Monday, April 27, 2009

Blue Beetle Tribute

In this episode, we have a tribute to a great, canceled series.

NOTE: Sorry for the background noise - it was really hot when I recorded this and couldn't stand it without the fan turned on.

102 comments:

Triplicate Girl said...

I just watched a 5 minute commercial of Starbursts playing guitar. That's how much I like these videos.

Freddie Fosh said...

I think the biggest the reason there are a lot more shots of bloodied heroes than there used to be when they die is probably due to the fact that they, more often than not, come back to life. The people making the comic want you to believe the character actually won't return this time so showing a ripped apart body is their solution.

Though I’m sure seeming more 'hardcore' and 'edgy' is also a contributing factor.

Anonymous said...

Great vid but I have to ask something. WYSISWY? The only place I've ever heard that is while playing tabletop games. I just wanna know if it has a relevance to the 90s that I missed or if your just a tabletop gamer.

Srgeman said...

I read a couple of issues of Blue Beetle, I didn't read because I didn't find it interesting. Just never grew on me. Don't know why, just never did.

I agree with you though, The Boys needs to be cancled in the worst of ways.

Alex Stritar said...

Nice vid. I think I'll try and find some back issues or trade paperbacks of this series.

So he didn't hide hissuperhero identity from his friends and family? That's the first time I ever heard about any hero doing that from the start, well without their hero identity being their only identity.

Yeah, I never understood why people like gore so much. Even with horror, I prefer the sespenceful type over the bloodfest type.

Was that really what people were like in the 90's? All I really remember from the 90's were Pokemon. I was really into Pokemon back then.

日本文化のマニアック said...

So if he was an objectivist, did that mean he only helped the rich? I mean, it *was* Ayn Rand who had her character say to the poor, "We don't need you" in the big finale of "Atlas Shrugged"...

And you're still not pronouncing Jaime correctly, btw.

90s Kid was quite amusing. Bring him back once in a while.

NancyB said...

Totally awesome, the 90s Kid part was the best. I think I got that issue of Blue Beetle.

Anonymous said...

I liked Ted during JLI and, while he was a joker, he did do a lot, in terms of helping the world and was a good member. I also liked his death and thought it was done well.

I like Jamie, and I do agree that the first issues were average, but I should check out the other books. Though I don't think that books that aren't like Blue Beetle are like the old dark age books. Stuff like the Ed Brubaker written Captain America issues is at the same level as Newmen, etc? No way is it that bad.

But, look on the bright side, Linkara, Blue Beetle is getting a back up feature. Thats cool for you, right?

I personally also have to check out all the old Manhunter stories since I heard they were good. Also, maybe that old Archie Goodwin/Walt Simonson Manhunter story. That'd be great.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"So if he was an objectivist, did that mean he only helped the rich? I mean, it *was* Ayn Rand who had her character say to the poor, "We don't need you" in the big finale of "Atlas Shrugged"..."

As I recall, Rand believed individuals could lift themselves up without society's assistance, thus even the impoverished could do so. But to answer your question, Ted never dealt with the poor in those stories, so it never came up.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"I just watched a 5 minute commercial of Starbursts playing guitar. That's how much I like these videos."

What's ironic is that I'm eating Starbursts right now. XD

And yeah, I'm sorry about the length of the Starbursts ads, but they are REALLY bringing in the cash.

日本文化のマニアック said...

I guess what I'm really asking is, what do you mean when his character exhibited an "objectivist" philosophy?

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"I guess what I'm really asking is, what do you mean when his character exhibited an "objectivist" philosophy?"

Besides for the economic philosophy and the theories on individualism, Objectivism also has strong beliefs when it comes to morality, in particular a very black and white view - you do not conspire with evil in any form and you fight it.

The Question was a better example of this - for instance, Superman will hide his secret identity by acting meek and wanting to avoid a fight. When Vic Sage and several others were at a party and were held up, it didn't matter that he was in his civilian identity - he leapt right at the villain and attacked.

Cervus said...

Having been through high school and college in the 90s... I'd say that's spot on.

The library where I work has copies of the first two BB books. I thought that having his friends and family know about the whole thing was a nice spin for a change. Also, the way he turned down the JLA... :)

Aishman said...

Ah Blue Bettle, how I miss you. I'm even buying the Teen Titans issues just so I can see more of Jaime, even though I hate the recent Teen Titans. Also, am I the only one who thought [blank]'s death on the last issue (or was it the pre-last issue?) was a bit unnecessary?

Anonymous said...

"So he didn't hide hissuperhero identity from his friends and family? That's the first time I ever heard about any hero doing that from the start"


Well to tell you an interesting fact, I had created a collection of teen superheroes based off of the classic ones. Each with thier own personality and character, the thing is I always had them reveal themselves to their families about their secrets first rather than later. This was mainly because I thought that kids should do the first when they get powers (I was 8 when I did these guys) though I never got published...think I should sue?

Anyway, this whole thing really help me to understand Beetle better and has mad me appreaicate his awesomeness. I never knew much about him except for those appearences in things like "Brave and the Bold animated" and "death of Superman". So thanks Linkara for giving us this great insight on a cool nonrespected hero. Ted we Salute you!

Anonymous said...

A blue bug that gives a latino super powers, hmm rip off Araña much? A full two years after Araña got her blue spider tattoo this guy comes along with a blue scarab that gives him super powers. Yes rip offs can be good sometimes and im sure its probably a good comic I just had to point it out that Marvel experimented with their own blue bug granting bug like powers to a girl. I got a serious question tho, how can it be based on "alien technology" when the scarab is an earth creature? Is it modeled after a space scarab? I don't get it.

Razorgeist said...

Thanks for the recommendation I'll be sure to give this a read. Damn 90's kid looks like Randal Graves.

Anonymous said...

super man's family knew he was super from the start.

Anonymous said...

punisher's identity is also no secret, and he only has one friend its microchip, and black panther is no secret he is a king and his whole kingdom knows who he is, and also blade i think everyone knows who he is.

Anonymous said...

it was no secret who the Fantastic Four from the start. plus its kinda hard to hide who you are when your ben grim. And the xmen dont have secret identities either.

Vyse the tetrisdork said...

I'm surprised that you forgot that Jaime's Blue Beetle is in the recent Batman cartoon series, "The Brave And The Bold". The episode "The Fall Of The Blue Beetle" also dealt with how Ted Kord sacrificed himself in order to save the world while Jaime and Batman took on Ted's brother, Jarvis, on Science Island. It is one of the few good shows out there and strikes the perfect blend of lighthearted fun and tone and serious action moments. Well worth watching.

Great video, and I may now go hunt down the trades you suggested.

YhuntressE said...

Evil doers are not necessarily people you know and Ditko threw a fit because the writers wanted drama and the realism that bad people can exist anywhere instead of the sterotype that all evil people are some weirdo stranger who lives in backalley shadows. That's just stupid.

Anonymous said...

True story: the Dan Garret Blue Beetle was originally created as a ripoff of the Green Hornet (get it?)

Ganondorfdude11 said...

The epilogue about the Death of Superman had my sides splitting. It kind of reminds me of an old Calvin and Hobbes comic where Calvin says that every issue of Captain Napalm is a collector's item, because every issue is number 1.

Dan said...

After you mentioned the Blue Beetle on Transmission Awesome, I woke up one morning to the Brave and the Bold on Cartoon Network. The episode with Blue Beetle and Batman breathing in space. It was crazy, as all of the show has been when I see it, but with this perspective on the Blue Beetle, its not as bad (they seem very similar in tone). I will definitely check this out.

PS Have you seen the Brave and the Bold show and if so what is your take?

Lewis Lovhaug said...

Really I've only been catching the ones with Blue Beetle in them, but it's an okay show. I think the Timmverse ruined me. XD

MetFanMac said...

Excellent vid.

I went out and bought all four TPBs--the only comic books I own. That's how much I loved this series.

Love the use of the Hallelujah Chorus at 7:57!

YhuntressE said...

The problem I have with the Randian belief that the poor should just "lift themselves up by their bootstraps" is that many of them had the odds stacked against them. A homeless man can't get a job because you need a permenant address to be employed and even if that same homeless person could somehow save enough money to buy a house or at least an apartment you usually need to have a good credit background or such before they let you which makes it extremely difficult for someone like him to get up in society. I'm not advocating communism, but just because there will be people who need help (due to physical, metal, and\or financial reasons) doesn't make them them lazy, inferior or "parasites" like Rand would see them as. (Even though there's a few leeches.) I agree with her belief that humanity is not that bad and can do some great things and not judging others on race, but her hyper-individualism coupled with the demonization alturism and sacrifice leaves me a little cold. She'd probably find Superman (and others like him) evil because he sacrifices his free time, life, and relationships to protect people he doesn't even know (instead of letting\encouraging them save themselves) out of an emmotion called compassion because he is serving and sacrificing for others instead of his own logical self-interest.

Getting that out of my system, as a BB fan (thanks to Justice LEague) and saddly not knowing of the new comic due to taking a break from them and having to catch up recently (long story). I loved the 90's Boy parody and I can understand your frustraition with "edgy" writers like Mark Millar and people who are too dark. Even from a Garth Ennis fan like myself, paging through The Boys there was just something that didn't seem quite right with it.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

Oh, don't worry, I'm not advocating Objectivism, but in Blue Beetle and the Question's case their ethics really made them stand out in the book.

Them's the reason why Rorschach worked so well. ^_~

LINKARA'S TRIVIA: Steve Ditko was once asked if he had ever read Watchmen and what he thought of Rorschach. His response: "He's like Mr. A (a Question-like character, only taken to even more extremes)... except he's completely insane."

The House of C.R.P said...

The part about the Scarb being Alien technology, not magic, struck me as curious. Because I remember a similar plot point in Ben 10: Alien Force, when they revealed that Gwen's powers came from her alien bloodline, and not magic.

Except when they revealed that, there was a massive fan outcry, which I think may have come from the execution of the plot point. So do you think those kind of retcons can work if pulled off properly.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

Well, outside of a brief storyline in Ted's solo series, the scarab was virtually unused since the Silver Age, so there wasn't that much of an outcry, plus they did say that magic had played a part in damaging it.

StacyHD said...

Ye gods Linkara, I think 90sGuy is your doppleganger from the Anti-Matter universe!

In all seriousness though, great piece. Like you, I was a latecomer to the awesomeness that is Blue Beetle, but I encourage anyone out there to head to their local comics shop and grab the trades off the shelves. The series was smart, fun, and accessible in an age where most titles are anything but.

Stac

Kate Holden said...

Oh man, nineties kid! The backward cap and the checked shirt! Hahaha!

I haven't really ever read much DC, but you've made me want to read Wonder Woman as well as Blue Beetle now through these reviews. It's awesome to have an honest, in-depth heads up about which series are good and the backstory explained, otherwise it's daunting for a former manga purist like me to get into American comics.

Warlord_Pipsqueak said...

Boy, Linkara, you just got me interested in a DC title. Considering i'm more of a marvel kinda guy, thats saying something.
The gore...Dunno, maybe its because People who read comics in the 90's are now the people making the comics? beats me...

And on a side note, a lot of people are complaining about your constant jammering about One More Day. personally i don't mind. i think Deadpool said it best: "I call them a loyal supporting cast, Mr. Holier-Than-Thou-Fugitive-From-The-Law, Spider-Man. And I don't have to make a deal with Mephisto to have it either."

also, 90's kid is awsome. I demand more not-so subtle jabs at Rob Liefeld!

Mela said...

Great video! I loved Blue Beetle; I even kept reading it after Rodgers left and Sturges' frankly heavy-handed run wrapped it up. Between the "he's not Ted" attitude, the attitude of Marvel uber alles like Anonymous #3, and good old fashioned racism, poor Jaime had an uphill battle. That he's considered good enough to be on Brave & the Bold (which, I agree, is good but not the second coming like many seem to say) speaks volumes about what a great character he was.

And I will be disappointed if this is the last we see of 90s Guy. Using Nirvana for his background music just made it funnier.

Anonymous said...

Hey, fun video. I will certainly check into the Blue Beetle trades.

I am curious what you think of the Blue Beetle's portrayal in the new "Batman The Brave and the Bold" animated series, or if you had any thoughts about the up and coming "Free Comic Book Day".

Anonymous said...

Is 90's Kind wha tyou were like as a teenager :P

日本文化のマニアック said...

"Besides for the economic philosophy and the theories on individualism, Objectivism also has strong beliefs when it comes to morality, in particular a very black and white view - you do not conspire with evil in any form and you fight it."

But how do you fine evil when your primary moral principle is enlightened self-interest? I suppose one could argue that a crime-free society helps out you in the end, but it seems that would be a hard sell in comic book format, where things tend to get over-simplified.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

Hey, don't ask me; I'm not the Objectivist. XD

Although, based on what I remember, theft, murder, and etc. are immoral acts because they interfere with the natural rights of others to live their own lives, make their own choices, plus mooching on the hard work of others instead of doing it themselves.

YhuntressE said...

It's neat that Ditko could take Rorscah (sp) well. I agree with you on moral heroes, there's something rather uplifting about them and I can see why you liked Question and Blue Beetle. I remember one story in particular where Ted was alone at the HQ right when Eclipso appeared and still bravely tried to stop him (by using his brains) even though he was horribly outclassed.

And thanks for suggesting Gail Simone's run on Wonder Woman.

Philosophista said...

Great vid, again Lewis (yeah, I prefer call you as Lewis than Linkara...), by the way, with the pirete pistol are you using Green Ranger Flute/Dagger? :lol:

'Bout the TEd Kord's death... all I have to say is that he is one of many other carachters of LJI that had been crucified in Infinity Crisis, I liked LJI a lot and it really keep the Justice League flame for a while...

Actually there is more and more gore and "darking" in the Characters than ever. It's not that bad, I, myself, enjoy watching some good mutilating, but soon even Batman will be vaporized to the bones.. *ooops, spoiler alert*...

It's really fuck up when the writers started to thing (so as the publishers), that Gore+Sex+Violence = more sells. And I mean, okay, after DK and Watchmen there was a new piece of the cake entirely discovered to be sold for the nerds, the adult comics, with psychological and un-cutted approach... But even Alan Moore said later that he wasn't trying to make THAT to the Comics, or trying to say THAT with Watchmen...

(Just see TOm Strong, per example, a very good comic, mature, but not all that violent, it's sincere in many ways, simple but quite enjoyable)

I Think that was the lamest thing about IC, killing the characters that in eraly ninities (and the end of eighties), were meaning of the complete opposition to these. LJI was fine, different, with a very good humor and didn't need to disembowl no one to attract readers...

It's lame, but also was terrible as you said the people didn't want to give Jayme a chance. I just read the issues that were tie-ins to the Sinestro corps, and kind enjoy it, very good script and i like the art of Rafael Albuquerque (wich one lives here in Brazil. I friend of mine said she knew him, because they lived in the same city and had some common friends...)

But at last, I was touched by your passionate review and when i get the chance to catch some issues, I surely will read them!!!

Anonymous said...

What, NO mention of The Question?
Come on, at least give 5 seconds of your time to say, "Oh, and in addition to the Blue Beetle stories, the Ditko comics came with additional shorts featuring an objectivist superhero known as 'The Question'. If you want his backstory and comic history, go to http://www.quickstopentertainment.com/comics101/128.html."
See? That simple.
=D

On a different note, I've Heard of both Ted Kord and Jaime...Whatsisname...but I've never wanted to go out and buy a volume of "Blue Beetle" until now
Great tribute ;)

Also, nice taste in parody songs in the last few videos. Weird Al FTW.

Draco_Dracul said...

Great video. Now I have another comic I need to buy when I get some cash.

Also, is there any chance we will see 90's kid again? He was hilarious.

Error1 said...

I read the first few issues and it just plain sucked, then I picked up one later and it was half in Spanish. Oh and your pronouncing El Paso wrong, the more you know.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

Yeah, Issue 26 was in Spanish. I think it was a misstep, but eh, whatever.

And yeah, I did like six takes and couldn't get El Paso right.

Anonymous said...

MORE NINETIES KID OR YOU WILL MAKE ME CRY.

Do you want to make a girl CRY? Huh? Is that the kind of person you are?

Paul S. said...

A few other sadly canceled series that I you might want to take a look into at if you liked Blue Beetle. Who knows maybe you might like one enough to do a similar tribute.

Sentinel
Araña
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane
Plasticman (Kyle Baker's run)
Superman Adventure (Mark Millar's run... you won't believe this is the same guy who went on to do Ultimates.)
Batman Adventure (Dan Slott and Ty Templeton's run) and The Batman Strikes.

KamenRiderGumo said...

Great stuff as always, man.

Laughing Hyena said...

For those wanting to know:

WYSIWYG = What you see is what you get.

A question mark at the end for it? Makes it so edgy.

All I had to do was search Google for a instant wiki page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WYSIWYG

Windows, AOL, and the Web were huge in the 90's, remember. Even if I was still using an Amiga until the mid-late 90's.
WYSIWYG is often used as a acronym term for webpages and software.

日本文化のマニアック said...

Sorry, didn't mean to put you on the spot feeling you had to defend objectivism or something. Honestly, given how unreadable Ayn Rand's actual work is, the movement needs as many well-written stories and characters as it can get...

But yes, "Blue Beetle" is now on my reading list (looks like my library has it... I love my library).

YhuntressE said...

There seems to be a difference with the "Edgyness" of the 90's and the new millenium. At least to me, the 90's was more over-the-top like a teenager testing his limits now that they're no longer a kid and their tastes have changed and that sex, nudity, violence and swears are now open to them. While the new millenium has a more pissed-off feel to it for the sake of shocking us.

Philosophista said...

For good and forgotten comics, always excellent to say is Alan mooer's Miracleman!

Anonymous said...

Linkara on FireFist:

"So yeah, he's the hero of the 9/11 conspiracy theorists"

Linkara, that is a harsh generalization of 9/11 conspiracy theorists. While I do admit that some of the theorists believe that firefighters were in on it, others believe that the firefighters along with the police men were honest to goodness heroes. Heck, some of the actual firefighters who ran into the site are believers as well! Anyway, that was a fantastic review, and I absolutely loved 90's kid! I hope to see more of him! He should also be a NIN and Limpbizkit fan too!

mightysamurai said...

Linkara, that is a harsh generalization of 9/11 conspiracy theorists. While I do admit that some of the theorists believe that firefighters were in on it, others believe that the firefighters along with the police men were honest to goodness heroes. Heck, some of the actual firefighters who ran into the site are believers as well!Yeah and there are probably still some hillbillies around who refer to the Civil War as "The War of Northern Aggression". What's your point?

Who does or doesn't believe in the 9/11 "conspiracy" is irrelevant. It doesn't change the fact that 9/11 "conspiracy" theories are complete and utter bullcrap. Anyone who believes in them is either a willing dupe, a retard, or a liar.

J-Naps said...

Man, this video was awesome.

When i got back into comics hardcore for a few years, the first comic i got was countdown to infinite crisis. I loved the art, loved the story, and just felt so bad for ted, a character I didn't know until then. I think for that reason alone he will always hold a special place in my heart, and the "Rot in hell, Max." was one of the most badass things I ever saw.

I couldn't agree more that comics take themselves too seriously these days. I Can't Believe it's not the Justice League and it's followup are two of my favorite trade collections. It is funny, light hearted, and the way the characters interact is more entertaining than any slugfest or rape scene. Those comics alone made me get the trades of the old JLI just to learn more about Beetle and Booster.

I myself did not read the new series, it came out around the time I was getting out of comics again (mainly financial reasons). I will definitely go and pick up the trades.

Great review as always

Super Pat said...

Great review Linkara. If you were going to do a positive review, this Blue Beetle series is the one to review.

I was always a fan of Ted Kord, but Jaime is a great replacement. I also love how they respect both of the previous Blue Beetles throughout the series, just like you said. And the ending to Endgame was flippin' fantastic!!!

It's a shame that it's canceled, but at least the back-up tales will continue his story. And in Booster Gold to boot! Blue & Gold woo!

Ugh look at me rambling. Keep up the great work. You're quickly becoming my favorite feature on thatguywiththeglasses.com

Anonymous said...

This was one of the most ingenious looks at a pretty interesting super hero. I'll admit the story and art doesn't look to enticing at first but i will give it a read based on your suggestions. such a breathe of fresh air seeing a 'good' book.

Anonymous said...

mightysamurai said...

"Yeah and there are probably still some hillbillies around who refer to the Civil War as "The War of Northern Aggression". What's your point?"

Mightysamurai is it? A cool name. Anyway, I'm sure that poster's point is that while 9/11 CTs in general are quite paranoid, some of them are just a little misguided. I know this because some of them do have good intentions and care a lot about the constitution. I have three pals of mine who happen to be CTs. Yes I admit they are idiots, but they are MY idiots, and they would never look up to a pyromaniac who kills firefighters with fire. So thus, I felt it was somewhat wrong of Linkara to accuse my idiot friends of idolizing pryomaniacs when they probably idolize weed instead(Of course I know it is just a joke, but I'd like my friends to enjoy this video without having to go into their "Blah Blah, ROCKEFELLER!, blah blah, Trilateral! Bilderburg! Only RON PAUL!" frenzy, so I post this response).

"Who does or doesn't believe in the 9/11 "conspiracy" is irrelevant. It doesn't change the fact that 9/11 "conspiracy" theories are complete and utter bullcrap. Anyone who believes in them is either a willing dupe, a retard, or a liar."

I don't know about all the theories, I thought the one about lizard men secretly planting bombs with invisible alien cloak technology from Area 51 while hijacking planes with advance telekinesis sounded pretty plausible. :b... Anyway, alien lizard men from dimension X or no lizard men from dimension X I still find Ron Paul to be a pretty decent guy for a presidential candidate. And I'm sorry for the RP plug Linkara, but I guarantee that it is relevant to the matter I'm discussing since he is the prime choice of most CTs. BTW, AWESOME video and Ayn Rand is GOD!

Anonymous said...

Check it out:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AncientEgypt

Lewis Lovhaug said...

HA! Now why would I be ticked to see that quote? XD

Philosophista said...

http://i40.tinypic.com/fkml2b.jpg

Motivating! lol

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

"Anyway, alien lizard men from dimension X or no lizard men from dimension X I still find Ron Paul to be a pretty decent guy for a presidential candidate."

I'm a little iffy on his "Pro-life" views. Abortions are gonna happen, whether you are "Life or Choice." It's just that with "choice", it is not done with coat hangers. But otherwise yeah, Ron Paul is a GREAT candidate. With a libertarian in office we can improve our shoddy health care with some glaucoma reducing WEED! And with the Drug War ending, we could use all the money that we waste on "tighter security" to help the country in many ways, or something better, like tacos or balloons! And he certainly doesn't sign unconstitutional stuff like some OTHER candidates (Hillary, Rudy, I'm looking at the both of you!). Anyway, other candidates I like are Mike Gravel(Gramps!), and Dennis Kucinich(A nice guy who's a little flaky, like me!). You know, these candidates are kinda like comic books like Blue Beetle, Scott McCloud's Zot! and Mike Allred's stuff like Madman. Today's audience are so in the darkness, that they prefer the bloodshed, the madness and the overall nihilism presented by many of today's dark age left overs. They sometimes talk down about alternatives as if they hold babyish ideals or something. They are under the misguided view that exposing nitty grittys of life's seedy underbelly 24/7 in an excessive manner is the only way a good "mature" comic should be written. But you can find a plethora of enlightening titles that while a bit "clean", are mature enough in their own right as they offer unique experiences. You can have a fun and new experience with a classic conservative or a classic liberal too based upon one personal ethical choice, don't let the polls tell you otherwise. Btw Linkara, for some good comics you should read Jim Woodring's Frank(it's an alternative comic series that is psychedelic, deep, and surreal!), along with Osamu Tezuka's Buddha(it's old, but deserving of a good read, they don't call Osamu "God of Manga" for nothing).

Anonymous said...

"She'd probably find Superman (and others like him) evil because he sacrifices his free time, life, and relationships to protect people he doesn't even know (instead of letting\encouraging them save themselves) out of an emmotion called compassion because he is serving and sacrificing for others instead of his own logical self-interest."

Carrie, Ayn Rand's moral system, although black and white, is actually pretty deep. While she does not believe in "moral grey," she does believe in "moral lapses." Moral lapses meaning being bad a couple times does not necessarily mean you're bad. Remember Watchmen? The parts where Rorschach sticks up for the Comedian for being patriotic while dismissing his obvious misdeeds as "moral lapses." Yeah, it is sort of like that. Plus, Superman is happy to help people in need, so it is in "self-interest". Though Randian logic might not have too much of a problem with Superman, there certainly would be some criticisms. One of them being that Superman should charge money for his services(Hyper capitalism) and the fact that he acts meek and humble in civilian identity. According to Rand, A is A, and Superman should tackle hostiles whether he is in civilian clothing or not. "Never compromise! Evil must be punished!" as Rorschach would say.

Confused Soul said...

Hey Linkara! I heard that The Question has recently adopted Zen Buddhism philosophy, yet doesn't that conflict with his Objectivist beliefs? I know that both are known to share atheistic qualities considering that both reject servitude toward Gods, but Objectivism is about self interest and individualism and hyper capitalism and Buddhism is about helping each other and oneness and rejecting material desires... Please "Enlighten" me!

Lewis Lovhaug said...

Or, as I pointed out, Vic Sage being more than willing to smack around a criminal in either civilian or Question form.

Anonymous said...

Superman's mostly a good person, but he does suffer from a LOT of moral lapses.

You know, with him being a dick and all.

Anonymous said...

i was little in the 90s and we had like 3 comic book shops in my town, and a comic museum in the next town over and now im starting to see why they all got closed down they were the dark ages

Advice with attitude said...

Wow, thank you for this. I took your advice and checked out the second trade, and I loved it. Know why?
It was fun! That is so rare in comics nowadays. Especially now that Queseda is trying to bring back the 90's over at Marvel with 'Dark Avengers', 'Dark X-Men', 'War Machine' and probably a million other forgettable titles. I'm still waiting for 'Dark Franklin Richards: Son of A Genius'.
But this not only entertained me but actually made me laugh out loud. Several times. The only books that manage that nowadays are 'Deadpool' and 'Invincible'. Which I'd recommend to you all.
So thank you for helping put the fun back into comics!

Anonymous said...

Man, Destroyer of Heroes is a great story.

Anonymous said...

""Heroism" according to Mark Millar means means putting anybody who disagrees with you into the negative zone."

Is this a reference to the Ultimates or something? And isn't Mark Millar that guy who created that Authority comic about heroes who maim and kill because they simply can?

Lewis Lovhaug said...

Actually it's a reference to the Marvel Comics event "Civil War."

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"Hey Linkara! I heard that The Question has recently adopted Zen Buddhism philosophy, yet doesn't that conflict with his Objectivist beliefs? I know that both are known to share atheistic qualities considering that both reject servitude toward Gods, but Objectivism is about self interest and individualism and hyper capitalism and Buddhism is about helping each other and oneness and rejecting material desires... Please "Enlighten" me!"

Not really "recently," as it happened back when the Question was bought by DC. He got "killed" in a mission and was brought back to life by Lady Shiva, who trained him and brought him into zen philosophy and all. Purportedly the first issue respected the Objectivist background, but I don't know, reading that first issue kind of made me tilt my head, but whatever, it was popular with readers.

Truce Weston said...

finally! I lost my internet a few weeks ago. it sucks. but with the magic of wi-fi i was able to get on long enough to see this one, and I loved it! I'm gonna have to check outsome of these back issues! Awesome vid, and I didn't hear any noise (my speakers suck so then again it's ok)!

So until Norman Osbourne and Lex Luthor's buddy cop movie is released, MAKE MINE LINKARA!

Emrys1987 said...

i hate that any of those comics ever reach mexico.

Anonymous said...

So, does anyone else hope 90s kid is a reoccurring character? There's just so many places you could put him!

Unless this video gets a subpar amount of views then he'll be canceled.

Philosophista said...

YEah de 90's Kid would be an interisting character to appear more times!!! I'll wait to Linkara create the 80's Vertigo fan and the Silver Age Uncle!!!

Ayn Rand said...

Anonymous said...

Superman's mostly a good person, but he does suffer from a LOT of moral lapses.

You know, with him being a dick and all.
May 4, 2009 12:15 AM

Of course, go ahead and laugh at my genius analytical objective moral system, you anonymous parasite. After all, true evil is more likely to come from someone you don't know. Superman serves his country in a self fulfilling manner and I have no problem with that. Hard day's work for a hard day's pay as I say(Although Superman should consider to demand payment, it's what I'd do). I fully support Superman's so called "dickery." His decision to deny people water on Thirsty Thursday was genius on his behalf, because people shouldn't get things for free. I value his individuality, and the fact that he still chooses do things his own way, even when parasites tell him not to. I also support his decision of abandoning Earth that one time. Knocking away the leeching parasites saying "Help us!", in the same way my hero, John Galt, stopped the motors of the world, and denied the requests from the poor saying "We don't want you". Even my fellow dead philosopher, Fredrich Nietzche, agrees that the Superman is a wild untamed "creative" force. I love that. People should really learn how to build themselves up and not rely on other people. If everybody's smart, strong and able on Earth, then there is no problem to be had. And I can go on about this. Superman is always an upstanding individual, always. Seriously, Do you want me to churn out another 500 page essay about "creators and parasites"? Didn't think so... Remember, the beads of your sweat belong not to god, not to government, not to anyone else but yourself!

Mark Millar said...

Superman should be a dick, all the time. That is what heroism is all about to me...o_o

Fredrich Nietzche said...

I support Superman's decision in being a "dick." For one thing, I reject petty morality. It is a hypocritical system which demonizes the strong, healthy and wealthy while falsely justifies the weak and sickly. It should be scrapped, because God Is Dead and we're all murderers! My ideal Superman is a chaotic creative force whose only objective is to overcome obstacles no matter how big and small. That said, punching out your superhero friends just to show them how much you are the best Justice Leaguer is a perfectly fine way to express yourself as a fit and prompt ubersmensch. So is taking away the title of "Fastest Man Alive" from some weakling who claims to run faster than you. Stopping the Earth's natural rotation? Setting killer tigers loose? Causing Global Warming? Busting through walls despite high costs of property damage? All normal to me. All things must take part in a naturalistic order. It the slave morality of which that holds Superman back that is the social illness that still persists even today.

Also Jimmy Olsen is a loser and it's his own damn fault that he ate so many pancakes and got fat. He, Lois Lane, Lana Lang, Lex Luthor, Booster Gold, and the entire JLA deserve whatever abuse Superman dishes out at them for being pathetic weaklings. Especially Aquaman just because he sucks so hard.

Jer said...

Hey I went out and rode my bike uphill for like 2 hours to pick up an issue and it was worth it. I really liked it, and it even had a little bit of Dan. The other shop i've been going to since i started reading comics didnt have any BB otherwise I'd probably have gotten them. I hope next time i go they still have that last issue for sale. And the one other little, or normal sized book kinda sucked compared to this. It was a green lantern and all they did was fight. I dont see why this didnt go any further. But if not for this video i probably wouldnt have bought this. Not because they killed ted (i didnt even know who he was really, besides being booster golds friend) it was that show batman brave and the bold which kind of sucked compared to justice leauge teen titans and other recent DC cartoons. Also I saw on a magazine or somthing that Martian Manhunter died. Is that true because he'd always been one of my favorite guys

Jer said...

also didn't black adam get his powers directly through Shazam? I wouldnt have a clue unless my friend wasnt nuts for black adam.

Lewis Lovhaug said...

Yep, Martian Manhunter died in Final Crisis.

As for Black Adam, he discovered the power in a scarab, but while the wizard Shazam does provide the power, it comes initially from the Egyptian pantheon.

Jer said...

He really died arrrg, I've always liked him in the Justice league cartoon.

Anonymous said...

Blogger Lewis Lovhaug said...

"...reading that first issue kind of made me tilt my head, but whatever, it was popular with readers."

Objectivism sez...

"Altruism is the greatest of all evil!"

Buddhism sez...

"Helping each other is the law of the universe."

The Question is an objectivist hero brought back to life by Shiva and is now interested in Zen Buddhism but is still an Objectivist(I think).
Now my head hurts too!

Years Pass, and DC makes a decision...
"Hey gang! Let's make another Crisis crossover! That will fix everything! :D "

100 character deaths and revivals and metaphysical explanations later...
Anonymous sez...
"Now my head really, really, really hurts!!!"

Marcel said...

Thanks a lot, Lewis. This video really informed me of such an underrated character.

You wanna know the stupid thing about the book getting cancelled? They cancelled it right when Jaime was set to appear in the premiere episode of "Batman: Brave & The Bold". Gee, a great opportunity to introduce children to a great character, and prolly leading to more interest in his comic, but they had to screw it up now! Nice business decision, DC Comics! :(

Anyways, before I go into complete rant mode, let me just say I appreciate the efforts in explaining a great character.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to hunt down some back issues. :D

Organic Ghost said...

http://www.radiolovers.com/pages/bluebeetle.htm

Z.Z. said...

And with Dan Garret's dying caress, Ted's long, long history of utter gay begins.

I adore Blue Beetle. Funny jokes, great writing, and pretty pretty art. Thankfully it's back as a backup feature in Booster Gold!

Anonymous said...

Great video, Linkara! I'm going to check out the new Blue Beetle.

That said, there seems to be a lot of ridiculous stuff being said about Objectivism. I should note that I'm not an objectivist, and I deeply disagree with objectivists on morality, epistemology and aesthetics. Still...

1. Charity
Rand wasn't against charity, or VOLUNTARY giving. She specifically was enthusiastic about giving to education funds for poor kids. She opposed involuntary giving (government aid) and thoughtless giving (giving just to make yourself feel better, like handing $20 to a guy who is just going to buy drugs).

2. Fighting crime
This is similar to the first, but Rand was actually a fan of government employees who volunteered to fight bad guys (soldiers) on the grounds that evil must be confronted. Again, she opposed the draft, but other than that, she always believed that people of strength and character should fight against crime.

3. Buddhism vs. Objectivism
Wow, there are so many incompatibilities here I'll just stick with the big one; Objectivists hold that objective, sensuous reality is real and that it is all that exists, while Buddhists hold that sensuous reality is an illusion that must be overcome before ascension to a higher plane con occur (in this way, it is essentially gnostic).

Ming said...

Nice to see you taking a break from tearing apart bad comics and doing a feature on some good ones.

Have you ever considered doing a feature on your 50 favorite comics?

Alex Stritar said...

(Finishes reading Generation Lost #20)

... Well, um, ...to be fair I did listen to you... and there was build up to it... and, well, it is comics, and he is still fairly popular... and the story's not over, so something could still happen in the next 4 issues. Yeah, I'm sorry. :(

Marc said...

@Alex Stritar

(finishes reading Gen. Lost #21/22)

Well, yeah. He lives. There's that.

Alex Stritar said...

@Marc

Yeah, I know, I jumped the gun there. I think the Cry for Justice review might've put me in a dark place. Guess that show's that sometimes optimisium can be right as well.

Speaking of, there is at last one silver lining of this reboot thing. Blue Beetle is getting his own series agien. :D

Superguy0009 said...

Hey Link, pick up the new BB series from the new 52......
also, ya, Jaime was killed by, guess who, MAX F#$#$% LORD, but the reboot will undo that

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"Hey Link, pick up the new BB series from the new 52......
also, ya, Jaime was killed by, guess who, MAX F#$#$% LORD, but the reboot will undo that"

Actually, no he wasn't. Read the rest of Generation Lost. ^_~

Anonymous said...

Hehe, after seeing your review of the Wonder Woman pilot (thankfully cancelled) I'm going through your blog and giggling madly at the humour.

The Blue Beetle (both Ted and Jamie) seem pretty awesome, sadly they fall into the category of "comics I found out about too late because i live in rural Australia and my nearest comic shop is 900+ km away" (and boy is that a long list - fortunately I missed Amazons attack, but not OMD/BND *facepalm*).

Most of the stuff I've seen about the Beetles are via the Internet and fan-sites/reviews such as this one, so thanks muchly!

Also: Hooray! someone else who thinks that the Blood!Gore!Spatter!X-trEEEEEM! comics suck! I salute you sir!

Anonymous said...

i was just wondering why the hate on civil war i mean its not a perfect book but it presents some moral questions that should come up from time to time

Tim P said...

After seeing this tribute you did to Blue Beetle, I picked up the whole series (in digital form) and I loved it all! It's hilarious, and a lot of the humor comes from the fact that his family knows he's a super hero ("Mom, I'm gonna fight a big fire" "Did you finish your homework?" "Yes" "Ok, be back before 11") and helps him fight the same enemies he is ("I know 10 ways to kill you with this cane, son"). That and pop culture references, which I find amusing.

Then, I saw that they rebooted the series with the new 52 and all, so I looked at the preview pages to see if it was any good, and just from looking at those pages, I know not to buy it.

While Jamie HAS figured out how to talk to the beetle without saying things out loud (finally) this ALSO means that they took away the one thing that set blue beetle apart from everyone else: he now hides his secret from his family and friend (because he's forced to by the beetle, but that's irrelevant, he still does). The beetle even killed Paco to hide his identity!! And in the latest issues, he's run away from his family because the beetle forced him to.

I haven't even bought the thing, but I know that the new series is crap enough not to spend the money on... stupid reboot; first Batman and Robin and now this... >.<

Lewis Lovhaug said...

"I haven't even bought the thing, but I know that the new series is crap enough not to spend the money on... stupid reboot; first Batman and Robin and now this... >.<"

As someone who HAS bought the thing... you were right not to. DX

De-Ji said...

Tch.. I was born in 1990 and I scorned and shunned kids that talked and acted like that for a lot of my childhood. I was happy with my books and Looney Tunes and Les Miserables and action movies... But at least the 90's produced the Beast Wars. <3
I'm starting to ramble, so I'll be a little blunt. I just hope you know that not all 90's kids act like that.

P.S. I'm starting to think that 90's kid might actually just be an exaggeration and a character making fun of the kids who acted like that, but I thought I would give my two cents just in case. ^u~

Anonymous said...

I was a fan of DC Comics for about 20 years, from 1985-2005. My all-time favorite series was Justice League International, and my favorite character from that series was Blue Beetle (Ted Kord) (many of you can now probably guess where I'm going here with this). The issue that made me quit DC altogether was Countdown To Infinite Crisis. There's nothing about this worthless, poorly written piece of crap that I don't despise. There's the superheroes who don't try very hard to investigate the theft of 100 pounds of kryptonite because a lowly "second stringer" called it in, the snotty, dismissive attitude of most of these "heroes" towards Ted, the fact that the only heroes who treat Ted with any modicrum of respect barely knew him while the ones he had a history with are the snottiest of the bunch, the way Ted gives internal monologues about how "awesome" these heroes are at the same time they're treating him like crap making Ted look like a masochist so even Ted doesn't look good here (no, Linkara, this isn't even faintly the "greatest Ted Kord story ever told"), his pointless death, the fact he's getting killed by his old JLI friend Maxwell Lord (not that you could tell they were ever friends from this issue), and the way Max reveals he's been Evil All Along, which contradicts words, deeds, and even thoughts recorded of Max in those JLI issues. But there's one moment that's worse than all of this, that's a D Mo S for me not only for this issue, but for the entire DCU, a moment so bad it made me say Screw This, I'm Outta Here on a hobby I'd had for 20 years. It's where Max "reveals" that as part of his Evil Plan he'd been, "Keeping the League ineffectual for years". The only League Max (and Ted) had ever been a regular part of was the JLI so either: 1) this was a very deliberate, intentional, mean-spirited Take That on the part of the writers at the JLI, or 2) the writers were idiots, too stupid to realize that's percisely what it came across as. This moment was so bad that it became the one part of this one-shot that DC has tried to correct, by instead saying that Max had more of a gradual Face Heel Turn, but that still leaves a DCU without Ted, murdered by a friend it should have been completely OOC to murder him, so that every story since then involving JLI survivors will be about how evil Max was, and now the entire JLI history along with a lot of other good things has now been retconned out of existence by Flashpoint, so, no, I don't regret my decision to quit DC.

Adam Graham said...

Wow, '90s kid was a bit of an evil jerk when introduced rather than the funny dolt we know and love.

Dread Pirate Robin said...

You haven't happen to have watched Young Justice, yet, have you? I realize that you've gone on (Twitter) record to state that you don't really watch much TV, and I can respect that, but I along with others would be very interested to see not only how you think their take on Blue Beetle is, but also Blue Beetle's Reach storyline, shown in season 2 of the show.