry for a long time, Meredith has a 24/7 editor to reach out too. The co-operation will be strong since they live together and they know each others weaknesses and strengths. So DC doesn't really have any humongous risk here I am pretty sure the editorial will have a strong grip over the final product until Meredith proves herself and some elements of the new creative direction show that, the moment DC sees that the new team isn't working they will make quick work of it and change the direction once more.
Lv: As for DC taking a risk, I can see why they might be willing to place so much trust on what Meredith Finch plans to do to Wonder Woman. But here's my main problem with this move, if you go to her Comicvine page, you can only see a grand total of 3 comics that she's written before. I repeat, 3 comics. Now maybe she has some writing experience outside of comics, I don't know. But for an inexperienced writer to be given the reins of one of DC's most iconic characters and one of the most well known female superheroes ever, it's just not something that you give to an unknown writer. I'm willing to bet that Finch's standing in DC helped push the move along a bit. And as my writing partner has already mentioned, there's a strong probability that editorial control will be ever present from the very beginning of Meredith's run. Azzarello negotiated a 3 year, uninterrupted arc for his take on the Wonder Woman mythos. Whilst I haven't stressed enough on here how beautifully brilliant Azz's run is, it's come at the cost that Wonder Woman has not interacted with the wider DCU in her own series. Something DC seem to want to fix given the preview pages for Wonder Woman #36 where the Justice League and Swamp Thing show up in a few pages.
Swamp Thing; jobbing since 1971!
LV: I'm still teetering on the fence myself in regards to what Meredith will bring to Wonder Woman. Though in her defense, she does say some of the right things in a recent CBR interview such as her gaining an understanding for the voice of the character and combining the little girl idolisation of Wonder Woman as well as a human personality too. Whilst this treads on the toes of the best depiction of Superman, it is not a bad idea to have both an icon and a human combined into one. The best heroes are such combinations of mixes between fantasy and reality. Plus, as a huge Azzarello fan, Meredith does say that she'll continue to include some of the characters from Azz's run whilst also fleshing out her own story. I'm glad that this certain part of Wonder Woman is not being cast out in favour of a totally mainstream series. Nonetheless, it cannot be denied that one of Meredith's inspirations for her series, aka the 1970s Lynda Carter Wonder Woman TV show, is a highly outdated and corny take on Wonder Woman. Bringing it back to the comics does not equal character growth or development for Princess Diana.
Sq: Meredith mentioned she wants WW to be a character every woman can relate too, she is a working woman, a warrior, a hero, a loved one and a lover. For me thats great news, WW is someone who girls must admire and relate too and boys must fall for.But lately that has been lost to say the least and WW became a very fluctuating character, often staying alive only because of her iconic nature. Meredith could finally make her both a solid character but without losing her iconic, archetypal status. And maybe her being new to the industry is exactly what Wonder Woman needs. As someone new, she will not try to redefine WW like big names did for the last decade. Instead she might build on what came before and add to that. Characters that aren't rebooted regularly are the ones with the most stable fanbases in the industry and the ones you don't have to worry about for example Batman and Daredevil.
Lv: Moreover, it seems as if the Finches are being tasked with catching up on all the time the Wonder Woman series has been separated from the DCU. This will probably mean more inclusions of characters like Superman who's still in a relationship with Wonder Woman (ugh) as well as guest stars like Swamp Thing. My concern with this is that the transition could be too instantaneous and rushed not to mention that the original Azzarello tone of the series could be lost amid the race to connect Wonder Woman to the New 52 DCU. Not to mention all the possible crossovers -_-
Sq: I think a more DCU connected Wonder Woman could be a good thing. Trying to do what Azzarello did would only look like a bad immitation. Also we don't really know anything about Wonder Woman and her relationship with the world. Does the world respect her, fear her, hate her or doesn't care for her? And a more DCU connected direction is also good for Meredith's vision, without the general DCU you would have a really limited view on WW's roles in life, something Meredith wants to focus on. Plus including some big names here and there would really give WW a sales boost, which the Wonder Woman title will need, especially for those first issues until the Finches can find a balance and hit their stride.
Sq: What I want from Wonder Woman is pretty simple: consistency. Wonder Woman is even worse than Superman when it comes to reboots and direction changes. What I hope Wonder Woman will try to accomplish is a consistent world for Diana to live in. Its pretty hard for the casual reader to stay in a character that is rebooted all the time, yes as weird as that sounds. Consistent characters are the ones with the most stable fanbases and the richest worlds. Take Daredevil for example, he hasn't been rebooted since Miller's spectacular run, of course the character had some dark times like all heroes had, with mediocre runs or forgettable ones but Marvel didn't instantly rebooted the franchise. An even better example is Batman. The character who has the most stable continuity in the comics world. His supporting cast may be the richest in the industry and the consistent continuity provided DC countless spin-offs to gain money from. But thats not all because the character is consistent, the writers have a pretty clear version of the character in their head as opposed to characters like Wonder Woman who are difficult to define and capture down to the core. This is a perfect opportunity for DC to stay consistent and give Wonder Woman a status quo. They have a version the general audience loved and Wonder Woman is on an all time high, throwing all that out would be a waste. Also I really like what I hear about Wonder Woman being a character that every female can relate too. Wonder Woman needs the female audience to love her for something more than her iconic nature. She is the ultimate female personification, its a shame if the people she was meant to reach out too, doesn't empathise with her.Lastly, I want David Finch to be awesome. The guy has done some very good mainstream art back in the day. I want him to channel that grittyness, he had back in the Moon Knight days. And finally fix the barbie heads on females :P
Lv: What I want from Wonder Woman can be boiled down to simply not throwing out the old when moving in with the new. Azzarello has paved the foundations for a new era of Wonder Woman and regardless of the puritan critics, Azzarello's run marks the beginning of something new for Wonder Woman. For too long in the Pre Flashpoint era, Wonder Woman has bounced around creative teams and directions with no anchor holding her down. Now that Azz and Chiang have crafted a new world and mythos for Wonder Woman to live in, it would be completely foolish to abandon this developments just to get Wonder Woman back to the mainstream canon. The best thing that can be done is to combine the two into a coherent mixture. Retain Azzarello's gritty, Greek Horror mythology inspired take on Wonder Woman whilst bringing in the Justice League, Swamp Thing and whoever else they want to crossover with Wonder Woman. Build upon what you have and bring the two together organically. Finally, hopefully Wonder Woman can be combined into an iconic character and with a human personality fans can connect to. Bring those two attributes together and Wonder Woman can still retain her literal God Like status whilst also exhibiting a personality, emotions, feelings and desires in the story. That's what Azzarello has achieved and this is what The Finches need to maintain in their run.
Well that wraps things up for our first blog of Super Speculations. Hope you enjoyed reading it and feel free to share your opinion in the comments below. See you next week for more Super Speculations!
The New Replacement God of Thunder.
As most of you reading this blog know, the news broke that Thor was being replaced by a female character having no longer been found worthy of wielding Mjolnir. Instead, a female character will take over from Thor and, for some reason, actually be called Thor instead of Thor (even though Thor is Thor’s name rather than an identity) Confused much? That’s what Marvel’s latest PR stunt seems to be causing, mass confusion. So I’ll just share some of my thoughts and opinions on this change via several areas of consideration.
1. Why the gender change?
I fail to see why Marvel are making this change in the first place. It’s just change for the sake of change and that is never a good way of introducing something new. To keep things in perspective, Aaron’s other changes in the Thor run have WORKED. Introducing the Past, Present and Future Thor has worked wonders in making for a compelling character overlook at who Thor is and where he’s going. Gorr and The Necro Sword have been awesome additions to Thor’s rogues gallery as has Dario Agger. These are creative changes which have actually fit into Thor’s universe. The decision to make Thor a woman has come straight out of nowhere and seems to fly flat in the face of Aaron’s plans such as introducing new love interest Roz Solomon, making Thor’s world more cosmic and teasing a 9 Realms war. What place does a female Thor have other than Marvel’s attempts to pander to the rising female demographic in the comic book audience?
I'm really gonna miss Aaron writing stories about actual versions of Thor you know...
2. Why make the New Thor a Woman?
When you look at this move critically, exchanging Thor's gender really doesn't make sense. In mythology and in the comics, Thor is iconically recognised as a long blonde haired guy with a hammer in the comics and movies. Not only that, Thor is his literal name. You can’t just pick up the hammer and be Thor. You only have his power, not his name. It isn’t an identity or a mantle like Captain America or Iron Man that can be passed along. Thor is the intrinsic identity of the God of Thunder and this replacement is just as obviously out of place as Eric Masterson was as Thor’s replacement. Not only do Marvel make the mistake to remove Steve Rogers from the position of Captain America just to put a temporary Falcon in place for a token's character sake, they now have the misguided notion to promote the female sex by replacing Thor's brilliantly written series by Jason Aaron with a female lead. So I guess Tony's brother Arno is going to be the new Iron Man because Marvel's reasons are sooo enlightened on these matters. And there’s one ultimate nail in the coffin for Marvel's misguided attempts at promoting gender diversity; that the new female Thor will still be defined by being a female version of Thor. Call me old fashioned if you will but I like Captain America as Steve Rogers, Tony Stark as Iron Man and Thor Odinson as Thor. These shoehorned replacements can never match the appeal or history that the originals have. You can't beat the originals as they say.
The real Marvel 'Trinity' so to speak. No exceptions or replacements can beat The original Source Material.
3. Why pull this PR stunt and try to appeal to gender diversity?
As I mentioned in my first paragraph, this is a blatant PR stunt on Marvel’s part designed to pander to feminist calls for women to have greater roles in comics. The only problem here is that most fans don't want different Thor's or Captain America's, we just want good stories with the same old heroes. Change things up a little, introduce some interesting plot points, bring in some solid characterisation and entertaining action, add in some extra elements and you have the recipe for the right kind of comic. That’s what Aaron was doing before and that’s what has made Thor: God of Thunder one of the best comics Marvel are currently putting out. But editorial interference seems to think that it’s a good idea to promote 'gender equality.' If I was directly addressing the Thor creative team and editors who seem to want gender equality in the Thor line, this is what I'd say. Make a damn effort to promote Thor's female support cast; Jane Foster, Roz Solomon, Lady Sif, Valkyrie, hell even Angela since you're bringing her in (and I have the feeling Angela is going to be the new Thor now.) Believe me when I say female characters need more promotion and treatment in comics but make them new characters or flesh out the old ones you have. Don't shoe horn a female character into a male hero's position as, at the end of the day, she's still defined by the male character, not her own legacy. I know Marvel are going for the “anyone can wield the power of Thor, even women” approach but this is ultimately detrimental to the female hero. Why? Because making a female version of a male hero demeans the male hero and leaves the superheroine being solely defined as a female replacement of the male hero.
At the end of the day, this new Thor will probably end up being defined by her contrast in sex to the male Thor. Not as her own original character separate from Thor.
4. Why make it a new or existing female character?
From the sounds of the press release, Marvel seem to be hinting that this is a Pre existing character, not a new one. And my best bets on who the new female Thor will be stick mainly at either Angela or Thor Girl. Angela is the angel from the Spawn comics created by Neil Gaiman who sold the rights to Marvel. She’s been introduced into the Marvel Universe in Age of Ultron, has interacted with The Guardians of The Galaxy and is now officially Thor’s retconned sister thanks to Original Sin. Although her hair is ginger, it’s entirely possible she could be dying her hair to look more like Thor. And she has the power and potential worthiness criteria to wield the hammer but I have my doubts as to whether it’s Angela. But it could be Thor Girl based on a teaser that this new character “was saved by Thor and made herself look like him.” Both points fit the description of Thor Girl, an alien called Tarene who was once associated with Thor back in the 90s. From what I’ve heard, she’s ascended to a higher plane of existence so her coming back just to be the new Thor seems highly unlikely. That leaves the problem that, if this is a new character, what’s the point of their existence?
Will Angela be the new Thor?
Will Thor Girl make a return to the Marvel Universe and take over from The Odinson?
Or will it be an entirely new character?
Which brings me to:
5. What’s the point of temporary change?
Unlike some people who are literally taking Marvel and Aaron’s statement that this is the new Thor period, I have my doubts that this will last longer than a year. It’s stereotypical, derivative, unoriginal and screams of a PR stunt to try and win over the female demographic of comic readers. But whilst this is temporary change easily reverted, that doesn’t make it any less of a bad idea. Not only is Thor at one of his most popular times with two solid movies (in terms of box office revenue and critical acclaim) he also has a critically praised comic series adored by the fans. Which makes it all the more confusing as to why Marvel are changing Thor for a new female character. The simple answer is shock value and generating a stir for the sake of it all over comic book fandom. That is not good enough for justifying a change in the first place. Change for the sake of change is not the right reason for doing it. This idea isn’t going to be fondly remembered among Jason Aaron’s excellent Thor series prior to this unfortunate announcement.
Does anyone know how long Eric Masterson was Thor? Because I'm pretty sure he wasn't a popular or well loved addition to the footnotes of Thor's comic book history.
Bottom Line
Can we jump to conclusions about the quality of this series? No, a Twitter conversion with Mat Elfring showed that much for certain. The perspective about the quality of this series is, for now, up in the air. Can we justifiably go ape **** about it? Only to an extent. Reasonable criticism and utter disbelief at Marvel’s inane decision making and slapped on PR is at least warranted. Losing one’s mind over this is not permissible however. But for me, it is the straw that broke the camel’s back. So, after Thor: GOT 25, I’m dropping that series and ending any Marvel related purchases on my pull list. Call that extreme if you want but Thor was the only series at Marvel I was willing to buy consistently without delay. Not to mention the only series I was truly interested in. I’ve been perfectly civil in my reasoning and given logical critiques of why I don’t like where this series is going. And that’s what’s needed, not irrational fanboyism. There are fortunately many reasons why this is clearly a bad move from day one of press release and if expressed in the right way, you can demonstrate why this series is a bad idea.
Finally, I hope the feminists and pushers for women to have greater roles in comics don't jump down my throat by proclaiming this a hate speech. It's an impassioned plea to Marvel pointing out the errors of their ways and, whilst it is just one opinion, is probably going to be shared by loads of die hard Thor fans too. If people like this then...good for you I guess, it's your call. But I most certainly do not. And I support a greater diversity in female leads such as Captain Marvel, Ms Marvel, Wonder Woman etc in comics. I just don't see the plausibility or sensibility in this foolish temporary change for the sake of change that is being proclaimed here. Cast this as an angry rant if you must but at least it'll be a rant where I've made some critical and fair points of this ostentatious change. That will be reverted in a year as all other Marvel changes are. And it will be a pointless, empty change all the same.
But this is just my one single opinion. Do you think Marvel have flown the coop making the new Thor a woman? Or is this a much needed change that will freshen Marvel's line and promote women's role in comics? Feel free to discuss, agree, disagree and contrast below in the comments.
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