#at least within these comics at this point- Iron Man may have a more complex identity in his Avengers appearances

[daydreamerdrew]

Iron Man (1968) #33

[veryvincible]

Hey! 👋🏼 I was looking at Tonys panel with Carol and his AA panels. It got me thinking how can a person like Tony .. who is an atheist, a believer of science and a confident engineer rely on AA which has a religious foundation (the 12 steps) and place so power on God. I know secular AA have different takes on it and encourage a personal definition of God as any higher power the person may choose. But doesn’t that defeat Tonys belief? Because I don’t think he believes in a higher power regardless if it’s a deity or not.

This is a wonderful question. There’s a lot of nuance to the answer, in my opinion, because I think there are some things called into question here that Tony (very realistically) treats with a lot of complexity.

Firstly, Tony’s atheism is kind of... I don’t want to say it’s up in the air, because at this point, I think it’s kind of made its place in canon and fanon both. But, most likely as a result of the times in which he was created, he has been shown in canon (at least in the early stages of his life) to follow some sort of organized religion. This is from Iron Man Vol. 1 #164, and it’s... not strong evidence for him being a spiritual man, as most people who call themselves “not that religious” tend to be religious by way of traditions, but. You know. It is what it is.

Of course, we could dismiss this as yet another thing that early canon imposed on a character who wouldn’t be like that at this point in time, but I think it brings up interesting beats in the way Tony’s character has progressed over the years.

Considering him as someone who may have been raised as traditionally religious makes sense in the context of defining events, as well, given that we watch him pray the Lord’s prayer in #14 of Iron Man Vol. 4, one of his Civil War tie-ins.

Given the proximity to the alcohol (and the point he’s at in the timeline, here), one could also easily assume that even if he had no religious background, the very presence of the Lord’s prayer in AA meetings could have formed a connection in his head between this “worship” and sobriety-- at the very least, enough of one that the prayer strengthens the effectiveness of his willpower. It seems the little push he needs to pour a drink down the drain is borderline Pavlovian.

There’s actually a lot of religious imagery in Tony comics in general. He’s a man with a suit facing conundrums of cosmic proportions. It’s difficult for him to keep rationale exclusively within the range of earthly probabilities.

Point is, his atheism doesn’t come from his disbelief in a higher power. It’s quite the contrary, actually. His atheism comes from a belief that there’s no single entity that could claim the title of God, that any being willing to try has, just by being, already forfeited the title.

Which is a fair assessment to make, given that he’s fought many people claiming to be Gods, and they’ve all bled. He’s also watched people worship Gods that turned out to not... really be Gods, whether they were otherworldly beings, his buddy Thor, or, uh, himself. The idea of him, at least. In space.

Because of course that happened.

But Tony actually does have a higher power to give himself up to in these meetings. In Civil War II #1, he very explicitly states it:

“I respect the future. I believe in the future. I worship at its feet.”

“The Future” to him is something he can affect, certainly, but he’s aware of just how massive it is, just how massive all of time is compared to the few decades he’ll spend on earth. This is his higher power, his cosmic deity of choice.

It can’t bleed. It can’t falter. It’s inevitable.

And this mindset is... pretty in line with everything else he’s done. He’s referred to himself as a “necessary monster.” He’s implied many times over that he thinks he’s rotten and potentially dangerous, but he’s also intelligent and capable and he wants to do the right thing, even if he doesn’t always know what that is. 

If you’ve ever been in a religious environment, you’ll probably recognize his mindset going into any problem: there’s always a solution, always information he’s missing, always a “right choice” he’s looking for with a domino effect that’ll be as favorable as possible for future generations. He trusts in the future the way people trust in God, with an awareness that he’ll never have all the pieces to make sense of everything, but he can have enough information to act. And he must act, or else his worth, his right to be alive, even, is at stake.

So, needless to say, he’s not praying to a mainstream God. But religious imagery isn’t and has never been off-putting to him, and though he certainly could seek out unreligious (is that a word?) alternatives to AA, I find it hard to believe that he would, given just how influential his higher power of choice is as it guides him through life. He puts everything at stake for it, going so far as to make choices that will destroy not only himself, but also his relationships with his loved ones if it means he’s doing what he perceives to be the right thing.

Secondly, even if he were a man who had no belief in any form of higher power, not even a stand-in for it, AA still might not be something he’d discard in favor of an alternative.

Religion serves as a guide. Most often, it has “do”s and “do not”s, certain beliefs it supports, and a kind of... basic explanation of what human life is and how it should be treated. One of the more common threads among most religions that I’m aware of (I am not an expert in religious studies; please don’t @ me) is the idea that human life is generally sacred, and as such, people should treat each other with respect. Yes, some texts can contradict this, but the general rule is “be nice to each other!” when you really look at the basics of what people are trying to teach. At its core, religion is linked to what we as humans already tend to for the sake of survival: compassion.

As such, though we might not always identify with religion as a concept, it’s not difficult to identify with some religious morals and teachings. Some people take to certain teachings better than others-- it’s super case-by-case-- but if you’re stuck in a religious environment listening to some preaching or anything, there’s probably going to be something you can relate to, and some way you can morph and adopt the message. This isn’t, like, all-encompassing, by the way. Of course there are some things that atheists and religious folk will never be able to relate to within each other, but.

You get what I mean.

I’m an atheist myself. I spent a chunk of my schooling at a religious institution. At best, there were messages that affected me deeply (as they were hard-hitting even when I stripped them of the God-worshipping aspects). At worst, I had to grit my teeth through some assignments, though I felt mostly indifferent (if slightly resentful at times, more out of frustration with the closed-mindedness of the administration than with the concept of religion itself). My experience isn’t universal, of course-- some people in my shoes were more frustrated and angry than I was, and I can see why. But my point is, being an atheist in and of itself (even one as strict as Tony) doesn’t render religious imagery useless.

For example, if you happen to pass by a pastor preaching about struggles with guilt, you might not identify with the sentiment of “Give your worries to God and know He’ll take care of you.” However, you could identify with the sentiment of, “Those little things, those side effects of decisions you’ve made? They’re here. Those decisions have been made. You’re allowed to swallow past the reality of what it is that’s passed and move on. You’re allowed to let go of it, so long as you’re better today than you were yesterday.”

It’s especially easy to do this if you’re listening to or being exposed to content from a religion you’re already familiar with; in Tony’s case, if we assume he was a Christian at one point or was raised with Christian ideals (not unbelievable in the slightest, given his circumstances and upbringing), then he wouldn’t have to do a lot of heavy lifting in order to get to “core messages” of certain Christian teachings that he could still identify with. Couple that with the higher power mentioned before, and... it’s not hard to see what might be appealing to him about AA, and it’s not hard to see why it was so effective at sticking in his mind all the way through his darkest periods in life.

Now comes the less healthy part.

There’s also an aspect of self-flagellation to it that I feel Tony might identify with on a deeper level. We’ve seen him hate himself openly, and we know how he regards himself. Even if he managed to find himself in a courthouse-like environment where the religious undertones were more about judgment than recovery, I don’t know that that would necessarily... push him away? He’s already told himself there’s something rotting and evil at his core many times over. He’s already committed himself to a lifestyle of atonement and progress, punishing himself when he fails to accomplish things no human reasonably could and barely praising himself when he doesn’t fail. Do I think these kinds of meetings would be totally sustainable for him, given that he clearly needs to feel pride or relief on some level for conquering his demons? No, not really, but. I don’t think he’d abandon them straight away.

Besides, every healing environment he’s been shown in has been more on the welcoming, open side, even if we only get to see a bare bones interpretation of AA (with deeper exploration happening more with Tony’s response to it, or his and Carol’s responses to each other) in canon. He’s in a good place with it, and it’s very nice to see.

Tl;dr: Again, great question. At the end of the day, I think the combination of self-loathing, his desire for progress, and his conceptualization of “the future” as his higher power makes AA a good fit for him despite his lack of a belief in "God” as an entity.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Psycho Analysis: Fu Manchu

(WARNING! This analysis contains DISCUSSIONS OF OUTDATED RACIST STEREOTYPES! This analysis does not support or condone such things whatsoever and merely is here to analyze the cultural impact of the character!)

"Imagine a person, tall, lean, and feline, high-shouldered, with a brow like Shakespeare and a face like Satan, a close-shaven skull, and long, magnetic eyes of the true cat-green. Invest him with all the cruel cunning of an entire Eastern race, accumulated in one giant intellect, with all the resources, if you will, of a wealthy government—which, however, already has denied all knowledge of his existence. Imagine that awful being, and you have a mental picture of Dr. Fu-Manchu, the yellow peril incarnate in one man."

— The Mystery of Dr. Fu-Manchu (1913)

I think it really goes without saying that the late 19th century and early 20th century were deeply, incredibly racist. One such manifestation of the racism and xenophobia of the times was the villainous archetype known as the Yellow Peril. The so-called “Yellow Peril” is a caricature of eastern cultures, portrayed in a villainous light; the characters are diabolical criminal masterminds who tend to be geniuses, know kung fu, have mystical powers, command barbarian hordes, and dress like the most stereotypical dynastic noble you could imagine. Just think of every single cringeworthy Asian stereotype you can imagine, stuff it into one villainous package, and BOOM! You have yourself a Yellow Peril villain.

You’ve most definitely seen villains that fit some semblance of this trope. Lo Pan of Big Trouble in Little China and Long Feng from Avatar: The Last Airbender are notable examples (and ones that aren’t particularly problematic, as their works don’t rely on some white guy saving the day and instead have Asian heroes). But we’re not here to talk about them, oh no – we’re here to talk about the grandaddy of them all, the villain who codified the idea of a Yellow Peril villain to such… er, for lack of a better word, “perfection,” that even though he has somewhat faded from the public consciousness he has managed to continue inspiring villains up until the present day: Fu Manchu.

While not the first Yellow Peril villain, he is pretty much the face of it. He is what comes to mind when you envision such a villain, which may be because his cultural impact runs so deep – characters such as Batman’s nemesis Ra’s al-Ghul, the Iron Man foe The Mandarin, and James Bond baddie Doctor No among many others all draw inspiration from this legendary Devil Doctor. So what exactly is his deal that has made him such a problematic icon?

Motivation/Goals: So Fu Manchu’s goals started with him being a Chinese nationalist but eventually he moved into your standard world domination, with him developing over time into becoming a sort of noble criminal, a diabolical mastermind with some level of ethics, class, and standards; the man sent his nemesis gifts on his wedding day and always stuck to his word. This doesn’t seem like much now, but you gotta remember, this guy was one of the first big literary supervillains; you’ve gotta cut him a little slack.

Performance: So it is time to discuss the elephant in the room… not once in his long and storied history in film has Fu Manchu been portrayed by an actor of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or Indian descent. Fu Manchu has always, always been portrayed by the worst possible option in every single case: a white guy in yellow face. Christopher Lee is perhaps the most well-known white man to play him in a serious work, portraying him in a series of films, though Boris Karloff portrayed him as well. 

Peter Sellers portrayed Fu in his last major cinematic appearance, though unlike most other examples that film – The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu – was a parody, which does at least take away a little bit of the bad taste.

The only valid white man portrayal is, of course, from the fake trailer for Werewolf Women of the S.S. As said fake trailer is a ridiculous sendup of exploitation films and trashy cinema in general, the inclusion of a white man playing the fiendish doctor is pretty much part of the joke – but it’s who they got that’s the real treat. We’ll get to that shortly, but before that…

It is honestly really disgusting that in the long history of this character, he has never once been portrayed by an Asian actor. You’d think at some point that someone might at least just cast any sort of Asian due to the unfortunate tendency to view Asian actors as interchangeable, but they couldn’t even do that.

Final Fate: Fu Manchu is notable because he always gets away, even if his plans are foiled; in fact, he’ll sometimes have plans within plans, so even when he loses, he still wins to some degree. But enough about his in-universe fate; let’s talk about the real world fate of the character, where Fu Manchu has a very odd legal status in terms of public domain.

While the first three books are in the public domain, some characters from later books are not considered part of the public domain, which has lead to situations such as Marvel’s Master of Kung Fu not being able to be reprinted for years. On top of this, as the character’s creator Sax Rohmer died in 1959, Fu Manchu is not in the public domain in Europe; this has led to him appearing but not being directly named in Alan Moore’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, where he is only referred to as “The Doctor” (amusingly, he goes up against Moriarty in that comic, the character he draws inspiration from).

Best Scene: In what is one of the very few non-offensive uses of the character, Fu Manchu is given a brief cameo in the trailer for Werewolf Women of the S.S. that shows up in the Rodriguez/Tarantino double feature Grindhouse, and he’s played by… well… just watch:

Final Thoughts & Score: Fu Manchu is an absolutely fascinating villain born out of incredibly problematic places.

There is absolutely no denying that Fu Manchu was created from a deeply racist place. It’s an unavoidable fact. There is no getting around it. Fu Manchu as a character was meant to demonize the Chinese, to the point where production of films based on him as well as the novels was halted in times of war when the Chinese were allies. These books, these stories, are all extremely problematic by the standards of today.

But with that being said… who, exactly, is the title character? Do you know, without looking it up, who the hero who Fu Manchu antagonizes is, the Holmes to his Moriarty? This is Fu Manchu’s series, and throughout it he projects an air of intelligence, sophistication, and even honor that you wouldn’t expect would be afforded to a character such as him. As far as racist propaganda goes, an extremely charitable person could be able to call this “progressive” in some regard. Positive discrimination is a step up from regular discrimination, right? Again, there’s really no getting around the glaring problems with the character and his origins, but the fact Fu Manchu is one of the first supercriminals in literature and manages to just be unflinchingly cool to the point where you’ll probably end up rooting for him over the bland white protagonists says something for how utterly racism fails when it manages to make the object of its derision infinitely cooler than the race it’s trying to prop up as superior.

By my own criteria, Fu Manchu could only be an 11/10. I can’t deny how much of an impact, for better or for worse, the fiendish doctor has had on pop culture, to the point where he gave his name to and subsequently killed off a variety of facial hair, a feat only matched by Hitler. But this comes with a disclaimer: I cannot stress enough that Fu Manchu is deeply and inherently problematic on a conceptual level, and that despite how genuinely cool and fascinating he is in the right hands it doesn’t and cannot erase that his original purpose was to demonize the Chinese and Asian cultures. He also managed to help perpetuate yellowface and helped to popularize cliches that have plagued Asian villains to this day. While many in his wake have still managed to be cool and engaging in their own right, it really cannot be said how this character has a very complex history. Has he done more bad than good? That’s not for a white guy like me to determine; I’m merely here to determine the overall quality of the villain and determine their impact, and Fu Manchu undeniably has impacted culture. It would be wrong and disingenuous to break my own rules to give him a lower rating due to his problematic elements, but at the same time I cannot sit here and pretend they do not exist.

I would love to see the day where Fu Manchu can be reclaimed to some extent. Look at Shang-Chi, for example; the (at this time) upcoming Marvel film is set to feature the Fu Manchu-inspired Mandarin as a major character, and he is set to be played by Tony Leung Chiu-wai, a Hong Kong actor. If one of the characters inspired by him can get portrayed by an Asian actor, perhaps someday in the future Fu Manchu can be reclaimed from his racist origins and given the respectful treatment he deserves. Fu Manchu is a character that is in many ways accidentally incredible and iconic. Born from horrendous racism, and yet the racist screeds depicting him always somehow manage to prop him up as the best character in the lot… it’s the paradox of racist thought, to go so far in demonizing their target they manage to make them more interesting and engaging than the generic protagonists. Fu Manchu is a truly great villain mired in the problems of the time he was created; in the right hands, great work could be done with him.

Bottom line is: Rob Zombie, get Nicolas Cage on the phone and start filming Werewolf Women of the S.S.

[daresplaining]

not sure if you have been asked this before but how would you rate the daredevil runs from miller to soule, and why?

    It has taken literally a thousand years to answer this, and I apologize– it’s just a huge question, even skipping all of the pre-Frank Miller runs (thank you for that, by the way– maybe I’ll rank them in a separate post, because I love a lot of the pre-Miller stuff!). Every reread brings with it new insight, and so my preferences are ever-evolving. That said, here’s how I would rank the main Daredevil runs from Miller onward (I’m not including annuals, mini-series, or novels, and I’m skipping the really tiny one-or-two-issue runs for the sake of brevity):

1. Mark Waid Daredevil volumes 3 and 4 are, for me, a perfect encapsulation of everything that makes Daredevil great. It’s all there! Smirking, swashbuckly Matt pulling off badass feats to save the day? Check! Dark, emotionally turbulent Matt trying to cope as the world falls apart around him? Check! An excellent supporting cast? Check! Fantastic hypersensory moments? Check! Great stories? Stunning art? Stilt-Man? Check! Everyone needs to read this run. It’s pretty much perfect.

2. Brian Michael Bendis I’ve learned that my Daredevil preferences tend to lean light(er…), but dang, Bendis writes a heck of a noir comic. He balances intense crime drama with striking character moments, changes the status quo over and over again (in a good way), and gives Matt some of the best zingers he’s ever had. (Seriously. Bendis’s Matt is really funny.) He also gave us Milla Donovan and Angela Del Toro, and for that I am eternally grateful. And whooo, that Alex Maleev/Matt Hollingsworth art… This is a classic, enduring run for a very good reason.  

3. Karl Kesel/Joe Kelly Okay, I’m cheating here. These are two separate runs. But they happened back-to-back, had the exact same tone, and were great for all of the same reasons, so I usually squash them together. If Karl Kesel and Joe Kelly have a problem with this, they can take it up with me (preferably in person– I have a lot of comics for them to sign.) These runs are fun. The Daredevil pendulum swings from light to dark and back again, and these guys landed on the upswing, after Matt had reconnected with his quippy, swashbuckly past. They feel old-fashioned, nostalgic in the best possible way, not afraid to be a little silly while still delivering solid, character-rooted stories. And it helps that the cast of characters is top-notch. Karen is around, trying to re-start her life while juggling humorous relationship issues with Matt. Foggy’s family drama is on full-force as Rosalind Sharpe and Candace come to town. Misty Knight stops by, as does Natasha Romanov. Kathy Malpher, one of my favorite minor DD characters ever, has lots of panel time. Deuce the Devil Dog is there. And it all ends with the breathtaking DD #375, which has got to be one of my top five favorite issues of all time. If you haven’t read these runs yet, go do that and thank me later.  

4. Frank Miller Darkness is only effective when interspersed with some light, and lightness is only effective when injected with some darkness, and Frank Miller (pre-”Born Again”) hit that perfect balance. It’s noir. It’s deep. It’s intense. It’s also some of the funniest Daredevil material ever written. Please go back and read “Guts”, or “Hunters”, or the Power Man and Iron Fist crossover. Let me say it louder, because I feel like I’m alone here: I love Frank Miller’s Daredevil because it is FREAKING HILARIOUS! And it goes without saying that “Born Again” is also stunning– definitely one of my favorite DD stories. And he gave us Stick and the peerless Elektra Natchios (three different versions of her, in fact) and the world has never been the same.

5. Denny O’Neil Denny O’Neil had the misfortune of getting sandwiched between Frank Miller’s two runs, and I feel like that’s the reason he doesn’t get the attention he deserves for some truly fantastic comics. Uh��� weird comics, in a lot of cases, but heck, I like well-done weirdness. O’Neil added an international angle to the comic. He sent Matt to Japan and Italy (and even- gasp- New Jersey) and brought in Glori O’Breen, a great character even with her slightly over-the-top accent. He reconnected Matt with Natasha Romanov for a few beautiful one-shot team-ups. He killed off Heather Glenn in a horrible way, but did it with such grace and style that it didn’t feel entirely gratuitous. And he’s responsible for “The Price”– one of my favorite stand-alone issues. Plus, the fact that he was working with David Mazzucchelli didn’t hurt either.  

6. Ann Nocenti Superhero comics– superhero comics writing in particular– has been a white male-dominated profession for far too long, and there are far too few women who have written Daredevil. I hate to start a discussion of Nocenti’s run with “Look! A woman!” but it’s worth pointing out because look at this list. Seriously. (And for anyone unfamiliar with the pre-Miller runs, I assure you, it’s more of the same.) Ann Nocenti’s run is fantastic for the ways it really digs into the heart of the material. She took the post-“Born Again” landscape and ran with it. This was the period that tied Matt to Hell’s Kitchen, and Nocenti made that plot point stick by showing us the fabric of the neighborhood, bringing in characters like the Fat Boys, placing Matt and Karen within the community with the founding of Karen’s free clinic, and turning the Hell’s Kitchen of the Marvel universe into a living, breathing place. In contrast, she also took Matt out of the city, and in doing so, wrote some of my favorite Daredevil stories. She wasn’t afraid to address pressing social issues. She wasn’t afraid to tell stories that were just plain weird. And her run is utterly unique and complex as a result.

7. Ed Brubaker/D.G. Chichester Yeah, okay, this is really cheating. These are two completely different runs, but they are nevertheless tied because of the same factor: I adore some parts, and dislike other parts. “The Devil in Cell Block D” (the first arc of Brubaker’s run) is phenomenal. I re-read it a lot. So is “Last Rites” (by Chichester). Chichester wrote two of my favorite stand-alone issues: “34 Hours” (vol. 1 #304) and “Just One Good Story” (vol. 1 #380). Brubaker gifted us with the awesomeness that is Maki Matsumoto (A.K.A. Lady Bullseye), and Master Izo! Chichester gave us D.A. Kathy Malpher, one of my favorite DD characters ever (bring her back, Marvel! Where did she go?)! Also, his hypersensory writing is visceral verging on gross– which, for me, is ideal. However, Brubaker’s run went downhill a bit after the first arc. I mentioned the light/dark balance in regards to Frank Miller’s run, and Brubaker went all dark. (I consider it the darkest DD run yet.) It’s great storytelling, but not my style. And while I love his shorter arcs, Chichester’s longer work– “Fall From Grace” and “Tree of Knowledge” in particular– don’t do it for me. I find them overly convoluted and lacking substance. Also, while Scott McDaniel draws my favorite rendition of the radar sense, he’s my least favorite DD artist. D.G. Chichester + Lee Weeks 4ever.

8. David Mack I like “Vision Quest” a lot more than “Parts of a Hole”, though that’s somewhat due to the artist switch partway through the latter. “Parts of a Hole” did an excellent job of introducing Maya Lopez, and has a lot of great moments, but “Vision Quest” is practically a piece of fine art. It’s stunning, both narratively and visually. I consider it more of an Echo comic than a DD comic, but it still belongs on this list.  

9. Charles Soule I haven’t had a chance to reread this run in its entirety, since it just ended, and I really need to do so because I’m having a hard time figuring out my feelings on it. There are aspects of Soule’s characterization of Matt that I disagree with. The sensory writing varied in quality, and we clearly have different perceptions of the radar sense. There was a distinct shortage of female characters– and, in fact, of side characters in general. And the mind wipe was a huge misstep, since it erased so many of Matt’s long-held friendships. In a comic that has traditionally drawn much of its power from its strong supporting casts and Matt’s dynamics with them, that decision has caused serious lasting damage. However, there’s also a lot I loved. Sam Chung, though (I feel) underused, is a great character in his own right, and he also provided the chance for us to see Matt in a long-term mentorship role– something I’ve wanted for a while now. Muse was a fascinating and terrifying antagonist. And Soule’s perspective as an actual lawyer added extra zip to many of his stories, whether it was putting Matt in the mayor’s office (finally!) or sending him to the Supreme Court in what may be my favorite law-centered DD story ever. But the real reason Soule’s name is this far up this list is because of the “Double Vision” arc (or, as I call it, “Mike Murdock Must Die 2.0″) which is sheer brilliance, and to my mind, one of the greatest Daredevil stories ever told.

10. Bob Gale “Playing to the Camera” does not get nearly as much credit as it deserves for being a genuinely hilarious superhero law-based comedy of errors, and a bright spot amid the angst-fest that is Daredevil volume 2. My major complaints are that it’s too short and I dislike the art.

11. Andy Diggle I don’t dislike “Shadowland”. I don’t love it, but it’s a cool story concept that suffered– as events often do– from storytelling spread too thin, across too many characters, in too short a timespan. (Though I need to know if he came up with the “Matt Murdock dared evil… and lost” tagline, because if so, that wordplay would rocket him right to the top of this list.) I prefer the lead-up to “Shadowland” to the event itself. But I love DD: Reborn (yes, I said I wasn’t going to cover mini-series, but it’s essentially part of the main comic because it bridges the gap between two volumes. I say it counts). I’ve always enjoyed stories that take Matt out of NYC, and Reborn is a fun adventure story that gets back to basics and serves as a great bookend for volume 2.  

12. Scott Lobdell I like “Flying Blind”. It’s quirky and unusual (which I appreciate), and Matt is written very well. I just don’t love it. It’s one of those arcs that slides right to the back of the memory and only returns to the forefront when you’re reflecting on the first time Matt ever saw Foggy, or wondering if Matt’s bad French in Brubaker’s run is left over from his SHIELD-implanted fluency. It’s a neat idea, but could have been executed in a more engaging, lasting way.

13. Gregory Wright This short run went right out of my head the instant I finished it the first time, and upon rereading it has remained fairly unmemorable. The art is hit-and-miss, and the story– while perfectly fine– isn’t anything exciting or innovative. There are some great hypersensory moments, it’s worth reading, but I don’t have much to say about it beyond that.

14. Alan Smithee “Alan Smithee” is a pseudonym used in the entertainment industry by writers who don’t want to be associated with a certain project. The commentary on manwithoutfear.com states that this run was actually written by Chichester, who used the pen name as a way of protesting his abrupt firing from the comic. I treat it as a separate run, since that’s clearly what he wanted. I always tend to group the Wright and Smithee runs together in my mind because they take place one after the other, are both very short (only 5 issues each), and are very similar in both tone and quality. I like the art in Smithee’s run more, and the writing is solid. However, the whole thing is colored for me by the horrific and unnecessary death of Glorianna O’Breen, a character I love. I’m perfectly fine with characters dying if their deaths are well-written and impactful (heck, I’ll be honest– I love a good death), but Glori’s demise just seems gratuitous, and is therefore not appealing to me.

15. J.M. DeMatteis This run is super weird, but not in an interesting way. It leans toward the religious, which is not my thing, and it relies on the dead sex worker storyline from Man Without Fear, which is really not my thing and should have stayed out of the main continuity. It’s good to read, because it’s a major shift in Matt’s life and sets up the fabulous Kesel/Kelly runs, but… eh. That said, Matt battling his different identities in a graveyard while getting heckled by Stick, and yellow suit DD running around creating mayhem, are 100% my things… so credit where’s it’s due.  

16. Kevin Smith You may have noticed that “Guardian Devil”, the first arc of Daredevil volume 2, the run that rescued the series after its cancellation and brought Matt Murdock to the forefront of the Marvel street-level universe once more…! …is rarely ever mentioned on this blog. That’s because I really don’t like it. At all. I’m grateful to Smith for bringing readers back to DD, but would be happy if he never wrote these characters again. His run is poorly paced, out-of-character, and covers themes/topics/etc. that I personally don’t enjoy. I forced myself through it because I’m a Daredevil completist, but I haven’t read it again. I probably will someday, just to make sure I remember all of the key plot points, but… not yet.  

[renaramblesaboutcomics]

Wednesday Roundup 4.10.2017

This week ended up being a relatively light reading week for yours truly, but that doesn’t lessen the quality of my enjoyment whatsoever. In fact, I had enough love to share that I wanted to go over all of the available Marvel Legacy Primers for this week as well, even if they’re just short blurbs!

So without further ado let’s jump into it.

Marvel’s America, Marvel’s Black Panther, Marvel’s Incredible Hulk, Marvel’s Invincible Iron Man, Marvel’s Jean Grey, Marvel’s Monsters Unleashed, Dark Horse’s Usagi Yojimbo, Lion Forge’s Voltron Legendary Defender, Viz’s Yona of the Dawn

Marvel’s America - Marvel Legacy Primer Pages (2017-present) Robbie Thompson, David Lopez

As interested as I am in America, I haven’t had the opportunity to really follow her outside of the Young Avengers run she is in. So I think, oddly enough, for me this is one of the most necessary “Primers” of any of the ones I’ve read so far, and the information was very good to have. It really helped to frame her history, her relationship with her mothers, and her confidence in herself in a new light that is really appreciated. And the art from David Lopez is as beautiful as any of his issues on All-New Wolverine.

Marvel’s Black Panther - Marvel Legacy Primer Pages (2016-present)  Robbie Thompson, Wilfredo Torres

There’s honestly not going to be that much more to say on most of these Primer pages. They’re fun, quick run throughs of relevant histories of the characters and teams that they showcase and depending on your interest and engagement may influence whether or not you want to hop in on the next storyline that they’re promoting. 

I do like the sense of unity and legacy that is built into the Black Panther title already, having it be a responsibility tied to kingship that T’Challa knows and the all-important bond it has between him and the memory of his father. 

It really puts a spin on the importance of Legacy that this event seems intent on hammering home.

Marvel’s Captain Marvel - Marvel Legacy Primer Pages (2016-present)  Robbie Thompson, Brent Schoonover

Carol Danvers is one of those characters I desperately want to lie on every feasible surface level, but whose books have never quite got me on board and whose guest appearances always leave me a bit more confused about her than I had been before her said appearance. And yet there was still not a whole lot added here. I appreciate it, and young Carol is adorable, but there was nothing here that didn’t make me feel like... well, like she’s Hal Jordan. And ‘m not a fan of Hal Jordan.

Marvel’s Incredible Hulk - Marvel Legacy Primer Pages (2017-present) Robbie Thompson, Joe Bennett

Everything I have read so far with Amadeus Cho, both in Totally Awesome Hulk and in his guest appearances or team-ups in Moon Girl and Devil Dinosaur to Champions has  really connected to me on a level that Bruce Banner hadn’t exactly managed over the years. So it was nice to see a little blurb that went over their mutual histories and explored what was there.

It almost makes people forget that Marvel unnecessarily killed Bruce Banner for... no reason. Almost. Not quite. Though he might be alive by now. I am obviously not current.

Marvel’s Invincible Iron Man - Marvel Legacy Primer Pages (2016-present) Robbie Thompson, Valerio Schiti

Gah, reading this overview of Tony and Riri’s history really reminded me how much I really loved reading Invincible Iron Man when it first came out and just how much I positively adored Riri’s character and her banter with Tony. You know. Before they completely undid the relationship within the first storyline and then Bendis went all Bendis on us and it became obvious that Tony was coming back sooner than later and then Secret Empire destroyed the world... somewhat literally. 

I’d love to read a Riri-centric book in better circumstances. Or at least once the next trade is out. We’ll see.

Marvel’s Jean Grey - Marvel Legacy Primer Pages (2017-present) Robbie Thompson, Mark Bagley

I was actually just recently talking to my good friend @shobogan about how much more interested I would be in Young Jean Grey if only Marvel had the guts to either give us a romantic relationship with her and Laura (or her, Laura, and Scott OT3 hullo) or have Older Jean Grey return to mentor her younger self and others at the school since she’s the only X-Man kept dead for this long who was considered a Top Tier X-Man. And since we’re finally getting the latter, it seems, now I have to look at what we know of Young Jean and consider my feelings all over again. And this primer gave me the opportunity to do just that!

While I’m not following Jean’s book at the moment, I’m obviously a pretty big X-fan so I have a general sense of where all the moving pieces are at the moment. And I have to say, with Older Jean returning it’s going to be a pretty awesome time for comparing and contrasting their characters and relationships. After all, this younger Jean is far, far less experienced than her counterpart, but has a peripheral knowledge of her own fate, and as much as she tries to not be defined by it, it’s been defining her in the opposite direction in a sense. And more than that, she’s a Jean who sees the Phoenix Force not as an asset or a tool, but sees it as an honest to god enemy, which I’m not sure how that will work. And I’m even more interested in Jean’s return now because of the possibilities of their interactions with the Force together. 

Guess we’ll wait and see!

Marvel’s Monsters Unleashed - Marvel Legacy Primer Pages (2017-present)  Robbie Thompson, David Baldeón

I have actually been planning for a little while now to pick up the trade of Monsters Unleashed because I had fun with the miniseries earlier this year and I have been craving more Elsa Bloodstone (as well as the entirety of the Nextwave crew) and this seems like one of the more interesting powers to come from the Inhuman collision.

.... Actually it’s completely stolen from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic and later adapted TV episode dedicated to Jack Kirby who had the power of creativity to draw and create anything he drew and also had a a penchant for creating monsters and different worlds and so on. So I mean. There’s that unavoidable fact. But Kei’s cute so I’d be willing to overlook it for the sake of seeing what Marvel plans on doing with this very wild and unruly power. 

Dark Horse’s Usagi Yojimbo (1984-present) #162 Stan Sakai, Tom Luth

The conclusion of Usagi and Inspector Ishida’s investigation about the doctors’ murders has come and the hilarity of Kitsune and Kiyoko bumbling along with them and incidentally becoming crucial to the entire investigation does not lose its edge either.

Story: The conclusion of this particular caper is interesting mostly in how the framing by coincidence is not ultimately a linchpin to the story, having been solved almost immediately in the story’s first issue. The inventiveness of Sakai’s work, overall, is simple subterfuge which continues to make each new adventure feel unique and uncertain. In this instance, it would be in the assistance that Kitsune and Kiyoko end up providing by revealing the true murderer almost by accident. 

That being said, as simple as individual stories are for Usagi Yojimbo, the complexity really rests in the margins for long time fans, and that shows most clearly in the way a quiet buildup of several arcs seem to flow together for coming to a head. Perhaps the most famous and arguably best all around example of this would be in “Grasscutter” and how years of storytelling and slow vignettes linking together culminated in one of the greatest comic storylines of all time. We seem to be getting something similar in the backgrounds of more recent adventures with this guild of assassins which Usagi has unknowingly crossed the path of and caused ire to several times at this point. 

I’m excited to see where that story is taking us, and likewise interested in how little details, like Kiyoko successfully pickpocketing Inspector Ishida, will pay off down the road. 

Lion Forge’s Voltron Legendary Defender Vol. 2 (2017) #1 Tim Hendrick, Mitch Iverson, Jung Gwan Yoo, Ji-in Choi

Egghhhhh. Are you ever really rooting for something against your own common sense and get bit in the butt regardless? I feel like that happens to me on an inconceivably high average and almost all of it can be blamed on the fact that for some reason I am still expecting comics to play fairly with me. If anything my standards should be lower by now. But, well, let’s see if I’m being a bit too harsh on Lion Forge’s second effort in making a Voltron comic. 

Story: I would argue that one of the reasons that I had unreasonably high expectations for this comic is in part because the first comic produced by Lion Forge had actuallymanaged to not only be a fairly solid effort as a comic but managed to capture the spirit of the current Dreamworks Netflix series in a wa that was welcoming to fans new and old, and importantly of all ages. So I was hoping for more of the same with this comic project.

In more or less words... I did not exactly receive that. Where there was a solid read of the characterizations in the last comic, this issue showed a severely flattened to the point of parody version of the paladins, especially poor Hunk here who had the already obnoxious and unnecessary fat jokes and food jokes from the series amped up to the point of being his only characteristic in this comic. To the point that at one point he doesn’t even form a full sentence, just grabs a pie successfully from a training maze and says “Hunk win”. Which... I guess is somewhat better faring than the other paladins who didn’t even have dialogue that really fit them. Save for Pidge who was likewise flattened to “the smart one.” 

The storyline itself of a new planet where Voltron is needed but the species they end up helping... they actually fail initially, I won’t lie, is a pretty solid premise for Voltron overall, and would be something I’d love to see the show tackle similarly, but the fairly generic wolf-furry aliens didn’t receive a whole lot of depth in this first issue. 

Depth trended on being the biggest problem for this issue overall. There wasn’t an examination of the characters and their interactions, how they treated each other and how they tackled problems differently. The sort of things you’d want from an ensemble cast like Voltron. Which is surprising since again the first series by Lion Forge managed all that and was written on a much younger reading level at the same time. Each issue tackled exactly those very things -- individual characters, how they functioned in the group, and how they tackled obstacles differently to find a solution together. I would expect the same here but it didn’t seem to be on the menu. 

Hopefully all of this will be addressed and fixed as the comic progresses, but as for now I’m apprehensively putting this series on my three issue trial run. 

Art: The art was not a great improvement on the previous comic but it also wasn’t bad in the least. In fact I think the art popped very well, adjusting colors and textures about as well as you’d expect from a television show adaptation for kids. I do wish that the face models for the paladins would keep more consistent and overall there was a rushed feeling to the comic that seemed fairly unnecessary considering it’s the first issue. 

Viz’s Yona of the Dawn (2009-present) Vol. 8 Mizuho Kusanagi

You know, I keep hearing over and over again from friends and trusted sources that Yona of the Dawn is a series that will continuously subvert my every expectation and make me continue guessing and yet every volume I really do manage to be caught off guard by something which the story chooses to do which is shockingly poignant and new even to its fairy tale epic adventure structure. 

Story: So the Yellow Dragon joining the group was hilariously and purposefully anti-climactic but what we got as a result of that choice is the new direction for the series that ties directly into Yona’s own self-realization. She doesn’t simply want to rule and she doesn’t simply want to conquer. What she wants is to know her people and to save them from the crises that were overlooked by her father before her and by Su-Won now. She wants to take up arms to protect the entire country not just with the power of the loyal followers she has gained but with her own hands. She is something that neither of the kings -- her father or her cousin -- could have ever dreamed of being.

And then my expectations were really taken for a loop by us then in turn following Su-Won as he travels to the Earth Tribe and earns the respect and allegiance of the chieftan general there through a series of manipulations, tactical conceits, and ultimately quiet and subtle intimidation mostly by the fleeting moments in which he dropped his ditzy and well-meaning act to show his true intentions. But as fascinating as it was and as surprising as it was, for me at least, that this complete shift of POV for a few chapters actually managed to keep me on board when I’m not one to often fully appreciate the “villain’s side of things”, probably the most interesting part of any and all of this is actually how much tension is underlying Su-Won’s leadership. HIs appeal to the Fire and Earth Tribes is less in the leadership that he promotes and more in this current of possible warmongering that appeases the more warlike fractions of Kohka. 

It’s all fascinating and offers a sense of danger in Yona’s new quest to help the people of fher country feel a new sense of danger, knowing that our group is ultimately pretty unprepared for helping parts of the country which would not be as receptive to their quest or the offer of Yona’s leadership.

That being said... the final chapter driving home Yona’s relationship with Hak and everyone’s strange obsession with protecting Yona but rejecting her attempts to grow her own strength and independence. Lik eI guess we’re just all going to overlook the way she killed the slave trader mob boss in teh previous volume. But beyond all of that, my real concern is just... I cannot stand the way Hak’s character is portrayed in his “over protectiveness” of Yona. It’s far from romantic to me to continuously have a character obsess over someone to the point of “jokingly” considering locking them away for the world to see. 

It’s not the best issue of the series by far, but it has some great moments, especially for Yona.

Art: I actually do think that the further we’ve come in this comic, the more consistent and confident the at has gotten. There are still lots of soft tones and all the markings of a usual shoujo, but the real stand out this time around is that we’re beginning to see more and more the variation in ethnicities in the people of the country, which is honestly relieving even if for now the Earth Tribe, which drives that point home, consists mostly of Su-Won’s supporters and may carry with them some more unfortunate stereotypes being fed that I might not be aware of as a non-native to Japan.

So far as single issues this week are concerned there’s really no competition for Usagi Yojimbo in a regular week but especially not in a fairly light week. Yona is still a fantastic book and if there were other trades to compare it to I’d probably lavish on it more, but since we’re on singles I have to give this one to the unending quality that is Stan Sakai’s anthromorphic feudal epic.

And, once more, I am in a bit of a financial crunch for a multitude of reasons, not the least of which being the medical bills I’m paying for my dog, Eve, who experienced a catastrophic dog fight and underwent surgery recently. On top of that, I have exactly a month and a half to pack up everything I own and move halfway across the country again which is not helping those financial crunches I mentioned before either.

As such, I really would appreciate if you enjoy my content or are interested in helping me out, please check out either my Patreon or PayPal. Every bit helps and I couldn’t thank you enough for enjoying and supporting my content.

You could also support me by going to my main blog, @renaroo, where I’ll soon be listing prices and more for art and writing commissions.

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[theantisocialcritic]

This AntiSocial Life: Top 10 Marvel Movies/Shows!

2017 represents the 9th year of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. To date we’ve received 15 movies and 6 TV shows with 5 additional shows on the horizon and multiple movies in the works. In some ways this soon to be decade long project has been one of the most fascinating and ambitious blockbuster projects in decades. In others it’s been a cynical money making factory that has made Hollywood cling onto terrible ideas to graft onto other superhero franchises (I.E. Amazing Spiderman 2, Batman vs Superman, etc.). Thanks in part to a close collaboration between Marvel’s producing team and some incredibly talented directors they have miraculously managed to keep a standard quality to their films that largely dwarfs competing blockbusters. Not every MCU film is great but the worst films and shows they have put forward have still accrued more devotion than their rivals ever could hope for. At this point it’s hard to say what will happen when they finally screw up so royally that they finally produce an outright terrible movie. 

With all that said, i’d like to offer my personal take on my own rankings for my Top 10 Favorite MCU properties that I have viewed in full. For that reason Agents of SHIELD, Agent Carter, Luke Cage and Iron Fist will not be making the list as i’ve only partially viewed those shows in question. Obviously non-MCU Marvel films such as Spiderman 2, Punisher: War Zone, Deadpool or Logan aren’t eligible as they aren’t produced by Disney and aren’t considered canon. 

Starting out, lets knock out the seven runner’s up. None of these are bad films but they fail in basic functional ways that keep them from being remembered or enjoyed fully for what they’re intended to be. In ascending order of preference: 

17. Iron Man 2

16. Avengers: Age of Ultron

15. Thor: The Dark World

14. Incredible Hulk

13. Captain America: Civil War

12. Thor (2011)

11. Doctor Strange 

Those aside, here are your AntiSocial Critic’s Top 10 Marvel Movies and Shows! 

10. Ant-Man 

Who would’ve guessed Ant-Man would wind up being one of Marvel’s most watchable and fun origin story movies. Penned by Action-Comedy master Edgar Wright and sadly dropped due to creative differences the best version of this film we could have had sadly doesn’t exist. It’s a shame of course that Marvel’s producer control is so strong but the film we did get wasn’t half bad. It’s a sweet redemption story and it’s wonderful for that! 

9. AKA Jessica Jones 

Marvel-Netflix has not been known for it’s consistently in it’s short three year run of shows. It’s second series based on the critically acclaimed Brian Michael Bendis comic Alias was one of the most thematically interesting things to pop up out of the MCU to date. With complex themes surrounding sexual assault and grappling with trauma as it’s driving force it created a something new that stands as a thoroughly unique show and much needed expression of the pain real people suffer at the hands of monsters. 

8. Iron Man (2008)

What can be said of one of the slickest and most beloved blockbuster films of the past decade at this point? It’s becoming popular for fans to take relatively extreme positions on this film given the amount of time that’s pasted since 2008. The ending doesn’t quite work as it doesn’t meaningfully resolve any of the interesting story threads the movie had set up and tonally it feels the least fanciful of all the Marvel movies. After all this time however thanks to it’s wonderful character writing and great performances it still holds up as the perfect introduction to one of cinema’s newest favorite characters. 

7. Captain America: The First Avenger 

I wish this film had received a better fan reaction than it has. Inspite of it’s corny story and reliance on CGI i’ve long felt that this underrated gem has been the great under appreciated film of the MCU. Even now as it’s sequels have gone on to become international record breaking blockbusters (in countries that should have no affection for a character called Captain America no less) I find this charming little war drama to be one of the most consistently watchable things Marvel has ever done. 

6. Iron Man 3

To all the people who sincerely hated this movie I sincerely request you to reconsider this film. I don’t get it. People make excuses for less than stellar films all the time as movies that “do something unexpected” and here we have a movie that actually does that to improve the story it’s trying to tell and everyone hates it. I get that everyone wants Marvel to do The Mandarin and now with Space Wizards introduced into the MCU I wouldn’t be surprised if they finally pulled the trigger they hinted at in All Hail The King and actually introducing him in a future movie. Regardlesss of all that Iron Man 3 is a masterpiece of action and comedy by the god of action comedy Shane Black. This guy is responsible for Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and The Nice Guys and this is the thanks we give him? Even if the film wasn’t a pitch perfect thematic send off that fits perfectly within the established tone and style of the preceeding Iron Man films i’d still be confused about the fan reaction. 

5. Daredevil 

There has been much criticism thrown as Marvel-Netflix for falling into the old traps of pre-MCU movies. The grim, down to Earth atmosphere and low budget feel for several of their shows evokes the sins of early/late Brian Singer’s X-Men or the original Daredevil movie. To some it suggested the same issues many of those films were faced with as producers didn’t take the material seriously and tried to adapt it in a “realistic” fashion while simultaneously throttling the budget. With Daredevil though that really isn’t the case. Evoking the grim, noir-ish atmosphere and ground level storytelling of Frank Miller’s legendary run on the character both seasons of Netflix’s Daredevil have been some of the most consistently interesting and fun shows to come out of the MCU. Drawing upon the traditions of martial arts cinema, courtroom drama and classic black and white detective thrillers the show weaves a tale of ethics, religion and poverty clashing as Hell’s Kitchen struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of the Battle of New York. 

4. The Avengers 

It’s strange how much this film at once retains one of the most respected heritages of any film in this franchise while still being close to falling into the reputation of a cliche as it’s brought up regularly. Five year’s after it’s insane opening that seemingly overnight shifted the gears in Hollywood that would change everything for better and worse that original film still holds up as a singular vision by legendary writer/director Joss Whedon. Even as it���s direct sequels Age of Ultron and Civil War struggle to maintain their reputations such a short time after their releases this original film ages with grace. This is a film I can stick on at any time and find myself engaged and drawn into. Who knows if the MCU will truly ever accomplish another team up movie as great as this one again but at the very least this first one is the best there is. 

3. The Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) 

Just three years after James Gunn’s wonderful little blockbuster hit theaters it remains one of the most quoted and beloved recent blockbusters to hit cinemas in years. I can’t count the number of references my friend and I have made from this film’s plethora of references. What else is there to say other than that this film is the miracle blockbuster that made a generation laugh and cry with just three words. 

2. Captain America: The Winter Soldier 

There’s something to be said for a genre film that is embodies itself perfectly. For the last three years i’ve debates hard with myself over whether this or Guardians of The Galaxy is the best Marvel movie and for now i’m going to say it’s this one. Sometimes a film isn’t great because it transcends it’s genre or perfectly parodies something the way GotG or even something like Deadpool does. The Winter Soldier however is a by far the best solo Marvel movie to date. At once a perfectly tuned action film and a beautiful unifying statement about the cost of freedom, the film represents what it truly means to be Captain America. 

1. Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 

I hate to be THAT GUY and immediately jump on this film as the best in it’s franchise given how new it is. Having seen it twice now though I feel as though this truly does represent one of the best, if not the best, films in the MCU to date. People always compare sequels to The Empire Strikes Back because of it’s ubiquity but unlike most franchises that don’t understand what it means to be a sequel that consistently excellent. Vol. 2 understands that great stories begin and end with great characters and it spends it’s considerable screen time growing and breaking the Guardians worse than before. What’s left is a fascinating exploration of each character’s broken internal lives as they grapple with incredible loss. The story around Peter Quill’s estranged father ends up being one of the most emotionally impactful deconstructions on absent father figures and critiques on the idealizations of what true fatherhood is i’ve ever seen. Both times i’ve watched the film the last 45 minutes have hit me like a brick and drawn out some of the deepest emotions i’ve felt for a movie in a long time. Vol. 2 may not be perfect but it’s beautiful. 

Thank you all for reading! if you would like to see more reviews, articles and podcasts lemme know by tweeting me at @AntiSocialCriti or commenting below. Also be sure to check out my review show The Fox Valley Film Critics!

Live long and prosper!

[astrologista]

Acceptable Losses

for @starspatter

“Imagine Bruce confronting Clark over his son's death though...  And Clark being so far gone at this point that he's all "sacrifices must be made for peace" and Bruce being like "You really have gone insane" and storms out.”

---

((( This ficlet references events from the Justice League episodes “A Better World Pt 1 and 2″ and the Batman Beyond 2.0 issues 17-24, and the Justice League Beyond 2.0 issues 17-24. If you haven’t seen/read them, the Justice Lords AU may not make sense to you... I guess... sorry ‘bout it :^) )))

---

A day after Wally was taken from them, Bruce had started work on what he was tentatively calling the “bat-bunker”. 

It existed miles below the Cave, accessible by elevator only, in a natural cavern that had sat barren since he first began this mad game of cops and robbers.

The bunker was outfitted with sensors, with cameras, a complex ventilation system that promised fresh air for many years (none too simple to design), fresh water from an underground spring, and everything else needed to sustain life, for years, as necessary. It also happened to contain several of Tim’s favorite video game consoles, stores of shelf-stable snacks and canned food, stacks of comic books and a cabinet full of DVDs (mostly superhero movies).  It was designed to be nothing less than a gilded cage for a bird. A place where his child would be totally safe from the traumas the world had yet to endure. 

Wally West had been too young to die. Bruce wouldn’t see it happen to Tim. He’d lock him away and throw away the key first, no matter the misery or frustration it caused. Tim would thank him someday.

The plan, while well-intentioned (he thinks), never comes to pass. Lord Batman needs his soldiers, he needs everyone he can muster - and his family, most of all. The bat-bunker sits forever dormant, another awkward symbol of care that it’s better Tim never sees.

---

“We’re fighting a new kind of war, Tim.”

The new suit is safer, in some ways. The reinforced cowl (there will be no bullets in the brain), the bandoliers crossed over the chest (there will be no shrapnel in the heart), nominally treated against the worst effects of heat vision (not completely heatproof, but what else can he do against five-thousand-degree alien heat vision?). Multiple tracers, hidden in the lining, woven into the cloth. Every feature seems to be motivated by a fear, a worry - there’s love, there, too. Bruce had input into every Robin costume yet devised - but this was the first he had designed without input from a cheerful child, instead crafting it to his whims and catering to his neuroses in the process.

Bruce hands him the costume with an expression that brooks no argument. “You’re not Robin anymore. We’ll call you Red Robin from now on.” he tells him.

Tim takes the costume into his arms, holds it as if it’s fragile, something sacred. “Okay, dad.” he whispers reverently.

Lord Batman only nods, sharply. “Good boy.”

---

It’s easier to control Tim now, than it was before everything. With the onset of global war, Tim learns to be quiet, to be stealthy - as he always was, but in a somber way, in Bruce’s shadow, always, now.

They are the only resistance against Clark’s - Superman’s reign of terror, his iron grip upon the world. Those who do not agree can expect to be lobotomized at up to one hundred yards - or more - that is, if Superman decides that they deserve to live.

Dick and Barbara can no longer tolerate the stress, can no longer tolerate Bruce. They promise they don’t agree with Lord Superman, but that they can no longer remain on the side of the resistance. It’s a safety issue. Barbara is carrying Dick’s child, and it is safer for them to outwardly support the regime. Dick becomes a Commander, and Bruce is not allowed contact with their child outside of the photos and vids Barbara occasionally sends.

Oddly, the only one who stays - other than Alfred, of course - and Tim, now his good right hand - is Diana, but she is not the Diana he knew. This is the Diana from the other universe, the one where Wally did not die. She brings the strength they need, mother-hens Tim, and Bruce marvels at her undying determination in the face of total war.

He’s already fallen in love with her.

---

“Can I go?” The time had come - their tight knit group had begun to unravel. Perry White had been speaking against the regime through his underground newspaper for too long, and Superman, who had long since lost his mind in Bruce’s eyes, was prepared to deal with him once and for all. They had to put a stop to it - a man’s life was in danger simply for speaking his mind. 

The new costume fits Red Robin perfectly, but Bruce had been so sure that Tim had outgrown pleading and whining for inclusion. 

In his mind’s eye, he can see Luthor aim the gun - BAM - gone is the Flash, that bright, quippy young streak of red that lightened the burden in their hearts, hell, even made him smile just a few - 

“No.” It’s a final no, an end-of-conversation no. Tim should know by now that this is all for his safety. They live in a world where Clark has decided that the world’s citizens are his wayward children, not knowing what is best for themselves. Therefore, he appointed himself to be their savior, whether they want it or not.

Maybe he and Clark aren’t that different after all.

“Tim, I have another job for you, and it’s to be done right here.”

That earns him a pointed look, rebellion brewing low but buried deep under layers of loyalty, of love. As Bruce steps into the car, he prays that Tim knows better now, after all the close calls they’ve had, he should know to follow Bruce’s orders without question. The last thing they want is to lose another - 

---

They were too late to save Perry.

As per usual, Superman addresses the television cameras as what’s left of Perry is led out of the small shack that now constitutes the Daily Planet. He’s in cuffs, but there’s no need for them - he won’t be fighting back any time soon. “Mr. White will be cared for at a secure facility. We must do our best to keep our world safe, all of us. Spreading lies and defamation is poor stewardship, and will not be tolerated. Nor will a bad attitude... remember to report all incidents of poor sportsmanship, jaywalking, or misplaced aggression to the police. We will handle the perpetrators as necessary. ...There is no reason for anyone to be hurt. Citizens, good day.” Dispassionate, as usual. Robotic. (It may as well be one of his doppelgangers delivering the speech. Perhaps it is.) It’s a script Bruce has only heard a thousand times. And as the crimes listed become more and more trifling, he becomes more and more sickened by the Orwellian horror their world has become - and even more so by the part he played.

Diana comforts as always. “We gave it our best, Bruce. Someday, we’ll put a stop to this.”

As they retreat, Bruce keys his communicator. “Red Robin, report.”

“Eh? Yeah, Batman. I’m here at the Batcomputer... checking those samples... like you told me...!”

Clear sounds of a fight echo in the background audio and Bruce’s stomach clenches painfully. This is how it started with Dick, too - the lying.

“No... you’re not.” Bruce breathes, quickening his pace to a run while Diana flies beside. “You’re not...!”

---

Bruce has at least five main methods of tracking Tim. His boy is never hard to find. In the worst case scenario (and there is always a worst case scenario), he can even track Tim’s biosignature within a radius of twenty miles. Lucius is already overworked, but Bruce had insisted that that number be boosted to forty by week’s end. Tracers fail; and some methods are unreliable. He laughs at the days when he used to slip a mini-GPS into Dick’s utility belt and call that “safe”.

“Batman, listen to me. I’ve been working on this for months. I couldn’t tell you and you know why. I’m going to rescue Emil Hamilton and the researchers - we already know they want to join the resistance - that way Lord Superman will have a way harder time with R&D, as you know. He’s got a lot of scientists on his side, but only Hamilton’s team are the experts on Kryptonian technology -”

The words go through Bruce, as he pushes the car to its limit, honing in on Tim’s location. The boy is babbling - this shouldn’t be happening - he thought Tim had learned to be quiet - to work in the shadows - to keep himself safe.

Maybe there would be a use to the bat-bunker, after all. His heart couldn’t take much more of this.

“I can do this. I’m going into the central lab now where me ‘n the scientists agreed to rendezvous. Maybe I kept this secret for more than the fact that I knew you’d try to stop me. Maybe I wanted to make you proud.” Tim’s voice is small, sad. “But you’ll see. And you said I couldn’t do this all on my -”

The communication feed cuts and Bruce is running, full tilt, into the research facility. Heedless of alarms, of sensors set off. Diana follows, “Bruce! Wait!” Cursing quietly, she covers his back against the stream of guards that respond to their entry. This is the only situation in which Batman can’t remain quiet, stealthy.

Wally was killed in cold blood, and it could happen again. The youth, the brashness, the color red. The symmetry. And now, it was only red swirling in Bruce’s vision. Red, at the world, the Hell that Superman had constructed for them to live in.

It doesn’t take him long to find the lab.

“We knew Red Robin wanted us to join the Resistance.” Hamilton explains. “But we know what Superman does to dissenters.” The professor looked genuinely afraid. “We turned him over as soon as he showed.” 

Bruce growls and throws the man aside, throws him to the floor. A disgusting coward. But he knows. 

He knows the worst fears have now been realized. The world opens up, as if to swallow him.

“Batman, I’m sorry.” the scientist gasps. “He fought. So they dealt with him.”

---

There is no such thing as safety.

“It was unfortunate, wasn’t it?”

Clark is there, but Bruce wishes he weren’t. For the first time, Bruce wishes the man were dead. For doing this to him, to their family.

It’s their only ceasefire. Ever. Clark brings him his son’s body and places it - places him - into his arms. Now that Bruce looks, the costume is too big on Tim. 

It never should have been made.

Diana can’t hide her tears. Bruce is unable to look - instead, he looks to Superman; his friend, more than just a coworker, but a brother - they grieved together, when they lost the Flash. The old Clark would know what to say, would try and fail to ease his pain, but he would try.

“Acts against the government are intolerable and damage the integrity of the public order.” The same, mechanical voice of Lord Superman. As if he’s reading off cue cards. His face, a stony mask. No indication that he cares what Bruce has lost. “To discourage further criminal activity, we have a zero-tolerance policy. His sacrifice was necessary to keep everyone living here safe and sound.”

“Safe and sound?” Bruce hisses, his voice low and growling but tight with the fresh pain of grief. “Who are you protecting? Who are you really protecting, Clark?”

All the trackers and tracers in the world can’t save him. Tim is lifeless in his arms.

At some point Bruce thought that there might still be a chance. That the real Superman still remained somewhere within, knowing that his actions were capricious, unfair, and ultimately unjust. That maybe Tim’s death really would be a sacrifice, a catalyst, to save the world from tyranny. (And still it was too high a price to pay.)

The only indication that the real Clark still existed is the fact that he didn’t kill them where they stood.

Tim’s body is heavy, so heavy in Bruce’s arms. He grew so much, since everything changed. But now...

“Madness, Clark.” Bruce can finally look down now, at the slack jaw, the pale face (pale like an old joke) - the rigor of death setting in, he can feel it. Tim was always too brave, too determined to prove himself - and now he never could again. “It’s madness.” He can shed his tears later. Alone. Maybe in the bat-bunker.

“Stop this.” he begs Clark. Before anyone else gets hurt.

If there was a hole in Lord Superman’s armor, it’s been patched long ago. The red uniform on Tim is just as red as the one on the Flash. Bruce can tell this doesn’t go unnoticed by Clark.

Diana is silently mouthing a prayer. A prayer of her people, most likely, a prayer for Tim. 

Clark looks to the East, where the Sun is just rising. For half a second, he looks like their friend once more. The spell broken.

But it’s too late for that. They’ve already gone too far, the wedge driven too deep. In a year, Lord Superman would arrange for Batman to die, and succeed. And with a horrible sense of foreboding, Bruce even felt that he knew. Deep in his bones, he knew Lord Superman was now on a collision course with him. Set to destroy him... destroy them both.

“I’m sorry, Bruce.” And it’s Clark’s voice they hear, at last. Low. Ashamed. But there. Broken through the layers of contention between them, moved by the loss of the Robin he knew.

His final gift is to depart quietly, leaving them - physically - unharmed.

For all that’s worth.

---

Dick weeps when Diana tells him, and Barbara does too. Their son John is not told exactly what happened to his Uncle Tim, but it doesn’t matter. He’s too young to fully understand.

Bruce dresses the mannequin in the case in his son’s costume. It fits the mannequin quite well. This is where it will stay, where he can always see it.

“You made no mistakes, raising him, Bruce.” 

Diana’s words are soft, but to Bruce (and only to him), they feel somehow accusatory. Especially when he feels he has done everything wrong.

“You kept him safe.”

“Diana... there’s no such thing as safe.”

Not in this world. Not in this life.

Tomorrow he’d go to the bunker and sit among all of Tim’s belongings that he’d meticulously picked out for him, especially for an extended period of time, books carefully curated into a variety of genres such that he would be in no danger of going mad down there, alone, constantly watched, fresh air provided so he would not suffocate, food so he would not starve, every need attended for. An absolutely... safe... area.

An area, he would tell himself, was decidedly not a larger and fancier grave, nor the tomb of an Egyptian prince, taking his worldly possessions with him into the afterlife. 

It was safety.

Safety that Clark wanted to bring.

Safety, that Lord Superman had taken away from them.

An anguish that would never stop, born of a war that would never end.

[eichy815]

I’m Neither an ‘Alpha’ Nor a ‘Beta’...I’m a ‘Lambda’

Since the beginning of time, gatekeepers of “masculinity” (as a definition) have been delineating into two distinct categories:  Alphas and Betas.  Unfortunately, these definitions have been constructed along predominantly heteronormative terms.  Furthermore, they reduce the male psyche to a dichotomy that fails to account for the diversity inherent within the male gender itself.  In an ancillary manner, parallel categories may be ascribed to females.

In my view, we need to get past these rudimentary “Alpha male” and “Beta male” labels.  By doing so, our society can develop a much deeper appreciation for the intricacies of human psychology. 

Dan Bacon, writing for The Modern Man, classifies “Alpha males” as having strong self-confidence while commanding respect from the women whom they romantically pursue.  He holds that such masculine energy makes the women in these Alphas’  lives feel sexy and feminine, and (contrary to popular myth) Alphas are often “good guys” since their status isn’t necessarily synonymous with maliciousness or aggression.

By contrast, Bacon characterizes “Beta males” as being only mildly self-confident and prone to social anxiety.  Because they take a backseat to the domineering tendencies of Alphas, it’s common for Betas to miss out on opportunities to pick up women (more often finding themselves in the “friend-zone”).

Bacon summarizes a third group:  Omegas.  According to his analysis, the “Omega male” has very low self-confidence, and is inclined to be a follower of both Alphas and Betas.  Although they play up the “innocent nice guy” stereotype, Omegas find that their approach frequently backfires with women, who may end up having no respect nor physical attraction for them.

Furthermore, Bacon explains:

A lot of guys avoid expressing their inner alpha male because they are confused about the difference between a good guy alpha male and a bad boy, assuming that to “be alpha” means to be mean, selfish or bad to others.

Bacon clarifies that “good” Alphas master the skill of balancing confidence with compassion, whereas “bad” Alphas behave deviously and seek to cause harm.  He predicates this theorem on the scenario where a heterosexual woman wishes to be protected and have a man provide for her.

Writing for Elite Daily, Anna Madsen links anthropological history to the social constructs of Alphas and those beneath them.  She posits that Alpha males possess higher testosterone levels than Betas/Omegas, which harken back to the daily routines of Stone-Aged hunters.  In modern times, they are the ones who take it upon themselves to pick up the check, work out a lot at the gym, drive nice cars, excel at math, and put forth a charismatic and seductive persona.  However, she observes, Alphas largely lack creative “outside-the-box” thought processes, and are often deficient in empathy or emotional connections with others.  They can be very poor communicators, lack any astute sense of fashion, reject small talk, and struggle with reading facial cues.

Madsen theorizes that, because Alphas always have to gain the upper hand, they create stress for themselves due to their fears of getting usurped.  So, to compensate, Betas (and other “sub”-personality groups) end up filling that role of being led or given orders.

Betas harken back to the Stone-Aged artisans, Madsen purports, in that they are non-confrontational and risk-adverse.  Sometimes they can be followers, but at other times, they are complete loners.  They are often highly intellectual while having a knack for the mastery of diplomacy, sensitivity, and poetry.  They are likelier than Alphas to reject traditional gender roles, most likely because they possess lower amounts of testosterone.

As potential vulnerabilities:  Betas are generally more introverted, and can easily be picked on as “weak” during their formative years.  They are less likely to make the first move in a romance, and won’t be as likely as Alphas to pursue professional promotions.  They can be very suggestible, which makes them amenable to following orders (from Alphas).

Although these definitions have been predominantly described in male terms, a parallel can be drawn when dividing females into respective personality types – mirroring Alphas, Betas, and Omegas.  Madsen notes that “Alpha females” may be drawn to “Beta males” (rather than to “Alpha males”) for romantic relationships more consistently, since women tend to find the sensitivity, listening skills, and “puppy eyes” of “Beta males” to be quite attractive.

Sonya Rhodes and Susan Schneider, writing for Psychology Today, observe how female Alphas differ from their male counterparts by being more likely to use fashion for combining professionalism with sexiness.  They are also likelier than “Beta females” to desire leadership positions or exert control when compared with their Beta sister counterparts.  By contrast, “Beta females” tend to be better at listening and carrying out tasks; but, because they are less confrontational than “Alpha females,” the Betas are more prone to dealing with financial management or child-rearing.

Rhodes and Schneider make it a point to hold that there is a spectrum in terms of personality types, whereupon some individuals combine different traits of each prototype within their psyches.  They give validity to the “Opposites Attract” philosophy, holding that “Alpha females” might be drawn to “Beta males” (due to decreased likelihood of butting heads), whereas “Beta females” can be attracted to “Alpha males” (out of a desire to follow the lead of somebody who wants to “take charge”).  “Alpha females,” they specify, can sometimes have a lingering self-consciousness in the bedroom (unlike their “Alpha male” counterparts) – which can seem paradoxical to an observer.  In a way, though, it makes sense; “Alpha females” don’t have to pretend to be “demure” amidst a sexual conquest when they are seeking sexual compatibility with a “Beta male” partner...in fact, they might get insulted when someone else characterizes their male significant other as a Beta, even if it’s intended as a compliment.  By this token, “the Alpha woman-Beta man partnership” is something that defies many cultural traditions.

When deciphering these gender roles, it’s always paramount to distinguish fantasy from reality; as Vinita Mehta writes, most scientists would maintain that the James Dean and James Bond archetypes of “Alpha males” are more of the former than the latter.  Human males, Mehta reminds us, enjoy overlapping social circles – unlike species such as dogs, wolves, or baboons.  She quotes neurobiologist Robert Sapolsky as reaching the conclusion that men are far more complex than they (not to mention the rest of society) give themselves credit for.

Why do men strive to be Alphas so fervently?  In modern history, posits Mehta, social dominance has become the new standard that elicits deference from some women and resentment from other men.  This ideal undoubtedly feeds copious male egos.  That perception of dominance is magnified by taller height and deeper voices; these traits intimidate rivals and attract heterosexual women, via what Mehta calls “the Barry White effect.”  Rugged faces have traditionally been viewed as genetically-desirable...plus, they are theorized to be associated with healthier immune systems.  A common standard appears to have become how a higher “ratio of facial width to upper facial height” will fuel perceptions of wealth, durability, and power.

Then we have “sub-categories” that may transcend the reductionist definitions of Alphas or Betas.   Helen Noronha of The Mind’s Control believes that men and women from the same personality category often clash romantically, so they should seek partners of corresponding personality types to minimize conflict.  Seeing how these personality types can evolve over time, or become hybridized, Noronha identifies a third and fourth set of categories:  “Gamma males” and “Omega males.”  She defines a Gamma as a man who is a variation of the “Beta male,” being “prepared to take the back seat or even be a stay-at-home dad in her castle.”

As an even more specific archetype, Noronha describes “Omega males” in the following manner:

An Omega guy has nerdy habits, like collecting comic books or being a Trekkie, and lives blissfully in his own world.  He is immature, irresponsible, lacks ambition, and is easily picked on.  In high school movies, he always lusts after an Alpha female and ends up getting her (they’re movies after all), only to reject her for his Beta best friend whom he hadn’t previously noticed.  Among a group, the Omega guy is the least likely to take an initiative and is generally the lowest on the chain-of-command.  Exaggerated metrosexuals and effete intellectuals may be Omegas too.  Women generally find Omegas unattractive.  As husbands, they are often happily reliant on their wife’s incomes and don’t help much around the house either.

Strangely enough, Noronha doesn’t offer any definition for an “Omega female” – meaning that either they are a rare breed (which would suggest that females aren’t as diverse as males), or, more likely, “Omega females” and “Gamma females” are usually grouped in with “Beta females” by default.  This supposition lends itself to the feminist critique that society denies women the opportunity to be as multifaceted as males are allowed to be...which, ironically, runs counter to the neofeminist fallacy that “Men are simple creatures.”   As an anecdotal example:  it took four seasons before The Big Bang Theory added two female “nerds” to its main cast.

Additional subcategories abound.  Naija Takeover magazine defines a “Zeta male” as a man who has rejected the traditional expectations associated with masculinity – anachronisms such as being a provider, a defender, and a protector.  “Zeta males” reject stereotypes and don’t conform to traditional beliefs.  They march to the beat of their own drum, refusing to be seduced or shamed by anyone.  The “Zeta male” archetype arose in 2010 with the tutelage of the MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way) movement; this subset of the men’s movement values self-sovereignty while rejecting traditional interpretations of masculinity as well as liberal interpretations of feminism.

Remy Oryan’s self-help/philosophy site lists an entire hierarchy of categories positioned above and below Alphas and Betas.  

“SIGMA MALES”

The Sigma male is the outsider or lone wolf who doesn’t care for the rules of society and won’t play by them (unless it suits his objectives) but still seems to win the popularity game without trying.  He doesn’t seek approval from anyone which makes him the master of his own destiny.

This would be the topmost rung of the male dominance ladder, in the mold of James Bond or James Bourne.  It’s positioned even higher than an “Alpha male” in the respect that “Sigma males” are diplomatic, highly-successful with women while being respectful toward them, and talented when it comes to manipulating other “Alpha males.”

“DELTA MALES”

The Delta male is one rung down the social ladder from a Beta but not part of the same social circles (he wants to be).  They don’t understand the social construct and don’t know how to play the game.  The Delta fails to realize he is not a Beta, hence he is given very little social status by the alpha/beta women.  A Delta may still be good-looking and quite capable on the sporting field but doesn’t meet the social expectations required to make it into the alpha/beta social circle.

He adds that the “Delta male” is less concerned about his appearance than other men, largely because he often feels “invisible” amid the social hierarchy. Deltas can sometimes have a “White Knight” syndrome to overcompensate for their inability to approach women.

“GAMMA MALES”

The Gamma males are a bit confused by the whole social structure and struggle to understand it.  They will not be part of the same social circles as the alpha and beta.  They avoid the pack mentality and don’t conform to the social rules.  Gammas are overly self-confident to the point that they are inflexible and hate being wrong or are uncomfortable in a good solid two-way conversation.  This can make them argumentative and defensive if ever caught out saying something wrong.  They have no sense of self-ownership, [are] arrogant, and will not accept someone else’s opinions/facts.  Their problems are always someone else’s fault, not theirs.

Oryan describes Gammas as sharing the desire of Deltas at being manipulative, but Gammas are slightly more successful with women (only “slightly invisible”).  They also have a short fuse and can exhibit overly-entitled behavior since their egos won’t let them compromise.

“ZETA MALES”

The Zeta male is again a lone-wolf who walks his own path.  This path is always directly away from the social pyramid conformists.  He fully understands the social hierarchy and the social rules but rejects them as childish games.  They can see through the social construct and believe it serves only as a means of control and segregation.  These men are celibate by choice and don’t see that any value can be gained from playing a woman’s social games.  Usually these men are old enough to master their biological urges or have been in enough bad relationships to want to break free of them.

Oryan concurs that Zetas fit the MGTOW mold, often being of the “red pill” variety (freethinkers who practice blunt honesty).  A “Zeta male,” he believes, has lots of energy because women and social hierarchies aren’t holding them back.  Zetas don’t allow themselves to be distracted.

“LAMBDA MALES”

This final category is one that Oryan views as a variation of the “Zeta male”...

...who isn’t [psychologically] old enough to overcome him biological urges towards women.  He will understand female nature and dates women just long enough to pump and dump them.  Will travel in the social circle as a covert Beta and keep his personal philosophy about women under wraps.

Lambdas are the “purple pill” crop of MGTOW – sometimes being “pick-up artists” (PUA) or sometimes idealizing fantasy components of this experience.  A “Lambda male” can relate to the psychedelic mindset of hippies...hoping to minimize pain and anger.

When looking at these categories, I see shards of myself in all of them. However, none of them describes me in a well-rounded, easily pigeonholed manner.

For example, I feel that I have developed a lot of the confidence and compassion inherent in Alphas.  Yet, I reject the antiquated notions of chivalry that they so often espouse; I don’t have their unyielding desire to gain the upper hand over everyone whom I encounter.  I can show leadership and deviousness in select circumstances, when I feel that the occasion calls for it – but I don’t engage in such behavior to indiscriminately cause harm.

Within the Alpha-like subset of the “Sigma male,” I do indeed identify with his “renegade” style and rejection of trivial societal norms.  I differ from Sigmas in that I don’t readily command popularity wherever I go (largely because I’m not afraid to tell people off), and I only seek approval from others conditionally.

As far as Betas are concerned:  I find that I share their affinity for strong communication skills, intellectualism, outside-the-box thinking, and empathy.  I am prone to reject traditional gender roles in much the same way Betas are inclined to do.  On the other hand, my diplomacy only goes as far as my patience level.  I am as suggestible as my current safety level (e.g. fears over it) allows.  I used to be fully introverted, but in my adult years I have evolved from Beta-like introversion to Alpha-like extroversion.  I’ve also grown less shy, in my personal evolution, in pursuing romance or initiating relationships.

I share the traits of Omegas insofar as others perceive me to be “nerdy,” “innocent,” and “a nice guy.”  But, again, it depends on the Time/Manner/Place.  I’m not afraid to hold back and be a follower – but I will break out of that self-restraint if my passion takes over.  I also differ from many Omegas in that I’m totally willing to do housework plus I’m hardly metrosexual (seeing how I’m one of the lowest-fashion people you’ll ever meet – which, some people would claim, is paradoxical when juxtaposed alongside my homosexuality).

So, when it comes to my physical appearance, I’m more like a Delta than an Omega in that I don’t fuss over it a majority of the time.  I additionally share the Delta trait of feeling “invisible” quite often – but, unlike a lot of Deltas, I don’t pair those feelings of inadequacy with athleticism or a “White Knight” mentality.

Comparing myself with Gammas:  I share their inflexibility when it comes to how I’ll become hell-bent upon standing up for my convictions; on the flip side, I’m not inflexible about most things in a gratuitous manner.  I can be obstinate when I know I’m right about something (which is quite often), but I’m not so hardheaded that I reject all other new ideas...nor do I refuse to listen to the concerns of my peers.

That brings me to the Zeta/Lambda subcategories.  I very strongly relate to the Zeta (influenced by Beta) approach of REJECTING blanket gender roles imposed by society.  I’m so forward-thinking that I reject childish mentalities in both romance and civic life. 

At the same time, I dissent from much of the MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way) movement in that I don’t subscribe to their categorical rejection of feminism.  I have much more of a sexual appetite than celibate Zetas do, but I have more control over my libido than many of them (and, their self-doubt about their own sexual control is what leads so many Zetas to consciously choose celibacy in the first place).

My approach is to redefine the obscure definition of a “Lambda male.”  I strongly share their affinity with hippie (or “psychedelic”) culture, but I don’t think that should be considered synonymous with the behavior of lotharios (because it isn’t – and I’m not one!).

In the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds, the protagonist character of Gilbert (portrayed by ER’s Anthony Edwards) led his like-minded “nerdy” acolytes to prove they were equals with the Alpha-esque fraternities in the Greek system at Adams College.  The “nerds” of this classic film also happened to belong to the Lambda Lambda Lambda fraternity, which lends itself even more allegorically to such a categorical title.

That’s what I would encourage my brothers out there to do – redefine your personality-based category to achieve what is going to bring you a happy and productive life.  Yes, as “Lambdas” we are perceived as “nerdy” in our hobbies and interests that tend to lack athleticism or suaveness.  But we can elevate the sexual/gender equity promoted by Betas while channeling a 1970s-style “hippie” mentality so it will apply to the new millennium.

A final side-note:  all of the aforementioned categories have been defined along heterosexist terms.  As a gay male, I can recognize how this is clearly due to the heteronormative biases that still run rampant in society.  An enlightened “Lambda male” will be accepting of his brothers whether we are homosexual, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, or heterosexual.

What personality type do you gravitate toward?  And, more thoughtfully – how can you recognize the flaws in your own personality type, and reconstruct them to always strive to become a better version of yourself?

[haroldgross]

New Post has been published on Harold Gross: The 5a.m. Critic

New Post has been published on http://literaryends.com/hgblog/mcu-from-the-beginning-and-before-the-ending/

MCU: From the Beginning and Before the Ending

In prep for Avengers: Infinity War, I decided to rewatch the entire sequence from its 2008 beginnings. Why? Well, first: Why not? This audacious sequence of films has pulled off something no one has even come close to producing, except Lord of the Rings. During the course of 18 films over 10 years Marvel has woven a story together with the goal of paying it off in film 19. They found great actors to tell great stories about flawed heroes; heroes we recognized ourselves in.

And with the exception of one of those films, they were all solid and well done. And the one that wasn’t so great, well, it still has my respect because unlike Sony’s flailing at the Spidey universe, it woke them up to the fact that they had to produce quality if they wanted to succeed. They never stumbled again, though certainly the movies had differing impacts and approaches. And the clues and nods are just incredible to see when you know everything that is to come. As we get ready to leave the Joss Whedon era, who really set the template for this cycle, you have to wonder if anyone would have the guts and talent to try this again.

If you want to rewatch it all yourself, do it over at least three weeks. I squeezed this into less than two weeks at two or three films a day. Fun, but exhausting.

So here we go, in brief, through the dots that brought us here.

Phase One (though we didn’t know for sure that until Thor)

Iron Man is still a surprisingly effective movie. My original write-up is lost, but I still am amazed at how it subverted the comic genre on screen by being a real movie. We got to know and care about Tony Stark, despite his ego, or perhaps because of it. He was flawed but engaging. The world was believable and intriguing. It had humor and action and, above all, a really good script and acting. This wasn’t done with a nod and a wink, it was done to do it well and it showed, launching the huge franchise we are celebrating this year. Sure, the ending was a bit overblown and the villain a bit too teeth-gnashy, but the series would learn as it went along.

The Incredible Hulk is already a second bite at the apple at this character (third if you include Bixby’s series), but it does an interesting job of not disavowing Ang Lee and Eric Bana’s take by bridging from it to the this new version during the credits. It is substantially more comic book style than Iron Man and still struggles with its villains and finale. However, it is an important piece in the Avengers puzzle. It introduces the Super Soldier program, something lost on me till now, and it provides an important pivot for David Banner. This more morose and pouty Hulk has to leave his past behind and accept who he is to become the Ruffalo version.  Sure that comment is a bit revisionist, but you get to do that when you see it after knowing where it will go. It isn’t a great film, but it continued the character-driven approach Marvel wanted and gave us hope they had some real sense of what they had…the tag with Tony and the General sealed the deal on it.

We all would like to forget that Iron Man 2 existed. It was rushed to screen and just doesn’t have the same polish as what had come before. But it is easy to forget that it also introduced Black Widow, got Pepper and Tony together, shifted Tony’s attitude, queued up Captain America with a couple nods, and continued Phil Coulson’s involvement. Having watched this the day after Rampage, however, I can confidently point out that while it may be just an action flick, it is still better than most of the similar tripe being produced even if it isn’t up to the MCU standards by any stretch. However, it also put the fear of god into Disney/Marvel/Kevin Feige. They never tried for a pure money grab again, knowing that they had to meet the expectations of their audience or risk losing it all. Here we are almost 19 films later because they learned their lesson.

Thor is where the MCU really started to hit its stride, understanding what they had and where they intended to go. It is the first 3D. It is the first to push the comedy throughout. It introduced the first Infinity Stone. And it tagged the end with a mention of The Avengers. Thor was always the one hero that worried me because it was off-realm gods and magic. How do you make that mainstream and believable next to human heroes (even if they’ve been mutated huge and green)? But they did it, and managed to launch Brannagh’s career as a director of huge films to boot. They also took an existing god and gave him an origin story by making him mortal-ish for a good part of the film. Its one misstep, though it worked for the story, was Portman’s Jane, who they had to disappear to keep things going in subsequent films.

Captain America: The First Avenger. Hail Hydra! Where Thor had nailed the stride of the humor, Cap nailed the format of the MCU journey. The movie had its own style, reflective of its time period,ss and set up everything that was to come through Civil War (and a couple of TV spin offs as well). Despite the CG of Rogers never looking quite right at the beginning, it was still an effective and smart choice. And the ending manages to give us both action and pathos in a way that made it a great story as well as a solid action flick.

Marvel’s The Avengers redefined the term “big” when it came to films. Its non-stop action and coalescing storyline still amaze. It is full of character and some of the best moments yet to grace the series (then and now: Puny God!). It is the first taste of what Joss and Feige had planned for a much bigger feast and it certainly whet the appetite and proved they could pull off something no one else had even tried. And damn if they didn’t get you to feel the passing(ish) of a minor character with a great scene. Oh, and of course our first glimpse of Thanos.

Phase Two

Pivoting into Phase Two, Iron Man 3 kicked off a sequence that could best be termed: Consequences. Unexpectedly, if sometimes ham-handidly, it took on some serious matters like PTSD. It did so with humor and action, though it went a little off the rails in its blithe quippiness, Christmas theme, and kids. We know this world now, and with IR3 and Phase 2 , we’re getting a new sense of the characters, watching necessary doubt creep in this middle stretch of the sequence. It wasn’t what a lot of folks wanted, but it was fascinating and, again, necessary to build the platform that eventually becomes Ultron and Civil War. And, despite any of its weaknesses, it still is incredibly entertaining and rewatchable.

Thor: The Dark World has an odd flavor of political intrigue, but intrigue that has been in motion for quite a while. It also introduces the next Infinity Stone, but you could blink and miss that aspect if you didn’t know what you were looking for. In retrospect it is clear and sets up the Collector as well, who has his own role to play. It is full of humor and action, and it does advance some of the characters, but it feels a bit outside the Phase in some ways.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier takes a huge and brave leap for such a big sequence. It irrevocably changes the face and structure of the world, setting up Phase Three as well as impacting the spin-off series. Certainly there is a lot of character work here shimmed in between the action, and new characters who will continue forward. And, if you needed any other sense of how far ahead the crew plan, we also get our first mention of Doctor Strange in a throwaway interrogation…a hint that wouldn’t pay off for another five movies.

And now for something completely different, Guardians of the Galaxy. This romp, while still very much in the MCU, was a welcome break from what we knew and a huge expansion of characters to play with. Yes, it is a bit silly at times, especially how quickly the Guardians all bond, but the humor is fun and the action is great. There really is something for everyone in this branch of the universe, as well as laying out the mysteries to grow on and our first real interaction with an Infinity Stone.

All damaged characters, enter here: Avengers: Age of Ultron. This marked the end of the Joss Whedon era, and perhaps not on quite as high a note as he would have wanted. This story rewatches better than it played initially, though. It is a very psychologically complex tale with a lot of layered construction and cultural nods. It also has the trademark Whedon dialogue throughout, and the brilliant choice of Spader as Ultron. Also, this is the first direct mention of Wakanda and the tee-up for Black Panther. When you realize that this is the culmination of 10 previous films and the setup for the next eight (or 11 if you go through the full Phase Three sequence), the threads Whedon wove, and the guidance to get there, is going to be tough to match. Also, it’s worth noting that they were again willing to take the risk of pivoting to new characters and big changes, with more yet to come to keep it both fresh and, let’s face it, affordable.

Ant-Man gets a little absurd, admittedly, but maintains the connections and thread of the universe. And it’s a universe that can sustain a lot of different styles. That alone is something of note. Each movie, or perhaps better considered, each character has a particular sensibility that shapes the movies they are in. Be it the earnestness of Capt. America or the nuttiness of the Guardians or the comic book silliness of Ant-Man, each style supports the sense of the stories they are in. Ant-Man is fun and amusing, and uses its tech relatively well…at least within the confines of a PG rated film. That said, Ant-Man is the movie that feels the most out of place in the collection so far, even more than Guardians. I think that is because it is such a familiar world, but the action and dialogue are very broad in comparison.

Phase Three

Where Ultron showed the cracks in the friendships and group, in Captain America: Civil War it all goes to hell, launching the third phase through a moment of crisis and uncertainty. This installment is really more like Avengers 3 than a Captain America, but the schism formed here will surely come back to roost in a few films. For now, however, it serves more to break up the gang, redeem Bucky, and launch Black Panther. It is also the first of the films to show real fallout from the carnage that the heroes inflict upon the world trying to save it. The world’s reaction is eerily apropos current politics as well.

Forgetting that the medical scenes in Doctor Strange were just, well, absurd, the rest of it was really pretty fun visually, in action, and dialogue. Where else could a cape become a character? And while it feels rather on its own in the universe for most of the tale, other than some throw-away side comments, by the end it is solidly ensconced in the larger tale leaving only a single Infinity Stone unaccounted for.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 tries a bit too hard to be bigger and better than its first iteration. The fact that is has the highest number of tags at the end of the film is symptomatic of that as well. However, some questions get answered, some necessary information was layered in, and the action is huge. Fortunately, the humor continues unabated as well. As romps go, it was a hoot, if not as unexpected now that we’ve seen these characters and have a sense of them. It does cement the Guardians as a self-selected family and has given them a purpose that will aim them squarely at Infinity War, even if some of the moments were a little forced. Also, the two Guardian movies make the best use of 3D in the MCU (at least so far). Or at least make the most conscious use of it. They do have an advantage being in space and all, but really it is more about the director thinking about the presentation from the outset and throughout the story.

Spider-Man: Homecoming was a wonderful surprise entering into the MCU. And with Marvel guiding the Sony franchise, it has been reinvigorated and morphed into something both new and closer to the original material. Whether Sony will respect that input and collaboration and stick with it remains to be seen (and rumors on the street are that they won’t). Still we’ll get at least a couple more appearances of Spidey over the next few years and we’ll get to watch him grow-up in reality and in his role as a superhero.

Meanwhile, back in Asgard… Thor: Ragnarok brings about a few necessary aspects of plot and relationship, but it is generally just a good romp. While it is mostly just a pause before the finale that is coming, it does also take make some radical changes, declared right in the title. How that will play out, other than with some additional fighters to tackle Thanos, we’ll find out soon. But as a film it is a weird, anachronistic, pastiche of Waititi’s humor and the MCU ethos. Great fun, to be sure, but definitely one of the oddest of the films in the sequence in terms of how the bits clash at times.

Black Panther surprised me by not being as good for rewatching as I’d expected. It still is fun, and a great new world to explore, but it is not the action film it feels like the first time through. On seeing it again, it is the political message that rings through it like a gong. Not that it was subtle the first time, but after you know the story, it is that aspect that clearly drives and shapes it all. And, by the end, all the pieces are in place for Thanos and one heck of a showdown. What will be very interesting is seeing where they take Wakanda and the very real issues raised in Panther’s launch.

And now, on to Infinity War… and then probably the longest coda and shift ever conceived (2 years and 3 movies) with Ant-Man and the Wasp, Captain Marvel, and what was originally Infinity War part 2 (as conceived by Whedon). Where MCU goes at that point is a matter of much conjecture and very little information, but these last films should give us a good sense of the direction.

[differentpersonafire-blog]

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Hi! I'm so glad y'all are my go-to for all these Marvel Netflix answers! :D I've finished Iron Fist and I'm wondering, was it ever implied that Madam Gao was part of The Hand during both seasons of DD? Or was it just Nobu? And if Madam Gao IS Hand, as per Iron Fist, does that mean she's in a different faction than Nobu, and from Bakuto? How many factions are there, besides The Nail, in the comics? And Danny also mentioned Crane Mother a few times, is it safe to assume Madam Gao isn't her? Thks!

    You’re very welcome! We didn’t notice any previous hints that Madame Gao was connected to the Hand (and trust us– we were looking), so that was a nice surprise. We know that her faction is working at cross-purposes with Bakuto’s, since he locked her up and tried to steal her position of power at Rand Enterprises. And considering their shortage of on-screen interactions, it’s safe to assume that she and Nobu might be rivals as well… or at least not close allies. They seemed okay working alongside each other in Daredevil Season 1, but they never directly helped each other as far as we know. Gao referenced “Nobu’s clan” as if they were a separate entity. And she certainly seemed unconcerned one way or the other about his activities in DD Season 2. This makes us wonder about the events of The Defenders, and what role Madame Gao will play. The Elektra/Black Sky situation seems to have been a Nobu project. But at the same time, we know that both Gao and Nobu are tied to whatever’s going on at Midland Circle (which was listed as a source of Gao’s funds on the tablet Danny stole). How closely will Madame Gao be involved in the Hand’s Defenders activities? Whose side will she be on? There are still so many Hand-related secrets that anything seems possible. We love all of the complex politics that Iron Fist introduced, which allow for all kinds of possible alliances that we may not know about yet.  

    We’re also intrigued by the way Crane Mother is being used, and we’re asking the same questions you are. We know that the Seven Capital Cities of Heaven exist in the MCU, but rather than being connected to K’un-Zi, her 616 home city, here she seems to be a patron figure for the warriors of K’un-Lun.

    We’ve essentially only been assuming that Gao is Crane Mother out of habit, and from a lack of evidence suggesting otherwise, and we are currently reevaluating that assumption. She could be anybody. (We played around with the possibility of her being the August Personage in Jade for a while, which would have been awesome, but it was just a pet theory and now seems unlikely– since, obviously, Danny would recognize her. Or maybe she’s a revised version of Master Khan? Anyway. The possibilities are endless…) Since we now know for sure that Gao is a member of the Hand, it wouldn’t make a ton of sense for her to also hold a powerful position in K’un-Lun. However… we’re still not ready to rule anything out, particularly as far as Madame Gao is concerned. She’s like Nick Fury. Her secrets have secrets. We know that her home is “a considerable distance farther” from New York than China (DD Season 1)– a description that we’ve always assumed alluded to the dimension-traversing Capital Cities. We know that she is very old and very powerful.

(By the way, we want to hear the rest of that story!)

    We know that she has had run-ins with previous Iron Fists. And more to the point, we know that she once (or maybe more than once?) took a very pleasant-sounding trip to K’un-Lun.

    If she’s nothing more than the high-ranking Hand thug that she presents herself to be, what the heck was she doing there? Why does she speak so fondly of it? Did K’un-Lun have a different relationship with the Hand at one point? Was this before she joined the Hand? And you can’t just stroll into K’un-Lun– the mere fact of her having been able to get there is significant. While it’s seeming less and less likely that Gao could be Crane Mother, since Gao is with the Hand and we don’t even know what form Crane Mother might take in this universe, or if she’s even still around, the fact that they both have ties to K’un-Lun means that the possibility can’t be ruled out quite yet. In any case, whoever Gao might be, we know that there’s got to be more to her than what she’s revealed so far. She has displayed a flavor of superpowers that we haven’t seen from any of the other high-ranking Hand characters, and her connection to the Capital Cities brings up all kinds of exciting questions.    

    In the comics– as, it seems, in the MCU– the Hand is a giant, global organization with any number of smaller factions and a notable amount of in-fighting. Incidentally, the Nail isn’t so much a faction on its own as it is a smaller, roving unit that serves the Hand. While the whole organization does tend to work toward the same goals, and they will fall in behind whoever is in charge at the moment (because the Hand is big on duty and has some pretty severe punishments), it is far from unified. Officially, there are five regional factions (Japan, Eurasia, Africa, North America, and South America), plus Snakeroot– a secret, select group at the heart of the Hand that handles Beast-related activities. Any number of splinter groups have popped up within these official delineations. The regions have been known to disagree, occasionally working at odds with each other. A relevant example here is the 616 version of Bakuto, the short-lived head of the South American branch. Comics Bakuto was a young, stubborn guy with very little respect for tradition, who was completely willing to butt heads with the other Hand leaders on matters of policy and the future of the organization.  

Takashi: “And you, Bakuto, must abide by the daimyos’ decision. Your sensei, Izanagi, understood that. We were unanimous.”

Bakuto: “Izanagi is dead, old man. Now I am daimyo in his place… and you are no longer unanimous.”

[Daredevil vol. 2 #505 by Andy Diggle, Marco Checchetto, and Matt Hollingsworth]

    As we mentioned, we are loving all of the in-fighting in the MCU Hand, so we’re really happy that this is an element from the comics that is being expanded upon.