Superman casting: Like I needed something else to complain about...

With Middle East governments destabilizing, winter storms turning the gutters into leaking yet impenetrable ice dams, and a partially torn Achilles tendon in a boot that forces me to walk like RoboCop (as opposed to normally when I choose to walk that way), today  I’m going to complain about something serious: Hollywood’s use of Superman.

They’ve cast Superman for a new film, and he’s Henry Cavill an impressive looking relative unknown.  A fine choice as long as they used the, “Lois…there’s something I have to tell you,” scene from the original for his screen test…otherwise it hardly matters.

DC Does the Same Good Thing Again...But Better

 

The Suicide Squad came out

um

a bit ago.

DC and Marvel, What kind of Guy?

 Given my history (and my tattoo) people identify me pretty quickly as "You're a DC Guy."

DC Should Stand for Delightfulness Coming (back)

I believe I may have complained a bit about the DC Universe movies and the Nu52 comics.

OK, maybe it was more  “in a continuous ranting stream” and less of “a bit,” but things are finally looking up!

I’ve said this multiple ways, but it applies here again. 

Marvel is most famous for Characters. They have flaws and idiosyncrasies we identify with, and we admire them because they still choose to do the heroic thing.

DC is most famous for Icons.  We admire them for being something to aspire to. 

The Area Where DC is Untouchable

As stated, Marvel is kind of beating the pants off of DC in many areas of the media.

However, there is one set of outputs over a period of time (I recently watched again) where DC's quality is untouchable and unlikely to be equaled.

The DC Animated Universe.

Thunderbolts* Hits Well!

It seems the Marvel Cinematic Universe has learned a great deal from the Deadpool franchise.

Thunderbolts* is full of fun and snarky characters, has great action scenes, plus wild locations and events. 

The Thrill of the Hunt or…

My action figure addiction, like any addiction, expands as a result of stress.

Inside the Mind of a Toy Addict Part 2- Dawn of the Superheroes

Part 1

While I do accept (And often embrace) my problem, I do enjoy placing the fault of my out-of-control Marvel Figures collection squarely on my sister’s shoulders.

Part of me feels this is well deserved payback for the multiple, "Saaaaaa...llllllyyyyyyyy" incidents over the years.

Due to the success of animated Superhero shows and the comics explosion of the Nineties both Marvel and DC were pumping out action figures by this point. I would look at them at stores but was sticking with what I had.
 
Then one year, when it was time for me to be the annual pain in the butt and regularly ask my sister, “What did you get me for Christmas,” she would constantly answer “Marvel Figures.”
 
She was so deadpan about this that I was convinced she was telling the truth.
 
She was not.
 
She found this hilarious, and for the next MANY years, that would be her answer as any gift-based holiday approached.
“Marvel Figures.”
 
This was her go to gag for a long while.
 
By the time I finished college, I was used to this.
That’s when she actually got me some Marvel Figures for my birthday.
 
She was right, it was hilarious.
 
However, I can now blame her for that gift leading to the raging addiction that stands before me now.
 

I do not remember which figures she got me; they were whatever she found on sale. I do know one was “Exploding Ghost Rider” because I learned falling off the top row of my bookshelves made the “explodey” feature a permanent one.
 

Avengers: Infinity Whoah!

Spoiler Free Review:

They should have just called it:

 “HOLY CRAP - The Motion Picture!”

Thank you very much, good night!

DC Plays to its Strengths in Blue Beetle

DC films have been all over the place. They've screwed up a considerable number of them, and even the ones they've done well have their own errors, used characters that let them dip partially into where DC shines without full embracing it, or have leaned on the ones they've screwed up to continue trends.

Until Now!

Not a STAR WARS story- A Star Wars STORY

Let’s get the important thing out of the way first.

The movie was fantastic, had interesting characters, and impressive visuals.  The story pulled the audience along with strong drama and edge of the seat action scenes.  The 3D added a sense of movement and immersiveness to the space battles and chases

What If... The MCU Kept Getting More and More Like the Comics.

I've been a big fan of the What If comic series for most of my comic collecting life. There have been several runs and I have favorite stories in all of them.

Superman: With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

No, I haven’t started a new series of Amalgams; I’m talking about Man of Steel.  If Warner Brothers wants to copy the successes of Marvel’s films; they really should have watched the first Spider-man before tackling Superman, to let the mantra in the title get drilled into their heads.

Before I get on my comic nerd soapbox, I need to clear something up.  I’m all about seeing superhero movies.  Even though I descend into humorous (hopefully) geekly rants about most of them, I greatly enjoy watching interpretations of the characters I love on the big screen.  Flaws and all, I enjoyed Green Lantern.

 I even enjoyed Daredevil and Ghost Rider. 

Heck, though thinking about them at all made glaring issues obvious, I enjoyed the experiences of watching Superman Returns and Batman and Robin. 

I am not a tough audience. 

Yes, I complain and gripe about things done “wrong,” but I also gain a great deal of pleasure watching the movies.

I did not enjoy Man of Steel.

 Neither did my wife (who thought it was too dark and violent) or daughter (who asked near the end, “Do we HAVE to buy it when it comes out?”) There were serious problems over and above the stuff I’m going to start ranting about now.  I’ll get back to those later.

Giving Thanks for Justice League

Short Spoiler Free Review:

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Slightly Longer Spoiler Free Review:

Disneyland 2024- Day 3: May 14

The App Is Useless So We Literally Met Geppetto Two Times

Disneyland 2024- Day 2: May 13

We Begin To Practice The Hippie Art of Manifesting Characters Because The App Is Useless

Who Needs Icons When You've Got a Talking Raccoon with a Machine Gun?

All along, the Marvel Films have been referring to themselves as being in “The Marvel Universe.”

However, that’s been a bit of an exaggeration. Though there have some Asgardian bits thrown in from the Thor side, it’s been an excessively Earth centric set of tales…

Until Now.

Favorite Joke-(r): Introduction

First of all I apologize for being derelict in my duties.  I was busy having a long overdue Up the Lake stay and I missed the Ant Man premier.  I did see Minions twice because it was hysterical.  We finally caught Ant Man and, since Marvel Studios is really good at this, it was awesome - go see it.  It showed they can make smaller films and still set them within, and add to, the grand universe the Avengers  franchise has established.  It was action packed, funny, had some good father-daughter stuff, and highlighted powers (shrinking and ant control) that haven't been done dynamically on the big screen before that was perfect for 3D scenes.

That's all the review there will be for this outing. It isn't less deserving than other movies, its just a timing issue. Marvel may be light years ahead of DC in film quality, and have even been leading them in comic store offerings for quite a while up until a few new launches.

However, deep down in my soul, I'm still more of a DC guy, and there's an important anniversary for one of their icons that I can't overlook.

To mark the Seventy-Fifth anniversary of the Joker’s debut ComicBookResources.com has done one of their surveys to generate the list of the character’s top Seventy-Five appearances.

Jeff's Tattoo Rules: #6-#10

Click here for Rules#1-#5

Returning to the topics of pain, and learning from my errors:

I thought it would be “cute” to wait a week after the tiger until Thanksgiving for the big reveal and show everyone at once.  I kept my shirt sleeves rolled down whenever people were around. (This, in all honestly should have tipped off anyone who knows me that something was going on.)

I made the mistake of plopping down next to my Mother during a Duke Basketball game the night the secret art was applied. Sitting in this location is a mistake in general, remembering that she carries those “tough old broad from the Bronx” genes.  However, for me, it was excruciating.

An Infinite Gauntlet of Crises

"People are like Twinkies. They are filled with a creamy goodness that is creativity.

However, people are also under pressure, and if they do not have a healthy outlet for their creativity, it squirts out in strange directions"

- Brian Moriarity

 This was written back when I had just moved into our new home, and hadn’t sold the old one yet. 

 Moving can be stressful

Since there were nearly a hundred characters in the first one, this one was only supposed to have a dozen or so to avoid having them be too obscure.

Also, due to the kind of financial jiggery pokery that caused the market collapse at the time, we had four mortgages.

 Moving can be VERY stressful.

Hence, this is the larger than originally planned amalgaddendum.

For the comic geeks in the crowd, I used more Marvel Knights than Defenders in for my JSA combinations this time around...for no reason other than I like them.  Also, I decided the MC2 universe of Spider-Girl is the true future of Marvel, because it’s happier.

As I said, I was stressed.

New Pictured Characters in CAPS

Characters from Amalgamations Accumulate in Italics
As always, please click on the pictures to bask in the obsession.

A CONTEST NO MORE