Actually, that’s not a bad idea BSD. A post of how law works in the superhero universe. Then again, the answer to that just may be the classic “screw the rules”.
Maybe expand on your previous off-the-cuff remark that ARKHAM CITY took everything that ARKHAM ASYLUM did and made it worse? I’m curious about this because it seems you’re one of the few who feel that way.
Who’s Who? Current DC shit aside, those things always cheered me up. You could explain the scientific equation that proves any non-animated Hal to be 30%.
For myself, and I have no idea if this is at all appealing, I’d be interested in reading your thoughts on how narratives in sports journalism are built (looking at you, ESPN’s Tim Tebow coverage.) If this is something you have no interest in, though, then burn this message.
I second Andrew Miller’s suggestion (partly because I’ll get to write another super-long comment/mini-essay on why I like Arkham City), and I amend it to include your impressions on the newly announced ARKHAM ORIGINS game.
I second the Arkham City comment. I don’t always agree with you, but I love hearing why I don’t agree with you.
With your love of board games, what is your opinion of things like Crusader Kings and computer games of that ilk? Those are, for all intents and purposes, ultra-complex board games put to the computer. I’m guessing you prefer board games more, but I’m interested in why you might like them more.
Also supporting BSD’s suggestion. Maybe not a “why I should write”, but a pitch at superhero law… or maybe even just a list of favorite superhero laws ever used.
I’d love an essay on how come there’s so much editorial control that they are allowed to order story changes and aren’t held to task when those changes lose profits.
1. Put Spider Jerusalem and Judge Dredd in a room together. Who would win the ensuing battle of the ethicalities?
2. Will there be any future DC/Marvel Rex-the-Wonder-Dog-Scale Who’s Who pieces? I ask because a previous Q&A on the site made a response of “soon” to the same question. It then became apparent that “soon” was variable. Apologies for impatience.
* there’s about 1000 alignment charts you’ve avoided so far, especially one for “Community” characters.
* More evidence of Betty Cooper being batshit insane.
* Why I Should Write All Of DC Comics (reason 1: Dan DiDio sucks rhino)
* A Who’s Who of the Banjo villain. Because if Robot Chicken went there, you need to do a more in-depth analysis.
I always kind of thought that it was significant that in DC, the superhero/lawyers were always prosecutors (Adrian Chase and Kate Spencer come to mind) while in Marvel, the most prominent lawyer/superheros were generally shown to be defense attorneys. (Well, Daredevil is.)
I second BSD’s superhero law and Kristopher A’s question about Paradox-style strategy games.
Here’s something for your credentials as a Canadian: Despite being a young, female urban American, I watched the backwoods-Canadiana-for-middle-aged-men that was Red Green all the time as a kid. Loved it! Do you have any opinions on it? (Did anyone in the entire universe watch that show but me?)
In a similar vein, I would not be averse to more posts about the odder annals of long-forgotten animated specials and defunct local TV.
-More alignment charts, for sure, possible suggestions including: Sean Bean, Nicolas Cage, William Fichtner, Community
-an essay on Spider-Man similar to your Superman and Lex Luthor essays (that little off hand remark in the Superman piece mentioning how Spidey is the most important character at Marvel makes me want to see you explore that some)
-more Movies You Probably Haven’t Seen But Should; to give a personal recommendation, Desperate Measures with Michael Keaton and Andy Garcia
-speaking of Michael Keaton, maybe some thoughts on the Burton films and how they stack up against/have influenced subsequent media, now that the Nolan films have obliterated them from the public consciousness?
-more Doctor Strange, of course
-are there any Big Two/Image titles you are, in fact, following, and why?
-I’d be interested to hear if there are any anime you’re particularly fond of, since you’ve touched on literally every form of Western nerdery here
-what music have you been listening to/do you especially like, and what would you recommend?
BSD Was dead on. There are a million “what would happen if Superman/Batman/Whoever was subject to the American Legal System” posts on the internet, but a “Why MGK Should Write She-Hulk” would be a more unique and, I suspect, better take on Law & Comics.
What would someone with a legal education do if given creative control over a bar-admitted superhero? This seems ripe for review.
Did you write any other reviews of Harry Potter books (or any other books, for that matter) using the “So You Don’t Have to Read It” format?
I would love an article on the Nemesis series from the 80s DC, simply because I loved them.
– Articles on old-school anime, such as Gatchaman, Space Battleship Yamoto and Astroboy.
– Your perspective on Miracleman / Marvelman.
– Your thoughts on the returns to old properties that have happened recently (some of which by original creators). Not just Before Watchmen, but Gaiman returning to Sandman and Azzarello / Risso returning to 100 Bullets.
And a possibly more interesting SoIaF/Fiction meta question– what happens in a long form saga when the author has a different plan than not just certain segments of the fandom (see: Draco in Leather pants stuff) but large segments, do they adapt, can they avoid adapting- has your own perspective with Al’Rashad changed how you view this?
Despite being a young, female urban American, I watched the backwoods-Canadiana-for-middle-aged-men that was Red Green all the time as a kid. Loved it! Do you have any opinions on it? (Did anyone in the entire universe watch that show but me?)
Yes. I enjoyed that show immensely when I was young, and I have never been into any of the stuff they were talking about. It’s the allure of the unknown, I guess.
Have you heard of or read the Peyer/Waid/Millar/Morrison Superman 2000 pitch? What are you thoughts on it if any? I came across it about a week ago and have been thinking about it a lot.
I’m also gonna back BSD on the superhero law thing, preferably in the form of “Why I should write She-Hulk”.
Also, like Rbx5 I’d love to see an essay on Spider-Man, you’ve made a few casual remarks about the character that have me quite interested in seeing a more in-depth examination.
And now that they’ve mostly run their course I’d be interested to see a comparison of DC’s New 52 and Marvel NOW. Or even just your thoughts on the latest shenanigans over at DC.
Oh, and what are you thoughts on Scott Snyder’s upcoming “Year Zero” in Batman? It’s 11 issues, which makes me call bullshit, that’s way to long for an origin retread.
A Community alignment chart doesn’t strike me as that important, because I’ve seen at least two and they generally came up with the same conclusions:
Shirley – Annie – Troy/Britta
Dean – Abed – Britta/Troy
Jeff – Pierce – Chang
Britta and Troy was about the only real difference, and it mostly depends on whether you think Britta’s crusading is honest or self-centered.
Abed is more lawful in attitude: things have to be a certain way for him, and he’s not only aware of tropes but he also enforces them to a certain degree.
I know your political focus doesn’t tend to stray far from the Golden Horseshoe, but what’s your take on the Peter Penashue scandal, and how do you think it affects the national political scene?
I’m surprised so many liked my idea. In support of it, note that early Daredevil often had more lawyer-drama (not even courtroom drama!) than you’d think. Stilt-Man’s origin story, for instance, hinges not only on patent law, but on actually handling an infringement suit.
I actually kind of have a question for the “the law applied to superheroes” questioners. Are you guys looking for legal formalism or practical application, and are you looking for “the law as it would apply to a random hero or villain who found themselves in the real world” or “the law as it would practically apply in the DCU or MU.”
To unpack that a little: there’s a long difference between “what the law formally says” and “how the law is practically applied.” For example: if he existed in the real world, in isolation, despite being clearly batshit insane and not in control of his actions, the state would have found a reason to have the Joker executed ages ago, or at least to have large chunks of his brain removed. That’s if the police didn’t simply execute him. Other supervillains would never even end up arrested or face trial; they’d be dealt with using military force. The law in a “trials and lawyers” sense would only peripherally be involved.
But in the context of the DCU or MU, there are practical reasons for things like that NOT happening. The reason for the existence of ultramax supervillain prisons like the Slab is probably this; there are at any given times a couple hundred supervillains running around, effectively constituting a rogue state. A lot of those guys hate each other and/or are crazy, but a lot of them also recognize common interests.
If Superman smashes your robot army apart and drops you off in jail, that’s a fair cop. You’ll do your time and get out sooner or later. If Superman drops you off in jail and then the cops shoot you “while trying to escape” or the state decides to execute you, some of your fellow supervillains will murder the cops involved and all of their families, or the same for the jury. Not because they like you, but to send a message that while they might not be able to conquer the world, they can make life very difficult for those who personally offend them.
It’s not that the song is racist, it’s that the song is STUPID. At no point in that rambling, incoherent song were they even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. We must award them no points, and may God have mercy on their souls.”
I think that, in all seriousness Mr God King, that you should watch the anime Tiger and Bunny and talk about it a bit.
It’s superheroes filtered through the concept Japanese talent agency system and it is one of the more interesting takes on the genre in any medium over the past few years.
Just had another idea: an Explaining Hollywood post describing how they decided to cast Johnny Depp as Tonto. Because I would like to hear the thought process behind that.
And before anyone asks: Yes, I am aware that he may have some Aboriginal blood in his family tree. I doubt that anyone has ever thought of him as anything other than an overwhelmingly white guy.
an Explaining Hollywood post describing how they decided to cast Johnny Depp as Tonto. Because I would like to hear the thought process behind that.
Not sure if you want a post mocking Hollywood casting decisions or an actual answer, but as best I understand, Depp really wanted to play Tonto. And he’s a big enough star to get the role–being friends and frequent coworkers with Bruckheimer probably didn’t hurt, either.
It’s also not like they had a movie idea and were holding auditions for the guy to play Tonto, and decided upon Depp. The thing basically started with “Johnny Depp as Tonto, and Bruckheimer as producer”, and they built the movie up from there. Depp was cast back in September 2008, well before they had anyone else cast (they didn’t have an actual Lone Ranger until May 2011), or even a finished script.
One more question, previously forgotten: How long do you expect/intend Al’Rashad to run? Are we a significant way into a fast, hard-hitting story about a particular flashpoint, or still in the setup phase of something much longer and more sprawling?
On a related note, do you think of it more as a webcomic, or as a comic book that happens to be on the web? That seems a rather silly distinction written out, but I still think of the two formats as quite distinct, especially in terms of pacing. I’d had some reservations about Al’Rashad in that veinβbut it occurred to me that I might have been taking my cues from the wrong body of work.
Related Articles
61 users responded in this post
Any predictions/thoughts on the DOMA & Prop 8 cases before SCOTUS?
Dr. Strange?
Top 10 DVR choices and why?
Any chance of maps at any point for Al-Rashad?
No fantasy series is really complete without a map. Ideally also a gazetteer, but that’d probably be pushing it on my part.
Strong Belwas confirmed to not be in Game of Thrones: your feelings in five words or less.
Genre of gaming (board or video) you feel gets the shortest shrift and why, citing examples if possible.
Total inside baseball: 30 Reasons I Should Write She-Hulk (or Daredevil) and make it 30 interesting superhero-relevant areas of law.
Basically, do Law and the Multiverse, MGK style.
Actually, that’s not a bad idea BSD. A post of how law works in the superhero universe. Then again, the answer to that just may be the classic “screw the rules”.
Maybe expand on your previous off-the-cuff remark that ARKHAM CITY took everything that ARKHAM ASYLUM did and made it worse? I’m curious about this because it seems you’re one of the few who feel that way.
Who’s Who? Current DC shit aside, those things always cheered me up. You could explain the scientific equation that proves any non-animated Hal to be 30%.
I request .. a side by side photo comparison of you and Bruce McCulloch’s street busker character from Kids in the Hall.
I second both BSD’s and Murc’s suggestions.
For myself, and I have no idea if this is at all appealing, I’d be interested in reading your thoughts on how narratives in sports journalism are built (looking at you, ESPN’s Tim Tebow coverage.) If this is something you have no interest in, though, then burn this message.
–How could video gaming POSSIBLY get a shorter shrift than board gaming?
–More Who’s Who please! π
–A Who’s Who of (Doctor) Who?
–Alignment Chart: Breaking Bad
(P.S. maybe the Breaking Bad alignment chart could have Lawful Bad, Neutral Bad, Chaotic Bad?) π
I second Andrew Miller’s suggestion (partly because I’ll get to write another super-long comment/mini-essay on why I like Arkham City), and I amend it to include your impressions on the newly announced ARKHAM ORIGINS game.
I second the Arkham City comment. I don’t always agree with you, but I love hearing why I don’t agree with you.
With your love of board games, what is your opinion of things like Crusader Kings and computer games of that ilk? Those are, for all intents and purposes, ultra-complex board games put to the computer. I’m guessing you prefer board games more, but I’m interested in why you might like them more.
Justin Trudeau is going to become the next leader of the Liberal Party of Canada (let’s be realistic here). Is this a good thing?
Also supporting BSD’s suggestion. Maybe not a “why I should write”, but a pitch at superhero law… or maybe even just a list of favorite superhero laws ever used.
Alignment chart: Doctor Who, using just the Doctor (there will be two spare Doctors… poor, unloved spare Doctors)
Asked via Email: I have my ballot for the Liberal Party election and I’m still making up my mind. Thoughts on the candidates?
Have you played Risk Legacy? If so, any thoughts?
I’m diggin’ the idea of exploring Jennifer Walter and Matt Murdock’s place in the Marvel universe as attorneys/superheroes. [Good job, BSD]
Any creatively written comic-related content would be appreciated, though.
I’d love an essay on how come there’s so much editorial control that they are allowed to order story changes and aren’t held to task when those changes lose profits.
1. Put Spider Jerusalem and Judge Dredd in a room together. Who would win the ensuing battle of the ethicalities?
2. Will there be any future DC/Marvel Rex-the-Wonder-Dog-Scale Who’s Who pieces? I ask because a previous Q&A on the site made a response of “soon” to the same question. It then became apparent that “soon” was variable. Apologies for impatience.
Why is it so hard to make half-decent movies out of decent computer games?
Movies You May Have Not Seen But Should See (Because They Are Good): Glory
What are your thoughts on why race is still a problematic thing in speculative fiction?
Oh an essay on the Joker similar to your Lex Luther essay
* there’s about 1000 alignment charts you’ve avoided so far, especially one for “Community” characters.
* More evidence of Betty Cooper being batshit insane.
* Why I Should Write All Of DC Comics (reason 1: Dan DiDio sucks rhino)
* A Who’s Who of the Banjo villain. Because if Robot Chicken went there, you need to do a more in-depth analysis.
Do you really think John Seavey is working out as a blogshare?
I always kind of thought that it was significant that in DC, the superhero/lawyers were always prosecutors (Adrian Chase and Kate Spencer come to mind) while in Marvel, the most prominent lawyer/superheros were generally shown to be defense attorneys. (Well, Daredevil is.)
I second BSD’s superhero law and Kristopher A’s question about Paradox-style strategy games.
Here’s something for your credentials as a Canadian: Despite being a young, female urban American, I watched the backwoods-Canadiana-for-middle-aged-men that was Red Green all the time as a kid. Loved it! Do you have any opinions on it? (Did anyone in the entire universe watch that show but me?)
In a similar vein, I would not be averse to more posts about the odder annals of long-forgotten animated specials and defunct local TV.
-More alignment charts, for sure, possible suggestions including: Sean Bean, Nicolas Cage, William Fichtner, Community
-an essay on Spider-Man similar to your Superman and Lex Luthor essays (that little off hand remark in the Superman piece mentioning how Spidey is the most important character at Marvel makes me want to see you explore that some)
-more Movies You Probably Haven’t Seen But Should; to give a personal recommendation, Desperate Measures with Michael Keaton and Andy Garcia
-speaking of Michael Keaton, maybe some thoughts on the Burton films and how they stack up against/have influenced subsequent media, now that the Nolan films have obliterated them from the public consciousness?
-more Doctor Strange, of course
-are there any Big Two/Image titles you are, in fact, following, and why?
-I’d be interested to hear if there are any anime you’re particularly fond of, since you’ve touched on literally every form of Western nerdery here
-what music have you been listening to/do you especially like, and what would you recommend?
BSD Was dead on. There are a million “what would happen if Superman/Batman/Whoever was subject to the American Legal System” posts on the internet, but a “Why MGK Should Write She-Hulk” would be a more unique and, I suspect, better take on Law & Comics.
What would someone with a legal education do if given creative control over a bar-admitted superhero? This seems ripe for review.
Did you write any other reviews of Harry Potter books (or any other books, for that matter) using the “So You Don’t Have to Read It” format?
I would love an article on the Nemesis series from the 80s DC, simply because I loved them.
– Articles on old-school anime, such as Gatchaman, Space Battleship Yamoto and Astroboy.
– Your perspective on Miracleman / Marvelman.
– Your thoughts on the returns to old properties that have happened recently (some of which by original creators). Not just Before Watchmen, but Gaiman returning to Sandman and Azzarello / Risso returning to 100 Bullets.
What are the TV special sources for the “Woodland Critter Christmas” episode of South Park?
Community Alignment Chart?
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES YES
So, Jon Snow’s parentage, and would GRRM actually do the Dany/Snow thing if they’re related since it would keep with the history he’s created.
And a possibly more interesting SoIaF/Fiction meta question– what happens in a long form saga when the author has a different plan than not just certain segments of the fandom (see: Draco in Leather pants stuff) but large segments, do they adapt, can they avoid adapting- has your own perspective with Al’Rashad changed how you view this?
Oh, I like the idea of a (good) Community alignment chart.
Yes. I enjoyed that show immensely when I was young, and I have never been into any of the stuff they were talking about. It’s the allure of the unknown, I guess.
Have you heard of or read the Peyer/Waid/Millar/Morrison Superman 2000 pitch? What are you thoughts on it if any? I came across it about a week ago and have been thinking about it a lot.
I’m also gonna back BSD on the superhero law thing, preferably in the form of “Why I should write She-Hulk”.
Also, like Rbx5 I’d love to see an essay on Spider-Man, you’ve made a few casual remarks about the character that have me quite interested in seeing a more in-depth examination.
And now that they’ve mostly run their course I’d be interested to see a comparison of DC’s New 52 and Marvel NOW. Or even just your thoughts on the latest shenanigans over at DC.
Oh, and what are you thoughts on Scott Snyder’s upcoming “Year Zero” in Batman? It’s 11 issues, which makes me call bullshit, that’s way to long for an origin retread.
A Community alignment chart doesn’t strike me as that important, because I’ve seen at least two and they generally came up with the same conclusions:
Shirley – Annie – Troy/Britta
Dean – Abed – Britta/Troy
Jeff – Pierce – Chang
Britta and Troy was about the only real difference, and it mostly depends on whether you think Britta’s crusading is honest or self-centered.
If you were in charge of booking, how would you fix the WWE?
Abed is more lawful in attitude: things have to be a certain way for him, and he’s not only aware of tropes but he also enforces them to a certain degree.
Has any of the Thatcher new reached you? What do you think?
I know your political focus doesn’t tend to stray far from the Golden Horseshoe, but what’s your take on the Peter Penashue scandal, and how do you think it affects the national political scene?
I’m surprised so many liked my idea. In support of it, note that early Daredevil often had more lawyer-drama (not even courtroom drama!) than you’d think. Stilt-Man’s origin story, for instance, hinges not only on patent law, but on actually handling an infringement suit.
I actually kind of have a question for the “the law applied to superheroes” questioners. Are you guys looking for legal formalism or practical application, and are you looking for “the law as it would apply to a random hero or villain who found themselves in the real world” or “the law as it would practically apply in the DCU or MU.”
To unpack that a little: there’s a long difference between “what the law formally says” and “how the law is practically applied.” For example: if he existed in the real world, in isolation, despite being clearly batshit insane and not in control of his actions, the state would have found a reason to have the Joker executed ages ago, or at least to have large chunks of his brain removed. That’s if the police didn’t simply execute him. Other supervillains would never even end up arrested or face trial; they’d be dealt with using military force. The law in a “trials and lawyers” sense would only peripherally be involved.
But in the context of the DCU or MU, there are practical reasons for things like that NOT happening. The reason for the existence of ultramax supervillain prisons like the Slab is probably this; there are at any given times a couple hundred supervillains running around, effectively constituting a rogue state. A lot of those guys hate each other and/or are crazy, but a lot of them also recognize common interests.
If Superman smashes your robot army apart and drops you off in jail, that’s a fair cop. You’ll do your time and get out sooner or later. If Superman drops you off in jail and then the cops shoot you “while trying to escape” or the state decides to execute you, some of your fellow supervillains will murder the cops involved and all of their families, or the same for the jury. Not because they like you, but to send a message that while they might not be able to conquer the world, they can make life very difficult for those who personally offend them.
So is that Brad Paisley / LL Cool J song racist or not? π
switchnode
I still will watch Red Green if I see it on public television. There haven’t been many shows that have done more with a smaller budget.
It’s not that the song is racist, it’s that the song is STUPID. At no point in that rambling, incoherent song were they even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. We must award them no points, and may God have mercy on their souls.”
I think that, in all seriousness Mr God King, that you should watch the anime Tiger and Bunny and talk about it a bit.
It’s superheroes filtered through the concept Japanese talent agency system and it is one of the more interesting takes on the genre in any medium over the past few years.
I thought it was M. Ight Ygodking?
M. Nighty Godkingalan
Just had another idea: an Explaining Hollywood post describing how they decided to cast Johnny Depp as Tonto. Because I would like to hear the thought process behind that.
And before anyone asks: Yes, I am aware that he may have some Aboriginal blood in his family tree. I doubt that anyone has ever thought of him as anything other than an overwhelmingly white guy.
Wonderman? Wonderman and Beast? I think Wonderman is neat and you should talk about him.
@Mitchell: I maintain Johnny Depp as Tonto works totally fine, as long as you cast Adam Beach as the Lone Ranger.
Not sure if you want a post mocking Hollywood casting decisions or an actual answer, but as best I understand, Depp really wanted to play Tonto. And he’s a big enough star to get the role–being friends and frequent coworkers with Bruckheimer probably didn’t hurt, either.
It’s also not like they had a movie idea and were holding auditions for the guy to play Tonto, and decided upon Depp. The thing basically started with “Johnny Depp as Tonto, and Bruckheimer as producer”, and they built the movie up from there. Depp was cast back in September 2008, well before they had anyone else cast (they didn’t have an actual Lone Ranger until May 2011), or even a finished script.
One more question, previously forgotten: How long do you expect/intend Al’Rashad to run? Are we a significant way into a fast, hard-hitting story about a particular flashpoint, or still in the setup phase of something much longer and more sprawling?
On a related note, do you think of it more as a webcomic, or as a comic book that happens to be on the web? That seems a rather silly distinction written out, but I still think of the two formats as quite distinct, especially in terms of pacing. I’d had some reservations about Al’Rashad in that veinβbut it occurred to me that I might have been taking my cues from the wrong body of work.
So many days late, so many dollars short.
Have you taken a look at the reboot of GHOST that Dark Horse is doing?
If Marvel asked you to write “WHAT IF… Anne Frank had been a Belieber??”, would you do it? And if so, what approach would you take? π
(Personally I’m torn between “Anne is ported to present-day via Dr Strange” and “Justin is sent back to WWII and tortured by Nazis”)