Batman v Superman - A Voice in the Void Review

A lot of people whose opinions I appreciate and respect on a number of topics have been, in a manner of speaking, up-in-arms over the Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice movie which was released Friday before last.  I'm here to tell you; their thoughts, discourse and opinions are lies or, perhaps it's better, instead to simply say: they fucking missed the point.

In my aging state I tend to prefer to avoid opening weekend release viewing of major films.  Gone are the days of sitting online for hours to rush into the theatre with the hope of getting a decent seat.  Now we can buy seats, specific seats, in advance and never concern ourselves with spending any more time waiting to view the film than we decide is desired.  As such I waited till today to see BvS.

I wasn't worried about spoilers; I've read the stories these characters are loosely based on (Dark Knight Returns, Death of Superman) and so I waded knee-deep into the minefield of Twitter seeing posts about how Rotten Tomatoes rated it terribly and numerous, numerous people stabbing at both the writer David S Goyer (Blade, The Dark Knight) and the director Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead, Sucker Punch).



Let's touch on some important things that people completely missed the boat on.  First, the decision to "retell" the Batman origin story.  Yes, they show Thomas and Martha Wayne be gunned down but that isn't the point of the memory; it was in fact a dream and it was a dream about how Bruce first encountered bats and how in this dream they saved/killed him and brought him into the light.  It's a metaphor for who he had become but it also showed that this version of Batman that Goyer and Snyder were portraying was truly broken.  And despite what people will tell you mainstream American (you know, those millions and millions of people who went to see the film that have never read a comic book and may have never even seen prior Batman or Superman movies) they needed to be able to connect Martha Wayne to Bruce in the story.

Second, on that note let's talk about Martha Wayne and Martha Kent (a story line crossover literally decades in the making).  Batman is broken, like...seriously and unimaginably fucked up in this version of the story.  Unlike previous incantations where Bruce used his parent's death as an excuse or even a driving force; this version seems to see that occurrence as a mere stepping stone along a path he was destined for.  Batman is the core of the Justice League; he is their human moral center.  He, unlike all other standard members of the League, is a flesh and blood natural human and he's been broken for a long time.  But guess what; at his core he is still a good person who wanted to do good for the people of Gotham and when Clark utters Martha's name Bruce has an awakening.  He realizes that Superman isn't some god who needs to be feared and destroyed, he's someones son.

You can call that cheesy.  You can call that a cop-out.  But as someone who's read Batman comics for more than half my life; through dozens and dozens of versions of his personality based on differing writers and their construct of him, I can tell you that his reaction was something I expected.

I can't tell you that this movie is perfect; it's not.  There are plot points that seem rushed or at the very least lacking; such as, Diana Prince being in Metropolis to get back a photo of her from when she was fighting in Belgium (along side Chris Pine...) is both naive and somewhat hokey...it's 2016 (even in this movie) and it's a digital image...even if she stole the original and wiped every hard drive she could find he could still have copies...so there's that.  There's the Superman killed people story.  It kinda doesn't make any sense...they were killed with bullets...untraceable bullets, but still...bullets.  Superman would have obliterated them with heat vision if he wanted them dead.  Plus; though this isn't covered in the movie, I am positive that he didn't kill the guy who was holding Lois hostage with a gun to her head so...yeah.

Let's talk about some things that people hated on that aren't plot holes.  First, Batman missing what Lex was really doing.  Bruce had his suspicions and knew Lex was up to something; but I remind you that Bruce is BROKEN mentally and he is absolutely focused on Superman and the need to take him out before he destroys every one and every thing.  Plus there was the Diana women distracting him and weird dreams involving the Flash (which he doesn't know is the Flash yet) and a basically drunk Alfred who wants him to spawn instead of fight.

Second, Superman not seeing the bomb in the during the hearing in DC.  I read a review where the person actually said "why didn't Superman hear the bomb"...I don't mind this person voicing a rather stupid thought, but I do mind them clearly never having watched Fight Club!  "Modern Bombs Don't Tick" is real and the bomb was most likely triggered by a remote device set off by Lex.  There seems to be a side-story in that as well where he allowed his close assistant to die; perhaps he knew that she wasn't able to prevent Bruce from stealing his file, perhaps she knew too much and had to be disposed of.

Batman v Superman is an action-packed film which does a solid job of establishing the DC Universe in characters beyond just Batman and Superman (introduction of Aquaman, Flash, Cyborg, Wonder Woman) and the link between Lex and Darkseid is so...comic-booky that I LOVED IT.  People have been hating on this version of Lex...why?  Because he's a weirdo creep rather than a maniacal psychopath bent on Superman's destruction?  How do you think he got that way?  This movie was Lex Luthor's origin story.  How's that for irony?

I really enjoyed this movie; every film has flaws and plot holes and something for everyone to dislike.  Critics didn't understand it (yes, I realize what I mean when I say that) but it's true.  I'll give you a parable; George Lucas craved the acceptance of Hollywood and critics so much that when he made the prequels he basically said "the true fans will love anything I make but I'm going to try and make this for the masses to enjoy!" and so he went out and did the complete opposite both stylistically and managerially than he had previously by bringing on huge named actors to star and wrote BORING crap stories hoping to appeal to a wider base rather than just focusing on making good movies.  This movie was made with a head nod to the comic book fans specifically.  The story lines are deep rooted in the core of these fanbases.  The Death of Superman and The Dark Knight Returns are some of the most famous stories ever and this film took pieces from both to connect the characters and bring them together.

Is there a better version of this movie?  Possibly.  But this movie didn't disappoint me and I think a lot more people enjoyed it than not.  The fact that on a midday showing the second Sunday after its release I was still in a full theatre is telling.  People love big action films - whether they're about some terrorist trying to take over an airport (Die Hard 2) or superheroes battling a demon monster and each other.

The most important thing I can tell you is this: don't let other people tell you a movie is good or bad; you have to decide that for yourself.  But what's important is that you go in with an open mind.  And also that you listen to me and what I say most of all...I kid..I kid.

Bin Fodder - Superman for All Seasons

Welcome to this week’s edition of Bin Fodder!  Today I’m going in a new direction and diverging from my previous posts that dealt specifically in the realm of independent comics.  That’s right, I’m going mainstream.  And what better way to do it than with the oldest and greatest comic book hero in the world, Superman?

With such a grand legacy to the character it was important, for my purposes and the true nature and idea of what this ongoing feature is all about, to pick a storyline that wasn’t so engrained in the continuity of the title.  Additionally, this allowed me to choose a story that isn’t necessarily so mainstream either.  Granted, Superman: For All Seasons is written by Jeph Loeb with art by Tim Sale, a duo who have teamed up on a number of epic stories; Batman: The Long Halloween comes to mind.

This is Superman with a twist.  Unlike traditional stories or adventures it’s not told from the perspective of the hero himself or purely through the dialogue of the scenes as they play out.  Each comic in the four-part miniseries is told from a different perspective.  

Courtesy of DC Comics

Issue one, titled Spring, has Pa Kent playing the role of narrator.  This is really interesting and gives the reader insight into the mind of a character not usually used with regularity (outside the sometimes overbearing role of Mr. Kent on the television show Smallville).  The issue focuses on the time leading up to when Clark left home to Metropolis en route to becoming Superman.  It shows how the Kents struggled with understanding their son’s miraculous powers and how a young Clark Kent struggled to understand what he was capable of and how even he, the would-be man of steel, was humbled in his youth.

Courtesy of DC Comics

Issue two, titled Summer, is set with Lois Lane as the narrator.  The issue really delves into the psyche of someone who loves and adores Superman not just as an idea but as a man, a super man.  She freely admits that she’s lost perspective when it comes to the Man of Steel.  Her objectivity has been compromised by a caped new-age prince charming who, instead of riding a white steed and wearing a crown of gold, flies through the skies under his own power and has a crown of perfectly coiffed hair. 

Courtesy of DC Comics

Issue three, titled Fall, sees the villainy pick-up with Lex Luthor as thenarrator.  It’s well known that Luthor is Superman’s ultimate villain: smart and cunning, rich and powerful.  It’s quite intriguing to see the world of Superman through the eyes of its truest villain.  He views the city of Metropolis as his own, as like a woman he’s invested his life in and built up from nothing to being the jewel of the world.  Superman is a threat to all that he has struggled to achieve and Luthor sets out to destroy him.  Luthor creates a plague that affects all the people of Metropolis.  They are all dying and only he has the cure.  His plan is to leave Superman in a world without fanfare, without people to scream his name and cheer his accomplishments.  The illness doesn’t affect Superman and when he approaches Luthor regarding help to cure it, at the behest of S.T.A.R. Labs, Superman is confronted by the poisonous thoughts that he himself is the cause of the disease.

Courtesy of DC Comics

Issue four, titled Winter, is narrated by Lana Lang and sees Superman returned to Smallville and his role as Clark Kent.  He has run from the idea that he may have potentially hurt people in Metropolis by being around them.  Luthor had poisoned his mind deeply and he went home to get some clarity.  Lana, after learning of Clark’s secret at the end of their senior year in high school, had set off to explore the world.  The issue delves into her own issues surrounding what feelings she has always harbored for Clark, how she dealt with them after leaving Smallville, and what they would always be.

I have always liked storylines that go outside normal continuity for a number of reasons.  Not the least of these is the ability for the writer to really explore an aspect of the character or the universe as a whole that has never been looked at before.  In the case of Superman: For All Seasons Loeb did an excellent job of taking a new perspective on telling a Superman story, which is not something that’s easy to do.  One cannot ignore that in the overall realm of Superman stories ingenuity must be appreciated for what it is.  For that reason it receives a grade of (insert three and one half-stars).  The overall story could have been better.  The art was very Tim Sale and gave an interesting look to the character of Clark but the Superman art seemed a little off.  I think the concept is outstanding and the story is really good but not fantastic.

I highly recommend the read for any Superman fan out there who has not yet read this and for anyone looking for a Superman book that’s not burdened by seventy-plus years of required continuity knowledge to understand (which isn’t entirely true since Crisis on Infinite Earths reset continuity in the 80s, but I digress). 

Superman: For All Seasons is a quality read and definitely worth your time and hard-earned money.

So, my friends, go Bin Diving and find this and other gems!

Until next time,

This is Bin Fodder Guru Tim Blacksmith signing off!

He IS the Man of Steel

It is important to note straight away that the following account of Man of Steel will include spoilers.  I’m calling them out now because I won’t later.  If you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend stopping now.

And now…on with the rant, I mean show.

Superman is probably the most iconic super hero character in the history of the industry.  He is one of, if not thee, oldest characters in comics dating back to 1938.  When I was a kid I was exposed to the original Richard Donner Superman movies (and those other two that shall not be named or spoken of…god damn battles inside elevators on the moon…).  But as I became a fan of comics Superman was not a character I was drawn towards.  I could blame a lack of exposure, which is certainly possible.  My growth in appreciation of the art form took place in the early nineties when companies like Image were breaking out and doing new things which everyone was excited about.

But in the end, one of my best friends is the biggest Superman fan I know, and yet I still rarely picked up a book and when I did I failed to be impressed by it.  The nineties were a tumultuous time for the man with the S on his chest; he died…took multiple colored energy forms…was reborn…and then it got weird.

I was always one of those ordinary detractors; “Superman isn’t an interesting character”, “Superman is impossible to beat, how can you even write a good Superman story?”

But then something wonderful happened, Greg Rucka took up the mantle of Superman and by god if he didn’t make him awesome.  The run Rucka had on Superman is still the best in-continuity story I have ever read (for those comic-novices out there: the comics’ universe has a general continuity structure where events happen and are remembered and spoken about.  Then there are alternate realities where stories occur but are not part of the main thread, see: Superman – Red Son). 

This opened my eyes to a whole new reality when it came to Superman.  He could be vulnerable, make mistakes, be…human.  What a grand and glorious notion!  One I am sure is not original, even for writers of Superman, but Rucka did it so well. 

So, why did I just spend the first five paragraphs of my review of the Man of Steel movie not talking about the movie?  Because it’s important that when I say that if you didn’t like this movie for any reason other than simply not enjoying that took place and instead do not like it for reasons pertaining to the way the characters were portrayed or how you thought they should have been portrayed separately…and then I tell you to SHUT THE FUCK UP AND STOP TALKING you will know that I am speaking from a position of knowledge and strength.

Man of Steel was a masterful movie.  It reignited what had truly become a dead movie franchise.  I am one of the few people who actually enjoyed Superman Returns but it wasn’t new; it was a tired attempt to recreate what was done before without any originality.  This movie, THIS ONE is worthy of our adulation and praise.  THIS movie is worthy of sequels and co-op tie-ins.  What the world of comic fans has been clamoring for these many years has finally come to fruition.  And its popularity cannot be denied.

I realize that the detractors are the hardcore fans.  They are the same people that would probably (and stupidly) say that I am a hypocrite because I hated the new Star Wars movies and hated how Lucas twisted what the original three told us with half truths, lies and misdirection’s to fulfill his desire to CGI a giant penis on the screen for 400 minutes and see if he could get away with it (he did, by the way). 

But in reality this movie does none of those things.  Man of Steel takes into account so many things from Superman’s history – all 75 damn years of it – and says to fans: I am something different than you know, I am the real world’s Superman.  And when he kills Zod (see…told you there were spoilers) he instantly and immediately is filled with rage and pain and regret.  But he knew, he KNEW, that it was the only way.  Zod told him what he intended to do in order to recreate Krypton.

The film is visually dynamic; the scenes on Krypton erupt at you like the flash of a neutron bomb.  But instead of having waves of radiation and death roll over you; its beauty and wonderment.  Portraying Krypton as both a technologically advanced world (flying ships, ethereal technology) but also as a culture tied to its history (ostentatious clothing and the riding of winged beasts).  

The history of how Clark Kent becomes Superman is one that is rarely shown even in glimpses.  In the original Donner films the young man travels to the north pole (inexplicably and without direction other than the pulsing of a glowing crystal) and then hurls it into the water to create his fortress.  The film doesn’t even explore how the hell he got there!  What an adventure that must have been…oh, wait…we have that adventure now! 

Man of Steel is by no means perfect.  It’s not a master stroke of filmography that will soon be replacing Citizen Kane in every pretentious hipster riddled film class in America.  But as a sci-fi, comic book movie it is hard to beat and we have those involved to thank.  Nolan took Batman under his wing and made that franchise great again.  It rose like a phoenix from the ashes of nippled-costumes and boots with ice skates built into them.  Man of Steel is the affirmation that we as a people can trust Hollywood to make good comic book movies again…maybe, at least a little.

In a society of people looking for the bad in everything and loathsome of their own lives enough to spend hours watching the tawdry lives of others we should all be jumping for joy that a film of worth and value has found its way out of the muck to brighten our days.  I am pleased that Man of Steel has done so well at the box office and that more is to come.  It is a good sign for the DC Universe.  Now we just need that Lobo movie to get off the ground! (hah…that was for you Williams!)

I hope you enjoyed this rant.

Tb