The Bat Log

Superhero Monitoring

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Batlog #2: Young Justice S1

So, I've just recently started watching the first season of young justice for the second time and one thing that really bugged me was how unwilling superman was to mentor superboy. 

This time it still bugs me but I've been noticing how they have portrayed batman differently as well. 

Normally, Batman is shown on tv and films a heartless person who doesn't consider the feelings of other people regardless of how close they are to him. Everyone is a chess piece, unless they are a civilian, with boundaries and levels of importance. However, none is as reliable as himself. The only real 'humanity' in him is that he does care for people and his rule of not killing. 

The difference between this and the Young Justice Batman is that this version is actually quite good at understanding and helping with emotions. He has the same commanding nature as we know Batman to have, he's just as smart as normal but he basically has a degree of humanity to him. Like in episode 6 when he confronts Superman on needing to treat Superboy as a son that looks up to him, rather than treating him like a nobody and that he's unimportant. Here he's able to recognise that Superman wasn't ready to be a father, and isn't able to come to terms with it. While also knowing that Superboy is desperately trying to make a relationship with Superman because he looks up to him. 

Later still in episode 8 Batman is able to recognise that Aquaboy is distracted by something and gives him the hard talk to get him to decide between the team or Atlantis, contrasting completely when Robin is angry and jealous that Batman wanted to talk to Aquaboy alone, he makes time to play basketball with him. 

Like typically Batman is displayed as being a terrible father figure, but here he isn't, he's actually a great father and mentor. He's hard hitting when he needs to be but he's caring and has empathy for people in pain. Which honestly fits with the character really well. Because he's been through trauma and pain, he knows how to help others. 

There is one downside to it..

He isn't voiced by Kevin Conroy... 

[thebatlog-blog]

Log Entry #1: Felicity Smoak 'Overwatch'

Felicity Smoak started off great. She was smart, silly and brought some lightheartedness to Arrow. Of which, many of its characters suffered from a lack of humour.

Then came the 'Olicity' pandemonium. This was where her character started to turn from being able to tell Oliver when he's wrong, to just straight up disregarding his feelings or anything.

She has been insensitive when talking about lian yu, because Oliver was trapped there with 2 other women, before she had ever met him, also not to mention the scores of men trying to kill them.

The showrunners did a botch at trying to make her into the Oracle, Barbara Gordon's handle after being shot by the joker. And even made her disabled for a few episodes, but don't worry they didn't make her learn to live with life in a wheelchair she's walking again later on. No character development for Ms Smoak.

The final straw for me was how she reacts to the introduction of Oliver's son. The one he didn't know about, and is honestly a happy thing because now he has someone that can really make him a better person. But no, she's annoyed at him for not telling her about a child he didn't know he had until hours before he told her!

She kind of recovered when she accepted William as her son in season 6, but then in season 7 she sends him off to some boarding school and doesn't even get him back when Oliver is released and Diaz is arrested. But the reckless nature of her stubbornness is what puts people in danger a lot of the time.

The worst thing about this is that I find 'strong women' in these shows are presented in this way all the time. Stubborn and reckless. Especially when they haven't got powers or training to handle themselves.

Strong women are smart, calculating and know their limits. A great exanple of this is Lena Luthor is supergirl. She's insanely smart and she knows it, so she won't go into a room without plans on plans. And its okay that she's not in the fight because she's more useful elsewhere.

Basically, let men be the dumb ones that run headlong into danger. Because women aren't like that in real life, so don't write them like that in stories.

#Batlog #arrow #arrowverse #felicitysmoak

[thebatlog-blog]

Hey, I'm New

So I've been a superhero fan for a while now and decided to setup this blog to share my views on the shows and films that are being released.

So some things about me:

My favourite comic book hero: Batman

Why? Because, through tactics he's able to stand with and to some of the strongest beings in the world. Also, he sees the world as it is, chaotic and terrifying, rather than what he'd like it to be and then uses this knowledge to his advantage. Also, because he's Batman!

My favourite villain(s) : The Joker (I know, I'm predictable)

The Joker is great because of how he hides his intelligence under the mask of bad jokes and madness. He's so unpredictable, but just a tactical as Batman

Favourite superhero film: Either watchmen or the dark knight *

Favourite superhero tv show: Daredevil, I often find that other shows have characters that annoy me (especially the Arrowverse shows) but daredevil will always have a good reason for dumb things.

Favourite marvel film: Captain America: the first Avenger

Favourite DC film: see above *

I'm sure there's more I can talk about in the future so I won't say much more :P