San Diego Comic Con 2013 wrapped up and it has take a while to sift through everything that was released and to try to come up with any Supergirl news that came out of this huge event. There really wasn't much.
This year also marked the 75th anniversary of the Superman character which meant a lot of attention was given to the character. And, perhaps, the biggest Superman news that came out of this event was that the next Superman movie will actually be 'Batman/Superman' and is actually rumored to be 'Batman vs. Superman'.
So I will bring up the Supergirl news briefly, provide some links, and then rant about this movie decision. So be aware, a rant is going to happen.
One thing that I absolutely love is that Molly Quinn, who did the voice of Kara in Superman:Unbound, has become a tremendous proponent of the character. Quinn was on the stage of the Superman 75th Anniversary Celebration panel with such major names as Henry Cavill, Grant Morrison, and Tim Daly. Here is Newsarama's coverage. And here is the quote from Quinn who sounds like she has become a Supergirl fan.
Quinn calls Supergirl "such a complex character," and "every day I discover more and more about her, even when I'm not voicing her. I'm thinking about her. She's a character who really sticks with you. And I love her."
I love that! I hope Quinn gets the opportunity to play Supergirl again sometime and somewhere.
As for the comic, not much true news was added. Writer Michael Alan Nelson was part of the Superman The New 52 Era panel. Here is Newsarama's coverage of that panel. Unfortunately, most of what he said was stuff that we already knew.
And here is what we learned:
Over in Supergirl, Kara is trying to stay alive while Brainiac and Cyborg Superman are battling over her. "If you think you know who Cyborg Superman is, you really don't, wait till you see the New 52 version here," teased Berganza. Nelson, meanwhile said she has a major decision to make, "if she can have everything she ever wanted - but at great cost, would she do it?" and he really doesn't know what he'd do in the situation. Kara also sees her mom in the preview pages, perhaps teasing who Cyborg Superman is.
I do wonder what link Alura has to the Cyborg, if any.
And as far as I know, that's it for Supergirl stuff. There was a statement that a female artist will be on a Super-book soon. With Mahmud Asrar leaving, I wonder if this new artist will be on Supergirl. Nicola Scott? Emmanuella Lupaccino?
So the big news was Zach Snyder dropping the bomb that there won't necessarily be a Man of Steel 2. Instead the next movie will be Batman/Superman. Lots of places cover the story but here is the Wired article.
The announcement was made while a line from Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns boomed over the speakers. The line: “I want you to remember, Clark, in all the years to come, in your most private moments, I want you to remember my hand at your throat. I want you to remember the one man who beat you.” In fact, there is a rumor that the movie will be called Batman vs. Superman.
I think this makes little sense unless you think that this needed to happen to make a Justice League movie become a reality quicker. And I don't know if that is a good reason.
You see I had major issues with Man of Steel. Major issues. And while I don't want to pick at the scabs, let's boil it down to the ending ... the destruction of Metropolis and the killing of Zod.
But I held out hope that maybe ... maybe ... those issues would be discussed or rectified in the sequel. I thought Superman might come forward, say that killing Zod effected him greatly, how he now recognizes even more the sanctity of life, the need to protect people. I thought there was a chance here to answer for the ugliness of the end of the movie. And slowly, people begin to fully accept Superman, be inspired by him. All of this would lead to a confrontation with Luthor who continues to see Superman as a threat. In the meantime we see more of Clark, more of Lois, more of the Planet.
DC must realize what a hot-button issue the death of Zod was. How controversial. And they could answer that with hope, a turn to the light. They could make Man of Steel 2 feel like a Superman movie.
But instead, they make it dark again, an implied battle between the heroes. And even if that is overdone ... even if the two almost immediately become friends and work together, it still robs the movie of being a Superman vehicle. The presence of Batman means some of the story has to be Batman's. We won't get all the Superman things we didn't get in the first movie. Will we actually get a Superman who is a symbol of hope, an inspiration, someone dramatically effected by what happened to Metropolis and Zod? Will we see more of Clark? More of Clark and Lois?
I know I am getting way ahead of myself. Maybe everything I want will be there. But this just felt like a '2 for 1' special to bring the JLA movie that much closer. And that means we get less Superman. And more Batman. As if we don't have enough Batman already.
Oh Grant Morrison. You saw the future.
9 comments:
"let's boil it down to the ending ... the destruction of Metropolis and the killing of Superman."
Is this a Freudian slip or intentional?? I think it has validity!
Pretty much agree. I don't want to feel that way, as I really wanted to be really hyped for a team up film. I just think a proper sequel would be in order first. More time for a focused characterization and further mythos building, and on top of that the extra added bonus of having more time pass before you recast Batman. It just feels like rushing. I get this picture of Marvel running in a comfortable stride many yards ahead, while WB is sprinting at break neck speed just trying to get within shouting distance.
That's just how it looks to me. Thankfully in the end, it doesn't bother me all that much as when it comes to superheroes I will always care far more about their adventures on page than the ones on the screen. I hope it works out, I really do. I just don't know. WB hasn't really earned much benefit of the doubt when it comes to capitalizing on DC's characters. But I'll hope for the best.
Definite Freudian slip Saranga, since corrected.
It is funny that I wrote that!
Rushed is a good word Jay.
I agree that the Dark Knight trilogy with Bale should have had more time to breathe before a 'new' Batman was brought out.
I was looking at Batman/Superman as a lead into JL as well. I'm looking at it as Batman saw the destruction and power the first "Super" or meta-human possessed and is looking to stop him. That or he's pissed that they blew up his Satellite. I think it also gives a good opportunity to introduce Lex and he and Bruce probably know each other.
I think we'll see Bruce Wayne and Lex Luthor team-up to make the Kryptonian answer for his crimes. Works for me.
Well that is DC motif, whenever Kal El and Bruce "team up" it's means Superman is about to be jobbed out to Batman AGAIN.
Just like Supergirl got jobbed out in the H'El Saga, the shoe hurts when its on the other foot don't it??
But in a larger sense other than Batman which one of DC's many properties is properly launched as a live action franchise? Answer NONE of them! Every time DC has infallibly chosen the wrong script, the wrong actors the wrong director every GD time. Does anyone here really think if they were truly satisfied with "The Man of Steel" they'd be retreating to the Batcave for the second movie? I hope Brandon Routh is laughing his ass off right now...they don't recast the role a third time THAT would be an admission of failure...and DC never ever fails does it??
But in a larger sense this is clearly bad news for Supergirl fans, it signals a lack of faith in the Superman mythos of which Kara is an integral part. I doubt we will ever see her on the big screen again in our lifetimes, and with this dubious crew in charge I'm not sure I wanna lose my nostalgia for Ethan the Gardner, Bianca and Selena High Priestess of Endor.
JF
As for a Supergirl movie, one blog was titled "Superheroes who don't need their own movie" and listed Supergirl first, saying that Supergirl would need to prove herself in a supporting role in another movie like the Justice League movie. Now, that is not good news.
WB and DC so very badly wants a BILLION DOLLAR super hero movie notch on their belts. They want it to be oh'd and ah'd over by the fans, have the critics love it, the type of movie people talk about for several days in great detail of it. MOS severely lacks this from the fans and the critics.
So why is WB and DC doing the Superman/Batman movie? IMHO they have NO faith in the next MOS movie and NO faith in Superman.
Two links important this is: http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=superman2012.htm
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=avengers11.htm
Compare DC's MOS to the Marvel's The Avengers
MOS started out like a young stud rearing right out of the gates and six weekends later it is on the ground huffing and puffing like a really out of shape guy and he isn't even to the halfway point.
In so many ways MOS is half the movie the Avengers was when you go ONLY by the box office receipts.
MOS 6th week US and FOREIGN gross is just over $635+ million compare to Avengers $623+ US total gross alone.
Compare MOS to the Avengers, on the 6th weekend out, it made under $2 million dollars at the box office and came in 15th place and 3/4's of its theater showings.
While Avengers made almost $9, was in 5 place and still had little more than half of it still in the theaters.
Most fans and critics of the Avengers loved it. Many loved the warmth, the fun, how easy it was to understand where the characters were coming from without ever reading their series or seeing the previous movies. How HUMAN they were showing the best and worst in them all.
While MOS kept the audience at a distance, cold, so very little fun, Superman and everyone around him kept their distance from each other. Slamming the fans with how non-human, how alienated Superman is from the est of humanity and being HUMAN himself.
Is it a real wonder why Superman is fading away so fast right of the theaters so fast? Who knows maybe withing a month from now MOS will be on it's last legs and gone by Labor Day.
IMHO DC wants a BILLION DOLLAR super hero movie real, real bad and think taking a shortcut by forcing in Batman will guarantee it since it is a well proven movie franchise.
Do I hate MOS with my entire being? No. I simply dislike it and have so-so feelings about
it.
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