Once Upon a Geek

I read “Final Crisis: Requiem” and one thing is really bothering me. There are three pages where Hal Jordan and Oliver Queen grieve together over Martian Manhunter’s body. Hal talks about the rage he’s feeling and the revenge he wants to inflict because of his friend’s death. What bothers me is that I don’t believe historically there has been a really strong connection between Hal Jordan and Martian Manhunter.

If you look at their respective JLA appearances, they don’t actually overlap much. Both were founding members of the League, however, Martian Manhunter left the League with issue 71. Of those 71 issues, Martian Manhunter only appeared in 43 of them. After that, every run of the JLA that featured Martian Manhunter as a member, Hal was not a member at the same time. If you add up Martian Manhunter’s time in the Detroit League, the JLI, Justice League Task Force, and the JLA (Grant Morrison’s series), that’s something like 230 issues that he didn’t appear with Hal Jordan.

I just feel that the writer is shoehorning Hal Jordan into the grieving, whereas there are many other characters that Martian Manhunter appeared with more frequently that would have made more sense. I think I know why they are using Hal Jordan.. to prepare for “Blackest Night” where numerous dead superheroes are supposed to come back. That is probably where we’ll see Martian Manhunter next, so it makes sense from a plotting point of view to use Hal Jordan. I just feel as a fan of Martian Manhunter, it could have been other folks. Maybe there were some nice character moments between Martian Manhunter and Hal at some point in history, I just don’t happen to remember them. There are many other characters they’ve shown time and time again to have a close bond with Martian Manhunter. For example, characters that have starred in the JLA with Martian Manhunter more frequently and have been shown to have a bond with him include: Batman, Vixen, Gypsy, Superman, and Wonder Woman. Believe it or not, even Kyle Rayner have appeared with Martian Manhunter more often than Hal Jordan. While Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman did feature prominently in this story, the big emotional scene was given to Hal and Ollie. I just didn’t work for me.

Okay, rant over. “Final Crisis: Requiem” was a decent read, its just this one point really stood out to me. I admit part of my rant probably comes from the fact that I’m still bitter they brought Hal back to life.

Oh yeah, it’s also worth mentioning that Aquaman had a really strong bond with Martian Manhunter and appeared more frequently with Martian Manhunter than Hal. However, Aquaman is current dead. Interestingly enough, apparently death wasn’t enough to stop Aquaman from coming to the funeral. Check out the Aquaman Shrine for details on this.

Since I’ve already had a couple action figure posts this week, I thought this might make a fun one.  

These are plushes I got from the WB store back when they were still open.  Man I miss that store.  They had the coolest merchandise.  In fact, you can find two other items I got from the WB store posted on my buddy Rob’s blog, The Aquaman Shrine.  The items are a JLA winter coat and a DCU animated picture frame.  While you’re there, poke around his site.  It’s really impressive (even if you aren’t an Aquaman fan).

And so my daughter’s TRUE education continues this week with a new toy.  You may recall a few weeks ago I did a post about my daughter’s new educational toys.  Well, this new one goes hand-in-hand with the educational value of those. 

I just love these figures!  They’re adorable!

Now if they’d only release a Wonder Woman.  I’d like my daughter to have some action figures that represent strong female role models.  Somehow I doubt they’ll make a Black Canary figure for this line.  Fishnets and a thong just don’t scream kid-friendly.

Maybe I’ll see if I can find a Storm figure from the Spider-Man & Friends line.

I’ve been trying to get my hands on two action figures lately. They came out a few months ago from Mattel in their line of DC Universe Classics (Wave 2).  This is the brand of figures that are now carried in stores like Target.  The action figure scuplts are surprisingly good for distribution in regular stores.

Personally, I’ve been trying to get a Firestorm and Aquaman figure.  You can see images of the figures here - they look great!  Unfortunately, they aren’t available anymore and are selling online for sick amounts of money.  For example, the Aquaman figure is going online for about $30, and that’s before shipping. In regard to the Firestorm figure, after weeks of bidding I actually just won an auction for one.  I mean JUST won.  When I started typing this blog entry, I was still searching for a Firestorm figure.  I happened to find an auction that actually had a somewhat reasonable price.  So I ended up paying $19 after shipping.  See what I mean, sick amounts of money for action figures.  But I gotta say that Firestorm figure looks bad ass.

Part of the reason the prices bother me is that I’m not a “mint in box” kind of collector.  I buy action figures of characters I really like, take them out of the package and display them.  If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you have probably seen a few entries where I showed off my figures, like here and here.

I’m not sure what I’m going to do about the Aquaman figure.  There is no way I’m going to spend that ludicrous amount of money on a figure, especially since I have lots of other Aquaman figures.  I’ve heard rumors that more of the Wave 2 figures will be released, so I’m going to cross my fingers they release some more Aquadude and the prices come down.

Also in that wave should be a modern-day Firestorm.  I’m looking forward to that figure too.

Just a heads-up… I appeared in a couple recent episodes of The Unique Geek podcast.

The Unique Geek Issue #70 features the usual gang as we discuss the latest mediocre offerings from Lucas as well as the lackluster summer movie season.  Really we are just a bunch of grumpy guys with nothing better to do.

The Unique Geek Issue #71 features the usual gang as we discuss the new Incredible Hulk film.  Well… we try to discuss the film, but as usual we wander off topic a bit.

Be sure to check out these podcasts and the rest of The Unique Geek podcasts.

While the reviews have been somewhat mixed, I personally enjoyed the new movie “Hancock“.  I felt the movie delivered on what was promised in the trailers (a down-and-out superhero mends his ways to become a hero).  There were fun displays of superpowers, such as the way Hancock does super-jumps and his landings.  They also did an excellent job showing the collateral damage caused by superheroes.  It makes you think how dangerous it would really be to have super-powered beings running around.

Surprisingly, there is a whole other plot that takes place on the back-end of the movie that was not featured in the trailers.  I won’t spoil it for you, but I imagine that is what most people are fussing about.  The expectation nowadays is that every major plot thread should be featured in the trailer.  When something hits you during the film you weren’t expecting, you should rejoice!  Wow, a genuine surprise during a movie!  When was the last time that happened?  We’ve all become so used to knowing in advance what is going to happen, we’ve forgotten how much fun it is to be surprised.  Good job Hancock!

Finally, there were some concerns early on about the similarities between the Hancock plot of a down-and-out/alcoholic superhero and the potential “Demon in a Bottle” plot for Iron Man 2.  In fact, the director of Iron Man 2 suggested they may have to drop the entire Tony Stark alcoholic storyline if it would be too repetitious of Hancock.   After seeing Hancock, I don’t think they have anything to worry about.  I think the storyline of Tony Stark spiraling into self-destructive alcoholism could still be done quite well without concern for plot repetition.  Just my two cents.

For all you “Aquaman” haters out there, a special request from me…  Please resist your natural instinct to simply skip reading this post.  The TV show was surprisingly good.  After reading this post, who knows… you might find yourself willing to give it a try.  C’mon, live a little!

Until the other day, I had never seen the live-action “Aquaman” failed pilot from 2006. Here was a show that conceptually should have been really bad. After all it spun-out of Smallville, was not picked up by WB/CW, and c’mon… it’s Aquaman. Let’s be realistic, even though I love the character, how good could a show be about a guy who can talk to fish, right? And if WB/CW turns you down, you know there must be issues.

The amazing thing is that it was actually pretty good. Well, at least as good as Smallville back when it was at its best. Even my wife enjoyed the pilot, expressing that she would watch further episodes if there had been any. This says a lot since she’s not a geek and typically doesn’t enjoy the same shows as me.

After seeing the Aquaman pilot, I’m surprised it didn’t get picked up by WB/CW. The formula for the show was similar to the popular Smallville: a likeable hunky hero with secret powers; a mysterious past even the hero isn’t fully aware of; lots of angsty scenes; strong supporting characters; good special effects; and beautiful women everywhere you turn. On that last note, having the show take place in the Florida Keys allows for a built-in mechanism to show girls in bikinis constantly. You’d think that would have resonated with the WB/CW execs. Even the proposed titles followed the formula; the working titles for this show were “Mercy Reef” and “Tempest Key”.

During season five of Smallville, they did an episode featuring Aquaman. Turns out that was the highest rated episode for the season. While the Aquaman pilot wasn’t exactly a spin-off from this episode of Smallville, it was inspired by it. For the Aquaman pilot, the creators kept some of the same concepts from the Smallville episode, but changed the character of A.C. around a bit and got a much better actor.

The basic premise is that A.C. (short for Arthur Curry) is able to breathe underwater, is extraordinarily strong, can sort of sense feelings from sea life (at least dolphins), and can swim at amazing speeds (we see him swimming and keeping pace with a fighter jet at one point). Though he makes efforts to protect the ocean and sea life from time to time, for the most part he’s a slacker with no direction. He’s in his late teens/early 20s and he’s passing time working in a bar and running a dive shop in Tempest Key, Florida. He’s been aware of his powers all his life, but was not aware where they stem from. By the end, he discovers that he’s an exiled Atlantean Prince and that his life will be full of danger now that his fellow Atlanteans know where to find him. He agrees to allow the local lighthouse keeper (also an exiled Atlantean) to help prepare him for the challenges to come.

There was a neat subplot hinted at in the pilot about the Bermuda Triangle and a possible connection to Atlantis. As viewers we were witness to a few people acting strangely that had apparently disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle decades ago, yet were back now and hadn’t aged a day. There was a FBI agent investigating these phenomena and he was trying to recruit a fighter pilot that A.C. had saved. Looks like this could have unfolded into an interesting plot.

The episode had a great cast. A.C. was played by Justin Hartley who later went on to star in Smallville as Oliver Queen (a.k.a. Green Arrow). Hartley really did an great job in all his scenes. Whether he was swimming underwater or above the surface, you could feel a connection with him. He was just as good as Tom Welling (Clark Kent in Smallville), if not better. A.C.’s adopted father was played by Lou Diamond Phillips; the lighthouse keeper and mentor was played by Ving Rhames; his best friend/co-worker was played by Amber McDonald; the investigating FBI agent was played by Rick Peters; and a potential love interest/fighter pilot was played by Denise Quiñones.

They did a good job drawing in elements of Aquaman’s comic book origin, while creating a new and fresh story. The writers of the show obviously cherry-picked the bits of Aquaman’s various comic book origins they wanted to use. For example:

• In the show, A.C. (as an infant) and his mother were found on Mercy Reef lost and with no identification. They were found by Tom Curry, Coast Guard Officer.
• In the silver age comic book origin, Aquaman’s mother was found by Tom Curry, lighthouse keeper. In the modern age comic book origin, Aquaman was left to die by the Atlanteans on Mercy Reef.

• In the show, A.C.’s mother was secretly the exiled Queen of Atlantis and he was the Prince. Eventually, Tom and A.C.’s mother are married, while Tom adopts A.C.. Later in life, the local lighthouse keeper agrees to mentor A.C. and help develop his abilities.
• In the silver age comic, Aquaman’s mother was also the exiled Queen of Atlantis. Tom and Aquaman’s mother do eventually marry and their offspring is Aquaman. In the modern day origin, a teenage Aquaman meets a lighthouse keeper who educates him in the ways of the surface world. This lighthouse keeper is named Arthur Curry.

One of the things I’ve always liked about Smallville is how Clark is always dressed in red and blue. This is done to provide almost a future echo to the viewers as the colors represent Superman’s costume. The same was done here with A.C. He’s always wearing green and orange. I know it’s a bit corny, but I love these kinds of comic book nods.

Funny aside… while the credits were rolling on Aquaman, my wife noticed the name Patrick A Duffy as a First Assistant Director. Well, if you know your Aquaman history, Patrick Duffy (from eventual “Dallas” fame) played in a TV show called “Man from Atlantis” which was basically a live action Aquaman TV show in the 1970s. Turns out the Patrick A. Duffy from the Aquaman pilot is a different guy than the Patrick Duffy from “Man from Atlantis”. Oh well. It still gave us a chuckle to think he would have been involved in this production.

Interestingly enough, the creators of the Aquaman pilot felt so strongly about it (even after being turned down by WB/CW) they released it via the web. It premiered on iTunes and was the most downloaded TV show for over a week. Additionally, it’s been released through other online platforms and done extremely well with those too. Pretty impressive for a guy who can talk to fish.

While there are no plans to pick up this show or concept again, it really merits watching. You can find it through a number of various methods. If you are a comics fan or ever enjoyed watching an episode of Smallville, I urge you to give this a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Hulk + Porn = Gamma Dong.  I’m just sayin’…

Once The Unique Geek Presidential Debate podcast is posted, this will make a little more sense.  Be watching The Unique Geek website for this special event!

Just a heads-up… I’ve been horribly negligent and haven’t mentioned the podcasts I’ve appeared in recently. 

The Unique Geek Issue #69 features the usual gang as we discuss the best and worst fathers in the geek world in honor of Father’s Day.

Views from the Longbox Episode 42 and Episode 43 feature Michael and I going head-to-head (or geek-to-geek if you prefer) on various comic book issues.  It’s also the anniversary for Views from the Longbox as it reaches its landmark one year celebration.  Michael was kind enough to invite me to help celebrate the occasion.  In these episodes we do “versus” type discussions about things like: Secret Wars action figures vs. Super Powers action figures; JLA vs. Squadron Supreme; trade paperbacks vs. single issues; Joe Q vs. Dan Didio; and the like.

Be sure to check out these podcasts and the rest of The Unique Geek & Views from the Longbox podcasts.

I recently got a new geek-related t-shirt I thought I would share.  This one I picked up from Kohl’s.  I absolutely love the image, especially the bit across the top, “#1 in a Twelve-Issue Limited Series“, just like the comic featured. I wish it wasn’t on dark gray, it makes the colors look muted.  But otherwise I love the shirt.

One of the reasons I like this shirt so much is my own personal connection to the “Secret Wars” comic series.  When I was in sixth grade, I was the victim of peer pressure.  “Peer pressure in sixth grade, surely not?!?!”, you think astonished.  I know… shocker (read as sarcasm).  I had just started a new middle school and was still getting to know my new friends (including Ravenface).  During lunch one day, they started talking about all these fantastic sounding characters from some comic book I had never heard of.  I was really only familiar with a few Marvel characters; mainly the ones who appeared in the “Spider-Man and his Amazing Friends” cartoon.  When I acknowledged that I didn’t know many of these characters, my new friends pounced on me as all sixth graders typically do when they see weakness in a fellow classmate.  “You don’t know what Secret Wars is?!?!?!”  “You don’t know who Galactus is?!?!?!”  “Everyone knows who Magneto is, don’t they?”  And so on…

So there I was, an eleven year old outcast.  I felt ridiculed and incompetent.  Surely there must be some way to redeem myself.  And then the answer appeared before me…  I was in the local convenience store (Sing store for us Tallahassee folks) getting some candy and an icee.  I happened upon the comic book rack and staring me in the face was “Secret Wars” issue #2.  A big bold image of Magneto on the cover.  I immediately purchased the comic and devoured the information.  I refused to be the butt of my sixth grade class.  So from there forth, I made sure to buy all the issues of “Secret Wars”.  I even paid the painful sum of $5 for a back issue of #1 (considering cover price was $0.75, that’s a hefty mark-up).  In order to prepare for any unexpected, yet vitally important sixth grade conversations, I started to buy other comics also… a little Uncanny X-Men here… a little Marvel Saga there…

And that’s how it begins.  A life long addiction… all because of sixth grade peer pressure. 

I blame Ravenface… a.k.a. Ravenface, the pusher.  DAMN YOU, RAVENFACE!