NOSTALGIC CASTING CHOICES

Whoever is making these casting decisions on the superhero TV shows I have one question - HOW DID YOU GET INSIDE MY HEAD?? HOW??????

Ok so that was two questions. Also came out a lot harsher than I intended . . . Truth is that I love the nostalgic casting choices being done on the recent superhero TV shows. From the original Flash playing Flash's dad to former Superman playing Supergirl's adopted dad (we think) it's all pretty awesome. I love it. It's the kind of thing I would do if I was casting one of these shows.

"Hey what if we got Dean Cain to be in our Supergirl show?" JJ asked.
"Dude . . . That's brilliant!" JJ replied.

See in that scenario I was imagining myself as a producer of the upcoming Supergirl TV show. In case that little glimpse into my geeky mind wasn't clear. So this got me thinking . . . Let's keep it going! Here are my suggestions for further cameos that should totally be done on the current comic book shows:

DANNY DEVITO

Now come on. This would be awesome! I've read that Danny is a big fan of Robin Lord Taylor's performance on the show. Plus Danny was awesome as the Penguin. I know Batman Returns has its critics, and I get it, but Danny's portrayal of the Penguin remains my favorite interpretation to this day. He was evil, slimy, and just a tiny bit wacko. I'd love to see Danny guest star on Gotham maybe as Oswald's father (we've never met him or heard much about him). Maybe he could play another Gotham gangster moving in on Don Falcone's turf. Either way, I think it would be awesome if he showed up in some capacity. 

MICHELLE PFEIFFER

Here's another no brainer. Pfeiffer was amazing as Selina Kyle/Catwoman. It's another case where we haven't met Selina's mom on Gotham yet, and the young actress playing Kyle and Pfeiffer do kind of look alike. But Pfeiffer doesn't have to be Selina's mom or any type of relative. She could play any variety of characters either from the comics or an original character that has some sort of interaction with Selina, Bruce, or Gordon. 

MICHAEL KEATON 

To me, this would be the equivalent of Christopher Reeve guest starring on Smallville. That was a great episode (more on that in a later post). What role could Keaton play? Well, he probably won't be playing Bruce's father (cuz he's already been cast and killed off BOO YA!). He could play a long lost Wayne. Maybe he could be another gangster. Or maybe he could play Jim Gordon's dad in flashbacks (since they've confirmed Gordon's dad is dead in the series). Either way, I will campaign for Keaton to guest star on the show if it's the last thing I do! Or at least until the show is off the air . . . whichever comes first . . . 

Now I could go on and on and on about former Bat-stars that I think should be on the series but instead I will move on. I picked these three because of their ties to the three main characters on the show. 

MICHAEL ROSENBAUM 

It's not really a long shot, but it's also somewhat unlikely. Rosenbaum was the voice of the Flash in Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and the animated film Justice League: Doom. For a generation, he was the Flash. That does include me. Justice League was my first exposure to the Flash. I didn't exactly fall in love with the character then (we can thank Geoff Johns for that) but it did pique my interest. Plus, Rosenbaum has the added geek cred of playing Lex Luthor for seven years on Smallville. I think it would be great if he came on the show to play a new villain or maybe even a Lex-type villain on the series. Maybe he'll have an extended role like Brandon Routh's on Smallville. Either way, I think Rosenbaum should definitely guest star.

ALEXIS DENISOF

Denisof played the Mirror Master on an episode of Justice League Unlimited and the animated Justice League: Doom film. I'd like to take this opportunity to point out that the Mirror Master has yet to be cast / make an appearance (pun intended) and Denisof would be a great choice. Not only does he have the experience but he's also a very talented actor. He kind of looks like the Mirror Master too. That's always a plus when casting a comic book show/movie (although not a prerequisite). Maybe if my "The Rogues become the main antagonists of season 2" theory comes true then Denisof will get his shot at a live action Mirror Master. The Mirror Master will definitely be on the Flash soon, I'm sure, and my recommendation is Denisof. After all, Mark Hamill played the Trickster on the original Flash series and then voiced him on Justice League Unlimited. Why not have it go the other way? 

KYLE GALLNER

Kyle played Bart Allen/Impulse on a few episodes of Smallville. He was the first superhero to guest star on the show (and started a trend) and when he came back he was apart of Green Arrow's proto-type Justice League. He never became the Flash on the show, he stayed Impulse (in keeping with the comics). He was a great addition to the cast and added some much needed fun to Clark's life. I think it would be great if he played a similar role on the Flash. Granted, Barry doesn't have a problem having fun with his powers, but maybe he could still give Barry a kick in the pants in some way. Or maybe he'll play Inertia, the evil Impulse from the future. Hey . . . stranger things have happened. 

JUSTIN HARTLEY 

For several years on Smallville, Hartley was Oliver Queen/Green Arrow. There were rumors of a spin off after that show ended but we ended up getting Arrow instead.

They didn't fail that city

Hartley should definitely play some sort of role on Arrow. I think he's on another TV show now, but I'm sure the schedules could get worked out. It would be cool to see him guest star in one of the flashbacks. Maybe he'll help Oliver with his archery training. Maybe he'll be a villain during a season four episode. Maybe he'll play another hero . . . Who knows? All I know is, I want Justin Hartley on Arrow! 

ALAINA HUFFMAN

Wow JJ! There sure are a lot of Smallville actors on this list! Well . . . that's because I love Smallville and many of those actors played the first ever live action versions of my favorite superheroes. A few years ago I got to meet Ms. Huffman and she was delightful. We talked a lot about Black Canary coming back to Smallville and ending up with Oliver. But it never happened. 

Needless to say, it worked out for her in the end

Still, it would be pretty sweet to see her come to Starling City as a new love interest for Oliver (you know, to get back at Smallville's Oliver). Or maybe she can be something else. After all, she doesn't need to define her career by being Oliver Queen's girlfriend! Well I dunno what else she could do! I just think it would be cool to see her on Arrow . . . That's all . . . 

These are my suggestions for actors I want to come back to superhero TV. But why didn't I mention Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. you may be asking yourself. Well . . . Simply put there are six guest stars I want on the show:

These motherfuckers . . . 

S.H.I.E.L.D. is a little different where they don't have much nostalgia to pull from (there was no previous S.H.I.E.L.D. TV series or Avengers show) but they are connected to the Marvel films. If any of them were to guest star it should definitely be Scarlett Johannsen and/or Jeremy Renner. They were (are? it's still not 100% clear) S.H.I.E.L.D. agents and they've been name dropped several times on the show. Maybe we'll get to see them on the show just like we've seen Samuel L. Jackson and Cobie Smulders. That would be sweet . . . 

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie!

MY COMIC CON THEME SONGS

Here is something you may not know about me - I'm a weird fucking guy. I'm serious! I can eat an entire jar of pickles in one sitting (though don't use the bathroom after me if you see me do it). I will eat an entire bottle of mustard without it ever touching a sandwich. I will drink Italian Dressing like other men might drink scotch . . . Sigh . . . I'm probably just losing readers just by saying these things.

Here! Look at my beautiful face and remember why you loved me to begin with!

But that's not the strangest thing about me! No sir! Well . . . the pickles thing is pretty bad  . . . Anyway! I have a playlist that I make every year that I go to New York Comic Con and it's not made up of the songs that you'd think.

Well, yes that song is on there. In fact I have several different versions of the Batman theme. Danny Elfman, the 60's series, the animated series from the 70's, the Dark Knight version, oh my the list goes on . . . 

On my playlist you'll find the likes of John Williams (Superman, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Harry Potter), Danny Elfman (Batman, Nightmare Before Christmas, Spider-Man), Hans Zimmer (Amazing Spider-Man 2, the Dark Knight, Spider-Pig) and so on and so forth. (total sausage fest!) 

But other songs? Well I've included the essential "New York" songs like Empire State of Mind, I Love New York, I Run NY (Lonely Island - it's hilarious), etc. But there are a select few that remind me of Comic Con in some way or another. Whether it's because I just happened to get into them around the time I went to NYCC or possibly I got into during the event or even I heard it at the convention and it led to an awesome day (you won't believe it when I tell you). So here it is: 

JJ'S COMIC CON THEME SONGS:

DAUGHTRY - IT'S NOT OVER

Weird story behind this one. The very first year I went to NYCC was in 2007. On the bus, I was listening to the Goo Goo Dolls on my Discman (it was a dark time - pre mp3) and I kept thinking I wish that I had the Daughtry CD. I was a huge fan of that song It's Not Over from the radio and I wanted the CD. I don't remember if I just hadn't bought it or if it hadn't come out yet but I wanted to listen to it. Either way, I had a lot of fun at the show but when I got home I bought that CD and listened to it all the time. Now when I listen to it, it reminds me of the time right after Comic Con and during Comic Con. Little strange, but music has always had this weird effect on me. It makes me think of the past but not always when I first heard the song. Maybe that's normal but it feels weird to me.  I still like that feeling though . . . 

THE LONELY ISLAND feat. MICHAEL BOLTON - JACK SPARROW

This one is a case where I didn't first hear it at Comic Con, but rather it took on new meaning during Comic Con. I first heard it at a party I had at my apartment with some friends from North Carolina. They recommended watching the music video on YouTube. I was blown away. It was so funny and amazing I couldn't stop laughing. Well, when I met up with my sister in NYC at the hotel before Comic Con I said, "You've gotta watch this!" We watched it and she loved it! That weekend, one of the things we talked most about was this song/video. We would listen to the song in line (jeez those fucking lines at Comic Con!) and just laugh about it every time like it was the first time we ever heard it. To this day, it's still something we talk about and laugh about. Dare I say . . . This song brought us closer together . . . HAHAHA! Not really, we were always close. But you know . . . we had something new to talk about. 

 NICKI MINAJ - SUPER BASS

Yes. This song. This song reminds me of Comic Con. I don't even really know why. I think this is more of a case of "I heard it during the trip." But you know what? I love this song. It's dumb as hell and the music video kind of proves that Nicki Minaj is a slut and not a talented dancer (like at all) but it's catchy and fun to listen to. Also, I like singing along. That year we met Mark Hamill at Comic Con. I very much wanted to tell him he was slicker than the guy with the thing on his eye. But unlike the song no I didn't, no I didn't.

TEGAN AND SARA - ARROW 

If you've ever read this blog then you will know my love of Arrow. Between the awesomeness of the show to Stephen Amell being a genuine awesome dude in real life, my love for Arrow knows no bounds.

He touched me!

Well, one night I was so excited about the Flash and Arrow that I looked both those terms up on iTunes, and really, who hasn't? I found the theme song from Arrow, Flash by Queen from the Flash Gordon movie (which reminds me more of Ted than the Flash), and the Tegan and Sara song Arrow. I previewed it and instantly fell in love with it. It was such a sweet song, and like all Tegan and Sara songs, really made me smile and want to sing along. I mean, not all their songs are so happy or upbeat(ish) but Arrow was a cool song. I tried to share it on Stephen Amell's Facebook page but I don't think he's listened to it. Oh well, back to mailing him digital copies of it along with strands of my hair . . . I MEAN  . . . 

STYX - TOO MUCH TIME ON MY HANDS

This is really just a case of "I heard it on the bus and it struck me the right way." Yeah, super exciting story. I was on the bus on the way to NYC and this song came on through the shuffle (post-Discman - the dark days were over). I downloaded it, but didn't remember why (probably drunk downloaded) but listening to it on the bus ride made me smile and get excited for my vacation. Every time I listen to this song now I think of my bus ride to NYC, which granted is not the best place to be, but thinking of the destination gets me excited and reminds me of all the fun I'm gonna have . . . standing in line and waiting to see my favorite comic book writers/artists for a couple minutes . . . Wow . . . Comic Con sucks! Just kidding, it's always worth it, because there is a ton of stuff to do! Like listen to classic rock! 

So . . . Here's the thing. You'll never guess what my #1 Comic Con theme song is. You really never will. Unless you skipped ahead and looked at the pictures before reading this whole post. But here it is:

ENRIQUE IGLESIAS feat PITBULL - I LIKE IT

Yes. This one. Can you believe it? I'm pretty sure it's from the fucking Jersey Shore soundtrack. I mean . . . Seriously JJ??? HAHAHA! Alright shut up! I'm gonna tell you the story!

I went to NYCC in 2007 and 2008 but both times I went because I wanted to go to Comic Con and have a mini-vacation in NYC (one of my favorite places to vacation). I missed 2009 but I was really excited to go in 2010. By then, I had gotten into MANY different superhero comics. Also, I learned that comic book artists and writers would actually sign the comics for you. I don't know why I didn't know this in my previous visits but I knew it now and brought a whole bunch to get signed. Well, the show was that Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Friday I went to the show but I ended up getting really sick and had to go back to my friend's apartment to sleep off a terrible headache. It was a horrible experience. I still had fun, but I'll admit it was kind of ruined by my headache. The next day was Saturday and I was determined to have a much better experience. Well, when I got there I made up a list of things I wanted to do and people I wanted to see. My first stop was the Marvel booth and THIS SONG was playing there. I thought that was kind of funny. I liked that song a lot from the radio and I had downloaded it on my iPod. It was catchy and fun. Suddenly, it became my Comic Con theme song. 

When I got on the bus to go home, I put this song on and all I could think about was Comic Con. I texted my sisters and friends and bragged about how much fun I had. I went on and on about how I met Geoff Johns, Jeph Loeb (lotta "Jeffs"), J. Michael Strazynski, James Marsters, Alaina Huffman, Ivan Reis, Joe Prado, Shane Davis (google these names if you don't know them). I was on Cloud 9. I listened to this song on repeat for a good long while just smiling and laughing about my awesome time at NYCC. I met new friends, had new experiences, and best of all, made memories that make me smile no matter what I have going on in life. 

So you see? Music is a funny thing. It can remind us of good times and bad times. Sometimes music can even make us think of the strangest things. These songs are ALWAYS on my Comic Con playlist when I go back to NYCC. In fact, I'm listening to them now. And the Ghostbusters theme song. Because you know . . . That song kicks major ass.

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie! 

SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT LIVE ACTION GREEN LANTERN

Warner Bros/DC are currently working on bringing the Justice League to life on the big screen. Next year we will get Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice. This film, while technically a sequel to Man of Steel, will begin to introduce the Justice League. The film will give us Batman and Wonder Woman and Aquaman and Cyborg with confirmed cameos/small parts.

Fucking awesome

Ezra Miller has already been confirmed to play the Flash, but we're all not expecting to see him in BvS. We probably won't meet him till the actual Justice League: Part One movie. Rumor has it that that film will end with the arrival of the Green Lantern and he'll bring with him a warning for the villain for Justice League: Part Two. Of course, the rumor mill never stops when it comes to these types of movies. Already, Chris Pine is rumored to be the next live action Hal Jordan.

What am I? Chopped liver??

Pine would be a great choice and he does have the outer space experience from the Star Trek films. He's a great actor that could bring the right amount of cocky arrogance mixed with noble integrity. Basically, Hal Jordan has to be Han Solo.

Any chance Harrison Ford from 1977 is available?

Next to Batman, Green Lantern is my favorite superhero. I got into the comic starting with Geoff John's Green Lantern: Rebirth story and I've loved it ever since. It's not really that I related to Hal Jordan or anything, I just loved the concept and Johns and his team built up an amazing mythology for Green Lantern. 

Now there were just Green Lanterns, there are Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, Indigo, and Violet. They each have different powers and represent different colors of the rainbow. That sounds a little weird, but it's actually well done and well thought out. There are also White and Black Lanterns that represent Life and Death. 

That was the problem with the 2011 Green Lantern movie. It tried way too hard to set up the whole Green Lantern mythology instead of building it up. Remember how in the original Star Wars film we're only given little tidbits about the Force and Jedis? That was the best way to go. It's too big a concept to be done in just one movie. That's why Johns spent YEARS building up the Green Lantern Corps and the other Lantern Corps. It's almost too big to put into a trilogy of films. Maybe it should start somewhere else . . . 

 I will bang this drum till the day I die!

Ok, so I'm getting off track. I do that when I talk about Green Lantern. I love it so much! So who do I think should be Green Lantern? Well . . . it depends where Warner Bros decides to go. Hal Jordan? John Stewart? Guy Gardner? Kyle Rayner? Simon Baz? Jessica Cruz? There are six options to choose from and they all have their place in DC history. Chris Pine is the rumored front runner, presumably for Hal Jordan. He'd be great but I have some other ideas:

LIAM HEMSWORTH AS HAL JORDAN

Yes. Gale. From the Hunger Games. And Thor's brother. That's who I think would be great as Hal Jordan. Why? Well, look at him. He freaking looks like a damn superhero. He would be a great choice. In Hunger Games he had to play a strong, supporting character to Katniss's leadership. There were more than a few scenes where Gale reminded me of Hal Jordan. Gale wasn't a cocky bastard or anything but he was still a courageous leader who fought for what he believed in against all odds. That's Hal Jordan in a nutshell. I'm certain that Hemsworth could pull off an awesome Hal Jordan performance. 

SHEMAR MOORE AS JOHN STEWART 

Honestly, I'm surprised I haven't come across his name on other blog wish lists for John Stewart. The prevailing (and now debunked) rumor is that David Ramsey's character, John Diggle, on Arrow would be revealed to be Stewart. I was never really a fan of this idea considering that Diggle is such a strong character on Arrow. He doesn't need to be shoehorned into another character. But enough of that. Moore would be fantastic as Green Lantern John Stewart. I'm a huge fan of Criminal Minds and every time I watch the show I think how great it would be if he got to play a superhero. He has a little bit of experience in the superhero world as the voice of Cyborg in Justice League: War and Justice League: Throne of Atlantis. He also played the male lead on the short lived Birds of Prey TV series but the less said about that show, the better. Moore has the right amount of authority and confidence to play John Stewart. John's willpower is often too much for his ring to handle. On Criminal Minds, Morgan is often showed as very level headed and stoic but can cut loose when he wants to. That to me is John Stewart. Mostly, he's a loyal Lantern but if he needs to go off books, he's not afraid to push it. 

SEANN WILLIAM SCOTT AS GUY GARDNER

Ever since I got into Green Lantern comics, I've imagined Scott to play Guy Gardner. There was a rumor a few years ago that Jack Black was going to play Green Lantern in a movie written by Robert Smigel.

Smigel created this if that gives you any indication of how that Lantern movie would've turned out

Scott would be perfect as Gardner. My favorite role of his is Wheeler from Role Models. He was quick witted, cocky, but in the end had a good heart. That describes Gardner to a T. I might be in the minority with casting Scott but I think he has yet to be challenged as an actor. He's been given good roles and he's done well with characters like Wheeler and Stiffler. However, I think Gardner would be a great way to give Scott a character type he's familiar with but also challenge him. Guy is immensely complicated, however much he claims to be simple. He loves the attention and glory that comes with being a Green Lantern, but there is so much more to him. It's why, currently, Gardner is the head of the Red Lanterns. He's an anger machine, but found a way to control it and use it to take over the Reds. I definitely see Scott in the role.

DANIEL RADCLIFFE AS KYLE RAYNER

As far as unconventional choices go, this one might be my best. However, if you have seen Radcliffe's body of work post Harry Potter then you know what a talented actor he is. Just like Gardner has joined the Red Lanterns there was a time when Rayner was a Blue Lantern. Rayner was the Green Lantern when there were no more Green Lanterns in the universe. He was the Torch Bearer. He protected the entire galaxy as the only Green Lantern before Hal Jordan returned and brought the Green Lantern Corps back with him. Radcliffe looks like Rayner (always a plus with superhero casting) but he's also a talented actor that can bring the gravitas needed to portray Rayner. His current role in the DCU is of the White Lantern. Basically, he represents Life and protecting Life is his main job. At least it was . . . I'm not actually sure what Kyle's up to nowadays . . . Anyway, Radcliffe would be perfect for Kyle Rayner.

MAHERSHALA ALI AS SIMON BAZ 

The likelihood of Simon Baz appearing in a Green Lantern movie is very small. However, finding an ethnic actor to play the part will prove difficult. I had to google like 3 different ways find this nobody! Just kidding (a little)! Ali is probably best known for his role as Remy on House of Cards. There he's proven to be loyal, intense, but with a good heart. He was also in Hunger Games: Mockingjay as Boggs, one of President Coin's most trusted lieutenants. I think he would be a great choice for "the Miracle Worker" Simon Baz. Remy is one of my favorite characters on Cards and I was thrilled to see him in Mockingjay. Baz is a Geoff Johns creation which kind of makes him amazing in his own right. But then again, I'm a die hard Geoff Johns fan. Baz is noted as the "Miracle Worker" among the Green Lanterns because he figured out things that can be done with the Green Lantern ring that had never been done before. Given the popularity of House of Cards I think it's time we give Ali more roles to conquer. I'd love to see him take on Baz, a misunderstood Lebanese-American that is given power he doesn't understand but tries to use to fix the world around him. 

NAYA RIVERA AS JESSICA CRUZ 

There's a bit of precedent of casting Glee actors as superheroes: Grant Gustin as the Flash and Melissa Benoist as Supergirl. Santana is one of my favorite characters on Glee. Rivera brings a lot of humor to the character but also a lot of vulnerability that she hides under a gruff exterior. Yeah, it's an old, cheesy characterization but it's also very difficult to do well. Jessica Cruz is a woman that's so terrified of the world that she locks herself into her apartment and refuses to leave. This leads the Power Ring ring to find her and exploit her weakness. Power Ring is the Earth 3 version of Green Lantern. Where Lantern is full of willpower and his ring encourages him to be a hero, Power Ring is a coward and the Ring bullies him into being a villain. When Power Ring is killed in battle, the Ring finds Cruz and bullies her into being the new Power Ring. The Flash and the Justice League take her in to protect her and help her learn how to harness the Power Ring for good instead of evil. I think Rivera would make an awesome Jessica Cruz. She's shown that she can play vulnerable, but still be tough. That's vital (and the main requirements) to Cruz's character. Also - Cruz is another Geoff Johns creation. So . . I love her. Also, I love Naya Rivera. Seriously, I want her to be my wife.

These are my picks for a live action Green Lantern. Will it happen? Who knows. I tend to be pretty much not on the money when it comes to these things but maybe WB/DC will hear me out on this one. Either way, I'm looking forward to Green Lantern's next live action appearance.

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie! 

5 SUGGESTIONS FOR THE NEXT SOLO BATMAN MOVIE

Although not announced on the official slate of upcoming Warner Bros/DC movies it's pretty much official that we'll be getting a new solo Batman film, most likely in the year 2019. The strongest rumor floating around is that the upcoming Suicide Squad film will set up the events of the next Batman movie. Supposedly, the next film will be a Batman vs the Joker film starring Ben Affleck and Jared Leto. This sounds awesome of course because they are both very talented actors and Batman vs the Joker is a story that never really gets old. However, I'm of the mindset that the Dark Knight told the absolute perfect Batman/Joker story. Perhaps the best way to go with the next Batman film is to have a totally new story that either doesn't involve the Joker or has the Joker in a role we've never seen before. What would that role be exactly? Well, I dunno!

As a puppeteer? I'm just spit balling here . . . 

With almost 80 years of Batman stories to choose from I've compiled a list of some of my favorites that Affleck should adapt for his solo Batman adventure.

THE COURT OF OWLS

I had previously suggested them to be the main villains of Gotham Season 2. I still think they would be a fantastic addition to that series but why stop there? Their story had them attacking Bruce Wayne because he had tried to change Gotham City. They wanted to maintain their grip on Gotham City from the shadows. But, as these things go, they went about it in the loudest, craziest way possible. It would be great to see them take on Affleck on the big screen. The Court represented that Gotham City still had some secrets that Batman didn't even know about. I think to translate this to film, they could represent Gotham's resentment that Batman has been spending so much time with the Justice League. They would attack Batman in a very personal way (fitting with the way the story played out). That might sound a little cheesy but I like the idea of the Court representing Gotham and its attitude toward Batman. 

HUSH

This is the comic that got me into comics. It's a pretty awesome story. A lot of Batman's major enemies start attacking him in new and different ways. During this, an old friend of Bruce's returns from obscurity. His name is Dr. Thomas Elliott. As it turns out, he's one of the masterminds of all the attacks. Him and the Riddler. That story showed us a little bit more of a bad ass side to the Riddler. At least until Batman put him in his place . . . Like six panels later. 

 What a douche

This would be a good way to introduce a plethora of Batman villains into the film series, especially ones that have never been seen on film like Killer Croc, Clayface, and Poison Ivy.

We all pretend this never happened . . . 

It's one of my favorite Batman stories and seeing a live action version of it would be super bad ass. I think Hush is on his way to being on film. Whether it's on Gotham (Elliott has been an episode) or a future Batman film, I think we'll be seeing him soon enough. 

BATMAN INC

As part of the crazy/genius Grant Morrison's plot for Batman, Bruce created a network of Batmen throughout the whole world to protect their respective cities. It's a wild story but it was a lot of fun. Batman traveled around the world setting up different Batmen. They uncovered a conspiracy involving Bruce's son Damian and Damian's mother Talia. It united all of the members of Batman Inc as well as Batman's allies in Gotham. Again, it was crazy but fun. It might be just a bit too wacky to adapt to film, but it is a cool story and would be totally different from what we've seen before. 

DEATH OF THE FAMILY

This is the most likely scenario or at least something along these lines. If the Suicide Squad movie will indeed set up the next Batman movie. The basic premise is that the Joker is trying to convince Batman that he loves him . . . by killing his extended family (Robin, Nightwing, Batgirl, etc). In the Joker's mind, he sees Batman as the King of Gotham and the villains are his jesters. He thinks the family is slowing Batman down so he wants to get rid of them for him. I mean it's really thoughtful.

Getting rid of this fucker can only be a good thing

I'm kidding of course. The Joker is a crazy mother-effer and Batman is right to beat the crap out of him. The story was really great and memorable probably because of the fact that the Joker's face has been torn of and he puts it back on with a belt strap. It's a creepy image and would help to separate Jared Leto's Joker away from Ledger's and Nicholson's. I'm hoping to see something truly spectacular when it comes to the Joker and I think that Leto will deliver. If he and Affleck are given the Death of the Family story to film, we are in for a very memorable Batman vs the Joker film. 

NOEL

This is one of my favorite Batman stories. Something about Batman during Christmas makes me really happy. Maybe it's all the Batman toys I got growing up. Maybe it's my love of Batman Returns. Maybe it's just because I secretly believe that Batman is Santa Claus and that's not weird at all. 

Not weird at all

The story is basically A Christmas Carol with Batman characters. Batman is Scrooge, Robin is Jacob Marley, Catwoman, Superman, and the Joker are the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future respectively. Bob Cratchitt is one of Joker's goons that Batman is tracking. If you have the means I highly recommend picking this book up. It's a great story and would translate really well to film. It would be a very unique superhero film. Granted there wouldn't be much for Leto to do as the Joker, but he could still pull off an amazing performance. The dude's amazing. He's just . . . He's got this . . . We're good!

Those are my thoughts on Ben Affleck's first solo Batman adventure. I'm sure he will direct it and his Argo screenwriter Chris Terrio will write it. And I will LOVE IT. 

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie!

PROPS TO COMIC BOOK TV SHOWS

We all know that sex sells. It's one of the harsh truths of life. If you look at just about any successful TV show or movie, it has to have some element of sex appeal.

The only reason I watch The Big Bang Theory 

The worst offender besides cable TV seems to be comic books. I had many an argument with a previous girlfriend about the exploitation of women in comic books. She would argue that the women are dressed rather provocatively. She was right of course, but I did counter that the men were given rippling, unrealistic physiques. I was right of course. Comic books are very guilty of showing off the hottest women and the hottest men. Granted the women are the ones that are exploited more often than men. Sometimes it's a little ridiculous especially when DC started the New 52.

Harley Quinn pre 52

Harley Quinn New 52

So that's a very noticeable change. I'm not sure why Harley's costume needed such a drastic update but . . . it happened. I prefer the old costume. Harley's never really been a sex symbol anyway. I never understood why DC gave her such a drastic makeover. But then again, like I said, sex sells. However, it does get a little crazy, especially when you want to expand your readership to young women. 

That's certainly one way to go . . . 

When Smallville premiered, it was about the young Clark Kent finding his place in the world. Given that it was a teenage drama on the WB, later CW, sex did become a big part of selling the series. 

This kind of thing happened on many occasions 

Given the New 52 and the (ahem) interesting costume choices that the editors were giving some of the characters, I was nervous when Arrow was announced. I feared that the eventual appearance of Black Canary would see her in her normal "non-conservative" costume. 

Damn those fishnets . . . My personal Kryptonite . . . 

Imagine my surprise when Canary did show up on Arrow the costume was not nearly as provocative as it was in the comic books.

The costume does give her a "boost" so to speak (that's a boob joke for anyone that missed it), but the costume in the series gives the character a lot more cover up than her comic book counterpart. SPOILER ALERT - Sara Lance as the Canary did not survive her Arrow experience. Now, Laurel has taken up the mantel of Black Canary.

Her costume doesn't show any cleavage. In this day and age of "sex sells" I'm surprised this costume is so conservative. Yeah, the costume is all leather and COULD be considered dominatrix-esque but you'd have to consider what the men are wearing too: 

That's right. All leather costumes. And they were wearing them first so . . . way to be a copycat, Canary. Plus Oliver is shirtless in almost every single episode. So . . . the men get the "sex sells" treatment on Arrow.  

He doesn't seem to mind

Then there was the announcement that a Supergirl series was in development. I felt we had just BARELY escaped a catastrophe with Arrow and now Supergirl was coming to the boob tube. And yes . . . I mean to call it that. Because boobs that's why!

Anyway, let's take a look at Supergirl's recent comic book looks:

Pre 52

New 52

Again, sex sells. Before she was in a super short skirt (say that five times fast) now she's in a long sleeved onesie with boots that oddly don't cover her knees. It's a bit jarring especially when she's described as Superman's teenage cousin. We're certainly hoping eighteen or nineteen cuz otherwise . . . Ugh I can't even think about it. Weird! On the bright side we were recently treated to what Melissa Benoist will look like when Supergirl premieres this fall: 

She was on Glee 

Wow. That's a surprisingly-faithful-to-the-source-material-without-being-overtly-sexual costume! I'm shocked to be honest with you. I really expected one of the above costumes to be adapted. After all, it's a female superhero show on a major network. It seemed inevitable to me. So I'm going to give props to DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Thank you for making these characters look super cool without resorting to "sexing them up." Except for Stephen Amell of course. But that super sexy ship has sailed.

 I want to cuddle with you

As a fan, I'm happy that we're getting so many new comic book TV shows and I hope that they maintain their quality. But more than that, I'm glad that we're moving past the whole "women need to be half naked for ratings" gimmick. The women they have on the shows are gorgeous but luckily the quality of the shows are selling them instead of the sex appeal. A great example is definitely The Flash. So far, the female characters on the show do not have any superpowers but are also intelligent, independent characters. They're not used as props for the men in the show. They have their own stories. Yes, they do have love stories going on but it's not their only contribution to the series. 

Of course, it's not fair to just point out DC. Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has a great cast of female characters that never resort to stripping down to selling their shows. And this current season has included Bobbi Morse AKA Mockingbird. She used to look like this:

But now her costume looks like this:

Damn those are some big boobs . . . 

Now this is what her costume looks like on the series:

Not bad. Not bad. It's a skin tight suit, yeah, but it's not the selling point for the show. In fact, she's part of a larger ensemble. Although they did just kill off one of the black guys . . . Yikes . . . Oh well, one thing at a time! 

So again, thank you Flash, Supergirl, Arrow, and S.H.I.E.L.D. for not selling your show on sex. I'd much rather watch a quality show sold on its merits and that's what I've been given. 

Till Next Time!

JJ - The Comic Junkie!