ROOSTER TEETH THOUGHTS:

ROOSTER TEETH THOUGHTS:

Rooster Teeth, the company that made RWBY, closed recently. I wanted to talk about it. I really only joined Rooster Teeth fandom around 2015. I was certainly aware of Rooster Teeth, because Red vs. Blue premiered in 2003, when I was in high school. But, that was before it had a plot, and it was just kind of friends messing around with HALO assets to make a comedy show. Things changed when Monty Oum was brought in. Monty Oum was a wunderkind animator.

He made things like Dead Fantasy and Haloid (HALO vs. Metroid). What made these shows work was always that they were kinda familiar, fast-paced, and action-packed. Dead Fantasy was Final Fantasy, but not really. Haloid was Metroid vs. HALO, but not really. Along with Monty Oum's focus on fast-paced rhythm-based action (with a background as a dancer.) Monty Oum's style of animation was ultimately a victory of re-branding that re-vitalized Rooster Teeth, and gave it direction.

Now, under Monty Oum, Red vs. Blue became an action show, where it was HALO, but not really. It had a plot and characters, and action scenes. After the success of HALO, but not really, Monty Oum was given the green light to develop RWBY, which was Final Fantasy 8, but not really. The costumes, weapons (Everything is a gunblade.), and plot were straight from the 1999 videogame, but not really.

Parts of media like Kingdom Hearts, fairytales, plus shows like Once Upon A Time and Snow White and The Huntsman can also be seen as influences on RWBY, with a color scheme and elaborate rhythm-based team battles, and attacks. Several fairytales had become public domain in 2012, which made them easy to adapt for the small business. RWBY's popular team-based color schemes allegedly came to Monty in a dream, probably from working on Red vs. Blue too much.

So, I joined right in the middle of all this, by watching RWBY. FF8 was my favorite Final Fantasy, so I picked up the plot immediately. I was all about RWBY for a good while. It was like revisiting one of my favorite games, with a fairytale twist, as was popular at the time. The success of RWBY was unprecedented, spawning a fandom. Unfortunately, Monty Oum fell into a coma in 2015 just before the completion of Season 3. (Seasons of RWBY are called Volumes, like fairytale books.)

Season 3 is widely considered the best Volume of RWBY, as it is a tournament arc featuring many different teams and battles, showcasing the fighting mechanics that made RWBY unique. Additionally, it would open up the world, going beyond locations visited in the previous volumes and introducing the second half of the plot with new villains and character development for Team RWBY. Perhaps most importantly, this meant that Volume 4 would be the first without Monty Oum, as his coma proved fatal.

Volume 4 introduced Salem, the new big bad villainess who was secretly controlling everything. The characters slowly discover that magic is real, and that they do in fact live in a fairytale-type world where they are to act as guardians for sacred relics, before Salem can get to them. This was an okay Volume. It's basically the second half of FF8, but at least it left you wondering what could happen.

Volume 5 splits up each individual member of Team RWBY to give them their own arcs. I understand the reasoning behind this, but I felt like they hadn't developed much as a team first. Yang recovers at home and then tries to find her mother, Ruby joins a new team, Weiss is imprisoned back at her home, and Blake takes a boat trip home to confront her misguided past.

At least they reunite by Volume 6's end. I hung in for all the new characters and villains. The writing on the wall for RWBY came, I think, by Volume 8...when COVID happened. It seemingly changed some direction of the show. Instead of the fast-paced action scenes, I felt like now we have cramped action that takes place in one static location, opting for flashes and bangs in place of dynamic movement, often resolved quickly by Ruby's eye powers or one big move, despite earlier establishing the series' love for gun kata (Kung Fu with guns.), and the characters' skills with their own unique weapons.

Also, earlier the series had made references to the fact that the Kingdom of Atlas was basically Germany. It combined its education and military, and chose a different side in the series' Great War. Even Weiss Schnee from Atlas uses a German name. So, the twist that Ironwood actually wanted to defend Atlas by himself by forsaking dust and the other Kingdoms, didn't shock me at all. If it was supposed to be shocking, it failed, since it was telegraphed all along if you know Final Fantasy and history. Final Fantasy is always setting up Magic vs. Technology.

Since the heroes use dust (magic), it's logical to me that the antithesis of that would be embodied in Ironwood, who favors militarism and technology. But, even this distracts from the main plot, which was supposed to be now defeating Salem. Although, I understand they were trying to create villains for every continent in the show's world, with Ironwood being the villain for Atlas. I was disappointed that they couldn't come together already to defeat Salem.

Time was running out. We were now at Volume 9 (2023), and they took a detour once again to The Ever After, a place where fairytales are real. Yang lost her mechanical arm and Ruby lost her weapon. Weiss keeps insisting there's no way they're in a fairytale. It's pretty much at this point where I watched, but lost my former interest. Magic and fairytales had already been proven real. Ruby had already proved herself as a leader. It was a neat visual detour, but there was no thematic reason to reset characters' motivations, other than that's all the writers knew to do absent the guidance of Monty Oum.

I will say I liked the inclusion of BMLB (A fan-created romance between Team RWBY members Yang and Blake.) being absolutely confirmed in this Volume. But, otherwise, it seemed to retread familiar ground, and reset characters' motivations. The Rooster Teeth merger with Warner Bros forced new projects to be focused on instead of the main show. On top of this, dramatic scandals rocked the once-seemingly benign company, including pay disputes and harassment charges. But, it ultimately survived.

I've already written about RWBY: Ice Queendom, the Japanese anime version of RWBY. In addition, Rooster Teeth focused on cross-over comics and movies with DC's Justice League, which again, while interesting both covered familiar grounds. By this point, if you didn't already like RWBY, you weren't going to watch another origin story and re-introduce the team. They staked everything on the success of RWBY and Batman, but Batman doesn't need RWBY.

You see, what made the show work was always that it was Final Fantasy, but not really. I say that as a fan of RWBY. It was not perfect, but it was the little animation studio that could. If you add Batman to it, or bigger more recognizable entities, in my view, it kills the idea that these characters were home-grown successes. Rooster Teeth had fans who had watched it grow from a small web animation studio, to become something original in spite of being a victory of re-branding Final Fantasy characters with twists. The merger with a giant corporation killed their home-grown success myth.

What will happen to RWBY now that Rooster Teeth is going under? I don't know. Probably, it will just move to a Warner Bros. Company. Maybe Cartoon Network will pick it up, or Crunchyroll. It was a wild ride while it lasted, Rooster Teeth. Everyone involved will probably just come back under a new company. I just hope they can finish RWBY's story, and give it a good ending.

Superman: Doomsday (2007):

Superman: Doomsday (2007):

If you’re expecting Cyborg Superman to show up, or a retelling of “The Death of Superman” comic book storyline, you’ll be disappointed. I was. This version of the story has Superman returning as an “evil clone” created by Luthor. There’s no Steel (Metal Superman!) even! So, basically, if you watched this film, it’s to watch Superman fight Doomsday. That’s it. Once the mystery of the clone is solved, there’s no more dramatic tension left.

Of course, the fight with Doomsday is fantastic. But, that lasts like 5 minutes. Including Doomsday’s arrival. You can tell the fight is intense just by the sounds of each hit. A real super slobber-knocker! Superman is still a man though, and still gets tired. After being dragged through a power station, hit by a subway, and thrown around with a few earth-quaking impacts, Superman starts to tire and stagger, while Doomsday does not. It really is like watching the ultimate boxing match. In the end, Metropolis is basically a crater.

Well, that was fun. But, what happens next? Well, not much. After the funeral, Toyman terrorizes the city (Voiced by John Dimaggio! Really, kudos to the voice casting in this movie! Everyone is spot on!) and it looks like Superman has come back, but after it’s revealed only minutes later that this is a clone under Luthor’s control which he gleefully wails on with Kryptonite knuckles, all the excitement goes away. In the original comic, there was more exploration of what people did to carry on his legacy. This is just a dumb clone plot…I honestly preferred the Evil Superman in Superman 3. At least he was the result of a split personality.

Here, when Evil Superman starts threatening old grannies and kills Toyman, it’s just awkward. I will say they did a good job explaining away early 90s Superman’s awful mullet haircut. His robot dug up his unconscious body, so presumably he didn’t have time to cut his hair. The robot is voiced by Tom Kenny! Anyway, to even the odds against his evil clone, Tom Kennybot gives him a Kryptonite gun, and a black solar suit, making him look weirdly gothic. Real Superman wins, of course. With the help of Lois Lane.

Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about this movie. It doesn’t really teach anything, and doesn’t really capture Superman’s legacy. The original comic storyline showed many different sides of Superman, some of which were evil, and some of which were good. It just seems to me that lumping all that into “Evil clone with Luthor’s personality.” is a huge waste. Luthor even ends up in the hospital once the clone becomes paranoid. So, he’s more evil than Luthor. It should’ve at least included Superboy, the good side of Luthor’s clone.

Now, a couple things this film's got right in the end, are the music and the voice acting. The Superman theme here begins from space in the intro, as it usually should. But, does that triumphant music really fit the death of Superman? I know, it’s a Superman movie…but with a title like Doomsday…you know what you’re really getting is that last, or should I say first, fight! Secondly, the voice-acting is stupendous, as I said before. And it does deliver on that Doomsday battle!

Seeing one of the most iconic Superman comic book stories reduced to a one-note doppelganger plot is hugely disappointing. But, it does have redeeming qualities, most of which I’ve listed above. (Voice-acting and music, Doomsday, etc.) It succeeds in a strong presentation of weak ideas. Really, it’s all about that Doomsday battle. Oh, and explaining away that mullet! 2/5 stars. Not very super, but makes you expect it will be. And that’s worse! I mean, you might like it, but like Superman, the film nearly dies after Doomsday.

WONDER WOMAN: BLOODLINES (2019):

WONDER WOMAN: BLOODLINES (2019):

“Wonder Woman tries to help a troubled young girl, Vanessa, who has fallen in with a deadly organization known as Villainy Inc. headed by Dr. Cyber.”

Well, another one where there's a ton going on! Steve Trevor arrives on Themyscira followed by parademons. Wonder Woman believes his arrival means that an attack is coming, so she leaves the island and comes to modern day Man's World to help. One of the things I like about this one is how Diana comports herself like an ancient Amazon.

For example, she apologizes to a woman for crooks “hampering” her day, and says to her host family's daughter Vanessa that her “sleeping chambers” were quite similar to hers, just with servants. Vanessa feels slowly neglected by Wonder Woman as her popularity grows; so, jealous of her, she joins Villainy Inc.!

The rest of the quest is to save Vanessa and stop more monsters and villains from attacking. Vanessa becomes Silver Swan with the help of Dr. Poison and Dr. Cyber. I'm impressed with this movie's villainess roster. Cheetah, Giganta, Dr. Poison, the Minotaur, and even Medusa all show up. Wonder Woman can punch through walls, and throw giant pillars, so the fight scenes are good...there's always the lasso, too!

After she defeats Silver Swan, they have to figure out how to get back to Themyscira. There they can use the aptly-named “purple healing ray” to cure her. But, everyone who leaves the island magically forgets where it is! They work out the location, but there is a major betrayal in the team. Overall, the film does a good job showing Wonder Woman's powers and code of honor. I liked it!

It's kind of like an extended Justice League episode. With more villainesses than probably in the average Wonder Woman movie! It kind of feels like they were riding high from 2017's Wonder Woman success, which is a good thing. I'm always up for more Greek myths and superheroes. I feel like animation can show things that just look ridiculous in movies, like invisible jets, no matter how good your CGI is.

I think this is worth watching, if only because it throws a lot at you. At times, it's not afraid to have fun, but you're never bored either way. It's a nice mix of action-comedy. If you wanna see Wonder Woman at full power, I'd recommend this movie. Give it a watch, if you can!

Injustice (2021):

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“On an alternate Earth, the Joker tricks Superman into killing Lois Lane, which causes a rampage in the hero. Superman decides to take control of Earth, Batman and his allies will have to attempt to stop him.”

Superman is tricked into killing a pregnant Lois, Metropolis blows up, and Superman loses his grip on humanity. Which is fine, when it exists to make Superman the bad guy in a fighting game. But here, it just makes him look really insecure. I suppose it's to show that he's slowly losing his innocence. First, he forces world leaders to sign treaties. Then, illegally imprisons protesting superheroes.

Like all narratives where Superman loses control, he eventually allies with villains; this time it's Ra's Al Ghul. Soon, he's eye-lasering children who are in harm's way to protest his rule. Some heroes die, and some villians too. But, it hardly reminds me of it's comic book/videogame counterpart. Batman hacks Cyborg. Nightwing is in there.

At first, it's cool when Superman goes crazy and shows his true powers. But after that, it's just him slowly becoming evil and killing/imprisoning heroes like a paranoid jerk. Harley Quinn goes good though, so that's kinda like the comics; pretty cool. And she knocks out Green Arrow. Mr. Terrific is pretty good in it, and I don't even remember him in the game.

Overall, it's pretty good, for what it lacks in plot. Where it tries to be high-minded, and address issues like freedom vs. security, I think it falls a little flat because...well, it's an action animation based on a fighting game comic book. (Red Son at least had alternate historical context to explore ideas.) They need to fight scenes, so it all just boils down to a fight. Enjoy it with snacks, maybe. But, once was enough for me.

DEATHSTROKE: KNIGHTS AND DRAGONS: THE MOVIE (2020)

DEATHSTROKE: KNIGHTS AND DRAGONS (2020):

“Assassin Slade Wilson leads two lives: a relentless killer known as Deathstroke and a family man. Can he atone for the sins of the past-or will his family pay the ultimate price?”

This one is a doozy! It's an adult animation (read: cussing, partial nudity, and violence.) featuring Deathstroke from DC comics. The story is about him trying to protect his family from learning that he's a super-powered assassin. But, that goes out the window when he's attacked at home by the HIVE, a mercenary group.

They steal his kid, Joseph, and re-name him Jericho, subjecting him to the same military experiments as Deathstroke. It's said that while Deathstroke is a handgun, so to speak, Joseph is a nuclear weapon. He has psychic abilities on top of his fathers superpowers and healing factor. The HIVE plans to use him to plot terrorist attacks, and control world leaders.

Meanwhile, Deathstroke uncovers that the HIVE leader is someone from his past. Joseph even sides with them for a while, before uncovering his abuse. A motif that's repeated via a bedtime story is that Deathstroke sees himself as a knight, protecting his family against dragons. In the end, Joseph believes he's still the knight, and fights beside his father against, among others, Lady Shiva.

It's pretty good for an adult animation in 2020. I'm not spoiling too much if I say I'm dissatisfied with how they defeat Lady Shiva. Overall, they cram a lot into 89 minutes, but it's a good and bloody story. It's an origin story, a betrayal, and a future story all at once. Give it a watch if you don't mind the violence!

Harley Quinn and Batman (2017):

Harley Quinn and Batman (2017):

“Batman and Nightwing are forced to team with the Joker's sometimes-girlfriend Harley Quinn to stop a global threat brought about by Poison Ivy and Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man.”

Harley Quinn and Batman team up to stop Poison Ivy. Batman's former sidekick Nightwing finds Harley working as a waitress in a cosplay-based restaurant, and figures she knows where Ivy is. Harley says she wants to just live a normal life. Eventually they tickle each other, and decide to work together.

Now, usually the DC movie universe doesn't like to make fun of itself. But, this is a Harley Quinn comedy. So, it's much more slapstick and fart jokes than the usual Batman fare. I kind of liked it. They have fun. They sing karaoke before they find out where Ivy is, thanks to a tip.

Turns out, Ivy is in Louisiana working with Floronic Man to turn all life into plants. Harley pleads with Ivy, and is able to convince her to stop. But, she can't stop Floronic Man. She tells Batman that if he's just made of plants, they should be able to just burn him. (In comically whispered dialogue.) Nightwing and Batman kiss her cheek, and that's all folks.

It's pretty good for a DC animated movie. Especially for a DC comedy. You definitely have to be in the mood for this one. I don't know. Watch it with some snacks. Be prepared for fart jokes. If you like Harley Quinn, and have a good sense of humor, you should enjoy.

SUPERMAN: RED SON (2020):

SUPERMAN: RED SON (2020):

“What if baby Kal-El's rocket landed, not in Kansas, but in the Soviet Union? That is the premise of this Elseworld's tale from DC Comics.”

There's a lot going on here. This is an alternate world based on the 2003 comic by Mark Millar where Superman was raised in the USSR. He kills Stalin after he finds out about the gulags. He beats back capitalist Bizzaro created by the US with Lex Luthor. He defeats the Green Lanterns as they are recruited in the Cold War, and single-handedly wins the Korean War for the Communists.

So, in this world, Kal-El is still the same person. He still cares about helping people, only he believes the Soviet system is the way to do so. Even with his vast power, and big heart, he finds that he can't control people the way he'd like to in the name of equality. He fights Batman over this. In this version, Batman survives the gulag.

To add to the list of heroes making a cameo, he courts Wonder Woman on a diplomacy mission. Eventually, she withdraws when she finds out that with the help of Brainiac, he's been turning people into robots to make them more agreeable. Superman discovers that the villain soon can't be trusted. This leads to a showdown between Brainiac and US President Lex Luthor.

All-in-all, this is a fantastic showcase for a DC what-if scenario. The comic is a bit more detailed, but I highly recommend this one for a watch, however you can. It really shows the ability of comics and animation to transport us to other worlds. Plus, I like Jason Isaac's faux Russian accent. In Soviet Russia, Superman cartoon watches you!



READ MY SUPERMAN:RED SON COMIC REVIEW HERE: https://bit.ly/2XmZ4xg

Birds of Prey (2020) a.k.a. Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey:

Birds of Prey (2020) a.k.a. Harley Quinn: Birds of Prey:

“It's open season on Harley Quinn when her explosive breakup with the Joker puts a big fat target on her back.”

Right away, we're given a nice little animated sequence on who Harley is, and the breakup with Joker. So, she sets out to become her own self, burning down where she and Joker met, and going around looking to correct her grievances. But, that attracts the attention of other psychos (and the cops.) who want to take her down.

Eventually, she's captured by mafia boss Black Mask. If she can find him a diamond, she's free. Now, overall, this isn't a bad setup, and I cut this movie a lot of slack for being filmed during COVID-19. But, here's where things get messy. See, it's not just a Harley Quinn movie. They have to squeeze in the Birds of Prey.

Harley Quinn by herself is still cool to watch. What I didn't like was stopping the action in the middle to introduce another team member to the plot. It's not very cohesive, and the Birds of Prey don't really get together until the last 10 minutes. The final fight scene in the carnival, and the fight scene in the police station are the best parts.

The Suicide Squad (2021) is a better Harley Quinn team-up movie. Unlike this film, no one character felt wasted. Black Mask felt like just “Not-Joker” to me. Margot Robbie's good, as always. But, they should've taken more time to develop each unique character. You can skip this one unless you really like Harley Quinn.

THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021):

THE SUICIDE SQUAD (2021):

"Supervillains Harley Quinn, Bloodsport, Peacemaker and a collection of nutty cons at Belle Reve prison join the super-secret, super-shady Task Force X as they are dropped off at the remote, enemy-infused island of Corto Maltese."

The Suicide Squad is a fun movie. I feel like what makes it work is the slapstick, and the characters. A team of DC supervillains is sent off to investigate alien technology on a hostile island nation. As the name implies, several team members die. But, most the deaths are played for laughs, and I won't give spoilers regarding who makes it out. There's no one character that feels underdeveloped. Even the goofier ones like Polka Dot Man.

Speaking of characters, Harley Quinn gets her own few moments in the sun here. Her character does great with the movie's action-slapstick tone. John Cena plays the hilariously unaware and superviolent Peacemaker. Idris Elba does most of the dramatic heavy-lifing as Bloodsport. Overall, I think the movie works because it's aware that it's a comic book movie.

Comics are kind of weird, and so is this flick. It's superviolent, funny, and yet it's never truly dark. It has a kind of heart in the way that the characters live and die. It's definitely not for the squeamish, but I say give it a watch if you like weird comics and action movies!

Justice League: War (2014) Review

Justice League: War (2014)

Batman: “The world’s afraid of us.”

Green Lantern: “You say that like it’s a good thing.”

Batman: “It’s necessary.”

Justice League: War explains the origins of the Justice League and how they united to fight against Darkseid. But, first some had to fight against each other. Green Lantern chases Batman around Gotham believing he is an alien with a bomb. But, he’s actually stopping an alien with a bomb! In the fight and battle of wits that ensues, Batman disarms Green Lantern! It’s a very good demonstration of Batman’s skill and shows that he isn’t just a guy in a batsuit.

Really, I guess that’s the only problem I have with the film is that it’s way too Batcentric. Movies seem to have lost the idea of how to portray Superman as a leader and symbol of hope. Here, he’s an Old Testament-type God-figure, introducing himself by tossing Batman around until he realizes he’s not the enemy. It’s a might-makes-right philosophy…and I think it’s telling that they can’t represent hope without it choking fear. We can’t let Superman stand on his moral authority like Christopher Reeve's Superman did. Batman leads the Justice League now. With fear as a necessity.

But, also against this, we see the story of Wonder Woman, who prefers to spend the day eating ice cream with a girl instead of meeting with the President until the invasion. She at least provides some comic relief. And feminist philosophy. At one point, she gets one of her protestors to admit that he cross-dresses as Wonder Woman via The Lasso of Truth. It’s funny, and at least shows her philosophy of fighting for Truth, rather than hitting everyone right away.

Now, eventually we see characters like Flash (Who analyzes the metal from the bomb.) and Cyborg, and Shazam. All these characters are played spot-on. Flash has his signature fast-talking quick wit. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir…Batman…Batman, sir!” Cyborg’s backstory is the most detailed, which I believe they should focus more on should they make more movies in this storyline. His scientist father basically reveals that he missed his son’s football game to analyze the metal, because whatever he can do with football (in the world of superheroes.) is a joke.

Later, when  he becomes infected with an alien symbiote, his scientist dad uses a “quantum computer” to save his body, and he becomes Cyborg. It’s a cool story, and shows how technology can make us compete with superheroes. With a power chair, I know this firsthand.

And then of course, there’s  one of the JL’s greatest opponents, Darkseid. He appears out of the alien rift caused by this terraforming bombs. Superman again is a little underplayed here, and he gets abducted, and Batman rescues him. But, this is Batman’s era. I thought how all the team fought together using their powers (Flash for distraction, Green Lantern to repel the army, etc.) was nice. Wonder Woman stabs out Darkseid’s eyes, perhaps in a nod to the Cyclops myth. Oh, yes, it’s an adult cartoon, so there’s blood, and swearing…but that’s what I expected.
 
Overall, it’s a great feature, and the animation is gripping…reminiscent of Batman: The Animated Series. Very refreshing to see hand-drawn styles, at least…I miss hand-drawn style. It sounds weird, but as I’ve said before I’m a secret animation geek, so it really pulled me in. Especially with the plot! I’ll add a star just for seeing some good animation.

So, in conclusion, yes, Superman’s ideal (Justice) is underplayed for Batman’s fear-based aesthetic. He even wears the Man of Steel (New 52, actually.) outfit! But, I can get used to a Batcentric JL if that’s really what people want in the post-9/11 world. But, is it “necessary”? No. Okay, that’s my final philosophical critique. I actually really enjoyed this movie and the animation, and the essence of the characters.

I mean, there’s Cyborg’s technological genius, Shazam’s bravery (And Shazam is voiced by Sean Astin!), Green Lantern’s willpower, Wonder Woman’s Truth, Flash’s quick wit…if DC’s looking to copy the success of the 2012’s Avengers (Hint: They are. Superman is Hawkeye here, Flash is Iron Man, Wonder Woman is Captain America…even the star-spangled outfit…has to rediscover the modern world.) They succeed here! Now, just make Superman a little more useful than Hawkeye! Oh, snap! 4/5 stars from me! Go see it!

BATGIRL VOL. 2: KNIGHTFALL DESCENDS (2012) REVIEW:

"Are you seriously going to complain that you can walk again? You think you’re the only person who’s ever regained mobility?”

- Black Canary to Batgirl

Oddly, with Batgirl Vol. 2, Gail Simone goes back to Batgirl’s past rather than immediate recovery after The Killing Joke. It begins with the day she became Batgirl and puts on a bat suit while trapped in the GCPD. This volume deals more with the psychological damage caused by the Joker, instead of her physical frailty. More to the point, it incorporates The Court of Owls and even a Bane-type character in a gang. I get that it all connects her to Batman’s history, but frankly it feels a little recycled.

Batgirl faces three enemies: An epicure in a devil mask named Grotesque who can channel electricity. Now, I liked this part of the story, but mainly because there’s a brief cameo from Black Canary who trains with Batgirl and reminds her she never complained before when she was in a wheelchair. (As Oracle, leader of The Birds of Prey.)

From there, there’s a weird subplot about a young girl, (Ms. Carnes.) whose home was invaded by a mass murderer, and she now tortures evildoers for revenge! And now James Jr. is a psychopath working with The Court of Owls. Ew. Too many good-guy-turned-evil twists. But, I guess comics just work that way.

That’s not the Bane girl. Her name is Bonebreaker, her gang member. Their leader is the young girl…who’s name is Knightfall. But, as Batgirl is tracking Grotesque, the Owls take over Gotham. This is clearly meant to overlap with The Court of Owls storyline, which was running at the same time. Fair enough. I just don’t see why James Jr. had to be brought in. We’ve established that the histories are intertwined. Leave Batgirl’s family alone.

Also, her estranged mother comes and leaves again. And it’s established that Joker is tracking her a la The Killing Joke near the end. Poor Batgirl just can’t get a break with the family issues. Although I guess it follows the same logic as Court of Owls Vol. 2, where it’s revealed that Batman’s long-lost brother is leading the owls.  Not a lot I liked about this one, with it’s constant interwoven plot twists.

 One part I did like though, was when she mistakenly battles Batwoman in a police detective’s apartment, believing her to be an undercover agent of Knightfall’s gang. (Yeesh. What a corny name: Knightfall. Even the name Knightfall recalls Bane‘s entry title!) So in the end, she’s able to track Knightfall and work with Batwoman to free the prisoners. She gets the prisoners to hold Ms. Carnes back so she can fight her. The end of the novel seems to suggest a volume 3, with all Batgirl’s former villians being freed, (Mirror, Grotesque, and Gretel.)

Overall, I feel like Volume 2 kind of sacrificed the originality of exploring her recovery in favor of getting her back into action. This is okay, since action is what heroes and heroines do, but I was more upset by the co-opting of The Court of Owls and Bane-type plotlines. Surely, Batgirl can survive with an original rogue gallery rather than cheap Batman knock-offs. And not to dwell on the training scene with Black Canary, (My favorite part!) but that one scolding scene is basically all we get from the recovery angle so richly explored in the first volume.

So in conclusion, the action was fun, and I really enjoyed the first half, until The Court of Owls and a Bane clone were brought in. I don’t think Batgirl should be a Batman clone. She’s got her own individual origin (Explored in this volume!), rogue gallery, and set of issues to deal with…such as being paralyzed by Joker.

Now, some might say she can’t dwell on it forever, but I maintain that without her own set of issues, Batgirl becomes a Batman clone…and she’s capable of more than that. In sum, I knew they’d drop the recovery angle, but I guess I…was still disappointed by how quickly it was dropped. By the way, for the original characters in the first half, I give this 3 stars, but the Owl/Bane parallels are groan worthy.

BATGIRL VOL. 1: THE DARKEST REFLECTION (2012)

BATGIRL VOL. 1: THE DARKEST REFLECTION (2012)

“I'm not Barbara Gordon. I have to keep remembering that. Tonight, I'm not Barbara. Tonight, I'm not the Police Commissioner's daughter. Tonight, I'm the one who pored over the details of the confidential police and reports when her dad wasn't looking. I'm the one who recognized the vintage costumes you wear. Tonight? Tonight, I'm Batgirl.”

- Batgirl

     I have to admit, when I first heard that Barbara Gordon was out of the wheelchair for The New 52, I was extremely skeptical. But, far from avoiding disability issues, this graphic novel deals specifically with Batgirl becoming accustomed to being able-bodied again. In any case, it is rare that a graphic novel directly addresses disability and able-bodied presumptions.

She accepts her time in the chair, and even says as much throughout the comics:  “Does everyone see me as broken?” I was a little upset that they only had her as Oracle (That is, disabled.) in the story, for 3 years. But, no matter, maybe she got Bat-physical therapy.  She’s out to prove that she never was broken and is ready to take on cases alone.

A big theme of the comic is self-doubt, and contrasting her new able-bodied life with her old one. She keeps her lift-van. We begin by seeing Batgirl taking down a Halloween-themed gang of youngsters, The Brisby Killers, whose costumes she recognizes. After she takes them down (But, she’s critical of herself for using the wrong intimidation tactics.) we’re introduced to two new characters: Mirror, the graphic novel’s primary villain…a Federal Agent after people who got second chances while others didn’t…and Batgirl’s new radical-feminist roommate Alysia.

Outside the apartment, Alysia makes a comment about her lift-van and being in a wheelchair “Like being in prison.” Batgirl gives us this stunning insight in an aside: “She doesn’t mean anything by it. I know she doesn’t. She doesn’t know what it’s like, what the chair helps you do. And I guess I don’t feel like explaining that to her able-bodied-but-well-intentioned self right now.” How many times I’ve thought this to others myself!

Okay, so Batgirl got me hooked on the disability issues. But what about the villain, and the action? Well, Mirror’s got a list of survivors, and Batgirl’s on it. The first victim should’ve drowned, so we meet him drowning someone with a hose. But, Batgirl meets him in a hospital where he attempts to shoot her in the spine and break her legs even. He knows how to exploit her survivors guilt. Because he was one. He survived a terrorist train-bombing.

So, not only does he “mirror” the accidents the survivors lived through, but also their fear, which makes him kind of bizarre and nightmare inducing. He sets several traps for Batgirl, including in a cemetery, on an exploding train, and finally, in a hall of mirrors where she tells him he can survive, and defeats him by using his fear against him.

Now,  there’s a ton of other self-conflicts throughout the comics, especially when she fights Nightwing who wants to prevent her from being put back in the chair (irony?), but Batgirl insists that she must fight Mirror alone…each relationship has sort of an overprotective, presumptive quality that I dare say I’m used to. For example, when Barbara goes on a date with her former physical therapist, he tells her: “Miracles do happen.” Batgirl replies: “I’m a skeptic. I don’t believe in miracles.” (Yes!)

Also, when she goes to tell her father about where she was, two word bubbles appear, one is “What I want to say is” followed by “But, what I really say is” she is exhausted by the over-protectiveness. And I’ve been there too. Sometimes, it feels like others just see nothing but the disability, even in spite of more obvious talents.

Finally, in the last story, we meet a villainess named Gretel who can hypnotize people. Once hypnotized, they chant “338” and become zombie-like. But, it turns out Gretel was actually shot in the head three times by a mobster with a .38; Batgirl uncovers this after their first meeting. Gretel’s hypnotic ability functions as part of her trauma.

Gretel has since declared war on all powerful men, because they like to stay in power while others suffer. Her next target is Bruce Wayne. But, Batgirl realizes he’s faking being a zombie for the sake of his identity; in the end, she avoids getting hurt and Bruce whispers: “You were always meant to be Batgirl…” Finally, some confidence! After turning Gretel in, Batgirl says she’s been where Gretel’s been too, and can’t blame her. So have I!

To conclude, the art is beautiful…but I don’t think…I would’ve overcome my apprehension about this story if it weren’t so masterfully crafted by Gail Simone. I mean, I always knew Batgirl was disabled, but I guess somewhat foolishly I presumed that once she wasn’t Oracle, she’d be done with disability issues. I’m happy to be proven wrong. If you need a glimpse of disability issues in comics, I think this graphic novel would be in my Top 5 recommendations. 5 stars…Go read it!

UPDATES, PLUS DISABILITIES AND SUPERPOWERS

UPDATES, PLUS DISABILITIES AND SUPERPOWERS:

Hey everybody! Long time no see! Here are some updates! I had another paper published, enjoyed the Doctor Who 50th, and had my own birthday on 11/22. With conventions coming up (notably Ohayocon!) you can be sure I’ll have some anime reviews, and possibly a review of Ohayocon 2014! Stay tuned! For now, here’s  a copy of the article that was published in HireGround. ( From Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities.) It’s called  “Disabilities And Superpowers”.

Disabilities and Superpowers
By Chris Bowsman

Editor’s note: Chris Bowsman, age 28, has a B.A. in German, M.A. in Intercultural Communication

If you enjoy Chris’ writing, look him up on the VSA website at http://www.vsao.org/, or follow his personal blog “Through Alien Eyes” at http://www.christopherbowsman.blogspot.com/ (Chris’s Note: Hey, that’s here!)

  I’ve always loved superheroes. When I was a kid I wanted nothing more than to be like Professor X, leader of the X-men. I didn’t have his superpower of telepathy, but hey, I was in a wheelchair, like him, so that was a good start, right? Or at least, that was the reality I lived on the inside.

But on the outside, much of my daily existence was just an exercise in willpower forged from dealing with my dependencies. It still is. Nobody saw my mental Professor X; what they saw was a kid rolling around or occasionally being pushed, often demanding extra attention and struggling to articulate words that were often hard for them to understand, limbs sometimes jerking in unexpected directions.

This was the overlay I grew up with. It’s the titanic clash between the multitudes of disabilities people see on the outside, versus what those of us experiencing a whole different world within can create mentally. One of my favorite poets laid it out this way: (Walt Whitman, "Song of Myself")

Do I contradict myself?

Very well then I contradict myself,

(I am large, I contain multitudes.)

I am accustomed to people making assumptions about my intelligence and capabilities based on what it looks like I can do, so that really isn’t even a big deal anymore. What I want to say, however, is that my super strength is just determination. My telepathy is called listening. The strengths that I possess are really strengths that anyone can have if used correctly. It is our choices that make us who we are, far more than our abilities … listening and the power to keep fighting, are far better, far more real than telepathy or being able to punch someone into atoms!

If superhero stories tell us anything, it is that people have hidden talents beyond what others can see. Charles Xavier is not just a professor, but the world’s most powerful telepath. Mild-mannered Clark Kent is Superman. Of course, no one looking on from the outside could see these powers of the great superheroes, either. But the invisible (Much more human) lessons we can learn from them involve determination, empathy, and wisdom…just to name a few.

You see, everyone tries to make meaning out of their abilities; what they can and can’t do. I’m still trying to make meaning out of mine. I’ve come a long way from just wanting to be Professor X, to traveling abroad, obtaining my degrees in German and Intercultural Communication!

Two of the most dangerous things you can do, in my opinion, are assuming that physical differences are bad, or pretending that we’re the same as you if you don’t have a disability. Above all, a body must be lived in, and all of us embody a little different view of the truth. Remember the Walt Whitman quote above? And as Professor X said: “We’re not dangerous…we are different.” Don’t be afraid to learn from these differences. Embrace them! Understand them! You may be surprised.

   In sum, I don’t have telepathy; but I have empathy. I don’t have super strength; I have my spirit. To me, superheroes are just about simple human abilities that I have, and how to use them. Each one of us has some amazing abilities if we try to discover them. Who knows? That mild-mannered reporter could be Superman. Yes, even that guy in the wheelchair could be Professor X!