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Superman Came First; or Why He Feels Wrong in the DCEU

In April of 1938 a first happened; Action Comics #1 was published featuring a 13-page story of the Superman, and the age of the superhero began. A little over a year later another first occurred in the pages of Detective Comics #27 with the first appearance of The Bat-Man in “The Case of the Chemical Syndicate”. Superman and Batman now existed but not exactly in the same universe. Superheroes wouldn’t crossover (and fight) until July of 1940 in the pages of Marvel Mystery Comics #9 – 10 when the Human Torch (Jim Hammond) met the Submariner. Superman and Batman wouldn’t crossover until 1952 in Superman #76. Super books featuring a stricter continuity, more serialized narrative, or story world featuring other heroes wouldn’t really come along until the late Golden early Silver Age. Through the years surviving retcons and reboots, Superman always came first and that provides a strong thematic point to both his own and larger nature of these superheroes. He needs to be first, and that’s why Superman feels so wrong in the DCEU.

Superman is an aspirational figure, in Man of Steel is birth father Jor El proclaims that he will give “the people of Earth an ideal to strive towards”. On a meta level, every hero created since acts as an off shoot from this foundation, eternally reacting too or co-opting (Captain Marvel) elements of Superman. Something about that feels right for a character meant to inspire the best in us. That desire to inspire goes back to the historical context of his own creation Jerry Sigel and Joel Shuster created him in the midst of the Great Depression and on the backend of President Franklin Roosevelts New Deal. FDR’s New Deal was built on inspirational propaganda meant to breed optimism into a still economically recovering nation (and world). That through hard work and general moral righteousness the chaos of the Great Depression or Nazi Germany can and would be overcome and the general good state of the world would return.

In his recent video essay “Really That Good: Superman (1978)” Bob Chipman encapsulates the essence of Superman’s role and stories.

“Superman doesn’t create good situations he protects them and builds them back up when they fall down. That’s why this character and his world only work when approached from a place of optimism, because Superman only makes sense in the context of a world view where good is the default setting of the universe; and thus the job of a being with god like power is to fix things when they break or thwart evil from spoiling the natural state of goodness.”(time stamp)

If Superman is placed in a world where that default setting isn’t good then the actions of that god like being, in an attempt to make things good would inherently backfire, creating for a story that, well, doesn’t feel very much like Superman. And that’s a world that sounds a lot like the DCEU. This isn’t to imply that the default setting of the DCEU is the opposite of good (bad). The setting is something a bit more cynical and doubting, which make inspiring hard to come by. With his two films, Zack Snyder’s established the universes view of heroism is a burden that breeds nothing but more destruction and badness for all involved. Better if the Superman didn’t exist.

How Heroic
How Heroic

It starts with Man of Steel, which is a mostly functional film with some odd character choices. But its main problem is an insistence on exploring how we look at and react to Superman, as seen in its use of handheld cinematography, religious symbolism and characters. But never really giving us a Superman too react to. This is a deconstructionist view to take that doesn’t work, since there is nothing to deconstruct. Henery Cavill looks the part and has charisma but never actually given a chance just to be Superman and inspire people. There is a montage in Batman v Superman (roughly after the library sequence) that is mean to be an inspiring heroic montage of Superman being Superman. And he just isn’t, he looks away from adoring fans or floats above them like a godlike figure or grimly pulls a ship through the ice (for some reason). He doesn’t look like he enjoys a single second of it. Batman v Superman renders Superman aloof towards everyone around him, robbing him of a chance to be a character audiences can empathize and connect with. He has no connection or reason to protect this world – it certainly never sold the characters inherent goodness.

That doubt was given voice with the portrayal of Pa Kent thus far, he is an overly cautious Father who wants to keep his son closeted due to a misplaced sense of protection. Implying in Man of Steel that it would’ve been better to let a bus full of Clarks school children to drown than risk revealing himself by saving them. And then showing up in Batman v Superman as a ghost to tell his son about how he heard to screams of drowning horses after diverting a river to save his farm.

Now, I know what you’re wondering but Superman was first. Man of Steel kicked off the DCEU in 2013. That’s half right, Superman is chronologically first with Man of Steel as the DCEU a concept wasn’t really a thing until the couple off days before SDCC 2013 along with Batman v Superman. However, the DCEU has been one gigantic act of retconning, retroactively adding years of continuity to seed (mostly) Batman characters and villains. Superman wasn’t first any longer, Batman was*. And suddenly that cynical and doubting worldview begins to make sense.

Twenty Years of War
Twenty Years of War

“I bet your parents taught you that you mean something, that you're here for a reason. My parents taught me a different lesson, dying in the gutter for no reason at all... They taught me the world only makes sense if you force it to.” Batman robotically snarls at the ensnared Superman during their eponymous fight. Poor as this movie is, that is an excellent encapsulation of the vigilante core and ironically not to dissimilar to statements made in Batman & Robin. Vigilante stories are all about the recognition that the world or system inhabited is corrupt and that the only way to fix it is to act outside of that’s systems boundaries to force it back into if not the state of nature, a reformation that is no longer corrupt. That is the world Batman has been creating for the past 20 years. And that cynicism has given way to nihilism and amorality now that Batman brands his victims so that others will kill them, if he doesn’t obliterate them with his various vehicles first. Because Batman has already existed so long and poisoned that natural state, of course the world rejects Superman and stops him from being the character we know him to be.

A Heroic Spectrum powered by sweet MS Paint Skillz
A Heroic Spectrum powered by sweet MS Paint Skillz

Without Superman, the DCEU and comics universe in general just isn’t right. Batman is not Superman for obvious reasons, but together they complement each other and form the heroic spectrum, a theoretical chart that you can plot every (at least DC) hero on to show what kind of hero they are in relation the two poles represented by Superman and Batman (Wonder Woman is the theoretical middle/z-axis). It goes back to their roots as the evolution of pulp heroes Doc Savage and the Shadow, respectively. Doc Savage was all about day time science fiction and adventure. The Shadow was about criminality, dark mysticism, and deadly force. With Superman and Batman finally sharing the screen, and WB going forward with the DCEU the ability to create a heroic spectrum was paramount, and it never comes together. It’s not hard, the DCWverse did it in the pilot episode of The Flash in a single scene.

Now, just because the world view of the DCEU is cynical and doubting, doesn’t mean it can’t change to good. It could be redeemed, a theme uniting this movie on every single level. Everyone involved needs and desires redemption: Batman from being a murdering xenophobic psychotic asshole, Superman allowed to become the Superman audiences know, Zack Snyder proving he can actually make a crowd-pleasing box-office hit movie (again), Warner Bros. proving they are not just sitting on the biggest untapped IP goldmine left. Its failure to properly earn that redemption and turn towards good as stated by Bruce at the end “Men are still good. We fight, we kill, we betray one another, but we can rebuild. We can do better. We will. We have to.” Makes this films failings hurt even more. The theatrical cut of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is a barely functional mess that goes through the movements that signal these sorts of ideas but never completes the thought or earns the payoff. I’m hopeful but cautious that the ‘Ultimate Cut’ will at perhaps complete the thought and turn the movie into something more functional. Wonky character choices I can live with if they are earned in the film itself. If not, we’re left with a hollow shell of cynicism and doubt and that’s not a foundation to build the next 5 years’ worth of movies off of.

*Yes, Wonder Woman is technically older then all of them by centuries but she’s also been withdrawn from the world for a good century making her ability to affect change in the universes default moral setting negligible.

I am Michael Mazzacane you can follow me on Twitter and at ComicWeek.org

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Detective Comics #934 - Welcome to Boot Camp

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“Rise of the Batmen” Chapter One - Written by James Tynion IV Pencils Eddy Barrows Inks Eber Ferreira Colors by Adriano Lucas Letters by Marilyn Patrizio Cover by Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Adriano Lucas

While technically not a ‘Rebirth’ title, Detective Comics #934 is filled with its branding and with a reversion back to its original numbering and new statement of identity, you could say Detective Comics has been rebirthed. In the New 52, Detective Comics struggled for an identity beyond existing as a B-Side Batman book. Prior to the New 52, the book was something of an anthology title with leads changing arc to arc, often serving as a testing ground for characters like Batwoman Kate Kane. Now under the authorship James Tynion IV and the art team of Eddy Barrows, Eber Ferreira, and Adriano Lucas, Detective Comics gains a new identity as the Bat-Family team book.

Numerically it isn’t the first issue but #934 marks the start of “Rise of the Batmen” and that brings with it a lot of foundation laying. This isn’t the emotional foundation laid in Green Arrow: Rebirth but a plot one as Batman recruits Batwoman, Red Robin Tim Drake, Spoiler Stephanie Brown, Orphan Cassandra Cain, and Clayface Basil Karlo. Talking about plot is boring but there is a very functional economy to these introductions and recruitments. All but Batwoman’s lasts just 2 pages. It’s like any good recruitment montage from Seven Samurai or Ocean’s Eleven(2001), a characters team functionality and emotional dynamics are quickly established and it’s on to the next one.

The art team dose a fantastic job giving these pages’ real flow, from Batwoman’s splash page introduction to the final page on the roof. A common design element is to have an overriding large cell that establishes the environment with smaller cells for emotive character responses. Best seen in the recruitment of Basil Karlo, the most surprising member of the team. The art team works to render Clayface different than the rest of the team. He’s colored softer and kind of opaque, lacking not the strong lines that give a firmly corporeal feel to the Bat people. The midtown theater establishes the tragedy of Clayface seen in Batman: The Animated Series. Clayface is often relegated to the heavy role and in that position the humanity of those characters is lost. He just wants to watch a movie and remember better times. In an interview with Jeffery Renaud of CBR, Tynion talked about his hope that it shows a Batman that “wants them[ed. Villains] to recover, he wants them to find the positive path”.

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And then there is the thing that forces Batman’s hand and bring his family together, the Batmen. Revealed in the bookends of the issues, they are a para-military operation not to dissimilar looking from the ones in Arkham Knight. In a separate interview with Vaneta Rogers for Newsarama Tynion describes them as being born from Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo’s Zero Year “In that moment, you have to imagine that somebody, somewhere was like, this is a new model for warfare that has never been seen before, and we need to embrace it and we need to do it bigger and better than Batman did.” I’m always curious to see Batman go up against a militarized foe with the past decade of Batman as adaptation (The Dark Knight trilogy and Arkahm franchise) these authors have used militarization as a keey touchstone for adapting that character. In the comics Batman has been recently positioned not so much as a military force but more akin to Roger Moore James Bond with his specific and themed gadgetry.

Going forward I’m curious to see how the Bat Family dynamic plays. Surrogate families always interest me and the Bat Family is the most prominent in Super books. On the surface it appears to be a very typical heteronormative nuclear family (for as typical wandering about in Bat themed costumes dispensing vigilante justice is). Batman and Batwoman are positioned as the parental roles, and Tynion has made it clear he views Batwoman as Batman’s equal. Tim, Stephanie, and Cassandra are the children. And I suppose Clayface could be the “drunk” Uncle everyone likes but expects to lapse. But its surface level view betrays the non-heteronormative formulation, Kate is a lesbian, there was romantic implications between Cassandra and Bluebird Harper Row in Batman and Robin Eternal. The nature of Clayface’s power set brings up ideas of identity. This formulation appears typical but shows the mutability of the familial unit.

Bits at the End

  • · Not exactly thrilled by Cassandra’s nom de plume, but you can’t really call her Batgirl either. There is a lot of black on her costume like her Batgirl one but we didn’t get that many close up shots to see if the art team can make her really emotive.
  • · When did Batwoman break up with Maggie Sawyer (not even sure if she knows Renee)? I fell out of her book after the original creative team left in that kerfuffle.
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Green Arrow: Rebirth - The Return of the Green Arrow

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Written by Walter Percy Art and Colors by Otto Schmidt Letters by Nate Piekos

In the wake of DC Universe: Rebirth, the ability to read (or desire to read) these ‘Rebirth’ specials as a meta-text is very high. And, maybe, even without the revelations found in that book that view would still be there. The point of these specials is to simultaneously reclaim identity theft and promise the readership (new and lapsed) of a quality book going forward. But this is not a unique set of conditions, all new #1 issues and television pilots function in this way. With Green Arrow double shipping (issue #1 drops June 15) I’m curious if the next installment will follow the path of most TV wherein the second episode acts as a redux of the pilot, with less required foundation laying.

Green Arrow: Rebirth confidently walks the line between episodic story and something built into a multi-part story. This is first and foremost the story of Green Arrow and Black Canary meeting, teaming up, and their dynamics. While at the same time setting up our villain, that red arrow headed skull faced person from the solicited covers.

Reunited and it feels so good
Reunited and it feels so good

Green Arrow in the New 52 hasn’t felt like Green Arrow, an ideal formed through mixing DCAU, live action, and comics incarnations. Aesthetically the lack of a beard made him too young, and without that age he is kind of directionless. In terms of content it was a tonally dissonant mixture of Batman tinged darkness and the desire to be a daytime superhero. The New 52 run had its moments, mainly Jeff Lemire’s run (#17-34 and some one shots), but the book mostly just existed trying to find a new identity. In that search for identity, Oliver Queen appeared more often as a lame Batman riff (no Arrow isn’t that). That ability to be be Batman-lite makes sense given their their similarities but it misses their differences. Writer Ben Percy, continuing in someway I assume from his previous work on the title, and artist Otto Schmidt use their Rebirth special to map out the tonal and ideological strains unique and identifiable to Oliver Queen.

In the issue, Oliver Queen is referred to by multiple people as some combination of: arrogant, loud-mouth, sanctimonious, and holier-than-though. Combined they makeup the panache of Oliver Queen and finally added the missing ingredient: playfulness. While the issue uses very real and dark social ills such as homelessness and human trafficking, it’s never not playful and well comic book-esque. Oliver Queen is a self professed social justice warrior, a moment that is earnest and knowingly provocative. This uniformity of tone is completely due to artist Otto Schmidt’s art, his character and environmental designs are energetic and expressive.

A key way to bring up that playful quality is to give him something to banter against, that was one of the main reasons behind sidekicks in the first place. One Oliver hasn’t really gotten in the New 52, but now he has the Black Canary, Dinah Lance. The Canary finds herself on something of a walkabout after her series ended. And now they finally meet…for the second time. (OK, here's where you shouldn’t really try to think about the mechanics of stealing/restoring a decades worth of time and remember Johns meta promise). They are the yin to each others yang; a industrialist gadget driven vigilante and a punk. They just complete each other with their flirtatious repartee. It isn’t just flirtation, they act as a check on one another. Dinah sees his proclamation towards progressive values as hollow gesturing as he is in her word “The Man”. He counters with the charitable causes Queen Industries participates in. No, Oliver Queen isn’t some perfect paragon of progressive values, he doesn’t even know about The Jungle; a large homeless compound. But neither is Black Canary. Together though maybe they can become better well rounded individuals.

Otto Schmidt’s art helps to bring out a real human element that in the abstract the dialogue an overall sequences don’t have. My favorite moment in the book ins’t the barbs traded by Queen and Dinah, but the image of Oliver giving the young homeless kid he comes across a bath. Ben Percy and Otto Schmidt may not be the most evocative creative team but for this issue at least, they made Oliver Queen the Green Arrow I remember.

I am Michael Mazzacane you can follow me on Twitter and atComicWeek.org

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DC Universe: Rebirth - It's Real, All of it

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Written by Geoff Johns - Pencils by Gary Frank, Ethan Van Sciver, Ivan Reis, Phil Jimenez - Colors by Alex Sincalir, Brad Anderson, Hi-Fi, Jason Wright, Gabe Eltaeb, - Inks by Matt Santorelli, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, -Lettering by Nick J. Napolitano

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DC Universe: Rebirth is meant to start the next chapter of DC comics. But in order to take that next step, writer Geoff Johns has to reconcile the New 52, an era of ups and downs. As a comic reader the New 52 is what got me into monthly comics, but as it went on the cynicism and uniformity of style drove me away compared to the stuff I read in trade. There have been high points: Snyder-Capullo Batman, Morrison Action Comics, Stewart-Fletcher Batgirl, and others but their totality isn’t enough to make up for the fundamentals lost in transition. As the mysterious narrator, revealed to be Post-Crisis Wally West, states at the beginning “I look down at it and know without question: I love this world. But there’s something missing”.

With the return of a Post-Crisis Wally West, writer Geoff Johns argues for a more humane, empathetic, view of DC’s pantheon. Not the atonal grim and girt that has saturated DC since the New 52 and earlier. Consider this his final statement on the soul DC comics, for now. Rebirth will be the last comic book Johns writes for quite a while as he enters a new stage in his career at DC and Warner Bros at large. In DC, the story is he has become something of a master showrunner for the line working with the creative teams for the Rebirth titles to get to the essence of these fantastic characters; hopefully the creative teams (not all of them super exciting) fulfill the promise of Rebirth and make these characters sing. At Warner Bros. he along with Jon Berg will attempt to right the ship as it relates to DC and Warner Bros. cinematic efforts, as well as his usual involvement in television.

Wally has been trapped in the Speedforce since Flashpoint and without a tether will become one with it. With Wally as his avatar, Johns journeys through the DC universe criticizing what has been taken away from them in the 10 years since Flashpoint. There is no other character, Johns could pull out of his hat that is as impactful as having the first Wally West back. No other character represents all the elements that were lost in the New 52. And true to his word, the other Wally West, also Iris’ nephew and African American, is still around and going to be the Kid Flash! Nothing is lost in the Rebirth, things are gained.

What was lost in transitions? On a macro level it was Institutions, like the Justice Society of America or the original Teen Titans – now just the Titans. Teams can be reformed but when the New 52 made it as if they never existed in the first place something more was lost. Friendships, Love, Legacies the things that made DC comics unique and different compared to their marvelous competitors. Wiped out. A story universe is not its institutions but the characters who man them, their relationships are what make them more then cold works of cement and steel. Stop them from being cynical approximations of what fans want to read.

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On his journey for someone to remember him, Wally sees a heartwarming moment between Aquaman and Mera, as the latter proposes to her. I don’t even read Aquaman and that moment is filled with such care and love. Love, Wally realizes was what was stolen from them. That proposal also breaks an old (abdominal) editorial edict from co-publisher Dan Didio about how their heroes shouldn’t be married – and by extension happy. That’s gone now, happiness can return and maybe Kate Kane and Maggie Sawyer will finally get married! It's a moment that makes his reunion with former wife Linda Park all the more heartbreaking.

And then there is the culprit who stole all of this from them. When the revelation was leaked online, in the abstract it sounded sacrilegious. The empty hand that altered the timeline was none other then Doctor Manhattan from ‘Watchmen’. Bringing him, and assumedly the other Watchmen, into the DC fold properly sounds desperate. But it’s setup and execution are sound and it fits the story Johns is telling. Johns uses the formal ticks of ‘Watchmen’ the 3x3 grid and references events from the book all leading up to that reveal. Wally warns Barry that a war is coming between “hope and despair, love and apathy, faith and disbelief”. ‘Watchmen’ and ‘The Dark Knight Returns’ represent that latter of those pairings. I appreciate those seminal works that absolutely belong in the canon of great works, but I am so god damn sick of that shit seeping into the mainstream of super heroism. They are Elseworld titles not meant to supplant the mainstream but support and comment on them. And now Geoff Johns has set the table for a meta-war about the soul of DC Comics.

What kind of a task is it to create something like DC Universe: Rebirth? It must serve so many masters at once: act as the launching pad for a legion of new books, be if not a retcon a redefining of years of DC continuity, all while telling the audience a story worth reading. Like the best of comics (and narrative media in general), it is simultaneously complex and simple. This complexity is perhaps lost when various revelations and plot points leaked well ahead of the books release. Rendered down to those bullet points of revelations and plot, DC Universe: Rebirth sounds like the work of madness. But everything sounds like madness when stripped of its context and execution. In execution DC Universe: Rebirth works amazingly well, that’s likely do to what kind of a fan I am. I’m someone who thinks the ending to LOST is poignant and beautiful, disregarding all the mystery and questions a segment of the fandom made their bread and butter on to tell a final story on the power of shared experiences and trauma.

To obsess over these things, to cherish the events, characters, and continuity is to be a fan. But to over obsess about plot points and revelations to the detriment of how they are being told and executed is to disregard the complex artistry at work. In the tradition of past rebirths, Geoff Johns has written something that manages coherence out of years of contradictory or bad storytelling without throwing it all away, filled it with bold proclamations towards the future, and make the DC Universe seem like the coolest damn thing in superhero comics. It’s not perfect, some of the revelations beg further questions but to get bogged down in those tangible details is to miss the message of hope Johns and the army of artist supporting him have come together to give the audience.

This is a strong step towards the right direction. And you shouldn’t expect this to be wrapped up in six months, according to interviews by co-publishers Dan Didio and Jim Lee, the revelations of how/what Dr. Manhattan did to the universe will take place in the background over the next couple of years. That’s good, the how/why doesn’t matter it’s all macguffery, what matters is this new legion of books establishing themselves and putting forth the character’s audiences liked to read at one point or another.

I am Michael Mazzacane you can follow me on Twitter and at ComicWeek.org

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Thoughts: Legends of Tomorrow "Legendary" - Wait for It

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1x16 "Legendary" Directed by Dermott Downs Story by: Greg Berlanti & Chris Fedak Teleplay by: Phil Klemmer & Marc Guggenheim

Legends of Tomorrow started off packed to the gills broken into a two-part pilot episode. It was too the shows detriment that the second half did not air immediately following part 1. “Pilot, Part 2” was an overall better episode of television that paid off and showed the promise of Legends. Now at the end of its first season, it is fitting that its final two episodes “Destiny” and “Legendary” feel deeply linked and would’ve perhaps been better overall products had they aired together then apart.

In a bit of mirroring, “Legendary” is the piece of the puzzle that like “Pilot, Part 1” moves too quick for its own good. In the wake of Snart’s sacrifice, Rip drops the team off in 2016 six months from when they left. Much like the team’s initial recruitment we get brief sequences showing the team attempt to reintegrate. This isn’t a progressive montage though, most of these scenes, Sara’s in particular, all felt like they needed just a little more breathing room. Structurally these segments can’t last too long because by the end of act 1, the team has had enough of normalcy and recalled Rip to go take out Savage once and for all…somehow. It’s a resounding emotional beat that isn’t earned.

Being a time travel show Legends is doubly exposed to timey wimey tangible details tearing the logic to shreds. I’m not even going to try and figure out why or how Savage can freely move about time and talk to himself, a particularly nice moment. But it has something to do with Thanagarian meteors and destroying the timeline, much like the first act of “Legendary” everything just moves along quick enough that you really shouldn’t think about the how of it all.

It wouldn't be a showdown if it weren't at a dock or wearhouse
It wouldn't be a showdown if it weren't at a dock or wearhouse

Killing Savage three times over did allow them to echo the excellent final fight between Oliver and Slade from the Arrow season 2 finale, but due to varieties of fighting styles unable to mirror and link these contests across time in the same manner. Overall a nice idea that felt properly epic in scope. Casper Crump will be missed, while Savage as a plot element was one of the weaker elements of the series his screen chewing snarling villainy was delightful.

With Savage defeated everyone can finally catch their breath. Sara can grieve for her sister; the specter of Laurel Lance was strong this week with actress Katie Kassidy leading Zoom’s metahuman army as the Black Siren in The Flash "Invincible". The off screen loss of Laurel is a real comic book moment for the DCWverse, one that is only really afforded to it because this is television. Mick Rory was a fairly one note character on both The Flash and this show, he was Snarts Pitbull. Over the course of the season though they gave the character a nice depth allowing Dominic Purcell something to do then spit consistently funny zingers. (After the Hawks fly away “Whenever they do that I always want some chicken”). Playing into Rory’s limited emotive capabilities gave his brief reunion with Snart a depth that Sara’s grieving didn’t have.

Legends is supposed to be an anthology-lite show, the cast can rotate and the big bads change. It’s a pretty good premise for expanding the DCWverse without committing to more TV. With Savage out of the way, the purpose of the team now appears to be safeguarding the timeline. With the show now scheduled for its normal timeslot but premiering in the fall, it appears Legends will be getting a full season order instead of half. Either way the new mission statement of protecting the timeline will hopefully open up the series to do more episodic content tangentially leading to a larger arc. Savage was an overexposed villain, enjoyable his presence was the lack of progress made it feel like the series was spinning its wheels. The more enjoyable episodes of the show were the stand alone ones that lacked Savage ("Star City 2046", "The Magnificent Eight", "Leviathan").

Come with Me if you want to live
Come with Me if you want to live

The Hawks won’t be a part of season 2 they thankfully flew off into the sunset. Ciara Renée improved as the season went on but was never really allowed to spread her wings, weighed down by plot driven destiny of one form or another. Wentworth Miller won’t be returning as a regular at least either, he is now a “regular” in the DCWverse.

Three open roster spots and quite the cliffhanger, Suits star Patrick J. Adams emerging from the wreckage of the Waverider proclaiming himself to be Rex Tyler (Hourman) of the Justice Society of America. Oh, and that Mick sent him, truly the most shocking information. As a fan of the Justice Society (Geoff Johns run is fantastic) I’ve been hoping Berlanti and Co. would have access to if not the JSA characters the name. As the proto-Justice League having the JSA form in the DCWverse is fitting as they are formed on the silver screen. Evidently they exist…at some point in time.

Even with its shortened episode orders Legends still felt stretched a little thin. This was a good proof of concept that has enough enjoyable characters (Sara, Ray, Mick, Firestorm) and adventurous spirt that’ll make it consistent DVR viewing at worst.

I am Michael Mazzacane you can follow me on Twitter and at ComicWeek.org

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Thoughts: Captain America: Civil War - A Product of History and Time

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Directed by Anthony Russo Joe Russo Produced by Kevin Feige Screenplay by Christopher Markus Stephen McFeely

What is Captain America: Civil War a product of? History, and time.

In the world of the film, it’s the boiling point of years of simmering tensions. The yearlong mad planning of Zemo (Daniel Bruhl). The twenty years of unresolved parental issues by Tony Stark. The century spanning friendship of Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes. And, the continual catastrophes since Tony revealed himself to be Iron Man 8 years ago.

Outside of the film, there is its status as the thirteenth entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and start to Phase 3 to consider. The yearlong writing process between brother directors Joe & Anthony Russo and writing partners Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely. The blood and tears of their crews across countries and an army of VFX people.

The end product of all that time, as a consumer and critic is undoubtedly worth it. Civil War is the platonic ideal and high watermark for these interconnected movie universes. The kind of movies that can only exist in that space, backed up by quality filmmaking. The sheer balancing act of juggling an enormous cast and a minimum emotional continuity from 7 other films (3 Iron Man, 2 Captain America, 2 Avengers) produced over a half a decade is astounding. It reminds me why this kind of stuff is popular and worth it as a fan to follow.

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As its name implies, Civil War is derived from the Mark Millar event from 2006-2007. Surprisingly, it has more analogues to its namesake than previous efforts like The Winter Soldier or Age of Ultron. After an attempt to capture Brock “Crossbones” Rumlow leads to more unfortunate collateral damage involving Wakandan citizens by the Scarlet Witch, the nation of Wakanda and 116 others, come together and draft the Sokovia Accords. This legal document that would put the Avengers under the jurisdiction of a United Nations panel. Effectively transforming the Avengers into a gun but, taking their hands of the trigger. Tony Stark, the one who started the whole thing, is immediately for it. Looking for another way to assuage his guilt and grief over a lifetime of not caring about the safety and wellness of others. Ever the soldier but wearier of whom to server, Steve Rogers is against it fearing the personal biases and agendas of the panel. He counters “I know we're not perfect, but the safest hands are still our own.”

What starts as a healthy ideological split, becomes extremely personal once Buck Barnes, the Winter Soldier, is implicated in a major terrorist attack. What is Steve going to do, protect and help his friend clear his name despite all evidence to the contrary, or not? Slowly Civil War begins to deconstruct its major cast (Tony, Steve, Buck and T'Challa) in an extremely personal story of justice and heroism.

In his social satire, Rules of the Game, on the eve of WW2, French director Jean Renoir in the role of Octave reminds his love struck friend Robert “The awful thing about life is this: everyone has their reasons.” It was a biting comment on the haute bourgeoisie of France, as their reasons allowed them to justify terrible disastrous action. The same holds true for the heroes of Civil War, driven by loyalty and mostly personal vengeance. By the final act, the Accords – legally sanctified heroism – don’t matter all that matters is the emotional id they and Zemo have laid bare. Worst of all, neither side is all that wrong in wanting to destroy one another. You may like one character more than another but no one is unjustifiable.

With a cast of 12 would be Avengers, a couple of government agents, and a great villain, Civil War could’ve easily been called Avengers: Civil War. The reverberations from this movie are that big. But it isn’t really an ‘Avengers’ story, it most defiantly is one about Steve Rogers and Bucky. The Russo’s use every second of their 147-minute run time, often taking leisurely breaks for character moments and asides. Nothing feels wasted or disconnected, everything reinforces the core themes of friendship and responsibility. With such a large cast its shocking that no one feels wasted. There are a couple of cameos, but if the someone doesn’t get a mini arc, they are certain to receive a moment that’ll make fans cheer or cry.

Inside all of this personal catastrophe is the sly introduction of a new pair of heroes unlike anyone else: Prince T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) from Wakanda and Spider-man (Tom Holland). The inclusion of Spider-man via a jaunt over to Queens feels the most grafted on due to its suddenness, however how it repurposes and plays on Spider-man mythos to reinforce Tony’s ideological foundation makes it apiece with Civil War as a whole. Tobey Maguire and the Rami Spider-man films have a Donner Superman quality too them, stylistically specific and aged but timeless. Seeing Spider-man starstruck by Tony Stark and interact with the Marvel U makes him feel like the most complete representation of the character put to screen in the 20 minutes or so he’s on it. Holland exudes the modern tech nerd with all of Peter Parker’s problems. They have finally gotten the Spidey quips right. At the other end of the spectrum is Boseman’s T’Challa who takes up the mantel of the Black Panther in a quest for vengeance. He feels like an entirely natural inclusion to the film on a thematic and plot level, providing him an origin arc that has me excited at what director Ryan Coogler and co-writer Joe Robert Cole will do with the character, unburdened by setup. While other characters are broad and active, Bosemen is still and completely assured of himself. Unlike other heroes, who are the byproduct of the State and its complexes, T’Challa is the state incarnate and that gives him a greater field of purpose and different dynamic for what it means to be a hero.

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The Russo Brothers control of tone (effectively going from comedic to the right kind of serious at the drop of a hat) and pace is matched in their use of action. Easily, this is the best action in a superhero movie overall. Stylistically the brothers morph from Bourne inspired hand to hand combat into full on super powered mayhem and bring it back down for a brutal finale. The much hinted at but not really shown airport fight sequence between Teams Cap and Iron Man is the best set piece since the Battle of New York in The Avengers. Getting to see characters pair up and wail on each other, but not try and kill one another, as things slowly get out of control and end in catastrophe is amazing. The wide angled understandable chaos emulates the action filled double page splash better than the faux-single take introduction in Age of Ultron. Once again everyone gets a moment to show off what it is they do that makes them special.

History and time, is at the heart of this movie. The storytellers are enriched by its history. Unlike their distinguished competition retroactively adding a history to the frame, Marvel Studios has it. They are at the point where they are able to reflect and deconstruct their heroic figures. Showing them not to be the product of depravity and mental illness as cynical and grim; but so very human governed by biases, ego, and self-interest. Civil War deconstructs its Avengers and muddies their souls a bit, but it never strips them of the innate heroism and humanity audiences have connected to, appreciate, and love.

I am Michael Mazzacane you can follow me on Twitter and at ComicWeek.org

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GoT Thoughts: 6x01 "The Red One"

Policy: While I haven’t read every book in a “Song of Ice and Fire” I read a lot of wiki’s listen to podcasts and generally know enough to be dangerous. While I won’t try to actively spoil what’s to come (a hard job this season) I will be pulling in knowledge from various sources.

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“The Red Woman” Directed by Jeremy Podeswa Written by David Benioff & D.B. Weiss.

Revolution and its affects is at the foundation of Game of Thrones. On the macro level the threat of the Ice Zombies and Winter undoubtedly will change the social order. From Robert’s Rebellion 15 years prior to 1x01 “Winter is Coming”. To Daenerys revolutions and attempts at governance on the far side of the world. The one the Sons of the Harpy are attempting in opposition to Daenerys. And the spiritual revolution the Sparrow is leading in King’s Landing. Tonight’s season six premier “The Red Woman” adds more revolutions to the tally. There is the fallout of Jon Snow’s assassination from last seasons finale. One started in Dorne by Ellaria and Oberyn’s daughters, a surprisingly female fronted one. And smaller littler ones that don’t so much overthrow societal order as it is claiming a piece of that order.

Season 6 is going to be an interesting one to watch and discuss since we now have no singular text to compare it against, this season is clearly “off book”. That dosen’t mean Benioff and Weiss have run out of book material to play around with as seen by the events in Dorne. What about the Dornish Plot? No, not the actual plot of the events in Dorne but the Dornish Plot of the books. In the books, Prince Doran reveals to Ellaria and the Sand Snakes that he has only been playing submissive and feeble while slowly building a conspiracy that will see Dorne take vengeance upon the Lannisters for ruining their royal family, and help Daenerys take back the 7 Kingdoms. That obviously didn’t happen, and any Martell help will be different going forward.

What seems so revolutionary about Ellaria’s actions, assuming she installs the Sand Snakes as the new rulers of Dorne is that it’s entirely female driven and has the support of if not the people the palace guard. Culturally, Dorne is very different from the rest of the kingdoms a difference the show has only sketched out in broad exotic terms (their more open view of sexuality and class). Without a fuller understanding of the culture the shock value of seeing Doran stabbed and his son get a spear shoved through his face is momentary and kind of hollow. The Sand Snakes are a cool group in the book and the show did not get that across very well (if at all). I just wish I cared more about this section of the map and how it shapes the overall state of the game.

Back in 44 BC, Roman senators conspired to kill Julius Caesar and restore the Republic. This was nicely dramatized by William Shakespeare. With the murder of Jon Snow, the showrunners and author George R.R. Martin have once again redacted history. In Ancient Rome, this eventually led to more civil war (32-30 BC) and the founding of the Roman Empire. It’s doubtful that Ser Alliser Thorne wants the Iron Throne out of all this, though just about everyone wants that and the title of Roman Emperor. Whatever his desires his rhetorical justification for his and fellow conspirators actions lacked the level headed logic of Brutus and the fiery passion of Marlon Brando. Power is never secure, it’s a shadow on the wall. Thorne looks stable but that seems more due to the nature of Game of Thrones as a television series then his actual footing. While a key part of “The Red Woman” it isn’t allowed to dominate the episode leaving that section of the show in a tense but unfinished standoff.

Much has been made about the state of Jon Snow, it’s been a mostly well done marketing campaign by HBO. By over emphasizing that Jon Snow is dead, the first sequence makes that quiet clear, they never allow the questions readers and now TV watchers have been asking to come out. Jon Snow is dead, but how is he going to come back is the puzzle everyone is trying to put together. With Melissandre’s arrival at Castle Black last season she seemed to be a clear candidate for the job. The series has shown us that Red Preists can somehow channel the spirit of R’hllor and resurrect individuals like in 3x05 “Kissed by Fire” when Thoros of Myr resurrected Beric Dondarrian after the Hound slayed him.

The revelations about Melissandre perhaps complicates things. Visually her true form is reminiscent of the Crone from the faith of the Seven, an aspect linked to wisdom and prophecy and a bit to the Straner (Death). Now, I know using the Crone as a reference point is technically wrong since she follows R’hllor and is from Asshai in Essos, but if you remember the House of Black and White’s pantheon of Death gods, they claim all death gods across culture are all just aspects of their one true god. There is some leeway to see similar but different representations from cultures all playing with the same primordial forces. Melissandre is herself a fire seer constantly consulting the flames for guidance and assurance. She is one of many points where magical prophecy are coming into play, the other primary one being Cerci’s thread in King’s Landing. Their accuracy though is up in the air, Melissandre seems to be consistently misinterpreting her visions while Cerci’s seem to be coming true.

Her true form also forces us to question several past scenes and her relationship to fellow priest Thoros of Myr. Thoros is the only one who is shown bringing the dead back to life in a non-Ice Zombie manner. Something that shocked Melissandre, she’s never done that. Melissandre is magical, just maybe not in the way she and the show want her to be. Think back to the scene between her and Selyse in 4x07, fully nude for a time Melissandre admits to Mrs. Baratheon the level of theatricality and deception she employs to get people to the truth of the Lord of Light. If you want to get real nerdy consider that she isn’t wearing the choker and fiery amulet in that scene, making it appear not to be a glamor charm. Her true forms reveal is somewhat ambiguous. Some of my friends have read it as a sign she is tired and cannot put up with the stress anymore. I see it more as a moment of raw honesty necessary to face the uncertain (magical) times ahead.

In all of these large sweeping attempts at changing the social order, two of my favorite ones this episode are intimate. We get our first real moment of convergence this season with Brinne saving Sansa and Theon from Ramsay’s hunting party. This is a dark series but seeing Brienne (for what must be the tenth time) swear an oath of loyalty to Sansa is still incredibly warm and sweet. Helped by Sansa’s ritualized reciprocation, thanks to line help from Pod. This moment of mutual commitment through by long held cultural rituals is the antithesis of Baelyish, with his cynical and nihilistic views of power and loyalty. It was a revolutionary moment, Sansa seizing the power afforded to the Starks as Wardens of the North for the first time.

Another brief moment is a rare chance at long running comedy with Khal Morta’s Blood Riders and wives. The riders coming up with things just as good if not better as seeing a beautiful woman in the nude. It’s a comedic beat built on a fake language delivered in subtitles but Morta (Joe Naufahu) physicality helped pus that moment over the top.

Daenerys cultural blindness seems to have gotten her in a bind for now. The Khal, not impressed by her knowledge of their language or her many title is finally rebuffed with the he knowledge that she was wife to Khal Drogo. Suddenly, a piece of information that ties into his culture. She (thankfully) won’t be raped but is now bound by Dorthraki tradition to live out the rest of her days with the Dosh Khaleen (Khal widows) at Vaes Dothrak. She’s never going to get to Westeros and burn Ice Zombies, this has all been one long con you guys.

Six seasons in and the form Game of Thrones plays in is clear. As far as table setting goes, this was a pretty entertaining one and the table still isn’t completely set! Bran will be returning for the first time since season 4 next week. Plenty of questions are raised and hints of answers are few and far between.

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Context: Zack Snyder and the Lack Thereof

Context matters. It is how we understand the world around us. In storytelling context allows the audience and authors to make sense of the drama and story. In criticism, it shapes how we view an object.

Try as I might, the corrosive disappointment of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice has yet to go away. It’s diminished certainly, however, it remains a perplexing piece. One good thing to come out of it is the discussion about it, and a series of excellent posts from Birth.Movies.Death. Recently, one of their writers noticed a commenter’s point, concerning the similarities between the Superman-Zod fight from Man of Steel, and a throw down between Superman and Captain Marvel in Justice League Unlimited 207 “Clash”. The article points out the visual similarities both fights have theorizing that “Clash” served as inspiration for the climactic battle in Man of Steel. Writer Siddhant Adlakha notes “The real perplexing bit is how it feels like it’s been lifted in a way that completely ignores context”.

I cannot say if this sequence did serve as conscious inspiration for director Zack Snyder. Mr. Adlakha’s statement, however, epitomizes Zack Snyder’s oeuvre, which is most clearly seen in his films Watchmen, Man of Steel, and Batman v Superman. You could potentially add Dawn of the Dead to the list but that breaks the comics related theme the mentioned films share. Snyder has a preference for visual aesthetics, but not the full context they originally existed in. He consistently decontextualizes elements in an attempt to make a reflexive statement, often failing to make one.

Watchmen(film) is a faithful-bordering-on-fetishistic adaptation of the comic of the same name in many regards. On the surface level it’s all there, the plot largely remains intact, save for a smart change to its ending. The director’s cut of the film is a more watchable version but still has a soulless quality too its recreation of artist Dave Gibbons comic panels. Something is lacking in the contextual change from page to screen. The missing element is the formal elements of comic books employed by writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons to tell the story of Watchmen. A reciting of the books plot reveals a not all that unique pulpy murder mystery with a dash of alt-history. It was how the creative team used the language of comics to build that alternate world that elevated the work and gave it heart. These include post-modern elements such as including Nite Owl I, Hollis Mason’s biography, and comic Tales of the Black Freighter in the margins of each chapter. Along with the general formal ticks of comic books. Watchmen in totality becomes more a comic book about comics and how they function than a traditional narrative. In the adaptive process the majority of these formal elements could not be translated to screen, leaving Snyder and screenwriters David Hayter and Alex Tse the base plots and themes but without the tools that told them well.

Watchmen(film) is at its best when it, like the source material, consciously uses the formal techniques of its specific medium to tell the story. The montage, built upon film editing is perhaps the key defining feature of film; Snyder uses that to beautiful effect in the credit sequence set to “Times They are a Changing” by Bob Dylan. In a little over 5 minutes, Snyder narrates (contextualizes) perfectly the effects that the rise of superheroes have had on 50 years of world history emphasizing, the tiny changes they wrought. It is a completely original addition and something that could only be done with film. He most succeeds at modifying formal elements of comics into film in the Doctor Manhattan Mars sequence from Chapter IV “Watchmaker”. Doctor Manhattan experiences time all at once. To represent that on the page, Moore and Gibbons juxtapose images across time and space, linked together by Manhattan’s internal monologue. The page and panels become the complete unit of time and space. To recreate this effect, Snyder once again employs a montage linked by the constant narration of Doctor Manhattan.

It’s also worth considering the time the film came out, March 6, 2009, to understand the critical and financial reaction. As a comic about comics, Watchmen could only exist due to the vast history of the genre; or else it would have nothing to speak to or context to exist in. As a film genre, superhero movies were nowhere near as mature as their comic sources. Iron Man and The Dark Knight had come out a year prior and it would be another 3 until the first Avengers film hit the big screen. The general public was not yet conditioned to seeing superheroes team-up much less be deconstructed in brutal and psychological detail.

Let us return to the climatic fights of Man of Steel and “Clash”. The similarities are obvious, the massive city wide destruction two super beings fighting creates, debris fills the frame. Man of Steel goes one step further in building a context for this destruction by recreating 9/11 imagery during the sequence as muted masses wander through dusty spaces covered in white chalk. That is a context that hit, perhaps, too close to home for audiences looking for the escapism these kinds of movies trade in.

In both instances, Superman comes off like an asshole, starting a wanton fight across the city. But it’s only “Clash” that elicits an emotional response beyond fear and shock at the destruction left in his spectacular wake. The context is key.

In “Clash” Superman is at the end of his rope. He has been expertly manipulated by Presidential candidate Lex Luthor, to give himself and the Justice League some very damaging PR. After his fight with Capt. Marvel and realizing what he believed to be a bomb was a generator for the non-populated proto-city they just leveled, Superman apologizes and begins to attempting to mend the situation. The clash has long and short term affects, most immediately Captain Marvel the ten-year-old Billy Batson and Superman fan is so disappointed in his idols behavior he quits the Justice League. The episodes writing is credited as Teleplay by: J.M. Dematteis Story by: Dwayne McDuffie, by the end of it we realize why Superman acted this way, and the lesson being taught in those 22 minutes: that even the best superheroes make mistakes when acting with distrust.

Man of Steel, whose writing is credited as screenplay by David S. Goyer story by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan, fails to articulate a heroic character for Clark Kent/Superman, showing his early life filed with hesitancy and selfishness. He isn’t a very good hero and doesn’t want to be one. A view that is antithetical to the popular conception of the character. Without this heroic context, audiences both in and out of frame are left wondering at what they’d witnessed. For all the ham-fisted Christ symbolism Snyder backed into the film, itself an erasure of Superman’s Jewish heritage, he wasn’t very Christ-like. Actor Henry Cavill looks like Superman, but isn’t one audience understood.

Snyder’s love for reference looms heavily over his follow up 3 years later, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. In the end he created a film that trades mainly in visual references but lacks a soul and developed context to give anything dramatic weight. The follow up was announced by a reference at San Diego Comic Con 2014 when Harry Lennix came out on stage and read a well-known passage from Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns. To his credit, Snyder does explicitly say multiple times that what would become Batman v Superman would be influenced or inspired by The Dark Knight Returns not a direct adaptation of it.

However, in citing his sources Snyder already creates an extra-textual space to begin viewing his film in. A comparison quickly reveals the lack of dramatic weight his story has. Within the film itself the reasons why this is happening are poorly articulated, the theatrical cut overall is a structural mess. Where that foundation should be audiences are left in the gulf wondering why it’s all happening. In affect transforming these actors into high budget cosplayers in a high budget fan film.

In this gulf, only comparisons to its inspirations (The Dark Knight Returns and others) and why that works in infinitely more ways than this pale imitation exists. It goes back to the announcement at SDCC ’14. Harry Lennix’s speech was the one Batman gives to former best friend turned enemy Superman after mortally wounding the man of steel. What is missing is the historical context Frank Miller was afforded with his elseworlds story. It was the final conflict between two best friends who the times have turned into enemies. Seeing an older Batman and Superman was akin to seeing Kirk and Spock say goodbye to one another in The Wrath of Khan. They had an unspoken history, grudges, and stories to tell. It’s a context Batman v Superman could never have, Snyder turns their final fight into their first contact. They barely interact with one another before their quickly thrown together fight. They have no history, or stories, but plenty of misplaced grudges. Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is rendered dramatically inert because of it.

It's Like Poetry. It Rythmes (with Martha)
It's Like Poetry. It Rythmes (with Martha)

And that’s before Snyder decides to reenact the “Death of Superman” paradoxically as the event that brings the DC trinity together…for all of 10 minutes. That sequence is another great example of playing with someone else’s toys with no respect or understanding.

Zack Snyder is a supreme visual composer, often with the help of cinematographer Larry Fong. He is honest about his influences; it is a matter of how they inform or lack thereof the story telling going on where he falls far short. Snyder like any media addicted nerd speaks in the parlance of popular culture. He just expects everyone to understand his language and bring with them the extra-textual knowledge necessary to piece together his new text, like spackle to bricks.

I am Michael Mazzacane you can follow me on Twitter and at ComicWeek.org

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Thoughts: Arrow "Eleven-Fifty-Nine" - A Death in the Family

"Eleven-Fifty-Nine" Directed by Rob Hardy Written by Marc Guggenheim & Keto Shimizu

Wednesday night was a particularly lethal night of television with Arrow, The Americans, and Empire all killing off key supporting and celebrity guest characters. All of them also happen to be female.

The death of Laurel Lance was promised from the start of the season, Damien Dahrk threating to take Captain-Detective Lance’s (at the time) remaining daughter. That aside “at the time” brings up the odd specter death has in the DCWverse – time travel, parallel earths, Lazarus Pits – and most genre series in general. That is why you have co-showrunner Marc Guggenheim talking about how “death is not goodbye” for them. And it isn’t Katie Cassidy is signed on to appear in The Flash as her Earth-2 doppelganger the Black Siren and in the second season of animated series Vixen.

With so many outs, the effective use of death is a lot like the use of time travel stories for the audience. Even if events are changed, they still happened for the audience (maybe a character will remember) and that knowledge stays with us, affecting our read of the material. I believe it was a Marvel Fear Itself tie in that dealt with the nature of “death” in the Marvel U. A Daily Bugle writer interviewed with Ms. Marvel (Danvers) on the Schrodinger's cate-esque nature death has on the superhero populace. Ultimately all Marvel can come up with is that it’s still real even in its impermanence. They didn’t know if they’d be coming back, their friends and families didn’t know if/when they’d be coming back. It still happened. It still affected change.

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The loss of Laurel Lance will change things. She may not have been the shows emotional heart like Felicity. Or the moral one like Diggle. But Laurel turned into the ultimate supporting character, often acting as literal support for characters as well as being an emotional confidant for everyone on the team. Early on in the season there was a brief scene where Diggle tells Laurel about Andy being alive, she was the first person he told. It’s Laurel who took Thea in after Ollie left town. Laurel was the first person that Vixen hugged when she guest spotted in “Taken”. She was a greatly empathetic character, which played to Cassidy’s melodramatic strengths, and would often rightly call Oliver out on his pigheadedness. Laurel Lance on Arrow may not have been the spitting image of her source material counterpart but she was the character this show needed and still had that Canary spirit.

A favorite scene of hers this season was the hallway sequence in in 405 “Haunted”. Wherein she asserted her own agency and the legitimacy of her own desires to bring Sara back from the dead against Oliver’s typical controlling ways. The Lance family has always served as collateral damage of Queen family hubris. Laurel’s death surprisingly isn’t, well kind of. Ollie did shoot the arrow Dahrk stabbed her with, an insane act with how often they go for that move and it never ever works. You could make the case that this is another rendition of thoughtlessly ‘fridgeing’ female character. And in a season where they awkwardly paralyze and heal Felicity you could have a good two handed argument. I wouldn’t go there just yet, one of the core reasons the whole “women in refrigerators” trope is lame is the lack of meaningful follow up. Arrow hasn’t gotten a chance show us its follow up yet. The episode ends on her death.

The overriding thematic motif of this season is family and now we have a death in it. “Eleven Fifty Nine” also featured a betrayal of familial trust with Andy Diggle. Team Arrow like the Bat-Family is a surrogate one for the victims of trauma (and lovers of leather). This uniting thread was starting to fray before Laurel’s death and it is more sense it. With five episodes remaining in the season what end statement will Arrow give on the nature of family?

I am Michael Mazzacane you can follow me on Twitter and at ComicWeek.org

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Thoughts: Justice League vs Teen Titans - Titans GO!

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Directed by Sam Liu Produced by James Tucker Screenplay by Bryan Q. Miller Alan Burnett Story by Bryan Q. Miller

Warner Bros. continued efforts to produce animated features around their DC properties is admirable, even if they don’t always hit critically. As the line has matured a bias is apparent, favoring features centered around the brands of Batman and Justice League. It’s a pattern born of the financial failings of Wonder Woman and Green Lantern. This brand limited model isn’t as monolithic as it appears. Recent efforts like Batman: Assault on Arkham, and now the latest “Justice League” feature, Justice League vs Teen Titans use the more popular name to smuggle in non-Batman and Justice League stories. This feature is a Teen Titans story through and through. It may have a lineup that isn’t true to past runs but with an emphasis on interpersonal relationship it gets at the spirit of great Titans stories of the past.

The world’s finest heroes are reduced to supporting roles utilizing their physicality and paternal status. This was done to similar effect in Batman: Bad Blood which sidelined its family patriarch and focused on the larger Bat Family, introducing a group of characters far more interesting than its progenitors. Justice League vs Teen Titans does a great job further expanding the NewDCAU with the Titans (Starfire, Raven, Blue Beetle-Reyes, and Beast Boy) leaving me wanting more Teen Titans features; there’s a mid-credits teaser that hints at something greater. Even if the pattern shows the odds of follow up is unlikely.

Poor structure has made past Justice League features fail to make DC’s greatest heroes compelling characters or tell component stories with them. This poor structuring left past features like War and Throne of Atlantis feeling very plot driven not character, cramming as much stuff in with no moment to breathe and expand on these characters. At first I’d thought it a byproduct of featuring so many characters (average 8) but League vs Teen Titans features even more and has infinitely better flow and emotional affect. It comes down to how the creators utilize their resources. While the JL are supporting characters, they aren’t forgotten largely placed in the ‘C’ plot of the feature slowly building Trigon’s arrival on Earth. Having a separate group that exists to push the plot forward alleviates the pressure normally found in these requiring the main character to be involved in everything. Segregated away from the main action, the Titans are allowed to be economically introduced and exist in threads that do not directly tie into Trigon’s machinations, until things come crashing together. Raven and Damian get the meaty emotional arcs but the rest of the cast get their own moments to shine.

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There’s a moment at the end of Batman: Bad Blood that irked me immensely. After Talia’s plot was foiled, Bruce sits with Damian to have the heart-to-heart chat that trilogy had been building towards. We see it through the gaze of Alfred, who tells Nightwing (and audience) that’s exactly what’s going on. It may not have been as dynamic as an action sequence but the emotional pay off would’ve been greater if we’d actually gotten to see it. While Titans has nothing as theoretically emotionally impactful as that sequence, it is allowed to show its Titans at rest often. Or in other little moments that tell us all we need to know about a character’s personality beyond their power set. There’s an entire team building sequence at a fair that ends in a DDR dance off. This is the kind of purposefully small details that elevate the storytelling in this feature.

Making Damian Wayne the entry point or the Teen Titans makes complete sense. His bratty pretentiousness is a great foil for his teammates to bounce off of. While the movies around him have generally been poor, Stuart Allan’s Damian has always been entertaining. The rest of the Titans voice acting is on point, providing recognizable performances for characters that already have distinct voices.

The word “fun” has come up often in recent weeks in regards to comic book movies, with supporters and oddly detractors. As an adjective it is a vaguely specific term, understandable in the broad sense but specific to the personal. More often than not I’ve found “fun” works as short hand for competent and good storytelling. That’s exactly what Justice League vs Teen Titans is, though it exceeds beyond good. It’s filled with little moments that gives it a verve, playing into the animated medium with Sailor Moon-esque costume changes. At times the Titans act like they’re the Doom Patrol but that’s just typical teenage angst and hyperbole.

It is surprising that this movie is rated PG-13 it lacks the graphic bloody violence these features have traded previously. There is some minor body horror imagery with Beast Boy but nothing too freighting to keep you from watching it with younger people. There is some sensuality involving Starfire but it’s brief and not all that graphic.

Warner Bros. has a schedule of: Batman, Justice League, Elseworlds. With Teen Titans I’m left hoping that schedule can be changed so that they may be explored more. Otherwise what’s the point of building out this universe if you just stick with Batman and the Justice League ft. Batman? Teen Titans is a great addition that doesn’t over stay its welcome or feel underserved by the standard 78-minute run time.

Bits at the End

  • If you're expecting a great turn by Jon Bernthal, go watch Daredevil S2. Bernthal is acceptable as Trigon but run through a voice modulator any Bernthalness is lost and it's not like villians get much time to shine in these things anyway.

Justice League vs Teen Titans is currently avaliable digitally and will be released on DVD/Blu Ray April 12th.

I am Michael Mazzacane you can follow me on Twitter and at ComicWeek.org



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