Yes, this is the UK version of the movie coming out, but this trailer is amazing and I love how we're finally getting to see the Hulk and Hawkeye do something. I'm really looking forward to this film:
Incidentally, if you live near an AMC theater (which I unfortunately do not) you can go ahead and buy your tickets now for a Marvel Movie Marathon which includes all six Marvel films (3 of them in 3D: Thor, Captain America, and the Avengers) for $40...and you even get a set of custom 3D glasses you can keep!
Showing posts with label Iron Man. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iron Man. Show all posts
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Trailer Thursday: The Avengers
I know you've probably already seen this, but it's a ton of awesome. Wish there had been more of the Hulk, but I'm sure they're saving that for later.
Monday, May 16, 2011
So Many Masks
Several weeks ago we had a poll asking which type of mask you'd wear if you were a hero. You never really realize how many there are out there until you break them down...which we'll do right now.
Worn by: Nightwing, Green Lantern, Robin, etc.
Probably the most famous type of mask, it also covers just about the least of the face. I still have a hard time believing this would fool anyone, but it apparently has for years.
The mask begs the question "What in the world is keeping it on your face?" First of all it has to be something that will stay on in the middle of a fight no matter how sweaty you get. But then it has to be removable without ripping the skin around your eyes off.
Yes, I know Green Lantern's mask is created by his ring and is therefore part of the costume, but Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood, and many others have had this little thing stuck to their faces for years without a problem or reasonable explanation.
Worn by: Batman, Nighthawk, Red Robin, etc
The most popular choice in our poll, the cowl serves this purpose of keeping the hair covered at least. Now it's not necessarily as easy to figure out who you are under the mask as the domino mask would be.
Add to that a certain streamlined effect and you have a pretty cool look. The fact that it's attached to the flowing cape doesn't hurt either. All in all it can be a fairly intimidating appearance when it's done right.
There's a reason Batman's iconic look has stayed with pop culture for decades. It's an old faithful design that just works.
Worn by: Spider-Man, Union Jack, Deathstroke, etc
For a real mystery man look, it's hard to go wrong with this type of mask. Covered completely, heroes sporting this look have that mystery surrounding them that leads a lot of people to wonder what person is really under all that.
Truthfully though, it's hard to imagine Spider-Man without his full mask. And Deadpool just doesn't seem as funny any other way. Union Jack was able to use the look to his advantage to fool Baron Blood into thinking he was an old man when in actually he was young Joey Chapman.
There are a lot of advantages to going this route...though the cost of material goes up a little. That, and it's hard to figure out how you can breathe that well in a tough fight with cloth on your face.
Worn by: Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Plastic Man, Vigilante, etc.
Now this one is hard to pull off right. The first time I read a Plastic Man comic in the 70's I couldn't figure out what was going on with his eyes. Which way was he supposed to be looking? Eventually I figured it all out and the craze seemed to catch on.
Now heroes like Booster Gold and the Blue Beetle have added to the mix of using a functional mask. I mean, when it's raining outside which hero can still see in a torrential downpour? Try that Spider-Man!
Seriously though, I think this could be considered cheating just a little.
Worn by: Nomad, Hitman, Blade, etc.
If you're not up for goggles, there's always a cheaper way out through sunglasses. While I consider Jack Munroe's Nomad to be one of the best heroes out there and best costume for a casual hero type, I've never been one to follow how he kept the sunglasses on. Also, how are they handy in a fight indoors?
It's really hard to see a hero pull this off and not look like someone off "Jersey Shore", but it's been done. Oddly enough, this is the one look that looks best in the movie versions of the characters. It's hard to pull off a mask on a real person, but sunglasses always look tough.
I almost threw Cyclops in with this group, but I'm not really sure it would be fair. I think he'd fall more under a mixture of the goggles and sunglasses crowd.
Worn by: Superman, The Sentry, Punisher, etc.
Of course, there are those who skip masks altogether and just say "Here I am. Look at me!" It's usually done by someone with nothing to hide because their identity is public (like the Punisher) or they look differently when in their secret identity (like DC's Captain Marvel or The Sentry). And yes, Superman hides behind glasses (even dumber than a domino mask) and still folks can't figure out who he is.
Whatever the reason, this is the easy way out. Fight as hard as you want to and never worry about someone seeing your face because your mask got shredded. I can't say I'm a fan of this though. For me, I think it's always cooler to see a hero in some form of mask. The only exception I'll give is the Punisher. I think he'd look a little weird wearing one for some reason.
Worn by: Ant-Man, Iron Man, Doctor Fate, Forbush Man, etc.
For real protection, it's hard to go wrong with a good old-fashioned piece of metal on your head! Whether you're using it to control an entire suit of armor like Iron Man or just to hide your identity like Red Hood, you can't say anything about the functionality of one. However, hiding the costume takes a lot of creative thinking when you can't just cram it all under your tuxedo and walk in.
I've always thought artists probably love drawing helmeted characters more than anything else. No worries about emotion on the face or anything...just a blank slate.
The only character easier to draw would have to be the Question.
Worn by: Green Arrow, The Spectre, Moon Knight, etc
While hiding identity, I have to say this one would be hard to justify as safe. Think about it: your peripheral vision is absolutely shot. True, you're ready for a rainstorm, but if someone comes at you quietly from the side you are dead.
Also, how do you keep this on your head while you're running after (or away from) a bad guy? When I have my hood on and I go running to my car in the rain, it always flies back and lets me get soaked.
Functionally, I have to say this one is at the bottom of the barrel. Yes, the "mysterious stranger" look works when stepping out of the shadows...but it's not the best choice in a fight.
Worn by: Captain America, Hawk and Dove, the Atom, etc.
I'm not sure of the official name for this look, so let's just say it's a cowl without the cape kind of thing. It's been popular for years with everyone from the Flash to Vindicator wearing one.
The thing that makes this one slightly less believable is the way the heroes usually have it during "casual times". Most of the time their whole head is through the mouth part with the mask laying behind their head until the pull it up over their head and on. That sucker would be so stretched out it would blow off in a light wind.
There is a variation of this mask where the hair is seen. Marvel's version of Captain Marvel and the original Captain Britain look are two heroes who go that way with it. Again, I'm not sure what it's officially called though. You know what I mean, right?
Worn by: Puck, Justice, The Angel, Gambit, etc.
Ok, I had no idea what you actually called this one, but I've seen it from time to time. I guess this would be considered a "face frame" more than a mask.
I suppose this one would be more for those heroes who want to wear a mask, while still wanting people to know what they looked like underneath. This might even fit into the "no mask" category.
Maybe you're proud of your hair, or maybe you just like the way you look in the mirror, either way, if this is your choice it's not very functional for anything other than keeping your ears warm in the wind.
There are a lot of characters that fit into combinations of categories that I didn't cover. For example, Magneto would fit into the helmet/face-frame mixture. Doctor Doom would fit into the helmet/hood group. Deadshot would be an entirely new combination, with full-face mask/eyescope group. The combinations are endless.
As you can tell, it would be impossible to categorize them all. Hopefully I've covered the most often used ones though.
Domino Mask
Worn by: Nightwing, Green Lantern, Robin, etc.
Probably the most famous type of mask, it also covers just about the least of the face. I still have a hard time believing this would fool anyone, but it apparently has for years.The mask begs the question "What in the world is keeping it on your face?" First of all it has to be something that will stay on in the middle of a fight no matter how sweaty you get. But then it has to be removable without ripping the skin around your eyes off.
Yes, I know Green Lantern's mask is created by his ring and is therefore part of the costume, but Nightwing, Robin, Red Hood, and many others have had this little thing stuck to their faces for years without a problem or reasonable explanation.
Cowl
Worn by: Batman, Nighthawk, Red Robin, etc
The most popular choice in our poll, the cowl serves this purpose of keeping the hair covered at least. Now it's not necessarily as easy to figure out who you are under the mask as the domino mask would be. Add to that a certain streamlined effect and you have a pretty cool look. The fact that it's attached to the flowing cape doesn't hurt either. All in all it can be a fairly intimidating appearance when it's done right.
There's a reason Batman's iconic look has stayed with pop culture for decades. It's an old faithful design that just works.
Full Face Mask
Worn by: Spider-Man, Union Jack, Deathstroke, etc
For a real mystery man look, it's hard to go wrong with this type of mask. Covered completely, heroes sporting this look have that mystery surrounding them that leads a lot of people to wonder what person is really under all that.Truthfully though, it's hard to imagine Spider-Man without his full mask. And Deadpool just doesn't seem as funny any other way. Union Jack was able to use the look to his advantage to fool Baron Blood into thinking he was an old man when in actually he was young Joey Chapman.
There are a lot of advantages to going this route...though the cost of material goes up a little. That, and it's hard to figure out how you can breathe that well in a tough fight with cloth on your face.
Goggles
Worn by: Booster Gold, Blue Beetle, Plastic Man, Vigilante, etc.
Now this one is hard to pull off right. The first time I read a Plastic Man comic in the 70's I couldn't figure out what was going on with his eyes. Which way was he supposed to be looking? Eventually I figured it all out and the craze seemed to catch on.Now heroes like Booster Gold and the Blue Beetle have added to the mix of using a functional mask. I mean, when it's raining outside which hero can still see in a torrential downpour? Try that Spider-Man!
Seriously though, I think this could be considered cheating just a little.
Sunglasses
Worn by: Nomad, Hitman, Blade, etc.
If you're not up for goggles, there's always a cheaper way out through sunglasses. While I consider Jack Munroe's Nomad to be one of the best heroes out there and best costume for a casual hero type, I've never been one to follow how he kept the sunglasses on. Also, how are they handy in a fight indoors?It's really hard to see a hero pull this off and not look like someone off "Jersey Shore", but it's been done. Oddly enough, this is the one look that looks best in the movie versions of the characters. It's hard to pull off a mask on a real person, but sunglasses always look tough.
I almost threw Cyclops in with this group, but I'm not really sure it would be fair. I think he'd fall more under a mixture of the goggles and sunglasses crowd.
No Mask
Worn by: Superman, The Sentry, Punisher, etc.
Of course, there are those who skip masks altogether and just say "Here I am. Look at me!" It's usually done by someone with nothing to hide because their identity is public (like the Punisher) or they look differently when in their secret identity (like DC's Captain Marvel or The Sentry). And yes, Superman hides behind glasses (even dumber than a domino mask) and still folks can't figure out who he is.Whatever the reason, this is the easy way out. Fight as hard as you want to and never worry about someone seeing your face because your mask got shredded. I can't say I'm a fan of this though. For me, I think it's always cooler to see a hero in some form of mask. The only exception I'll give is the Punisher. I think he'd look a little weird wearing one for some reason.
Helmet
Worn by: Ant-Man, Iron Man, Doctor Fate, Forbush Man, etc.
For real protection, it's hard to go wrong with a good old-fashioned piece of metal on your head! Whether you're using it to control an entire suit of armor like Iron Man or just to hide your identity like Red Hood, you can't say anything about the functionality of one. However, hiding the costume takes a lot of creative thinking when you can't just cram it all under your tuxedo and walk in.I've always thought artists probably love drawing helmeted characters more than anything else. No worries about emotion on the face or anything...just a blank slate.
The only character easier to draw would have to be the Question.
Hood
Worn by: Green Arrow, The Spectre, Moon Knight, etc
While hiding identity, I have to say this one would be hard to justify as safe. Think about it: your peripheral vision is absolutely shot. True, you're ready for a rainstorm, but if someone comes at you quietly from the side you are dead. Also, how do you keep this on your head while you're running after (or away from) a bad guy? When I have my hood on and I go running to my car in the rain, it always flies back and lets me get soaked.
Functionally, I have to say this one is at the bottom of the barrel. Yes, the "mysterious stranger" look works when stepping out of the shadows...but it's not the best choice in a fight.
Over-the-Head Mask
Worn by: Captain America, Hawk and Dove, the Atom, etc.I'm not sure of the official name for this look, so let's just say it's a cowl without the cape kind of thing. It's been popular for years with everyone from the Flash to Vindicator wearing one.
The thing that makes this one slightly less believable is the way the heroes usually have it during "casual times". Most of the time their whole head is through the mouth part with the mask laying behind their head until the pull it up over their head and on. That sucker would be so stretched out it would blow off in a light wind.
There is a variation of this mask where the hair is seen. Marvel's version of Captain Marvel and the original Captain Britain look are two heroes who go that way with it. Again, I'm not sure what it's officially called though. You know what I mean, right?
Weird Everything-But-The-Face Mask
Worn by: Puck, Justice, The Angel, Gambit, etc.
Ok, I had no idea what you actually called this one, but I've seen it from time to time. I guess this would be considered a "face frame" more than a mask. I suppose this one would be more for those heroes who want to wear a mask, while still wanting people to know what they looked like underneath. This might even fit into the "no mask" category.
Maybe you're proud of your hair, or maybe you just like the way you look in the mirror, either way, if this is your choice it's not very functional for anything other than keeping your ears warm in the wind.
There are a lot of characters that fit into combinations of categories that I didn't cover. For example, Magneto would fit into the helmet/face-frame mixture. Doctor Doom would fit into the helmet/hood group. Deadshot would be an entirely new combination, with full-face mask/eyescope group. The combinations are endless.
As you can tell, it would be impossible to categorize them all. Hopefully I've covered the most often used ones though.
Monday, January 3, 2011
The Replacements (part 3)
This will do it for me in checking out replacements, but let's go out with some cool ones...
The whole "Demon in a Bottle" storyline was pretty cool. I mean, here was a hero who actually hit the bottom of the barrel and had to give up his suit because of his actions. It was shocking for the time. Unfortunately, I think the "Ultimate" line of Marvel has taken this and made it a caricature of the depth of the story we originally read.
At any rate, Tony lost the armor and Rhodes took it. This is another case of where the replacement never really leaves, as he later became War Machine. Not only that, but he even made it into the second Iron Man movie!
Green Arrow replaced by his son
Oliver Queen was a fairly standard fixture in the DC Universe. When he was killed in an explosion, it seemed like the natural successor to the title would be Roy Harper, a.k.a. Speedy/Arsenal. But DC pulled a fast one on everyone by bringing in Green Arrow's son Connor to take over the role.
Connor was every bit as good an archer as his father, though his hand-to-hand combat skills were marginally better. He also had this whole pacifist-type thing going on, as a direct opposite to Oliver's more aggressive style of heroing. The coolest part of this replacement was when the new Green Arrow teamed with the new Green Lantern, which allowed for a really neat "Together again for the first time!" situation.
Eventually, Oliver came back and now Connor is dead. The more things change...
Blue Beetle replaced by his own scarab
Ted Kord made the best he could of the situation he was in. He was sort of like an uncool version of Batman...up until the point where he took a bullet to the skull from Maxwell Lord. DC made him cool just long enough to kill him (what we will forever call "The Question Syndrome").
When the time comes for there to be another Blue Beetle, what happens? The scarab suddenly decides it can give super-powers to someone and chooses a teenager to do it. If anyone deserved to be ticked off in the afterlife, it's Kord. All these years of doing it himself with nothing more than skill, and then this stupid kid gets super powers that he could have had all along if the scarab had just given them to him? Unfair!
Tony Stark replaced by Jim Rhodes
The whole "Demon in a Bottle" storyline was pretty cool. I mean, here was a hero who actually hit the bottom of the barrel and had to give up his suit because of his actions. It was shocking for the time. Unfortunately, I think the "Ultimate" line of Marvel has taken this and made it a caricature of the depth of the story we originally read.
At any rate, Tony lost the armor and Rhodes took it. This is another case of where the replacement never really leaves, as he later became War Machine. Not only that, but he even made it into the second Iron Man movie!
Green Arrow replaced by his sonOliver Queen was a fairly standard fixture in the DC Universe. When he was killed in an explosion, it seemed like the natural successor to the title would be Roy Harper, a.k.a. Speedy/Arsenal. But DC pulled a fast one on everyone by bringing in Green Arrow's son Connor to take over the role.
Connor was every bit as good an archer as his father, though his hand-to-hand combat skills were marginally better. He also had this whole pacifist-type thing going on, as a direct opposite to Oliver's more aggressive style of heroing. The coolest part of this replacement was when the new Green Arrow teamed with the new Green Lantern, which allowed for a really neat "Together again for the first time!" situation.
Eventually, Oliver came back and now Connor is dead. The more things change...
Blue Beetle replaced by his own scarabTed Kord made the best he could of the situation he was in. He was sort of like an uncool version of Batman...up until the point where he took a bullet to the skull from Maxwell Lord. DC made him cool just long enough to kill him (what we will forever call "The Question Syndrome").
When the time comes for there to be another Blue Beetle, what happens? The scarab suddenly decides it can give super-powers to someone and chooses a teenager to do it. If anyone deserved to be ticked off in the afterlife, it's Kord. All these years of doing it himself with nothing more than skill, and then this stupid kid gets super powers that he could have had all along if the scarab had just given them to him? Unfair!
Monday, May 3, 2010
Oh, A Wise Guy, eh?
With all the doo-dads and gizmos floating around in various hero and villain arsenals out there, it's a wonder everyone in comic book land doesn't carry some personal force field device or something. But it's all got to come from somewhere, and somebody has to think it all up. Looking over all the characters in the Marvel and DC universe, there are quite a few smart guys out there dreaming of some ingenious ways to kill each other off.
Mister Fantastic isn't necessarily the backbone of a team with his powers. Let's face it: he's basically the Elongated Man (at least Plastic Man turns himself into cool stuff like mailboxes and such). Fortunately for him, he's got bunches of brains to keep Sue attracted to him.
Though he's had his share of failures (the Thor clone), he's also saved the world a time or two from Galactus and various other cosmic villains Spider-Man wouldn't have been able to take down.
There must have been something special about him, because the Skrulls wouldn't invade until they knew he was taken down and captured. His people skills and common sense might need some work, but no one can knock his talents in creating gadgets.
He's not necessarily the smart one here, but he has the money and power to get what he wants. His scheming and manipulating ways make him a force to be reckoned with.
He's come very close in the past to taking down Superman, though he did meet his match when he tried to tackle Bruce Wayne (not realizing he was Batman). Still, Luthor has this ruthless greed that got him an Orange Lantern ring for a while, and still makes him someone every hero would be smart to steer clear of. He might not create toys like Reed Richards does, but he can sure turn a situation into his favor and devise some wicked schemes.
With all the different types of Iron Man armor he's come up with over the years, there's no way he could stay off this list. Even though he was responsible for the Marvel Civil War and the Skrull Invasion that followed, there's no denying he has technical smarts if nothing else.
He had problems with alcohol (and his "Ultimate" version still has some issues with it), but he seems to have rebounded nicely. At one time he was the head of SHIELD, and really started losing his way, but after Norman Osborn, the Skrulls, and the death and rebirth of Captain America/Steve Rogers, Stark seems to be leveling off again.
He's called the "Scientist Supreme" in the Marvel Universe. That means he's officially been crowned the smartest man in the Marvel U (though he's got perhaps the lamest title).
Pym has been responsible for a lot of big developments in the Marvel world. His most nefarious is Ultron, though in his defense he didn't create the robot to rule the world...he just did an incredible job of it.
Hank seems to perfectly illustrate what Marvel tries to convey about their characters: they are all only human. A man who constantly shrinks and grows has to have some side effects from that over time, and the constant pressure of being a hero, scientist, and husband has to wear on you. Pym has lost his way more times than any other hero on the list, but he always drifts back.
The one-time leader of the JSA is also a brilliant man in the DC world. He holds several doctorates and has come up with some pretty cool gadgets of his own.
I'm not a fan of this character's gimmick. This is one of those characters that is rebooted just to add diversity to the team. Rather than create a new character, they just named him "Mister Terrific" and made it seem like he was carrying on the previous version's work...except this guy is super smart and can't be seen by computers, whereas the original was just a fighter.
Still, you have to give him credit, he's created those T-Spheres that help him out a lot, and always seems to find a way to help the JSA out. When he and Doctor Midnight were forced by Roulette to play a "loser dies" game of chess, Terrific took the game to a stalemate and then got away before they could reset the board. Pretty smart!
He could be considered the evil version of Reed Richards, except Doom doesn't stop with science. He includes magic and whatever else it takes to help accomplish his goals.
While ruling the world has constantly evaded his grasp, his rule over Latveria has been fairly consistent. He's also created armor that's arguably comparable to Iron Man's. He also created a group of "Doombots" that take his place in most confrontations so there's seldom the opportunity to really take him down. He found a way to steal the Silver Surfer's power cosmic, and even almost outsmarted the Beyonder.
It's hard to think of a hero he hasn't faced. Everybody from Spider-Man to Power Pack can claim at least one run in with him. Still, he seems most closely linked to the Fantastic Four. Now that Norman Osborn's empire has been drastically reduced, it'll be interesting to see where Doom goes from here for revenge.
Reed Richards
Mister Fantastic isn't necessarily the backbone of a team with his powers. Let's face it: he's basically the Elongated Man (at least Plastic Man turns himself into cool stuff like mailboxes and such). Fortunately for him, he's got bunches of brains to keep Sue attracted to him.
Though he's had his share of failures (the Thor clone), he's also saved the world a time or two from Galactus and various other cosmic villains Spider-Man wouldn't have been able to take down.
There must have been something special about him, because the Skrulls wouldn't invade until they knew he was taken down and captured. His people skills and common sense might need some work, but no one can knock his talents in creating gadgets.
Lex Luthor
He's not necessarily the smart one here, but he has the money and power to get what he wants. His scheming and manipulating ways make him a force to be reckoned with.
He's come very close in the past to taking down Superman, though he did meet his match when he tried to tackle Bruce Wayne (not realizing he was Batman). Still, Luthor has this ruthless greed that got him an Orange Lantern ring for a while, and still makes him someone every hero would be smart to steer clear of. He might not create toys like Reed Richards does, but he can sure turn a situation into his favor and devise some wicked schemes.
Tony Stark
With all the different types of Iron Man armor he's come up with over the years, there's no way he could stay off this list. Even though he was responsible for the Marvel Civil War and the Skrull Invasion that followed, there's no denying he has technical smarts if nothing else.
He had problems with alcohol (and his "Ultimate" version still has some issues with it), but he seems to have rebounded nicely. At one time he was the head of SHIELD, and really started losing his way, but after Norman Osborn, the Skrulls, and the death and rebirth of Captain America/Steve Rogers, Stark seems to be leveling off again.
Hank Pym
He's called the "Scientist Supreme" in the Marvel Universe. That means he's officially been crowned the smartest man in the Marvel U (though he's got perhaps the lamest title).
Pym has been responsible for a lot of big developments in the Marvel world. His most nefarious is Ultron, though in his defense he didn't create the robot to rule the world...he just did an incredible job of it.
Hank seems to perfectly illustrate what Marvel tries to convey about their characters: they are all only human. A man who constantly shrinks and grows has to have some side effects from that over time, and the constant pressure of being a hero, scientist, and husband has to wear on you. Pym has lost his way more times than any other hero on the list, but he always drifts back.
Mister Terrific
The one-time leader of the JSA is also a brilliant man in the DC world. He holds several doctorates and has come up with some pretty cool gadgets of his own.
I'm not a fan of this character's gimmick. This is one of those characters that is rebooted just to add diversity to the team. Rather than create a new character, they just named him "Mister Terrific" and made it seem like he was carrying on the previous version's work...except this guy is super smart and can't be seen by computers, whereas the original was just a fighter.
Still, you have to give him credit, he's created those T-Spheres that help him out a lot, and always seems to find a way to help the JSA out. When he and Doctor Midnight were forced by Roulette to play a "loser dies" game of chess, Terrific took the game to a stalemate and then got away before they could reset the board. Pretty smart!
Doctor Doom
He could be considered the evil version of Reed Richards, except Doom doesn't stop with science. He includes magic and whatever else it takes to help accomplish his goals.
While ruling the world has constantly evaded his grasp, his rule over Latveria has been fairly consistent. He's also created armor that's arguably comparable to Iron Man's. He also created a group of "Doombots" that take his place in most confrontations so there's seldom the opportunity to really take him down. He found a way to steal the Silver Surfer's power cosmic, and even almost outsmarted the Beyonder.
It's hard to think of a hero he hasn't faced. Everybody from Spider-Man to Power Pack can claim at least one run in with him. Still, he seems most closely linked to the Fantastic Four. Now that Norman Osborn's empire has been drastically reduced, it'll be interesting to see where Doom goes from here for revenge.
Monday, April 26, 2010
High Profile Secret Identities
Big thanks to Rick at Mail It To Team-Up for this article suggestion!
While a superhero is usually a very high-profile thing, the secret identity is supposed to be something that allows you to disappear into the background. Unfortunately, there are a few heroes who seem determined to stay in the spotlight even when they aren't wearing spandex. These guys should rethink their off-time:
Ok, so you're a creature of the night and all that, but being a bazillionaire does tend to draw attention from time to time. I understand he throws off the party boy image to help him disappear for weeks on end, but there always seemed to be a party at Wayne Manor and Bruce was there. Likewise, a supervillain would inevitably show up and crash the party, then Bruce disappeared and Batman showed up...and no one ever put it all together.
Guess Gotham's elite weren't the brightest bunch of folks out there.
While everyone knows he's Iron Man now, there was a time when he was supposed to be his own bodyguard. Not quite sure how he was supposed to be convincing since Tony never really made an appearance with Iron Man in tow, but if you can believe in a dude in a flying suit of armor you can suspend reality long enough to enjoy the book.
Eventually he tossed the whole secret identity thing out the window and just told everyone who he was, but the big surprise is how he managed to keep everyone fooled for so long. Of course, the whole alcoholic phase probably bought him a little time.
How do you hide your identity as the strongest superhero on Earth? Why, you become a television news anchor!
True enough, in the 80's Clark Kent traded in his Daily Planet reporter digs to become a television news anchor with Lois Lane. While it might be possible to explain running away to chase a news story, I can't imagine any television station allowing their anchor to just run off the air "for an emergency" or something.
Yet through those constant and regular disappearances, Clark kept his job for years and not a single person in the investigative news section ever caught on to the fact that a superhero was in their midst.
Another hero who chose a profession that was hard to just run away from when a villain was in the neighborhood was Spider-Man. First of all, he was a photographer who always managed to fight his battles in the small frame area of his webbed-up camera. While most heroes fought villains all over the city, Spider-Man had an understanding with his that they'd just stay in a little imaginary box and keep it clean.
Then Peter turned to teaching. A school teacher. Every day (except holidays) he has to be in one place with dozens of witnesses watching his every move. If he tries to leave, there's some splainin' to do. After work, he has to grade papers, write tests, and plan assignments. And then, somehow, he's out there fighting bad guys who are kind enough to wait until he's off work to do their attacking.
While a superhero is usually a very high-profile thing, the secret identity is supposed to be something that allows you to disappear into the background. Unfortunately, there are a few heroes who seem determined to stay in the spotlight even when they aren't wearing spandex. These guys should rethink their off-time:
Bruce Wayne
Ok, so you're a creature of the night and all that, but being a bazillionaire does tend to draw attention from time to time. I understand he throws off the party boy image to help him disappear for weeks on end, but there always seemed to be a party at Wayne Manor and Bruce was there. Likewise, a supervillain would inevitably show up and crash the party, then Bruce disappeared and Batman showed up...and no one ever put it all together.
Guess Gotham's elite weren't the brightest bunch of folks out there.
Tony Stark
While everyone knows he's Iron Man now, there was a time when he was supposed to be his own bodyguard. Not quite sure how he was supposed to be convincing since Tony never really made an appearance with Iron Man in tow, but if you can believe in a dude in a flying suit of armor you can suspend reality long enough to enjoy the book.
Eventually he tossed the whole secret identity thing out the window and just told everyone who he was, but the big surprise is how he managed to keep everyone fooled for so long. Of course, the whole alcoholic phase probably bought him a little time.
Clark Kent
How do you hide your identity as the strongest superhero on Earth? Why, you become a television news anchor!
True enough, in the 80's Clark Kent traded in his Daily Planet reporter digs to become a television news anchor with Lois Lane. While it might be possible to explain running away to chase a news story, I can't imagine any television station allowing their anchor to just run off the air "for an emergency" or something.
Yet through those constant and regular disappearances, Clark kept his job for years and not a single person in the investigative news section ever caught on to the fact that a superhero was in their midst.
Peter Parker
Another hero who chose a profession that was hard to just run away from when a villain was in the neighborhood was Spider-Man. First of all, he was a photographer who always managed to fight his battles in the small frame area of his webbed-up camera. While most heroes fought villains all over the city, Spider-Man had an understanding with his that they'd just stay in a little imaginary box and keep it clean.
Then Peter turned to teaching. A school teacher. Every day (except holidays) he has to be in one place with dozens of witnesses watching his every move. If he tries to leave, there's some splainin' to do. After work, he has to grade papers, write tests, and plan assignments. And then, somehow, he's out there fighting bad guys who are kind enough to wait until he's off work to do their attacking.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Comics Versus the Movies - Villains Edition Part 2
Last year I looked at how villains had fared in the movies compared to their relatively cool looks in the comics. It's time to update that list with several more who may or may not have been an improvement. Many thanks to Dorian, the reader who suggested many of these.
Two-Face
In the comic books, he's been portrayed over the years as a psycho, a hero, and a tragic figure. He's gone from silly to serious, and there were some great moments in his character's history. In the movies, it's been a toss-up as well. In Batman Forever, Tommy Lee Jones portrayed the character as a weird variation of the Joker. He had this weird purple face that was hard to take seriously, but in all honesty it was the least of the worries for the franchise at that point.
Aaron Eckhart turned around and made the character a tragic hero in The Dark Knight. While having the most gruesome face of all time, he showed us Harvey Dent before Two-Face, which made us sympathize with the character and hope for a good outcome. It didn't happen, but that just added to the gravity of the whole situation. Batman had to become a fugitive to protect Dent's pre-crazy reputation, and while we may never see a sequel to find out the repercussions of that decision, it was a strong move.
Kingpin
In the comics he is one huge, bald-headed white guy. In the Daredevil movie, he was one huge, bald-headed black guy. In the comic books it was hard to imagine him being fast enough to be a serious threat (especially if you've ever had to walk behind a fat guy in the mall). In the movie, we saw enough muscle in there to see what he was capable of.
The Daredevil movie wasn't that great, and I'm honestly not out there pushing for a sequel (a reboot, yes) but I wasn't really impressed with either villain in that film...or even the hero for that matter. Could have been worse though, I suppose.
Iron Monger
This character was radically different in many ways. In the Iron Man movie, he was old and worked for Tony Stark. In the comics he wasn't that old and had his own rival company taking on Stark Industries. Still, you have to admit the final armor in the movie was a nice challenge for Iron Man. He was one big dude.
The comic book version of this villain has been a pest, a private eye, and now a psycho again. He's a complex villain who may make some deep statements but always keeps himself presentable.
Jim Carrey, on the other hand, took the guy up about 18 notches and turned him into a really funny villain you had trouble seeing as a serious threat. He made the TV version of Riddler seem calm! To Jim's credit, however, he was the first Batman villain to actually make it through one of his movies alive. Unfortunately (or fortunately, I guess) we'll never see him in a sequel. I still think Michael Emerson would make a great Riddler for the next Batman movie.
This one is hard to score. The comic book version is a tough guy with a lot of issues. He has a daughter madly in love with Batman (and even had his son). The movie version was the guy from "Taken", which remains one of my favorite movies of all time.
While I wasn't overly impressed with Liam's overall take of the character, it did make for a rather nice plot twist in the "Batman Begins" movie. I liked how he was Bruce's mentor before becoming his enemy.
This one was actually pretty good. Despite having a lot of leeway in this, they stayed fairly close to the character. The costume was exact, but they were close enough to see where it was coming from. Cillian Murphy did a good job of having that "trust me" look that turned into a "HA! GOTCHA!" moment later.
I wish he'd gotten more of the costume besides just the hood though. It sort of made him look like he'd done his costume shopping at the Thrift Store.
Lots to complain about here and lots to love. On the one hand, they took this rather cool character from the comics and turned her into this weird freak for the movie. I can understand the need to make her seem more motivated to hate people, but it could have been done differently.
On the other hand, there was no need for her to have to constantly change clothes when she changed identities in the movie. That was an interesting touch, though it could have been overlooked or explained with a costume, I guess.
Another one that kept the essence of the character while changing the overall look (and origin), this one made for a pretty cool fight in the second X-Men movie. While the outcome was never in doubt, you have to admit it was kind of touch and go there for a while.
Personally, this is one time I'm glad they didn't go with the comic book costume. To me, it would have been a bad choice and almost impossible to pull off. It would have made the character seem far too comic book and not threatening. The way she was set up, the Wolverine fight in the end was two sleek adamantium warriors going at it.
Doomsday (Smallville)
While this isn't a movie character, I wanted to give him a mention. When we heard that Doomsday was coming to "Smallville", we knew it was going to be a hard thing for them to do. For one, we knew he wouldn't kill Clark like he did in the comic books, so the overall threat was gone. Second, we knew Lex was gone, so his origin would be in question.
As far as appearance goes, they did their best to stay faithful to the comic character while still making it work for the series. I wasn't that impressed with the human turning into Doomsday rather than him being created as a monster from scratch, but in the end it made for a pretty cool episode.
Two-Face
In the comic books, he's been portrayed over the years as a psycho, a hero, and a tragic figure. He's gone from silly to serious, and there were some great moments in his character's history. In the movies, it's been a toss-up as well. In Batman Forever, Tommy Lee Jones portrayed the character as a weird variation of the Joker. He had this weird purple face that was hard to take seriously, but in all honesty it was the least of the worries for the franchise at that point.
Kingpin
In the comics he is one huge, bald-headed white guy. In the Daredevil movie, he was one huge, bald-headed black guy. In the comic books it was hard to imagine him being fast enough to be a serious threat (especially if you've ever had to walk behind a fat guy in the mall). In the movie, we saw enough muscle in there to see what he was capable of.
The Daredevil movie wasn't that great, and I'm honestly not out there pushing for a sequel (a reboot, yes) but I wasn't really impressed with either villain in that film...or even the hero for that matter. Could have been worse though, I suppose.
Iron Monger
This character was radically different in many ways. In the Iron Man movie, he was old and worked for Tony Stark. In the comics he wasn't that old and had his own rival company taking on Stark Industries. Still, you have to admit the final armor in the movie was a nice challenge for Iron Man. He was one big dude.
The Riddler
The comic book version of this villain has been a pest, a private eye, and now a psycho again. He's a complex villain who may make some deep statements but always keeps himself presentable.Jim Carrey, on the other hand, took the guy up about 18 notches and turned him into a really funny villain you had trouble seeing as a serious threat. He made the TV version of Riddler seem calm! To Jim's credit, however, he was the first Batman villain to actually make it through one of his movies alive. Unfortunately (or fortunately, I guess) we'll never see him in a sequel. I still think Michael Emerson would make a great Riddler for the next Batman movie.
Ra's Al Ghul
This one is hard to score. The comic book version is a tough guy with a lot of issues. He has a daughter madly in love with Batman (and even had his son). The movie version was the guy from "Taken", which remains one of my favorite movies of all time.
While I wasn't overly impressed with Liam's overall take of the character, it did make for a rather nice plot twist in the "Batman Begins" movie. I liked how he was Bruce's mentor before becoming his enemy.
Scarecrow
This one was actually pretty good. Despite having a lot of leeway in this, they stayed fairly close to the character. The costume was exact, but they were close enough to see where it was coming from. Cillian Murphy did a good job of having that "trust me" look that turned into a "HA! GOTCHA!" moment later.
I wish he'd gotten more of the costume besides just the hood though. It sort of made him look like he'd done his costume shopping at the Thrift Store.
Mystique
Lots to complain about here and lots to love. On the one hand, they took this rather cool character from the comics and turned her into this weird freak for the movie. I can understand the need to make her seem more motivated to hate people, but it could have been done differently.
On the other hand, there was no need for her to have to constantly change clothes when she changed identities in the movie. That was an interesting touch, though it could have been overlooked or explained with a costume, I guess.
Lady Deathstrike
Another one that kept the essence of the character while changing the overall look (and origin), this one made for a pretty cool fight in the second X-Men movie. While the outcome was never in doubt, you have to admit it was kind of touch and go there for a while.
Personally, this is one time I'm glad they didn't go with the comic book costume. To me, it would have been a bad choice and almost impossible to pull off. It would have made the character seem far too comic book and not threatening. The way she was set up, the Wolverine fight in the end was two sleek adamantium warriors going at it.
Doomsday (Smallville)
While this isn't a movie character, I wanted to give him a mention. When we heard that Doomsday was coming to "Smallville", we knew it was going to be a hard thing for them to do. For one, we knew he wouldn't kill Clark like he did in the comic books, so the overall threat was gone. Second, we knew Lex was gone, so his origin would be in question.
As far as appearance goes, they did their best to stay faithful to the comic character while still making it work for the series. I wasn't that impressed with the human turning into Doomsday rather than him being created as a monster from scratch, but in the end it made for a pretty cool episode.
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