The Four Color Media Monitor

Polygon seems to be gushing over the news of E.C. Segar's Popeye entering into public domain in 2025, along with George Remy's Tintin, all for the sake of horror movies starring the former. But this puff piece does have some eyebrow raising details about the latter I'm not sure I was clearly aware of before:

Tintin, the seminal hero of the pulp genre of boy adventurers, enters the United States public domain in 2025, though in a way that probably wouldn’t please his creator Hergé very much. Not necessarily because the cartoonist would be angry at other folks being able to legally make Tintin stories — but because the Tintin story entering the public domain is among his least favorite ones.

On Jan. 1, 2025, works first published in 1929 (and sound recordings from 1924) will enter into the public domain in the United States, and that includes a good portion of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, a work of explicit and broad anti-Soviet/Marxist propaganda that Hergé was so embarrassed by that he refused to allow it to be reprinted for 40 years.

If this is factual, it could definitely explain why the lenient approach to South American communism in the last official story Remy produced, Tintin and the Picaros, in the mid-70s. It may not have been intended to be the last Tintin adventure in actuality, but if we looked upon it that way, Remy sure did something very insulting to the intellect towards the end of his career. Which would only raise the question as to why should we even care what becomes of Tintin going forward, except maybe that it wouldn't be good at all if leftists took advantage of the new public domain status for the sake of producing mega-marxist propaganda through a modern lens? So, maybe it would do some good if a decent writer developed a tale presenting Tintin in a more positive view, and even gave him a girlfriend for a change. That could actually be doing some good.

As for Popeye, what the writer says next is pretty tasteless:

What would this writer like to see in the public domain in 2025? Maybe our universal agreement that, in the pursuit of something to do with newly public domain art, low-budget horror is low-hanging fruit. (Of course we are getting Popeye the Slayer Man in 2025.)

Well if that's signaling support for something that's actually hurtful to Segar's famous strip, that's very sad, but unsurprising coming from such an otherwise insufferably leftist news site. Since we're on the topic, Axios says 3 horror thrillers are in preparation, and if so, that's 3 times the bad news. The article does note, however, something interesting about Buck Rogers:

Fun fact: The character Buck Rogers "first appeared in 1929 and is public domain in 2025, but technically the futuristic space hero has already been copyright-free for decades, despite claims that he was still copyrighted," Jenkins writes.

"This is because the copyright registration for the Buck Rogers comic strip was not renewed, so that its copyright expired after 28 years. Also, the original version of the character was actually introduced in a novella as 'Anthony Rogers' in 1928; that character has long been public domain as well."

I vaguely recall seeing the semi-successful TV show starring Arkansas native Gil Gerard from 1979-81, one of the first TV series the late comics writer Martin Pasko worked on back in the day (he also worked afterwards on Simon & Simon). The concept of a pilot who wound up in suspended animation in an era several years ahead, and woke up Rip Van Winkle style a few centuries later, does have potential for fun adventure, but what if Buck ends up following Popeye and company into becoming victimized by horror filmmakers to boot? Then all that potential will have gone to waste in the worst ways. Therefore, I hope there's sensible creators out there who'll take the challenge of developing new stories starring Buck Rogers and Wilma Deering written in good taste for a change. Responsibility is what we need now from anybody who cares about classic pop culture.

Labels: animation, comic strips, Europe and Asia, history, msm propaganda

ComicBook gushed over a new Marvel book called Hellhunters, which is supposed to be set around the 2nd world war, and even features a variation on Ghost Rider in the cast:

World War 2 is always a fun time for Marvel’s super heroes, which makes sense considering characters like Captain America, Bucky, and Nick Fury were born as a result of the conflict. With teams like the Invaders and the Howling Commandos normally being the “go to” examples of super heroes fighting against Adolf Hitler’s forces, Marvel Comics is looking to branch out with a new World War 2 fighting force unlike anything seen before. In the premiere issue, we see the early formation of these Hellhunters, but do we also get a worthy opening salvo for this new Marvel band of heroes?

Since Hellhunters is a series that focuses on Marvel’s old and new heroes uniting under a supernatural banner, it makes sense that the series would have a definitive horror theme. Our issue begins with a band of German forces wandering into a bewitched wood that holds secrets and madness unique to this cursed locale, setting the stage for a threat that will unite this ragtag band of oddballs. The series works as both an origin story for the Hellhunters themselves and for “Ghost Rider ’44”, a new take on the Spirit of Vengeance who recently made his eruptive debut in the pages of The Incredible Hulk. Luckily, Hellhunters delivers on its unique blend of horror and action for its preliminary adventure.

I think this beggars the query whether war itself is "fun", when looked upon in the context of a real war like the 2nd in the 20th century. And the answer to that would be an absolute "no". No matter how justified it was to battle Germany's National Socialists, it's not fun, it's grueling and terrible when one considers the innocent victims, Jewish, Roma or otherwise during the period, and the same can be said about the war Israel's now been forced to go into after October 7, 2023. On which note, it goes without saying that for a long time, much of the comics medium vehmently refuses to tackle the subject of Islamic jihadism, even long after September 11, 2001. So what's the point of a comic set during WW2, when refusal to write about a serious modern day issue in any way only diminishes the impact of the subject from the past century? One more reason why this is not a "worthy" opening salvo for such a story.

Phillip Kennedy Johnson is the perfect choice to helm the writing responsibilities for this series, being the creative mind responsible for WW 2’s Spirit of Vengeance. Having honed a fantastic level of horror to his recent take on Bruce Banner, Johnson brings that same spirit here in creating creepy creatures that add a new level of danger to the worldwide conflict. [...]

Oh, and that's just what the Hulk needs too. Sure, there were past stories where the Hulk had themes of darkness, but it was anything but horror-themed, and decidedly better that way. Even Dr. Strange was never that far into horror themes when it originally ran from the early 60s to the late 90s. This new Hellhunters series is just another tired example of Marvel milking its properties dry. When will they be closing their publishing shop already?

Labels: Doctor Strange, dreadful writers, Ghost Rider, history, Hulk, marvel comics, msm propaganda, violence

Some time ago, I took a look at the writings of Martin Gray, a contributor to The Scotsman, who wrote some otherwise fluff-coated takes on the usual overrated post-2000 products, like this 2021 review of Douglas Wolk's Marvel history book, All of the Marvels. Let's take a look at what he says about that for starters:

And Wolk succeeds in a fascinating pop culture journey. In 1961 the very white future Fantastic Four took a rocket ship into space, spurred on by fear of the Other – “the Commies.” By 2014 we have Ms Marvel, a Pakistani-American Muslim teen who cares as much about social justice as bashing bad guys. In between, in the Seventies, there was the aforementioned Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu, whose stories were tinged with racist elements – his father was that embodiment of the “Yellow Peril” Fu Manchu, and Asian characters were the colour of bananas – yet remain among the best material Marvel has ever published. Wolk explains how the heck this was possible. And the Eighties were ruled by the X-Men, mutants whose plight could be seized upon by any marginalised group as reflecting their experience. Marvel may not have always got diversity right, but its creators kept on trying, readers responded, and today inclusion is baked into the books.

Well, if that's the way Gray was going to put it, and make it sound like something's wrong with the FF's whiteness, and then act like Kamala Khan being characterized as an Islamist is such a big deal, but not whether it's ludicrous to shoehorn new characters into established roles instead of their own, nor ask why religions like Hinduism, Jainism, Shintoism and Buddhism are worth exploring, then clearly, Gray hasn't done anything impressive for conversations about the medium. Also note how he alludes to the left-wing propaganda of "social justice", and so, his takes on the medium aren't much different from his north American counterparts. What good is "inclusion" when there still remain only so many nationalities that aren't being considered, like Armenians? And he doesn't even comment on how poorly the Muslim Ms. Marvel series characterized the ordinary whites in the premiere. Doing all this "inclusion" at the expense of ordinary whites is no improvement, and Mr. Gray failed to address the subject.

I then decided to take a look at what he's written on his blog Too Dangerous for a Girl, like this review of Paul Levitz's more recent take on Doctor Fate, and here's what he says about a new character shoehorned into the role for woke diversity pandering, based on how the new lead is characterized as a Muslim:

Getting to know Khalid’s parents Mohammed and Elizabeth has been a real pleasure, I can’t remember the last time we had a mixed culture family in superhero comics (I’m not counting Lois and Clark here!). Some people had a pop at this comic, claiming it was jumping on the Ms Marvel bandwagon by including characters who followed Islam, but if it did take a cue from that series, why is that a negative? Comics should be reflecting society, and a character concept linked for decades to a non-Christian pantheon seems a logical place for the diverse cast all books should be giving us.

New York lifer Levitz has put his heart and soul into making this book something different while honouring DC history, and hasn’t gotten the credit he deserves. I’d love DC to have a digital blowout sale of this series – heck, all the DC You titles – offering the lot for $10 or something. That would persuade more people to try this series, because it really benefits from a binge read.

It's very sad Mr. Gray's among the countless people on the left who know nothing about the Religion of Peace, the violence-advocating verses contained within the Koran, such as Sura 47:4, and likely doesn't give a damn about what Salman Rushdie went through over a thoughtcrime, not to mention Jews in France and even the UK itself. Or even Armenians. Maybe the saddest part of all is that there actually was a time when some on the left did know what the word "jihad" (holy war) meant back in the 80s and 90s, but after September 11, 2001, all for the sake PC, they forbade its use just like that, and today's representatives probably don't know at all. Lack of knowledge and understanding is exactly what's damaging efforts to combat jihadism. Mr. Gray's review also makes clear that, whatever he appears to think of the Green Lantern #0 special, he clearly has a lenient, accepting view of the Religion of Peace, and if he claims to be a "fan" of comics originally founded by Jews, he's only done the founding dads like Siegel and Shuster a terrible disservice.

As for Levitz, well, of course I do appreciate that he was one of the signatories on a petition calling for the release of Kfir Bibas' family from Hamas captivity, something Mr. Gray for one never mentioned any more than other comics specialty sites earlier this year. But if Levitz isn't repentant for normalizing Islam much as Marvel's modern propaganda overlords did, then he's only compounding damage done to comics some must've once thought he loved, and, as his more recent conduct suggests, he no longer does, assuming he ever did at all.

And on that note, here's Mr. Gray's review of the Muslim Ms. Marvel series, which is written in a most unsurprisingly biased manner:

And that, in a nutshell, is the story of Ms Marvel’s first issue. We’re quickly introduced to Kamala and her world, and learn that it’s not necessarily the world she wants. It’s obvious that as her horizons expand, so will her troubles. And that’s what could make this book a classic Marvel series with a very different viewpoint, that of a young Muslim woman in a society that barely tries to understand, never mind love, her.

The strokes of G Willow Wilson’s script are a little broad on occasion, that is, every time all-American girl Zoe appears, with her condescending ‘understanding’ of Kamala’s faith and culture. But full marks for economic sketching of character. Plus, it’s refreshing that Kamala isn’t kicking against her culture, trying to be an all-American girl; it’s more that she’s aiming to find that happy mix between the different sides of herself. [...]

The very notion of a young Muslim superheroine (it seems everyone has forgotten MI-13’s wonderful Excalibur, Faiza Hussain) has caused media ripples, likely bringing in a lot of first-timers. This being the case, I’m not sure tying Kamala’s journey so tightly to that of Carol Danvers is a great idea – the issue-ending big moment seems wholly dependent on familiarity with Ms-turned-Captain-Marvel.

Or perhaps I’m overthinking, and underselling the intelligence of new, young readers. Maybe it’s all deducible from the rest of the issue.

I hope so, as I want books to succeed, find their audience. Certainly, I liked Wilson’s first effort a lot, and I similarly enjoyed the illustrations of Adrian Alphona and colour artist Ian Herring – Ms Marvel #1 is full of people, not types; the only perfect beings appear in Kamala’s dream sequences, and I suspect she’ll meet the grubbier, real-life versions of her heroes soon enough. Kamala herself is a cute kid, with the eyes of a dreamer, and I hope she never loses that quality. The hand-drawn page borders and wobbly narrative boxes also help evoke the idea of a life that’s a little rough around the edges. The letters are the work of the talented Joe Caramagna, and my only complaint is the choice of upper and lower case for the dialogue, which lends a tentative, kiddyish feel to the script. Oh, and ‘blonde’ has an ‘e’ when we’re talking female.

Well there we have what he thought - and it's sadly quite possible he still does - of one of the most humiliating moments in Marvel history, and it's shameful he's fluff-coating the whole affair. And all the while, he doesn't even ask if anybody should develop heroes inspired by real life figures like 911 Families for a Safe & Strong America, in example, or even survivors of the October 7, 2023 Hamas bloodbath in Israel. This kind of sugary approach to the subject matter has only hurt the entertainment industry as a whole instead of bettering it.

And then there's also what Mr. Gray thinks of Jean Loring, the Silver Age Atom's girlfried/wife, who was wronged along with Sue Dibny in Identity Crisis. In this case, I first discovered what Gray may still think of her in a comment he posted on this blog called Siskoid, where he said in response to a post about Sword of the Atom, which didn't look very respectable to begin with:

Exactly! Take away everything that makes Ray unique and of course it’s not a hit.

I never liked Jean in the first place, mind, so off course she snogs a guy with a tache.

Pardon? And why didn't he like a fictional character "in the first place"? By even his twisted logic, he's saying, pretty much, that he never liked Ray Palmer either, nor did he like Gardner Fox and Gil Kane's writing and art, after all the hard work they put into it 60-plus years back. But of course, Gray takes the cowardly route of projection, and this was just 4 years ago, proving the mentality still sadly dominates alleged debates about the medium among would-be fans. I guess that could also explain why even earlier, as seen in this Batgirl review from 2009, he said the following:

Oh look, Batgirl is Stephanie Brown, the former Spoiler. Who was indeed a bit rubbish, and nagged into pretending to retire by the all-new, all-moody Red Robin, aka Grim Tim Drake/Wayne. Further evidence of her stupidity is randomly unmasking on a rooftop for a splash page pose of the ‘I own the night’ variety. Stef, pet, you don’t even own a particularly dull five minutes of the afternoon.

Wow, that sure sounds just as crude and insulting as his illogical attack on Jean Loring. No wonder Steph nearly went into the grave permanently back in 2004. It's not hard to guess what Mr. Gray must think of conservatives like Chuck Dixon either. Mr. Gray says Spoiler is "stupid", but doesn't criticize the writer for depicting her so? Ugh. Gray also said:

Because this is very much Just Another Batbook. I don’t really believe Steph’s less than stellar performance will continue, but what is this book for? There’s already a Batwoman, the Huntress and Oracle fighting crime from the female bat-perspective. All Steph has going for her so far is her optimism, which frequently crosses the line into idiocy. The things that do set her apart – a criminal father, a child she gave up for adoption – aren’t even mentioned.

Well DC's story merit did collapse by that time, but if he's going to approach this by blaming a fictional character more than the writing (supposedly, he finds this a decent book, but his attitude towards Steph conflicts with that), then he's continued to compound the poor perception of his ability to opine on any kind of literature. Curious he doesn't take issue with the editors who threw the pregnancy topic down the memory hole. They're the guilty party in that sense, not Spoiler, and it's not her fault for "performance" either. Oh, I also notice he took an otherwise accepting view of a Wonder Woman special called DC Digital Sensation, which appears to be written by leftist Alex deCampi, who's already gained notoreity in some circles, and the tale features a variation on WW wearing what looks like an Islamic hijab?!? Well that's all you need to know what's gone wrong with mainstream comicdom over many years. I vaguely recall Brian Vaughan wrote a JLA annual in 2000 with something similar, and it goes without saying that's a humiliation of everything William Marston and H.G. Peter stood for. Gray later made sure to continue the gushing over G. Willow Wilson in this shoddy review. Here's also a review of Wonder Woman #37 from 2014:

Penciller David Finch and inker Richard Friend’s Diana looks less creepily doll-like than last month, no longer the startled child, more a full-grown woman who actually has a brain. There are some fine portraits throughout the issue, with a variety of Amazon faces, and the cheesecake quotient has gone down (Diana still has barrage balloon breasts, and the debuting Donna gets them too).

Well if that's what he thinks of what wasn't considered an issue in the 1970s when even Stan Lee was okay with it, then he's again summed up how cheap he is in what he'll take issue with. Let's also comment on what he says about 2019's Year of the Villain Special:

So, this is a very well-crafted comic, but it doesn’t have me hugely excited. I’d rather each title went its own way than bowed before one massive storyline. The big news for me is the arrival of Maleev. How about you?

Considering all the attention lavished ad nauseum upon villains over the past decade or so, it's embarrassingly bad he'd fawn over this insult to the intellect. Also the 3rd issue of Batman/Superman: World's Finest:

Look again, and it’s obvious he’s drawing Kara as if she’s a real person with breasts that aren’t stuck together like those of a mannequin, which affects how the clothing hangs.

I wonder why that's such a big deal, especially in an age where sex appeal's been all but kicked to the curb in mainstream? This is so trivial, I wonder what Mr. Gray's even in the hobby for. And then, here's a most fascinatingly gushy review of the overrated James Robinson's Earth #2, series, where Golden Age Green Lantern Alan Scott was turned gay:

This book immediately enters my list of top five DC comics. it’s not perfect – forget the deaths and devastation, James Robinson makes a longtime supporting cast member thoroughly unlikable – but it’s a smart, exciting superhero comic that’s tapping new potential in classic characters. If you’ve ever been a fan of the JSA, give Earth 2 a try – I think you’ll like it.

After the forced retcon to Alan that dismayed even Roy Thomas? What a disgrace he even forgives whatever bad characterization turns up, not to mention all the casualty catastrophes. That's actually a notable problem even in Robinson's overrated Starman series from 1994-2001. Gray didn't even seem to mention the LGBT pandering, which makes this quite a deception of the most tasteless kind. There's even a review of Scott Lobdell's work on a Teen Titans title, 2nd issue:

There’s a nice moment in Scott Lobdell’s zippy script in which Tim bemoans the lurid jeans worn by Kids Today, but he seems totally fine with Cassie’s ridiculously skimpy boob tube. She claims her decolletage is real but I suspect it was stolen too, from Power Girl – Cassie truly puts the ‘tit’ in ‘Titans’. I really hope artist Brett Boobs – sorry, Booth, tones them down (though they do seem to be keeping Cassie from drowning on that cover).

It's another early clue that Gray does have a sex-negative view as opposed to his otherwise accepting view of Islam, something even Lobdell may have (and Lobdell is quite a leftist, and also did embarrassing things at a convention, the real reason why something's wrong with this mess), and Gray certainly indicated he took up the sex-negative view almost wholesale over the following decade. It's also indicated in this review of Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual, which was written, interestingly enough, by leftist James Tynion:

That’s the meat of James Tynion IV’s script. There’s also a massive helping of tackiness, thanks to artist Al Barrionuevo’s choices for Cheshire. Lord knows why our heroes can’t catch the minx given that she’s constantly stopping to show off her bum, boobs and knickers. As well as being insulting and laughable, it’s a shame because it distracts from the occasionally excellent work Barrionuevo, coloured by Javier Mena and Bit, does. The way he moves characters around panels, especially when we’re in an action scene, is impressive, and his general figurework convinces. It’s just the Nineties-style adolescent pandering that distracts. [...]

As specials go, like this week’s Earth 2 giant, Red Hood and the Outlaws Annual #1 is more a double issue than a discrete event. If you’re not already reading the series, dipping into this might prove less than satisfactory. But regular readers will likely enjoy the deepening of characters, the progression of the storyline and the introduction of a new villain – it’s just a shame Cheshire’s been made into cheesecake.

Umm, the only problem is that Cheshire's a villainess, and I suspect that's the reason this kind of thing went through. There's only so many example even before the emerging wokeness period where heroines, by contrast, are not considered for cheesecake illustration, not even Power Girl. Since that time, even Tynion pretty much changed to a more sex-negative view, IIRC. In any event, Mr. Gray once again said quite a bit about his unfortunate double-standards. Which also extend to DC's LGBT pandering, if the following review of a DC Pride special is any indication:

The cover is less successful, a collaboration between penciller Jim Lee, inker Scott Williams and colourist Tamra Bonvillain. It’s Lee work at its bumpiest; I thought all the main creators involved with DC Pride were to be non-straight, but according to Wiki Lee is happily married with at least nine kids. Which is lovely, but unless he’s a little on the Alan Scott side, the DC Publisher and Chief Creative Officer should have stepped aside for an LGBTQ+ creator.

DC Pride is a hotch potch, but what anthology isn’t? There’s a lot of work in here I like, and the rest are at least sincere efforts to give an underserved part of the comics fanbase something they can call their own. So well done to everyone involved – and that includes editors Amedeo Turturro, Jessica Chen, Chris Conroy, Michael McCalister and Andrea Shea – and let’s see you top this in 2022.

Yup, more diversity pandering in motion, which doesn't equal story merit. And we could also ponder this gushy review of Dan Slott's "Superior" Spider-Man:

That apart, there’s loads to enjoy here – the latest Sinister Six irritates original founder Ock by being not just all-new but, in his opinion, all-lame; there’s Speed Demon, Boomerang, the Living Brain, a female Beetle, Shocker and the utterly ridiculous Overdrive, a guy in a giant tyre. The self-proclaimed Superior Spider-Man is making short work of them until a barrage of super-fast blows from Speed Demon sees Ock decide that the fight’s not worth the hassle. [...]

So, the first issue of The Superior Spider-Man is a hit with me. I can’t see myself wanting to read about Dr Octopus for long – I’m too big a Peter Parker fan – but this is a terrific debut.

One must wonder why he doesn't think the direction Marvel kept insulting people with at the time wasn't lame - belittling Mary Jane, along with Peter himself, and why this is automatically acceptable simply because Marvel under Axel Alonso was seemingly willing to "reverse" it, even though the Spider-marriage has been kept solidly out of the picture for only so long, and no reunion in the 616 universe allowed. This is another farcical "review" Mr. Gray's turned out over time.

In the end, all I can say is that Mr. Gray, for somebody who's written for newspapers and writes blog "reviews" of comics, he couldn't write his way out of the proverbial wet paper bag. There's tons of indie comics out there that could make a far better focus than the woke fiasco mainstream comicdom's become since the early 2000s, yet Gray's the kind of person who lavishes far too much attention on modern DC/Marvel humiliations that do a horrible disfavor to the original creators like Siegel, Shuster and Lee, and it only serves as a boon to the undeserving editors, writers and artists of modern times in mainstream. Gray's a sad blemish upon the fandom, assuming he even is a fan to begin with, which I decidedly doubt.

Labels: dc comics, Europe and Asia, golden calf of villainy, history, islam and jihad, marvel comics, misogyny and racism, moonbat writers, msm propaganda, politics, violence

Comic Book Club Live interviewed leftist writer Ewing about a new Metamorpho volume he's writing at DC, and he makes quite an unfunny joke along the way, which for all know, might even be where he's taking his series:

If there’s one thing you might not expect from a new series from DC Comics titled Metamorpho: The Element Man, it’s writer Al Ewing killing off the title character. Yet — and spoilers past this point — in the first issue of the comic book, the ending teases that villains Mister 3 and C.Y.C.L.O.P.S. have a big plan… That all hinges on the death of Metamorpho.

This has long gone beyond the pale, even as a joke, considering he believes it's okay to put it all to a reader vote, not unlike what DC did with Jason Todd in 1988, which was also a poor approach to storytelling, and Denny O'Neil admitted years later it only wound up divisive.

Comic Book Club: At the end, you tease that Mister 3 and C.Y.C.L.O.P.S want the death of Metamorpho. Is that potentially on the table, the actual death of Metamorpho? Killing the title character?

Al Ewing: I mean, we might. A lot depends on, if we’re talking back in the ’60s, I do always love the cliffhanger of, like, “Is Metamorpho really dead? Write in, readers, maybe we’ll bring him back!” And part of me does want to put my money where my mouth is, and, you know, kill him off unless enough readers write in. That would be a great gag. I don’t think, unfortunately, because of the way comics are made these days it’s absolutely doable. I don’t think I could write two issue sevens… Forget I said that issue number. [Laughs] I don’t think I could write two issue whatevers.

But, yeah, it’s on the table. Metamorpho can be rendered inert. There are other element people. Not only do we have Urania [Blackwell] in the book, but there are other element folks. There’s a new Element Woman who was introduced recently, who I want to use in the book. I want to rotate her in a little bit. I think there’s an Element Dog. So we could always do a new Metamorpho for a while, if you wanted.

Really though, that cliffhanger is, readers should be asking, why it does Metamorpho have to die? What plan could possibly require the death of Metamorpho? Once they follow that thread, eventually you’re going to find out what the plan is. But once you follow that thread, it’ll take everybody to a really strange place. I had an idea that I don’t think has ever been had with Metamorpho before. I want to say — I might be wrong, because he’s been in a lot of very obscure titles, not all of which I have read. So I might be wrong, but I’m 80 to 90% certain nobody else has had this idea before for Metamorpho, and C.Y.C.L.O.P.S. is all into it.

Under better writers and editors, seeing Rex Mason's female counterpart returning might've once been something to admire. But a leftist like Ewing, who recently made a mess out of the Hulk, taking up the writing reins here is exactly why everything is ruined. Especially once you see what he intends to do with Sapphire Stagg:

We also know from the solicits that Metamorpho and Sapphire are breaking up. Is romance potentially on the table for Metamorpho and Urania?

You would think, but as revealed in that same solicit, that ain’t in the cards. Metamorpho’s going from a love triangle to just a love… Dot. So yeah, bad, bad times for Rex. Why are they splitting? What could come between the two of them? You’ll have to read to find out, and also to find out if they can get back together again. The big thing with Metamorpho is, and this is an old thing that’s been [since the] ’60s… It’s not just a sitcom. It’s a romantic soap opera as well. Metamorpho and Sapphire have this reputation as the perfect, unshakable couple, but they’re always having these romantic highs and lows. And I basically got to a point writing issue two, it became obvious to me that, oh man, they’re gonna break up.

Which, you know, again, I should stop mentioning these issue numbers. I got to a point when writing a certain issue, which you might be able to guess based on the solicit of issue three. But yeah, there’s a romantic rollercoaster. That’s part of the fun. I think it’s pretty cool to kind of write such a turbulent and tempestuous romance… When you look at Metamorpho, you expect it to be a very straight down the line. Oh, he thinks he’s too ugly to love. She loves him no matter what. No, he thinks he’s a catch. And she’s not always willing to put up with his crap. That’s part of the joy of reading Metamorpho is the whole cast just bouncing off one another in all of these different weird ways. So yeah, I hope readers dig romantic shenanigans because there will be those, as well.

Wow, we seem to have yet another example of an insularity-based concept in motion, where a notable couple who aren't Mr. Fantastic and the Invisible Girl break up, and not even for the sake of pairing the hero with another girl, though with a writer like Ewing aboard, that's exactly why a return of the aforementioned Element Girl Urania Blackwell, who'd probably last been seen in the disgraced Neil Gaiman's overrated Sandman series, can't be appreciated. If all Ewing can do is write the cliche of deconstruction, there's nothing to celebrate, and it's obvious he only wants to make readers angry instead of happy, if that's how he's going to "promote" this new miniseries.

Interesting he admits he hasn't read everything Rex Mason appears in, though stories post-early 2000s are definitely better avoided and forgotten. But I think the idea of Rex dying has been done before, around the time of the 1988 Millenium crossover. He did turn up alive later in Justice League, but the point can still stand. And as for Rex and Sapphire supposedly being a problem-less couple, he must've ripped that claim off wholesale from any and all other wokesters who used that absurd claim to justify victimizing Elongated Man's wife Sue Dibny full force in Identity Crisis. Which is far from true. If it really matters, more talented writers could write situations where Rex and Sapphire argue, but don't have to degenerate into an utterly divisive mess, and can reconcile later. It's even been done with the Fantastic Four. Unfortunately, considering how so many woke writers led to a situation where superhero comics have been all played out, that's why it won't work with writers like Ewing either. He hasn't promoted this story in good taste, and the interviewer's refusal to employ an objective view of the story preparation only furthers the damage. It makes little difference where they'll go with Metamorpho from here, since the whole approach to promotion is alienating to begin with. Readers should avoid spending money on this tale.

Labels: bad editors, dc comics, golden calf of death, moonbat writers, msm propaganda

The Santa Rosa Press Democrat interviewed a local fan whose image likeness has been drawn into nearly 3 dozen comics over the past years:

Christian Howard, 42, of Rohnert Park, has had a lot of cameo roles, but don’t look for him on the screen. You’ll find him in comic books.

On Christmas Day, the scheduled release date for Detective Comics #1092, one of Batman’s home titles, he’ll appear as a waiter serving wine to Bruce Wayne, the crime fighter’s alter ego.

“He approached me, and I included a background character with his features on a couple panels on a book I'm drawing,” said Detective Comics artist Mikel Janin via X. “It's not something I do often, but he was really excited, so I did.”

For years Howard, a former house painter now recovering from cancer surgery last year, has connected via Facebook, X and Instagram with comic book artists who have agreed to slip his likeness into the background of the some of the comic book panels they draw. He estimates he has been included in more than 35 comic books over the past few years.

But what's the use of having this done in mainstream DC/Marvel in modern times, long after their artistic quality collapsed? And then as this article makes clear, the guy's a Batman fan, and while Superman is mentioned here, the Masked Manhunter still seems to get bigger emphasis. Here's how Mr. Howard got this rather outlandish career getting himself illustrated into comics, whether in foreground or background:

Q: How and why did you initially reach comic book artists to include your cameo in their stories?

A: I figured with social media, it would be easy to get in a comic but I started off by going to Kickstarter, a funding website for indie comics, and I emailed creators and asked if they could add me. Most of them charged me and most of the comics that charged me for never really made it to comic stores. So I figured I would just look up bigger artists for bigger companies, like IDW, DC and Marvel. Slowly, I was getting somewhere. I never really got huge parts. It was mostly just in the background of the panels, but that’s what i was looking for. Then I got some bigger parts.

Q: How are the appearances managed?

A: Each artist is given some leeway on what they can draw, so when there’s random people on the page, they can use my image as a character, normally just in the background. Sometimes I get a speaking role. Sometimes I get killed. It’s just so random and I never know what it is until it’s done. Sometimes I get a sneak peek at the art before print.

Honestly, considering how bad IDW became, along with DC/Marvel to boot, what's the use auditioning for illustrated roles in their comics? And look whom the writer is who penned one of the comics Mr. Howard's illustrated variation appears in:

Q: What are some of the other cameo appearances you’ve gotten?

A: I would say the ones in indie comics that aren’t really known started in 2021. One was titled ‘White Ash.“ I played a decent part in that comic, so I’m in plenty of pages. That’s published through Scott comics. Then I got to meet a fantastic artist named Reno Maniquis, who works for ”Shudder” magazine, and he put me in at least 15 issues of that and he’s still adding me to more. I talk to him daily.

Then I got some big cameos in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Meets Stranger Things” issue #4. That was a huge deal for me. I’ve been in about 6 Ninja Turtles issues, one by superstar artist Chris Burnham in TMNT issue 4. And a few others, like Cobra Commander issue #4 as a Drednok that gets killed by a huge villain. That was cool and then I got bigger roles in the new “Absolute Superman” issue #1 by writer Jason Aaron came out this year. I was drawn as a miner who Superman comes and saves.

Oh for heaven's sake. Sounds like some people are much too desperate for what Andy Warhol called 15 minutes of fame, they'll even persuade overrated writers like Aaron to put figures based on their likeness into their pretentious comics. For me, it would be an embarrassment to have my likeness illustrated into the comics of such wretched scribes, and what's so "cool" about being cast as a villain? I'm not surprised these overrated "creators" would take up on the idea, however; it almost perfectly reflects how full they are of themselves, thinking they're the greatest writers and artists of all time, when in fact they're just part of a whole generation that's failing upwards, courtesy of bad editors and other managers who sadly run the asylum today.

On the surface, the whole idea does sound awesome, I'll admit, but when overrated writers are involved, it becomes a sad joke, and if there's a lesson here, it's that serious fans shouldn't be desperate to have their likeness drawn into modern botch jobs by writers and artists who're so mediocre, that a cameo alone isn't going to guarantee the comics in question will have any lasting values.

Labels: Batman, dc comics, history, indie publishers, licensed products, marvel comics, moonbat writers, msm propaganda, Superman, technology

Polygon's sugarcoating news of where Marvel's heading next with yet another reboot of Spider-Man's series, and the oh-so important return of a villain who'd allegedly long been absent:

It’s hard out there, even for a genetically enhanced superperson, and Spider-Man will learn it the hard way in his next relaunch. Polygon can exclusively announce that Marvel’s The Amazing Spider-Man #1, from writer Joe Kelly and artists Pepe Larraz and John Romita Jr., will drop in April 2025.

I can't say I'd heard of many relaunches in a new volume from number one lately, and certainly hadn't paid much attention, but as this makes clear, the whole trivial practice hasn't gone away. In any event, this is not a reason to buy what's in store; the story merit is what matters, and Marvel's been horribly lacking in just that for a long time. Why, Romita Jr, at this point, could also symbolize that point, since his artwork became very mediocre over the past quarter century, and was throughly wasted on J. Michael Straczynski's dreadful run, along with the disgraced Neil Gaiman's Eternals miniseries. I'm sorry to say, but Romita Jr's got none of what made Romita Sr's art the greatness it was in the Silver Age.

The pieces are in place for a classic Spider-Man adventure: Peter Parker is jobless, the Rhino is on the loose, and according to the an official synopsis for the book, “a major Spider-Villain is working behind the scenes weaponizing other Spider-Villains including one we haven’t seen in OVER SEVEN YEARS?!”

Meanwhile, Norman Osborn is Goblin-free and… well, that’s for Kelly, Larraz, and Romita Jr. to reveal.

If that's supposed to hint the Green Goblin is showing up again, we're way past the point of ability to care. Without talented writing, it's meaningless, and villains aren't the reason to look forward to this. Rather, it's the heroes and their co-stars who are, and more to say after highlighting the following:

Based on gushing comments sent to Polygon, Kelly and Larraz are living a dream with this new Spider-Man book — both men cite the hero as one of their first comic book obsessions when they were kids. So where do you even begin when challenged with adding to the 60-year legacy of the webslinger and his rogue’s gallery?

I think a far better idea would be to restore a certain lady who'd been part of his legacy for many years - Mary Jane Watson. And from the lack of any mention in this article, it's a foregone conclusion they won't. Seriously, if Marvel really wanted to reverse one of the worst editorial mandates of the past 2 decades, they would've said so right out of the gate. An alternate dimension doppelganger is no substitute. And what's new about Peter being out of a job? That's nothing new at all. Though surely what was most truly insulting was how several years ago, when Dan Slott was writer, there was a story Peter got a big time corporate job, but as expected, Mary Jane had no part in it. And nothing's changed in over 15 years since that notorious One More Day disaster.

Some of the comments, like this one, sum up the situation pretty well:

As long as Paul's still around and Mary Jane and Peter aren't married or One More Day isn't reversed I legit don't care about buying Spider-Man comics. I agree with Linkara from Atop the Fourth Wall. If the creators aren't wiling to write Peter like a freaking adult already....if they're unwilling to really let him get out of his "high school life" of not actually giving any consideration to the man over the mask, and having him actually be more responsible when the whole point of Spider-Man was that what made him popular was he was the character who faced the challenges of the real world like managing school, a job, loved ones getting older and less able to take care of themselves and even dying...

If the writers keep failing to have him act like a darn adult already...

Then why the Hell isn't he still IN high school?

Well, one of the most irritating things about past conduct of Joe Quesada in particular is refusal to recognize that Spidey's stories weren't "realistic" in every sense of the word, and he for one kept acting like Peter being married is the worst thing that could happen. I recall Roger Stern regrettably took a similar position, even as writers like him don't seem to have any issue with Superman and Lois Lane wedding, or even 3rd Flash Wally West and Linda Park tying the knot. What's so wrong with Peter and MJ marrying that isn't so wrong with most other heroes and co-stars doing the same? That kind of "singling out" is exactly what brought down the medium. Here's another:

Man, I literally could not care less. I saw a fan made character on Twitter (reposted on Reddit, because I don't go on Twitter) of Peter and MJ's daughter raised by Mephisto since she was sold to him during OMD, and that idea felt more fresh and interesting and vital than anything I've read in the last decade, and I'm a god damn ANAD defender!

They're going to keep pussyfooting around with alternate universes, and offshoots while 616 continues to flounder rather than actually doing anything meaningful with the lemon that is OMD. Worse, they'll tease a grand reveal, or retcon only to swerve at the last second in ways that don't even make sense because nothing is stronger than editorial mandate.

Renew Your Vows was great, I loved it- Ultimate sounds great, I'm sure I'll love it, too. That said, I simply cannot be paid to give a damn about the mainline book if they're going to continue with this perpetual 23 year old struggling to make rent schtick. It was boring when I was a 23 year old struggling to make rent, it feels pathetic to even consider reading in my 30s.

What's really appalling is when news sites like Polygon take up this news without any objectivity accompanying the announcements, and their own refusal to give Mary Jane any backing or ask for better editors to oversee Marvel is telling. This is exactly why OMD has never been reversed. Now for one more reader comment:

The people that did OMD are largely still in power at the offices.

It’s like how Dan DiDio at DC said he was against all superhero marriages, but the moment he left a lot of superheroes got their spouses and families back.

Sadly, that's not entirely true, if Geoff Johns' recent Justice Society tale - hopefully his last story for DC - is any suggestion. Even if it's ignored in the long run, what Johns wrote with Jean Loring says quite a bit what he really thinks of the DCU and its past contributors. And even today at DC, quite a few of the people involved with Identity Crisis are still running the store. Mainly because no press sources are willing to argue they're unfit for their jobs, and ask that they resign. Same with Marvel, of course. The press could even argue it's time for Marvel and DC to fold as publishers, but I guess for them that's unacceptable, because then they wouldn't have enough venues to push their woke agendas down the readers' throats.

So there's no reason to buy this latest, pointless relaunch of Spidey, since all the signs point to a lack of interest in merit, ditto a refusal to reverse OMD in the 616 universe proper. As for villains, if they matter, maybe another mistake is how overly reliant superhero comics became upon costumed villains, while any who could be considered more "plainclothes", superpowers or not, have never been experimented with seriously. That's got to be one more reason why story merit so sorely lacking.

Labels: bad editors, dreadful artists, dreadful writers, golden calf of villainy, history, marvel comics, misogyny and racism, msm propaganda, Spider-Man, women of marvel

The Hollywood Reporter announced leftist writer Matthew Rosenberg, who previously worked on the Punisher, is now developing a comic at Image with a pretty long title:

In a comic run that was published in the mid and late 2010s, writer Matthew Rosenberg and artist Stefano Landini took the character of Frank Castle, aka The Punisher, away from his crime roots and put him deep into the Marvel Universe on a mission of revenge.

Revenge is still on the Rosenberg and Landini’s mind, but in a very non-Marvel way, as the duo reunite for a creator-owned comic titled We’re Taking Everyone Down With Us. The all-new, six issue miniseries will kick off in March 2025 from Image Comics with an extra-length first issue.

The story follows a 13-year-old girl named Annalise who’s left all alone in the world after her mad-scientist father is killed by the world’s greatest spy. Now, alongside her dead dad’s robot bodyguard, Annalise has a choice: try to lead a normal life for the first time ever or seek revenge and maybe overthrow the world order in the process.

“There’s only so many great motivating factors in stories and the most powerful ones are love and revenge, so when you can have a story that has both…,” said Rosenberg, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter from Dublin, Ireland, where another one of his creator-owned comics, 4 Kids Walks Into a Bank, is filming as an adaptation starring Liam Neeson and Jack Dylan Grazer. “We wanted to do a pretty brutal revenge story that has a lot of love and compassion and see how those ideas touch each other.”

It won't be the least bit shocking if it all draws from a left-wing notion of what "revenge" should be. And if Rosenberg's got a film adaptation in the works, it figures somebody like him would get all the offers in Hollywood that a conservative likely wouldn't. Would that "world order" happen to be "right-wing"? Well it won't be a shock if that's what the story's a metaphor for. One more reason why the brutality in this new miniseries is bound to be very alienating.

And what's this about the Punisher having "crime roots"? It was already established he worked outside the law and was wanted by it, even if he went after violent criminals who practically deserved whatever they got. The mission of revenge was also well established as being Frank's respone to his wife and child being murdered by mobsters, until Jason Aaron was permitted to take even that much apart. There's nothing to be excited about coming from another modern leftist scribe who's got no love for Marvel, and whom the media are sadly promoting as the best new "talent" based on his politics. This new item from Image only makes clear why they've long been irrelevant.

Labels: Europe and Asia, indie publishers, marvel comics, moonbat writers, msm propaganda, Punisher, violence

Australian Broadcasting interviewed Scott Wilson, an artist of Aboriginal descent, who's developed superheroes with similar backgrounds, because he didn't see any significant examples in other comics:

Scott Wilson grew up obsessed with superheroes, but he never saw his own culture in the comic books he'd get lost in.

"When I was a kid, my favourite superhero was Wonder Woman. I'd twist a bath towel into a lasso and pretend it was the Lasso of Truth," he says.

Scott grew up in Rubibi (Broome), spending his time on country around the Western Australian tourist town.

Spider-Man was the superhero who really captured his imagination, and he identified with the idea of a high school student by day, masked avenger by night.

But like most superheroes, without his mask, Spider-Man is a white man.

For Scott, it raised a very personal question: Why don't I ever see myself in these stories?

Before continuing, I should point out that Bishop from X-Men counts as at least one, and if Mr. Wilson didn't do research to that extent, that's not doing a very good job. There's also Black Panther, Luke Cage, Black Lightning, Storm, and even Bumblebee from the Teen Titans. We could also consider Robbie Robertson and Glory Grant from Spider-Man's cast; why didn't he and the news writer bring them up? This is where the article flubs considerably, and undermines itself as a result. Plus, there's the vital query why seeing your background represented may be more important than entertainment value?

As he grew up and learned to make his own superheroes, Scott found the answer in creating comics that draw from the world's oldest living culture, and by sketching its newest figures.

He called it the Indigiverse. In this universe, the superheroes talk in traditional language, and draw their power from the Dreaming.

Well I appreciate he's developing his own products, but I think it's farcical already when some creators rely so heavily on the superhero theme, rather than put more emphasis on adventure themes, and making the stars of the show adventurers with sci-fi and fantasy powers without touting them as superheroes per se. You can also develop fancy-looking outfits without claiming these are superhero uniforms per se to boot. Yet Wilson's resorting to the superhero theme when it's been run into the ground by PC since the turn of the century, and simpler concepts could avail far better. I will agree however, that emphasizing traditional languages can have advantages, and it could also be a great idea if a comic starring characters of Basque descent from Europe were developed. Wilson also told of his experiences growing up:

He described himself as a "shapeshifter". Chess, rugby, basketball, art — he did everything, wanting to excel and be the best.

But it couldn't shield him from the prejudice he was confronted with whenever he did things like going to the local shops.

"[Shop staff] would check your bag … [and] I thought, Oh, that's probably just how they do it with all kids. But I noticed they weren't checking any of the other non-Indigenous students' bags," Scott says.

"I just was very blasé to these concepts of racism. I never really thought of myself as Aboriginal [when I was in Rubibi] because I was in my class with majority Aboriginal students and we didn't say, 'Hey, I'm Aboriginal.' We'd just say, 'Oh, I'm Gooniyandi'. You know who your mob is.

"It wasn't until people started pointing out ... 'Hey, they're only doing that because you guys are black'."

As he was learning to deal with these concepts of racism, and finding his voice as a young creative, a tragedy struck that shaped his art forever.

Dealing with loss

While boarding at Hale, Scott lost a beloved cousin, Adam, in a car crash.

The sudden death rocked him.

"Adam was my big brother, basically, and he loved his cars. He had this brilliant, beautiful gold car. The golden boy," Scott says.

"[He] used to drive around town. You know, all the girls used to sing out. Everyone knew him."

On this, I'm most terribly sorry for his loss of a beloved relative. And on the subject of racism, he's got valid points that were confirmed in recent years, when a report came out that in the West Australia province, there was an alarming case of racism at local schools during 2021, made worse by how Aboriginal girls were the main victims, and a combined racist/misogynist slur was used by offending students against them. Whether or not it's been dealt with, it proves that without vigilance, racism can still prevail in the modern day and age. This is stuff the woke movements in the USA don't seem to pay any attention to, and as a result, their whole platform is farcical based on the lack of altruism involved. Wilson might want to do some research on that kind of stuff, if he really wants to address the issues of racial prejudice in modern times.

And he found the ideal elective: Create Your Own Superhero. He already had the model for his superhero in mind, a Gooniyandi man named Adam Hart.

"A lot of the characters that I was forming had that anti-hero vibe," Scott says.

"I created this character that was just completely Black with all these awesome colours throughout the body, with the power to move through time, move through space. I love this idea of, no matter what the challenges ... they'll overcome their own darkness within themselves."

Again, I think it's definitely admirable he's creating his own stories and characters, but the superhero theme has still been vastly overused, maybe even overvalued, and if you can't rely on anything apart from that particular theme, it's not doing the medium much good. It's entirely possible to develop comic adventures without emphasizing the stars as superheroes, just as adventurers who could be wearing fancy outfits. The Japanese have done that with various manga and anime productions, so why not try it with comics outside of Japan too? I honestly think plenty of comic creators in and out of the English-speaking world could consider it doesn't have to be just stories described as superhero-themed that can be produced for the market. There's plenty of other ways to employ fantasy and sci-fi too.

Labels: Black Panther, conventions, dc comics, Europe and Asia, history, indie publishers, marvel comics, misogyny and racism, Spider-Man, Titans, Wonder Woman, X-Men

A writer at Comic Book Movie took a look at the costumes featured in the trailer for the upcoming Superman movie overseen by the pretentious James Gunn, and is unimpressed:

If you’ve read my articles before, you’ll probably know I’m not the biggest fan of James Gunn. I know I’m very much in the minority here, but I don’t love any of his superhero projects. I like some of them, but I don’t love any of them. For the most part, I dislike them. I prefer movies and shows with a more serious tone, and that is definitely not what Gunn is known for. Regardless of my feelings towards Gunn, I want DC to succeed in building a cinematic universe. I’ve loved DC characters since I was a small child watching Batman: The Animated Series. For decades, I’ve wanted to see all my heroes on the screen together. Ultimately, that’s what I want. So, while I don’t like Gunn, I love DC and, of course, Superman. I don’t want to bash DC, but I want to give honest opinions more.

My honest opinion is that these costumes do not look good.

In the trailer, we see many characters: Superman, Clark Kent, Krypto, Lois Lane, Lex Luthor, Green Lantern, Hawkgirl, and Mr. Terrific are all present. Some of their costumes are better than others, but almost none of them are great.

Already, I see people criticizing Guy Gardner’s haircut. Yes, it’s goofy and awkward looking, but that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be. Gunn certainly didn’t have to make it that goofy and awkward, but I like it. However, Green Lantern’s costume has a lot of white for a Green Lantern. Guy Gardner’s comic book appearance has a little bit of white in it, usually in the collar or gloves, but this costume is more white than anything else. I was hoping we’d see the costume that has a huge collar, but it seems like they went with a leather jacket that isn’t made of leather kind of look.

Hawkgirl’s costume looks significantly better than Green Lantern’s, but there’s still a lot of white where you don’t expect it to be. I very much like that there’s lots of gold, but it seems like the green in her usual comic book costume has been replaced by black. She looks more like a wannabe biker than a superhero, similar to Green Lantern.

[...] Clark Kent’s new haircut resembles a certain internet personality from 2019 that I can’t fully type out called the f*** boy haircut. Short on the sides, enormously poofy in the front. I am certainly not a fan of the haircut, but everything else we’ve seen about Kent looks great. He’s very tall, moves awkwardly, and seems to be unsure of every step. Lois looks great too, but her costume is fairly easy to design. The same goes for Nicholas Hoult’s Lex Luthor. He looks perfect as the villain. Thank heaven he’s bald and we didn’t get another weird Jesse Eisenberg Lex Luthor.

Finally, we’re on to Superman. I still feel conflicted about his outfit. I love the collar, I love the trunks, and I love the symbol, but the whole thing looks like it doesn’t fit him. I think the problem I have with it is the same I have with the other heroes: it looks like the CW. Maybe it looks so much like it’s made out of plain fabric because it is made out of plain fabric in the movie. Maybe Clark makes it himself or Martha Kent makes it, but that would take the opportunity to have it be part of his Kryptonian heritage.

Personally, I just hope that, if Guy Gardner's in this film, they didn't draw from Gerard Jones' take for a wellspring. Jones' writing is a stain on anything Green Lantern-related, plain and simple. As for Hawkgirl, if this is the Kendra Saunders edition, I'm decidedly not interested at this point, because her premise, co-written as it was by James Robinson and David Goyer, built on what happened with Sheira Sanders in 1994 during Zero Hour, and putting Shiera into the body of her niece is no substitute. Besides, like countless other storylines since the turn of the century, it ultimately led nowhere.

But if this is supposed to be a stand-alone film, wouldn't the superhero guest characters conflict with the focus one would expect to be heaped upon the Man of Steel? I think the only thing that's impressed me of what I may have seen so far was a screencap showing Superman making love to Lois Lane while hugging her in the air. The kind of scenes that have occurred in past comics, but if Gunn's going to inject anything overly leftist into the film, it only sours the milk.

And on that note, Fox News reports Gunn is politicizing the upcoming Superman movie - hardly a surprise at this point - with an announcement to accompany its release:

Filmmaker James Gunn says the battered-looking version of Superman seen in the trailer for his highly anticipated "Superman" film represents America.

During a recent Q&A session at the trailer’s premiere, the director acknowledged the political implications present in the film, saying there is a theme of a bruised and bloodied America running through it.

"We do have a battered Superman in the beginning. That is our country," Gunn said at the event.

[...] In addition to reintroducing audiences to the classic Superman characters, the roughly two-minute trailer featured the titular character in dire straits, lying bloodied and bruised in an Arctic wasteland.

[...] Gunn said the shocking images of the broken hero are a reference to an America that still stands for goodness despite what he called its current bloodied and beat-up state.

"I believe in the goodness of human beings, and I believe that most people in this country, despite their ideological beliefs, their politics, are doing their best to get by and be good people — despite what it may seem like to the other side," he said.

But the beleaguered state of Gunn's Superman represents America when corrupted by "darker voices," he said.

"This movie is about that. It’s about the basic kindness of human beings, and that it can be seen as uncool and under siege [by] some of the darker voices are some of the louder voices."

Elsewhere during the Q&A, Gunn reiterated the idea that the movie is about human goodness overcoming these "darker" influences.

He said, "It’s about the basic kindness of human beings. It’s a noble premise, and one that seems designed to appeal across the political spectrum. It’s a moral call to embrace decency and optimism."

Gunn, who steered clear of political specifics, has long been a critic of President-elect Donald Trump, calling him in a 2017 post "an incompetent President forging a full-blown attack on facts and journalism in the style of Hitler and Putin."

Unfortunately, chances are very high the "darker influences" he speaks of allude to - surprise, surprise - right-wing/conservative politics. In Gunn's world-view, there's no way leftist/liberal politics could possibly be bad. And that's the problem. The UK Independent notes:

Expanding on the idea, the 58-year-old added: “I believe in the goodness of human beings, and I believe that most people in this country, despite their ideological beliefs, their politics, are doing their best to get by and be good people — despite what it may seem like to the other side, no matter what that other side might be. This movie is about that. It’s about the basic kindness of human beings, and that it can be seen as uncool and under siege [by] some of the darker voices are some of the louder voices.”

“I’m excited for people to get to see the essence of what we’re doing because it really has been like this private secret that we’ve all been hoarding,” Gunn later told Variety.

“We felt really good about it, like from a moral place, even from the beginning. We all felt like we were doing something good, both in terms of quality and in terms of actually something that’s not a fascistic power fantasy.

But couldn't the addition of The Authority to the screenplay conflict with that claim? This article also notes:

Others weren’t as enthusiastic about the comments. “A children’s comic book character from 1938 that shoots lasers from his eyes is not a useful lens for modern day politics,” noted one person.

A second joked: “Definitely something a man with conservative friends would say.”

On this, I'd argue the problem is conservative/right-wing views being shut out of Hollywood, and if a conservative viewpoint's not allowed to be applied to Superman, then that's but one problem right there. The gatekeepers retaining ownership of Batman won't allow conservatives to write the Masked Manhunter or apply their views to him anymore either. Even with Wolverine at Marvel, this wouldn't be allowed. And it makes no difference that even right-wingers don't think the Man of Steel has to be a killing machine in all instances either, though a point should be made that, if killing a murderous criminal is what it takes to prevent an innocent and defenseless victim of crime from being murdered and even raped, then is it wrong for the hero to choose saving the life of an innocent, and should such a story premise remain throughly unexplored? Food for thought that anybody who's studying to be a writer might want to consider.

All that said, I won't be surprised if this latest take on the Man of Steel does make quite a bit of bank when it premieres, even though the people who oversaw its production are hardly deserving of an audience. And it's unlikely to reverse the dwindling fortunes of the comics proper, which have long lost direction to wokeness. Seriously, what's to celebrate, especially if the fans spoken of only care about the movies, but not the coherency of the comics?

Labels: dc comics, Green Lantern, Hawkman and Hawkgirl, history, moonbat writers, Superman, violence

Shack News reviewed a game called Flint: Treasure of Oblivion, a pirate-themed adventure using comics-style panels in its narrative, but the writer doesn't think it lives up to its potential:

Flint: Treasure of Oblivion is developer Savage Level’s debut game. It’s a pirate fantasy that mixes turn-based tactical combat similar to games like Baldur’s Gate, with a unique comic book narrative style. Going into it, I was interested to see how the shenanigans of the pirate lifestyle could be implemented into the immersion of a CRPG. While it has a few new and interesting ideas at play within its combat system and fresh take on storytelling through the comic book style, it struggled to land with me during my roughly 11-hour playthrough. [...]

It’s a fairly generic swashbuckling story that goes more off the rails as the story goes on. Unfortunately, it never quite got its hooks into me. I appreciated the addition of the comic book page-like dialogue, which helped give the characters more life than would otherwise be possible with the game’s isometric point of view, however, the story beats seemed to come and go so fast that I’d barely get the chance to care about any of these characters or even really know who exactly they are.

Additionally, the game introduces a lot of characters at such a fast rate, and then pretty much ignores them, resulting in most of the characters feeling forgettable and like they were only introduced to move the story forward. I still don’t understand the significance of many of the characters introduced, and can only remember a few of their names. This made it difficult for me to get invested in the story and ultimately made the non-combat sections of the game feel like a bit of a slog, which was only further exacerbated by clunky controls and UI. There were several times when I’d have to click on something multiple times or stand at just the right angle in order to activate it, and moving the character felt a little wonky on mouse and keyboard.

What I found a turnoff was from one of the screencaps they posted of the comics-style panels, showing a pirate captain warning another guy at bladepoint that if he came back his way, he'd visit graphic violence against him. Seriously, even if this is supposed to be an adult-themed game, that's still very nasty and superfluous, and we could honestly do without it. Some could say it's another example of how "realism" has come at the expense of escapism. And emphasizing villainy can be a poor influence too.

I'm sure there's more computer games out there with comics-style narratives that could hold up better, and it's to be hoped some future game producers will consider how too much jarring violence and allusions to the same are doing more harm than good to the medium. If anything needs to be toned down, it's the superfluous reliance on overly violent content.

Labels: golden calf of villainy, msm propaganda, technology, violence

Newsarama's listed 25 examples of what they claim are the "best" of 2024, and as can only so often be expected, quite a few dreadful examples turn up. For example, Universal Monsters: Frankenstein:

With Universal Monsters: Frankenstein writer/artist Michael Walsh has crafted an original tale that sits alongside James Whale's 1931 film, enhancing the role played by Doctor Frankenstein's assistant Fritz and introducing Paul, a headstrong young orphan whose late father provided some of the Monster's reanimated body parts. Mostly staying true to the social conventions of the film's 19th Century milieu, Henry's headstrong fiancée Elizabeth adds some contemporary edge, instigating a discussion about the sexual politics of the day and acting as the story's moral centre. With the narrative subtly shifting between different time periods throughout the four issues, Walsh doesn't shirk from the brutality of the not-so-good Doctor's questionable actions with many of the characters meeting violent ends, while the famous scene where Little Maria ominously meets the Monster by a lake is recreated with understated tenderness. Aided by Toni-Marie Griffin's sombre colours, there's a pleasing simplicity to Walsh's fluid linework, and his depiction of the Monster adds a more naturalistic but no less scary element to Boris Karloff's memorable make-up.

Gee, this is all the world needs. More emphasis upon the horror genre, and I've got a feeling I don't want to know what the focus on sexual politics is like in this tale either. Then, there's a Poison Ivy series:

Three years ago, if someone had suggested that an ongoing Poison Ivy series would exist at all, you might have scratched your head and asked: "Why?" Sure, people love the Batman villain and, like her girlfriend Harley Quinn, she has become more of an anti-hero over the years, but she's not necessarily a natural fit for the lead of a series. Yet since 2022 writer G. Willow Wilson, along with Marcio Takara and occasional fill-in artists, has been making the case that Ivy isn't just a great lead, she's one of the cornerstone characters of the DC Universe. In 2024 the series brought on a character redefining Poison Ivy: Year One style arc, a final battle with her former mentor and creator, the Floronic Man, and it's just kept building from there. A recent crossover one-shot dug deeper into the book's Swamp Thing influences without ignoring how Ivy is uniquely different than other characters steeped in The Green. [...]

It's bad enough we have a case of villain worship going on here, but making this worse is that a left-wing propagandist for Islam is writing it. And if memory serves, wasn't it the disgraced Neil Gaiman who came up with the decidedly unnecessary idea of Poison Ivy being a protege of the Floronic Man? Well we definitely don't need something that draws from whatever Gaiman came up with back in the day. Then, there's the following Daredevil series:

Leaning into Matt Murdock's religious side can be a gamble, given how divisive the topic can be, especially when mixed with superhero fantasy. But current Daredevil writer Saladin Ahmed and lead artist Aaron Kuder have managed to thread the needle in an incredibly compelling way by first setting Matt up as a struggling priest believing he is on a mission from God after dying and being brought back from Hell, and then forcing him to confront physical manifestations of demonic sin that may have followed him out of the abyss. Daredevil rarely butts heads with the supernatural, but Ahmed has kept things at least a little bit grounded by peppering in an absolutely chaotic rendition of Bullseye. On the other hand, things have taken an unprecedented turn with Kingpin first becoming possessed, then seeking penitence with Daredevil – a turnabout so hauntingly effective, it has led to Matt Murdock questioning his own faith in his inability to absolve Wilson Fisk. Daredevil is often said to be at its best as a title when Matt Murdock is on the backfoot, fighting like an underdog against not just the world around him, but even himself. If that's true, the current run is taking the lesson to heart in a tragic (but extremely readable) way.

So they make things worse by ignoring Ahmed's own disturbing record just as much as Wilson's. There's every chance Ahmed has quite an awful take on religion apart from what he sadly adheres to, and as the paragraph indicates, Matt Murdock sounds like he's being forced by the writer to throw his Christian faith out the window. Wonder what Frank Miller has to say about that? Considering how pathetic he's become of recent, probably nothing at all. And why must Matt absolve the Kingpin based upon the crook's sordid record in Marvel history? What an embarrassment. Newsarama also listed an Image title, Ain't No Grave, another built on violent themes:

Skottie Young and Jorge Corona's supernatural western has a simple but irresistible premise. Ryder is a reformed gunslinger and bandit who has traded in her life of robbery and violence for a beautiful family. When she's diagnosed with a terminal illness, however, she picks up the pistols once more and sets out with a new target in mind: Death itself. Published over five issues (each themed around one of the stages of grief), Ain't No Grave was as exciting and funny as you'd expect from the creator of I Hate Fairyland, but it was also shot through with a palpable melancholy. The fourth issue, titled 'Depression', was a near-wordless trek through a barren landscape, while the final part brought Ryder to an emotional reckoning with both her immortal target and with the consequences of her often brutal life. Corona and colorist Jean-Francois Beaulieu do striking work here, while Young's script uses the fantastical premise to say something moving and truthful about the lasting impact of bloodshed and the important things in life.

Something tells me that if it depicts its subject matter through a comedic lens, chances are very low the comic will say anything educational about why bloodshed out of barbarism is wrong, nor will it acknowledge that making gore galore look entertaining is unhealthy. Now here's an item about Batman & Robin: Year One:

If there is any one exhausted era of comic book mythology, it's "What was Batman doing near the beginning of his career?" Everyone knows the story of how he met Dick Grayson and turned an orphaned acrobat into the Boy Wonder. What sets Batman & Robin: Year One apart, though, is that it's not only focused on the rise of the Dynamic Duo and what it took for the two to work together as a unit. Instead, author Mark Waid understands that you cannot raise a kid on crimefighting alone, and dives into Bruce Wayne's own learning curve as an adoptive figure as well. The result, fueled by Chris Samnee’s powerhouse art, is one of the best renditions of this all-too familiar tale so far. And though the story involves a new threat arriving in Gotham City and some recognizable villainous faces, the comic is at its most delightful when it harnesses the awe of getting to hang around with Batman. I mean, come on. He's BATMAN.

Umm, "hanging around" with Batman doesn't work if the script for the story doesn't. And Waid's lost his way a long time ago, so why should we expect much from this latest take on the whole "year one" approach that began as early as the time Miller wrote for Batman in the late 80s? I do recall it was around that time Jason Todd, the 2nd Robin, had his background changed barely 4 years after his debut, yet DC editorial let bad storytelling ensuing afterwards serve as justification for writing him getting slain by the Joker soon after in the otherwise stupid and ill-advised telephone poll. And what does Waid "understand" these days? Next is an X-Factor series written by another social justice panderer:

As a title, X-Factor has been ripe for reinvention since its earliest years when it shifted focus from a team made up of the original five X-Men to a new group of government recruits. And across its many eras and new directions in the time since, few have felt as immediately vital as writer Mark Russell, artist Bob Quinn, colorist Jesus Aburtov, and letterer Joe Caramagna's recent X-Factor relaunch. X-Factor picks up on a throughline that's been going in the X-Men universe for decades now, with a team of sponsored mutant recruits whose main mission is to maintain popularity with an audience that may or may not be watching simply to see them fail. And fail they do, with an ever-evolving, often revolving cast of mutant heroes who are simply being fed into an almost literal social media meat grinder. It's a tragically satirical take on the fleeting nature of celebrity, the antagonism that can exist between artist and audience, and the power of bigotry over the bottom line, all wrapped up in an ongoing subplot about the mutants who dare to resist the fickle whims of those who feed off of terminally online clout-chasing.

Say, isn't that the same guy who penned a political take on the Snagglepuss character from Hanna-Barbera animation like the Quick Draw McGraw Show, and even penned sex-negative takes on Red Sonja? What do we need his woke drivel for? "Failure" is unfortunately the result here too, and if they're going to take woke perspective on the issues involved, it's no wonder they're bound to fall flat. Then comes Image's One Hand and Six Fingers:

Moody and intense, The One Hand and The Six Fingers is a triumph for Image, a company that's already found significant success in the crime and horror genres. But what sets the cat-and-mouse story found in The One Hand and The Six Fingers apart is that it's actually two separate but intertwined tales, by different creative teams. The One Hand, by Ram V and Laurence Campbell, details grizzled detective Ari Nasser's attempts to catch a serial killer that he's quite familiar with while The Six Fingers, by Dan Watters and Sumit Kumar, allows us to see things from the killer's point of view. While one can certainly attempt to read each series by itself, the two comics and their mythology intersect to create a puzzle that makes reading both the much more satisfying option. The trade paperback collecting both series hit stores this week, so if these flew under your radar on their initial release, now's your chance to get the whole gloriously suspenseful picture in one place.

Once more, a chance to focus instead on something joyful has been wasted for the sake of this horror garbage, which even makes sure to spotlight the villain's viewpoint. Now, here's Newsarama's choice of Ultimate X-Men:

Peach Momoko’s Ultimate X-Men might disappoint those looking for, well, the X-Men. However, what it lacks in Cyclops and Wolverine, it makes up for by revitalizing the themes of the series that have been a focal point since they debuted in 1963. Ultimate X-Men hones in on the experience of growing up and feeling like an outcast, all the while discovering how our differences can either empower us or lead us to lash out against the world. Momoko's art and writing are both great, but what she excels in is grappling with the heightened feelings of youth – main character Hisako Ichiki/Armor and her new friends all experience excitement, wonder, grief and guilt on outsized levels, with each feeling tying into their burgeoning mutant abilities. Combine that with Momoko's ability to craft some truly haunting visuals (A few panels could've easily come out of horror creator Junji Ito's catalog), and you have an X-Men title that both feels like a tribute to what's made Marvel's mutants connect to readers for so long and an effective, entirely refreshing adventure.

If this is a horror-themed take on the X-Men, I'm not sure what they believe is so great about this. And then, if there's a most telling embarrassment among these "choices", it would have to be Alan Scott: The Green Lantern:

When Alan Scott, the original Golden Age Green Lantern, was officially retconned into being a gay man back in 2011, the response was certainly mixed. It only took 13 years, but DC has finally paid off that decision through Alan Scott: The Green Lantern, the character's recent solo limited series which proved to be not just a beautifully rendered flashback to the Golden Age of superheroes, but also a delicate, tragic, and heartfelt rumination on the nature of what it means to have a secret identity, and what happens when even that isn't enough to provide the freedom of living as one's truest, most authentic self. Writer Tim Sheridan, artist Cian Tormey, colorist Matt Herms, and letterer Lucas Gattoni turn in one of the year's most surprisingly affecting stories in Alan Scott: The Green Lantern, reminding us that the medium of superhero comics can still be reflective of the human experience in deeper, more literary ways, even in an era when bubblegum and popcorn comics are filling the stands. [...]

It's atrocious how the columnists are going all out to normalize and justify this retcon, which did nothing for Alan's reputation as a character, nor did it improve sales. Even Roy Thomas was very displeased. "Deeper" and "more litetary"? Only in the sense that it's woke. And then, up next comes Absolute Batman, apparently part of DC's idea for how to produce a variation on Marvel's Ultimate line:

One of the two biggest sellers of the year (alongside Marvel's Ultimate Spider-Man) Absolute Batman kicked DC's new Absolute universe off in fine style. Returning to the Dark Knight after a four-year break, long-time Batman scribe Scott Snyder breathes new life into the Caped Crusader, stripping the young Bruce Wayne of his fortune and reconfiguring him as a blue collar worker living in Crime Alley, assisted in his bid to take on the violent and mysterious Party Animals by veteran spy and assassin Alfred Pennyworth. Alongside appearances from Mayor Jim Gordon and rookie street cop Barbara Gordon, Snyder throws in cameos from Harvey Dent, Oswald Cobblepot, Edward Nigma and Waylon Jones – here reinvented as Bruce's shady, but seemingly largely decent, peer group who are yet to adopt any supervillain personas. With many pages featuring nearly 20 panels, the real revelation is artist Nick Dragotta, who proves equally adept at the quieter, character moments as he is at the viscerally choreographed fight scenes. Assisted by Frank Martin's muted colours, his bulked-up Batman is truly scary while #2's splash-page debut of the Bat-Truck takes the breath away. With Absolute Superman and Absolute Wonder Woman also impressing, there's high hopes for the forthcoming Absolute Green Lantern and Absolute Martian Manhunter titles.

This is tiresome already, and even Marvel's Ultimate line came awfully late nearly a quarter century ago. I suppose this is the current editorial's idea of how to pander to anybody who dislikes the idea of a millionaire fighting crime altruistically? That Alfred Pennyworth's been turned into an assassin in this tale is also very dismaying. Making him a spy is one thing, but making him an assassin is distasteful. I hesitate to think what any additional Absolute titles will be about, and it goes without saying cameos by the rogues gallery alone don't a good story make. Then, wouldn't you know it, a choice that was surely no accident comes up with the Ninja Turtles:

Are Jason Aaron and his rotating cadre of artists delivering the best run on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since Eastman and Laird introduced the characters decades ago? It's probably too early to make that call, but based on the issues released in 2024, this might turn out to be an all-timer. Part of that is because of the innovative, slow-build structure inherent in the run so far, with each issue focusing on one of the Turtles, who have all been scattered around the globe after a falling out in their past. Each of the first four issues serves as a character piece, therefore, and IDW has perfectly matched top-tier artists to their favorite Turtle characters. Joëlle Jones took on Raphael in prison, Rafael Albuquerque tackled Michelangelo as a TV star in Tokyo, Cliff Chiang delivered a depressed Leonardo meeting some regular-aged non-mutant normal turtles in China, and Chris Burnham took away Donatello's machines and threw him in a hunting zoo. And in each case, those artists are delivering the work of their careers. December 18's #5 is set to bring Darick Robertson into the fold for an issue about Casey Jones, before Juan Ferreyra takes over as the series' first ongoing artist in 2025. Superb art, great character building, thrilling action sequences… It's enough to make you cheer "cowabunga" in your local comic book shop.

No, Aaron and company are incapable of anything but social justice allusions. Leave it to IDW to take a once well regarded indie comic and put it in the hands of a woke writer, proving once more that Peter Laird and Kevin Eastman made a terrible mistake selling their product to a conglomerate. It's also dispiriting that a leftist like Robertson will be working with Aaron and company on this. No "cowabunga" to be had here. And then, speaking of the Ultimate line, the Ultimate Spider-Man series comes up:

It's no secret that fans have practically been begging Marvel Comics to truly reunite Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson (and the publisher has come this close several times in recent years). And while the concept of the pair as a romantic couple remains confined to alternate universes, the new era of Ultimate Spider-Man, launched just about a year ago, has certainly delivered on the premise of the Parker-Watson family. But there's so much more to writer Jonathan Hickman and lead artist Marco Checchetto's ongoing Ultimate Spider-Man title, the flagship of the new Ultimate Universe, than the gimmick of Peter and MJ as married with kids. The title is a reinvention of Peter Parker's origins, to be sure, but what really stands out is the way Ultimate Spider-Man totally redefines nearly every relationship in Peter Parker's life, from Uncle Ben and Aunt May, to J. Jonah Jameson, and even Harry Osborn. [...]

If Marvel truly wanted to reunite Peter and MJ, they'd do it in the 616 universe proper, and not in a cheap knockoff. They say the couple concept remains confined to alternate dimensions, and that's just what's happening here too, so what's the point? They're not arguing that Marvel editorial should reunite Peter and MJ in the 616 universe, and if they won't, it's no surprise Marvel won't even remotely consider. Another Absolute DC title coming up here is that for Wonder Woman:

The launch of DC's Absolute Universe was surely the year's biggest comics event, but the most exciting thing about it has been the sheer quality of the books themselves. All three titles have been nothing short of excellent so far, but while Absolute Batman is the more attention-grabbing title, it's Kelly Thompson and Hayden Sherman's thrilling reinvention of the amazing Amazon that stole our hearts. Although the circumstances surrounding this new take on Diana are on the surface bleak – she is raised not on Themyscira, but in Hell by Circe – the warmth and goodness of the character is still very much present and correct. While Thompson's script strikes a fine balance between the tough and the heartfelt, Hayden Sherman's elegant pencils and innovative layouts, and colorist Jordie Bellaire's palette of infernal reds and blacks, make for a seriously good-looking comic. Look, we realize this is a very high ranking for a comic that's only published two issues so far (though we have also read December 26's #3 and boy are we looking forward to talking about that...) but by placing Diana in a much harsher world while retaining all of her essential goodness of spirit, Thompson and Sherman have created something genuinely breathtaking. Plus this Wonder Woman has an absolutely massive sword.

Gee, just what we need - a classic babe being raised in the worst place to be. And isn't Thompson one of the most notably woke leftists working in comicdom today? One more reason to skip this and not be fooled. Mainly because they're unlikely to make any clear points about what's making the real world harsh as it is. Finally, they also listed Fantastic Four:

In the decades since their creators Jack Kirby and Stan Lee first brought the Fantastic Four to comics, they've proven a tough concept to truly nail for many creators. Even some of the most loved and well-regarded FF runs have found success by focusing on one or two specific aspects of Marvel's multi-faceted – and notoriously hard to pin down – first family. For the last couple years though, writer Ryan North and lead artist Iban Coello have taken the Fantastic Four title back to its roots as a family drama filled with weird science and strange sci-fi happenings. In 2024 in particular, Fantastic Four has become Marvel's most consistently delightful comic, and one of the most successful comics on the stands at hitting its mark month in and month out. [...]

Sorry, but most readers have long learned not to be fooled, considering how bad the woke editors and writers have made Marvel/DC in over 2 decades. The claim it was tough to nail down what the FF is about, any more than any other Marvel creation, is laughable. Earlier writers got it, and newer ones don't, because they adhere to political correctness far too often, and at the expense of continuity as it was until the turn of the century, before it collapsed under PC weight. To say 2024 in particular is the "best" moment ever for FF only ignores seriousness.

So anyway, another fluff-coated "article" by mainstream writers who only serve as apologists and tabloid writers for the sake of the establishment, and they won't admit Marvel/DC lost direction long ago, let alone that their ongoing monthly series have continued for far too long, one of the reasons why they fell into decay.

Labels: bad editors, dc comics, Fantastic Four, golden calf of villainy, indie publishers, islam and jihad, licensed products, marvel comics, misogyny and racism, Spider-Man, women of dc, women of marvel, Wonder Woman

Sony's Kraven the Hunter movie flopped even worse than Madame Web, as NY's Vulture reports:

Opening in more than 3,200 theaters across North America, Kraven the Hunter grossed a lowly $11 million over its first three days, landing at No. 3 among wide-release movies, behind Moana 2 (in its third week out) and Wicked (in its fourth). Not only did that debut significantly undershoot prerelease “tracking” estimates in the $20 million to $25 million range, but it arrives as the worst bow for any film in Sony’s MCU-adjacent Spider-Man Universe — managing to underperform February’s draggy, nepo-heroic Madame Web ($15.3 million) while logging a calamitous 15 percent on the Tomatometer and an abysmal C from CinemaScore. Internationally, Kraven fared even worse, landing in fourth place behind the three-plus-hour Telugu-language action-drama Pushpa: The Rule — Part 2.

But perhaps most ignominious, coming at the tail end of a year in which Joker: Folie à Deux flopped hard and October’s Venom: The Last Dance hit multiplexes as the lowest-grossing film in the six-year-old Venom franchise (taking in $473 million versus the first Venom’s $856 million global haul) — maintaining a negative momentum that began with 2022’s Spider-Man Universe misfire, Morbius — Kraven seemed to confirm one of Hollywood’s worst fears. Namely, that outside of Deadpool & Wolverine’s record-setting $1.3 billion haul this past summer, audiences just don’t seem to turn out for superhero movies anymore. Especially not the Sony-produced anti-hero ones plotted around Spidey villains who are contractually forbidden from referencing the web-slinger in any way. “There used to be a floor for these secondary superhero openings, but these three Spider-Man spinoffs’ audiences are saying, ‘If you don’t give us something reasonably entertaining, we’re not going,’” says David A. Gross, who operates the cinema-consulting firm Franchise Entertainment Research. “Morbius, Madame Web, and now Kraven were disliked by both critics and moviegoers. The genre has simply stopped growing.”

The problem isn't comics movies themselves, but fare spotlighting villains as though villainy is truly a great example, in addition to the recent lurch towards wokeness. Why is it some people think villains make far better a focus than heroes and what they do in and out of costume? Do the filmmakers really think just because the villains themselves wear all these funny costumes and sport all sorts of bizarre superpowers, both hand-held and internal, that the audience is going to gush all over them while leaving the superheroes on the sidelines? What a head-shaker.

John Nolte at Breitbart addressed the subject:

After three bombs out of four, Sony has announced the death of its Spider-Man Villain Universe franchise.

Because Disney owns the rights to pretty much every other Marvel character, Sony has one: Spider-Man, and that includes the characters in that narrow universe. Looking to suck the marrow out of that narrow universe after seeing all the money Marvel Studios was raking in, Sony decided to turn to the Spider-Man villains for cinematic product. [...]

Sony now intends to stop with the villains and stick to its main character, Spider-Man, through movies starring Tom Holland, animated features, and something called Spider-Man Noir starring Nicolas Cage.

Granted, I only bothered to watch one of these villain movies, Morbius, and it stunk. Still, I don’t blame the concept or the acting. The problem was a dull story and script. Why must it always be an origin story? Why can’t we jump into the middle of the action and then use a few lines of dialogue to explain how Kraven and Madame Web and Morbius became Kraven and Madame Web and Morbius? Instead, we’re always bogged down in these boilerplate stories about how so-and-so became so-and-so.

I suppose origin stories can get pretty tiresome as a concept after a while, but even so, the glamorization of villainy is what really sinks these films.

So the Spider-Man Villain Universe now joins the DC Extended Universe on the scrap heap. It is now just the DC Universe with James Gunn in charge. Marvel is also rebooting somewhat by bringing back Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans as different characters. Marvel went woke, which killed the golden goose, so it’s back to the straight white guys.

Well let's hope any DC-based villain universe is also kaput. To make such a spectacle out of the Joker is easily worse than doing it with Kraven, if only because stories starring the Clown Prince of Crime had such an emphasis on committing murder sprees in the past, which Kraven may have had on his comics story record too, but with the Joker, it's more noticeable. All that aside, what's so special about a crook who was written committing suicide in 1987's notable Spidey story, "Kraven's Last Hunt"? I think it was only close to a quarter century later that Kraven was pointlessly resurrected for the sake of having a commercial costumed villain around to cast in stories by writers who were either overrated, or just lost direction. And then Marvel even laughably went out of their way to write up sons and daughters for Kraven who could also take up his mantle. I'm sorry, but that too was a form of sucking the whole franchise dry. We don't need that kind of cynical exploitation any more than the now catastrophous movie.

But, as Nolte's said, comics movies sadly don't look to be running out of steam anytime soon. One more reason why the comics proper are bound to suffer in their overrated wake.

Labels: animation, golden calf of villainy, marvel comics, msm propaganda, Spider-Man