Thoughts on "Crisis on Infinite Earths" CW miniseries" -- Very inclusive of the DC 'Multiverse'

(Spoilers below, if you haven't seen "Crisis")


AS TV goes, the CW's "Crisis on Infinite Earths" saga is about as good as it gets. Reasonable special effects, good storylines and attention to detail are all evident in the miniseries.
My only complaint is that with one swoop the series deflated the bubble on the decade-long "Smallville" TV series.
It was great to see "Smallville" incorporated into the series, but the scene of just a few minutes made a mockery of the show and what it espoused.
So, Clark Kent takes 10 years to accept the status of hero and of Superman in the TV series, only to throw that all away in less than nine years? Yes, that's what the "Crisis" showed. I would have thought of a much better way to include "Smallville" in "Crisis," than basically throwing it into the junkyard.
Apparently the show's producers thought that was a natural way to portray "Smallville," since that Clark Kent was at home on the family farm. I disagree. 
(One report was that this was about the only scenario -- being powerless -- that actor Tom Welling would come back to do. So, which is worse, a powerless Clark Kent, or a different actor in that role?)
But it appears that one of the "Batwoman" show writers (who also used to write for "Smallville") made the suggestion of a powerless Clark Kent. As awful as the "Batwoman" series is, that pretty much explains where that terrible "Smallville" idea came from in "Crisis."
(As bad as the "Batwoman" TV series is, if it is renewed for a second season, then the CW is poor at judging success.)

-And, perhaps the Smallville event IS NOT as it seems?
One of the first things I noticed in the Crisis segment about Smallville was that Clark Kent was wearing a watch with a blue face, that stood out way more than it should have. Is that a reference to the watch having blue Kryptonite in it?
In Smallville, Blue Kryptonite takes away super-powers, but only while it is near a Kryptonian. Remove it and the super-powers come back fast. That's more acceptable if that is indeed what happened in Crisis. Yes, Clark's powers are gone, but he can get them back fast, if he is needed for a crisis.
This "easter egg" is probably just a little too hidden by the writers, who should have made this more obvious to average viewers  ....

I also did not like the old Batman portrayal in the "Crisis" either.

On the positive side, the "Kingdom Come" version of Superman was nearly perfect. Superb attention to detail there and homage to the big screen TV Superman was excellent. In fact, that part was as good as the "Smallville" portions were bad.
AND IN part three of Crisis, it was pretty clever to have Lex Luthor take the place of this Superman at the Vanishing Point.

All, in all, just tackling the "Crisis on Infinite Earths" saga for a 5-hour TV series is a challenging undertaking and after watching just two of its five hours, it appears to be a big success.

Is Supergirl more powerful than Superman?

IS Supergirl more powerful/or stronger than Superman?

No, the very idea goes counter to the standards of the universe.
Although there was a time in DC Comics that Supergirl appeared stronger than Superman, it is only on the CW TV shows, where this false idea rules.

Men are naturally stronger than women. That's a fact when you look at any world records, regarding strength, power or speed.
Kryptonians would be no different.

Also, Superman has spent much more time on Earth, absorbing more yellow sun radiation than Supergirl.

The CW show, "Supergirl" simply goes out of its way to demean Superman and make him less powerful.
This was very evident in the network's December of 2018 crossover event. Superman was all but worthless in that series. All he did was serve as a punching bag and he added nothing to the plot.

(And, my prediction is that if any hero dies in the sequel to that CW crossover in December of 2019, "Crisis on Infinite Earths," it will Superman, not Supergirl who perishes.... as it was Supergirl who died in the original comic book series of "Infinite Earths.")

Doctor Who: The Return of Doctor Mysterio -- Superman BBC style

THE annual Christmas Day (2016) "Doctor Who" special on BBC was surprisingly loaded with Superman and Man of Steel references.
Not only was the show centered around a super-hero, but I counted many references and similarities to Superman in the program.

Titled, "The Return of Doctor Mysterio," producer Steve Moffat made it no secret that this special was his take on super-heroes, particularly about Superman. His "superman" was called "The Ghost."

The Doctor Who Christmas specials are also more humorous than the regular series and this one was no exception. Doctor Who is, in a way, his own variation of a super-hero, so this plot worked smoothly.

Any serious Superman fan -- even if they have never watched a Doctor Who before -- will not want to miss this show, also playing in a limited number of theaters on the big screen.



BELOW is a list of the Superman similarities I noticed in the show -- and they include SPOILERS, lest you read further below ...........

1. There's an early reference in a corporate setting to a Siegel and Shuster (creators of Superman).
2. There's a female reporter, Lucy Fletcher Lombard, in the show. Steve Lombard is a womanizer in Superman lore and apparently is too, as he left his former wife.
3. Lucy is an obvious reference to Lois Lane's sister,
4. There's a rotating globe on top a business building.
5. The show takes place in New York City (a Metropolis).
6. At one Point bullets bounce off "the Ghost" the super-hero, who flies and also has a big chest emblem.
7. The Ghost's powers come from the stars, kind of like Superman's.
8. At one point Lucy and The Ghost fly off together over the city, reminiscent of "Superman the Movie."
9. The Ghost also has super-strength, X-ray vision and super-hearing.
10. The Ghost has a secret identity as a mild-mannered nanny, named Grant.
11. At one point in the show, Doctor Who is reading an actual Superman comic book. Later, a reference is also made to Spider-Man.
12. Grant wears glasses in his civilian identity.
13. Lucy interviews the super-hero on top of a tall building rooftop.
14. Lucy asks the super-hero, "Do you have a girlfriend?" (Both reminiscent of "Superman the Movie.")

-All-in-All great fun -- and Doctor Who is eventually shown to have been the one who created "The Ghost."

-There are lots of non-Superman references too, as Doctor Who is mistaken for Santa Claus at one point.

-In the end, Doctor Who makes it clear that The Ghost should retire and that he is Earth's protector, not The Ghost.

-I couldn't tell if DC Comics or Superman showed up in the show's credits, as BBC America made them so small in side window at the end ...

-I surmise the "Doctor Mysterio" title is a reference to next season of "Doctor Who," where he moonlights as a college professor.

Don't Judge a (DC Comic) Book by its Cover ....

DC Comics has been putting way too much effort into its comic book covers of late (fall of 2016).
They often have 2 covers for one single regular comic book issue.
Also, the old adage, "Don't judge a book by its cover" also applies heavily of late to DC Comics.
DC isn't paying enough attention to its inside art or storyline.

EXAMPLE: I purchase "The Flash" No. 9 issue, solely based on the great cover artwork. I should have looked inside. The artwork inside was way sub par, almost bizarre in nature and the story not so great either.
A total waste of $2.99, except for the cover.

Lois Lane dies ...

DC Comics has quietly killed off Lois Lane --- yes Lois Lane.
Admittedly, there were two Lois Lanes in Superman comics at the start of DC Comic's new reboot, as were there two Supermans too.
Then, the younger Man of Steel died.
I was personally looking forward to the surviving Superman having to deal with two Lois Lanes -- the one he was married to and the other one, who worked at the Daily Planet.
When the other Superman died, The unmarried Lois eventually gained powers similar to Superman's.
A new comic book, Superwoman, came out and there was a super-powered Lois.
However, she got sick and died in issue No. 2, meaning a super-powered Lana Lang was really the actual Superwoman.
Kind of disappointing that all doppelgangers are now gone .
AND, the surviving Lois has assumed the Daily Planet identity of the late Lois Lane and works there now ...

DC fails to bring back the pre-52 Superman, the real Man of Steel

DC Comics promised to bring back the pre-52 Superman when it rebooted its universe this year, but so far it hasn't happened.
From a lack of oxygen weakness, to simply not being strong enough, this current Superman is not up to power levels.
In fact, he is more like the less powerful John Bryne Superman of the 1980s.
Why is DC afraid to bring back a strong Superman?
In recent stories, Superman has had trouble breathing and surviving at the Earth's core. He didn't fare well with Doomsday's return and he simply isn't magnificent or powerful enough to deserve the title of Superman.
DC editors -- please conference with your writers and fix Superman, as promised ...

Supermen on the Hollywood Walk of Fame ...

SADLY, the rest of my family petered out after only traversing a few blocks on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on August 10, 2016 ... I would have walked many more blocks.
Still, I was fortunate enough to see the George Reeves Star, as that late actor was the TV Superman I grew up with.
Also, they was at least one man dressed as Superman on Hollywood Boulevard, though he seemed to purposely turn every time I tried to take a quick photo of him. (He was hanging out with "Zorro.")
I have no doubt that Christopher Reeve and other "Supermen" have stars there too, but you'v got plan on a lot of walking and time if you want to see them all ....

Is a dead or dying Superman the ultimate storyline for the character?

IS death the granddaddy story plot for Superman?
DC Comics and Warner Brothers seem  to think it is ....

SPOILERS ahead ....


If you watched the movie "Batman v Superman," you know what happens.

Also in April of 2016, DC is killing off Superman too.

In the JLA Comic No. 8, that I thought was outside the regular DC Comics continuity, Superman is shown as dead in the last panel. His battle with Rao was too much. He had suffered broken ribs, a ruptured spleen and collapsed lung.

Then, the same month in Superman Comic No. 51, Superman is shown to be dying.
His triple whammy of exposure to the firepits of Apokolips, being temporarily powered up by kryptonite when he was powerless and his battle with Rao is slowly killing the Man of Steel.
So, the JLA stories are IN the regular DC universe then?  (That doesn't even add up!)

Anyway, DC -- first you take most of Superman's powers away last year and now he is dead or dying --- what's next? A plausible resurrection?

This Superman dying thing has been overdone as it is.
Please DC, come up with some new twists.

Superman's most under-used power?

WHAT is Superman's most under-used power?
I'd put money on super-speed.

Almost as fast as The Flash, Superman rarely gets enough mileage out of this power.

In the "Batman v. Superman" movie, I think I saw speed used once, to save Lois Lane. However, why was his great speed not used to dive on the bomb in the movie and save many, many people?

AND, why should Superman get hit by every punch a villain or monster throws, or by every bullet or blast, when he could dodge some of them?

What good is super-speed if you rarely use it?

--A LIST OF SUPERMAN'S POWERS:

1. Super strength
2. Flight
3. Relative invulnerability
4. Super speed
5. Heat vision
6. X-ray vision
7. Telescopic vision
8. Microscopic vision
9. Super breath
10. Super hearing

Did I miss any?

'Batman v. Superman' review: Dark, serious and steeped in comic book lore

Batman v. Superman is certainly no Marvel movie.

This dark and violent movie is steeped in DC Comic book lore and is in no way suitable or relevant for children, age 10 and under.
(I still saw 4 or so such grade school kids sitting through the sparsely populated showing I went to.)
My college son had some serious plot questions after the movie's ending -- proof that no grade school kid is going to make sense of it, or perhaps even enjoy it.
(Admittedly, only my 50-plus years of DC Comics experience and of having every Superman comic since 1960 allowed me to make full sense of the movie ...)
DC Comics has decided to make its movies dark and serious and in that vein, they are far different than the bright and sometimes funny films that Marvel produces.
Indeed, the mounting death count in this movie could not be kept up with, same as in "Man of Steel." 
This movie is in a world of Superman where he actually can't save everyone, as he often does in the comic books.
Notwithstanding, "Batman v. Superman" is finally the first Superman movie after "Superman II" in 1982 that hits the bull's-eye. 
While I gave "Man of Steel" only 2 out of 4 stars, this movie was far, far better. Sure, there are some little things I would have done differently in the film, but this is certainly a 3.5 out of 4 star movie -- and any critic who blasts the film was probably expecting another "Marvel" type of movie, of just wanted to downgrade what they could not understand.
The vast majority of critics seem to hate this movie, but they had it all wrong -- This is a great action-packed movie for grownups. I just don't think the critics switched from a Marvel to a DC gear when they saw the movie!
The only big fault of "Batman v. Superman" is that it is perhaps too steeped in comic book lore for the average movie goer.

-Ben Affleck nailed the Frank Miller "Dark Knight" version of Batman almost perfectly.
-Henry Cavill continues a steady portrayal of Superman-Clark Kent, same as in "Man of Steel."
-Jesse Eisenberg doesn't overdo it or overact his Lex Luthor role. He plays it to a "T" the insane criminal Luthor version.
-Yes, I was hesitant to accept Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman, but again she does very well acting and even physically gets by OK.
 -- There is action galore in this movie and so much of it -- especially in 3D IMAX -- that your mind is kind of knocked silly at times with an overabundance of violence.
The film is a good introduction to future Justice League, as well as Wonder Woman movies.
-You also can find great movie bargains out there too -- I paid just $5 to see the movie in IMAX 3D on a Tuesday, just 5 days after it premiered.

NOTE: Lynn Arave has written professionally about Superman since the late 1970s in college. He reported on Superman for the Deseret News newspaper (Salt Lake City) from 1984-2010. He had a letter published in a Superman comic book back in 1967, when the Man of Steel raced the Flash for the first time. Lynn was also written into a Superman comic book story in 2008. He has interviewed Christopher Reeve, Jack Larsen and some DC executives/writers over the years, as well, being in Washington, D.C. for the 1987 premiere of
"Superman IV" and a Smithsonian exhibit on Superman.


----------------------------------------------------------------------------


--If you've already seen "Batman v. Superman" and/or want some spoilers and more discussion, read down below, beyond the Superman photo for that ------

NOTE -- SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!


1. Yes, Superman dies, that's what happens when he meets Doomsday.
I would have rather had Superman and Doomsday duke it out umtil both perished, but instead a Kryptonite spear did Doomsday in and Doomsday's bony appendages speared Superman fatally.
Will Superman stay dead? No. Batman's strange visions of the future and a little dirt on the casket moving prove the Man of Steel will be resurrected.
(In the comics, Superman resurrects and eventually so dos Darkseid.)
However, will Darkseid somehow be involved in his revival? Superman appeared to be under Darkseid's control in those future visions ....
(Who is Darkseid? He is the original Thanos and created first as an ultimate evil in the Universe.)
2. The Flash seems to be the one giving Batman these visions. He has periodically been a time traveler with important news in past DC Comics stories.
3. Jimmy Olsen dies early on in the movie. 
Apparently, there were too many characters for movie producers to deal with. So, this "CIA-operative" Jimmy died a quick death, likely unnoticed by the average movie goer.
4. Darkseid is obviously the big villain in the fall of 2017's first Justice League movie. His "Parademons" were shown in the movie, as well as his Omega Symbol and some ancient portrayals in artwork of this "New God." Darkseid obviously invades Earth and only the Justice League can stop him.

OTHER QUESTIONS:
-Pa Kent, who died in "Man of Steel"  made a mysterious showing in the movie. How that was possible was not explained. Again, will deleted scenes show the how?
-How the State ended up with an empty casket, while the Smallville funeral had a real body was not explained either. General Zod's dead body from "Man of Steel" ended up in government control and so why not Superman's corpse? More deleted scene fodder here perhaps? (In the comic books, Superman always tries to make sure the government doesn't get any tech or equipment or bodies from Krypton, but if this movie had done that, there would have been a different story here ...)
-One of the little things that bothers me is how they can't seem to get Superman's cape right -- there should be an "S" symbol in that, same as on the Man of Steel's chest. Why is that so hard to do?
-Also, Wonder Woman in his Diana Prince identity was shown to be flying on a commercial airline. What about her Invisible Jet? Might it show up in some deleted scenes too?
-Zack Snyder got tons of extra mileage out of both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent having a mother with the same first name -- Martha. That word becomes the most important one in the entire movie. That was a nice touch and akin to Snyder's excellent tinkering in "Man of Steel" to make the "S" symbol really a family coat of arms from Krypton that just happens to look like an English "S."
-Perry White was all too forgiving in letting Clark Kent get out of his assignments. (I was in newspapers as a reporter for 40 years and never once had that kind of freedom/flexibility). But, at least newspapers in the movie were accurately pictured as struggling for both readers and income.
-There's also a spray-painted Robin suit in the Batcave, an obvious reference to the Joker killing a past sidekick, but which one?









  

How come the movies can't get Superman's cape right?

                            How Superman's cape is supposed to look ....

MOVIES are mostly fiction and so are comic books, but why can't today's Hollywood even get Superman's cape right?
There is supposed to be an "S" symbol on the cape, right along with the Man of Steel's chest.
How can directors/producers/writers miss that?
Why is that so important?
That "S" on the cape is majestic, colorful and further identifies Superman in an ever brighter, more hopeful manner.
Superman movie writers ("Man of Steel" and "Batman v. Superman") must want the Man of Steel to be darker and less colorful.
The 1970s-1980s Christopher Reeve Superman movies got the cape right.
It is this darker version of Superman that doesn't do the character justice.

                             A second comic book example of a correct cape.

-EVEN my extended family gets the cape correct. My granddaughter is fascinated with Supergirl of late and her mother used one of my old "S" emblems to create a great super cape (see below). Now that's cool and how the cape should be!

DC's "Convergence" is a real treat

DC Comics has a landmark two-month new series running, "Convergence," during April and May of 2015.
This series brings together all past "imaginary" stories, alternate universes and many "Elseworld" tales, as if they are all REAL.
From "Kingdom Come" and its Superman to many pre "52" universe stories, this is worth a look.
Some stories move slow, but it is a kick to see so many alternate characters abandoned, or only briefly used, returning.
The only other downside is that there isn't space to truly develop and explore these alternate characters and worlds.

Justice League 3000 finally takes off ...

PATIENCE sometimes does pay off in comic books.
So, I keep buying DC Comics' "Justice League 3000" (now "3001") for over a year, wondering why I do it when the storyline is so limited, lame and unimaginative.
I'm talking 13 issues for $2.99, or more than $39 wasted?
However, in February, issue No. 13 comes along and wow, the comic finally hits its stride.
Spoilers ahead!!!!!
From Sinestro to Lois Lane to Darkseid, the story finally shows some excitement.
(The story previous added the original Blue Beetle, Booster Gold and Ice to the story with little thrill.)
I still might give away issues 1-12, but this is great news!!!!
Also, I'm still not fond that the Superman here can't fly and seems to be pretty powerless, hardly deserving the Superman title, but at least the story is worth a read now ...............
UDPATE: Now "Supergirl" has shown up in Justice League 3001, so its twists continue.

The best Lois Lane actor?

I grew up with the 1950s "Adventures of Superman" George Reeves TV show.
Recently re-watching all of them again for the umpteenth time still yielded some new revelations.
The BEST Lois Lane for me is none other than  Phyllis Coates, who only starred in the first season of the series.

She was the most pretty and talented. No one, believe me, no one, could scream like her and she was impulsive and spirited.
Too bad, she had already made a commitment for another show, before the second season of Superman came along. (In addition, too bad she's only in ":black and white" in these early shows.)

-Also in one of those early 1952 episodes, it was the "Monkey Mystery" or the "Broken Statues," that is the only one where you see a Daily Planet Newsroom. 
Otherwise, it was always as if Perry, Lois, Jimmy and Clark were about the only employees in that large Daily Planet building/operation.

-In addition, I noticed so clearly a "Stunt double" for George Reeves in the "Mind Machine" episode that it was unbelievable. So, you've got to not look too close -- especially on those early episodes. At least they had great background music.

DC Comics/Warners Brothers: Fire All Your Movie Advisors and Start over!!

I watched "Captain America The Winter Soldier" movie. Yes, it is a 4-star production and was even better than "The Avengers," because it kept me guessing. 
I am probably an oddity, because I recall throwing around my mother's cast iron garbage can lid back in the mid-1960s, imitating Captain America. Few knew who Cap was back then.

-However, I still can't understand why DC Comics/Warner Brothers won't wise up and create their own master movie plans, like Marvel.
DC's live action movies seem to be on a "plan as we go" scenario.

"Man of Steel," though better than "Superman Returns," could have been much better -- if DC paid more attention to detail, like Marvel does. 
"Superman" had little awe factor in "Man of Steel" and having so many other Kryptonians around on Earth in his reboot debut was a very poor plot choice.
(I could have written a much better movie plot ...)

The last two Batman movies were just too dark.

I'd like to be hopeful for the 2016 "Batman-Superman" movie, but given DC's track record at the theater, they'd have to fire all their past advisors and start over.

DC/Warner Brothers needs one special panel or board to plan and oversee all their movie projects.

How DC can do so well on animated movies and so poorly on live action movies is also a paradox they need to examine.

New '52' falls short

It has now been about two years since DC Comics unveiled its "New 52" line.
It was a complete re-start for the company's comics.
After these two years I've noticed that the comics I found the most compelling, the most action-packed and most imaginative, were NOT part of the main '52' line.
It has been a consistent for me, that the best stories -- especially for Superman comics -- are coming from outside the standard "DC Universe."
From "Adventures of Superman" to "Batman Beyond Universe," that's where the premier stories have been.
The "Superman," "Action," and teamup comics with Superman and Wonder Woman or Batman are not measuring up.
The new villains they have are lame, the stories lack majesty or even a spark of hope.
"Forever Evil" is too lengthy and too focus-less.

-Hopefully the return of Doomsday will spark some new excitement in the DC Universe.

'Adventures' No. 8: Best Superman Comic in years

The "Adventures of Superman" comic, No. 8 (January 2014), is simply the best Superman comic book in years.
Ironically not a part of the DC's vaunted "52 universe," this story shows great imagination, action, art work and is a comic any Man of Steel fan will want to read over and over again.
I never saw the ending coming and it was never boring.
Well worth the $3.99 price.
Compliments to Marc Guggenheim, Joe Bennett and Belardino Brabo -- keep it up!!

'Man of Steel' DVD/Blu-Ray: Lackluster Product

OK, I received a DVD/Blu-Ray of the "Man of Steel" movie for Christmas and was grossly disappointed in the product.
ZERO, yes, NO deleted scenes whatsoever were included in the video.
WHY?
I feel shortchanged and ripped off.
I know there were at least six deleted scenes from the theatrical version and so why were they not included as a bonus?
This omission will make me think twice about purchasing a DC Movie  product in the future.
To be blunt, deleted scenes are one of the main reasons I ever purchase movie DVDs.
I'd give DC back all those boring documentaries about the making of the movie, etc., on the DVD just for one deleted scene!

Amy Adams was in Season 1 of "Smallville"

I'm slow on this ... but I just got around to watching my "Smallville" series collection on DVD.
I was surprised to see that in episode No. 7, "Craving," that Amy Adams played an overweight student who used liquid kryptonite to help herself lose weight.
Adams donned a fat suit for some of the episode.
She also became a vampire of sorts, sucking fat out of animals and people.
She made a pretty lame villain, but in the end, Clark Kent saved her.
This episode was in 2001.
Who knew that in 2013, Adams would play Lois Lane in "Man of Steel"???????????

Grade A-plus: Superman 75th Anniversary Animated Short

If you haven't yet seen the Superman 75th Anniversary animated short, you definitely need to.

I've viewed it 6 times already and pick up some new little tidbit each time, as the 2 minute and 14 second video is packed with history, some that only veteran Superman fans will notice.

So, perhaps you need to see it again and many more times ...

Why can't DC make its major motion picture super-hero movies with the same care and superb quality? One can only wonder as DC beats Marvel in the animated movies, but not the big screen.

Also, I find it striking that what would have been my FIRST choice for the villain in last summer's "Man of Steel" movie -- Darkseid -- is the finale to this short history (and Zod is nowhere to be seen)!

To see this amazing video short, go to:
http://www.dccomics.com/blog/2013/10/15/the-superman-anniversary-short-75-points-of-annotation