when mark and ethan can finally safely break quarantine and are reunited, if they dont recreate the scene from madagascar where they're running at each other then what's even the point
Now that the initial shock has worn off--mostly--I feel like I can ramble about the Supergirl comic news in a more coherent fashion.
Under a cut because there’s a good chance it’ll be long. XD
So yeah! Tom King, writing Supergirl. Wild!
As I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve been jokingly entertaining the notion that King’s teased ‘Super’ project would actually be a Supergirl thing, but I always assumed that if it was, in fact, a Supergirl thing, it would be in the vein of Mister Miracle or Strange Adventures--a prestige, out-of-continuity take, possibly featuring an older Kara, from pre-crisis continuity. Maybe interrogating the whole, ‘her most famous story features her death’ thing.
I never expected mainline, in-continuity, teenage Kara from him.
As I said, wild!
Wild, because King is like. A HUGE name in comics, and his wheelhouse is primarily Sad Dads. He’s also known for making really controversial, polarizing decisions WRT characterization of fan-favorite characters. (See: Wally in HiC, Batman in Batman, etc.)
So, like. I get that immediate ‘What?! Oh no!’
...But also...
He’s written Superman: Up in the Sky, which, barring one particular issue, is an extremely good Superman story.
(The whole premise of Up in the Sky is that Superman leaves earth to rescue an orphan girl who’s been kidnapped by aliens. The issue that’s a bit ‘yikes’ features Clark trying to reach Lois from deep space, and he can’t, so he’s imagining that something terrible has happened to her. That, I feel, is a perfectly fine, in-character reaction, and an idea worth exploring. HOWEVER, in execution, it ends up being Lois dying in several different, awful ways on-panel, which...yeah. Kinda Yikes! I can’t remember if it was terribly graphic but, still. I don’t think it needed to be seen, you know?)
So aside from that misstep? A really good Superman story.
(On the topic of King and Lois, I frequently cite his story in Action Comics 1000 as an example of a writer just being like, ‘screw it, Lois is alive 4 billion years in the future, and still with Clark.’ So I give him props for that.)
Back to Up in the Sky--King’s referenced that in describing Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow, so. That’s mostly a positive!
The ‘Tom King’ thing also starts to make more sense once you look at like, the money/sales side of things. I’ve already seen a bunch of tweets from people who are like, ‘I’ve never read a Supergirl comic before but I’m gonna get this because you’re writing it!’
Yeah. I see you, DC. I see you. XD
We’ll probably never know the behind the scenes stuff, but I gotta wonder if this wasn’t so much DC choosing King as King wanting to do this, and DC letting him.
Another valid criticism/concern I’ve seen mentioned: Another dude writing Supergirl!
Which...yeah! Kinda crummy! Would be nice to see a woman write Supergirl for more than, you know. Three issues.
(Side note, though: personally I do not ascribe to the ‘only men can write men, women write women’ thing. That’s kind of a separate topic, but I mention it here because I don’t automatically assume that a book will be better/worse based on the gender of the person writing/drawing/etc.)
(For instance! Bennett just churned out one of the worst Supergirl comics I’ve ever read so...it’s equality! Anyone can write an awful Supergirl story!)
Speaking of Bennett...
The solicit text...kinda sounds like Future State 2.0, which...
Is not promising.
It’s really weird, IMO, that DC is like...letting such similar premises happen back-to-back?
A lot of DC books are incorporating stuff from Future State but this isn’t so much, ‘teasing out plot threads’ as like. Just doing it over again. XD
I mean. Worst thing that can happen is we get another ‘dead in the backyard with the dog.’
(I’m intensely curious about the DC editorial situation, like. Which pitch came first? Was the Future State Superwoman book always going to happen, what with FS being built from the ruins of 5G or whatever? Did King come up with his stuff at the same time FS was being developed? The world may never know...)
Given that this is King’s next big thing...kinda hoping we get some press coverage and interviews. I wanna get a better sense of like...where he’s coming from.
Also, it means absolutely nothing re: the book, but I appreciate that King used a gif from the show to respond to some well-wishes on twitter. Specifically, the ‘thumbs up’ gif from one of the season blooper reels. Good choice, sir.
Okay, enough about King. Let’s talk about the ONE SUREFIRE THING ON THIS BOOK.
BILQUIS. EVELY.
Wait, I take that back. TWO SUREFIRE THINGS:
BILQUIS EVELY, AND MAT LOPES!!!!!
Gosh this book is gonna be so pretty.
Like, just look at this:
Now I know what you’re thinking, you’re thinking: that looks stunning. BUT WAIT!
BOOM. LOOKIT THOSE COLORRRSSSSS!
Guh, it looks so GOOOOOOD. And it’s just the cover.
(I'm ignoring the sword because I need more info before jumping to conclusions, but as some sharp-eyed folks have noticed, that *might* be a red sun which*might* mean a de-powered Kara, in which case the sword could be used in self-defense. Also, give me a Super wielding a sword over a gun any dang day.)
Evely drew an AMAZING Silver Age Kara back in Sugar & Spike and had a pretty stellar run on Wonder Woman.
Fun fact I just learned from a few interviews she shared recently! Supergirl is the character that got her into superhero comics, and when Giffen was writing Sugar & Spike, he asked if there were any characters she wanted to draw specifically. She said Supergirl, so Giffen made sure she showed up in one of the issues. :D
Also from those interviews: She’s excited about the book, and enjoys working with King. It was harder to figure out the art talk in said interviews (I was using Google translate) but I think...she was saying that there’s some specific influences that folks will pick up on when the book comes out?
Also, when asked to tease anything about the book she just said Mat Lopes colors and stars.
WOOOOO, pretty space backgrounds, yay!
It cannot be overstated, how pretty this book is going to be.
Evely’s a little similar to Sauvage in that they both have like...an almost fairytale quality? To some of their work?
(Evely just did a Batman: Black and White story that was quite literally a fairytale.)
But Evely, I think, has a little more range, particularly in the area of expression/acting.
And Lopes knows how to make her work shine.
Who knows about the writing though. XD On the one hand, the bar for bad Supergirl comics is so incredibly low, but also.
...Future State.
*shudders*
TL;DR: I refuse to let myself get excited for the story side of this because you could make an IHOP-size omelet, with all the egg on my face from my Future State hopes, but if nothing else: EVELY. DRAWING. SUPER. GIRL. *wild muppet flailing*
The most terrifying moment in Stranger Things had nothing to do with supernatural monsters and other dimensions. No, the scariest moment was when Jonathan showed up to a crowded house party, where he only knew one other person, and then walked in alone.
My introverted, socially anxious ass was on edge during that entire scene.
I’m having issues with my mothers homophobia. I mean, I love her and I think she’s a good person, but we saw beauty and the beast and the few good seconds le feu gets in the ‘epilogue’ really made her upset??? Like, why is it so hard to let non hetero people exist outside of abject misery? I just. I don’t get it.
In which the Sad Dad vibes and teen angst continues!
Spoilers!
Lois gets the opening and closing narration this week! And generally has more to do, which is nice.
The fam has officially moved to Smallville, so the boys are gearing up to start school...or are they???
Well, Jon is. Jordan is told he has to stay home until he can get his nascent powers under control because they don’t want him to accidentally flash frying a classmate. Which he almost did. Last week.
Clark calls Jordan’s accidental heat vision an ‘ocular release of energy.’
This decision, of course, leads to some FAMILY DRAMA. Jordan feels like a freak! Jonathan is upset that they’ve had to move! Clark feels like he’s failing as a parent!
Oh and also the guy in the Master Chief suit is on the hunt for Kryptonite. Which is, you know. Troubling.
SO it’s off to school for Jonathan and off to the Fortress for Jordan!
Lois, upon Jonathan asking why Jordan gets to go flying with dad: “At least we have the radio!”
One plus side about the show being ‘grounded’ and ‘prestige-y’: the high school drama is of a more believable variety. Still tedious, but at least it’s not dated 90s tropes.
...Well, okay. Not entirely true. Sarah Cushing’s personality thus far is ‘nice girl who’s dating a jerk’ and yes, the line “What do you see in that guy?” is said aloud. So.
Win some, lose some.
MEANWHILE, AT THE FORTRESS:
Love the actor they got for Jor-El. He’s perfect, in that he feels like an homage to Brando, Crowe, but is also his own distinct version. I dig it.
But there’s no giant key made of dwarf star matter because this is GROUNDED and REALISTIC and none of that SILLY CW NONSENSE, WE GOT HBO MAX MONEY.
Back to the Lois vs. Edge plot:
For all the folks wondering how Lois working at the Planet was going to continue, what with the show being set in Smallville...
WELL.
Edge now owns the Planet, so he re-writes a negative article she’s written about him, which leads to her quitting, and going to write for the Smallville Gazette.
Which is operated by Chrissy Beppo.
Who is...named after the super monkey?
Does this mean we’ll eventually meet other Smallville residents named after super pets? Like Marsha Whizzy, or maybe Kenneth Comet.
Seems a weird choice when ‘Bibbo’ is right there.
ANYWAYS.
Best line of the episode: “You know what babe? You do your Superman stuff, and I will do my Lois Lane stuff.”
MEANWHILE, THE SAD DAD VIBES INTENSIFY as Grandpa Jor-El reveals: Jordan...will never be like you, Kal-El. His human DNA is too limiting.
Which is a very interesting plot point (that was sorta mentioned/explored in Future State!)
So, about the boys: I still find them...mostly annoying. But I appreciate the dynamic they’re establishing: Jordan has always required more time and attention due to his anxiety disorder, and Jonathan has always had to look after him and compensate--this carries over into the new status quo where Jordan has the super powers and Jonathan further feels that his brother is getting time and attention and he needs to make sacrifices and changes for him/the family.
This leads to a really lovely moment between the brothers at the end of the episode that I genuinely enjoyed, so. I’m hoping that there will be more of that and less of ‘drama with Sarah’.
(Also if you think that sounds a little like another pair of Super siblings...it does! And also hold that thought.)
The OTHER big twist is that Master Chief AKA Captain Luthor comes from a world with an EVIL SUPERMAN.
To be clear, the set-up is very obviously, ‘Our Clark will prove Captain Luthor wrong re: thinking he’ll turn evil,’ so I’m not seriously suggesting we’re in for a full-on Injustice situation. I just find it funny, how quickly they pulled out the ol’ evil Supes.
(The one we saw in Elseworlds doesn’t count since that wasn’t Clark.)
And maybe this one isn’t either! I admit complete ignorance as to the comics stuff they’re pulling from; I guess it’s somehow connected to Project 7734 (Which is ‘hell’ upside down, as any fifth grader with a calculator will tell you) a counter-Kryptonian force put together by Sam Lane, I think?
IDK. Like I said, comics blind spot.
The episode ends with Grandpa Lane looking a bit spooked at the ominous 7734 keychain Captain Luthor gave him, and Captain Luthor still on the hunt for Kryptonite! DUN DUN DUUNNNNNN.
And now, time for a segment I’ll call: Gettin’ Super Salty w/Stranger wherein I will stash all of my frustration regarding the fact that this spin-off doesn’t really want to be a spin-off.
Okay, so first up! As mentioned, the Fortress design has been changed because the silly Supergirl version does not vibe with the new serious aesthetic.
Their loss! More Legion Rings, baby Sun Eaters, and impractical front door keys for Supergirl!
The sunstone AI details the last days of Krypton, and only one (1) pod is shown escaping the destruction.
Thanks, I hate it.
I do appreciate that Jor-El at least kinda appears to be wearing clothes that match the look of Supergirl’s Krypton. I wasn’t paying close attention to the buildings in the hologram, no clue if they match the architecture we’ve seen thus far.
Like, I get it. There’s no time to pause the plot and be like, ‘hey, just FYI, I’m not the sole survivor of Krypton, my cousin escaped as well’ but also AAAARRRRRGHHHHHH.
You’re using the versions of the characters introduced in Supergirl, the least you can do is namedrop her once. ONCE. That’s all I’m asking. XD
They missed their opportunity, actually; when the boys were like, ‘We have so many questions!’ All you had to do was slip in, ‘Are we related to Supergirl?’ Bam. Done. Never need to go back to it, you’ve acknowledged it, continue on with your solo Sad Dad adventures!
(Except I guess that wouldn’t work, since so much of this is built on Clark being the Lone Protector of the earth. If you allude to other heroes being around, your whole character motivation/struggle makes less sense.)
I get it but I don’t have to like it. XD
They shoulda just set this on another Earth!
Circling back to the sibling dynamic: I hate how now I really want Kara to someday appear on this show and hang out with the boys and be like, ‘ah, yes, I know the feeling, my sister and I were the same.’
That’s it, that’s all the crossover content I need. I realize Melissa is moving on to bigger and better things but MAYBE SOMEDAY. XD (Or maybe I’ll just write a fic, who knows.)
I can’t remember if I brought this up already but it is hilarious to me that anyone still thinks of Superman as a reporter--most modern takes treat it as an afterthought and here, it’s dispensed in the first episode.
It has not been brought up since.
Like, much is made about Lois leaving Metropolis, and what that’ll mean for her career, but no one in Smallville is like, ‘Clark, wow! Farming? That’s quite a career change!’
(I assume he’ll be farming, since they mentioned starting the farm up again.)
...You think anyone will drag the writers for tossing aside Clark’s ‘true calling?’
Who am I kidding? Supergirl fandom is not watching this show, they’re just harassing the people running the social media accounts.
SO OVERALL: The good remains good! The meh remains meh! I appreciate that this version of Clark and Lois exist as we inch ever closer to the release of the Snyder Cut! But also the behind-the-scenes stuff continues to hang over everything like a terrible cloud! Here’s hoping those problems are addressed!
Anyone else miss the Power Hour style videos? I miss seeing Seán goof around with some silly product or game for children and I miss the bits like yelling at Sandra for fucking something up
