Outside the Margins

Going "Batty" Over Barbara

2011-08-16T14:30:00.001-04:00

In a previous blog I mentioned that DC Comics is doing a relaunch of 52 of its books, starting next month. In the last few days there has been a huge outcry of dissent, as well as support, for one particular "reboot"- bringing Barbara Gordon back as "Batgirl".

     For those who aren't familiar with the back story, Barbara became a sidekick to the Dark Knight in the mid-60's, as a way to introduce the character into the "Batman" tv show. She continued as Batgirl on and off until the late- 80's. 

     In the revolutionary graphic novel, "The Killing Joke", in an attempt to drive Commissioner Gordon insane,the Joker shot Barbara, paralyzing her. In an attempt to continue fighting crime, Ms. Gordon became a computer genius named "Oracle",the persona she has maintained until the upcoming re-boot.

    At this point, I'd also like to mention that I can relate strongly to the Oracle character, because I too am disabled. Unlike characters like Daredevil, who overcame his blindness, to the point where it became a "non-issue", Barbara overcame her disability but, it continued to be ever present.

     Now for the controversy. Many people, including myself, would like to see Barbara continue as Oracle. In the re-boot the timeline will go back to BEFORE Barbara's shooting, restoring the use of her legs. I feel that there are so few disabled characters portrayed in comics, especially in the DC Universe, so why take one away? Many women want to see her restored to Batgirl so she can be portrayed as a strong woman in a predominantly male comic book universe.

     I can see their point but my argument is can't she be both? As Oracle, can't she be portrayed as a strong disabled woman? Thereby representing both groups? 

     Overall, I'm happy with the idea of DC's re-boot, but in this particular case, I'm very disappointed in their creative decision

2011-08-05T11:17:00.000-04:00

It seems Chris Nolan has been busy- behind the camera and on the 'net. This week the Dark Knight Rises director released stills of two of the films villains, in all their villainy glory.
Earlier, photos surfaced of Bane, played by actor Tom Hardy. The production stills showed him on a modified (modernized?) version of Batman's Tumbler and even battling the Dark Knight, himself, played, of course, by Christian Bale.

Today, new photos surfaced of Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, played by Anne Hathaway. Initial reports stated that Ms. Hathaway was cast as "Selina Kyle" which led to some speculation on whether or not we would see her as her alter-ego. The photos released today confirm that we will see that famous catsuit in, at least, some form.

        While I am impressed with the look of Bane. He's big, bald, a typical goon villain, capable of breaking Batman's back like a twig. That mask makes Hannibal Lecter's look like a dollar store Halloween mask.
    On the other hand, I'm not so impressed by Catwoman. The goggles are pretty neat but, she looks more like a character from "The Matrix", then the Catwoman we're used to seeing. I know Nolan has always favored the idea of functionality in his Batman films (like the two piece Batman cowl) but Selina's costume is just plain boring. She's a cat burglar yet the only way she hides her identity is with a pair of over-sized glasses? I'm hoping that this is just an early incarnation of the suit, that will evolve over the course of the film into something more familiar to diehard Batman fans.
       Overall, I'm impressed by the images coming from the set of Dark Knight Rising and can't wait for this film to hit theaters during the Summer 2012.

Head or "Tails"?

2011-08-02T22:27:00.000-04:00

Lucasfilm just released the theatrical trailer for George Lucas' much anticipated film "Red Tails". It is the story of the famous Tuskegee Airmen of World War 2. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first African American combat squadrons made up of the 332nd Fighter Group and the 477th Bombardment Group of the U.S. Army Air Corps. The films title comes form the fact that the squads painted the tails of their planes bright red.

     The film is written and produced by George Lucas and directed by rookie director Anthony Hemingway.  It stars Terrence Howard (Hustle and Flow), Cuba Gooding, Jr (Jerry Maguire) and Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad).

     While it has a pretty decent cast, (where the heck has Cuba Gooding been??)from the trailer it looks like a typical World War 2 action flick but with an ILM twist. It reminded me of Pearl Harbor or Memphis Belle with fight sequences modeled after the first 10 minutes of "Revenge of the Sith".

     Despite the cast and the fact that George Lucas' name is attached to this film, I don't see myself lining up at midnight to check it out, like I did for The Phantom Menace...Okay. You can stop laughing now!

Thundercats HOOOOO!!

2011-07-30T10:57:00.000-04:00

     Last night, the new "Thundercats" series premiered on Cartoon Network.
     First of all, I was a huge fan of the original 80's series, so when I first heard about this revamped version I was a bit skeptical. Then I saw the preview pics of the characters and I thought "well, another beloved childhood memory has been ruined". After watching the premiere last night all I can say is, I was wrong.
   The first thing I noticed was, that this is definitely NOT the Thundercats of the '80's. This is a beautifully rendered, more sophisticated version. The characters are more dynamic. The backstory is more richly developed.
   <<SPOILER ALERT>>
     In the original series' premiere the story line was a little vague, to say the least. The planet Thundera is being destroyed. A group of Thundercats led by Jaga and including the young prince Lion-o are on a ship that escapes the destruction. It's never explained who the other Thundercats (Cheetara, Panthro, etc) are or why they are on the ship. We're never told where they end up or who the evil Mumm-ra is or why he is "evil". I'm sure this was done to appeal to a young kid audience. I, for one, am glad that the producers of the new series decided to appeal to a more sophisticated (or older) audience
   The new series fills in all the gaps of the original. It showed a much more complex relationship between characters (Lion-o and Tigera as rivals for the crown? Awesome!! Cheetara as a Cleric that protects the royal family? Genius!)
      The premiere also tackled some big time themes, namely, Technology. Is technology and advantage or can it be the downfall of a society? I think the show, and possibly the series, takes a decidedly anti- tech stand. The advanced technology of the lizards eventually causes the destruction of Thundera, but Lion-o's knowledge and also acceptance of the technology, helps his true leadership skills shine through, which ultimately will drive the rest of the series, I'm sure.
Overall I was very impressed with the direction the newly revamped "Thundercats" is headed and I hope that the show continues along the same track.

DC New 52

2011-07-29T13:51:00.000-04:00

       In an effort to get new interest in its comic line, in August, DC Comics will make some major changes to 52 of its comic books, including its big 3 - Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. 

       In addition to renumbering all 52 comics, starting each with Issue #1, many of our heroes will have changes made to their iconic outfits.

      While I love DC's effort to turn more people over to the "dark side" or "Dark Knight side" that is comic book reading/collecting, I'm not sure i like the idea of tampering with tradition.  The "Superman" line of comics has been around for over 70 years. Is publishing a NEW Action Comics #1 really going to get more people reading the adventures of the Man of Steel? I think all it's going to do  is make a bunch of non-comic readers who think they can make a quick buck, run out and stock up on a bunch of first issues. Once the frenzy over the first issues dies down, and all is said and done, DC readership will stay pretty much the same.

      That being said, I do like the artwork Im seeing for these new issues  and the storylines do seem interesting, so I think the current readers will be happy with the changes overall. I for one can't wait until August 31. 

Welcome!

2011-07-29T13:27:00.000-04:00

Hey Folks,

My Name is Matt, aka, "Pop" Culture and welcome to my blog. Here i will be discussing/ranting about all things pop culture- movies, TV, books, comic books, or anything else that pops into my head. Hope you enjoy it enough to tell all your friends