Comments on: Comic Critics #62!

By: T.

T. — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:54:22 +0000

Another good example, Carl. Is there an entry in Cronin’s Dictionary for these types of unnecessary explanations that no one asked for?

By: Carl

Carl — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:11:02 +0000

It reminds me of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade where they explained the “origin” of his hat, jacket, whip, scar, and fear of snakes in one flashback. The hat and jacket didn’t even make sense since he was essentially imitating a guy he didn’t like.

By: T.

T. — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:44:29 +0000

Follow-up: If the dad-death was a Johns concoction…is anyone sick of daddy-issues being the subtext for a hero?

I’m getting sick of violent trauma in general being the motivation for heroes, especially for pre-existing heroes who were doing fine without such motivation.

By: T.

T. — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:43:14 +0000

I was less annoyed by his stitching together his costume than I was by his stitching together his personality based on all the different conversations he had in the movie.

Agreed. I was including the construction of his personality in my critique.

By: stealthwise

stealthwise — Wed, 13 May 2009 03:57:27 +0000

Nicely done.

By: Jeff Holland

Jeff Holland — Wed, 13 May 2009 03:04:49 +0000

First off, I don’t want to derail what these comments should be talking about, which is that this is a consistently enjoyable strip, and – clearly – hits home for a lot of us. Fine work, Sean and Brandon. I’m so happy these come twice weekly, too. Don’t burn out, guys!

Second, to ignore what I just said: was Hal’s dad’s mid-air death always a part of his history, or something Johns came up with? Follow-up: If the dad-death was a Johns concoction…is anyone sick of daddy-issues being the subtext for a hero? I mean, there’s GOTTA be other good background tropes for a writer to toss in.

(One thing I must give Johns serious props for: figuring out a story-patch to de-gray Hal’s hair. That is really anal-retentive storytelling, but I’ll admit that as a kid, the gray streaks totally shut down my interest.)

Once again: Really enjoy the comic strip and sorry to keep asking about Hal Jordan.

By: Jacob T. Levy

Jacob T. Levy — Wed, 13 May 2009 02:52:29 +0000

By: Nitz the Bloody

Nitz the Bloody — Wed, 13 May 2009 01:39:55 +0000

” Johns has made his father’s crash a big deal for Hal Jordan. I think explaining the origin of the bomber jacket (that it was his dad’s) is okay. ”

Unfortunately, for all the good Johns did for Hal’s character by fleshing out his motivations ( and I do think Johns did a good job with that, especially in the Secret Origin story ), a lot of it worked as the kind of retroactive deconstruction parodied by Sean and Brandon’s strip. That kind of storytelling isn’t about the story so much as the agenda of the writer to justify their love of their childhood heroes in the present day. The result is annoying and self-conscious.

Note that I remove things like Batman Begins and Ultimate Spider-Man from this category, since those kinds of reboots remove what doesn’t work for modern audiences, as opposed to shoe-horning it in with heavy-handed explanations attached.

By: Rohan Williams

Rohan Williams — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:43:19 +0000

That was one of the reasons The Dark Knight worked so well, though – we knew everything about Batman, but NOTHING about The Joker. The film goes out of its way not to give him an explicit origin or explain him to death.

By: Sean Whitmore

Sean Whitmore — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:03:13 +0000

This was my problem with all of Batman Begins and parts of Dark Knight…do I really need ever last piece of coolness deconstructed and given an explicit origin and explained to death?

Begins definitely has those traits, but I’m more forgiving of them. Seeing Batman get his toys is pretty interesting in and of itself; the comics just won’t quit with those stories.

I was less annoyed by his stitching together his costume than I was by his stitching together his personality based on all the different conversations he had in the movie.

By: Ion

Ion — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:26:06 +0000

Johns has made his father’s crash a big deal for Hal Jordan. I think explaining the origin of the bomber jacket (that it was his dad’s) is okay.

By: Da Fug

Da Fug — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:24:09 +0000

Wasn’t there a Hal bomber jacket scene in Cooke’s New Frontier? Is that pre or post Johns stuff? I’m pretty sure I never read Rebirth but I know I’ve seen a bomber jacket scene.

And thanks for the good comic, guys. I enjoy the vast majority of them.

By: T.

T. — Tue, 12 May 2009 21:19:14 +0000

It reminds me of Patton Oswalt’s rant about the Star Wars prequels: “I don’t need to know where the stuff I love came from! I just love the stuff I love!”

This was my problem with all of Batman Begins and parts of Dark Knight…do I really need ever last piece of coolness deconstructed and given an explicit origin and explained to death?

By: Jeff Holland

Jeff Holland — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:35:29 +0000

Nitz:
I JUST read “Green Lantern: Rebirth,” figuring I’d give Geoff Johns another chance before just writing him off. It was at the scene that “explains” the bomber jacket that I shouted “oh come ON” at the book. Hal’s a test pilot. Why would there need to be an explanation for what seems like a pretty logical fashion choice (y’know, other to shoehorn in some good old dead-parent-trauma issues that apparently got stuck in “Flash: Rebirth,” too)?

It reminds me of Patton Oswalt’s rant about the Star Wars prequels: “I don’t need to know where the stuff I love came from! I just love the stuff I love!”

By: Tom Fitzpatrick

Tom Fitzpatrick — Tue, 12 May 2009 18:11:22 +0000

God, I’m sooooooo in lust with Bai Ling!!!

Talk about HOT!

By: Eric Grant

Eric Grant — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:49:09 +0000

I was pulled right into that thing right until the switch. Which makes this the best executed of the series so far–and I didn’t get either the Wolvie or Flash references.

By: Nitz the Bloody

Nitz the Bloody — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:47:29 +0000

Didn’t the same thing happen with Hal’s explanation for his bomber jacket in Green Lantern: Rebirth? In that case, it’s a triple-burn against unnecessary flashbacks…

By: Blackjak

Blackjak — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:35:33 +0000

Fruit of the Loom presents: SECRET ORIGINS! Part One: Josh’s Shirts!

By: Paradox

Paradox — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:32:22 +0000

I echo DanLarkin’s disbelief and annoyance.

Great strip, guys! I thought you were slipping until I got to panel 7.

By: Glen Newman

Glen Newman — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:31:15 +0000

The jacket bit in Wolverine really annoyed me, mainly because he leaves it on Gambit’s plane just before the final showdown and then he doesn’t leave with Gambit at the very end of the movie!