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Post by jensaltmann on Jun 14, 2011 0:27:34 GMT -8
Some people might consider Atom the Luckiest Man Alive.
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Post by jensaltmann on Jun 14, 2011 0:29:32 GMT -8
Look who made the cut among the DC Figurines.  |
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Post by michaelpaciocco on Jun 14, 2011 4:33:58 GMT -8
Some people might consider Atom the Luckiest Man Alive. Ah yes, the Warren Ellis Episode. It's fun watching that and adding in the usual Ellis-y dialogue tics he would have put into that had there been less editorial influence. I watched this with a friend who had never seen the show once. Our commentary at this scene: Him - "So...the Atom is now my favorite Superhero." Me - "You know he's just saying to himself - I HAVE REACHED THE PROMISED LAND! - EAT ME BATMAN!" |
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Post by michaelpaciocco on Jun 14, 2011 5:21:09 GMT -8
Oh, and here's another thing I just noticed as I've been rewatching some of the Diniverse stuff. It so subtle, and maybe it was unintentional, but it's telling.
Clark Kent and Superman have different speech rhythms; Clark has a perfectly normal, conversational tone and flow to his dialogue with a broad vocabulary. As Superman though, he speaks almost entirely in short, clipped, sentences with a much smaller vocabulary. Even his big Speeches during the JL/JLU era have that same choppy pattern to them, like it was written by Hemingway.
And then I realized what this might be saying:
1) Hemingway as one of Clark's writing influences - A strong possibility, I can see Clark appreciating Hemingway's writing style and appreciation for nature (though I'd say he wouldn't be so keen on Hemingway's low opinion of women or his fondness for hunting). In fact, you could almost imagine that Clark's coming-of-age-world-wandering pre-Superman phase (in most versions of continuity) as an attempt to follow in Hemingway's footsteps.
2) The Superman speech pattern is Clark's natural pattern, and Clark's is the act - I tend to discount this theory, but I'll put it up as it bears discussion. I've spent enough time with people from rural and farming communities to know that more often than not, this almost stilted speech pattern, where so much is communicated non-verbally, is pretty common.
3) Clark's "Superman speech pattern" is an act with a specific purpose - this is the theory I subscribe to. When you listen to Superman's pronouncements, they are cryptic; sometimes clearly threatening (when dealing with Luthor, for example), and always conveying exactly what information Superman wants to put forward and nothing else. Keeping the vocabulary limited means its accessible to the lowest common denominator; keeping the sentences short gives dramatic impact to each one, allowing the speaker to assign the most importance to each thought separately. It's the kind of thing that Clark Kent, journalist, student of how words work and how to communicate, would think of when designing his costumed persona for maximum impact. And it's damn clever.
So yeah, put me down for 1&3. But no matter how you slice it, this is a little nugget of insight into the writers and creators - it's so telling of Clark/Superman's intelligence, and yet it so subtle as to be unnoticable to anyone who isn't paying attention. It's clearly the work of people who put a lot of thought into everything they write to make things as logical and clear as possible.
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Post by jensaltmann on Jun 14, 2011 10:05:37 GMT -8
I'll pay attention to this the next time I watch the Diniverse stuff.
Offhand, I'd say that 2) comes into play once you ask who the mask is - Clark or Superman. If Clark is the mask, then 2) is obviously the answer.
But what you've discovered really makes the people behind the Diniverse shows look good, if they pay attention to such a detail.
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Post by jensaltmann on Jun 14, 2011 10:07:39 GMT -8
I watched this with a friend who had never seen the show once. Our commentary at this scene: Him - "So...the Atom is now my favorite Superhero." Me - "You know he's just saying to himself - I HAVE REACHED THE PROMISED LAND! - EAT ME BATMAN!" If your friend is on the Playground, he still won't get to play Atom. Then again, I had forgotten all about that scene until I just recently rewatched the Atom episodes of the JL/JLU show. |
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Post by michaelpaciocco on Jun 14, 2011 21:23:59 GMT -8
I'll pay attention to this the next time I watch the Diniverse stuff. Offhand, I'd say that 2) comes into play once you ask who the mask is - Clark or Superman. If Clark is the mask, then 2) is obviously the answer. True, but I think you know by now where I tend to fall on the whole issue of "Clark vs. Kal as Superman's true identity". Short version: Fuck Tarrentino. |
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Post by paulpogue on Jun 16, 2011 2:48:16 GMT -8
I give Tarantino a pass for two reasons: Firstly, the whole speech was really a comment on how Kiddow was lying to the world and herself, and doing so poorly, by pretending to be something she's not and doesn't understand. Secondly, Bill grew up in the 1950s and 1960s -- the Superman HE'S familiar with is the borderline sociopath on all the "Superman is a dick" covers. Quite frankly, before Christopher Reeve came along, Bill's analysis of Clark Kent was pretty accurate.
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Post by Mario Di Giacomo on Jun 16, 2011 4:56:06 GMT -8
Not to mention the fact that the speech is given by a manipulative sociopath whose view on reality is likely to be a bit skewed....
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Post by jkcarrier on Jun 16, 2011 15:49:19 GMT -8
Clark Kent is not Superman's critique of humanity. Clark is Superman's self-image. He doesn't think he's anything special. He often feels awkward and out-of-place. He has to tamp those feelings down when he's on the job as Superman -- like a politician, he can never express doubt or fear in public. But as Clark, he can unclench himself, and allow himself to be a little clumsy and dumb, as we all are from time to time. We all have these sides to our personalities...Superman is just better at compartmentalizing.
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Post by jensaltmann on Jul 6, 2011 8:24:50 GMT -8
This works very nicely: the Enterprise opening credits with the theme song to Perfect Strangers.
Amusingly, it also works the other way around.
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Post by jensaltmann on Jul 17, 2011 11:35:55 GMT -8
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Post by Johann Chua on Jul 18, 2011 5:54:39 GMT -8
Got my copy of the American Flagg! hardcover last week. Setting side some time to actually read it.
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Post by michaelpaciocco on Sept 18, 2011 11:55:16 GMT -8
Attached picture is me, crossing the finish line of the 10 km of the Terry Fox Run, raising money for cancer research. The second time I've run a 10 km run of any kind. The first time was last week, just around my neighbourhood. Attachments:
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Post by K-Box on Sept 20, 2011 1:32:04 GMT -8
Nice.  |
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