Just watched it on blip. I gotta say that though its cheesy, it was fun. Loved your pre-opening credits bit. I admit that I was never a fan of Cap before I read the Winter Soldier story arc because I was in my "America Sucks" phase and I thought it would be over patriotic. But, this was a great origin story. Also, thank you for not making any pedophile jokes about Bucky and Cap.
Can't wait for next year's secret origins month. I have a request: I have asked numerous times but if you could find it, could you review All-Star Comics #3?
Betty Roos could be some analouge to Betsy Ross, just as a thought.
Also, how come only Hitler was seen as a threat? There were other WWII Axis leaders that they could have used.
Also, who would you say was your favorite hero who represented America? Mine's Carter Grayson, the tall, blond, squared-jawed Red Ranger who also saved people everyday. The only thing that could make it more American is if he wore a flag on his head.
Hate to disagree (no I don't) the anti-hitler was Winston Churchill. There is also the argument the that complete opposite of Hitler was Stalin but that depends on a left fist being opposite to the right… In the end both are used to batter down you're opponent and mirror images of one another, but that's another story. Anyway Captain America… his sole claim to fame is that he punched Hitler in his first cover, but there's more to it than that. As you pointed out. It really is worrying just how many pro-nazi groups there were in America at the time. Even worse is the amount of US banks that gave loans to Hitler's Germany that paid for most of his navy and Luftwaffe (along with Volkswagen and stolen gold, long story). There is a lot of dark history that someone can dig up, if they were in the mood to. The relationship Nazi Germany had with US banks was a big worry, right up until Nazi allies, the Japanese, chose to attack Pearl Harbour. Before that the British had to provide escort for their own ships, in US waters, from U-boats, that operated in international and US territory without challenge! (well more or less, along as they weren't seen and ther weren't any survivors America didn't push the issue)
Enough history from a ranting Englishman. The point here is the comic and with that I should include a highly original steroid gag, but I can't find it in myself to do so. Like most of the comics this month this one doesn't seem very bad, at least not compared to Bimbo's in Time. This is a product of it's time surely, but nothing stand out loud awful. In fact, as you said, it was still fairly enjoyable even dispute knowing the above. I sort of enjoyed the idea of Nazi infiltrators and espionage always trying to destabilise the great United States. It works even better knowing the truth; Hitler was terrified of the British home guard, let alone your deep south! He never had a chance to look any further than Europe. Even better was how he got absolutely nowhere when he tried to expand into Russia. It's always fun to see America, originally under no threat from Nazi Germany whatsoever, try to crowbar itself into early 1940s Europe.
Still as a battle cry to get apathetic Americans to do something (other than try to profit from both sides of the war) Captain America did a good job. In this day and age it's so scandalous that most people refuse to believe just how close America came to siding with the more fascist governments of the mid 20th century
Good review, but it was missing one thing. Rory Williams. This was the perfect time to use a clip of Amy's husband. He DID punch out Hitler! Come on!
Captain America is one of my all time favorite superheroes: He is to Marvel as Superman is to DC. Great review and hope to see more awesome origin reviews next year. Here's hoping for Silver Age Supergirl, Batgirl(Babs), and Power Girl(Who I miss greatly due to the relaunch).
I have a question: Did both the 1979 Captain America film and the 1990 film star Reb Brown? I mean, I know he was in two Captain America films, and I think there was a TV movie in the 1980's, but I'm not sure which ones he was in.
I agree with your complaint that there isn't a comic of Captain America beating the crap out of Hitler but the picture does alright. Besides, after you've beaten up Hitler what else is there to do?
Next year are you going to be going over the origins of sidekicks?
This was a little cheesy start but good one for Captain America. As someone very patriotic I am a huge fan of cap though not a fan of Winter Soldier/Bucky America. I know not mention but you did mention in audio link posted on twitter that you doing Star Trek II adaption next month. Sort of sad that not christmas related since I was actually really looking forward to see what christmas related things you were doing this year. I understand that you ran out. I tried twitting and e-mailing you that I did find that Howard The Duck Christmas special that you were looking for in the past. Oh yeah I forget I found Santa the Barbarian from Rob Liefield's Maximum Press.
And now I will have that song stuck in my head again (and again when I buy the Captain America movie once its released here)
When you look at the reasons for creating Captain America and his development over the years, you have to wonder what message the Captain America of the Ultimate Universe is trying to send. Having read the Ultimate Comics: Captain America series, I think I want to see a crossover in which 616 Cap knocks him out in one punch (the "Batman-beating-Guy-Gardner" style for the modern day, if you will) and walks away, disgusted. Alternate universes don't always have to have their characters match up, but did they have to make that Captain America such an arsehole? Was it some sort of "take that, us!" meta-reference?
"This was a little cheesy start but good one for Captain America. As someone very patriotic I am a huge fan of cap though not a fan of Winter Soldier/Bucky America. I know not mention but you did mention in audio link posted on twitter that you doing Star Trek II adaption next month. Sort of sad that not christmas related since I was actually really looking forward to see what christmas related things you were doing this year. I understand that you ran out. I tried twitting and e-mailing you that I did find that Howard The Duck Christmas special that you were looking for in the past. Oh yeah I forget I found Santa the Barbarian from Rob Liefield's Maximum Press."
I found my copy, too. If you're the one who sent me an e-mail about the Howard the Duck one, I got it, but I am unable to reply to AOL e-mail addresses. Long story.
awww... you couldn't let the Captain America footage go on until he punched Hitler? Or somehow worked in the line from the movie that was something like "I know what I'm doing. I've knocked out Hitler over 100 times"
As for movies that have scenes of floating eyes in the background, Alfred Hitchcock's "Spellbound" and James Whale's "Frankenstein" would have also been acceptable answers.
Also, this is nitpicky but do you have do keep using the phrase "Thrown around like a ragdoll"? "Ragdoll" feels like such an antiquated term in a world that makes all its toys out of plastic and it makes me feel old for knowing what they are every time I hear you say it.
I cackled like a hyena at the "too much pink energy" line. A truly excellent callback.
"I found my copy, too. If you're the one who sent me an e-mail about the Howard the Duck one, I got it, but I am unable to reply to AOL e-mail addresses. Long story." Okay I am glad you did but you had mentioned if you did. Though it was good excuse to dig up two boxes of christmas comics I had at back of my closet. Also on the aol yes it was me and I can understand. That is why I will use yahoo account for certain things.
"right up until Nazi allies, the Japanese, chose to attack Pearl Harbour. Before that the British had to provide escort for their own ships, in US waters, from U-boats, that operated in international and US territory without challenge! (well more or less, along as they weren't seen and ther weren't any survivors America didn't push the issue)"
Not to be a dick, but you are a bit incorrect. The US Navy fought an undeclared war for most of 1941 after the Germans initiated 'Operation Drumbeat' The US Marines occupied Iceland allowing for US land based maritime patrol aircraft to be stationed there and provide information to convoys. There were several clashes between US DDs (Destroyers) and U-Boats including the sinking of the USS Ruben James and 115 hands in October 1941.
Google The Neutrality Patrol or The Undeclared War. This stuff is pretty common knowledge.
It's funny to think that a superhero punching Hitler in the face was once considered offensive to a substantial number of Americans. Now the only reason someone would admit to finding it offensive is because it's somehow "trivializing" of Hitler's crimes or something. But I say fiction representations of Hitler should be hit in the face more often.
So, I gotta wonder who's gonna be featured in Origins Month next year?
DC: I'd say The Flash is pretty definite for the first one. For the second, Aquaman's probably most likely, although I'd personally like to see Captain Marvel, and the JSA is another possibility.
(If you do use Aquaman, you NEED to include the song "Arthur Curry" by Ookla the Mok - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLeLbPezMfc )
Marvel - Probably any two of Thor, Hulk, and Iron Man. Personally, Thor's my favourite out of those.
Well I'll be damned, the "Good is dumb" applies so much. Also I made that joke in both my Spaceballs Cartoon review and my Kingdom of the Crystal Skull review in my youtube series, making it the second time you have thought of the same joke Like I said last time, small world.
Also now that he's got a proper robot body, should he even be addressed as Mechakara? Regardless, I think we just found the origin of Mechakara's Megazord mode.
"awww... you couldn't let the Captain America footage go on until he punched Hitler? Or somehow worked in the line from the movie that was something like "I know what I'm doing. I've knocked out Hitler over 100 times""
My attempts to rip the DVD have met with surprising failure. ^^; About two minutes or so into the song, the footage errors and loops on itself, and for some reason despite Handbrake selecting the movie in its full 2 hour state, it only rips an hour and a half worth of movie before it decides it's done. It's just weird. ^^;
"Also, this is nitpicky but do you have do keep using the phrase "Thrown around like a ragdoll"? "Ragdoll" feels like such an antiquated term in a world that makes all its toys out of plastic and it makes me feel old for knowing what they are every time I hear you say it."
I just like the term - even if most toys aren't made like that - and I'd like to think that it evokes an easy image for people, like a human body that's just flailing and loose and completely lite.
"Okay I am glad you did but you had mentioned if you did. Though it was good excuse to dig up two boxes of christmas comics I had at back of my closet. Also on the aol yes it was me and I can understand. That is why I will use yahoo account for certain things."
In which case, I'd be happy to take Santa the Barbarian off your hands. ^_^ Send me an e-mail and I'll try to get it to it ASAP so next year we can have Christmas comics again.
Great Review. I was surprised however that you did not mention the irony in the fact that the US Government would create an aryan in ever way to fight the Nazis. That is pretty messed up from the get-go.
This was great! I loved the Captain America movies even the really crappy 70s made-for-TV movies (I just bought the double feature DVD of them)!
I'm actually surprised you didn't use the "America Fuck Yeah" song more!
I love how mistreated Bucky was in these old comics! Bucky: Why didn't you stop him from killing himself!? Capt: Shut up, Bucky!
Awesome you did finally bring up the 1st human Torch and Namor stories! MARVELS by Alex Ross and them is a great intro to Marvel comics for anybody! That's something else too a lot of the scenes from the movie were ecstatically the same as they were in this original book and I love stuff like that! The whole old lady taking a gun out of a desk and putting it back and the antique store hidden base!
Captain America: The First Avenger was awesome I was hoping you'd show the USO show stuff but you cut it off before he punched the Hitler look-a-like!
Also, I loved the history lesson at the beginning! I didn't know about the whole Mayor of New York thing! I new of American Pr-Nazis thing from the History Channel!
So, the big thing this year is defiantly going to be you verses the machines a la Terminator, The Matrix, or in your case The Cybermen!
I forgot to mention in my 1st comment but I was wondering about your thoughts on Jacky Kurby's other Shield wielding patriotic super agent spy hunting hero the Fighting American. A Captain America ripoff so blatant that Marvel threatened to sue if he ever threw his shield even once! I'm just curious of your thoughts and if you'll given him a mention on the next review dealing with Capt!
"I have a question: Did both the 1979 Captain America film and the 1990 film star Reb Brown? I mean, I know he was in two Captain America films, and I think there was a TV movie in the 1980's, but I'm not sure which ones he was in."
Reb Brown was in the 70s-80s made for TV ones it was some other guy in the 90 one!
"WOOOOO! PEACE! WOOOOO!" cracked me up. I knew there would be something in response to "peace-loving America" but I didn't expect to see you go all 90s Kid with a gun.
Very well done, I was entertained. Liked the vid clip at the end of the video - haven`t been able to see the movie, but I'll purchase it on DVD, when it comes out next year. It was the Captain America movie with Agent Smith/elrond/V/Megatron as Red Skull, right?
hmmm... tall, blonde, superhuman... that sounds a lot like the aryan ideal the nazis were so big on.
oh, the irony :/"
I can't swear to this, but I *think* I once read an interview with Kirby where he stated this was completely intentional; they wanted to take Hitler's "aryan ideal" and punch him in his big stupid face with it. Can any fellow nerds back this up, or am I completely insane?
Linkara, I'm amazed you let the Red Skull's line, "I'll be back...with more murder!" go by without comment. Best. Supervillain taunt. Ever.
This was friggin' awesome. I've always had a fondness for Captain America just because he's Captain freaking America. And he punches Hitler. Doesn't matter that it doesn't fit right in. It's just awesome all on its own. I've really been thrilled with the new movie and it's reawakened my love of the ol' Cap. This was a great and fun little review! Also... I knew there were Nazi sympathizers in the U.S. but Wow. This just gives me more fodder for my own stuff.
I'd like to mention that they did have mascots in the army back in the day and still kinda do. It was rarely a kid though. More often than not it was some kind of animal. For example, the Poles that were helping out the Americans during the Italian campaign had a Bear as their mascot. One who actually fought a German spy that he sniffed out all on his own. He even helped load artillery according to the soldiers.
I kinda wished you mentioned how Ed Brubaker has recently changed elements of the origin to better suit a modern day audience. Mainly that Bucky was in fact trainned by the SAS to be Cap's partner and they made up the origin for him in the comics as propaganda for kids. I thought it was a nice way to properly update the mythos and removed some of the less than stellar connotations of putting a kid in harm's way.
For added reading I'd suggest to anyone looking at this comic to pick up "The Marvels Project" also written by Brubaker which goes into detail about the Golden Age of Marvel comics and the era itself. I'm not sure if Linkara himself has read the title, but I enjoyed it a lot as it succeeds in putting these beloved characters into a new light and perspective for modern day readers. It even tells the tale of the Nazi Saboteur we saw at Cap's transformation scene. It's an interesting look into a man we usually just consider as the nameless Nazi Psyche-Hitler guy.
Nice history lesson to open with, i'd not heard much about Captain America's origins until now so it's interesting to hear what took place behind the scenes in creating him.
There's not much else I have to say besides that, Mountain King has covered most of my history comments.
As for the review itself, I did like that you broke out the shield for this one and seemed more willing to poke fun at the obvious logical leaps than I thought you would. And the whole "American peace" thing with you firing your gun into the air. I get the feeling someone's going to make an animated .GIF out of that at some point.
"Liked the vid clip at the end of the video - haven`t been able to see the movie, but I'll purchase it on DVD, when it comes out next year. It was the Captain America movie with Agent Smith/elrond/V/Megatron as Red Skull, right?"
Out of curiosity, what would the agent at the 'curio' shop have done if they had just been a few tourists looking to buy some old furniture?
On another note, the comic is unconsciously disturbing. They use a drug to turn Rogers into what would arguably be a 'proto-Aryan'*. Tall, handsome, blond-haired Caucasian.
As for the murders, if you can get rid of the officers with experience (and intelligence) it gets very hard to replace them. Same problem the Germans and Japanese had with replacing experienced captains.
*As in the Nazi version, not the actual historical version.
hmmm... tall, blonde, superhuman... that sounds a lot like the aryan ideal the nazis were so big on.
oh, the irony :/
I can't swear to this, but I *think* I once read an interview with Kirby where he stated this was completely intentional; they wanted to take Hitler's "aryan ideal" and punch him in his big stupid face with it. Can any fellow nerds back this up, or am I completely insane?"It could be although I doubt it was intentional. The problem is, even if it was, the fact that said supersoldier is on the USA's side does not make much of a difference. The very existence of Captain America, the aryan ideal as the perfect soldier remains. Unintentionally, this comic book is affirming the superiority of the aryan man. What this comic book is telling us is that American and Nazis have the exact same ideal if the perfect human being, the aryan man, and that it actually works, it IS perfection indeed.
Man, they could have made a movie about the guys who made Captain America and I'd see it. We need need more movies about the people behind comics, don't you think?
Let me just start with this: I sort of understand Jack Kirby's need to try and bring kids into the whole idea of being with/alongside their favorite heroes...but a lot of the time it just never seemed to work. In the case of Robin, it worked because of something I remember you said: Dick Grayson was the lighter half of the more grim Bruce Wayne, making him the perfect partner for Batman as Robin. In the case of heroes like Bucky (and later Rick Jones in his early appearances not to mention others), it was more or less just his desire to have a kid stand with the hero, to fight alongside them when a lot of times they more or less were a burden and just became trouble...not to mention all the crap that was let loose by the time of "Seduction of the Innocent". The only time in the 40s having a kid being a hero worked were things like Robin or like Captain Marvel, where the kid actually was a hero and not a burden...whereas Bucky worked better in something like the recent Cap movie as a fellow soldier and friend of Steve who ended up giving his all for his country like anyone of the time would.
With that said: perfect episode, not much more can be said. The jokes were great on (the Patton bit was awesome) and you really had a lot of great insights and comedic touches for a great comic. Oh...and nice touch with the "Captain America" song from the recent movie...if that doesn't get nominated for an Oscar, they have no soul.
"'captain america is the anti-hitler? hmmm... tall, blonde, superhuman... that sounds a lot like the aryan ideal the nazis were so big on. oh, the irony :/ I can't swear to this, but I *think* I once read an interview with Kirby where he stated this was completely intentional; they wanted to take Hitler's "aryan ideal" and punch him in his big stupid face with it. Can any fellow nerds back this up, or am I completely insane?"It could be although I doubt it was intentional. The problem is, even if it was, the fact that said supersoldier is on the USA's side does not make much of a difference. The very existence of Captain America, the aryan ideal as the perfect soldier remains. Unintentionally, this comic book is affirming the superiority of the aryan man. What this comic book is telling us is that American and Nazis have the exact same ideal if the perfect human being, the aryan man, and that it actually works, it IS perfection indeed."
I don't know about the mainstream continuity or whatever, but I do know this has been brought up before and is true in some alternate reality stories. Like Earth-X and the whole Universe-X stories! And, maybe the Ultimate Universe it's mentioned!
Also, some one said something about Bucky's usefulness!? That's been reconted to where he's a badass sniper and would later become Winter Soldier and the 3rd(or possibly 4th or 5th) person to taken on the name of Captain America! They hint at this happening in possible Captain America future films!
I'm amazed Linkara that you know about the awesomeness of The Jim Hammond Human Torch (seriously He killed Hitler how is that not awesome) I don't mean to offend you or nothing but you were always more into the mythology of DC (as shown that the DC events multi-parters on your show completely outweigh the Marvel ones) If you want some a good Marvel ongoing since you dropped WW get the current Daredevil ongoing I hear it's fantastic. Here's a triva for you with this Betty Ross she is the aunt of Thunderbolt Ross and later became a superhero named Golden girl who became partner and later married Jeff Mace (aka Patriot and later Captain America after Steve went missing)....I was on a Golden age high after reading "The Marvel Project" (another great Marvel series you should check out with The Golden age heroes "The Angel" and everyone else in that era)
The Comic: I suspected this one would be better than the others, no idea why, but with oddities in the writing being the only knock. That said, great use of the Spaceballs clip after that one line about going down the stairs. No wonder he's usually killed off before Capt. America get frozen.
Your Arc: Oh crap, he's got access to your ship... This isn't going to end well.
I hope this doesn't sound rude or hit a nerve with you, Linkara, but I've always wondered, Why do you always say "Core" instead of "Corps"? You did it with the Green Lantern and again in this one. English is not my first language so that's why I ask
For everyone that keeps saying Captain America is a proto-aryan you should watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqISnrLja6c
That's a far ebtter analysis than the ones everyone is so readily and quickly just lashing out at Steve Rogers wqithout properly thining. Aryans beleive you are born strong or weak and you can't change it. Steve Rogers is weak and becomes strong because that's what America's philosophy teaches us, that this is the land of opportunity and you can accomplish anything no matter your stature or status in life.
Please think more people before you comment, Don't just jump on a bandwagon.
Gotta say, I'm a little disappointed that you didn't utilize Alan Silvestri's Captain America March. That's easily the best superhero theme song of the past ten years.
"I hope this doesn't sound rude or hit a nerve with you, Linkara, but I've always wondered, Why do you always say "Core" instead of "Corps"? You did it with the Green Lantern and again in this one. English is not my first language so that's why I ask"
Since English isn't your first language, then don't worry about it. "Core" is how you pronounce "Corps" in English.
I'm kinda surprised you didn't say anything about how it looked like FDR was STANDING and WALKING AROUND his office in his appearance. Anybody who knows even basic history on the guy knows how that just didn't happen. Of course his paralysis wasn't public knowledge at the time so there was no reason for Jack Kirby to know this.
I saw this first on blip, I really liked this review. Captain America is another superhero that I don't know much about. From the looks of this first issue he was a badass from the start. Is the fist Blue Beetle going to be in Next years secret origin month?. Also plot wise, At least Nimue made a effort in stopping Mechakara 2.0., I'm glad that Nimue was program to tell the truth. She could describe what happened. Damn that Mechakara 2.0. Although,she might be suspicious of the slightly similar looking Polo. Yeah, I'm sticking to my own fan nickname for this version of Mechakara till mentioned otherwise of what this version should be called in a review.
Actually they did have mascots for some units. My grandfather had a wallaby as his unit's mascot when they were in New Zealand in World War II. I don't mean the wallaby was their symbol, they actually had a pet.
I don't think they usually took kids overseas, though.
Did you notice they don't mention anything about the Zeta Rays in the original origin story for Captain America ? So that made him basically a sort of retro or pre-Arnold Schwarzenegger that becames a hero thanks to fast pace anabolic steroids and there is no problem on that because America was not at war during publication of the comic until they were.
It's just me or looks like Jack Kirby knew a few things before they happened ?
The only reason for the United States fight in Europe together with the British was Hitler be stupid enough to declare war against America - thanks to that nonsensical Axis Treaty about support the Japanese in case of attack even considering there was no actual way to help them anyway - and before that Roosevelt had to sweat a little before convincing the Congress to sent troops for England and help them to fight against the Nazis, America at the time was not really that willing to fight in Europe until the dumbass with the mustache made the call for it.
There was in comic book history any group of supervillains more dumb than real life Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Hideki Tojo ?
Fight against The British Empire alone ? Maybe. Fight against The British Empire, The Soviet Union and The United States of America all together at once ? Really ???
What's the equivalent for that ? Strictly from Marvel perspective : Red Skull and (can't think about any italian or japanese supervillain and the Mandarim doesn't count because he is Chinese and therefore an Allied Country at the time) fighting against Captain America, Captain Britain (okay he was only invented in 1976) and the yet to be invented Red Dynamo ? The Axis were already screwed even before the battle start.
My attitude towards Captain America slightly contradicts my attitude towards other comics.
I don't know if you remember Linkara but in a podcast you appeared on for Paranerds I criticised a Robin and Batgirl story because it had the devil try to beat the American spirit. My complaint at the time was that it was stupid to think that America as a country would have a spirit or that there would be something so inherently pure or noble about it that the devil would consider it an adversary and try to destroy it.
You'd think from that attitude that I'd hate Captain America and regard him as the American version of Jingoism but I don't.
I love Captain America and I think he is one of the best expressions of awesome in comics today.
In fact my current mouse mat is Captain America's shield and I specifically bought an issue of a magazine about movies because said mouse mat came free with it.
This is obviously just my opinion, but I can't imagine any single individual embodying the best of America, because the best of America is its diversity (this is especially dear to me as I've moved to one of the least diverse countries on the planet). One super-human white guy, no matter how noble, can't cut it. You'd have to have Team America... only, um, not with puppets.
Still, as the world's truest Boy Scout, Captain America can't be beat. He's still Marvel's most classical hero in a cast of Type I Antiheroes.
And I loved how you pointed out the reality of Nazi support in pre-WW2 America. We became so fixated on Communism after the war that we forgot how many people were fascist sympathizers. Learning that Captain America's first missions were against Nazis in America was, well, awesome. Thank you for the history!
hi linkara,great review as always. I have a suggestion, why dont you review the Justice league subway advert comics. You can find them in PDF form at: http://promo.dccomics.com/subwaycomics/
"hi linkara,great review as always. I have a suggestion, why dont you review the Justice league subway advert comics."
Primarily because my cut-off date is a year after publication and the Subway ads aren't a year old yet. I'm probably going to review them at some point, though, so thanks for the PDFs!
Some of the units that stayed in the USA got mascots.
My feelings on Captain America are somewhat mixed. He's usually a pretty good character, but since he is pretty much a walking political symbol about "what america is supposed to represent", some writers use him to shill their own ideas (worst example being the final page of ultimate comics - captain america, where he tries to forcefully convert a tied-up convict to Christianity).
Also, because some writers are apparently insecure in their patriotism, his american-ness and leading the superheroes of the world-ness occasionally get played up to the point where it becomes inaccesible/borderline offensive to non-americans like me.
Still, most stories with him are awesome, and this one is no exception. I actually own the golden age collections.
On a related note: I always find the phrase "the american red-white-and-blue" a bit funny, since those are pretty damn popular colours for flags. Think england, australia, netherlands, luxembourg, france, Russia, Laos, croatia, paraguay, Taiwan, Nepal, Slovakia, serbia, slovenia, slovakia, etc.. "stars and stripes" is a little more unique, though many middle-eastern countries still have that. I think there is only 1 or 2 others with both red-white-and-blue and stars and stripes.
you know what would a cool/kinda interesting idea, doing a secret origins month but for villains. i've read plenty of comics that feature a hero's beginnings but not a villain's. that mirror linkara from Star Trek #2 could host it. eh, maybe its just me who would find that kinda cool *shrugs*
just wanted to add, that the funny thing is there currently IS a Maxon corporation.....and it's a german company, they make a CG animation and modeling software Cinema 4D
Betty Ross is more probably a minor homage to Betsy Ross patriotic myth, check wikipedia, as the same time an easy catchy name.
Unfortunately at the time of the publication there was no space for romance or any sex innuendo in comics even considering the fact Wertham and the Comics Code Authority was far away into the future yet.
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Malaysia has a flag almost identical to the United States and several countries have red, white and blue flags with stars and stripes or bars in many shapes, combinations and designs but the curious comic book fact remains this : despite obvious copyright and trade mark issues Wonder Woman and Captain America, the only 40's patriotic superheroes that have survive in local stores since World War 2 never had their costumes ripped off in any sense by any other comic book character and the few who tried didn't survive the test of time.
Wonder Woman and Captain America remain unique in matter of design and there is no other character to compare with that stand for so long thanks to patriotic symbol's political abuse.
I don't see any other reason for why we have so many character with a darker palette of colors and so few reds, whites or blues combined with or without stars and stripes, flag characters are an endangered species at this point - look what they did with Wonder Woman more than once.
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quoting : "My attempts to rip the DVD have met with surprising failure". You fool, any 5 years old chinese kid can do that for you faster than the blink of an eye, tell me exactly what you want and the team will be more than glad to upload it for you, i send an e-mail about donation of some comics but you never reply, use that e-mail if you still are interested in anything.
quoting : "Trust me - this will all make sense when the storyline concludes in February".
February ???? For the love of any Gods at this point you are starting to look like Warren Ellis in a really monsoony season.
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Sometimes for a few seconds i missed those good old cheesy days when America wasn't an ambiguous not-so-evil-not-that-good-either superpower.
"For everyone that keeps saying Captain America is a proto-aryan you should watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqISnrLja6c
That's a far ebtter analysis than the ones everyone is so readily and quickly just lashing out at Steve Rogers wqithout properly thining. Aryans beleive you are born strong or weak and you can't change it. Steve Rogers is weak and becomes strong because that's what America's philosophy teaches us, that this is the land of opportunity and you can accomplish anything no matter your stature or status in life.
Please think more people before you comment, Don't just jump on a bandwagon."
Again, it does not change anything. The message is still : we need supersoldiers to fight wars and said supersoldiers need to be aryans.
Sure, the Americans do not use genocide but apparently, they believe in the aryan model nevertheless and from what is being showed, it sure is working.
The message is this : like in the american dream, everybody has the ability to become great...but by great we mean aryan.
-like in the american dream, everybody has the ability to become great...but by great we mean aryan.
Non-sense, in this Politically Correctional Age everybody can be Aryan now, it's called Aryan Environmental Diversity Stimulant Policy of Affirmative Action or Triple "A" Power SPD, the in range movement, did you never saw the TV Show ?
-So, basically, "Steve Rogers should have had Brown Hair."
If you expected him to became the next President of the United States yes, he should have brown, black or at least grey hair, nobody takes blonde people that serious.
In a slightly prejudice sense Blonde equal gorgeous, funny, charismatic people who should never be restrained by the rules of serious jobs like be president of the United States or the starship Enterprise's Captain with James T. Kirk as the only exception for this rule.
Check the Awesome Channel : there is no one single blonde protagonist doing serious hard work there (not counting the women, different set of rules for them) and Film Brain is no exception, only support casting allowed.
P.S.: And NO! God forbid Film Brain from be turn into somekind of British version of Kirk, one bald sexually ambiguous obscure guy was enough.
"So, basically, "Steve Rogers should have had Brown Hair.""
Missing the point. Let's just say that creating the perfect human through genetic enhancement is already problematic and to my mind, not something the USA would do.
Now if you really think it is necessary, the least you can do is try to differentiate it from what the Nazis think is the perfect human being.
"When you look at the reasons for creating Captain America and his development over the years, you have to wonder what message the Captain America of the Ultimate Universe is trying to send. Having read the Ultimate Comics: Captain America series, I think I want to see a crossover in which 616 Cap knocks him out in one punch (the "Batman-beating-Guy-Gardner" style for the modern day, if you will) and walks away, disgusted. Alternate universes don't always have to have their characters match up, but did they have to make that Captain America such an arsehole? Was it some sort of "take that, us!" meta-reference?"
...it's Mark Millar. Terrible writing is par for the course. That's why the "Kick-Ass" comic is a second-rate sub-par comic, while the "Kick-Ass" movie is one of the best superhero movies ever made.
"Man, they could have made a movie about the guys who made Captain America and I'd see it. We need need more movies about the people behind comics, don't you think?"
I'd gladly play 20 bucks to see a movie about the life of Stan Lee at my local theater.
"But, but, but... Where's your Secret Origins? That was the stinger of the last one... I feel jipped from no backstory of the Great Linkara! :("
Does he really need one? People still can't accept the "Doctor Insano is a split personality of Spoony that emerges under great stress, the Insano Clone is a clone of the original Insano, the Insano that currently interacts with Spoony is the Insano Clone and previous instances of Spoony interacting with Insano were just hallucinations" backstory for Doctor Insano, even thought it's perfectly cleae that THAT is his canon backstory.
Viewers would most likely reject whatever backstory Lewis creates for "Linkara" and say "nobody knows what Linkara's backstory is" even after the backstory is introduced.
"I don't see any other reason for why we have so many character with a darker palette of colors and so few reds, whites or blues combined with or without stars and stripes"
Because you can't strike fear deep into the heart of evildoers if you look like you came straight from a Mardi Gras parade.
"Power Man and Troia, respectively. Yes, I like the Troia name and I'd refer to her as Troia in reviews if they actually used the name."
I think many of us were still breastfeeding the last time Luke Cage called himself "Power Man" and the last time Donna Troy called herself "Troia" (or "Wonder Girl", for that matter).
That's why the "Kick-Ass" comic is a second-rate sub-par comic, while the "Kick-Ass" movie is one of the best superhero movies ever made.
Kick Ass comic is gold but the move is the same old Hollywood crap and the best superhero movies ever made are Richard Donner's Superman, Christopher Nolan's Batman, Ang Lee's Hulk and oddly as may be Nick Cage's Ghost Rider but doesn't matter, in the end we are just two guys with different opinions.
P.S.: Even considering i liked the 2008's version of The Spirit, i strongly support the 1987 television movie as better than Frank's.
Sorry Frank, that one has Sam J. Jones in it, i can argue against Flash Gordon, he is after all the savior of the universe and you are just the Goddamned Miller, go figured.
*i could add a link here but i won't, goggle it Queen's Flash Gordon you bunch of lazy Fourth Walleer's. That's all the gospel you need.
quoting : "Because you can't strike fear deep into the heart of evildoers if you look like you came straight from a Mardi Gras parade".
Hey...did you at anytime saw some of the people in that parade ? Believe me when i say this : "Bright Colors can be terrifying too even when applied all the way wrong - check Green Lantern New Guardians, it's the stuff for nightmares, trust me".
I really love your reviews and that your one of the few reviewers out there who is willing to outright say they are proud to be an American. Don't ever change, bro.
I gotta get back into Marvel, I kind of forgot how cool it could be.
Also off topic question, since there was no TAIS: What did you think of New Guardians and Teen Titans #3 this week?
The Lanterns are an entirely different thing, since the first thing you notice is the color of their rings and not the color of their costumes. Second, they represent the Positive Colors and Negative Colors in the War of Light, so they are SUPPOSED to look that way. Finally, I'd like to add that the most powerful/fearsome Lanterns are the White ones for the Positive Colors and the Black ones and the Red ones for the Negative colors, so the louder colors aren't really as threatening.
Then again, I'm inclined to disagree with anyone who thinks "Ghost Rider", the 2003 version of "Hulk" and the low-budget and cheesy "Spirit" TV-movie are among the best comics book movies ever, and anyone who doesn't think Hit Girl is the most awesome movie superheroine ever.
Also, I didn't know that about Mon-El. You can mentally take him off the list.
If you like Hitler being punched, you must have loved the sequence of the Doctor Who Episode "Let's kill Hitler". I mostly enjoyed it. ^^ Hitler: "You saved me." Doctor: "Oh, belive me, that was completely not intentional."
I honestly knew nothing about CapAm - never the less, I played him on an RPG-board... for ten weeks or so.
That was kinda enlightening, and I hope, that the movie will be good, because I will buy it on DVD, when it comes out over here.
"Does he really need one? People still can't accept the "Doctor Insano is a split personality of Spoony that emerges under great stress, the Insano Clone is a clone of the original Insano, the Insano that currently interacts with Spoony is the Insano Clone and previous instances of Spoony interacting with Insano were just hallucinations" backstory for Doctor Insano, even thought it's perfectly cleae that THAT is his canon backstory.
Viewers would most likely reject whatever backstory Lewis creates for "Linkara" and say "nobody knows what Linkara's backstory is" even after the backstory is introduced."
...Except Spoony has explicity said, "There is no continuity, there is only Insano." So people are saying that nobody knows what Insano's backstory is because THAT'S WHAT'S CANON. Still, your theory (and that's exactly what it is) actually makes perfect sense. Also, you made a typo on the word "clear," but "e" and "r" are next to each other on a keyboard, so I can forgive that.
My "theory" is not a theory, it's Insano's backstory from "Kickassia". And Lewis explictly said that everything that happened in "Kickassia" is canon to the rest of the videos. Which mean Insano's backstory from "Kickassia" is the canon one.
Linkara, you really didn't want to say anything bad about this comic, did you? I mean, that Curio shop scene was full of wrong. "These men are high-ranking army officials." "Glad to see you, sir. If you'd been a paying customer, I'd have to shoot you." Why did she take off her old lady disguise? That was almost as pointless as wearing it. Still, it's not a bad comic. A side note: when Bucky approaches Private Steve Rogers in the camp, that's the first time Steve's name is used in the comic. (I noticed you kept using it throughout; we're all so used to it.) It's the second-last page of his origin.
Red, white, and blue are America's colours, and that's not based on the flag. Like green and gold are Australia's, but the flag is red white and blue (like most).
Excuse but i think the traditional american colors are linked primarily to the flag and the red, white and blue stands in opposition for what i believed to be the British order of colors for the Union Jack that is supposed to be blue, white and red.
If those schemes are meant to be true that i am really puzzled by the fact the British army dress it self in red and the American army dressed his men - when they could provide the uniforms for them - in blue ?
And from where did Australia taken the green and gold scheme and why they didn't used on their flag ? It's like America wearing stars and stripes for everything but keep the british flag as the actual national flag.
@Jarkes
i prefer to use the "Death of George Lucas" as argument in defense of the canon origin of Doctor Insano.
You see, some people among the Star Wars fan base will argue this:
"The de facto George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars Universe, die in 1990 and therefore everything made after that is not canon, everything released was non-canon bullshit made by an impostor and as such should not be considered in continuity or else let's consider George Lucas as no longer the creator of Star Wars and take everything as public domain overthrowing his insane dictatorship and self-destructive rule once and for all".
Meanwhile in Spoony case things are far more simple and less radical :
"Spoony was drunk or tired or joking or had a lapse of memory or whatever best fits the explanation for why he was wrong when he said that and everything will be perfectly ok because everybody loves and forgives him".
Therefore,
@Lewis
When we are going to see Linkara's origin and the Linkara's copy of Doctor Insano's origin ?
There is gonna be any sort of Insano Inc. like in Grant Morrison's the Batman Inc. series ?
And when the Linkara storyline will move itself from almost monologue action into more companionship action ? With all do respect but at this point IronLiz and most of the guest stars if not all of them act more like background scenario and furniture than anything else.
Robots, yourself as Holograms and voice over actors doesn't count as companions in my opinion unless they are like the robots from MST3K or Star Wars and made something to save the day when the hero or his/her actual companions of the hero are unable to do it.
Please i'm waiting for a few polite responses for a few fair questions, thanks in advance when you were able and willing to provide them.
Have a nice day Sir.
P.S.: Demon Knights still is AWESOME, i think your lack of faith in DC Management's faith on this book really usual and pretty common, i don't trust them either.
I simply don’t get national patriotism. Why would you be proud of ideologies and technological advancements set in place by people you’ve never known simply because those people were born in the same country as you? I’m a Canadian from Quebec, and I get that kind of discourse all the time from people who are proud to be from Quebec. Why? You didn’t accomplished anything, so stop taking credit for something another person from Quebec did. Patriotism is the lowest form of pride. This is why I can't take Captain America seriously. It’s blatant propaganda, but no one seems to care as long as it gives other people an embellished view of their own country. A super hero may feel love and fondness for his country, but his loyalty shouldn’t be exclusive to that country since a superhero’s duty is to protect the world, regardless of geographical origins. That’s why Superman’s nationality change is a good thing. And also, the United States of today seems like a pretty shitty place to live. No universal health care, intolerance towards gays and other races, as well as religion influenced political decisions. And another thing. America isn’t a country; it’s a collection of continents. So why is Captain America’s loyalty limited to the United States?
George Carlin said it best. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw0MripVxss
Steve Rogers enlisted to the United States Army, he was rejected for active duty but another Agency take the opportunity to use this boy as a lab rat and turn him into the greatest american hero and superweapon therefore he is an agent submitted by allegiance top the American Government, that's where his loyalty come from, he is a public servant, a government employee nothing more nothing less and also an American Citizen.
And Superman never declare himself as an American Citizen, he expose himself as an alien, how can he renounce something he never had any attachment to it ? DC is ridiculous.
Last time i check America is a country, the United States of AMERICA, and also ONE SINGLE CONTINENT called AMERICA.
Unless your geography books consider the Caribbean Islands as a continent and the Panama Canal as an effective separation between two lands masses, respectively North and South America, your "collection of continents" it's nothing but crap, should i consider any land mass not directly link to Canada as part of Asia, Scandinavia or European Russia ? I don't think so.
And about the "superhero’s duty is to protect the world, regardless of geographical origins theory" that could be probably true for people like Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Green Lantern and maybe even Batman too but for them and most of the average superheroes there a matter of something called "JURISDICTION".
Doesn't matter if you are from Krypton, blessed by ancient Gods or is richer than hundreds of Bill Gates combine, the superhero community in general can't do anything without recognition by the Real(by real i mean Fictional) Authorities in their real (fictional) worlds and that means you can't even get out in patrol around your own neighborhood without be arrested and go to jail for vigilantism, yes, add that to the list. Vigilantism is a crime and doesn't matter if you does that for the greater good or not, wearing a mask and a cowl doesn't automatically made you a cop, in real and most of the fictional worlds you are, even after further evidence, a CRIMINAL and should be arrested.
Back on the Jurisdiction factor China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and any other country in the whole world, the United States included, will kick your ass out of their sky if you try to pass their borders. The JLI goes nowhere without the proper authorization, how the Justice League does the same without legal support ? WRITERS ARE STUPID !!! add a face palm here.
So what we learn today about our friendly neighbors ? That if they go down the street and beat the crap out of the local drug lord he or she can be arrested, travel around the world and try to do the same just because you have superpowers ? Arrested and deported. Still trying to do the same in the United States travelling through the states by flying ? The United States Air Force will be more than glad to show you why you can flying above let's say 600 feet without have the F-16's kicking your ass out of their sky in a post-9/11 world and even inside the metropolitan areas sooner or later the police helicopters will get you and order you to landing but that's of course the real world, fictional authorities are too dumb to care about several reports of unidentified objects flying around and messing the air lines. Chasing batmobiles ? Don't worry, there is no traffic jam in the average Gotham/Metropolis cities because nobody in their sanity will drive a car in a city with superheroes.
Check DC On Line, it's a wasteland.
No traffic, no people on the streets, no commerce, no tourists - except if you have superpowers - and absolute no police, you will feel in heaven. And of course you and your superpowered friends CAN'T GET OUT or else the real (fictional) United States government will NUKE YOUR ASS INTO OBLIVION because you Sir, superpowered or average joe empowered is a living weapon of mass destruction and a threat.
Have fun trying to protect the whole world now goody two shoes, maybe Darkseid enlist you in their ranks if you keep your mind set this way.
P.S.: oh yes, i forget Lex Luthor attempt to create a new continent in Superman Returns, if he had been succeeded maybe America could be a "collection of continents" even if you had the need to sunk the previous one, what a shame.
Oh the joys of restraining my self here in the past topics.
Suggested End Credits Soundtrack : AC/DC - Highway To Hell - [Live At River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires 2009]
On a particular notice : please folks follow my example and stop posting non-topic links here, weird as it sound that's considered spam and it's not something the landlord approves, after all is his show so let's respect that.
Thanks Lewis for enlightened us, Cheers from the team.
Have a nice day despite be a Monday.
And on topic, why Captain America's shield in red, white, red and black surrounding a white star ? And still asking : Where the Zeta Rays came from ? They are absent in the "original" origin story.
Sake "Excuse but i think the traditional american colors are linked primarily to the flag"
I don't know about that; my point is only that national colours are not linked to the colours of the flag. Actually, I'm just repeating what's been said to me whenever I try to make the same point - that most flags are red, white, and blue.
"from where did Australia taken the green and gold scheme and why they didn't used on their flag?"
Not a clue, I just figure it's the colour of the grass. And, the second is my point - there's no legal subjudy to use the same national colours as flag. Also, the Australian flag is still based on the British, which probably has something to do with it.
Also, yeah, agree with you that the USA is not a bunch of continents (though I've heard it argued it's nations). It's (mostly) on a continent called NORTH AMERICA.
"Also, yeah, agree with you that the USA is not a bunch of continents (though I've heard it argued it's nations). It's (mostly) on a continent called NORTH AMERICA".
Add Face Palm here.
America, is located in America, Brasil is also located in America, just because they are in diferent parts of the same continent that doesn't mean it's a different continent : NORTH AMERICA AND SOUTH AMERICA BELONG TO THE SAME CONTINENT AND THIS CONTINENT IS CALLED AMERICA with by the way A CENTRAL PART THAT'S ALSO CALLED AMERICA with several island THAT ALSO BELONG TO THE AMERICAN CONTINENT, DAMN IT!
North America is not a continent, the south of the United States is not South America and to made this most clear as possible Latina America also belong to America, the New World, the one single land mass from Tierra del Fuego, across the Floresta Amazônica, through el Caribe and all the way of the United States, Canada and Greenland too.
Any other definition for America is stupid and racist except of course if somebody else have plans to sunk Central America and physically divide the continent in the next thousand years so forget it, the Americans are all in the same both but my side is warmer.
We call it America because the full name of our country is "The United States of America."
We shorten it to USA or America. Ours, as far as I know, is the only country name to actually have America in it. We can get into more debates about it if there are other countries with America in their name and thus would like to be called America, but as far as I know, the USA is the only one.
quoting :"Well, it must just be a different educational system, since I was taught seven continents - two of them being North America and South America".
You must be kidding me :
Europe, Africa, Asia, America, Oceania a.k.a Australia, and Antartida, six continents, that the way we count around here.
Check the Olympic Flag, five rings with one for each continent. Europe blue, Asia yellow, Africa black, America red and Australia green, over a white field that means peace and Australia is green because is the newest one, not because any racist observations taking in consideration the fact about the flag was made in the early 20th Century.
Looks like we came from different educational systems but honestly in my opinion split the continent in two is racist and stupid, the reason for split Eurasia is because the abysmal differences between the respective ethnic agroupments, Europeans and Asians.
After check the wikipedia i am perplexed and disappointed that some imbecile decided to split my beloved home continent in two for "educational purposes".
Sorry neighbor but in my book we are in the same land mass even if some evil genius decide to sunk Central America and the Caribbean all together in the deeps of the ocean.
There is no division inside the Organization of American States drawing the line between north and south and will never have. There is only one America and the guy who write your school book is A HACK and everything he written IS BULLSHIT, now i know why the publishers write so many bad comics on a monthly basis : "YOUR EDUCTIONAL SYSTEM IS SCREWED EVEN FURTHER THAN STARFLEET HIGH COMMAND !"
Sorry Lewis, i am not scream at you, i am screaming at your government, Why, Why God, Why ?
"You must be kidding me : Europe, Africa, Asia, America, Oceania a.k.a Australia, and Antartida, six continents, that the way we count around here. Check the Olympic Flag, five rings with one for each continent. Europe blue, Asia yellow, Africa black, America red and Australia green, over a white field that means peace and Australia is green because is the newest one, not because any racist observations taking in consideration the fact about the flag was made in the early 20th Century."
As taught here in the country of America! 7 continents: North America South America Antarctica Africa Europe Asia Australia
I think the continents thing is mostly because people like the number seven.
That said, there's no clear line demarcating Europe or Asia either, so if a land mass is big enough apparently they just chop it in two. That one irritated me a lot more when I was a kid than North and South America, since at least those narrow to almost nothing at one point. Europe and Asia are clearly all one lump.
Anyway, seven is traditional because people like the number seven (seven seas, seven wonders of the world, and so on).
@ Captain Sake Mangusto: We were told – in school – that the continent is Eurasia, but the Ural (which is a mountain-chain) is a part of a kinda border between the Europeans and the Asians. We were told, too, that America is one big continent, but is devided in three parts. Northern, central and south america. The devide was of course complete random, but, never the less, the big american continent is devided in three individual parts, which is furthermore devided in countries, which are – not like the US of A – a “federation”, but are independent states, like Mexico, Brazil or Argentinia. So, in theory, there are just five continents. Eurasia. Africa, Australia, America and Antarctica. So, the five rings would be correct, but not in the order, you pointed it out. "YOUR EDUCTIONAL SYSTEM IS SCREWED EVEN FURTHER THAN STARFLEET HIGH COMMAND !"
Still ridiculous, i can't believe you people buy it that crap.
Columbus discovered America right ? And he didn't discovered two Americas, he discovered "ONE AMERICA" and did it ONCE, not TWICE, period.
Can you understand how this concept is so Frakking Insulting for me?
What we gonna do with the Pan-American Games ? Remove the United States and Canada turning into the Pan-Latina American Games ? Because Latina America still can be bigger than North America and remove the english speakers makes more sense than split in two competitions, why nobody proposed that ? Because is stupid.
Or further more into stupidity sue the United States to assume the name United States of "North" America and invite the former Confederated States of America to join a new and much larger United States of "Real" America ?
Or making easier for your racist teachers, anything at the south of Rio Grande and the southwestern states boarder of the United States with Mexico is South American or Latina American CONTINENT, after all i will not leave my Mexican and Caribbean brothers out just because somebody decide to chop everything and draw the line at Panama.
No Sir.
I don't want to start a flamewar here, i have nothing against the students who learn this ludicrous concept, no, i am arguing against the teachers.
As previously SHOUT : "YOUR TEACHERS ARE A BUNCH OF HACKS !!!"
You want to draw a line, fine. Start to draw the line at Mexico and don't forget to ask the Canadians if they really want to join the clown's wagon or else maybe they just want to join Asia or Europe at this point, at least they have a straight line marking their boarder with the United States of North America.
And about the preference for seven instead of six, for me six is sexier so i will keep six.
P.S.: Seven of Nine should be called Six of Nine but the producers weren't boldly enough to go with that.
Yes, America is divided in regional parts, not continental parts. There is one single continent and three regional divisions : North, Central and South America but that's not the same as saying there are two or three different continents.
Also there are cultural divisions: Anglo-Saxon America with English speaker descendants and Latina America with Spanish and Portuguese speaker descendants, and never forget a few countries and Caribbean Islands who are former french, dutch and british colonies.
And as you can see was not exactly a random decision, there are geographic and cultural reasons behind this regional divisions but the continent remains the same as ONE Continent called America.
About Eurasia, Asia by itself is already big enough, let Europe alone is pretty messy the way it is now.
OK. So we are though that there are two ways of counting number of continets - historical and geographical/geological. Since I attended to Geoliogical Technikum (it's type of highschool in here) for one year (after that I wen to regulat high school - Liceum) the geological is closer to me, but I will explain both to you. In both systems we devide continets into 'Old World' and 'New World'. Old World is that part of the world that was known in ancient times. New world is the part of the world that was 'discovered' durning age of Grate Navigators and later. Old World is composed of: Europe, Asia and Africa. New World is everything else. Historical - it's based on hystory and culture. And we count seven continets just like you were thought in school. We count both Americas separately because they were influenced by two diferent cultures: north was dominated by England and France while south was under reign of Spain and Portugal. We separate Europe and Asia because historically those two are distant, are different cultures and haven't had much contacts before modern age.
Geological - we count five continets. Eurasia (with Indian Subcontinet and Arabic Penisula) - because in fact it is one big mass of land. North and south America (with Greenland) - count it as one as it is one mass of land. Africa with Madagascar. Antarctica. And - this is tricky - Oceania (Australia, New Zeland and al those little islands that you don't know where to put, but you can't leave them just like that), we normally say Australia or Australia and New Zeland.
Both systems are correct and you can't say that there is five continets period. Or that there is seven continents and no less. Because cultural there is seven continents. And Geographical and Geological - only five.
And a little bonus, so you can impress all the ladies. Geologically you can also distinguis North and South Americas by their geological heritage. You see: South America along with Africa, Indian Subcontinet, Australia and Antarctica were part of paleocontinet called Gondwana. In the same time North America and Eurasia were parts of Laurasia. Both paleocontinets splitted due to the continental drift into what we know today.
And in here we also refer to USA as 'America' - it's a mental short-cut. Just like refering to European Union as just 'Europe'. And if you ever find yourself in such an argument as you said, you can say that it's nothing else that linguestic conveniency, so he or she should keep their pants on and calm themselves.
First, America isn’t a country. The UNITED STATES (of America), however, are.
Second, continents are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are (from largest in size to smallest): Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. (from the wiki page) Hence why America is usually regarded as two continents.
Third, how does what you’re saying refute what I said, that a superhero should try to save any victim, regardless of nationality or race? And further more, my point was about how national patriotism is stupid thing. Why are you giving me all this crap about superhero jurisdiction and the DC universe?
Fourth, “Superman is no longer an American. In Action Comics’ new record-breaking 900th issue, the iconic super hero renounces his U.S citizenship following a clash with the federal government.”
Thanks for the lecture Anonymous but i respectfully disagree about North America be predominantly cultural dominated by England and France because a big portion of the so called "North american Continent" belong in the past to the Spanish Main like Mexico, large portions of modern day United States including Florida and all countries that form Central America as well most of the Caribbean Islands with only some ending under British, French and Dutch control through colonial age.
So based in previous History Central America and the Caribbean has an cultural heritage of their own that mostly goes together with their fellow South American brother countries than anything related with the United States or Canada.
The Americas or America is a continent divided in three regions, not two, your teachers wipe out Central America geographical, historical and even geological differences completely.
For geology the Caribbean tectonic plate should be counted entirely as a separate continent all by itself, the North American plate also take chunks of Asia including Russia, most of Japan and Iceland. In this stand for the "North American Continent" as a geological separate entity shouldn't you guys ask if the Russians, Japanese and Icelanders and Danish people doesn't want to join your wagon ?
After all Alaska is a former Russian Colony back in the 19th Century and Greenland never was a British or French Colony at all, it belongs to Denmark.
From a strict cultural point of view maybe you should join Europe if you don't have any concern about allowing the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic in your ride.
The concept of two instead of one American Continent with all do respect is pure bullshit, its like to say there is no spanish speakers after you cross the Panama Canal travelling from south to the north, that all Caribbean countries are former british colonies like Jamaica and all African-American population in this countries came from Georgia, Virginia and The Carolinas. It's like to say Hernan Cortés was an scottish privateer at service of the English Crown, please check wikipedia to see how big it's the non-sense surrounding the idea of North America be a main english and french former colonial cultural legacy :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_(continent)
I am not a scholar or a teacher but in my honest opinion teach and explain America as two separate continents is ridiculous, counting all mainlands above the oceanic waters they are one single Continent culturally colonized mainly by spanish, portuguese, british, french, dutch and later several other european and asian nationalities with the addition of african people formerly introduce as and liberated from slavery without forgetting of the original American natives or at least those who survive colonization process.
Five Continents ? I can live with that if the Europeans don't get insulted but for the sake of the argument i count Eurasia, Africa, America, Australia and Antartida and if they really feel insulted i count Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia and Antartida, five or six continents, not seven.
America is a Continent and the United States of America is a country, so far so good, we both agree on that.
About the two Americas issue like i stated before for me this concept is ludicrous and open to debate since there are no consensus on teaching about America as one or two continents, some countries teaching in a away and others teach straight the opposite way of view and as i see divide we stand on this howdy neighbor.
I agree about saving people without any prejudice of nationality, ethnic differences or religious concerns but i vehemently disagree on your statement about patriotism, that's not a stupid thing and without that all armed forces around the world - US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines included - goes for the highest bidder and therefore everybody becomes a mercenary with all chaos that ensues.
Most of superheroes in the DC Universe have a really short sighted vision of their own horizons so their "world" like the "world series" is a really little bit smaller than what they actually recognize as a world. They are limited by cultural bias most of the time like some people who thinks the Earth is the center of the Universe.
And finally Yes but we never saw Kal-El documents or anything similar so the renounce of citizenship looks pretty stupid for a guy who can fly around the world in less than 80 seconds ignoring all regulations regarding air space conventions and international borders and after this moronic reboot this doesn't matter anymore so he can be an all american hero all over again.
P.S.: last time i check the Fortress of Solitude is located somewhere in the polar cap under what's probably CANADIAN waters but he probably should start to think about moving on because the ice is melting and corporations want to keep the northwest passage permanently open.
Hey, send me your grammar professors and i send you my geography, history, and also physics, chemistry, biology as well safe sex education and awareness, philosophy, sociology and religious teachers in return as well.
I'm start to think your country need a little help in some matters concerning the : "DON'T LET THE BEACON OF DEMOCRACY, JUSTICE, HOPE AND FREEDOM FOR ALL BE TRANSFORMED INTO A HELL HOLE OF EVIL" issue.
After reading: quote "And further more, my point was about how national patriotism is stupid thing", i think i must be really worried about.
I'd sent this in an email but my computer won't let me send you an email threw the thing on the front page so I'll put it here on the comments of the Captain America comic! Here's a Cracked article http://www.cracked.com/article_19589_the-6-most-unintentionally-hilarious-superhero-reinventions_p2.html on comic reboot or re-imagined comicbook characters that didn't workout! Like the 70s Kung-Fu Wonder Woman with no superpowers, 80s powerless Punk Rocker Storm, and Captain America that's no longer Captain America! I'm curious if you've read or own any of this comics in any form (not so much the old comics but a modern trade with them collected into it) and if you'd be willing to do a review of them at some point! I'd really like a review just on the subject of that era of Wonder Woman!
Woot! The first time in weeks that I have been off of work in time to see Atop the Fourth Wall right when it came out.
ReplyDeleteWow! He got his sidekick, and his arch nemesis in his first comic.
It's always awesome to see how these iconic heroes were originally thought of and written. And how the times have changed.
OOoh he got onto the ship that's probably bad news.
Just watched it on blip. I gotta say that though its cheesy, it was fun. Loved your pre-opening credits bit. I admit that I was never a fan of Cap before I read the Winter Soldier story arc because I was in my "America Sucks" phase and I thought it would be over patriotic. But, this was a great origin story. Also, thank you for not making any pedophile jokes about Bucky and Cap.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for next year's secret origins month. I have a request: I have asked numerous times but if you could find it, could you review All-Star Comics #3?
Great review Linkara as always. Nothing is as great as Hitler getting punched in the face by Captain America.
ReplyDeleteBetty Roos could be some analouge to Betsy Ross, just as a thought.
ReplyDeleteAlso, how come only Hitler was seen as a threat? There were other WWII Axis leaders that they could have used.
Also, who would you say was your favorite hero who represented America? Mine's Carter Grayson, the tall, blond, squared-jawed Red Ranger who also saved people everyday. The only thing that could make it more American is if he wore a flag on his head.
Any plans for next year yet?
ReplyDeleteHate to disagree (no I don't) the anti-hitler was Winston Churchill. There is also the argument the that complete opposite of Hitler was Stalin but that depends on a left fist being opposite to the right…
ReplyDeleteIn the end both are used to batter down you're opponent and mirror images of one another, but that's another story.
Anyway Captain America… his sole claim to fame is that he punched Hitler in his first cover, but there's more to it than that. As you pointed out. It really is worrying just how many pro-nazi groups there were in America at the time. Even worse is the amount of US banks that gave loans to Hitler's Germany that paid for most of his navy and Luftwaffe (along with Volkswagen and stolen gold, long story). There is a lot of dark history that someone can dig up, if they were in the mood to. The relationship Nazi Germany had with US banks was a big worry, right up until Nazi allies, the Japanese, chose to attack Pearl Harbour. Before that the British had to provide escort for their own ships, in US waters, from U-boats, that operated in international and US territory without challenge! (well more or less, along as they weren't seen and ther weren't any survivors America didn't push the issue)
Enough history from a ranting Englishman. The point here is the comic and with that I should include a highly original steroid gag, but I can't find it in myself to do so. Like most of the comics this month this one doesn't seem very bad, at least not compared to Bimbo's in Time. This is a product of it's time surely, but nothing stand out loud awful. In fact, as you said, it was still fairly enjoyable even dispute knowing the above. I sort of enjoyed the idea of Nazi infiltrators and espionage always trying to destabilise the great United States. It works even better knowing the truth; Hitler was terrified of the British home guard, let alone your deep south! He never had a chance to look any further than Europe. Even better was how he got absolutely nowhere when he tried to expand into Russia. It's always fun to see America, originally under no threat from Nazi Germany whatsoever, try to crowbar itself into early 1940s Europe.
Still as a battle cry to get apathetic Americans to do something (other than try to profit from both sides of the war) Captain America did a good job. In this day and age it's so scandalous that most people refuse to believe just how close America came to siding with the more fascist governments of the mid 20th century
Good review, but it was missing one thing. Rory Williams. This was the perfect time to use a clip of Amy's husband. He DID punch out Hitler! Come on!
Thomas
Captain America is one of my all time favorite superheroes: He is to Marvel as Superman is to DC. Great review and hope to see more awesome origin reviews next year. Here's hoping for Silver Age Supergirl, Batgirl(Babs), and Power Girl(Who I miss greatly due to the relaunch).
ReplyDeleteI have a question: Did both the 1979 Captain America film and the 1990 film star Reb Brown? I mean, I know he was in two Captain America films, and I think there was a TV movie in the 1980's, but I'm not sure which ones he was in.
ReplyDeleteI'm Canadian and I loved this review.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your complaint that there isn't a comic of Captain America beating the crap out of Hitler but the picture does alright. Besides, after you've beaten up Hitler what else is there to do?
Next year are you going to be going over the origins of sidekicks?
I wish they would do a crossover where Captain Marvel and Captain America team up to take on Red Skull and Captain Nazi.
ReplyDeleteThis was a little cheesy start but good one for Captain America. As someone very patriotic I am a huge fan of cap though not a fan of Winter Soldier/Bucky America.
ReplyDeleteI know not mention but you did mention in audio link posted on twitter that you doing Star Trek II adaption next month. Sort of sad that not christmas related since I was actually really looking forward to see what christmas related things you were doing this year. I understand that you ran out. I tried twitting and e-mailing you that I did find that Howard The Duck Christmas special that you were looking for in the past. Oh yeah I forget I found Santa the Barbarian from Rob Liefield's Maximum Press.
And now I will have that song stuck in my head again (and again when I buy the Captain America movie once its released here)
ReplyDeleteWhen you look at the reasons for creating Captain America and his development over the years, you have to wonder what message the Captain America of the Ultimate Universe is trying to send. Having read the Ultimate Comics: Captain America series, I think I want to see a crossover in which 616 Cap knocks him out in one punch (the "Batman-beating-Guy-Gardner" style for the modern day, if you will) and walks away, disgusted. Alternate universes don't always have to have their characters match up, but did they have to make that Captain America such an arsehole? Was it some sort of "take that, us!" meta-reference?
Good month of this. I think it would be interesting for next year to have Blue beetle and the Flash for DC, and Iron man and the Hulk for Marvel
ReplyDelete"This was a little cheesy start but good one for Captain America. As someone very patriotic I am a huge fan of cap though not a fan of Winter Soldier/Bucky America.
ReplyDeleteI know not mention but you did mention in audio link posted on twitter that you doing Star Trek II adaption next month. Sort of sad that not christmas related since I was actually really looking forward to see what christmas related things you were doing this year. I understand that you ran out. I tried twitting and e-mailing you that I did find that Howard The Duck Christmas special that you were looking for in the past. Oh yeah I forget I found Santa the Barbarian from Rob Liefield's Maximum Press."
I found my copy, too. If you're the one who sent me an e-mail about the Howard the Duck one, I got it, but I am unable to reply to AOL e-mail addresses. Long story.
awww... you couldn't let the Captain America footage go on until he punched Hitler? Or somehow worked in the line from the movie that was something like "I know what I'm doing. I've knocked out Hitler over 100 times"
ReplyDeleteI prefer "Captain Goddamn America" myself. Don't believe me? Check my Twitter page. I use it constantly. :D
ReplyDeleteAs for movies that have scenes of floating eyes in the background, Alfred Hitchcock's "Spellbound" and James Whale's "Frankenstein" would have also been acceptable answers.
ReplyDeleteAlso, this is nitpicky but do you have do keep using the phrase "Thrown around like a ragdoll"? "Ragdoll" feels like such an antiquated term in a world that makes all its toys out of plastic and it makes me feel old for knowing what they are every time I hear you say it.
I cackled like a hyena at the "too much pink energy" line. A truly excellent callback.
"I found my copy, too. If you're the one who sent me an e-mail about the Howard the Duck one, I got it, but I am unable to reply to AOL e-mail addresses. Long story."
ReplyDeleteOkay I am glad you did but you had mentioned if you did. Though it was good excuse to dig up two boxes of christmas comics I had at back of my closet. Also on the aol yes it was me and I can understand. That is why I will use yahoo account for certain things.
"right up until Nazi allies, the Japanese, chose to attack Pearl Harbour. Before that the British had to provide escort for their own ships, in US waters, from U-boats, that operated in international and US territory without challenge! (well more or less, along as they weren't seen and ther weren't any survivors America didn't push the issue)"
ReplyDeleteNot to be a dick, but you are a bit incorrect. The US Navy fought an undeclared war for most of 1941 after the Germans initiated 'Operation Drumbeat' The US Marines occupied Iceland allowing for US land based maritime patrol aircraft to be stationed there and provide information to convoys. There were several clashes between US DDs (Destroyers) and U-Boats including the sinking of the USS Ruben James and 115 hands in October 1941.
Google The Neutrality Patrol or The Undeclared War. This stuff is pretty common knowledge.
What you said at 9:46 immediatly reminded me of the Bioshock series.
ReplyDeleteThis comic and Captian America's origins probably inspired the Plasmids and the games themselves.
captain america is the anti-hitler?
ReplyDeletehmmm... tall, blonde, superhuman...
that sounds a lot like the aryan ideal the nazis were so big on.
oh, the irony :/
It's funny to think that a superhero punching Hitler in the face was once considered offensive to a substantial number of Americans. Now the only reason someone would admit to finding it offensive is because it's somehow "trivializing" of Hitler's crimes or something. But I say fiction representations of Hitler should be hit in the face more often.
ReplyDeleteSo, I gotta wonder who's gonna be featured in Origins Month next year?
ReplyDeleteDC: I'd say The Flash is pretty definite for the first one. For the second, Aquaman's probably most likely, although I'd personally like to see Captain Marvel, and the JSA is another possibility.
(If you do use Aquaman, you NEED to include the song "Arthur Curry" by Ookla the Mok - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLeLbPezMfc )
Marvel - Probably any two of Thor, Hulk, and Iron Man. Personally, Thor's my favourite out of those.
Well I'll be damned, the "Good is dumb" applies so much. Also I made that joke in both my Spaceballs Cartoon review and my Kingdom of the Crystal Skull review in my youtube series, making it the second time you have thought of the same joke Like I said last time, small world.
ReplyDeleteAlso now that he's got a proper robot body, should he even be addressed as Mechakara? Regardless, I think we just found the origin of Mechakara's Megazord mode.
"awww... you couldn't let the Captain America footage go on until he punched Hitler? Or somehow worked in the line from the movie that was something like "I know what I'm doing. I've knocked out Hitler over 100 times""
ReplyDeleteMy attempts to rip the DVD have met with surprising failure. ^^; About two minutes or so into the song, the footage errors and loops on itself, and for some reason despite Handbrake selecting the movie in its full 2 hour state, it only rips an hour and a half worth of movie before it decides it's done. It's just weird. ^^;
"Also, this is nitpicky but do you have do keep using the phrase "Thrown around like a ragdoll"? "Ragdoll" feels like such an antiquated term in a world that makes all its toys out of plastic and it makes me feel old for knowing what they are every time I hear you say it."
ReplyDeleteI just like the term - even if most toys aren't made like that - and I'd like to think that it evokes an easy image for people, like a human body that's just flailing and loose and completely lite.
"Okay I am glad you did but you had mentioned if you did. Though it was good excuse to dig up two boxes of christmas comics I had at back of my closet. Also on the aol yes it was me and I can understand. That is why I will use yahoo account for certain things."
ReplyDeleteIn which case, I'd be happy to take Santa the Barbarian off your hands. ^_^ Send me an e-mail and I'll try to get it to it ASAP so next year we can have Christmas comics again.
Great Review.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised however that you did not mention the irony in the fact that the US Government would create an aryan in ever way to fight the Nazis. That is pretty messed up from the get-go.
This was great! I loved the Captain America movies even the really crappy 70s made-for-TV movies (I just bought the double feature DVD of them)!
ReplyDeleteI'm actually surprised you didn't use the "America Fuck Yeah" song more!
I love how mistreated Bucky was in these old comics!
Bucky: Why didn't you stop him from killing himself!?
Capt: Shut up, Bucky!
Awesome you did finally bring up the 1st human Torch and Namor stories! MARVELS by Alex Ross and them is a great intro to Marvel comics for anybody!
That's something else too a lot of the scenes from the movie were ecstatically the same as they were in this original book and I love stuff like that! The whole old lady taking a gun out of a desk and putting it back and the antique store hidden base!
Captain America: The First Avenger was awesome I was hoping you'd show the USO show stuff but you cut it off before he punched the Hitler look-a-like!
Also, I loved the history lesson at the beginning! I didn't know about the whole Mayor of New York thing! I new of American Pr-Nazis thing from the History Channel!
So, the big thing this year is defiantly going to be you verses the machines a la Terminator, The Matrix, or in your case The Cybermen!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to mention in my 1st comment but I was wondering about your thoughts on Jacky Kurby's other Shield wielding patriotic super agent spy hunting hero the Fighting American. A Captain America ripoff so blatant that Marvel threatened to sue if he ever threw his shield even once!
ReplyDeleteI'm just curious of your thoughts and if you'll given him a mention on the next review dealing with Capt!
"I have a question: Did both the 1979 Captain America film and the 1990 film star Reb Brown? I mean, I know he was in two Captain America films, and I think there was a TV movie in the 1980's, but I'm not sure which ones he was in."
ReplyDeleteReb Brown was in the 70s-80s made for TV ones it was some other guy in the 90 one!
Pity the spies' plan to assassinate all the officers failed, my grandpa could have been a general!
ReplyDeleteMan, I reaaally wanted to hear you try and do FDR Link!
The 'real' Red Skull debuted in issue #7!
ReplyDeleteAlso, Cap's trademark shield debuted in issue TWO, not issue three!
Jeremy Aron Patterson.
"WOOOOO! PEACE! WOOOOO!" cracked me up. I knew there would be something in response to "peace-loving America" but I didn't expect to see you go all 90s Kid with a gun.
ReplyDeleteVery well done, I was entertained.
ReplyDeleteLiked the vid clip at the end of the video - haven`t been able to see the movie, but I'll purchase it on DVD, when it comes out next year. It was the Captain America movie with Agent Smith/elrond/V/Megatron as Red Skull, right?
"captain america is the anti-hitler?
ReplyDeletehmmm... tall, blonde, superhuman...
that sounds a lot like the aryan ideal the nazis were so big on.
oh, the irony :/"
I can't swear to this, but I *think* I once read an interview with Kirby where he stated this was completely intentional; they wanted to take Hitler's "aryan ideal" and punch him in his big stupid face with it. Can any fellow nerds back this up, or am I completely insane?
Linkara, I'm amazed you let the Red Skull's line, "I'll be back...with more murder!" go by without comment. Best. Supervillain taunt. Ever.
This was friggin' awesome. I've always had a fondness for Captain America just because he's Captain freaking America. And he punches Hitler. Doesn't matter that it doesn't fit right in. It's just awesome all on its own. I've really been thrilled with the new movie and it's reawakened my love of the ol' Cap. This was a great and fun little review! Also... I knew there were Nazi sympathizers in the U.S. but Wow. This just gives me more fodder for my own stuff.
ReplyDeleteAMERICA! FUCK YEAH!
I'd like to mention that they did have mascots in the army back in the day and still kinda do. It was rarely a kid though. More often than not it was some kind of animal. For example, the Poles that were helping out the Americans during the Italian campaign had a Bear as their mascot. One who actually fought a German spy that he sniffed out all on his own. He even helped load artillery according to the soldiers.
ReplyDeleteI kinda wished you mentioned how Ed Brubaker has recently changed elements of the origin to better suit a modern day audience. Mainly that Bucky was in fact trainned by the SAS to be Cap's partner and they made up the origin for him in the comics as propaganda for kids. I thought it was a nice way to properly update the mythos and removed some of the less than stellar connotations of putting a kid in harm's way.
For added reading I'd suggest to anyone looking at this comic to pick up "The Marvels Project" also written by Brubaker which goes into detail about the Golden Age of Marvel comics and the era itself. I'm not sure if Linkara himself has read the title, but I enjoyed it a lot as it succeeds in putting these beloved characters into a new light and perspective for modern day readers. It even tells the tale of the Nazi Saboteur we saw at Cap's transformation scene. It's an interesting look into a man we usually just consider as the nameless Nazi Psyche-Hitler guy.
Nice history lesson to open with, i'd not heard much about Captain America's origins until now so it's interesting to hear what took place behind the scenes in creating him.
ReplyDeleteThere's not much else I have to say besides that, Mountain King has covered most of my history comments.
As for the review itself, I did like that you broke out the shield for this one and seemed more willing to poke fun at the obvious logical leaps than I thought you would. And the whole "American peace" thing with you firing your gun into the air. I get the feeling someone's going to make an animated .GIF out of that at some point.
"Liked the vid clip at the end of the video - haven`t been able to see the movie, but I'll purchase it on DVD, when it comes out next year. It was the Captain America movie with Agent Smith/elrond/V/Megatron as Red Skull, right?"
ReplyDeleteYep, that's the one.
Out of curiosity, what would the agent at the 'curio' shop have done if they had just been a few tourists looking to buy some old furniture?
ReplyDeleteOn another note, the comic is unconsciously disturbing. They use a drug to turn Rogers into what would arguably be a 'proto-Aryan'*. Tall, handsome, blond-haired Caucasian.
As for the murders, if you can get rid of the officers with experience (and intelligence) it gets very hard to replace them. Same problem the Germans and Japanese had with replacing experienced captains.
*As in the Nazi version, not the actual historical version.
"Linkara, I'm amazed you let the Red Skull's line, "I'll be back...with more murder!" go by without comment. Best. Supervillain taunt. Ever."
ReplyDelete...Huh. I completely missed that. O.o
Lewis, besides the collections of the Silver Age Cap stories, do you know of any Golden age collections?
ReplyDelete"captain america is the anti-hitler?
ReplyDeletehmmm... tall, blonde, superhuman...
that sounds a lot like the aryan ideal the nazis were so big on.
oh, the irony :/
I can't swear to this, but I *think* I once read an interview with Kirby where he stated this was completely intentional; they wanted to take Hitler's "aryan ideal" and punch him in his big stupid face with it. Can any fellow nerds back this up, or am I completely insane?"It could be although I doubt it was intentional.
The problem is, even if it was, the fact that said supersoldier is on the USA's side does not make much of a difference. The very existence of Captain America, the aryan ideal as the perfect soldier remains. Unintentionally, this comic book is affirming the superiority of the aryan man. What this comic book is telling us is that American and Nazis have the exact same ideal if the perfect human being, the aryan man, and that it actually works, it IS perfection indeed.
Man, they could have made a movie about the guys who made Captain America and I'd see it. We need need more movies about the people behind comics, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteTwo disturbingly dressed per-pubescent boy side-kicks enter, one leaves. You make the call! Who wins, Bucky or Robin?
ReplyDelete1:32
ReplyDeleteLooks like he's stumbled over a Blu dispenser. THAT'LL TEACH Y'ALL NOT TO SAP MY BUILDINGS, YA FRENCH BASTID oh no wait he's German
THAT MEDIC'S A SPY
Not much of a Marvel so I had to ask, whatever happened to Bucky? Obviously he disappeared because he made Robin look cool in comparison.
ReplyDeleteLet me just start with this: I sort of understand Jack Kirby's need to try and bring kids into the whole idea of being with/alongside their favorite heroes...but a lot of the time it just never seemed to work. In the case of Robin, it worked because of something I remember you said: Dick Grayson was the lighter half of the more grim Bruce Wayne, making him the perfect partner for Batman as Robin. In the case of heroes like Bucky (and later Rick Jones in his early appearances not to mention others), it was more or less just his desire to have a kid stand with the hero, to fight alongside them when a lot of times they more or less were a burden and just became trouble...not to mention all the crap that was let loose by the time of "Seduction of the Innocent". The only time in the 40s having a kid being a hero worked were things like Robin or like Captain Marvel, where the kid actually was a hero and not a burden...whereas Bucky worked better in something like the recent Cap movie as a fellow soldier and friend of Steve who ended up giving his all for his country like anyone of the time would.
ReplyDeleteWith that said: perfect episode, not much more can be said. The jokes were great on (the Patton bit was awesome) and you really had a lot of great insights and comedic touches for a great comic. Oh...and nice touch with the "Captain America" song from the recent movie...if that doesn't get nominated for an Oscar, they have no soul.
Anyone notice the Red Skull's shadow on the wall there as an homage to "Nosferatu"?
ReplyDeleteHey Linkara I was wondering if I could request The Incredible Hulk for next years Secret Origins Month.
ReplyDelete"'captain america is the anti-hitler?
ReplyDeletehmmm... tall, blonde, superhuman...
that sounds a lot like the aryan ideal the nazis were so big on.
oh, the irony :/
I can't swear to this, but I *think* I once read an interview with Kirby where he stated this was completely intentional; they wanted to take Hitler's "aryan ideal" and punch him in his big stupid face with it. Can any fellow nerds back this up, or am I completely insane?"It could be although I doubt it was intentional.
The problem is, even if it was, the fact that said supersoldier is on the USA's side does not make much of a difference. The very existence of Captain America, the aryan ideal as the perfect soldier remains. Unintentionally, this comic book is affirming the superiority of the aryan man. What this comic book is telling us is that American and Nazis have the exact same ideal if the perfect human being, the aryan man, and that it actually works, it IS perfection indeed."
I don't know about the mainstream continuity or whatever, but I do know this has been brought up before and is true in some alternate reality stories. Like Earth-X and the whole Universe-X stories! And, maybe the Ultimate Universe it's mentioned!
Also, some one said something about Bucky's usefulness!? That's been reconted to where he's a badass sniper and would later become Winter Soldier and the 3rd(or possibly 4th or 5th) person to taken on the name of Captain America! They hint at this happening in possible Captain America future films!
I'm not the biggest Captain America fan, but man these 1940s comics and what the mayor of New York City did for his creators is TOO awesome!
ReplyDeleteI'm amazed Linkara that you know about the awesomeness of The Jim Hammond Human Torch (seriously He killed Hitler how is that not awesome) I don't mean to offend you or nothing but you were always more into the mythology of DC (as shown that the DC events multi-parters on your show completely outweigh the Marvel ones) If you want some a good Marvel ongoing since you dropped WW get the current Daredevil ongoing I hear it's fantastic. Here's a triva for you with this Betty Ross she is the aunt of Thunderbolt Ross and later became a superhero named Golden girl who became partner and later married Jeff Mace (aka Patriot and later Captain America after Steve went missing)....I was on a Golden age high after reading "The Marvel Project" (another great Marvel series you should check out with The Golden age heroes "The Angel" and everyone else in that era)
ReplyDeleteBut, but, but... Where's your Secret Origins? That was the stinger of the last one... I feel jipped from no backstory of the Great Linkara! :(
ReplyDeleteOther then that little tidbit, I loved this review!
The Comic: I suspected this one would be better than the others, no idea why, but with oddities in the writing being the only knock. That said, great use of the Spaceballs clip after that one line about going down the stairs. No wonder he's usually killed off before Capt. America get frozen.
ReplyDeleteYour Arc: Oh crap, he's got access to your ship... This isn't going to end well.
Fiery Little One
I hope this doesn't sound rude or hit a nerve with you, Linkara, but I've always wondered, Why do you always say "Core" instead of "Corps"? You did it with the Green Lantern and again in this one. English is not my first language so that's why I ask
ReplyDeleteFor everyone that keeps saying Captain America is a proto-aryan you should watch this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqISnrLja6c
That's a far ebtter analysis than the ones everyone is so readily and quickly just lashing out at Steve Rogers wqithout properly thining. Aryans beleive you are born strong or weak and you can't change it. Steve Rogers is weak and becomes strong because that's what America's philosophy teaches us, that this is the land of opportunity and you can accomplish anything no matter your stature or status in life.
Please think more people before you comment, Don't just jump on a bandwagon.
Captain America = awesome!
ReplyDeleteJack Kirby = king of awesome!
This comic = spectacularly awesome even to this day!
Wish they could have included the actual scene of Hitler being punched out.
Can't wait for next year's Secret Origins month.
Mechakara with Comicron 1 = bad news!!!
Gotta say, I'm a little disappointed that you didn't utilize Alan Silvestri's Captain America March. That's easily the best superhero theme song of the past ten years.
ReplyDelete"I hope this doesn't sound rude or hit a nerve with you, Linkara, but I've always wondered, Why do you always say "Core" instead of "Corps"? You did it with the Green Lantern and again in this one. English is not my first language so that's why I ask"
ReplyDeleteSince English isn't your first language, then don't worry about it. "Core" is how you pronounce "Corps" in English.
I'm kinda surprised you didn't say anything about how it looked like FDR was STANDING and WALKING AROUND his office in his appearance. Anybody who knows even basic history on the guy knows how that just didn't happen. Of course his paralysis wasn't public knowledge at the time so there was no reason for Jack Kirby to know this.
ReplyDeleteChester A Bum: Why are Nazis always the bad guys!?
ReplyDeleteIt is a solid comic and it is interesting how close the recent movie stuck to this origin, including the curio shop with its lady with a gun.
I saw this first on blip, I really liked this review. Captain America is another superhero that I don't know much about. From the looks of this first issue he was a badass from the start. Is the fist Blue Beetle going to be in Next years secret origin month?. Also plot wise, At least Nimue made a effort in stopping Mechakara 2.0., I'm glad that Nimue was program to tell the truth. She could describe what happened. Damn that Mechakara 2.0. Although,she might be suspicious of the slightly similar looking Polo. Yeah, I'm sticking to my own fan nickname for this version of Mechakara till mentioned otherwise of what this version should be called in a review.
ReplyDeleteActually they did have mascots for some units. My grandfather had a wallaby as his unit's mascot when they were in New Zealand in World War II. I don't mean the wallaby was their symbol, they actually had a pet.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they usually took kids overseas, though.
Edit: I rather wish I knew why the Nazis endangered their terrorist cell with the fake fortune telling thing, though.
ReplyDeleteDid you notice they don't mention anything about the Zeta Rays in the original origin story for Captain America ? So that made him basically a sort of retro or pre-Arnold Schwarzenegger that becames a hero thanks to fast pace anabolic steroids and there is no problem on that because America was not at war during publication of the comic until they were.
ReplyDeleteIt's just me or looks like Jack Kirby knew a few things before they happened ?
The only reason for the United States fight in Europe together with the British was Hitler be stupid enough to declare war against America - thanks to that nonsensical Axis Treaty about support the Japanese in case of attack even considering there was no actual way to help them anyway - and before that Roosevelt had to sweat a little before convincing the Congress to sent troops for England and help them to fight against the Nazis, America at the time was not really that willing to fight in Europe until the dumbass with the mustache made the call for it.
There was in comic book history any group of supervillains more dumb than real life Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini and Hideki Tojo ?
Fight against The British Empire alone ? Maybe. Fight against The British Empire, The Soviet Union and The United States of America all together at once ? Really ???
What's the equivalent for that ? Strictly from Marvel perspective : Red Skull and (can't think about any italian or japanese supervillain and the Mandarim doesn't count because he is Chinese and therefore an Allied Country at the time) fighting against Captain America, Captain Britain (okay he was only invented in 1976) and the yet to be invented Red Dynamo ? The Axis were already screwed even before the battle start.
Comicron has some shabby defenses
ReplyDeleteMy attitude towards Captain America slightly contradicts my attitude towards other comics.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you remember Linkara but in a podcast you appeared on for Paranerds I criticised a Robin and Batgirl story because it had the devil try to beat the American spirit. My complaint at the time was that it was stupid to think that America as a country would have a spirit or that there would be something so inherently pure or noble about it that the devil would consider it an adversary and try to destroy it.
You'd think from that attitude that I'd hate Captain America and regard him as the American version of Jingoism but I don't.
I love Captain America and I think he is one of the best expressions of awesome in comics today.
In fact my current mouse mat is Captain America's shield and I specifically bought an issue of a magazine about movies because said mouse mat came free with it.
This is obviously just my opinion, but I can't imagine any single individual embodying the best of America, because the best of America is its diversity (this is especially dear to me as I've moved to one of the least diverse countries on the planet). One super-human white guy, no matter how noble, can't cut it. You'd have to have Team America... only, um, not with puppets.
ReplyDeleteStill, as the world's truest Boy Scout, Captain America can't be beat. He's still Marvel's most classical hero in a cast of Type I Antiheroes.
And I loved how you pointed out the reality of Nazi support in pre-WW2 America. We became so fixated on Communism after the war that we forgot how many people were fascist sympathizers. Learning that Captain America's first missions were against Nazis in America was, well, awesome. Thank you for the history!
hi linkara,great review as always. I have a suggestion, why dont you review the Justice league subway advert comics. You can find them in PDF form at: http://promo.dccomics.com/subwaycomics/
ReplyDelete"Comicron has some shabby defenses"
ReplyDeleteTrust me - this will all make sense when the storyline concludes in February.
"hi linkara,great review as always. I have a suggestion, why dont you review the Justice league subway advert comics."
ReplyDeletePrimarily because my cut-off date is a year after publication and the Subway ads aren't a year old yet. I'm probably going to review them at some point, though, so thanks for the PDFs!
Some of the units that stayed in the USA got mascots.
ReplyDeleteMy feelings on Captain America are somewhat mixed. He's usually a pretty good character, but since he is pretty much a walking political symbol about "what america is supposed to represent", some writers use him to shill their own ideas (worst example being the final page of ultimate comics - captain america, where he tries to forcefully convert a tied-up convict to Christianity).
Also, because some writers are apparently insecure in their patriotism, his american-ness and leading the superheroes of the world-ness occasionally get played up to the point where it becomes inaccesible/borderline offensive to non-americans like me.
Still, most stories with him are awesome, and this one is no exception. I actually own the golden age collections.
On a related note: I always find the phrase "the american red-white-and-blue" a bit funny, since those are pretty damn popular colours for flags. Think england, australia, netherlands, luxembourg, france, Russia, Laos, croatia, paraguay, Taiwan, Nepal, Slovakia, serbia, slovenia, slovakia, etc.. "stars and stripes" is a little more unique, though many middle-eastern countries still have that. I think there is only 1 or 2 others with both red-white-and-blue and stars and stripes.
Man, the Hitler-punching montage from Captain America was the best.
ReplyDeleteI seriously wonder if there's any movie that wouldn't be improved even just a little by the addition of a Hitler-punching montage?
you know what would a cool/kinda interesting idea, doing a secret origins month but for villains. i've read plenty of comics that feature a hero's beginnings but not a villain's. that mirror linkara from Star Trek #2 could host it. eh, maybe its just me who would find that kinda cool *shrugs*
ReplyDeletejust wanted to add, that the funny thing is there currently IS a Maxon corporation.....and it's a german company, they make a CG animation and modeling software Cinema 4D
ReplyDeleteBetty Ross is more probably a minor homage to Betsy Ross patriotic myth, check wikipedia, as the same time an easy catchy name.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately at the time of the publication there was no space for romance or any sex innuendo in comics even considering the fact Wertham and the Comics Code Authority was far away into the future yet.
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Malaysia has a flag almost identical to the United States and several countries have red, white and blue flags with stars and stripes or bars in many shapes, combinations and designs but the curious comic book fact remains this : despite obvious copyright and trade mark issues Wonder Woman and Captain America, the only 40's patriotic superheroes that have survive in local stores since World War 2 never had their costumes ripped off in any sense by any other comic book character and the few who tried didn't survive the test of time.
Wonder Woman and Captain America remain unique in matter of design and there is no other character to compare with that stand for so long thanks to patriotic symbol's political abuse.
I don't see any other reason for why we have so many character with a darker palette of colors and so few reds, whites or blues combined with or without stars and stripes, flag characters are an endangered species at this point - look what they did with Wonder Woman more than once.
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quoting : "My attempts to rip the DVD have met with surprising failure". You fool, any 5 years old chinese kid can do that for you faster than the blink of an eye, tell me exactly what you want and the team will be more than glad to upload it for you, i send an e-mail about donation of some comics but you never reply, use that e-mail if you still are interested in anything.
quoting : "Trust me - this will all make sense when the storyline concludes in February".
February ???? For the love of any Gods at this point you are starting to look like Warren Ellis in a really monsoony season.
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Sometimes for a few seconds i missed those good old cheesy days when America wasn't an ambiguous not-so-evil-not-that-good-either superpower.
This century have been boring as hell sometimes.
"For everyone that keeps saying Captain America is a proto-aryan you should watch this:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqISnrLja6c
That's a far ebtter analysis than the ones everyone is so readily and quickly just lashing out at Steve Rogers wqithout properly thining. Aryans beleive you are born strong or weak and you can't change it. Steve Rogers is weak and becomes strong because that's what America's philosophy teaches us, that this is the land of opportunity and you can accomplish anything no matter your stature or status in life.
Please think more people before you comment, Don't just jump on a bandwagon."
Again, it does not change anything. The message is still : we need supersoldiers to fight wars and said supersoldiers need to be aryans.
Sure, the Americans do not use genocide but apparently, they believe in the aryan model nevertheless and from what is being showed, it sure is working.
The message is this : like in the american dream, everybody has the ability to become great...but by great we mean aryan.
First off I'd like to say thanks for posting this right before my birthday as I'm watching it right now on it and it just made my day.
ReplyDeleteand its a pitty we cant send captain american to beat up that idiotic senator behind the protect Ip act and that other one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jq5w0UmpMm4
as if what Phil here says is true then well I'd think that senator was working for the nazis and deserves a good beating from cap!
So, basically, "Steve Rogers should have had Brown Hair."
ReplyDeletequoting /
ReplyDeleteThe message is this :
-like in the american dream, everybody has the ability to become great...but by great we mean aryan.
Non-sense, in this Politically Correctional Age everybody can be Aryan now, it's called Aryan Environmental Diversity Stimulant Policy of Affirmative Action or Triple "A" Power SPD, the in range movement, did you never saw the TV Show ?
-So, basically, "Steve Rogers should have had Brown Hair."
If you expected him to became the next President of the United States yes, he should have brown, black or at least grey hair, nobody takes blonde people that serious.
In a slightly prejudice sense Blonde equal gorgeous, funny, charismatic people who should never be restrained by the rules of serious jobs like be president of the United States or the starship Enterprise's Captain with James T. Kirk as the only exception for this rule.
Check the Awesome Channel : there is no one single blonde protagonist doing serious hard work there (not counting the women, different set of rules for them) and Film Brain is no exception, only support casting allowed.
P.S.: And NO! God forbid Film Brain from be turn into somekind of British version of Kirk, one bald sexually ambiguous obscure guy was enough.
"So, basically, "Steve Rogers should have had Brown Hair.""
ReplyDeleteMissing the point. Let's just say that creating the perfect human through genetic enhancement is already problematic and to my mind, not something the USA would do.
Now if you really think it is necessary, the least you can do is try to differentiate it from what the Nazis think is the perfect human being.
For the record, there are plenty of superheroes and superheroines who don't use a codename:
ReplyDelete-John Hancock
-Luke Cage
-Donna Troy
-Bubbles, Blossom and Buttercup (the originals)
-half of the X-Men
-Tara Freemont
-Mon-El
-Anne O'Brien
-Caitlin Fairchild
-Will Stronghold
-Violet Parr
-Dash Parr
-Arthur (The Tick's partner)
My theory is that this Betty Ross is married to Thadeus "Thunderbolt" Ross.
ReplyDeleteTheir daughter is Betty Ross Jr., and that's the one from the Hulk comics.
"I wish they would do a crossover where Captain Marvel and Captain America team up to take on Red Skull and Captain Nazi."
ReplyDeleteDo Marvel and DC still do crossovers? I think the last one was "JLA/Avengers" waaaaaaaaay back in 2004.
I think (but I'm not sure) that, since then, both companies have a policy to not do any more crossovers with each other.
"When you look at the reasons for creating Captain America and his development over the years, you have to wonder what message the Captain America of the Ultimate Universe is trying to send. Having read the Ultimate Comics: Captain America series, I think I want to see a crossover in which 616 Cap knocks him out in one punch (the "Batman-beating-Guy-Gardner" style for the modern day, if you will) and walks away, disgusted. Alternate universes don't always have to have their characters match up, but did they have to make that Captain America such an arsehole? Was it some sort of "take that, us!" meta-reference?"
ReplyDelete...it's Mark Millar. Terrible writing is par for the course. That's why the "Kick-Ass" comic is a second-rate sub-par comic, while the "Kick-Ass" movie is one of the best superhero movies ever made.
"
ReplyDelete-Luke Cage
-Donna Troy
"
Power Man and Troia, respectively. Yes, I like the Troia name and I'd refer to her as Troia in reviews if they actually used the name.
"Man, they could have made a movie about the guys who made Captain America and I'd see it. We need need more movies about the people behind comics, don't you think?"
ReplyDeleteI'd gladly play 20 bucks to see a movie about the life of Stan Lee at my local theater.
"But, but, but... Where's your Secret Origins? That was the stinger of the last one... I feel jipped from no backstory of the Great Linkara! :("
ReplyDeleteDoes he really need one? People still can't accept the "Doctor Insano is a split personality of Spoony that emerges under great stress, the Insano Clone is a clone of the original Insano, the Insano that currently interacts with Spoony is the Insano Clone and previous instances of Spoony interacting with Insano were just hallucinations" backstory for Doctor Insano, even thought it's perfectly cleae that THAT is his canon backstory.
Viewers would most likely reject whatever backstory Lewis creates for "Linkara" and say "nobody knows what Linkara's backstory is" even after the backstory is introduced.
"I don't see any other reason for why we have so many character with a darker palette of colors and so few reds, whites or blues combined with or without stars and stripes"
ReplyDeleteBecause you can't strike fear deep into the heart of evildoers if you look like you came straight from a Mardi Gras parade.
"Power Man and Troia, respectively. Yes, I like the Troia name and I'd refer to her as Troia in reviews if they actually used the name."
ReplyDeleteI think many of us were still breastfeeding the last time Luke Cage called himself "Power Man" and the last time Donna Troy called herself "Troia" (or "Wonder Girl", for that matter).
Mon-El is a codename. The guy is actually a Daxamite called Lar Gand, not a Kryptonian.
ReplyDeleteThat's why the "Kick-Ass" comic is a second-rate sub-par comic, while the "Kick-Ass" movie is one of the best superhero movies ever made.
ReplyDeleteKick Ass comic is gold but the move is the same old Hollywood crap and the best superhero movies ever made are Richard Donner's Superman, Christopher Nolan's Batman, Ang Lee's Hulk and oddly as may be Nick Cage's Ghost Rider but doesn't matter, in the end we are just two guys with different opinions.
P.S.: Even considering i liked the 2008's version of The Spirit, i strongly support the 1987 television movie as better than Frank's.
Sorry Frank, that one has Sam J. Jones in it, i can argue against Flash Gordon, he is after all the savior of the universe and you are just the Goddamned Miller, go figured.
*i could add a link here but i won't, goggle it Queen's Flash Gordon you bunch of lazy Fourth Walleer's. That's all the gospel you need.
quoting : "Because you can't strike fear deep into the heart of evildoers if you look like you came straight from a Mardi Gras parade".
ReplyDeleteHey...did you at anytime saw some of the people in that parade ? Believe me when i say this : "Bright Colors can be terrifying too even when applied all the way wrong - check Green Lantern New Guardians, it's the stuff for nightmares, trust me".
I really love your reviews and that your one of the few reviewers out there who is willing to outright say they are proud to be an American. Don't ever change, bro.
ReplyDeleteI gotta get back into Marvel, I kind of forgot how cool it could be.
Also off topic question, since there was no TAIS: What did you think of New Guardians and Teen Titans #3 this week?
The Lanterns are an entirely different thing, since the first thing you notice is the color of their rings and not the color of their costumes. Second, they represent the Positive Colors and Negative Colors in the War of Light, so they are SUPPOSED to look that way. Finally, I'd like to add that the most powerful/fearsome Lanterns are the White ones for the Positive Colors and the Black ones and the Red ones for the Negative colors, so the louder colors aren't really as threatening.
ReplyDeleteThen again, I'm inclined to disagree with anyone who thinks "Ghost Rider", the 2003 version of "Hulk" and the low-budget and cheesy "Spirit" TV-movie are among the best comics book movies ever, and anyone who doesn't think Hit Girl is the most awesome movie superheroine ever.
Also, I didn't know that about Mon-El. You can mentally take him off the list.
I'm a Canadian, and even Captain America makes me want to go out and punch bad guys in the jaw.
ReplyDeleteIf you like Hitler being punched, you must have loved the sequence of the Doctor Who Episode "Let's kill Hitler". I mostly enjoyed it. ^^
ReplyDeleteHitler: "You saved me."
Doctor: "Oh, belive me, that was completely not intentional."
I honestly knew nothing about CapAm - never the less, I played him on an RPG-board... for ten weeks or so.
That was kinda enlightening, and I hope, that the movie will be good, because I will buy it on DVD, when it comes out over here.
Greets
CaptainCalvinCat
"Does he really need one? People still can't accept the "Doctor Insano is a split personality of Spoony that emerges under great stress, the Insano Clone is a clone of the original Insano, the Insano that currently interacts with Spoony is the Insano Clone and previous instances of Spoony interacting with Insano were just hallucinations" backstory for Doctor Insano, even thought it's perfectly cleae that THAT is his canon backstory.
ReplyDeleteViewers would most likely reject whatever backstory Lewis creates for "Linkara" and say "nobody knows what Linkara's backstory is" even after the backstory is introduced."
...Except Spoony has explicity said, "There is no continuity, there is only Insano." So people are saying that nobody knows what Insano's backstory is because THAT'S WHAT'S CANON. Still, your theory (and that's exactly what it is) actually makes perfect sense. Also, you made a typo on the word "clear," but "e" and "r" are next to each other on a keyboard, so I can forgive that.
My "theory" is not a theory, it's Insano's backstory from "Kickassia". And Lewis explictly said that everything that happened in "Kickassia" is canon to the rest of the videos. Which mean Insano's backstory from "Kickassia" is the canon one.
ReplyDeleteLinkara, you really didn't want to say anything bad about this comic, did you? I mean, that Curio shop scene was full of wrong. "These men are high-ranking army officials."
ReplyDelete"Glad to see you, sir. If you'd been a paying customer, I'd have to shoot you."
Why did she take off her old lady disguise? That was almost as pointless as wearing it.
Still, it's not a bad comic.
A side note: when Bucky approaches Private Steve Rogers in the camp, that's the first time Steve's name is used in the comic. (I noticed you kept using it throughout; we're all so used to it.)
It's the second-last page of his origin.
Red, white, and blue are America's colours, and that's not based on the flag. Like green and gold are Australia's, but the flag is red white and blue (like most).
@Le Messor
ReplyDeleteExcuse but i think the traditional american colors are linked primarily to the flag and the red, white and blue stands in opposition for what i believed to be the British order of colors for the Union Jack that is supposed to be blue, white and red.
If those schemes are meant to be true that i am really puzzled by the fact the British army dress it self in red and the American army dressed his men - when they could provide the uniforms for them - in blue ?
And from where did Australia taken the green and gold scheme and why they didn't used on their flag ? It's like America wearing stars and stripes for everything but keep the british flag as the actual national flag.
@Jarkes
i prefer to use the "Death of George Lucas" as argument in defense of the canon origin of Doctor Insano.
You see, some people among the Star Wars fan base will argue this:
"The de facto George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars Universe, die in 1990 and therefore everything made after that is not canon, everything released was non-canon bullshit made by an impostor and as such should not be considered in continuity or else let's consider George Lucas as no longer the creator of Star Wars and take everything as public domain overthrowing his insane dictatorship and self-destructive rule once and for all".
Meanwhile in Spoony case things are far more simple and less radical :
"Spoony was drunk or tired or joking or had a lapse of memory or whatever best fits the explanation for why he was wrong when he said that and everything will be perfectly ok because everybody loves and forgives him".
Therefore,
@Lewis
When we are going to see Linkara's origin and the Linkara's copy of Doctor Insano's origin ?
There is gonna be any sort of Insano Inc. like in Grant Morrison's the Batman Inc. series ?
And when the Linkara storyline will move itself from almost monologue action into more companionship action ? With all do respect but at this point IronLiz and most of the guest stars if not all of them act more like background scenario and furniture than anything else.
Robots, yourself as Holograms and voice over actors doesn't count as companions in my opinion unless they are like the robots from MST3K or Star Wars and made something to save the day when the hero or his/her actual companions of the hero are unable to do it.
Please i'm waiting for a few polite responses for a few fair questions, thanks in advance when you were able and willing to provide them.
Have a nice day Sir.
P.S.: Demon Knights still is AWESOME, i think your lack of faith in DC Management's faith on this book really usual and pretty common, i don't trust them either.
I simply don’t get national patriotism. Why would you be proud of ideologies and technological advancements set in place by people you’ve never known simply because those people were born in the same country as you? I’m a Canadian from Quebec, and I get that kind of discourse all the time from people who are proud to be from Quebec. Why? You didn’t accomplished anything, so stop taking credit for something another person from Quebec did. Patriotism is the lowest form of pride.
ReplyDeleteThis is why I can't take Captain America seriously. It’s blatant propaganda, but no one seems to care as long as it gives other people an embellished view of their own country. A super hero may feel love and fondness for his country, but his loyalty shouldn’t be exclusive to that country since a superhero’s duty is to protect the world, regardless of geographical origins. That’s why Superman’s nationality change is a good thing.
And also, the United States of today seems like a pretty shitty place to live. No universal health care, intolerance towards gays and other races, as well as religion influenced political decisions.
And another thing. America isn’t a country; it’s a collection of continents. So why is Captain America’s loyalty limited to the United States?
George Carlin said it best. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iw0MripVxss
@David
ReplyDeleteSteve Rogers enlisted to the United States Army, he was rejected for active duty but another Agency take the opportunity to use this boy as a lab rat and turn him into the greatest american hero and superweapon therefore he is an agent submitted by allegiance top the American Government, that's where his loyalty come from, he is a public servant, a government employee nothing more nothing less and also an American Citizen.
And Superman never declare himself as an American Citizen, he expose himself as an alien, how can he renounce something he never had any attachment to it ? DC is ridiculous.
@David
ReplyDeleteOn further notice :
Last time i check America is a country, the United States of AMERICA, and also ONE SINGLE CONTINENT called AMERICA.
Unless your geography books consider the Caribbean Islands as a continent and the Panama Canal as an effective separation between two lands masses, respectively North and South America, your "collection of continents" it's nothing but crap, should i consider any land mass not directly link to Canada as part of Asia, Scandinavia or European Russia ? I don't think so.
And about the "superhero’s duty is to protect the world, regardless of geographical origins theory" that could be probably true for people like Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Green Lantern and maybe even Batman too but for them and most of the average superheroes there a matter of something called "JURISDICTION".
Doesn't matter if you are from Krypton, blessed by ancient Gods or is richer than hundreds of Bill Gates combine, the superhero community in general can't do anything without recognition by the Real(by real i mean Fictional) Authorities in their real (fictional) worlds and that means you can't even get out in patrol around your own neighborhood without be arrested and go to jail for vigilantism, yes, add that to the list. Vigilantism is a crime and doesn't matter if you does that for the greater good or not, wearing a mask and a cowl doesn't automatically made you a cop, in real and most of the fictional worlds you are, even after further evidence, a CRIMINAL and should be arrested.
Back on the Jurisdiction factor China, Russia, the United Kingdom, France and any other country in the whole world, the United States included, will kick your ass out of their sky if you try to pass their borders. The JLI goes nowhere without the proper authorization, how the Justice League does the same without legal support ? WRITERS ARE STUPID !!! add a face palm here.
So what we learn today about our friendly neighbors ? That if they go down the street and beat the crap out of the local drug lord he or she can be arrested, travel around the world and try to do the same just because you have superpowers ? Arrested and deported. Still trying to do the same in the United States travelling through the states by flying ? The United States Air Force will be more than glad to show you why you can flying above let's say 600 feet without have the F-16's kicking your ass out of their sky in a post-9/11 world and even inside the metropolitan areas sooner or later the police helicopters will get you and order you to landing but that's of course the real world, fictional authorities are too dumb to care about several reports of unidentified objects flying around and messing the air lines. Chasing batmobiles ? Don't worry, there is no traffic jam in the average Gotham/Metropolis cities because nobody in their sanity will drive a car in a city with superheroes.
Check DC On Line, it's a wasteland.
No traffic, no people on the streets, no commerce, no tourists - except if you have superpowers - and absolute no police, you will feel in heaven. And of course you and your superpowered friends CAN'T GET OUT or else the real (fictional) United States government will NUKE YOUR ASS INTO OBLIVION because you Sir, superpowered or average joe empowered is a living weapon of mass destruction and a threat.
Have fun trying to protect the whole world now goody two shoes, maybe Darkseid enlist you in their ranks if you keep your mind set this way.
P.S.: oh yes, i forget Lex Luthor attempt to create a new continent in Superman Returns, if he had been succeeded maybe America could be a "collection of continents" even if you had the need to sunk the previous one, what a shame.
Oh the joys of restraining my self here in the past topics.
Suggested End Credits Soundtrack :
AC/DC - Highway To Hell - [Live At River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires 2009]
On a particular notice : please folks follow my example and stop posting non-topic links here, weird as it sound that's considered spam and it's not something the landlord approves, after all is his show so let's respect that.
ReplyDeleteThanks Lewis for enlightened us, Cheers from the team.
Have a nice day despite be a Monday.
And on topic, why Captain America's shield in red, white, red and black surrounding a white star ? And still asking : Where the Zeta Rays came from ? They are absent in the "original" origin story.
The Dark Pollo Saga!
ReplyDeleteActually, Kirk had a rank while still a cadet. Gary Mitchell mentioned it. "Watch out for Lt. Kirk! In his class you either think or sink."
I love the fact you used the Reb Brown Captain America theme in the background. Nice reference.
ReplyDeleteSake
ReplyDelete"Excuse but i think the traditional american colors are linked primarily to the flag"
I don't know about that; my point is only that national colours are not linked to the colours of the flag.
Actually, I'm just repeating what's been said to me whenever I try to make the same point - that most flags are red, white, and blue.
"from where did Australia taken the green and gold scheme and why they didn't used on their flag?"
Not a clue, I just figure it's the colour of the grass.
And, the second is my point - there's no legal subjudy to use the same national colours as flag.
Also, the Australian flag is still based on the British, which probably has something to do with it.
Also, yeah, agree with you that the USA is not a bunch of continents (though I've heard it argued it's nations). It's (mostly) on a continent called NORTH AMERICA.
"Also, yeah, agree with you that the USA is not a bunch of continents (though I've heard it argued it's nations). It's (mostly) on a continent called NORTH AMERICA".
ReplyDeleteAdd Face Palm here.
America, is located in America, Brasil is also located in America, just because they are in diferent parts of the same continent that doesn't mean it's a different continent : NORTH AMERICA AND SOUTH AMERICA BELONG TO THE SAME CONTINENT AND THIS CONTINENT IS CALLED AMERICA with by the way A CENTRAL PART THAT'S ALSO CALLED AMERICA with several island THAT ALSO BELONG TO THE AMERICAN CONTINENT, DAMN IT!
North America is not a continent, the south of the United States is not South America and to made this most clear as possible Latina America also belong to America, the New World, the one single land mass from Tierra del Fuego, across the Floresta Amazônica, through el Caribe and all the way of the United States, Canada and Greenland too.
Any other definition for America is stupid and racist except of course if somebody else have plans to sunk Central America and physically divide the continent in the next thousand years so forget it, the Americans are all in the same both but my side is warmer.
We call it America because the full name of our country is "The United States of America."
ReplyDeleteWe shorten it to USA or America. Ours, as far as I know, is the only country name to actually have America in it. We can get into more debates about it if there are other countries with America in their name and thus would like to be called America, but as far as I know, the USA is the only one.
@Lewis Lovhaug
ReplyDeleteCan you stand together with me about the fact there is only one Continent called America please ?
I'm start to think i was one of the few who learn something at school and i am the token foreigner fan.
"Can you stand together with me about the fact there is only one Continent called America please ?
ReplyDeleteI'm start to think i was one of the few who learn something at school and i am the token foreigner fan."
Well, it must just be a different educational system, since I was taught seven continents - two of them being North America and South America.
@Lewis
ReplyDeletequoting :"Well, it must just be a different educational system, since I was taught seven continents - two of them being North America and South America".
You must be kidding me :
Europe, Africa, Asia, America, Oceania a.k.a Australia, and Antartida, six continents, that the way we count around here.
Check the Olympic Flag, five rings with one for each continent. Europe blue, Asia yellow, Africa black, America red and Australia green, over a white field that means peace and Australia is green because is the newest one, not because any racist observations taking in consideration the fact about the flag was made in the early 20th Century.
Looks like we came from different educational systems but honestly in my opinion split the continent in two is racist and stupid, the reason for split Eurasia is because the abysmal differences between the respective ethnic agroupments, Europeans and Asians.
After check the wikipedia i am perplexed and disappointed that some imbecile decided to split my beloved home continent in two for "educational purposes".
Sorry neighbor but in my book we are in the same land mass even if some evil genius decide to sunk Central America and the Caribbean all together in the deeps of the ocean.
There is no division inside the Organization of American States drawing the line between north and south and will never have. There is only one America and the guy who write your school book is A HACK and everything he written IS BULLSHIT, now i know why the publishers write so many bad comics on a monthly basis : "YOUR EDUCTIONAL SYSTEM IS SCREWED EVEN FURTHER THAN STARFLEET HIGH COMMAND !"
Sorry Lewis, i am not scream at you, i am screaming at your government, Why, Why God, Why ?
"You must be kidding me :
ReplyDeleteEurope, Africa, Asia, America, Oceania a.k.a Australia, and Antartida, six continents, that the way we count around here.
Check the Olympic Flag, five rings with one for each continent. Europe blue, Asia yellow, Africa black, America red and Australia green, over a white field that means peace and Australia is green because is the newest one, not because any racist observations taking in consideration the fact about the flag was made in the early 20th Century."
As taught here in the country of America!
7 continents:
North America
South America
Antarctica
Africa
Europe
Asia
Australia
Only one single world to resume my fellings about this non-sense Annoyingnimus :
ReplyDelete"RIDICULOUS!"
I think the continents thing is mostly because people like the number seven.
ReplyDeleteThat said, there's no clear line demarcating Europe or Asia either, so if a land mass is big enough apparently they just chop it in two. That one irritated me a lot more when I was a kid than North and South America, since at least those narrow to almost nothing at one point. Europe and Asia are clearly all one lump.
Anyway, seven is traditional because people like the number seven (seven seas, seven wonders of the world, and so on).
@ Captain Sake Mangusto:
ReplyDeleteWe were told – in school – that the continent is Eurasia, but the Ural (which is a mountain-chain) is a part of a kinda border between the Europeans and the Asians.
We were told, too, that America is one big continent, but is devided in three parts. Northern, central and south america. The devide was of course complete random, but, never the less, the big american continent is devided in three individual parts, which is furthermore devided in countries, which are – not like the US of A – a “federation”, but are independent states, like Mexico, Brazil or Argentinia.
So, in theory, there are just five continents.
Eurasia. Africa, Australia, America and Antarctica. So, the five rings would be correct, but not in the order, you pointed it out.
"YOUR EDUCTIONAL SYSTEM IS SCREWED EVEN FURTHER THAN STARFLEET HIGH COMMAND !"
I think, there might be a reason for that. ^^
@shikome kido mi
ReplyDeleteStill ridiculous, i can't believe you people buy it that crap.
Columbus discovered America right ? And he didn't discovered two Americas, he discovered "ONE AMERICA" and did it ONCE, not TWICE, period.
Can you understand how this concept is so Frakking Insulting for me?
What we gonna do with the Pan-American Games ? Remove the United States and Canada turning into the Pan-Latina American Games ? Because Latina America still can be bigger than North America and remove the english speakers makes more sense than split in two competitions, why nobody proposed that ? Because is stupid.
Or further more into stupidity sue the United States to assume the name United States of "North" America and invite the former Confederated States of America to join a new and much larger United States of "Real" America ?
Or making easier for your racist teachers, anything at the south of Rio Grande and the southwestern states boarder of the United States with Mexico is South American or Latina American CONTINENT, after all i will not leave my Mexican and Caribbean brothers out just because somebody decide to chop everything and draw the line at Panama.
No Sir.
I don't want to start a flamewar here, i have nothing against the students who learn this ludicrous concept, no, i am arguing against the teachers.
As previously SHOUT : "YOUR TEACHERS ARE A BUNCH OF HACKS !!!"
You want to draw a line, fine. Start to draw the line at Mexico and don't forget to ask the Canadians if they really want to join the clown's wagon or else maybe they just want to join Asia or Europe at this point, at least they have a straight line marking their boarder with the United States of North America.
And about the preference for seven instead of six, for me six is sexier so i will keep six.
P.S.: Seven of Nine should be called Six of Nine but the producers weren't boldly enough to go with that.
Yes, America is divided in regional parts, not continental parts. There is one single continent and three regional divisions : North, Central and South America but that's not the same as saying there are two or three different continents.
ReplyDeleteAlso there are cultural divisions: Anglo-Saxon America with English speaker descendants and Latina America with Spanish and Portuguese speaker descendants, and never forget a few countries and Caribbean Islands who are former french, dutch and british colonies.
And as you can see was not exactly a random decision, there are geographic and cultural reasons behind this regional divisions but the continent remains the same as ONE Continent called America.
About Eurasia, Asia by itself is already big enough, let Europe alone is pretty messy the way it is now.
OK. So we are though that there are two ways of counting number of continets - historical and geographical/geological. Since I attended to Geoliogical Technikum (it's type of highschool in here) for one year (after that I wen to regulat high school - Liceum) the geological is closer to me, but I will explain both to you.
ReplyDeleteIn both systems we devide continets into 'Old World' and 'New World'.
Old World is that part of the world that was known in ancient times. New world is the part of the world that was 'discovered' durning age of Grate Navigators and later.
Old World is composed of: Europe, Asia and Africa.
New World is everything else.
Historical - it's based on hystory and culture. And we count seven continets just like you were thought in school.
We count both Americas separately because they were influenced by two diferent cultures: north was dominated by England and France while south was under reign of Spain and Portugal.
We separate Europe and Asia because historically those two are distant, are different cultures and haven't had much contacts before modern age.
Geological - we count five continets. Eurasia (with Indian Subcontinet and Arabic Penisula) - because in fact it is one big mass of land. North and south America (with Greenland) - count it as one as it is one mass of land. Africa with Madagascar. Antarctica. And - this is tricky - Oceania (Australia, New Zeland and al those little islands that you don't know where to put, but you can't leave them just like that), we normally say Australia or Australia and New Zeland.
Both systems are correct and you can't say that there is five continets period. Or that there is seven continents and no less. Because cultural there is seven continents. And Geographical and Geological - only five.
And a little bonus, so you can impress all the ladies.
Geologically you can also distinguis North and South Americas by their geological heritage. You see: South America along with Africa, Indian Subcontinet, Australia and Antarctica were part of paleocontinet called Gondwana. In the same time North America and Eurasia were parts of Laurasia. Both paleocontinets splitted due to the continental drift into what we know today.
And in here we also refer to USA as 'America' - it's a mental short-cut. Just like refering to European Union as just 'Europe'. And if you ever find yourself in such an argument as you said, you can say that it's nothing else that linguestic conveniency, so he or she should keep their pants on and calm themselves.
@Sake Mangusto
ReplyDeleteFirst, America isn’t a country. The UNITED STATES (of America), however, are.
Second, continents are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are (from largest in size to smallest): Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia. (from the wiki page) Hence why America is usually regarded as two continents.
Third, how does what you’re saying refute what I said, that a superhero should try to save any victim, regardless of nationality or race? And further more, my point was about how national patriotism is stupid thing. Why are you giving me all this crap about superhero jurisdiction and the DC universe?
Fourth, “Superman is no longer an American. In Action Comics’ new record-breaking 900th issue, the iconic super hero renounces his U.S citizenship following a clash with the federal government.”
Thanks for the lecture Anonymous but i respectfully disagree about North America be predominantly cultural dominated by England and France because a big portion of the so called "North american Continent" belong in the past to the Spanish Main like Mexico, large portions of modern day United States including Florida and all countries that form Central America as well most of the Caribbean Islands with only some ending under British, French and Dutch control through colonial age.
ReplyDeleteSo based in previous History Central America and the Caribbean has an cultural heritage of their own that mostly goes together with their fellow South American brother countries than anything related with the United States or Canada.
The Americas or America is a continent divided in three regions, not two, your teachers wipe out Central America geographical, historical and even geological differences completely.
For geology the Caribbean tectonic plate should be counted entirely as a separate continent all by itself, the North American plate also take chunks of Asia including Russia, most of Japan and Iceland. In this stand for the "North American Continent" as a geological separate entity shouldn't you guys ask if the Russians, Japanese and Icelanders and Danish people doesn't want to join your wagon ?
After all Alaska is a former Russian Colony back in the 19th Century and Greenland never was a British or French Colony at all, it belongs to Denmark.
From a strict cultural point of view maybe you should join Europe if you don't have any concern about allowing the Kingdom of Spain and the Portuguese Republic in your ride.
The concept of two instead of one American Continent with all do respect is pure bullshit, its like to say there is no spanish speakers after you cross the Panama Canal travelling from south to the north, that all Caribbean countries are former british colonies like Jamaica and all African-American population in this countries came from Georgia, Virginia and The Carolinas. It's like to say Hernan Cortés was an scottish privateer at service of the English Crown, please check wikipedia to see how big it's the non-sense surrounding the idea of North America be a main english and french former colonial cultural legacy :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_(continent)
I am not a scholar or a teacher but in my honest opinion teach and explain America as two separate continents is ridiculous, counting all mainlands above the oceanic waters they are one single Continent culturally colonized mainly by spanish, portuguese, british, french, dutch and later several other european and asian nationalities with the addition of african people formerly introduce as and liberated from slavery without forgetting of the original American natives or at least those who survive colonization process.
Five Continents ? I can live with that if the Europeans don't get insulted but for the sake of the argument i count Eurasia, Africa, America, Australia and Antartida and if they really feel insulted i count Europe, Asia, Africa, America, Australia and Antartida, five or six continents, not seven.
There is no reasonable argument to be seven.
And now back to David.
@David
ReplyDeleteAmerica is a Continent and the United States of America is a country, so far so good, we both agree on that.
About the two Americas issue like i stated before for me this concept is ludicrous and open to debate since there are no consensus on teaching about America as one or two continents, some countries teaching in a away and others teach straight the opposite way of view and as i see divide we stand on this howdy neighbor.
I agree about saving people without any prejudice of nationality, ethnic differences or religious concerns but i vehemently disagree on your statement about patriotism, that's not a stupid thing and without that all armed forces around the world - US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines included - goes for the highest bidder and therefore everybody becomes a mercenary with all chaos that ensues.
Most of superheroes in the DC Universe have a really short sighted vision of their own horizons so their "world" like the "world series" is a really little bit smaller than what they actually recognize as a world. They are limited by cultural bias most of the time like some people who thinks the Earth is the center of the Universe.
And finally Yes but we never saw Kal-El documents or anything similar so the renounce of citizenship looks pretty stupid for a guy who can fly around the world in less than 80 seconds ignoring all regulations regarding air space conventions and international borders and after this moronic reboot this doesn't matter anymore so he can be an all american hero all over again.
P.S.: last time i check the Fortress of Solitude is located somewhere in the polar cap under what's probably CANADIAN waters but he probably should start to think about moving on because the ice is melting and corporations want to keep the northwest passage permanently open.
Now back to my Fortress of Solicitude.
@Lewis
ReplyDeleteHey, send me your grammar professors and i send you my geography, history, and also physics, chemistry, biology as well safe sex education and awareness, philosophy, sociology and religious teachers in return as well.
I'm start to think your country need a little help in some matters concerning the : "DON'T LET THE BEACON OF DEMOCRACY, JUSTICE, HOPE AND FREEDOM FOR ALL BE TRANSFORMED INTO A HELL HOLE OF EVIL" issue.
After reading: quote "And further more, my point was about how national patriotism is stupid thing", i think i must be really worried about.
I'd sent this in an email but my computer won't let me send you an email threw the thing on the front page so I'll put it here on the comments of the Captain America comic! Here's a Cracked article http://www.cracked.com/article_19589_the-6-most-unintentionally-hilarious-superhero-reinventions_p2.html on comic reboot or re-imagined comicbook characters that didn't workout! Like the 70s Kung-Fu Wonder Woman with no superpowers, 80s powerless Punk Rocker Storm, and Captain America that's no longer Captain America! I'm curious if you've read or own any of this comics in any form (not so much the old comics but a modern trade with them collected into it) and if you'd be willing to do a review of them at some point! I'd really like a review just on the subject of that era of Wonder Woman!
ReplyDelete