Batman hates rock and roll, but what does he feel about jazz?
NOTE: I have been informed that it's likely "Blue Byrd" is a stand-in for Charles "Bird" Parker, an influential jazz player who helped create be-bop, who died of a drug-overdose in the mid-1950s. I'm not entirely certain of how I feel about the idea that in the comic that not only did they die in Gotham, but they faked their death to go study in Europe. In addition, that "The Dewey Brothers" area a stand-in for the Dorsey Brothers, who are unfairly called trash in the comic.
Anyone here remember Batman singing "Am I Blue?" in Justice League?
ReplyDeleteYou know if I would tell Holokara that his plan is wrong, I would try to tell him about one important thing about Marvel. I'd tell him that without Marvel, we would've got such fun, fantastic movies like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. Even without Marvel, we would've got the amazing work put into the recent Avengers movie. I'm sure that's one way to convince him.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait for the listing of new episodes.
ReplyDelete"Modern Jazz"
ReplyDelete... Bebop is part of modern Jazz. Do your research, writers. -__-; Also, obvious joke is obvious.
"I think it's time to blow this scene, now everyone start together, okay, 3, 2, 1 let's jam."
"Bluebird" is referencing Charlie Parker. Even then, the name is wrong. He was just called, "The Bird." He came along years later though, if Bebop is said to be developed in the early 40s then they were off by a few years. Or they just didn't research anything because Charlie Parker played with Dizzy Gillespie.
... Okay, I'm pretty damn sure that Bebop and Jazz was "corrupted" by people like Bill Evans. "Someday My Prince Will Come." I am sure that Yoko Kanno's soundtracks based on jazz are nothing but corruption by the non-black people.
Yes, I'm sure the reason Charlie Parker got addicted to Heroin was out of angst.
The location of death is the same, it was "The Dorsey Brothers" not "The Dewey Brothers." And I'm sure that it was grief that killed him, not a ton of drug use and alcohol abuse that led to the mortitian guessing that Charlie Parker's body belonged to a 50-60 year old man.
If you're trying to make a bio on Charlie Parker, make it a bio, not some random comic where you did no research. Adorable, writers.
Regarding the review,that is actually an interesting idea including a CD with a comic, has it been done before? And I definitely agree that it is a difficult task to talk about music in a comic, since music (unless you're well versed in composition and the theory behind it) is very auditory.
ReplyDeleteAnd regarding the storyline, it does indeed seem that we are fighting a losing battle with the writers, editors and higher-ups who disregard our opinions while just retconning and killing characters because its what THEY want (Joe Quesada with One More Day, Dan DiDio with Countdown etc). But my question is; what can we do?
I can kind of see that they were trying to be a tribute to rock and roll with Fortunate Son since its just as much about Batman learning to accept rock and roll as it is the whole Crowe thing. That said, it also shows fans of rock and roll as being either crazed lunatics obsessed with getting back at society or criminally insane, so that doesn't really do much for their message.
ReplyDeleteAs for those...things at the end, they just come right out of left field. Up until then, the comic was just about Batman learning about jazz, so there was really no reason to suddenly include a villain, especially not whatever the hell those things were, beyond Batman being a superhero.
When whatever those things were showed up and started talking you should've used this clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0j2dVuhr6s&feature=player_detailpage#t=64s
ReplyDeleteLewis, buddy, I think you need to take night classes with Arik Soong, you're downright terrible at developing non-homicidal AI's.
ReplyDeleteHere's the thing about this comic: it is not a Batman comic. It's a comic that, truth be told, would be better suited to someone like Neil Gaiman, a sort of otherworldly hallucination story involving the history of jazz made manifest by a bunch of apotheosized musical styles. As is, Batman doesn't really contribute anything to this. He's there, gets raked over the coals by a bitter fallen star, and listens to music. You could replace him with ANYONE - Spiderman, the Flash, the Punisher - and have it work better. Extracting Batman altogether would do nothing to the story.
Also, funny how every time you or Chuck make a comparison between Star Trek and something idiotic, you always go RIGHT to Enterprise. XD
tenkiforecast: It's like "The God" from Batman: Fortunate Son. The writer KNOWS the name was wrong.
ReplyDeletePeter Picker: Unless I'm completely misreading the cues in the pre-credits story sequence, the story might well be naturally segueing the show into a review of that (Elsa) Bloodstone limited series. I know he said "Probably Nightmare on Elm Street" last year, but it would just fit as a rebuttal to Holokara's crazy viewpoint at the end there.
The most interesting thing about the comic? The tales from the crypt ad on the back of the comic. This was stupid. Scat guys look like they all were a mask from The Mask.
ReplyDeleteYeah that thing with hologram. Trust me I think thoughts of harm to marvel or dc have gone through a lot of fans who hate this. Including myself but I would never do it. They are not worth or going to jail or hell or anything over it. Ranting about how bad the books get does feel good on the internet even though most sites are flood with people who just like whatever marvel or dc does.
Interesting note: I don't why but seems that mid show add is not working. Didn't work during Derek The Bard new episode or yours. Probably blip or something.
I wonder if Nash or Jess are going to tell you that you should have made a Cowboy Bebop joke whenever the phrase "Be-Bop" was said in the comic. I'm sure you could just say that you don't watch that anime, but it sounds like something they would do ;)
ReplyDeleteThe ending with you facing down against the hologram was the best part of this entire video. I must admit that there have been MANY times that I wanted to just what he desired to do to Marvel, and DC as well, but ultimately, I agree that bullying never works.
I hope that anyone else that feels the same way knows that the best way to get good changes to happen, is to use the only real weapon we have against comic companies; our wallets. They publish crappy books equals us not giving them money.
"That Pyro is a spy! Oh God no he isn't!"
ReplyDeleteThat line cracked me up, also I love how the confrontation with the hologram wasn't so much a fight but a battle of wits, it would've been odd to have seen a fight scene.
But yeah I loved the two different sides to the whole argument that superheroes are getting ruined and retconned all the time.
Also... Oh God those things at the end of the Batman Jazz Comic... what the hell were they thinking when they made those... especially with that attack at the end... I mean that's something Batman the Brave and the Bold would make an episode out of.
I liked the end to the hologram storyline. I think he was thinking what we are feeling about what has happened to our heroes. Do you think that DC can recover and produce quality work again? Or are they just a bunch of has beens that are stooping to the lowest of the low by basically writing fan fiction? I want to believe in them and Geoff Johns especially since if it weren't for him I wouldn't be a true blue regular reader of comics.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I didn't like the pretentious drivel the characters were spouting about the music. If they have something meaningful to say about music, just say it. Don't pose around with long words. Just say something.
Linkara are you aware of The Dark knight returns part 1 movie coming out this week. Do you watch any recent direct to DVD dc movies anymore?
ReplyDeletePerhaps the club is a pooling place. I've seen stranger locations used.
ReplyDeleteWell that was interesting... i don't know if you were trying to get a weird ending to match the comic but that sppeech was really good!
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Marvel Now starts next month! How about a taht's all i'm saying session? We got a dying doctor octopus that knows peter's identity, all the members of avengers academy will fight to the death in a arena, deadpool will join venom in the thunderbolts, and Cap has long hair now... what can go wrong...
Ah, Gerard Jones. That man made a career in the 90s of getting up on soap boxes for causes and groups that he really didn't have any personal experience with. He had some incredibly groan-worthy moments dealing with sexuality in JLA and some mind-bogglingly stupid stuff with feminism and Power Girl in JLE. I'm not surprised to see him trying and failing to take on race, too.
ReplyDeleteWell that comic was the most hipster piece of crap I've seen in a while! If anyone has learned yet I hate being preached at and this book was doing it! At 1st glace I though it was Batman with a Spider-Man 2099 shirt on! it wasn't till you held on it for a bit I noticed it was broken glass and blood oozing down his chest! I'm surprised you didn't bring up Dark Knight Returns as an example of big bulky built Batman!
ReplyDeleteI do agree with you on the cover!
You made one mistake grammar-wise in the episode he say "a safer place to PLAY" not "a safer place to Stay"!
I'm also surprised no Christian Bale American Psycho meets Batman Begins jokes on the Batman in a Jazz night club thing!? Any one else think that!?
I know nothing or care to learn anything on Jazz! I'm just a person that likes music any type(except country) and I don't assign it any higher value than something I listen to for fun.
Speaking though of Jazz/Blues/whatever you should play some ScatMan(sp?) on the next part of these!!! A great song of his you can use is "I'm a ScatMan" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIMWudFLsaY FUN!!
Ok, those 3 "super-villains?" at the end look more like something from the Disney Channel more so than Batman! Like they'd be right at home on like Darkwing Duck!!!
Well, is it sad I'm on the holograms side!?
So I'm guessing the Gunslinger is going to rebuild HoloKara and give him a magic gun of his own? Wicked so you're getting your own evil counter part in every way like your own Judge Death!
In the end it isn't power that is strength, and the use of said power does not make a hero. It is the fortitude of our morals that is strength, and it is the responsible use of strength to protect, instead of flexing to coerce that makes a hero. I wonder if the Gunslinger will have to learn a similar lesson.
ReplyDeleteActually, I took a college course on the History of Rock n' Roll and my final paper for the class was a 10 page paper how white people subverted and took over rock and jazz from the original black musicians.
ReplyDeleteI even found real quotes from Little Richard and other famous black musicians who acknowledge this and are even greatful for it. Muddy Waters admitted that he never got popular with white audiences until white musicians started shoehorning in on his act. I know this sounds crazy but it's true.
At the point where Holokara started explaining what his big plan was, I had to hit pause for a minute, I was laughing so hard. Comicron One is a massively advanced and overpowered spaceship, able to vaporize entire cities from orbit, and what does power-mad Holokara want to do with it? Threaten Marvel and DC! We must have our priorities straight, after all. Seriously, once I'd stopped laughing, I really liked that. On this show, for this villain, it made perfect sense that this was the ultimate goal. And it made for a surprisingly effective Last Temptation of Linkara sequence.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Linkara, seriously, put the evil pieces of technology somewhere safe! Your apartment does not count. You know it doesn't count. This is the second time that's bitten you in the ass...
Good use of logic though Marvel? DC is making a good chunk of awful comics ( though collecting: GL and the New Guardians, Red Lanterns and Team 7.)
ReplyDeleteThe review:
I know jack about Jazz other than BB King and Louis Armstrong is awesome so don't worry about and criticism on facts from me.
You probably heard of a fan artist that makes joke cover art for comics (ie LXG1985). Well when I saw the cover for a World's Finest/Brave and the Bold where Batman tells off most of the other guys who he has teamed up with over the years that he's not teaming up with them since he's teaming up with: Motörhead (A rock band).
Wanted to mention that sometime and this comic provided me with an opening.
Surreal this thing is and utter crap. It's a step above Silent Hill you covered on the show.
I got that Christmas Special Sir Last Corner was awesome.
The end of the storyline: A good end to a very revealing piece that makes up the Linkara character. Holokara is deliciously a great reflection of Linkara succumbing to the sin of Hubris.
I wonder what you have up your sleeves for the next three weeks.
"And regarding the storyline, it does indeed seem that we are fighting a losing battle with the writers, editors and higher-ups who disregard our opinions while just retconning and killing characters because its what THEY want (Joe Quesada with One More Day, Dan DiDio with Countdown etc). But my question is; what can we do?"
ReplyDeleteThere IS one gun we can put to their heads *without* becoming the bully, Joshua.
It's called our wallets. We vote "no" to their tyranny by not buying bad comics, and buying good ones. If that means that you have to stick with indy books and trades from "the good old days," then so be it--eventually, if enough people do so, their corporate masters will notice that the new material isn't selling, but the old stuff *is* selling... and at that point, they start to wonder if the "grand vision" that these people have claimed to have is really successful.
Given the sales data that's now been revealed here, methinks the current DC brain trust's days are numbered...
On One More Day, when I discovered that Quesada wasn't Editor in Chief anymore, I actually had hope OMD will be undone. Mind you, I actually enjoy Dan Slott's run on Amazing, but I want to see the deal broken more even if it doesn't mean he and Mary Jane are married again. However, my hopes were kind of shattered when Axel Alonso said OMD is responsible for the stories now (Despite that many, you especially, have pointed out how OMD could have actually worked), not to mention Alonso was an editor for OMD and sided with Quesada on the marriage. Granted I don't know if he agreed with using Mephisto.
ReplyDeleteHowever, Alonso said this:
So yes, I’m still a bit skeptical when someone says they’re boycotting all Marvel Comics because of a story in one book. I guess it’s possible, but I don’t understand the mindset. I can’t imagine denying myself one of my passions because of one story development – and let’s face it, one that will probably be rectified in the future.
So... yeah, the fact that he says probably does give me some hope.
I think it has to be said: the problem with people trying to push their impressions on what music should and shouldn't be isn't music. Music is all about interpretation, and sometimes you need all sorts of interpretation which will all get interperted in ways that allow for someone to gain the passion and inspiration or moreso, including discovering where music originally came from. The whole bit about "only blacks can get jazz" sort of just feels like it tries to make it seem like you can only suffer and get it if you're jazz, sort of like that intro to rap in the Vanilla Ice episode that makes it seem like hip hop is only African American and can only be interpreted by African Americans. Honestly, whites can understand and make their own hip-hop just as blacks can understand the appeal of rock and roll, it's all in perspective and having an open heart.
ReplyDeleteWith that said, this was a weird comic, whether it be the over-muscular Batman in the club or the what-the-hells at the end. It really makes no sense the creators would create something that is so "reverant" towards Jazz...and then make that Fortunate Son a few years later. But hey...unfortunately these things happen.
And interesting ending to the hologram, particularly didn't expect him to want and destroy Marvel cause of Spidey. The problem is there will always be good writer amidst the dreck and good comics amidst the bad. At least the bad ones will lead to good reviews for the show.
A lot on the plate coming up with both "Longbox of the Damned" and the Halloween series and "Clone Saga" review for the year. Can't wait for October!
I just wanted to say kudos for an EXCEPTIONAL episode. The whole issue of Holo-Linkara going extremist and wanting to threaten Marvel Comics is really great work.
ReplyDeleteTake a bow on this one Lewis. You deserve it.
Hey, Amazing Spider-mans ending at #700, so should we be happy or sad?
ReplyDeleteThe comic: My brain broke down in two places. First when it was revealed that Batman: Fortunate Son was supposed to be a tribute to rock and roll instead of an attack (you mentioned you skipped over large portions; any chance we missed the part where Batman changes his mind about rock and roll, or was that just very poorly implied?), and second when those very bizarre super villains came in. After a bulk of the comic being presented in something resembling reality (apart from the man in the bat suit attending a jazz club) those guys felt like they were from some sort of acid-inspired cartoon.
ReplyDeleteThe storyline: Pretty good ending to Holokara's story. I wonder why he didn't catch himself on the contradiction that threatening companies into writing the comics he wants to see is the complete opposite of what the heroes he holds in such regard would do. I agree with Linkara's conclusion: the way to implement change is by introducing alternative ideas and persuading others to accept them, not outright threatening and righteous anger.
But on a less serious note; why would Linkara just leave the transmitter lying there? Shouldn't he at least throw it in the trash or something?
You see, Lewis, Batman is supposed to be tortured by him being Batman. He doesn't want to be Batman. He truly wishes he could live a normal life, but he is a prisoner of his oath. There are several indications of this: in the opening pages of the Jeph Loeb run on "Superman/Batman", Batman says "My life is not a life I wish on anyobody else". In the animated movie "Batman: Mask of the Phantasm", he is seeing crying in front of of the tombstones of his parents, begging them to release him from his oath. In "The Dark Knight Rises", the big theme is wether Bruce Wayne should continue being being Batman or if he should retire and live a happy life with Selina, which (SPOILER ALERT) is exactly what he does after he saves Gotham City and fakes his death. Even in "Batman Forever", Bruce doesn't want Dick to become a crimefighter because he knows that fighting criminals won't give Dick peace. So yes, "maybe Bruce should stop being Batman" IS a big theme in Batman stories.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, Bruce Wayne showing up as Batman in a jazz club is exactly the kind of stuff Adam West would do in the 60s TV show.
Just for the record, most of the people involved in "The Princess and the Frog" (which featured a mostly black cast and dug deep into the African-American culture of New Orleans in the 30s) were white, too.
I'm sure those...whatever those scat-talking things that Batman fought...I'm sure the Music Meister sent them.
The end makes me wonder...just what, exactly, happened to Iron Liz? Lewis, you are still friends with Spoony, so why aren't you friends with Iron Liz? I mean, you DID separate on friendly terms, right? She was still making videos for Channel Awesome after the break-up, so what happened to her? Is she still part of Channel Awesome? Why wasn't she part of "To Boldly Flee"?
Speaking of "To Boldly Flee", this storyline seems to be repeating a theme presented there. In "To Boldly Flee", Nostalgia Critic wanted redemption for his acts, finally realizing that he was kind of a douchebag. But then, when he meets Doug Walker, Nostalgia Critic realizes what I belived all along: that he may be a douchebag, but he's not evil. He's not a villain, he's a genuinely nice guy with a good heart and good intentions, and he genuinely loves his friends (even if his friends never appreciated that and treated him like shit), he's just a bit Tsundere, that's all. And, in the end, he commited the ultimate sacrifice, because he's a good guy. Linkara's arc in this story line is very similar, only without the "final sacrifice" part.
Here's a thought: if the Gunslinger wants a cybernetic ally this bad, why doesn't he rebuild Mechakara? Yeah, I know he was atomized in a million particles after the Death Bomb blew up, but Mechakara was already rebuilt twice, so if you think his latest death was permanent, you are fooling yourselves. Besides, so far Mechakara has been perfectly willing to serve other evil overlords (he served Lord Vyce the first time he was rebuilt, and he served the Executor the second time he was rebuilt), so he would gladly follow the Gunslinger's orders, while there is no indication that Holokara would follow the Gunslinger's orders (especially since, unlike Mechakara, Holokara doesn't really want to kill Linkara).
"The end makes me wonder...just what, exactly, happened to Iron Liz? Lewis, you are still friends with Spoony, so why aren't you friends with Iron Liz? I mean, you DID separate on friendly terms, right? She was still making videos for Channel Awesome after the break-up, so what happened to her? Is she still part of Channel Awesome? Why wasn't she part of "To Boldly Flee"?"
ReplyDeleteLiz and I are still friends, but she's gone back to school and has her own life. I have a storyline explanation for where she's gone, but it's not important enough to bring up - just that stuff happened off-screen that the audience has never seen.
"Speaking of "To Boldly Flee", this storyline seems to be repeating a theme presented there. In "To Boldly Flee", Nostalgia Critic wanted redemption for his acts, finally realizing that he was kind of a douchebag. But then, when he meets Doug Walker, Nostalgia Critic realizes what I belived all along: that he may be a douchebag, but he's not evil. He's not a villain, he's a genuinely nice guy with a good heart and good intentions, and he genuinely loves his friends (even if his friends never appreciated that and treated him like shit), he's just a bit Tsundere, that's all. And, in the end, he commited the ultimate sacrifice, because he's a good guy. Linkara's arc in this story line is very similar, only without the "final sacrifice" part.""
It's something that was pointed out recently - a lot of us all just happened to start doing internal looks at our characters, for good and for bad, at the same time. It's not deliberate - I've been planning this storyline since the middle of the Entity arc and didn't know half the stuff that was going to end up in To Boldly Flee until I read the full script. It's just a strange coincidence.
Yeah, I don't get this whole "Using Batman to write About Music" idea either. You'd think that, at the very least, they'd used a music-themed villain for it(DC has many. Heck, The Music Meister, from the Brave and The Bold, was a lot of fun.)
ReplyDeleteOne thing, though: just because you're white, doesn't mean you can't write about other cultures' viewpoints. Race and Culture are NOT the same thing, and the whole point of equality is accepting that we can overcome such absurd limits and understand each other. Heck, a good writer's role is to research and deal with his chosen subject well, regardless of its origins.
Another thing I disagree on: the use of fictional characters to talk about history (of a music genre, in this case.) First, consider that this is an alternate universe to begin with: the difference is not just that they have superhumans. Entire cities and nations that have no real counterpart exist in the DC universe. Why is it that hard to accept that the facts of their development of music could also differ? (I also suspect the writer wanted to avoid directly using real people for legal purposes, or to give himself more room to play with ex. with Byrd turning out to be alive.)
But yeah, overall, poorly written and drawn story. That moment where the oh-so-grateful Jazz player disses Batman has to rank up there in hypocrisy with the old Black Man that called out Green Lantern for not doing anything "for the Brown skins".
As for the finale to the Holokara arc- I knew that it wouldn't be taken down so easily! But I didn't expect Linkara to expect it as well. But then, they were TOO identical. This was actually fascinating; Lewis is a good actor, but here he managed playing the EXACT SAME PERSONALITY but from two oppsed points of view work! My only problem was that Holokara was too extreme; again, I'm not convinced that Linkara was THAT close to a breakdown that his copy was affected too. Still, it was very nice to watch. Though it was very, VERY careless of his part of him to just leave (spoilers) lying there. Do'h! Maybe corruption isn't his REAL problem. XD
Anyway, another great video. Thanks, and looking forth to more!
"You know if I would tell Holokara that his plan is wrong, I would try to tell him about one important thing about Marvel. I'd tell him that without Marvel, we would've got such fun, fantastic movies like Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. Even without Marvel, we would've got the amazing work put into the recent Avengers movie. I'm sure that's one way to convince him."
ReplyDeletePretty sure you mean "wouldn't" instead of "would've". Also, the Spider-Man movies are not made by Marvel Studios, they are made by Columbia Pictures. And Marvel Studios is not perfect ("The Incredible Hulk" left a lot to be desired and is mostly ignored by everyone when talking about Marvel Studios movies, but then again a lot of that got to do with how much creative control Edward Norton got), and I don't see how their movie studio has any impact on the quality of their comics (I read "Avengers versus X-Men", and it was atrocious, and their current plans to cash-in on the "Hunger Games" craze by pitting the teenage Marvel heroes against each other is ridiculous. Much like Linkara, I miss the days when Marvel heroes fought villains instead of fighting other heroes. And when the hell are the Wasp and Stature coming back to life? DC brought back most of the heroes they killed, but Marvel keeps those two dead?).
"And I'm sure that it was grief that killed him, not a ton of drug use and alcohol abuse that led to the mortitian guessing that Charlie Parker's body belonged to a 50-60 year old man."
"It was grief that killed him"...you mean, like Padme Amidala? He too died because he lost the will to live? Didn't "Robot Chicken" already prove how bullshit that concept is?
"But my question is; what can we do?"
Easy: stop buying their comic books. I rarely buy comics anymore, and when I do, it's always the good stuff (and it happens to be mostly Marvel, I haven't bought a DC comics in years). If we stop buying crap, they'll stop producing crap. For example, one reason the "It's Not My Fault I'm Not Popular" manga is still in print and doing so well is because it's selling like crazy, with a lot of readers buying that manga. And it's because it's a genuinely good manga. Conversevely, the reason "Marville" only lasted six issues is because nobody bought it.
"Do you think that DC can recover and produce quality work again? Or are they just a bunch of has beens that are stooping to the lowest of the low by basically writing fan fiction? I want to believe in them and Geoff Johns especially since if it weren't for him I wouldn't be a true blue regular reader of comics."
Yeah, DC also has a lot to answer for lately as well. Like giving the Batgirl mantle to the worst person to ever use that name (and restoring her legs in the process, something DC always promised they would never do), shoving Cassandra Cain and Stephanie Brown to the sidelines because of the aforementioned blunder, erasing Jennifer-Lynn Hayden out of existance just so they can have another gay character, completely forgetting that Wally West or his family exist, undoing all the character development that Giganta was going thru, ignoring Doom Patrol's existance (what the hell happened to them after the reboot?), the clusterfuck that is the "Kamandi" continuity...
Linkara, another great episode. I'd like to present a video my friend made in tribute to the NC:
ReplyDeletehttp://thecultranch.blogspot.com/2012/09/top-11-favorite-nc-moments.html
Wow. Here I thought this was just some boring preachy comic about the awesome that is jazz and then... wow. I'm with you, I need some time to sort out that ending.
ReplyDeleteI do kinda want to shake you a little bit for not grinding the transmitter beneath your boot heel, as cliche as that might have been. :)
(As for the music references from "Fortunate Son," I can kind of see them making a Nelson Riddle reference if only because he did the music for the '60s Batman show. I'd say they did that intentionally, but the Abba reference makes it clear they're just idiots.)
Wow. This comic really sucked. The moment I saw the panel where Batman stood in the entrance to the jazz club, looking like a deer staring into headlights, I could not stop laughing and shaking my head.
ReplyDeleteThere is no logical reason for Batman to go to a jazz club in costume, unless a jazz themed super-villain is holding people hostage. (Or Circe is blackmailing him into singing on stage. I love that episode of Justice League Unlimited.) Even if Batman felt moved by the sax player to visit the club, why couldn't he visit it as Bruce Wayne? Or any one of his dozens of aliases? Or why not go to the club, but lurk on the rooftop, listening through the air vents. That's certainly in Batman's MO.
In the end, Batman is acting out of character, being used to tell a noir-style tale about jazz that has nothing to do with Batman.
As for the ongoing saga, it was good to see Linkara make the right choice and refuse Holokara's villainous plan. There may be hope for Linkara's alignment yet, though if he keeps mooching off Poyo like that, his alignment will be Neutral Jerkiness.
The line about Byrd taking a white man's song and making it his own is a reference to the fact that a lot of jazz, especially classic jazz, either a) is an adaptation of classic Broadway/Tin Pan Alley with different rhythms or solos thrown in or b) the fact that it's very common for jazz musicians to "quote" different popular music in their solos and do different harmonic variations on it. So, less "stealing" than "adapting," though your mileage can certainly vary. The best example you'd be easily familiar with is probably Sunshine of your Love by Cream where, in the guitar solo section, Clapton pretty explicitly quotes Blue Moon (a lot of the development of the psychedelic movement, with expanded soloing, comes from jazz).
ReplyDeleteAlso, while the point has been made (and the writers of the comic may not be the best ones to make the point themselves), there is a valid point about the fact that we're very good at taking black musical forms and "whitening" them up for a broader audience. It certainly happened with jazz, and it similarly happened with rock and we see it happening now with rap (artists like Eminem, among others)
The more you know!
This arc has been somewhat odd in several ways, given that you're essentially deconstructing YOURSELF.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the comment that there should have been something in your speech to holo-you at the end about how there are a LOT of good comics out there that would be equally stifled with Holokara's reasoning.
I do hope at some point Linkara is able to convince Holokara rationally of the point rather than rely on "I can turn you off! I win!" There's also something to be said about how "frying his program" would in fact be murder if the program had become sentient (which it showed some signs of, though not to the degree of, say, Pollo)
And I'm guessing Nimue (how do you spell that?!) is acting up because Lord Vyce managed to make it back on board.
Did someone get confused with the comments made to Batman about his mask and have it meant for Spider-Man? I mean I get it can't be but at the same time, remove the Batman from the picture it could be other super heroes.
ReplyDeleteAm pleased with the resolution of the walk-about Linkara went on and it was interesting to see that HoloLinkara hadn't been corrupted by an outside force.
Was going to ask how the Gunslinger got into the apartment but since Nimuway(I'm sorry I'm sure I'm spelling her name wrong) said her systems were having trouble with some of her systems.
Though does Linkara being able to speak to his partner again mean he can strengthen the rest of his magic?
Holy crap. That bit at the end sent a chill down my spine, because I remember you using those exact "guardians and shepherds" line yourself. Bravo, Linkara.
ReplyDeleteIsn't "oh bite me, it's fun" a Terl quote from To Boldly Flee?
ReplyDelete"Isn't "oh bite me, it's fun" a Terl quote from To Boldly Flee?"
ReplyDeleteNope, it's a quote that existed far before To Boldly Flee, said mostly in the 90s and I first heard it on Mystery Science Theater, actually.
Holokara's motivations felt completely shoehorned in, and the speech would have been more appropriate had we learned his motivations previously, perhaps in the encounter at the beginning.
ReplyDeleteWow talk about disproportionate retribution at its finest. Though I wouldn't blame him, if I had access to comicron 1 I would go to DC and force them to get Zatanna to apologize to Raven for the way she treated her in NTT. It was bad enough that she made the justice league reject her, which is understandable. But she literally had her teammates (and to an extent her friends.) turn against her just when Trigon begins his first attack. I read as many issues I could get my hands on and not one single block where Zatanna would just say. "Hey Raven, I'm sorry I doubted you." But I kid, sooner or later some new DC writer/veteran Titan fan would correct that. All and all great story. As for what I said earlier I could be wrong and maybe missed an issue. If that's the case could anyone tell me which one it is?
ReplyDeleteReview was weird, plot was good. Holokara is the one who died with dignity.
ReplyDeleteWonder why he was only going after Marvel though. You'd think he'd go after DC too.
Enjoyable review. Yeah, this story is nowhere NEAR as stupid as Fortunate Son but it's still dumb. I know people like to make the implication that Batman is wearing his mask to hide from something. You are right. People think too much about the character in "real world" terms and want to paint him as a freak or psycho when he just wants to help. To say he is just a maladjust who can't get over his parents' death is a MASSIVE disservice to his character.
ReplyDeleteAs for the storyline, I like how it turned out. In all honesty, I find the "power corrupts" thing a little cliche'. Yes, power does corrupt but......I don't know. I are dumb, I guess.
"My God, he's using his saxaphone to vaporize people!"
ReplyDelete*insert Trigun clip here*
The problem with this of course is the question of what one is to do if all of one's friends turn evil at the same time.
ReplyDeleteHey Linkara, what do you think of Doom Patrol, and Grant Morrison's work in general?
ReplyDeleteGiven that the storyline was about an artificial intelligence based on Linkara's mind becoming a supervillain, I'm surprised that we didn't see any Hank Pym/Ultron comics in the lineup.
ReplyDeleteWell, shoot. If you just leave the holo-emitter lying on the ground, you kind of deserve what you get, hmm?
ReplyDeleteThe Comic: ... And I thought the stuff from the '50's was weird...
ReplyDeleteYour Arc: ... Good thing you got that kick in the butt when you did, if there really wasn't anything wrong with Holokara, apparently.
Somebody should have dope slapped Linksano for not thinking about just turning Holokara off before you showed up, in fact I'd say the same for all of your crew.
The Gunslinger has the emitter... This can't be good.
Fiery Little One
Excellent review as always Linkara, and it's great to see you back on the main show.
ReplyDeleteJust curious, are we going to see the TF2 Sniper be part of/meet with the rest of the AT4W cast anytime in the future, or is he going to just be part of the commercial breaks?
I'm surprise people remained calm about Batman in the club
ReplyDeleteI know someone else said can't to see listing for next new episode. I'm not just looking forward to October but November and December. I know you probably will post next two as you have been. October for Halloween and maybe idea Long Of Box Damn schedule. November for possibly the annual Secret Origins Month. December for possibly return of christmas reviews.
ReplyDeleteWell the first half was what I was expecting, but the last half was all '....whuuuu??'
ReplyDeleteAlso, great job on the ending, very enjoyable.
Though I'm curious, Dr. Insano was shown at the beginning of this storyline but haven't heard from him since Linksano said Comicron-1 was watching him. Saving him up for something big later on?
Bear with me on this, because I agree and disagree with your observations on non-black people talking about black culture and history.
ReplyDeleteFirst, I think that the history of popular culture's appropriation of black culture's music is sordid and exploitative, and that is always in the back of the mind whenever a white writer/artist is discussion something that is inherently a product of black culture. However, I disagree that people who are not of a particular group cannot write of the experiences of that group: after all, nobody alive today lived in Pharonic Egypt, but that doesn't stop people writing historical fiction set in that period. Empathy is part of the human condition, and while a white person cannot have the exact experience of a black person, the trials and struggles and emotions can be sympathised and analogous.
If I've misunderstood your position I apologise, but the fact that there are still far more white male comic artists and writers in the industry even when the demographics of the western world have changed means this is going to be a touchy issue, especially considering the two black writers working in the mainstream (both at DC) were fired in January this year:
http://www.komplicated.com/2012/01/comics-every-black-writer-in-mainstream-comics-got-fired-today-dccomics.html
I don't know if any black writers or artists have been hired since then, but it's pretty insane to think that the number of minorities in Marvel isn't much different now than it was in the 1960s.
As the son of a successful jazz musician, I feel like I have enough knowledge to say that this suffers from a similar problem to Fortunate Son in that it only talks about one kind of jazz.
ReplyDeleteSure, bebop is a very common form of jazz, but to say that it's the only "true" form of jazz is just ridiculous. Some of the greatest jazz musicians of all time were white guys playing in other subgenres. Yes, bebop influenced pretty much all jazz since its creation, but it's not all there is.
'Time Out' by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, for example. Mostly white guys, and more "cool jazz" than bebop. It's one of the highest selling and most highly regarded jazz albums ever made. Or, flashing forward to the '70s, you have jazz fusion, where jazz musicians incorporated rock instrumentation to have the complex performances of jazz with all of the loudness and energy of rock. 'The Inner-Mounting Flame' by The Mahavishnu Orchestra is a great album in this field. Again, mostly white guys.
If you want to generalize, sure, you could say that jazz was invented by black people, but to say that a single part of jazz is all that is good is, frankly, stupid.
No offense Linkara but this is the first storyline I didn't like.
ReplyDeleteAnd it's not so much explaining problems to writers and their publishers as it is explaining to viewers. Because it's not a common thing to see writers who take these problems into account. They're stubborn like that.
I think Angry Joe said it best about corporations. The only way they'll change is by voting with our wallets. And that's all we can do if all else fails because in the end, DC and Marvel are corporations. They will keep warping these characters to how they see fit as long as the money keeps rolling in. It is money that has deafened them from their fans. It's disappointing but it's a cold hard fact.
There's only so much we can do but brute force is definitely not worth saving comics for.
By the way, did Linkara program the hologram before or after the One More Day review? Because he DID reject a deal with the devil to save Spiderman, that's kind of the same thing here with Holokara.
All I can think every time I see Will Wolfgram, or see note of him all I can think is "Where are Snowflame's fuzzy slippers!" That needs to become a running gag.
ReplyDeleteAlso technically Holokara wasn't being a bully; he was being a terrorist. By threatening to kill / destroy a significant number of people and property it crossed that line. Not that I mind...
So was 90s kid a child of the 80s? I can't help but notice that he mad references to both Care Bears and Madballs, which were very much 80s properties.
ReplyDeleteAnyway I actually kind of loved the monsters that showed up at the end of the comic. They're just have a crazy silver-age vibe to them and the come so out of left field it livened up the comic.
Welcome to Jazz Club... nice!
ReplyDeleteAlso, as it turns out hipsters roughed up homeless jazz musicians before it became cool
In regards to Superman's real self I've always taken a third approach. I don't think either Clark Kent or Superman alone are his real self.
ReplyDeleteClark Kent has elements of his personality that are put on for show to convince others he couldn't be Superman (see the Richard Donner movies) he does however contain elements of his real personality
Superman is above all a beacon of hope and while he is trying to be a role model Superman is never truly himself.
I think that we only see the real man when he is with people whom he considers family or is close to and know his identity, as he is able to truly be himself.
----------------------
Such a shame, I had hoped that the hologram could be saved
----------------------
Linkara's end speech is very reminiscent of Justice League Doom
So, Mechakara HAS been finally trashed, and Holokara takes over the "Evil Twin" supervillain roll.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, have you ever thought of reviewing Bizzaro World? I dont hate that series, But there is plenty to riff!
"Also technically Holokara wasn't being a bully; he was being a terrorist. By threatening to kill / destroy a significant number of people and property it crossed that line. Not that I mind..."
ReplyDeleteI had thought of that, but I feared using the word because of the baggage associated with it.
Sounds somehow like the beginning of a joke: Batman walks into a Jazz Nightclub...
ReplyDeletelol For a second, I thought I was going to hear laughter at the end ala the Master's ring from Doctor Who.
ReplyDeleteI liked it overall, but the refutation of HoloKara did have hints of hypocrisy to me. Linkara's argument was "you can't force people to do what you want by holding the threat of annihilation over them. then he ends Holokara's argument by annihilating it.
ReplyDeleteIt wasn't quite "do what I say, not what I do" but it had some hints of it. Honestly, given the speech, I was expecting Linkara to make a point of not shutting Holokara down, in order to make his point.
Interesting resolution to this part of the arc. I kind of had to laugh at Holokara's plan, just because it was so meta. I was really hoping he would delve into more of the problems with the New 52, or perhaps AvX since he was angry with Marvel.
ReplyDeleteIf it's any consolation, a recent issue of Venom has revealed that there will be an upcoming event (Not in the comic book sense, mind you) called "The Descent", and it will basically be Mephisto's biggest chance to become the true Devil.
At times, the artwork made me think of The Dark Knight Returns, while the dreariness of it all made me think of the Silent Hill comics or I, Vampire.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEx9r5enZsk
ReplyDeletePlay this When linkara starts humming the batman theme and loop it trust me it'll make this review even more awesome
I'm not sure if this was written by an actual black person would make it even worse.
ReplyDeleteThis way, it's an example of white liberal guilt at it's finest.
If the creator was black, it would be straight-up racism.
Blowing-up Marvel does sound pretty tempting. Beyond Man-Thing and the occasional Deadpool and Punisher there isn't much redeemable about them at this point.
And the lesson of this episode is
"never let the remains of you'r enemies lying around unsupervised!"
"it does indeed seem that we are fighting a losing battle with the writers, editors and higher-ups who disregard our opinions while just retconning and killing characters because its what THEY want (Joe Quesada with One More Day, Dan DiDio with Countdown etc)."
ReplyDeleteit is unwinnable simply because it will always be the ones holding the rights to decide what happens with the setting/characters, and there will always be those who'll hate their decisions
One of my friends, for example, always hated Mary Jane, and was jumping with joy once the marriage was undone, despite (or maybe because) me being infuriated by it
If Linkara controlled DC, I'm sure he'd do something that would make Jason Todd fans (like my self) hate him with the heat of a thousand suns for all eternity etc.
As long as things like "canon" and "continuity" exist, there will always be bad decisions by those in charge
the only solution I see here would be to simply let every writer do whatever the hell they want, and let the money decide
@harmonicajay
ReplyDelete"Do you think that DC can recover and produce quality work again?"
They DID recover and are FINALLY producing quality work again!
The New 52 was THE BEST thing to happen to American comic book industry in DECADES!
Grant Morrison's Action Comics, Animal Man, Dial H, Earth 2, Swamp Thing, Scott Snyder's Batman, PJT's Batman & Robin, Demon Knights, Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Batwoman, New Guardians, Brian Azzarello's Wonder Woman, All-Star Western, Batman Incorporated, I Vampire, Justice League Dark, National Comics, and so far the first issue of Sword of Sorcery
You'd seriously have to have the tastes of a Rob Schneider, Tyler Perry, and Adam Sandler fan NOT to realize that these are some of the BEST titles to be published withing the last two decades! - not to mention all of them are being published AT ONCE!
Also, EVERYTHING that is not written by a character's original creator IS fanfiction!
So if the road to hell's paved with good intentions, it follows that the road to Heaven's paved with evil intentions!
ReplyDeleteLogic is funny. Let's move on. I feel the need to do something I know that you might not like, but I gotta do it. I think that a lot of people misunderstand what Fortunate Son is meant to be ABOUT, yourself included. I'm not saying you did it on purpose, but here's what I THINK the comic was trying to say.
Within the comic, Izaak seems to have a big focus on the "God", on a figure that grew up with nothing and ended up at the top of music legends all due to his skill at music alone. Though his manager was a druggie and his mother was overdosing in a ditch somewhere and he was trying all the time not to starve to death, the "God" crawled out from the worst of upbringings to revolutionize music and bring rock and roll to heights it's never fallen from, and Izaak feels that THIS is "real", that the "struggle" that the God went through is his biggest contribution, that this is what made him so good.
Above all...the money. Izaak seems to be really concerned that he's basically sold himself out the way the "God" ultimately did. That's why there's so much focus on having his music being given for free or having the "God" on display for free: no focus on money, only on the music, maaaan.
In fact, there's one scene that points the comic's meaning out perfectly. Izaak is in his car at Vegas, and he takes out a roll of stamps with the God's face on them.
"Love is the MOMENT. It's the ectasy...do you press ectasy in plastic so you can play it whilst you're on the treadmill? Why'd you do it, man? Why'd you settle for a LIVING?"
"Son, you ever fly a jet load o' girls to Miama in the middle f the night for fried banana sandwiches? Now that's what livin's all ABOUT!"
And this is when Izaak tries to say what the "Message" of the comic is. "NO, man! When you come down off the last chord and you gotta fill the HOLE where the sound was...THAT'S when you grab for the money and the girls! That's not why you PLAY!...all the politics and dope in the world are nothing...if you can nail just that one perfect sound...that one...perfect...song..."
So this is the "point". That it's meant to be about the "music", not about what comes WITH it. It's not about what you get from playing the music, it's about just PLAYING it and taking joy in that. The purest expression of music is more powerful than anything else to Izaak and to what he feels are "true" musicians. And on that point I sympathize. Of course having money to support yourself is important. But that's not what it's supposed to be about. It's got to be about the music, about the moment when everyone cheers and cries out in joy as you fill the hole with that one perfect sound. That one moment when you're lost in the ectasy of a truly beautiful piece of work. THAT'S what it's about.
The tragedy is that Fortunate Son couldn't get that across well enough because Izaak is more "whiny" than "introspective" until like 70 pages in, when he finally seems to realize how far he's fallen, when he finally mails that blank letter, realizing how screwed up he's gotten, telling the hallucination of "Not-Elvis" off.
"I MADE you, boy." It snaps.
"No, man...I made you." Izaak mutters quietly.
It's a good message, ngrey, but to quote Superman - the instant you put other people's lives at risk, I stop caring what your message is and Izaak routinely showed that his message was irrelevant - dude tossed a grenade into a crowded room, started violent riots to claim things that didn't belong to him, and did nothing to discourage such activity. Instead, all he did was selfishly spend all of his time downing pills and booze in a futile effort of self-discovery.
ReplyDeleteSee, what you're talking about may have actually made for a good comic.
Question what modern comics do you like as you complain about the DC reboot even though I think the Superman book is good and I love the Mister Terrifc. I wish Booster Gold has a book of his own. This book is horrible, the mutant bee bop band from Fallout 3 seem bad.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I agree that it's frustrating to have music emphasized in a comic book (or a novel for that matter), I wonder if this is a place to evoke John Keats: "Music heard is sweet, music unheard is sweeter." In the right hands, this could be an opportunity to force the reader to conjure up the best music imaginable in his or her own mind.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else notice that Batman never gets pierced by glass in this comic?
ReplyDeleteNo Batman didn't pay the cover because he doesn't carry cash only The Bat credit Card
ReplyDeleteThe whole writers are the villains bit reminded me of an idea I had to for a new Superboy Prime.
ReplyDeleteBasically, the idea was to establish that Connor Kent got thrown into Earth Prime sometime just before Flashpoint. While there, he meets Prime's family and upon learning of Flashpoint, goes into a bit of a funk. When the new DCU is unleashed, he follows mostly to keep up with what is going on.
And he gets pissed when he sees the changes made to his friends and loved ones. Even the sight of the new Superboy gets him mad. Angry, he stomps off to DC and asks them to change things back to the way they were.
DC says no, that the new DCU is meant to bring in new fans. They argue that without changes being made, people would stop reading, ending the DCU. Connor sulks home after threatening them if they change things too far.
The DC editors have an emergency meeting to discuss the Connor situation. They mention how frightening Prime was when he gave them a visit and reveal that the only reason Prime showed up in those last issues of Teen Titans was to get him off of Earth Prime to be erased by Flashpoint.
At home, Connor reflects on the events and what he learned about Prime's life before gaining powers when a portal opens and sends him back into the DCU. There, he meets up with various heroes and tries to encourage them to act as he knew them. Things get to a head when a fight breaks out and Connor is stopped by the new Superboy. The various heroes call Connor nuts.
Connor manages to escape and is shocked to realize he has become the new Superboy Prime. Oh, and the new Superboy is revealed to be the old Prime. Since Connor was out of the universe during the reboot, some sort of power that be used Prime to make the new Superboy.
Batman: Fortunate Son was a tribute to rock and roll? They've done a terrible job, especially with the unsympathetic criminal and dated references. My idea of a tribute to rock and roll is Alvin and the Chipmunks, Bill and Ted, Jem, Josie and the Pussycats and other teaming up to sing "God Gave Rock and Roll to You."
ReplyDeleteThat was bad. I mean, did Batman had to appear in costume at the jazz club? And what the fuck is up with the ending? It's like the maniacs at Arkham suddenly rewrote this comic.
That was an intense ending, especially when we see Linkara's look of horror on his face at the hologram's rant against the current state of comics and what he could have become. However, if the ending is any indication, I think the Gunslinger is about to team up with the hologram.
Great episode and can't wait for October!
I have got to stop reading the comments on here at work, when I can't watch the episode until I get home - not because of spoilers, but because the increased anticipation makes for a very long day :)
ReplyDeleteI was hoping that there would be some kind of internal battle for Linkara, rather than the more usual kind of fight (although I suspect that will come too, with the Gunslinger). It looked like Linkara was tempted for a while, and both characters' speeches were great. The hologram's motivation made a lot of sense when I remember the conversation with Harvey, before Linkara left. Linkara made a point of saying he'd already recorded the 200th episode. At the time, it looked like just a way of keeping the storyline out of the milestone episode, but it also means that this is what would have been in Linkara's thoughts at the time the hologram was generated.
Nice conversation with Linkara and his friends. As awesome as Linkara's entrance line was last week, I didn't want him to be too over-confident, because that's how this all started. And, sorry Harvey, but saving the world doesn't necessarily make you a good person. Lord Vyce saved worlds too. Linksano's line about where you draw the line is so true... I mean, Linkara's already in effect ended a life before, to serve the greater good - the Entity - and also harmed another sentient being (Mechakara) with the intention of 'killing' it. Of course I don't believe those acts make him evil, quite the opposite, he was absolutely justified in doing so in those circumstances. But what if you keep stretching the boundries? Maybe you end up conquering worlds for their protection, forcing people do what you want them to do, to serve what you see as the greater good.
Speaking of Vyce... I wonder about the connection between him and the Gunslinger. Aside from the fact that the Gunslinger and his AI have heard of Vyce, and see him as formidible, both come from places where time seems to move at a different pace, both can't survive long in our world... I still think the Gunslinger isn't motivated by evil, and that would certainly fit with the rest of what's happened in this storyline. I don't know if he can reactivate the hologram, but he possibly has access to a huge amount of information on Linkara now. Looking forward to seeing how this all works out.
IMO, Batman has never fought for the downtrodden. he's fought for everyone put in the position of victim by an illegal act but never those who are put into positions of struggling through morally shady but still legal means or a notably slanted system. At lest that's not what most writers write him as. In now a little over 6 years reading comics and talking to people about batman, I've never heard of him trying to at least expose people who are using shady but legal means to get a leg up on other people(which is kinda funny when you consider the Nolan batman could be considered a HUGE embezzler of company funds). So as far as I know the character of batman isn't one to fight for the downtrodden.
ReplyDeleteAs for the "fooling himself" and batman pausing at repsonding to "swinging around the city in the mask?" How many times do you think batman has been told that by a CIVILIAN? how is a CIVILIAN ON THE STREETS OF GOTHAM suppose to know Batman's reasoning for doing what he does and do you think batman should tell him? Mind you this is not someone who wants to beat him or someone who feels like their job is being done for them(like the police), but an actual civilian asking him these things. Especially one civlian who's obviously just disagrees that Bruce's way is the right way(I personally agree). The fact he questions Bruce's motivations and methods has Bruce a little tripped up, NOT "OH MY GOD, ITS A REVELATION!") or atleast that's how I view it.
It doesn't have to mean any of those things you said(especially about the comic telling Bruce to hang up his cowl), it could be simply a man asking batman if he feels his reasons for doing what he does are justified, which I've never seen a normal civilian straight up ask batman in the DCU.
Why he's dressed in the cowl when going to the jazz club: He may be calling it a night and just wants to entertain himself before going back to the cave?
Why no one questions if he's really batman: *clears throat* "HES NOT WEARING HOCKEY PADS", and it'd take a batman villain level crazy to perfectly replicate it, especially the muscle mass he displays (which I will forever hate Ed for his Hulk stuff, where they all look like apes).
White dudes who could have talked to jazz historians on the facts of Jazz music and what it was to what it has transitioned into. Also, as a black man I've heard very similar speeches given about what white men have done with things from African culture, so to hear it's written by a white guy is surprisingly scary how accurate he got it.
The CD/Tape wouldn't have worked, as you'd need something to fit how beautifully well done it she says it was...If it was crap or just subpar (or worse generic like from a low production TV show) jazz it would have failed on multiple levels with the reader due to it not only now showing the reader but failing to convey the reason she has emotion for it.
Jazz, Soul and Blues were created out of the truth and pain of those who played. She felt the band on TV swing(an off shoot of Jazz) had no truth behind their music, especially compared to an artist like Byrd. She doesn't say all music must center itself from those emotions but for Jazz and the Blues it's very much appreciated.
@24:04, as someone who's not adverse to dubstep ...that would be AWESOME!
@Rant about the 'shadow on the wall'.....Stop thinking in scientific terms, it's a turn of phrase (which according to a quick Google search) meaning Visage or Illusion...which as we know while Batman is the "real" Bruce Wayne, he puts on the visage of a bat to inspire fear with in criminals... the fact you didn't Google that(and more over ranted it about it) is surprising.
Last note: in the beginning, that's his foot/leg pointing toward us. I could tell from a quick glance, from the fact you can clearly see the knee cap.
Gerard Jones? Holy crap! That's the guy responsible for the English localisation of Dragon Ball! I can't stay mad at him.
ReplyDeleteThere is a super hero called The Shadow he was first a popular Radio hero which he had a very creepy laugh.
ReplyDeleteYou really should listen to his laugh even though he was a hero his laugh and powers are very spine tingling.
31:45: cue 'Linkara kicks ass' music.
ReplyDeleteOh hey, there it is! =D
Okay, what was that music that played at the end when Linkara was refuting Holokara's argument? You used at the end of the OMD review too.
ReplyDeleteAlso, considering that, by your own admission, you prefer DC to Marvel... why wasn't Holokara targeting DC Comics instead of Marvel?
"Okay, what was that music that played at the end when Linkara was refuting Holokara's argument? You used at the end of the OMD review too.
ReplyDeleteAlso, considering that, by your own admission, you prefer DC to Marvel... why wasn't Holokara targeting DC Comics instead of Marvel?" Because while he likes DC it doesn't overshadow the fact that Marvel screwed up with One More Day. Besides, who's to say he hasn't thought of going after DC next.
Well that was certainly an interesting way to end a storyline; thus far anyway. I can't say I liked the whole journey aspect to it aside from the final revelation; but hologram linkara's speech and the revelation of turning evil were definitely both well written. Especially the former of the two which did display exactly why he was having his Authority moment of trying to force the world to change for the better. It helped to offset the previous feelings that he'd suddenly had his switched flipped from good to evil in his interactions with the other characters.
ReplyDeleteIt was also nice to see a conclusion which didn't end in a huge battle for the variety. Not so say the battles are bad of course, quite the opposite, but it was good to see one which broke the formula. Plus the plot hooks for the future were well delivered, building atop the previous one.
Finally, sorry but I don't have much to comment about the actual review itself this time.
So your theory is the Communication Breakdown was caused by Holokara? 'coz I'm pretty sure it's Led Zeppelin.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at it another way, the real Batman is some crazy guy dressed up...
Joshua Ford - yes, I'm pretty sure there've been comics packaged with CDs before. I think Nightcat was one (there was a CD, I'm not certain if it came with a comic).
I've certainly got a couple of CDs that came with comics for liner notes.
The wallets against bad comics argument doesn't hold up so well. They only say two things: it's selling or it isn't. They don't say why, which is very important.
So, white people can't listen to jazz? White people don't have pain? And saying so isn't considered racist? Interesting.
On another topic, I just watched Nostalgia Chick's Top 10 pre-YouTube memes, and wow is she intolerant! "Chuck Norris was cool until he started expressing a political point of view that's not mine. Now he's a dick." Just like her Orson Scott Card rant.
She is SOOOOOOOO intolerant.
(Hey, the vid did say to send all her hate mail to you. Twice.
The vid was also very enjoyable and funny, but she only wanted you to get her hatemail.)
"On another topic, I just watched Nostalgia Chick's Top 10 pre-YouTube memes, and wow is she intolerant! "Chuck Norris was cool until he started expressing a political point of view that's not mine. Now he's a dick." Just like her Orson Scott Card rant.
ReplyDeleteShe is SOOOOOOOO intolerant."
Because this is just text, I can't tell if this is serious or you being sarcastic. I'm assuming it IS just being sarcastic, but on the off-chance it isn't, you're absolutely right - she is intolerant. She is intolerant of bigoted individuals who believe other consenting human beings are undeserving of the same rights and privileges afforded to others. She is intolerant of those who believe that LGBTQ persons should be treated as second-class citizens or, in fact, less than human. And you know what? I'm not particularly TOLERANT of people who hold such thoughts, either.
Linksano's line made a lot of sense. Huh,it looks like that Holokara chip might be either a benefit to the gunslinger or be hindrance to whatever plans the gunslinger has for it since by the looks of things its personality is based on Linkara's subconcious actions somewhat and has Linkara's pride which would probable cause the Gunslinger and Holocara to disagree . Of course, this is just me speculating. Maybe the Gunslinger is going to us the chip to reprogram it to be a double of himself. I have a bad feeling about that holodeck chip's future use.Also why didn't Linkara picked up the chip or destroy it point blank?. But than again how else the plot is suppose to move forward.Cool episode Linkara
ReplyDelete"Because this is just text, I can't tell if this is serious or you being sarcastic."
ReplyDeleteSerious - but remember that all I saw in the video she made was Chuck Norris promoting Bible teaching. Not daring to think there's something more important than sex.
If that's what his ad was about, I understand now her hatred of such blasphemy.
Lewis -
ReplyDeleteThis has been on my mind, and I want to say:
I apologise.
I handled it all really badly.
(I can hear your 'Well, duh!' from here!)
"White dudes who could have talked to jazz historians on the facts of Jazz music and what it was to what it has transitioned into."
ReplyDeleteExcept they didn't, or if they did then they really didn't listen to them.
The dismissive or downright contemptuous attitude towards the forms of jazz that preceded bebop is extremely ignorant.
The essentialist description of jazz as only truly great if they're black ignores the fact that white people like Goodman and Getz contributed to jazz and helped develop it as an art form.
The comic also ignores the fact that seminal jazz musicians like Miles Davis choose to collaborate with white musicians, or that Benny Goodman worked with black musicians as early as the 1930's.
Finally, there's the fact that a good number of White European kids embraced jazz as early as the 1930's, and a healthy jazz scene has existed over here ever since.
Good types of music develops as they are accepted by new cultures, ethnicities or social groups. This is healthy. Clinging to a certain style of music as though it must always be exclusive to just one ethnic group isn't.
Did there exist black jazz musicians who were exploited by white people? Definitely. But that doesn't mean that whites stole jazz, or that jazz can only truly be understood by black people.
Oh, and this comic is insanely stupid. Linkara's review of it, however, was great.
You know, ever since getting a full synopsis of Spider-Man #700 I thought of HoloKara's threat.
ReplyDeleteI know Spider-Man has been dead to you for years and the comic just caught up, but after hearing of the disgusting things with 'Doc Oc' in Peter's body and Mary Jane... I swear I almost felt like someone at Marvel knew about the "threat" and since you didn't go through with it decided to see how far they could go.
I know that's rather unrealistic but just thought I'd share what crossed my mind.
Image circulating on the internet is Stan Lee's response to #700 is him sitting at his desk holding the comic over a paper shredder.
Really good deconstruction of the sort of character Linkara would be if he were real person that kept going. The sort of stuff we like to joke about would be terrifying doing to creators when they piss us off, but really would be terrified of somebody that did that. Also, anybody want to guess what Holokara would have done next after threatening to murder everyone at Marvel?
ReplyDeleteI'm worried what Halokara did whenever people WEREN'T watching him, or before he revealed himself to be back online to Linkara.
ReplyDeleteclarification (cause you said you don't know music that well)
ReplyDeleteI checked, as you had asked, and I couldn't find anyone mention this yet. In the recap of fortunate son you mentioned a bunch of artists that were referenced in the comic, and immediately after that you stated that they never included any heavy metal.
Black Sabbath is Heavy Metal, Its a common mistake but I thought you'd like too know. Most people seem to think that Black Sabbath is Classic Rock, Which is decidedly NOT a genre of music but rather a Radio format (much like Alternative which includes genres like Jangle Pop, College Rock, Grunge, Post Punk, Indie Rock, Etc.)
Of the early days of Heavy Metal Black Sabbath seems the most inspiring in fact, with entire sub genres based on individual songs (like Doom Metal and Sludge Metal).
Ill stop there, if you are more interested I'll leave it to you, Wikipedia actually has a pretty decent list of early Heavy Metal Musicians and their influences on the multitude of sub-genres.