#So something so odd and distinctly bad like Super Sons which has maintained a fan base despite it's quality is something I can't help but

[thattimdrakeguy]

Today’s issue of Superman is probably one of the worst I’ve ever read.

If you skim through it, you probably wouldn’t understand why. It’s bright, colorful, fast pace, seems to have a sense of humor, and so forth, but once you stop and read through it slowly, it’s just awful.

It’s clearly something written to pander to fans of Super Sons. Despite the fact that Bendis clearly doesn’t understand the character of Damian in the slightest, besides knowing the fact that Damian’s mean, but even that, vaguely gets ignored, because the issue has a similar problem with the actual comic Super Sons itself in how it just makes Damian incredibly out of character, because the relationship of Damian and Jon wouldn’t work if he was in character. 

However, it’s just so more obvious in this. They have Damian eating hot dogs on gargoyles, they imply he’s had a card collection, just, stuff that is so representative that Bendis actually may have never read a Damian comic that I’m shocked that no one actually told Bendis that all that stuff was super off putting. Like I thought a person from editorial was supposed to step in for parts like that, but maybe I was just incorrect, or they didn’t care.

The whole comic reads like Bendis skimmed through a few issues of one of the most overrated comics of all time, that’s only as popular as it is, because it attracted an easy to pander to audience, and decided “yes, I, Brian Michael Bendis, can replicate this”. Bendis even had to drag in poor David LeFuente, who is a fantastic artist, to draw the issue despite him seemingly having an inability to draw a 13 year old that doesn’t look 5 (poor Damian still can’t find an artist that can actually draw him).

Then there’s even this part were it’s super heavily implied that Damian is furious that Jon might’ve had sex before he did, like, I have no idea what else it could be implying, because of the way it’s written, and it’s just so nasty.

Super Sons notoriously has a humongous pedophile following (or maybe it’s just me that noticed how much sexual fan art, and fan fiction gets posted about the two, like I had to block their tags because of it), so an inclusion like that just made me a little sick to my stomach.

I’m almost positive that Bendis wasn’t like “oh yes, some of the grossest people alive will love me for this”. Most likely, Bendis just thought id be funny, but come on Bendis. Damian is 13 years old. I don’t want to think about a 13 year old and his apparent intense desire to have sex first. Maybe some kids will laugh because “ha, relatable”, but it’s just nasty, man. It’s uncozy for anyone that’s not around that age, like you put this in Superman, a comic, with a really large age-range because of how long it’s been around. I’m not sure how many kids around Damian’s age actually read Superman anymore to get a lot of that “ha, relatable” reaction I assume he wanted. I’m pretty sure most people are gonna go “eww, I didn’t need to know this about him” because they’re past that age.

This feels written for the most specific audience of people who, do not care about the characters, but like them anyways, and does not care if one of them is almost entirely out of character for almost the whole entire thing.

Not even sure if that’s a demographic possible to obtain in sales, but that seems to be what Bendis was going for, because it was just baaaaad.

David Lefuente’s art is the only good part, because despite being one of those artist’s that can’t draw a young teenager that well in the slightest, his art is still at least fun to look at. If they got a lesser artist, I can’t imagine even skimming it would be fun, because the whole issue is just poorly done pandering.

Honestly, the only reason why I decided to read it, was because someone shared me the page were it’s super implied Damian’s jealous of just the notion of Jon having sex first (I have no idea if Jon has, if someone’s curious if Bendis actually went that far), and I was just ... so baffled, like “wow, this-- is gonna be bad isn’t it?”. I also read it because Bendis is a writer I look out for because at this point he fascinates me, but some how he got worse then before.

Typically, Bendis when he’s at his usual worst just feels like he’s not paying attention. Like his writing will be super dull, the story will barely advance, and at super worst he’ll make a decision so bad and out of character for the character that it’s mind boggling crazy that it was allowed, but this, it’s just like, so bad in a realm I never seen before. He just straight up tried to make a comic, that’s sole purpose was to pander to a fan base, a fan base that celebrates a comic that isn’t especially good, and Bendis didn’t even know anything about one of the main characters he had to write for it, despite pandering towards a fan base that contain said character. It’s such an odd case of bad writing.

In Event: Leviathan, Bendis also writes Damian, and he did pretty okay there. Damian’s voice was clearly off, because Damian says “Jason” instead of “Todd” or “Red Hood”, which makes me really believe Bendis has no idea how Damian talks, because he never shows the talent of actually being able to write Damian’s voice, but, because Damian isn’t a lead character that really expands the story that much in Event: Leviathan, Damian is okay. Bendis understands that Damian is really mean, and that’s enough for Event: Leviathan, because Damian doesn’t have a mega-big role in it, he’s just kind of there because he’s the Son of Batman. Knowing the bare basics is passable in the capacity Damian filled there.

On the flip-side in the Superman issue with Super Sons, I’m not sure if it’s a case of Bendis trying to replicate Super Sons, which already had a really out of character Damian, or if it’s just Bendis genuinely not understanding a simple character like Damian that badly. He just had to write this character for one issue, and so many times he shows a lack of understanding of the character, that it’s almost fascinating to me how he messed it up so bad. Like Damian is one of the main characters of it, Bendis had to actually write him for almost the whole issue, and he genuinely botched it so bad. It reads like Bendis never heard of Damian till the day before, and someone told him that Damian was a mean kid, so that’s all Bendis knew about it, then he skimmed through Super Sons to see how issues like that go and just cracked his fingers to go to work.

It isn’t easy to mess up such simple things like Bendis does with Damian. It’s pretty ridiculous. It’s baffling.

[cryptoriawebb]

War for the Planet of the Apes: review

*Captain Kirk voice* “CAEEEEEEEEEEEESERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR”

There was a lot I loved about this movie. A lot. That isn’t something I say so easily. Especially with trilogies. Over the last couple of years, sequels and “threequels” as they say haven’t have been all over the movie map. Some have leapt levels above their predecessors, while others miss the mark by such length it’s all you can do not to cringe. Still, some hang squarely in the middle, neither good or bad, memorable or forgettable. This is especially true for reboot films: X-men, Star Trek and now Star Wars come to mind. Ironically, all three serve both as reboot-prequels to three iconic franchises. You can argue til the cows come home which of these is more successful (much less which are better in terms of content and characters) and maybe one day I’ll write up my own thoughts: I think it’s pretty obvious who the winner is.

I mean, of course, Planet of the Apes (like I said, one day I’ll do a comparison; that day is not today.) I don’t know how these movies manage to maintain their ongoing success…I mean, I do, but it’s so rare to see in Hollywood these days.  So many movies rely on the same, tired plots, conflict and cardboard character chemistry. More often than not I find myself walking into a sequel on eggshells: will it be good? Will it maintain its predecessor’s pace? Will it exceed my expectations? Will I remain engaged and attached to these characters? This movie checks off every box. Well…most of the boxes, but even so, this is the one trilogy I trust to deliver the same excitement promised in its trailers. I’m honestly awed by that, even all these years later. So many of their predecessors got it wrong: the original sequels, Burton’s remake…how, I wonder, how have they managed to get it right after so long?

(I ask because I’ve lost a lot of faith in Hollywood, not because I don’t understand creative mechanic.)

Right, staying on track—this is about War, not the franchise overall.

I absolutely adored the opening text sequence. Paired with the ambience, it was so subtle and eerie and immediately sucked you into the mood. The lingering words (rise, dawn and war) didn’t feel corny or excessively enforced, either. Actually, the summaries themselves remained on screen long enough to read through without rushing—I would know, I rushed through the last segment fearing it would fade before I finished. It didn’t, so shout out to the editor.

Personally, I’ve never been a fan of opening a movie with battle sequences but it works very well for this setting and storyline, especially given how the last one ended. It didn’t last too long either. In my opinion, fight scenes and battle sequences should be like cinnamon to French toast: included to enhance the flavor without overpowering it.  I will say it took me a little while to figure out why there were apes fighting on the human side but that’s probably because I haven’t seen the previous film in some time. I really liked the whole ‘donkey’ concept, too…although ‘like’ isn’t the right word. Sad, maybe, to see how these traitors chose to survive and knowing despite what they’ve been told they likely won’t be spared.

That’s an odd thing about this movie: yes there were a few standard Hollywood plots but the way they were presented prevented them from feeling stale. To watch Caesar struggle with the death of his wife and son, this empathic leader who never wanted war…it’s so different from watching, say, Magneto give in to heartache, or Logan, or Spock in the new Star Trek films. Caesar carries himself with a different weariness, one that isn’t guarded or hesitant and mistrusting. He’s a different kind of survivor, a leader aware of his importance without letting it go to his head. He’s good. Genuinely good and despite the biblical parallels circulating these movies that goodness feels grounded, tangible and vulnerable. Capable of wavering if pushed too far…yet even when it was, it never shattered completely. I felt I could see the conflict swarming him throughout this movie: that part blinded by rage and grief that seemed to give up on everything but revenge, and that goodness that kept him going, kept him from falling completely into self-centered destruction.  I’m in awe of Andy Serkis; each time he takes on Caesar his performances get better and better. While I must confess there were a few times I felt the camera lingered a little too long on his face (which of course isn’t his fault), he never wavered, and gotta throw a shout out to the visual effects department because they outdid themselves again. We might still live in an era where CGI characters look distinctly computerized, but technology has come a very long way, and each year past closes that gap a little more.

Maurice definitely came into his own as well. He was starting to in the last movie, from what I remember, but here I really felt like I learned who he was as an individual. Like Caesar, he too, possessed an emotional heart, yet more rational and empathetic, able to maintain a neutral outlook when needed. Doing this helped highlight Caesar’s diminishing ability to do so as time went on, and while, again, it brought up points used often in films, it worked without feeling tired. The more I think about it, the more I realize these tropes actually help this budding world: a second civilization rising to prominence, dealing with self-doubt and personal loss and shaken loyalty—humans have dealt with for centuries. I adored his relationship with Nova. It reminded me a little bit of Zira and Taylor from the first film, although with far less strain and a lot more trust. It’s both sweet and sad, knowing where the relationship with apes and humans will ultimately go—where it’s heading already. On a slight side note, part of me worried Maurice would die; I’m glad he didn’t, he’s always been one of my favorite side characters.

Speaking of Nova, I’m super curious about her character and possible future development. I’ve heard more films are in the works, I’m just not sure how far ahead they’ll jump. I hope not too far. I want to see this new civilization before we launch to Charleton Heston’s time, and like I said, I want to see what happens to Nova. Will she regress into a primitive state? I’m not sure how long Nova lost her voice before the apes found her. The Colonel devolved so quickly part of me wonders if Nova might be some kind of exception. If not, then she’ll probably become the first example of apes coexisting with animalistic humans.

I’d also like to see what happens to Cornelius. One thing I can’t tell about these films: if these names (Bright Eyes, Nova, Cornelius) are designed as a throwback favor to fans or if these characters are meant to grow into the ones we see in the original movie, however closer to modern time it is. Maybe their significance are important to characters and become popular and circulated in their society centuries after their original use…I hope the former is true, only because this new world is a little more interesting than the popular 1960s “NUCLEAR WAR DESTROYED ALL THE THINGS” post-apocalyptic settings.

I think if there’s any character I’m iffy on, it’s Bad Ape. You know, the hermit who learned to speak while living in a zoo. I did find the outsider angle interesting—we really don’t know how apes in other parts of the world have evolved since the Simian Flu outbreak. I also loved the nod to their future society’s uniforms (which I initially didn’t catch; it’s been a long time since I’ve seen the first film.) I just wasn’t sold on the humor. It felt very out of place in an otherwise intense movie. I kept getting a “Disney dopey sidekick” vibe from his antics—added to lighten a mood I don’t believe needed lightening. I mean, it wasn’t so jarring it completely severed the tone, just nudged at it, created a small ripple and I didn’t particularly like it. I liked Bad Ape as a character, though. His past, like I said, made him unique and an outsider in different ways than Koba’s followers. He and Nova both stand as interesting parallels: she can’t speak but understands (at least somewhat) sign language, while Bad Ape doesn’t understand it but can speak almost as well as Caesar.

As far as characters go, I think the Colonel is the last one worth nothing. I only vaguely remember Rocket from the last film and I have no recollection of Luca or Winter. Blue Eyes, I had hoped, would play a larger role, given his significance in the last film, but I suppose his character arc could only go so far without fading to the background or losing someone close to him…at least in the Hollywood handbook. Even for a franchise like this one. Although the love interest, side note, I kinda felt was shoe-horned in there. I realize two years have passed, but it’s hard to engage in so short-lived a relationship, on-screen.   There was one soldier I took interest in, too, the survivor at the beginning of the film. What was his name, Preacher? I thought he’d play a larger role, apart from the wary observer. Perhaps that’s all he needed to be. Either way, I’d have liked to see more development.

I’d like to go back to the Colonel again: he, too, followed the same “similar yet different” pattern the rest of the characters maintained. I’ve seen a lot of movies over the years, and ‘General Badass who believes the different species is expendable’ is no stranger to the silver screen (Avatar, anyone?) I almost wrote him off, during that scene he spoke with Caesar. If there’s one thing I can’t stand it’s cardboard villains (alright there are a lot of things I can’t stand but this really irritates me.) Imagine my surprise when I learned the intent of his to-be wall. He wasn’t the commanding force of all or most survivors at all, but rather the boxed in outsider trying to survive. I don’t agree with his methods of course, much less the treatment and execution of his men but it was interesting, from that sort of psychological perspective: how far fear will push someone. Fight or flight and all that.

His final scene with Caesar broke my heart. I knew what had happened of course—admittedly not as early as I’m sure others did but certainly from “where the hell is he?” I also admit I thought he was going to use his remaining humanity to kill Caesar (both at first and then when Caesar put his gun down.) Begging for death and killing himself spoke more of his own humanity, and I use that term in reference to the humanness in him, rather than compassion towards others. The tight shots of their faces didn’t help. Part of me wonders if that was intentional, beyond capturing the emotion. I believe it was the Colonel who noted that Caesar’s eyes were almost human: in those final scenes, the eyes were front and center and you could see the almost animalistic terror in the Colonel’s, while tortured conflict filled Caesar’s. I still maintain the close-ups lingered too long but it was an interesting contrast nonetheless.

I’m not sure how I feel about the Simian flu reverting people to animalistic creatures. It’s certainly an interesting take, but it almost feels like a plot device, as opposed to regressing naturally which I believe happened in the original film? The more I consider it the more I wonder if these reboot prequels will shorten the distance between present day and ‘Planet of the Apes.’ Instead of, what was it, two thousand years, crunch it down to two hundred, if that. This does, admittedly, heighten the horror, and I do like that…but I also like my continuity (ignoring the original disastrous sequels.) I guess we’ll see what happens.

Let’s see, what else…

I took particular note of the score, something I don’t always do. One of those things where, at least in my case, it tends to weave its way through the brain as part of the mood, subconsciously. Rarely does a score jump out at me unless it’s either unusual (Tron Legacy, for example) or I make a point to listen. I’m not sure what about the music stood out to me, this time around. I will say now that I have noticed I found the choice for the more humorous elements worked—not too subtle, not too loud or excessive—but still felt a little out of place.

The set design, too, I feel worth mentioning. While I haven’t watched any behind the scenes I’m assuming it was, in large part, computer-generated. I tend to be partial towards practical sets; it speaks to the creative individual in me, always marveling over how it manifests in others. That isn’t to say I didn’t appreciate them as they were, especially as someone with a fascination towards abandoned buildings. The gift shop stands out as my favorite of the ‘human’ sets, although my favorite overall has to be the ape society before the ambush. Not only did I love the design, but found it practical and appropriate for the skills developed by the apes since the flu broke out; still primates, but more and more human with each day gone by. It’s amazing and fascinating to see how they’ve developed and knowing where they’re ultimately headed.

I think the last thing I want to mention is Caesar’s death. I thought Blue Eyes said the distance from their home to the desert was a long one…I realize since then they resumed their journey from a different location, but I find it a bit odd Caesar managed to survive with a bleeding wound. If their new home is far enough away from human life, how far did they have to go from the facility? It really is just a minor quibble I have; I wouldn’t have had him go any other way. I’m going to miss him though. Caesar and his journey are half the reason I enjoyed these films, he’s such a compelling character. I hope whatever comes next can hold together without him.

All in all, really liked this movie, would definitely recommend. I think the first two were better, but I was far from disappointed. RIP Caesar, I’ll miss you.