I was thinking about Lex Luthor and his quality as a villain. Cause you know, a superhero is only as good as their bad guy. We remember Joker, Thanos, Killmonger, Magneto, Venom, Vulture, and so on. No one thinks about Whiplash, Malekith, Yellowjacket, or Aldrich Killian. Lex Luthor is somewhere in the middle. He’s Superman’s primary villain, but he’s never had a real firm MO or personality. Whereas that works for the Joker, because he’s the embodiment of chaos, it doesn’t work for someone who’s essentially Donald Trump if he was the smartest man alive. On one side you’ve got the Lex Luthor who was a silly megalomaniacal real estate…
-
-
My Kindertrauma: Tidbits
For my second-to-last entry regarding Kindertrauma, I thought I’d go over some of the moments that didn’t warrant an entire article, but were still evoke shivers when I think of them. “Recorded Live”(one of HBO’s Short Takes; also known as “Flesh Eating Film Reels”) I have no idea where or when I saw this, but I know I must have. Because when I was perusing old short horror films available on YouTube, this little gem came back, and I immediately had a Vagrant Story reaction (that’s an inside joke I don’t expect you to get). My dad must have recorded this off of HBO (he recorded everything, we had over…
-
How to Fix Supergirl the TV Series
I do seem to like to talk about Supergirl. So hey, why not some more. And it gives me a reason to put up pretty pictures. So Supergirl the TV series started on CBS, the network for senior citizens, then moved to CW, the network for fresh-faced teens. Went from Wheel of Fortune to Dawson’s Creek. I watched the first season and the first five episodes of the second season. I wanted to get into it, I really did. But the characters stopped me. Don’t get me wrong — Melissa Benoist is a delight. She’s like Emilia Clarke — she’s charming as hell and I’d follow her, dragons and all.…
-
Death and Further Death of Superman
I recently read The Death and Return of Superman story arc. Yeah, little late to the game on that one, but I’m trying to catch up. And as I expected, it did nothing to change my opinion of Underpants Man. All it did was remind me why I like Batman better. Just reinforced my image of him as a proto-Captain America (who I’m not fond of either)–the ever moral boy scout. And it’s about the only one that focuses on Superman–and not even THAT because half the story is about the other Supermen. Isn’t that sad? “Death and Return” is the one story arc that ranks as most memorable solo Superman story.…
-
Does Superman Poop? (NSFW)
So the other day I was driving home from work and thinking about stuff. For some reason that age old problem came to mind – could Superman have sex? The going theory is that Superman, on Earth, could only have sex with another Kryptonian. If he had sex with an Earth woman, say Lois Lane, he would ejaculate so hard that it would blow her brains out (see image). This is known as the “man of steel, woman of kleenex” problem. (And this is besides the issue of being pregnant with a super-baby that could kick its way out of your uterus). Some people think that it’s not an issue,…
-
A Superman Hater Watches “Man of Steel”
Do I need to tell you my problems with Superman? No, I don’t. So I never planned to watch Man of Steel. Another origin story? Zack Snyder’s testosterone stink on it? Same damn villain? Same bland hero? Critical reception from poor to mixed? No thank you. I don’t need more Superman in my life than I have to. But then Nostalgia Critic released his video for it, so I figured, “Damn, guess I need to see this if I want to appreciate the NC review.” I encountered the same issue with “Avatar: The Last Airbender”, and it turned out well. So I regretfully put it on the Netflix queue, fully anticipating…
-
How I Would Write a Supergirl Movie
A few nights ago I foolishly kept myself up late in bed, thinking of how I would write a Supergirl movie. I’ve already talked about how Supergirl is an interesting character, and I believe, unlike Wonder Woman, she’s got a lot of story potential. Certainly more than Superman, who’s a bland, God-like, force of nature with no personality, no weaknesses, and nothing to lose. The unfortunate part is that most Supergirl’s vulnerabilities extend from being a “kept” woman. In the comic books, most of her storyline conflicts are about keeping her identity secret. At least in the silver age. Superman’s got the same problem but her’s are a little more crucial because…
-
Thoughts About Wonder Woman
These days I’ve been thinking about Wonder Woman. One of my daughter’s friends had a Wonder Woman cake for her birthday (four years old) so I know her fanbase isn’t dead. She represents something important to women. Someone who can hold their own with the other super-people. Someone strong enough to stand with the G.I. Joes and He-Men. Independent, strong-willed, powerful. And unfortunately, we’ll never see her again. Barry Lyga recently wrote an article regarding why we won’t see a Wonder Woman movie. He argued that Wonder Woman’s portrayal is too inconsistent for a proper story. I agree, but I take it to the next level — even the consistencies…
-
Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man Will Become Superman (1978)
Time will not be kind to Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man. I have come to this realization. Its the Marvel equivalent of Christopher Reeve’s Superman. It lit the fuse for superhero movies, but hasn’t nearly the explosive power its successors will (X-Men, Iron Man, etc.). The movies were a well-loved phenomenom now, but the trilogy is finished. And a reboot is months away, only ten years after the first. Why? I hardly need to say much that hasn’t already been said. Sure, they’re good movies. Sometimes great. Good casting. Well imagined. Fun special effects. And far be it from me to disrespect anything with Bruce Campbell in it. But Sam Raimi is…
