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Home Columns  by Scott Tipton  by Chris Ryall  by Scott Bowden  by Joshua Jabcuga  by Jud Meyers    |  Ron Twoeagle |
Mailbag
Comics 101 Is in Session
William M. writes: If I asked you for some shameless pimpage of my music in the mailbag what would you say?
To keep it on topic, one of the songs of my new album, Journey, was inspired by Infinite Crisis. To download it (and the rest of my music) for free, check out myspace.com/classictragichero . I also have a music video for "White Boy Rap" available on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRZPRqk6x58.
Tipton: Absolutely not.
Alan writes: love your column, i read it weekly. i was figuring (no pun intended) that you would be the best source of information for this question, i was just trying to find out if there was, anywhere in the marvel select or other figures, a kree sentry?
Tipton: I think the closest was a Ronan the Accuser figure from the SILVER SURFER animated line from Toy Biz, but it's too small, being in the 5 1/2-inch scale.
Noah R. writes: Given all the recent excitement over a lesbian Batwoman (and a generally more diverse DC gallery), it might be interesting if you did an article surveying the history of minority, disabled and otherwise neglected peoples in comics. Just a thought. Keep up the great work!
Tipton: A good idea. I'll try to work it in.
Geoff T. writes: A few things:
1) As for the Banner/Hulk debate, I think I remember that in Hulk: The End (or something like that) that Banner actually does die, and its just the Hulk, forever. He's finally alone, with a bunch of huge cockroaches.
That seemed much sadder in the comic than it just did right there.
2) I usually totally agree with you guys on comics related stuff, but I have to disagree on X-Men 3. It's not going to be remembered as a great film, and not even a great comic-book film, but it was worth the 8 bucks.
Suffice it to say that I would rather see an X-Men film with a few plot holes and occasionally shoddy writing, than no X-Men film at all.
Plus, it was worth the price of admission just to see Beast's eyes when Leech's powers start affecting him. The movie's uneven, but the highs are really high.
3) My life would be much improved if Grant Morrison had stopped writing comics after his JLA run.
Animal Man? Brilliant. His JLA run? The thing that cemented me into being a comic book geek. And I like 52 so far.
But Seven Soldiers hurts my head, and his X-Men run makes me nauseous just thinking about it.
You want to complain about Ratner ruining the X-Men? How about Morrison!
Tipton: I remember that HULK story being very good.
Agree to disagree on X3.
I still think Morrison's a great talent, and always worth taking a chance on. I just don't think he's bulletproof.
Chris writes: I was amused by your words on the X-Men cartoon, which I watched diligently as a child, but had all but forgotten since I discovered the DCAU in the last couple of years. The thing that I always loved about the show was how much it looked
exactly like an animated comic, which I don't believe any other adaptation has achieved quite as well. That is not to say that the quality of the writing was always as good, I used to get quite angry when Rogue was used to save the day again and again. Finally - best treatment of Angel ever.
Tipton: And you're right -- that was an awesome theme song.
Aaron writes: Hey Scott - once again, great work with the column and the new site.
Got reminded the other day of a Superboy comic that I remember picking up at one of those "Scholastic Book Fairs" they used to have in elementary school - I remember that it had several stories in it (almost like a trade paperback) - most I don't remember all that well, but most were silver-age and were included stories where Superboy was on a gameshow like 'To Tell the Truth' (like in the beginning of "Catch Me If You Can"), another story where he was a one-man baseball team for charity, and another story where there was a man who "arrived on earth" and claimed he was also from Krypton (although it was just a ploy to steal Superboy's powers). The books also contained several maps, schematics, breakdowns, etc of the various types of Kryptonite and the like - loved those.
A lot of these stories contained Silver-Age goofiness, but of course, hold a place dear to my heart since I wore the covers off reading and re-reading them. I'm trying to track these down now, as I'd like to re-read some of these, and/or pick up something similar in collected or archive form.
Do you know/remember of anything like this? And, more importantly, do you have any recommendations for anything out there if I'm looking for stories like these?
Thanks again and keep up the great work (although you're draining my wallet! lol)
Tipton: I remember those, but I have no idea where to find them now. Best bet would be the quarter bin at your nearest comic convention.
Todd S. writes: Mr. Tipton, it is great news that your going to be producing more. Your style of writing is great with either the journalism of this site or when you decide to delve into the well of the buffyverse. But seriously if your actual day job does take priority, is there anyway a simple comics fan could perhaps help with the site. no recognition, no reward, but maybe some research. i mean i can quote how almost every marvel character up until the mid 90's got their powers. i used to love comics very much, and love them again (in large part due to you and Kingdom Come). Just asking.
Tipton: Thanks much for the offer, but I'm just obsessive enough to have to handle everything myself. However, if you ever think you have a great idea for a column, the Guest Lecturer spot is always open for submissions.
Todd E. writes: Gotta love Venture Bros.; I've often wondered if the Tag Sale episode was my favorite because it was the first one I ever saw or because it was the strongest ep; glad to see it get a shout-out in your column. The Monarch has got to be one of the best villains ever, and I can hardly wait for the season premiere this weekend. I finally got my copy the DVDs a couple of days ago. Opened up the box, looked at the artwork on the front and thought "Boy, that looks like Sienkiewicz." Then opened the flap, saw the inner artwork, and thought "A LOT like Sienkiewicz." Glanced at the picture on the back and thought "Okay, where the heck is the cover art information, because that has got to be freaking Sienkiewicz." Very cool.
Some quick thoughts about the X-men cartoon:
1) Your description of Storm channelling MotU is spot on; I've often wondered if that was Halle Berry's inspiration for her own horrible line readings, or if she came up with them on her own.
2) The Phoenix storyline first aired while I was living in the dorms my sophomore year of college, and a friend and I would go around repeating two of the lines from it ad nauseum. The first was D'ken's over-dramatic "The crystal is near, I can feel its power!" The second was the first lines of Phoenix as she burst from the water, a bold "I AM PHOENIX!" followed by a little pause and then a mousey "help me" as she collapsed. For some reason, both of those amused us to no end.
3) The same friend and I also wondered about the studio band responsible for the theme song, in particular the musician responsible for the one loud striking of a bell at the end (we theorized it was his big break, and that he later got to play the bells for Smashing Pumpkins' "Disarm"); as a matter of fact, when my friend read your column today, the first thing he did was IM me the following: "concerning his X-Men review, here's what I have to say: BONG!"
Tipton: Venture Brothers second-season premiere didn't disappoint, I thought.
Joshua M. writes: Why did Hank as Giant Man need goggles? I saw them in Ultimates, and I also was just browsing the old archives from MPS (which I've found I can access even through the changes, bless their hearts), concerning Avengers figurines....you said:
"The Goliath figure is slightly off-model from its comic-book origins, due the body of the figure being a reuse from the earlier Giant-Man figure, resulting in Goliath sporting the incorrect antennae and circular chest symbol, and not having his goggles, but you know what? It's a Goliath figure. I'm not gonna complain that much."
So, what did he need the goggles for? And where is he now in the post-Avengers dissassembled storyline? Did Cap not want him on the new team?
Finally, what's your favorite version of Dr. Pym? I just love the fact that the man has more identities than Fletch.
Tipton: The goggles were pretty much just ornamental.
He and the Wasp are just elsewhere these days, although he showed up recently in Thunderbolts and I expect he'll have a presence in CIVIL WAR as well.
I like the Ant-Man version best, although Yellowjacket is the best costume.
Eddie C. writes: Glad to see an upcoming article on the X-Men animated series. Aside from the Dini/Timm Batman series, I felt X-Men and Spiderman were the best comic book adaptations in animated form (until recently, in any media form). The most recent Hulk series was pretty good too, until they focused too much on She-Hulk.
What I liked best about X-Men was how they could not only faithfully adapt classic storylines, like the Phoenix Saga, but improve on lesser-known and lesser-quality storylines from the comics as well, like the Phalanx storyline. I even liked additional characters like Morph, a well-developed character in his own right. And I agree, the voice work was excellent.
Can't wait for a round of favorite X-Men moments from the series, but I'll wait for the article. Now how about that animated Spidey article?
Tipton: Yeah, Morph works surprisingly well in the animated series -- I'd forgotten.
After I finish burning the X-Men to DVD, Spidey's next.
Kevin B. writes: I just read your odds and ends piece in Comics 101, and you mention the
X-Men films. I thought it was interesting that you seemed to feel the while the first two films captured the spirit of the X-Men comics that this last one did not. I thought you would find it interesting to note that Bryan Singer was actually not a fan of the X-Men at all before he took the assignment. He did research and such upon taking it, but he had no real prior interest. Ratner on the other hand was a huge X-Men fan before he took the project. Personally, I think it shows. The first two films felt sterile and too much like copies of the matrix for me. They were probably closest to the unfortunate Counter-X group of books that came out a while back out of all the X-Men books. Yes many basic elements were there, but I found the stories to be not so compelling, and it just didn't "feel" like the X-Men to me. Now, this third film didn't exactly feel like the X-Men
either, but it had a lot more energy than the previous two films. Ratner's film took the approach of Justice League Unlimited and just threw so much stuff at you that it was easy to stay interested (sentinel, fastball special, stars and garters, the new characters). Yes, he killed people, but this was the last X-Men film. The stakes needed to be high. I have heard some people say that this was too much of a departure from the books, but honestly after the first half hour of X2, my mind completely separated the book and movie universe. I don't feel as if Prof. X deserved better or something b/c he wasn't my Prof. X. I think his death really made an emotional impact and cemented Phoenix's threat level. I actually think it did a better job of the latter than destroying a solar system of never
before seen broccoli aliens, not that I am saying the film is better than the Claremont story just the the Prof. X death really worked well in my opinion. As for the multiple personality instead of cosmic entity thing, it had to be done. You could not have the space opera aspect in a film. It would not have worked. I had a friend who saw the first two films, never watched the cartoon, then watched the phoenix saga part of the cartoon and
hated it. He just felt it was too complicated and out there for the X-Men (the movie X-Men that he knew). Ratner had to do because Singer forced the Phoenix out at the end fo the second film. I don't really see a lot of better ways of handling it than Ratner did. Yes, Cyclops got the shaft, but honestly he had been unlikeable sinc ehte first film. If you make Wolverine the protagonist then you have to make Cyclops the guy no one likes. I was okay with that, and I LIKE Cyclops. But, I certainly cannot convice you to
like X3, but I really don't feel that the first two films preserved more of
the spirit. I think they preserved less. Come on Nightcrawler as a self-harming, body-carving, mind-controlled assassin/spy for a rogue government agency? Mastermind as a lobotomized mind control drug factory? Lady Deathstrike never speaking!!!!!! The first X-Men films were not geek cool like JLU they were trying to be everyone cool, like the batmobiles from the Batman films, sportscar, sports leather. As far as my own tastes go, I
love the Spider-Man films. When I saw the first one, I didn't think "....that could have been better" like I did when I saw X-Men. I though "...wow..." I was totally drawn into that universe. It felt like the comics to me. So...yeah...that's my two cents.
Tipton: Have to agree to disagree, I guess. Compare it to SUPERMAN RETURNS, and here's a movie that did everything right. Honored the characters while taking them in new directions, and told an exciting story. And it had heart. X3 had none of that.
And I'm sorry, trying to tell a Phoenix story without Cyclops (and killing him off so cavalierly and pointlessly to boot) displays a stunning misunderstanding of what the story was about. It doesn't need to be on the moon, but it does need to be a love story, and Jean's sacrifice needs to mean something. Just weak.
If Ratner was a huge X-Men fan (which is news to me -- from interviews I've read, he's said he just looked through the comics and picked out cool-looking characters and changed their powers to fit the moment), it sure doesn't show.
Let me know what you think of SUPERMAN.
Matt writes: A few things:
Is Geoff Johns' run on the Teen Titans worth picking up? I finally picked up the first four Hawkman books and was really impressed (though the fourth arc wasn't done by him, and it shows.)
What are your thoughts on Judd Winick? Specifically, Green Arrow and The Outsiders? I remember you saying you thought he dropped the ball a bit after Smith's two arcs, but I've really been digging the strong characterization in Outsiders, and also think he really nails the family dynamic between the characters in GA.
Finally, I know you said you were on board for Civil War, but there's just a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense to me, like Peter Parker coming out? No character in comics, with the possible exceptions of Bats and Supes, have been through as much grief to keep their identities secret. Outside of beating up bad guys, keeping his mask on is like his full-time job. And Cap heading up the guys who want to keep their identities secret? Did I miss something, or doesn't everyone on the planet know he's Steve Rogers? Or is this one of those, "I may be a man, but I protect a woman's right to choose" type things? I guess that sort of makes sense, but I figured Cap got all his civil liberties issues out of his system in his Nomad days. I'll stick this one out, but if this turns into a House of M-style fiasco, especially after the turgid pile of crap that was X-3, Marvel is on notice.
Tipton: Johns' TITANS is defintely worth picking up -- as good as the book's been since Wolfman/Perez.
Winick's books are actually a little frustrating--they're always good enough to keep reading, but I never feel really connected with the characters, although his GA has been quite good lately. And I think Winick is a really good writer -- his BARRY WEEN series is an all-time favorite of mine.
Grant B. writes: Rock of Ages hurts my head.
Tipton: Yeah, that can happen. Read some 1950s Superman stories and it'll clear right up.
Cip writes: If Waid is writing the Elongated Man section of 52, then I can't help but
imagine that Grant Morrison keeps bursting into his office to make suggestions
along the lines of: "I've invented a new Indian superteam called the Punjab-Powerhouse, and I think they should kidnap Elongated Man and stretch him between two peaks of the
Khyber to see what note he makes when plucked." Or "I think that Black Adam should beat Granny Dibny into a bloody pulp to give Ralph some motivation." Or "How about we use Hypertime to replace EM with Hong Kong Phooey permanently?"
Have you read the Animal Man #14 with the JLE recently? It's just mean.
Tipton: Actually, I don't think Morrison is one of the "kill 'em all" voices in the new DC. Just a guess on my part.
Mark D. writes: What is Marvel 616?
I have read this term a couple times, used to differentiate between the Ultimate Marvel U and the original Marvel U but what does the number mean?
Tipton: In the series EXCALIBUR, they introduced an agency that was in charge of tracking and policing the countless parallel universes and timestreams. In that story, the "mainstream" Marvel Universe was referred to as Universe #616. The name stuck with the Internet crowd, who use it, just as you said , to refer to the "real" Marvel Universe.
Gojira writes: I was smiling pretty much the whole time I read your column on the many faces and voices of the Man of Steel, because for pretty much every letter of it I was in agreement with you. It's rare that I agree 100% with anyone on anything, but your opinion on the who's-who of Super-actors seems to be that rare occassion. In particular, I thought your comment on the scene from the original Christopher Reeves Superman wherin Supes helplessly looks at a dead Lois was spot-on; for me, the part wherein Superman launches straight at the camera, his face contorted in anger and sadness, emitting an almost animalistic scream, sends chills down my spine everytime I watch it.
I would also like to give you kudos for even mentioning the Superboy show from the 80's, three episodes of which I grew up watching over and over again on an old VHS tape I still own. They hold up surprisingly well, though I fear the poor quality of season 1 will make its DVD sales too low to justify the far superior seasons 2-4 ever seeing the light of release. It's a shame, too. Ah, well.
Tipton: I just bought a set of Superboy -- Man, it's rough goin' to get to season 2.
Tom A. writes: Good Job. Liked the history. I know they are doing a movie based on George Reeves, and Ben Affleck is in the title role, but based on the pics in your piece, wouldn't a slightly slimmed down Drew Carey make a better physical resemblance?
Tipton: "Slightly slimmed-down"? It'd have to be more than slight. Besides, I don't think Drew has the acting chops to pull off any sort of dramatic performance.
Anthony S. writes: I loved the recent column on all the actors who've played Superman. But I have to ask - why did you skip over David Wilson in the TV version of the "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Superman" musical?
I didn't really have to ask. But it would have been nice if his "performance" had at least gotten a humorous footnote.
Tipton: I thought about listing him, but since I'd never seen his performance myself, and it's not commercially available, so no one else had either, I decided against it, especially since he didn't really have an impact on the role, unlike all the rest.
I saw some clips of him on the recent A&E doc, and it made my eyes bleed.
Jim T. writes: Love the article - read it every week! A couple of questions:
1. What's happened to the Comics code - is it defunct? I just read a book on the history of comics, and it referred to the code frequently as a key part of DC's history - but the Infinite Crisis pieces you showed suggest it's not really being followed - at least not as I'm used to.
2. Did you read The Physics of Superheroes? Great book - might be
interesting to do an interview with the author.
Anyway, keep up the great stuff!
Tipton: The Comics Code is pretty much a neutered dog these days, since most comics aren't sold at the newsstand, and publishers have reverted to their own internal standards. It's all but ignored by just about everyone.
There's a stack of books to be read next to my computer here in the office, and PHYSICS OF SUPERHEROES is fourth from the top. We'll see how it goes.
Matt L. writes: Just wondering what you think about the "big reveal" of Spidey's secret identity in CW #2. I saw a letter you responded to in the MailBag in which you said you haven't read the issue yet, but I'm wondering less about the execution and more about it as an idea in general.
Personally, I'm a bit torn. I don't think Peter is the kind of guy who can go for an extended period of time with his ID being public knowledge - he's not as "hardcore" as Matt Murdock. It worked splendidly for Daredevil, and I can see that being a permenant change to the character. Peter, not so much. It's just going to lead to some wild retcon eventually, and one that'll probably leave a sour taste in my mouth.
On the other hand, the cover of CW#5 gives me tingles. They're going to retcon it eventually, but in the meantime, there is so much that they can do with this. I'm excited to see the responses of people like Jonah, Flash Thompson, Robbie Robertson, and hell, maybe even Betty Brant (she's still alive, right? I'm pretty sure she's not dead). And those are just his allies - I can't wait to see reactions from villains like Doc Ock, who not only knows Peter Parker, but dated his aunt! If done right, some of the stories that can spin out of this could be very solid, even if the event itself wasn't.
So, I'm torn. On one hand it doesn't work, but on the other hand it really opens a lot of doors. What do you think?
On another note, have you had a chance to check out Superman Returns yet? I caught a 10 pm showing yesterday, and I'm curious to hear your thoughts on it
Tipton: On the whole, I think it'll make for great short-term stories but horribly damage the character in the long run. His secret identity is so integral to the character, and it's impossible to undo without just playing the "magic reboot" card. And I can't imagine any motivation that would make him risk his family and friends like that. We'll see.
As for the movie, thought it was just an incredibly well-done, classy elegant take on Superman. I re-watched the first 2 films before I saw the new one, and it totally felt like the next natural part of the story. Routh was great as Superman and as Clark, and Spacey's Luthor kept Hackman's charm but added the necessary menace. I mean, seeing Luthor stab Superman with a Kryptonite shiv and break it off -- wow. All the big action beats were there and properly blown up for the modern blockbuster (and how cool was it seeing Superman land a jumbo jet in a packed stadium?). The Williams music, the title sequence, Brando's Jor-El -- just perfect. Even the thing i'd expect to hate -- the son -- totally worked because it was treated with such respect. You never see the kid act super, because Singer knows that would come across as comedic. And the end, when Superman recites Jor-El's words back to his son? Just beautiful. Perfect resolution to what the whole movie was about -- Superman's despair at being alone.
Ross B. writes: I've tried to find this info on the web, but can't really seem to get a clear answer. Was there a Spectre on Earth One and Earth Two? What about the Brave and Bold Stories, where Batman teamed up with the Spectre? And the Spectre comics in the 70's? Were they Earth 2 stories, feauturing the golden age Batman?
Any insight would be appreciated.
Tipton: There seemed to be an Earth-1 Spectre in the '70s thanks to all the appearances in BRAVE AND THE BOLD -- however, writer Bob Haney was notorious about not caring about continuity, so those stories can be pretty much dismissed. Even at the time, readers were told not to think too much about them, from a continuity standpoint. Either Spectre made the trip from Earth-2 to Earth-1 for the adventure, or else it never really happened. Same thing happened with Wildcat -- Haney would use him in B&B and not even address the fact that there's no Wildcat on Earth-1.
TV Recommendations
Dan K. writes: Two words:
BATTLESTAR MANSQUITICA
Ryall: Would you settle for Squidsquito? Read on...
Timothy Y. writes: Haven't written since long before you and Tipton left the 'shoot (which isn't nearly as much fun...don't really care for the redesign...but that's just me).
Just thought you might like to know that the Sci Fi channel is running a "name that movie" contest over on their website. It's apparently about an archaeologist who discovers something on the bottom of the ocean protected by a (wait for it) giant squid!
Yay.
With the exception of the Bruce Campbell pair last year, I've never watched a sci-fi original movie, but I still tune in for the reruns and marathons from time to time. Wait, I did get about halfway through SS Doomtrooper or whatever it was.
Anyway, in the contest you get three suggestions, and the winner gets an MP3 player! Again, yay...
Just thought you'd like to know if you wanted to get in on it...but I should warn you that one of my suggestions was Squidsquito.
Like what you and Scott are doing on the new site.
Ryall: I had to enter that contest, too, although I went about as inelegant as I could. My three choices? Killer Calamari, Sucked Down! and The Depths of Terror. But Squidsquito would be great to see, too.
Incidentally, for those like me who care (obsess) about such things, the first images of a living giant squid were recently captured, too. Go here to check 'em out.
Robert M. writes: Fuck the Emmys. Fuck them. Fuck them up their stupid asses. Grey's Anatomy? Give me a fucking break. Again, for the second year in a row, FUCK THE EMMYS.
Ryall: Never mind the VERONICA MARS (and LOST) snubs, it really grates that SCRUBS and Zach Braff got ignored, while crap like TWO AND A HALF MEN got a nod. Well, no one ever accused Emmy of being current. I'm surprised RAYMOND didn't get some votes, just because the voters are so used to nominating it.
Yo-Ho-Ho and a Bottle of Kryptonite
Mark S. writes: Thanks for your positive review of the latest Pirates flick. Saw the pic on Saturday night and a good time was had by all. I nearly refused to see 'Black Pearl'
when it came out because I just assumed it would suck, but was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it, and really thought this one was very well done.
Good God, the way people have been writing about this movie...it makes me sick. That last line of your review..."big, unabashed summer popcorn flick that fulfills and extends the promise of the first movie"...was right on. Did every other critic/reviewer not realize the "summer popcorn flick" part? They're clearly not trying to deliver freaking 'Casablanca' in the West Indies here, but Verbinski makes a good action movie, the three actors that are supposed to carry the thing do so admirably and the supporting cast is pretty entertaining without going overboard and getting annoying. Way better than
most of the crap I've seen recently.
Ryall: Well, it seemed like a great idea to me for Entertainment Weekly to have movie critic Lisa Schwarzbaum, who gave the first movie a terrible review, check out this one, too. So of course she gave it a D+ -- she's already been clear that she just doesn't get it. Which is mystifying to me, since I really loved the movie. But I think by the fact that this movie even beat AQUAMAN's opening-weekend grosses shows how much her opinion mattered to the general public.
Marc S. replies: Yeah, I read the Entertainment Weekly review. My wife says we probably shouldn't renew our subscription, and she's likely right about that. Just a stupid review.
[Talk of the ending of PIRATES deleted to avoid spoiling it for anyone who hasn't seen it yet.]
David L. writes: Super-tastic! Again, thanks for your terrific review of Superman Returns. It was a great recommendation. Yeah, it was fan-f*****g-tastic!
Brandon Routh practically nails the part perfectly as Superman. My mother said she was better looking and even "sexier" than Christopher Reeve. Bryan Singer made an absolutely fantastic choice. Whenever I hear his voice, I hear a bit of George Reeve, Christopher Reeve, Tom Welling, even a bit of Tim Daly and George Newburn too.
And I really enjoyed Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane. She isn't just an intrepid reporter anymore, she also has to look after a five-year old kid too. It also means she can't go gallivanting into danger the way she used to. And Jason Marsden does a fantastic job playing Richard White. I actually like this character, and felt genuinely sorry for him -- let's face it, he's competing with the Man of Steel for Lois's affections. And Sam Huntingdon nailed Jimmy Olsen. For all intents and purposes -- he is Jimmy in the same way Brandon Routh is Superman. I've never seen the character of Jimmy realized so perfectly before in any medium. I still prefer Jackie Cooper as Perry White, but Frank Langella does a great job too.
The biggest surprise, acting wise, was Kevin Spacey. From the trailer I expected an idiotic camp goofball. What I got instead was a synthesis of all the previous actors portrayals -- Clancy Brown's ruthless streak, Gene Hackman's charismatic charm, and even a bit of Michael Rosenbaum's pathos. Again, Bryan Singer made the right choice.
And the flying sequences are absolutely breathtaking. That plane sequence is the best punch-the-air moment of the past two years. And the plot had enough original ideas to keep comics writers busy for a decade or so. The final plot twist really really surprised me. They'd married Lois and Clark both on TV and Comics, but this idea is even more controversial. Interestingly enough - Geoff Johns and Kurt Busiek had also used Kryptonian crystal technology in their terrific eight-part story "Up, Up and Away." I still prefer their idea over the one used in the film, as it set up a much more personal and action-packed confrontation between Superman and Lex Luthor. Read it for yourself, if you don't believe me. Seeing that would've outdone the plane sequence.
The only minor complaint came, surprisingly enough, from my parents, who also saw the film. They complained that the ending was far too quiet -- that it needed a triumphant ending. I suspect that was what may have alienated some members of the audience and critics too. The emphasis was on the human dynamics instead of the superheroic deeds. I thought it was perfectly appropriate, and left it open for a sequel.
So all in all, I'd give this film 5/5. Seeing this and the terrific finale to the Second series of Doctor Who has really made my day. I can't wait to see this on DVD too!
Ryall: Glad you liked the flick, too. So many people seem overly negative about it for some reason. It's weird that more people give X3 a pass for its plotholes and then take shots at this movie. I think the fact that Superman is a bit more straight-laced a character makes him easier to bash. It's easier to go "cool!" at some contrived scene in X3, but harder for some to really talk about the heart that SUPERMAN had.
I suppose anyone could pick apart anything in these comic book movies if they wanted to, but with this one, I enjoyed the performances and the fact that they tried new things (single mom Lois, absentee dad Superman, the kid).
I'm especially with you on Jimmy and Clark--I thought both were perfect. Langella as White didn't get too much to do, and I miss Cooper, too, but still, he was fine. And I dug Luthor, too -- Spacey hit a nice tone of menace, even when he was being a bit goofy.
I'm certainly intrigued by the next one, too, with the potential "Superkid" and all.
I loved Pirates, too--both of those were really great summer flicks.
Picture of the Week
Tipton: Ah, the 1970s...
See you next week.
