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m00nslippers · 5 years ago

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Jason Todd in Event Leviathan #3 -- He really is that badass (Part 3)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3

So now that you’ve presumably read parts 1 and 2 where I go over basically every fight Jason has ever had that is useful to gauge his fighting abilities, it’s time to go over his most recent feat in Event Leviathan #3 where he single-handedly defeats The Detectives and walks away unscathed.

When this issue came out, a lot of Jason fans were very happy, as it finally acknowledged the skills that Red Hood has consistently been shown to have from his very first appearances, but which had recently been downplayed or outright denied in recent runs like Batman Eternal and Batman and Robin Eternal. But perhaps because of those portrayals, there were also many doubters, who disagreed with this showcase of skill by Jason and did not believe it was consistent with his character. In parts 1 and 2, I think I pretty well explain Jason’s abilities, strengths and feats, which should put this fight into perspective, but I’m going to specifically go into it even more here, blow by blow, combatant by combatant.

Let me preface this by saying that...this isn’t the best drawn fight ever. The panels sometimes actively make it difficult to tell what’s happening and the fight doesn’t feel organic or even interesting most of the time. This fight could definitely have been drawn better, written better, but that doesn’t discount the fact that what it portrays Jason doing is consistent with his skills and abilities that he’s shown in the past.

Jason Todd vs ‘The Detectives’

If you don’t know Jason, it’s easy to look at my boy here standing against a line-up that includes Green Arrow, Plastic Man, Manhunter, The Question, Batman and Robin (and Lois Lane, I guess) and think he’s got no chance to get out of the situation unscathed, but here’s the thing:

This shit is Jason’s specialty.

Jason is known for taking on large groups of vigilantes, using his opponents against each other, dropping the weakest link and making his escape against the likes of even Batman. He’s done this in such fights as: Red Hood vs Batman vs Captain Nazi, Hyena and Count Vertigo, and Batman (Jason Todd) vs. Nightwing, Batman (Damian Wayne), Black Canary and Huntress and even more recently in Red Hood and Starfire vs Lady Shiva, Manbats and Bronze Tiger and Red Hood and Artemis of Bana-Migdall vs Orphan, Azrael, Batwing and Clayface until he was distracted by needing to help Bizarro.

Fighting multiple enemies, especially heroes, is when Jason is at his best. He can take advantage of the non-lethal tactics employed by them to avoid injury, he can play on their compassion by taking out other targets that will distract them. He’s shown this time and again, he’s amazing at it.

Furthermore, Jason isn’t proud, he doesn’t have to beat his opponent into the ground and humiliate them before he calls it a day. He is fine with incapacitating or distracting a hero just long enough to get away or complete his business. Jason can win without having to utterly defeat his enemies, he just has to accomplish his goal and deny them from capturing him, whereas most of his opponents generally need to incapacitate and capture him to secure victory--which is significantly more difficult to do than simply get away. Jason’s win-condition is much more easily accomplished than his opponents’.

This being said it really shouldn’t be any wonder that Jason was able to defeat this group of ‘detectives’ when most of the group’s members would struggle against and likely lose to Jason 1 vs 1. You would think their odds would go up against Jason with more numbers, but in practice they go down because with more opponents Jason just has more options for distraction and escape. But don’t take my word for it, let’s examine the fight.

A Blow By Blow Account

The opening shot of the fight establishes the combatants: Red Hood vs Robin, Batman, Manhunter, Plastic Man and Green Arrow.

At this point, Jason is actively trying to escape by jumping off a building, at which point Robin, Batman, Manhunter and Plastic Man follow, while Green Arrow provides distance support.

Jason makes two shots, one is aimed at and hits Manhunter’s staff, the other is aimed at and hits Lois’s phone to destroy her documentation of him, grazing Batman on the way. These relatively small targets establish that Jason could shoot any of these heroes he wants in the face and just kill them--he just chooses not to. The shot at Manhunter’s staff seems to be to test what it’s made of, how durable it is and hopefully break it if it’s not very, though it doesn’t. Shooting Lois’s camera is likely to get rid of any evidence the group my use to try to further accuse him of being Leviathan. After Jason takes these shots, Green Arrow shoots an arrow to plug the barrel of Jason’s right pistol.

Plastic Man then reaches Jason and stops to quip before actually wrapping him up. This gives Jason enough time to pull his arm back and shoot the gun with the arrow lodged in it at Plastic Man, causing him to release Jason. The next to reach him is Damian, who attempts to fist-fight Jason in midair only for Batman to pull Damian away by the cape to separate them and handle Jason himself. Considering Jason’s vast history of shooting Damian and nearly killing him, this is probably a good call on B’s part, even if it seems unlikely to me that Jason would do that at this point.

All three smash through a glass ceiling and fall into a conveniently placed pool that is apparently deep enough to keep them all from dying on impact but shallow enough that they can stand up to fight. They trade blows and Jason wraps Bruce and Damian in Batman’s cape, which seals their movements long enough for Jason to get away.

At this point the scene skips a bit to Manhunter pursuing Jason, presumably after escaping the bats and jumping out of that building too, though it’s a bit unclear. This part is especially difficult to tell what’s happening to be honest. My interpretation is that Jason grabs onto a fire escape as he jumps to slow his fall, while Manhunter jabs at him with her staff as she falls. But she is falling at a faster rate since Jason is holding onto the pole and she misses. He grabs her on her way down and jumps off the fire escape and falls onto her, using her to break his fall into a garbage container.

Jason rolls off her, but Manhunter still isn’t down. She tries to hit Jason with her staff, but he ducks under it, sits up and gives her a punch that finally knocks her out, then leaves the garbage container carrying her staff. He is then met by Lois Lane who questions him about his possible connection to Leviathan.

While Jason is talking to Lois Lane, Green Arrow sneaks around up above. He shoots an arrow that is deflected by the staff Jason took from Manhunter. The deflected arrow opens a net on Batman and Robin who had just arrived on the scene. Jason then escapes before the two can extricate themselves from the net. Green Arrow and Lois do not pursue him.

But do everyone’s actions make sense?

To be frank, I think there are problems with this fight, but not necessarily with the outcome in general or Jason in particular. I am not super familiar with some of these heroes, so feel free to correct me if I make a wrong point, but I’m reasonably confident in my assessment. Let’s examine what happens and whether it makes sense.

Everyone jumps off the building after Red Hood.

It’s tempting to say this is stupid but actually I think this works. Jason is a master of escape and hiding. He has proven that time and again in Under the Red Hood, in Battle for the Cowl and Batman and Robin, he can slip away instantly and easily as soon as he leaves a vigilante’s sight. Basically, if Jason does not want to be found, he will not be found, not even by Batman. As soon as Jason slips away from a fight, he is in the wind, therefore he must be kept within sight or the detectives risk losing him. This necessitates the detectives follow him off the building. Batman and Robin are familiar with grappling and gliding, so they are fine, Manhunter can possibly fly with her staff (I’m unsure of this) and is highly durable, Plastic Man is mostly invulnerable to fall damage and Green Arrow doesn’t jump off but is also pretty familiar with grappling, so it checks out.

It also follows that since they jumped off in that way it makes fighting as a group very difficult since everyone is falling or flying differently because of shape, drag etc. so approaching one at a time or in groups makes sense so as not to knock into each other midair. This effectively means Jason is really only going up against one person at a time while the others are in close proximity, which just makes things even easier for Jason.

Green Arrow plugs Red Hood’s gun with an arrow.

It’s established in Green Arrow (2001) Issues #70-72 that Jason is not only familiar with this move, but it is basically useless against him. He understand trajectories of projectiles, he’s fast, knows tactics, shooting or moving a gun is faster than drawing and shooting an arrow. By all rights, Oliver shouldn’t have been able to even accomplish this. Jason outmatches Green Arrow at range, this is proven. But since it did happen, we have to assume it was part of Jason’s plan. I’m not entirely sure what usually is supposed to happen to guns that are plugged by Oliver’s arrows but shot anyway. I would imagine it damages the gun? Clearly this doesn’t happen to Jason’s weapons, so they must be modified in some way, which isn’t out of the question given Jason’s association with Roy. So if Jason shouldn’t have fallen for this trick, and Jason’s guns are not sealed by the trick as they should be, then probably Jason allowed the arrow to plug his barrel in the first place to be used against Plastic Man, I guess?

Personally if I was writing this fight, I would not have allowed Oliver’s arrows to plug the barrels at all because I think Jason’s guns not being affected by it stretches suspension of disbelief, but by no means should Green Arrow’s actions have hampered Jason in any way. Jason is capable of the strategy shown in this scene, and he’s also capable of avoiding the arrows if he wants, so really Oliver is a superfluous opponent in this fight all around. Nothing he is capable of should really slow Jason down at all, as shown in their past fight.

Red Hood incapacitates Plastic Man.

I’ll admit, this one stretches the bounds of what Jason, or any human character in the verse, seems capable of. Jason Todd is a top tier martial artist and strategist, but Plastic Man is a meta with some insane abilities. No matter how great Red Hood is, without special preparations he is unlikely to be able to stand up against Plastic Man, much less defeat him. Luckily in this situation Jason doesn't have to defeat him, just make him release Jason and slow him down long enough to get away, which is quite within his abilities--especially since one of Plastic Man’s few weaknesses is that he can be stunned by bullets and projectiles, and is particularly vulnerable to them in his elastic state when he cannot increase his density to shrug them off.

This is exactly what happens. Plastic Man swoops in to wrap Jason up with his arms, Jason shoots Green Arrow’s arrow and a bullet into Plastic Man’s chest, which stuns him and makes him let go. Simple. Generally Plastic Man seems to be quite fast with stretching, so perhaps he could have sealed Jason’s movements before this happened if he’d wanted to, but Plastic Man clearly underestimates Jason. He calls him a coward, thinks he’s running scared and not likely to retaliate, much less do so quickly, and Plas may not be used to dealing with shooters who are quite as fast and skilled as Jason anyway because there just aren’t many, so him stopping to sling quips at Jason isn’t outside his character. I wouldn't bet Jason could do this all the time, but given this particular situation, he absolutely was capable of what he did and I don’t think it should necessarily have gone differently.

Red Hood escapes Batman and Robin.

Jason escapes Batman and Robin all the time, so I feel like I shouldn't have to explain this but apparently some people don’t realize that Bruce has literally never captured Jason. Ever. Jason has been in Arkham and Blackgate before, once in Red Robin and once in Batman and Robin but he wasn’t caught by Bruce. In fact Bruce wasn’t even around at the time, and it wasn’t when Jason was physically healthy, he’d always been heavily injured by other opponents before he gave up the fight. At times he’s heavily injured from a confrontation and still manages to get away. So the idea that Bruce could have just nabbed Jason without an issue is laughable. Jason can go toe to toe with Bruce, he can fight him equally in most cases. You’d think adding Robin to his side might give Bruce an edge, but actually it makes things more difficult.

Jason is consistently shown to brush off Damian, in Battle for the Cowl and Batman and Robin and Teen Titans. Damian is not a challenge for Jason in any way, in fact he’s nearly killed him multiple times with little effort and shooting Damian is something Jason has done in the past to provide a distraction for Jason to get away. It’s no wonder throughout the confrontation in this comic that Bruce is trying to keep Damian from Jason, because he is perfectly aware that Jason could kill him at any point. Damian is just a liability in a fight with Jason. Bruce being distracted by trying to keep Damian from taking on Jason by himself is directly responsible for Jason being able to get the drop on him and wrap Bruce up in his cape--and Bruce and water actually are shown to be a bad mix in various places. Jason himself has had to rescue Bruce from the water before as Robin, in Red Hood and the Outlaws and possibly in Batman: The Cult as well. Bruce’s costume seems to be a drag in water, so Jason has even more of an advantage in this scene. Him getting away as he does, is perfectly reasonable.

Red Hood gets the better of Manhunter.

Again, Jason is basically just fighting Kate Spencer, Manhunter, here one on one. Is Jason capable of defeating her? I believe the answer to that is yes, especially if she isn’t trying to kill him. She’s a character who actually kills though, so it’s kind of strange that she would fight with Red Hood anyway since their philosophies in crime fighting are similar to begin with--but in this situation where she thinks he’s Leviathan, then okay fine.

Jason has never fought Spencer before, but given his feats he is most likely a more capable martial artist than Manhunter. She does not seem to have much training that I could find in my research, whereas Jason was trained by Batman, the League of Assassins including Shiva and Bronze Tiger, and the All-Caste. She relies on the abilities of the Darkstar Exo-mantle that she wears to fight, which grants her some extra strength and durability, and she may have some genetic meta abilities which include increased durability on top of that. Some of her most skilled martial artist opponents include Cheshire and Merlyn, both of whom Jason has fought and defeated--Merlyn Jason absolutely curb stomps in Batman, Inc.

I’ve seen some sources that say her staff lets her fly, but I can’t find if that’s true or not. If that’s the case, then she perhaps should have done better in the aerial combat, given she'd have increased maneuverability, but without it Jason had the high ground in the situation by being stationary while she was falling. He had more control of their placement and was able to stop her from catching herself and instead sent her into the ground with a devastating blow. Her durability however was shown off when she was able to get up, but given she was already stunned and had heavy damage from the fall, him being able to knock her out is believable to me. Manhunter can apparently shock anyone who takes her staff, but given she was unconscious, obviously she didn’t activate that ability once he picked the staff up.

Personally I think these two probably should have had a much more interesting fight. The one we are given is lackluster and difficult to follow in my opinion and doesn’t really show off either character’s abilities. But honestly I think the outcome would be the same. Given Manhunter’s feats, Jason has the advantage in martial ability and strategy. Manhunter is strong, but Jason is used to fighting people with super strength and meta powers, he won’t be phased by her suit and if he was really in trouble, he carries melee weapons such as his sword and crowbar that could easily deal enough damage to significantly hurt her through her suit and powers. He could shoot her at any point or use explosives. Again, he doesn’t even need to defeat her, all he has to do is get away, and given the difference in skill, I would argue he would do so easily.

Red Hood deflects Green Arrow’s net-arrow at Batman and Robin.

Given that Jason has deflected bullets with a shovel in Red Hood and the Outlaws #23, Jason could totally deflect an arrow, no question. Since this is comic books physics where anything goes, then it deflecting at Batman and Robin who can’t really dodge midair is fine. Oliver was sneaking around, they didn’t necessarily have any reason to think he was even going to fire an arrow they’d have to worry about dodging, so it’s perfectly reasonable they’d get hit by it too.

The arrow backfiring on Bruce and Damian might even have been deliberate on the part of Oliver. We are going to have to see how Event Leviathan turns out, but there is evidence to suggest that Oliver Queen is working for Leviathan. He was approached by Leviathan and asked to join him and was not captured but rather ‘let go’, possibly because he is choosing to act as a mole. Oliver may have wanted Jason to get away, either for lingering grief over his son Roy, who is/was Jason best friend, or to keep the detectives busy trying to capture him instead of interfering with and investigating the real Leviathan. Either way, Jason could totally have done this, Batman and Robin weren’t in a position to avoid it.

Conclusion: Jason is written correctly in this fight.

Basically Jason getting away from the detectives was something he was perfectly capable of doing in the way he did. He performed no feats he was not shown to do before, he was doing something he is consistently shown as especially good at doing, and he did not even defeat all of his opponents, he merely escaped which is a much less difficult feat. At best, his opponents were shown to be more easily outsmarted then they should have been, but it’s just as likely to be that they were underestimating him and not bringing their full capabilities to the table, or they were thrown off by his skill in midair combat, or were emotionally compromised in the face of the person they believed to be Leviathan and not strategizing or thinking clearly in their eagerness to take him in. There is no reason to say this fight was out of character or that Jason was overpowered in it. I think the fight could have been written and drawn better to show off his opponents abilities, but the fight we got did not misrepresent Jason Todd in any way.

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ty-talks-comics · 5 years ago

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Best of DC: Week of June 5th, 2019

Best of this Week: Justice League #25 - Scott Snyder, James Tynion IV, Jorge Jimenez, Alejandro Sanchez and Tom Napolitano

The Year of the Villain is upon us.

The book begins with Clark in his youth, impatient and wanting to solve all of his problems by using his power, but being told to be patient by Pa Kent. Cutting to the future where he and Jon can’t light a lamp in Pa Kent’s honor, he’s drenched in rain under the cover of night. In the present an emaciated Superman floats through the Sixth Dimension in total darkness, left there by the glistening White Superman of the Utopia created by the World Forger.

Elsewhere, the League fights their future selves in an amazing action sequence by Jimenez and Sanchez. The clashing of ideals is in full force as these perfect beings from different eras fight each other for the future. Our Justice League fights with the fury of youth, uncompromising in their belief that a future where the lives of billions are lost in order to achieve justice is no future at all. The Future League, however, with their vast experience and tainted souls fight with certainty, knowing that their world has no pain or injustice.

Their battle is captured excellently through sheer scale and intensity as the book rumbles on. Wonder Woman knows what she’s capable of taking and throws down on her older self with punches and kicks befitting a warrior with the heavy impacts to match. Lantern Stewart has an architectural mind, but his older self has obviously come across bigger, but doesn’t count on the flash decking him right in the mouth. The Flash himself doesn’t see it coming when he catches a flurry from himself and who I believe to be Wally and Bart as they phase in and out of existence.

Martian Manhunter uses his shapeshifting abilities to become something out of any Kaiju movie as he tears through the city and himself. Batman… dear God Batman and his beautiful Bat-Mech. The machine is over designed with sharp edges, a bright white color scheme with a gold Bat logo and big dumb Bat wings, but it is AMAZING to look at. Appearing to be on the side of the World Forger, he tells the team to see the Light, telling them to listen to his words and imagine light as they get beat down by their future selves.

Back in the Sixth Dimension, Batman thinks back to the light ceremony and how the League was there to help him and Jon and suddenly lights begin to appear, not just any lights… suns. In what may be one of the greatest sequence of pages in the last few issues of Justice League, (and there have been some great ones) Superman is reenergized. He dives through one sun and then another and another, regaining the hope and strength that he is so known for and rushes towards his friends,

The World Forger readies his hammer to strike this future reality into existence until he feels the vibration. He tells Future Lois Lane to shoot it down, but she sees the “S” and begins to cry. Flash sees him, Diana, J’onn and especially Bruce as Superman RAGES INTO THE BATTLE AND WITH A SINGLE, WORLD EXPLODING, PUNCH puts and end to the World Forger’s machinations.

Instead of destroying the World Forger in that instant, he extends his hand, telling him that there is another way to save the Multiverse if he joins the Justice League. Batman had his suspicions of the future the whole time and upon learning of Superman’s fate, decided to give him a chance to find his way back to his friends and if he didn’t then the Utopia was meant to be, but he always knew that Clark would find a way. Clark focused on hope and the happy memories. He knew that there was always another way and that the World Forger’s ideas that there was only one path or a few that involved him fighting against the Justice League were misguided and that there was one he hadn’t considered; joining them.

Before jumping into the latter 1/3rd of the book, I have to praise this book for having such a satisfying conclusion to this arc. I love that the League didn’t just have to vanquish another threat, but gained a new ally in their fight against the coming Doom. The art was amazingly frenetic and bright with the colors popping in ways that made everything all the more epic and badass. Shading and detailing made everything seem so much more inspiring and dire at times, which is exactly what this needed with special praise going to the single splash page of Superman roaring his arm back for a Real Superman Punch.

Things finally coalesce with the second story of this issue written by James Tynion IV and drawn by new series regular artist, Javier Fernandez. Paying off the events of the Year of the Villain One-Shot, Lex Luthor has made his plea to the people of Earth. After the Legion of Doom saves the world from a raging Mxypytlk, Lex tells them what a mess of things the Justice League made of the Source Wall. He encourages the citizens of the world to shun the League and become Villains just like him as it’s the only way to save themselves since the heroes obviously can’t.

The people are listening and have already started rioting in the streets. Unlike in The Last Knight on Earth, the League has hope. The World Forger hopes to gain the aid of his brothers, the Monitor and the Anti-Monitor. Starman hopes to gain the aid of other heroes from the Multiverse. Wonder Woman wishes to stay on Earth and utilize the Largest League that there has ever been and J’onn says that they have to do it all. At the same time, after his supposed Death, Lex brings himself back to life in a strange body, saying that Doom is just beginning.

I have never been more excited for Justice League than I am now, especially given how widespread this story will be. There are hints of the same kind of scale as Jonathan Hickman’s run on Avengers, with every small thing in every tangential book affecting some part of the larger narrative and that’s the kind of storytelling that I adore. Offers are going to be going out to every villain in the DC Universe and things are only going to be more intense from here on out and I am here for it.

HIGH Recommend.

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Slade Wilson is dead.

Runner Up: Deathstroke: R.I.P. #44 - Christopher Priest, Fernando Pasarin, Ryan Winn, Jeremy Cox and Willie Schubert

With a large crowd of mourners, we get an idea of how respected and reviled the Terminator was in the larger DC Universe, or at the very least, in the realm of villainous circles. Talia al Ghul bids him farewell and says that he will be welcomed in hell. Red Lion, Priests pastiche of Black Panther, pays his respects to “de ultimate wheelon.” Raptor, Killer Frost and Deadshot all show up to pay respects, with Deadshot saying that he always thought he'd be the one to take Wilson out and how he feels cheated.

Dr. Ikon, who was put into a coma by Jericho and subsequently hunted by Slade for daring to have a relationship with his son shows up and wishes Slade had at least given him his eye back. Even his ex-wife, Adeline Kane cries as she views the funeral, damming him for dying even after all of mess they've put each other through.

The Legion of Doom appears and tries to assert their dominance over the crowd, but remain calm as Sinestro remarks that Deathstroke was one of the few that could legitimately stand with the group as he analyzes the body.

Superman, who Deathstroke fought all the way back in issue #8, appears above the proceedings to make sure that everything stays cordial amongst the many attendees. Meanwhile, Jericho, angry that his father's even getting a funeral, tries to goad Superman into bringing all of the villains in attendance down, but Superman disagrees. He says that no one is committing and crime and the boy just gets angrier.

At the Titan's base, Red Arrow tries to comfort Damian, telling him that Deathstroke's death wasn't his fault and that even though Damian wanted him dead, Emiko had to be the one to loose the arrow. Unbeknownst to either, Jericho takes over Emiko's body and attacks Damian, cursing them for killing Deathstroke before taking over Kid Flash's body soon after.

For the entirety of this run, we've seen how negative Slade and Jericho's relationship is. Jericho hates his father and that has poisoned his entire life. Knowing he's being mourned pisses off the former Titan, but hearing that another Titan was the one that killed him sends him into a rage. It's similar to his heel turn in Geoff Johns spectacular Teen Titans run in the mid 2000s where he didn't want more kids to suffer, but this time he's the one suffering.

At the same time, Rose Wilson attacks people dressing up as her father as his face is shown all over screens in a city and Detective Gordon tells her that Slade wouldn't have wanted her to follow in his footsteps as he was told by Wintergreen, echoing the most early issues of Deathstroke, like #4 - #5 I believe

.continuing his rage, Jericho, in Kid Flash's body attacks Sinestro, who uses his Ultraviolet ring to tap into Jericho's repressed emotions and fires upon the crowd. Doctor Light reveals that Superman was just a projection and disables Jericho and the Legion ponders what to do with the boy. With Deathstroke dead, the Legion makes their first Offer for Year of the Villain and gives him a chance to join them and with his current mental state, who's to say that he won't?

Deathstroke has been a weird and convoluted ride at times, but the character work herein has been phenomenal. We've seen the root causes of what makes Deathstroke himself so poisonous and how that's affected his children.

Jericho wears the mask of a hero, but underneath, he's scarred. He nearly kills a man he loves on the off chance that he may tell Slade of it, causing Slade to hunt him and now he himself is falling to the dark side.

Rose has always straddled the line, but her father kept her on the side of good at least by discouraging her from being him. Her anger at his death may drag her into the same pit as Jericho, especially after trying to solve the mental break she had, thinking she was overcome with the Spirit of a Hmong warrior.

There's going to be a war to determine who the next Deathstroke will be and if that doesn't excite everyone, I don't know what to say other than High recommend.

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hellyeahsupermanandwonderwoman · 7 years ago

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What do you think of Batman/Wonder Woman pairing? Is it good or bad?

I premise this by saying people can ship who they like and this is me answering your question honestly. I like Batman. I like Wonder Woman. But I do not like them as romantic partners. I just don’t feel it. Why? Because what has been done feels shallow, forced and left field, imo. Batman/Wonder Woman dynamic has been mostly colleagues in comics for most of Diana’s 75 years. Her main love interest has been Steve Trevor. When George Perez rebooted Diana in 1988 it was Clark she was shown to be attracted to and vice versa. Steve had been written out and remained as an elder brotherly type to her, married to Etta Candy. Diana and Clark never pursued a romantic relationship because of timing and their young ages etc but became very close and it was tinged with some unresolved sexual attraction. They had a real friendship and featured in each other’s titles over the years. Unlike her and Batman. They never really were close. Batman’s books and Diana’s books never really depicted them as besties or romantically linked during the 80ties and 90ties. The thing that started Batman/Wonder Woman was the JL/U cartoon. And even then I disliked it because Diana’s personality was abrasive and all her focus was on flirting with Batman for a date while he rebuffed her. She had precious little character development. They never even had a relationship. Flirting is not a relationship. A romantic relationship is when you and another person have a go at seeing if you can be in a mutual consensual dynamic which may include intimacy. Kissing someone is not a relationship. Wanting a date but never getting it is not a relationship. Crushing is not a relationship. Batman is a character that has a plethora of beautiful women and he does not suffer from a lack of lovers. Diana during the Post Crisis Era until Flashpoint only had 3 men explored as love interests in HER book ie Superman, Trevor Barnes and Tom Tresser. But even then she never got married or had anything serious like Batman and Superman did with their love interests Catwoman and Lois Lane. Until the new 52, that is, in 2012 where she was in a full on relationship with Superman for 4 years until they Rebirthed and brought Steve back in and redid her whole origin and personality. But because the kiddies liked the Batman/Wonder Woman flirting DC thought they would try BMWW in comics and out of nowhere suddenly Diana was having feelings for Batman during Joe Kelly’s JLA run in 2002 . Fact these two characters had no tension or build up in comics. They suddenly started to make out on a battlefield for no reason other than DC thought be interesting to force the JL/U stuff in canon.

They did not date. Batman had his mission and that other woman he could not shake…Catwoman. They did some idiotic simulation in a computer in one Justice League issue and decided they better off as friends. In one of those simulations Diana even became Batwoman, tossed her entire heritage and costume to wear black leather and play vigilante. It implied Batman maybe would not allow himself because he was scared for her that his enemies etc would hurt her. HER. WONDER EFFING WOMAN. Then for years there was nothing romantic between them until Greg Rucka forced his weird Blackest Night Wonder Woman on the readership while Diana was dating Tom. Batman was actually dead and had already gone to Selina and told her he loved her. But Rucka slyly tried to make it seem as if Wonder Woman was still hot for a dead man who was in love with another woman. Just a really poorly told story that was ridiculed. For the record when Batman came to life, he went to Selina. Not Diana.

It was basically all about Batman. Not really about Wonder Woman. It was about what Batman could get. Never really about what it brought Diana or how she would or could grow as a person. It’s based on an arrogant rather cliched troupe of good girl/moody hyper masculine bad boy. She has to put up with his bs ways and help him change. It portrays Batman as an asshole and Diana as some nurse/therapist who has to bring this man to the light. Batman has always been written as morally strong and incorruptible…what light they on about? See the idea you have to get Wonder Woman to change Batman is already flawed. What does she need to change? What does she even understand of him and his personal pain? Batman written as he should should never need Wonder Woman to change him. This is why he and Selina are better because they fit in to each other’s street level world and both have enough tragedy to be able to understand each other’s pain and simply be there to support and love each other as companions and grow together. What does being with Batman give Wonder Woman? I hear the fans say they both warriors and rich and Batman is badass as reasons. Diana doesn’t need his money, she has power, is a princess, she has skills, she has intelligence …I’m still trying to find out what she gets out of being with him other than he is the cash cow with more fanboys who demand he gets all the women. She’d easily wipe the floor with his foes if allowed. I mean the reasons given for them could easily apply to Aquaman or Green Arrow as partners for her. I just don’t see what he brings to Wonder Woman.

You know, Superman is a friend of Batman and, a beacon, and very much light to Batman’s darkness in terms of how they operate and yet you don’t read DC wanting Batman needing to screw Superman, do you? But Diana, the woman, has to open her legs to help Batman it seems. She can’t help or support him any other way?

It’s not earned via the narrative. Not by a long shot. Now that is not saying if done in another verse it can’t be tackled but I feel even then it’s very forced and limiting on Diana. Anyone read the Justice League Beyond Comic based on the JL/U? That alone shows how poorly WW/BM was conceived. Diana leaves her earth to go to an alternate universe and hooks up with a Batman there. He is not the Batman she chased for a date in the cartoon. It’s like she just wants the cowl. Not the man. If you supposed to like a person, you supposed to like that person…not how he looks or the costume he wears. So how in heavens name can you just flip your affections to someone else because they look like the one you wanted? So yeah.

#superman #wonder woman #batman #catwoman #dc comics #justice league #SuperWonder #Batcat #Steve trevor

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frommountainstolonestars · 7 years ago

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You know I’ve made posts like this before, but I decided to go all out for this one. Here are reasons I love the DCEU.

1. Zack Synder: this man... this man has the most beautiful cinematography I have ever seen. He can make you go back and look at a movie over and over again and still not notice all the little details he has thrown in. He loves Superman and the DC guys. DCEU is about Superman... and how cool is that? Not to mention is absolute love and care for women and women characters. He’s just a god damn badass.

2. Patty Jenkins: I love her. I love her for giving me Wonder Woman. I love her for giving me a superhero I can look up to. She made this movie for young me and for young girls everywhere. I cannot even begin to express how much I love Patty.

3. Henry Cavill: let me just begin this with: DAMN THAT BOI IS FINE. Looks aside, you can tell how much HC loves Superman. He cares about his build, he cares about the comics, he goes and supports the other movies like Suicide Squad, his dog is named Kal! Now he’s not always the best actor, but he brings depth and love to Superman in a way previous incarnations have not had.

3. Ben Affleck: I’ve never really been a big fan of Affleck but seeing him bring a new, darker side to Batman has given me life. I loved this version of him, and I am so delighted to see him learn from his mistakes and realize that Superman does mean hope. And it’s because of Superman that the Justice League even truly begins. And Ben makes you believe that he hated Clark and that he learned the truth.

4. Gal Gadot: I love her with every fiber in my being. I had my reservations about her playing Wonder Woman mainly because I’d never heard of her, but seeing her on screen in BVS... I literally held onto my friend’s hand the entire damn time she was on screen. And her song brings me to my knees. She’s just... everything I could have hoped for.

5. Amy Adams: Lois Lane I think defines the DCEU. She is wait brings light onto Clark and Superman. She is what he believes in, and she’s a BAMF in her own right. She’s not some throw away love interest.

6. Jason Momoa: I’ve loved him for a long time. I think he’s funny and a great actor and to see a Native Hawaiian play a stereotypical white, blonde, blue-eyed character is beautiful. I’ve loved what I’ve seen in the JL trailers, and just can’t wait to see him on the big screen in JL and his own movie.

7. Ezra Miller: the man really became a favorite of mine when I saw Perks of Being a Wallflower. In an otherwise lackluster film, he shone. And I loved him. He embodies the Flash. I think he has this crazy ability to play a funny character that is also trying to come to terms with his meta-human reality. And I love it. Plus, from the JL trailers, he’s got some great damn lines.

8. Ray Fisher: Cyborg has always been one of my favorite characters. Since I’ve been invested in the DCU, I have loved him. He was my favorite Teen Titan, and I am so glad he is in this JL. I think Ray brings the charismatic and youthfulness that Cyborg is, and I hope he gets a solo.

9. Viola Davis: Amanda Waller is without a doubt one of the scariest characters I have ever seen on film, and to have the BAMF Viola Davis play her? It was like witnessing god. She made me afraid of Waller. She made me think that she would do anything to stop a threat.

10. Will Smith: Will has been my man since Fresh Prince, okay? The fact that he is playing one of my favorite villains is just icing on the damn cake. And he was brilliant as Deadshot. I think he gave us what we needed and still showed his fatherly side.

11. Margot Robbie: She is Harley. She is. And the fact that she is bringing in writers to give us Bombshells just makes me so fucking happy. Margot was great in the movie minus a couple of stupid lines, but I want to see more.

12. Karen Fukahara: KATANA MY LOVE! Give me more. I love that Karen gave so much depth to a character that we really only vaguely knew. I think it was brilliant, and I expect to see more of her.

13. Jay Hernandez: From the moment Friday Night Lights (the movie) came out, this man had my heart. El Diablo is one of the most complex characters I have ever read, and I think Jay gave him the depth that this character needed.

Okay, I could continue forever on just the characters but I digress.

14. The diversity: I have always found I connected better with movies that had diverse casts, not because I am a POC but because in the real world, all I see is diversity. Most of my friends are POC and when movies don’t even have background POC characters, I find it disturbing. The fact that the DCEU gives us diversity, even though it’s still about half and half is delightful. I expect more from them.

15. The creativity: They are doing what MCU is not. They are not giving us the same movie over and over. MOS was unlike any other Superman Origin, BVS gave us powerhouse characters and a start to JL that wasn’t just origin movies or an agency bringing them together. WW was a little more formulaic but it also was the first female led superhero film. SS was unique and JL will be unlike anything we have seen.

16. Different stories: I literally just touched on this, but none of the films feel the same. When I watch some other superhero movies, I sometimes have to remind myself who the titular character is. When I watch DCEU, I know who it is.

17. Memorable villains: This is one of the most important things to me in movies. If I can’t remember your villain, I can barely remember your movie. The movies I love the most are because of their villain. And other than Ultron and Loki, I can’t name a villain from the MCU. But I definitely remember the DCEU villains. They are memorable.

18. The heroes are held accountable: We see this the most in BVS and it’s touched on in SS. Superman is asked to be held accountable for the deaths in MOS. He knows how many lives were lost or ruined and then throughout the movie it is shown how he tries over and over to do better. The same cannot be said for another franchise.

19. Superman is the key: I mentioned this with Henry and Zack but Superman is what holds the whole DCEU together. He was the first, the origin. He was what brought Batman in and what got Wonder Woman to come back. He is what made Bruce form the League. He is the center. And I like seeing that.

20. Zack Synder: Did I mention him before? He is amazing as a director. Every film of his I have watched, I have enjoyed. Not just because of his wonderful cinematography, but I feel like he knows how to tell a story. And I think he’s ahead of his time. Their cult classics; they always will be. And I cannot thank him enough for giving me this universe with my favorite characters.

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mothermaidenclone-blog · 7 years ago

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Justice League or Can You Be Cool for Like, Two Seconds, Batman?

I was pretty excited for Justice League, after the pure and glorious majesty of Wonder Woman, which was probably a bad idea in hindsight. I left the cinema thinking it was okay, I guess, which is hardly the five star review I think this blockbuster was after. The good parts - the jokes, the cool action sequences, getting the team together (which is the best part of any movie) - were overshadowed, for me at least, by how lacklustre the women were. The women were Wonder Woman and Lois Lane! Two of the most badass women in comic book history! So let’s get into the nitty gritty of how this movie let these awesome women down.

*Justice League spoilers follow*

First, Wonder Woman, or Diana Prince (Gal Gadot); a literal demigod, who has been quietly saving humanity from itself for a century, whilst restoring priceless artefacts and artworks in her spare time. In combat, she is immediately presented as powerful, and continues to be incredibly adept throughout the film. In addition to this, she is shown using her lasso to gain information from opponents so that she is less likely to endanger innocents before busting in, destroying bad guys and dodging bullets. Diana’s personality, however, is a far cry from the fierce but benevolent, brave but caring warrior we see in her eponymous film. She is constantly portrayed as lacking somehow, and this is usually attributed to the death of her lover Steve (Chris Pine in Wonder Woman). She makes connections to him that seem unnecessary; upon seeing Batman’s jet she comments, “I once knew a man who would have loved to fly this.” We all saw Wonder Woman not that long ago, we remember what happened. This film seems to feel the need to make Steve an anchor around Diana’s neck, dragging her down even one hundred years after his death.

Furthermore, Batman (Ben Affleck) personally attacks her about this whenever he gets the chance, shouting that “you ran away for a hundred years because your boyfriend died”, and at one point going on a massive rant because she isn't Superman (Henry Cavill), “Superman was a beacon to the world, why aren’t you? […] I’d never even heard of you until Luther lured you out by stealing a picture of your dead boyfriend. You shut yourself down for a century.” This tirade is completely ridiculous, he doesn’t accuse any other superhero of being a failure for not filling Superman’s shoes. He doesn’t stop to consider all the things that Diana is; someone who is silently a hero, who asks for no praise or attention to be drawn to herself as long as she is making the world a better place. Instead, he focuses on what she isn’t, which is very specifically Superman, but the same can be said of literally anyone else, including Batman himself. Also this is all the more ludicrous when Batman’s entire backstory, motivation and character development is built on the death of his parents - who is he to judge Diana for her loss when he wouldn’t be Batman without his? On top of this, Batman attributes this apparent lacking in Diana to the absence of a man. All of this contributes to a Wonder Woman who has a passive personality, despite continuing to be amazing at basically everything she does. We are left with a Wonder Woman who does not want to lead, who says, “so I follow, always.”

Lois Lane (Amy Adams) unfortunately suffers from much the same problem as Diana. One of the first times we see Lois, she is talking to Martha Kent (Diane Lane). In this scene, both women are defined by their lack of Superman. It’s true that the whole world is mourning him and feeling his loss, but these two women describe how they are personally lessened by not having Superman in their lives. Lois in particular talks about writing fluff pieces because she can’t face real journalism, even though that’s who she was long before Superman came into her life, one of the most accomplished and intrepid writers in Metropolis, perhaps even on the planet. Of course this is a depiction of people suffering from deep, personal loss; their grief is valid and they should be allowed to mourn. However, this portrayal of incapacitating sadness is shown to be specifically female - only women put their lives on hold, Batman is in fact motivated by Superman’s death to do more, whereas Lois and Martha stop. When Lois is finally reunited with Superman, she goes on to say, “I wasn’t very strong, you would have been very disappointed in me.” The only thing I was disappointed in is how often these two amazing ladies subjugate themselves to the memory of a lost man, when they are hugely capable heroes in their own right.

There are a few other women Justice League, however it is worth noting that within the actual team of six heroes - seven, if we include Alfred (Jeremy Irons) - only one is a woman. Personally, I’m not a fan of those numbers. Most prominently, we see the return of the Amazons, led by Queen Hippolyte (Connie Nielsen). They remain a formidable fighting force, working together to perform impressive feats of strength and acrobatic skill, which made it all the more sad when they were so easily defeated by Steppenwolf (Ciarán Hinds). Furthermore, for some inexplicable reason, they were all wearing leather bikinis. This is completely baffling and quite frankly unacceptable when in Wonder Woman they almost all had fantastic, practical, period-inspired costumes. Surely they must all still be in a wardrobe somewhere? Why the sudden need for all the midriff? To make matters worse, as Steppenwolf triumphs over them, he declares, “You will love me, you will all love me”, bringing an unnecessarily possessive aspect to his conquest.

Aside from the Amazons, we also meet a female Atlantian. Aquauman (Jason Momoa) briefly encounters Mera (Amber Heard) when he returns to the sea. Mera acts almost as a conscience, a reminder of Aquaman’s responsibilities; she tells him, “Your mother would have gone to the surface world to stop that thing, but she’s not here, so it has to be you.” Aquaman almost has the reverse problem to Lois and Diana: the lack of a woman in his life. In this case, his unnamed mother is a driving force in his decision making. Conversely, this loss empowers him, as he is driven to cooperate with the Justice League and play his part in saving the world. It should also be mentioned that, aside from the scores of Amazons in their underwear, Aquaman is definitely the most naked in this film. He takes this particular bullet for the women, in that it’s him who walks half naked and glistening from the sea in slow motion, tossing his luscious locks, so thanks for that, Aquaman.

Overall, Justice League was a disappointment as far as female characters were concerned. Both Lois and Diana have shown themselves to be exceptionally strong, capable and indepenent in other films within this cinematic universe, yet in Justice League they were written as lacking and not living up to their potential because they were sad that their boyfriends had died. This is hugely reductive, and quite frankly, a bit rich seeing as how Batman’s whole thing is that he’s sad because his parents are dead. I hope both of these women are allowed to show how powerful they are in future films, no matter how many dead exes they have between them.

And now for some asides:

Alfred is so horny for grandchildren, I thought my mum was bad.

Good to see how far America has progressed and that they totally aren’t petty at all, when they feel the need to include impoverished Russian peasants pleading, “Who in the world will come for us?” Before busting in the doors to save the day.

The Dostoyevsky joke was my favourite bit of the whole film.

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shebeafancyflapjack · 7 years ago

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Thank You (A John Rant)

Okay so. I’m not over Sherlock. But I am over Johnlock...happening in the show. I accept that. Not the story they wanted to tell. Fine. There’s many, many questions about the choices they made if that was the direction they were going and things I have trouble liking but...whatever. I have fics and RPs, it will do.

But you know what I want now, if there is a Series 5?

I want John to tell Sherlock; “Thank you.

Thank you for curing me of my limp and giving me a purpose in life again.

Thank you for giving me access to your debit card after knowing me for a couple of months and taking cases that you know will give us money so I don’t have to worry about finances.

Thank you for saving me that time I was kidnapped and almost killed.

Thank you for going through two years of hell in exile, involving suicide missions and torture, just to save my life and a couple of our friends.

Thank you for saving me that time I was kidnapped and almost killed.

Thank you for organising my wedding and writing the most beautiful best man speech and then saving someone else I cared about.

Thank you for showing me the truth about who my wife is and then persuading me to be with her, despite what she did to you, because you just wanted me to be happy and with the woman you thought and I loved and was carrying my child.

Thank you for shooting the man who was threatening to destroy our lives and thus sentencing yourself to yet another exile and more likely suicide mission. Additional points for not telling me about this to save me further grief.

Thank you for babysitting my daughter and being a good godfather because I have trouble remembering she even exists half the time.

Thank you for almost killing yourself and putting yourself in harms way all because my wife suggested it would be the only thing to pull me out of my grief after she died even though I wrongly blamed you for her death.

Thank you for comforting me and embracing me after I beat the shit out of you and confessed to having cheated on the woman you had tried so hard to protect for me.

Thank you for standing up for me to your brother and calling me family.

Thank you for saving me that last time I was kidnapped and almost killed. I doubt it will be the last.”

Where is this? Any of this, in the entire show?

When does John ever show ANY gratitude or recognition for Sherlock as a person? The only moment I can think of is when he hugs him at his wedding, only after Sherlock has poured his heart out, and John has had some wine to curb his inhibitions. The rest of the time he just bitches and snaps about how much of a madman or inhuman monster Sherlock is. That’s when he’s not physically assaulting him. When are we going to get to see John do something for Sherlock?

Okay he saves him once in the first episode. Good...is that it? In four seasons, are we ever going to see that again?

We see him save Sherlock in TAB! But, oh wait, that’s all in Sherlock’s head.

We see him save Sherlock in TLD! Oh, except he’s the one who beat him up and abandoned him there in the first place. Also he apparently only went to save him because Mary: Blu Ray Edition told him to. Also, the policeman could have kicked that door in!

We are TOLD in TSOT that he’s saved Sherlock ‘so many times and in so many ways’. We’re only shown one or two of these times. And the other ways he apparently saved Sherlock...well, I don’t think we honestly see a lot of John trying to explain and teach Sherlock to be a better person, it’s just nagging and snapping and then implying that causes him to change. It’s hardly Beauty and the Beast. I’d argue Sherlock wasn’t that much of a monster to begin with. John is hardly a saint or someone who can tell others how to be moral either.

I suppose John does help rebuild Sherlock’s flat in the end....Call it even? :P

The reason I’m focusing so much on this is because, before watching that ‘Why Sherlock is Garbage’ vid, I was beginning to think I was alone in seeing how John was poorly used in this show. I rarely saw anyone else complaining at how many times this supposedly badass army doctor gets kidnapped and needs Sherlock to rescue him, especially in contrast to how often John gets to be the hero (almost never). But I got to see someone else rant about it at last and I hate it because he also pointed out how the show really is about making Sherlock out to be this superhuman hero rather than a clever detective. Watson goes from being a hero in his own right to being a tool used to show off how awesome Sherlock is.

And not just Sherlock, but Mary as well. In TST, Mary nearly takes John’s place, with Sherlock stating she is ‘better at this than him’. Because that’s what Holmes and Watson fans want to see! Watson being replaced and seen as useless! It’s the same anger I have in how they turned the three badass fairies whom I loved from Sleeping Beauty into three neglectful idiots in Maleficent; unnecessarily tearing down a beloved character in order to build up another.

But, despite this all, I do still love John Watson. Before Series 3 he was my favourite character. Maybe it’s Martin’s amazing acting or maybe it’s the potential I saw. Maybe it’s me confusing ACD!Watson (which is NOT fanon Watson, thank you!) with Mofftiss’ Watson. Maybe it’s because John starts out as the character we are first introduced through and who we are supposed to see their world through so there’s a need to identify and like this character. So I really, really want the writers to start giving a crap about John and stop sacrificing his potential as a good friend and true hero for the sake of making Sherlock the big, amazing Christ figure who always saves the day and everyone else is a damsel in distress.

I love Sherlock too, I do, and I do like the journey his character has gone through. But it’s supposed to be a show about BOTH of them as heroes. And, you know what, it’s not even that big a problem if you do have John just as a damsel in distress. It’s kinda insulting to the original Watson but, whatever, it’s an adaptation and a new spin, you can do what you like. Lois Lane, April O’Neal, Xander from Buffy, these are likeable characters despite ending up needing to be rescued a lot. But if the character being saved can not even be grateful to the hero - then how we, as the audience, see them as worth saving, let alone remaining ‘best friends’ with?

If this is supposed to be a show that is about a great friendship - then make that friendship great! Because at the moment it feels painfully one-sided and the idea that this could be the last series, that the show could end with them in this unhealthy state, makes me way more sad than the idea of them not getting together romantically.

#late night rant #goodnight #bbc sherlock #anti-mary #mary is a villain or should have been #john watson #johnlock #sherlock holmes #tjlc

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sssmcdlove · 7 years ago

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Wonder Woman (2017) Review

★★★★☆

Wonder Woman is not the typical superhero movie and it’s certainly not the thrilling first world war blockbuster. It is a perfect combination of them both. It fits greatly with the rest of the DCEU movies sans Suicide Squad. It’s not the modern and visually stunning Man of Steel, and Diana isn’t the mature version of herself in Batman v Superman. It is conceivably the DCEU’s funniest movie, and the type of humour used wasn’t cheesy and tacky like we’re used to in most Marvel movies. The humour didn’t overlap the serious moments and the jokes were told in perfect timing. The plot was as flawless as you can get in superhero movie, and the cast was in a seamless harmony together. Wonder Woman is a perfect example of a contemporary and exceptional superhero movie.

The movie starts with Diana explaining her story, and how she crossed over from paradise to the world that we live in. The disparity is immediate, gone the mature women and in her place, there was merely a child who wanted to fight and be a hero. She mutinied her f extraordinary powers even for Amazonians during her training with Antiope played masterfully by Robin Wright, who lost her life when Steve Trevor landed unexpectedly. It was her compassion that drove Diana to escape with Steve to save millions, even if it cost her paradise.

Throughout the movie we’re introduced to Sameer, Charlie and the Chief who became Steve’s and Diana’s partners. There’s something beautiful about seeing four men following a woman’s footsteps in a time where a woman entering a room will cause an uproar as shown earlier in the movie where we were introduced to what attempted to be a mysterious and undetected villain Ares. Perhaps the problem with Ares was that he was played by David Thewlis, he is exactly the type of actor that you would expect something more from him in a movie, and frankly for General Ludendorff to be Ares is just too obvious. However, Wonder Woman did not lose it shock value, that was saved to Steve Trevor’s sacrifice that reminded me of the death of Superman in Batman v Superman, and suddenly that pitying look Diana gave Lois Lane made so much sense now.

What I really loved about Patty Jenkin’s directing is how she respects her audience and force them to reach their own conclusions in some scenes. She empowers women without the need of belittling men, a feat a lot of movies should follow, it is precisely the reason that not just women are loving this movie, men are too. It represents the real world as it should be, equal. The very different settings from modern world to paradise then to London and finally in the heart of the war with Diana growing up from a naïve child to a warrior was done very efficiently, in a way that I thought would be messy but it shattered all odds

Solo female superhero movies didn’t have the opportunity to succeed in Hollywood because they didn’t have the opportunity to fail. There’s countless superhero movies that failed but studios wouldn’t stop making them, and from these failures they learned their mistakes. I was worried that Cat Woman and Electra won’t be enough examples but I was pleasantly wrong. Wonder Woman is a great movie that doesn’t shy away from the female emotions to portrait her as the badass she is. A lot of movies think that an unemotional, impassive female character that kicks ass and has cool fighting scenes is a strong one, but this movie gets it right. Woman are strong, and perhaps the strongest thing about Diana is her compassion and kindness that inspire men and women alike to battle.

#myreviews #myedits #Wonder Woman #wonder woman edit #dc #dceu #dceuedit #dcedit #wonder woman review #gal gadot #chris pine #reviews

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just-another-film-buff · 7 years ago

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Top Ten Disappointing Movies (Part 1/10)

I am starting another series of reviews, but this time it will consist of movies that I was very excited to see, only for it to fall extremely flat and leave me...well disappointed. A majority of these movies are from film series; that being said, I am not saying the series itself is disappointing, just a singular movie that either did not live up to the others or failed to leave a positive reaction.

Let’s begin.

10. Man of Steel (2013)

I was really looking forward to this movie, because as far as the look, it looked amazing and after the disaster that was Superman Returns, I was fully ready to see a badass Superman on the big screen.

Instead, all I saw was someone who constantly looked constipated and did not resemble the Superman that I saw in the comics.

Henry Cavill is a decent actor, but whenever I watch him on screen, I just get bored, very easily.

I honestly cannot tell if it is his acting skills or the way the character was written, but I just found Superman so unlikable. It also did not help that in many scenes, Cavill looked just as bored as I did during these long drawn out scenes of dialogue that was just unnecessary.

Speaking of dialogue, the writing was just so bland and it came off as lazy writing that proved to be difficult to watch.

I’m also not saying I hate the movie, because I can still watch it every now and again, but overall it was a movie that I was excited for, only to question several times whether it would be over with.

Also, did anyone else find it odd how he looked more like Clark Kent than he did Superman? As far as looks go, I believed him as Clark Kent, but whenever he was Superman, he almost had no personality and came off as hard and cold, almost lifeless. Superman is supposed to be a symbol of hope and all that is good in the world, but he looks like someone pretending to be Superman.

Whenever an attempt at emotion was shown, it was uncomfortable to look at for long, because it appeared so forced.

Next point, who actually believed that Lois Lane and Superman were in love? It’s another example of Superman and Clark Kent being played as if they are two different people, two different personalities, two different everything. They had cute moments when he was Clark Kent, but once in the infamous Superman suit, he acted like he barely had any interaction with her.

I could believe Amy Adams as a reporter, but I did not believe her as Lois Lane. She has the look, yes, but as a character, I just wasn’t buying it.

I enjoy Amy Adams in most of the movies she is in, but this one is just a little hard. No negative comments towards her acting, but the character, again, was just poorly written. If the character was better written, I would without a doubt enjoy Amy Adams as her, but she is playing a reporter, not so much Lois Lane.

Overall, Man of Steel was just an underwhelming letdown, because they failed with the writing and especially the characters. By the end of the movie, I was just ready to leave, because the action scenes dragged on for far too long and the main villain also could have been written better.

As far as the ending, that is a whole other discussion, because it can be viewed badly or great, it just depends on the person.

Without discussing the movie ending, everything before it is just a long and dull ride to somehow meet their destination.

Superman did not need to be gritty, but that is the one we got.

If we can’t have a good Superman, at least we got a good Clark Kent.

#man of steel #disappointing movies #disappointing #superman #lois lane #Zach Snyder #2013 movies #top ten list #henry cavill #amy adams #comic book movies #comic book movie #part 1 #small movie review #disappointed #movies that are disappointing

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sobi-wan-kenobi · 7 years ago

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woah holy shit @lookatthisdork tagged me in one of those top ten things and wow it’s been a long while since i did one (if i ever did)

So top ten female characters (in no particular order cause fuck i can’t decide)! Let’s see if i can actually remember a lot of the things i watch and read

1) Cassandra Cain (Batgirl/Black Bat/Orphan)

I only got interested in Cass relatively recently but holy shit do I love her. She’s badass, sassy, funny, and she’s one of the only heroes I know of that has a legit handicap in that she struggles with speaking, reading, and writing. I actually like that she doesn’t speak often even though a lot of writers seem to not know what to do with a character that doesn’t talk.

2) Judge Hershey (Judge Dredd)

I still feel like I haven’t read enough of Judge Dredd to know a lot about Hershey as a character, but I still love her. She’s the no nonsense Chief Judge in Mega City One and the one responsible for keeping (at its peak) 800 Million citizens safe. It’s also great that you got to see her develop from a new recruit in the judges all the way to Chief Judge.

3) Lois Lane (Superman)

Lois Lane seems to never get as much credit as she should. A lot of people just see her as Superman’s girlfriend but she’s so much more. She’s stuck with Clark through everything and even before Clark came to Metropolis she was ambitious and awesome.

4) Leliana (Dragon Age)

To be honest, when I first played Origins I didn’t really like Leliana and never gave her a chance to shine and develop. Boy what a fool I was. She starts off seeming like a standard religious woman that is surprisingly skilled with fighting. But then you learn that she trained as a spy and was on the run, you learn her past, you help her decide who she is. Then in Inquisition you get to see the effects of helping her and how she’s become this almost remorseless killer, and you have to help her regain her humanity in a sense.

5) Casca (Berserk)

This is going off of pre-Eclipse Casca, but during her time with the Band of the Hawk, Casca was the second in command and leader of the infantry. Not only was she a soldier in a world where women weren’t usually anything but ladies, Casca managed to become teh second in command to the most successful mercenary company in Midland. I just really hope in 7 years when the next chapter comes out Casca’s mind is a lil more repaired.

6) Sailor Rook (Wytches)

This is an oddball choice compare to the other characters, but Wytches quickly became a favorite story of mine. She’s a relatively normal teenager but is crippled by her anxiety and panic attacks. She’s always unsure of herself and wants to hide away from the world. But despite this, by the end of the story she pushes through her doubts and worries and saves herself from monsters.

7) Lucina (Fire Emblem)

It’s a little weird putting Lucina here even though Cordelia is my waifu 4 laifu (i hate myself), but Cordelia is just a side character in the story. I actually really loved Lucina as a character and learning the little quirks about her that weren’t shown so quickly. Things like how she’s secretly scared of bugs or how she has a terrible sense of fashion.

8) Catelyn Stark (ASoIaF)

I’m going partly from the show and mostly from the books on this one, but in either case Cat is a very resilient woman in a harsh world. She’s wise and almost whenever she warns against something she’s right. She has her lady-like worries such as bearing children and being a good wife, but she is still tougher and braver than many of the men in the series. Despite being a Tully, she definitely has more Stark in her now.

9) Leia Organa (Star Wars)

Hell yeah, Leia was basically my first introduction to strong female characters. Even though when I was young and thought “Oh, ‘princess’ means she needs saving,” Leia was really quick to disprove that, and she consistently was the one saving the boys.

10) Morticia Addams

Goth mom = best mom

But seriously I love her, she’s one of the most caring and loving mothers I’ve seen in media and it really is jarring that the woman that cuts the heads of roses is also the most loving mother.

You know I’m noticing a trend with these women

but i gotta tag people now huh? hmmmm... @minatums @devanshe and @ anyone that wants to really

#this took me a while #half of these characters are from comics #nice #top ten list

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ladysreviews · 7 years ago

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Wonder Woman Review

Wonder Woman is unique even for a DC movie, the fight scenes weren’t like anything we’ve seen so far in any superhero movie. It was brutal without being grimy and bloody, the choreography wasn’t as impressive as the warehouse scene in Batman v Superman but it was Wonder Woman’s own inimitable style and her soon to be iconic leg swoop move. There’s a lot of scenes that reminded me of Superman, like the glasses scene and revolving door the follows. Perhaps the most obvious is Diana reflecting a bullet off Steve in the alley, but what really showed was Diana’s first appearance in her costume in the no man’s land scene, it reminded too much of Superman in Man of Steel. While the Man of Steel scene focused on Clark discovering his powers and what he could do with them in a beautiful setting and cinematography, Wonder Woman already had the part figured out, and what followed was one of if not the best fight sequence in a superhero movie, and what makes it so exceptional is that it wasn’t driven by hate or by revenge or even self-righteous heroism, no it was driven by Diana’s empathy and her inability to sacrifice the little to save more. What I really loved about Patty Jenkin’s directing is how she respects her audience and force them to reach their own conclusions in some scenes. She empowers women without the need of belittling men, a feat a lot of movies should follow, it is precisely the reason that not just women are loving this movie, men are too. It represents the real world as it should be, equal. The very different settings from modern world to paradise then to London and finally in the heart of the war with Diana growing up from a naïve child to a warrior was done very efficiently, in a way that I thought would be messy but it shattered all odds. Solo female superhero movies didn’t have the opportunity to succeed in Hollywood because they didn’t have the opportunity to fail. There’s countless superhero movies that failed but studios wouldn’t stop making them, and from these failures they learned their mistakes. I was worried that Cat Woman and Electra won’t be enough examples but I was pleasantly wrong. Wonder Woman is a great movie that doesn’t shy away from the female emotions to portrait her as the badass she is. A lot of movies think that an unemotional, impassive female character that kicks ass and has cool fighting scenes is a strong one, but this movie gets it right. Woman are strong, and perhaps the strongest thing about Diana is her compassion and kindness that inspire men and women alike to battle.

#reviews #wonder woman #dc #dceu

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