The Lois Lane Problem and a Superman Trilogy

So, I was talking to a couple of regular readers about Man of Steel (which I REALLY try not to do because Man of Steel is SO insanely divisive among fans, that I have talked about Man of Steel for long enough to last a lifetime) and one of the elements that seems to garner the biggest love/hate relationship with the audience is Lois Lane. I would argue that Zack Snyder introduces one of the better incarnations of the character. Granted, this one probably gets into twice the trouble of the previous one, but she tells off military officials and shoots evil Kryptonians in the face. That's pretty goddamned fun if you ask me.

But the fundamental flaw in her storyline was finding out that Clark Kent was Superman so quickly. Granted, on one hand, she did pretty much figure out who he was via common fucking sense. ("Maybe if I backtrack through all the times/places someone lifted a steel beam with their bare hands, I might just find this guy.") On the other hand, the dynamic between Clark, Lois and Superman is one of the fundamental elements of the Superman mythology. Lois' relationship to the Clark Kent persona is a reflection of how humanity views the "everyman" in comparison to Superman. People joke all the time about how a Pulitzer Award winning journalist couldn't see past a pair of bifocals, but the joke is one that I believe writers have been more conscious of than most are willing to believe. In the context of this fictional universe, Superman is considered the best, the archetype for what a superhero is. He can move planetary bodies and block bullets. Who would EVER believe that he'd want to pretend he was one of us? The thought is so ridiculous that it eludes Lex Luthor, one of the smartest men in the world. So, it's not unbelievable that it might go over Lois Lane's head.

Honestly, I think it could have been a primary element of a trilogy of movies:

Man of Steel: No forced kissing at the end. My ex and I felt weird cuddling when we found out Amy Winehouse died. I have a hard time believing there's enough adrenaline fueled hornyness between the two of them to have that spark after an entire city has been completely leveled. Keep the Zod plotline (though maybe just a little less Jor-El) except when Lois is searching for the "mystery hero" and ends up in Smallville, have the townspeople (who have blatantly seen Clark's childhood super feats) be comically unhelpful. Give two minute flashbacks for a few people she interviews where they remember that time when "someone" pulled them out of the water, or "that blur" that moved them out of the way of that incoming train. Of course, they kinda know it was Clark, but they'd never betray one of their own. Then show how they're a intricate part of the town's infrastructure and they wouldn't have been able to if it weren't for this well-meaning kid. It's stereotypically midwestern, but it manages to show off one of the things that makes him the hero he is: Superman inspires other people to be their better selves. Even when you're a jerk (maybe Pete Ross or Whitney Fordman in this case). Keep the "welcome to the Planet" ending except show more of Metropolis being rebuilt thanks to Lexcorp. Include a shadowy figure staring out the window at the restoration of the city.

Man of Steel 2 (maybe Man of Tomorrow...I dunno): Clark comes to adore Lois in the traditional way we know, but she is either oblivious or just plain not interested. Eventually, keeping the secret becomes tiresome (include some mildly comic moments of Clark using his power without being noticed) and he starts to wonder if it's time to come clean. Meanwhile, Batman comes into town for a team-up (whether he likes it or not) because Lex Luthor is up to something (a smear campaign about how we can't entrust humanity to "them"....which of course means aliens). Batman will have no doubt deduced that Clark is Superman by the end of the first act and sees him pining for Lois. There's an exchange between them where Bruce tells him that men like himself and Clark, who answer to a "higher purpose", don't have time for distractions like love and that keeping his identity a secret is for the better. Meanwhile, have Lex secretly working alongside Solaris, The Tyrant Sun (it's a good nod to All Star Superman, gives the writers an excuse to use red sun radiation against Superman AND shuts up the fan whining about wanting to see a new villain) to create some kind of "faux" machine that will solve the world's energy problem. At the end, once the day is saved, Clark tries to reveal his identity, but Lois, still oblivious, confesses an epiphany that she's doubtful about Superman being "one of us." Upon hearing this, he keeps his secret. This explores the question of whether or not people knowing who he really is would hurt his ability to inspire humanity to its true greatness.

Man of Steel 3 (I don't have another title for this one): Have Lois try to set Clark up on a date with her sister, Lucy, a slightly wilder soul who is a little more perceptive than she is as far as Clark's "convenient" disappearances go. This would make for a hilarious awkward moment where Clark is trying to explain his way out of having to go save someone. Lucy would see through all the excuses that normally work on Lois. Eventually, Lucy turns away Lois' attempts to get them together because she sees that Clark has loved Lois all this time and is too polite to say so "for some reason."

There's a few good choices for a Big Bad here. Despero, Brainiac, Darkseid (except I would honestly save Darkseid for the first Justice League movie), but I would run with Mongul, bringing his colosseum space station/planetoid, War World, to Earth in search of Earth's Greatest Champion. Superman must fight a gauntlet of alien champions or risk Mongul's superior invasion forces destroying the Earth. During his time on War World, Supes notices that the while the arena itself is a beautifully kept technological advancement like he's never seen before, the citizens outside live in terrible poverty with streets in disrepair (thus highlighting the contrast between Superman, a powerful being of human morals that never lets down the little guy versus Mongul, a powerful despot that ignores the little guy "for the good of the realm" who sees himself alone as "the realm") but looks past it at first because he doesn't want to risk the Earth in a slugfest. Of course, upon Big Blue's victory, Mongul later goes back on his word and attacks the Earth anyway. Fearing he may not come back from this fight, Superman finally tells Lois he's Superman and that he loves her "until the end of time" (another All Star reference) before flying off for a ridiculously epic fistfight with Mongul himself. The battle itself should probably reenact some parts of the Doomsday fight in the comics (without actually using Doomsday because he's the most overused element of Superman mythos except maybe kryptonite). Meanwhile, maybe there can be a scene where we see the military reports detail that there are other costumed heroes fighting Mongul's invasion forces in different parts of the world. Don't show them in full view but allude to the usages of the powers. Show Wonder Woman's lasso pulling a spaceship down into the water, the Bat-plane dogfighting in the sky or green arrows taking out troops on the ground. At the end, give us a post credits scene where Batman beams himself and Superman up to the Watchtower and then shows the Justice League in full view and introduces the Martian Manhunter who says something to the effect of "My name is J'onn J'onzz of Mars and I come with a warning. 'He' is coming."

"He" can be Darkseid. Anyway, this is just a basic outline of one way to makes Superman's identity an ongoing theme, but how to incorporate the Justice League for future movies. I threw a good amount of All Star Superman elements because I feel that, honestly, it's one of the best Superman stories that encompasses everything that makes him who he is. Feel free to discuss, approve and/or reject amongst yourselves. Just saying....the shit could work. Then again, I could be wrong.

Stuff I Read This Week 5/21/14

This week's comic reviews on Black Nerd Problems are up and available for public consumption and enjoyment. This week, I took a look at.....

Batman Eternal #7: The 52 series from some years back really put a bad taste in my mouth about DC doing weekly titles, but this addition to the Bat series has been an impressive showing so far. I will say all of this is going to read much smoother once they get the first story arc into a graphic novel collection. One complaint I had that I left out of my review is that the depiction of Catwoman was a bit exploitative (more than usual) to say the least. The gender politics of mainstream comics as whole have been questionable for a while now but DC strives to raise the bar.

Uncanny X-Men #21: Bendis' take on Marvel characters has always been divisive among fans for some reason I may never figure out, but I have been unquestionably on board for his fresh perspective on the X-franchise. In particular, this is the first time I've actually found Mystique to be an interesting villain probably since that Wolverine story where they knew each other back during the Prohibition era.

Justice League #30: DC is really hitting home runs with their depictions of notable female characters this week. And by "hitting home runs," what I really mean is shitty. Granted, Wonder Woman hasn't exactly been known for her subtlety in recent years, but for fuck's sake, this mostly awesome issue of Justice League paints her to be an unlikable bully. Other than that, I really enjoyed The Self Proclaimed Redemption of Lex Luthor. Granted, we all know this isn't going to last, but Geoff Johns is really good at making villains fun to read. So there's that.

So, I Had An Idea For DC (They Can Have It For Free)....

I realize I might be late to the party on this one (probably a side effect of not previously caring), but I was looking at my usual news sources earlier this week and came across the announcement that Jesse Eisenberg would be playing Lex Luthor in the much discussed Man of Steel sequel, Revenge of the Steel. The internet collectively had an epileptic seizure....a lot like when the story broke that Ben Affleck would be playing Batman. Then there was that hissy fit people threw when Motorcycle Girl from the Fast and Furious movies was casted as Wonder Woman ....and when sources hinted that Doomsday and Nightwing might make an appearance....or when the rumors went out that the Rock MIGHT be playing Green Lantern....or when rumor had it that Denzel Washington MIGHT be playing Green Lantern. Long story short: for a sequel to a movie that was hated just as much as it was loved (I'm in the "love" column, by the way) and hasn't even gone into pre production yet, people have certainly found themselves very emotionally invested with every step of the process.

Then, I wondered to myself about marketing. Now, I am not a promotional genius by any stretch of the imagination, but you know what would be a interesting (though not necessarily good) way to compete with Marvel's "Cineverse"? Since the public pretty much lost its shit at the mere announcement of Batman and Superman being in the same movie together, what if DC just kept doing that? Think about it. Over the years, DC has proven themselves to be a pony of few tricks (depending on how many they can successfully borrow from Marvel in attempts to be them), so it would stand to reason that if their readers are entertained by that set of logistics in their comics, they could get away with doing it with movies as well. They could totally get away with leaking alleged "details" about POSSIBLE casting choices and scripting concepts that may or may not even actually be in play.

And the greatest thing about it would be they wouldn't actually have to commit to any of these ideas because that wouldn't actually be the point. The point would be to get the nerds talking about it. See, the thing about us nerds is that even when we hate stuff, we'll discuss it into the dirt. Seriously, ask any real comic nerd to list all the things they found wrong with Green Lantern. They'll write you a book longer than War and Peace. Even if they were completely indifferent to Green Lantern, you could probably get a ten page essay just on that. That said, if you get the fans talking about the movie, whether they had any initial interest in seeing it in the first place, just start throwing about names and possible plots. We'll all start writing the movie in our heads and deciding whether the movie we just "wrote" sucks or not. And then most of us will go see the movie, but not because we're invested in the characters, but because we want to know whether we're right or wrong. If the movie sucks, it's got our money. If the movie's awesome, it's got our money and then more money from dvd sales and comic tie-ins. In other words, we'll have fallen for the trap.

I'm not sure, but I might be onto something. DC should totally give this a shot.

Why Fans Should Suck It Up About Comic Book Movies

Recently, I came across an article from a conservative blogger about how he'd elected to never spend another dime on superhero films because Hollywood, at every turn, has completely raped his childhood and made the superheroes he grew up completely unbearable and he's not going to take it anymore.  Now, I'm acknowledging ahead of time that his blog post is mostly poorly argued and unresearched (which is the most I should probably expect from what is basically the Fox News version of my own blog), but his complaints are not uncommon among the fickle and sometimes downright hateful mob that is comic fandom. Granted, I understand why people would complain that studios are better off sticking closer to the source material. After all, NOBODY wants another Jonah Hex or X-Men: The Last Stand. Still, here a few things this guy....as well as a lot of fans....should consider.

1). Faithfulness to the source material does NOT always equate to a good movie. I mean, for a commendable project that packed tons of material into a two hour movie, Watchmen was such an imitation (despite some people having perfect bodies when they shouldn't, but....Hollywood) that it was practically hermetically sealed in its original comic packaging. And even still, it was met with mixed reviews among critics and fans. Tim Story's Fantastic Four was moderately close the comic (MODERATELY...except for Doctor Doom being a superpowered Donald Trump analog) and even that was considered mainly a failed attempt.

Green Lantern pretty much hit all the bullet points required of the Geoff Johns-ified version of Hal Jordan's (except for Movie Hal Jordan being a complete pussy) origin story and yet it still managed to be chastised as one of the worst comic movies of the past five years. Also, it eventually leads to fans complaining that they're not seeing anything they've never seen before. For years, Superman loyalists have whined and whined that we haven't seen anything out of those movies (until Man of Steel) that we've never seen before ("Really, Lex Luthor again???"). Now, I think that they're asking a LOT from Superman's list of villains, but they also have a point in the fact that remaining too close to what comic fans know doesn't do anything to add to the mythology of the hero in question. Taking an entire comic book and pasting onto the silver screen doesn't always lead to success. This leads to my next point......

2). New ideas from directors have been known to enhance comic book lore. When directors are allowed to toy with certain aspects of the source material, THAT is when innovation happens. People bitch and moan about X-Men all the time. Some people don't like Hugh Jackman's Wolverine because historically, Wolverine is a short, hairy guy who likes beer. This is entertaining enough for a comic book until you realize that if you translate that same description to a movie storyboard where you have cast a REAL actor, the person you're describing is Danny Devito.

I wasn't kidding. Giant smoke kraken.

Honestly, Green Lantern could have stood some outside innovation from Martin Campbell (except maybe not making Parallax out to be a former Green Lantern turned giant smoke kraken). General Zod was essentially a throwaway villain from an obscure issue of Adventure Comics until Richard Donner brought him to the forefront in Superman II. Furthermore, even though it was always canon that he was a small town kid, it wasn't really established that Clark Kent was raised on a farm in Kansas until Donner's movie placed Smallville in Kansas. Gotham City wasn't a perpetually gray, crime infested wasteland of art nouveau and towering gothic cathedrals until Tim Burton and Anton Furst designed it that way. More often than not, it takes a movie, something absorbed by the collective consciousness (comic nerds and casual moviegoers alike) to establish baseline characteristics for a superhero or their surroundings which simultaneously why Robert Downey Jr. IS Iron Man for the forseeable future and why DC could only benefit from making a Wonder Woman movie.

3). Once a comic becomes a movie, it's not exclusively yours anymore. You know who understands concepts like this? Children. When my friends and I played make believe Power Rangers, it was easy. There were commonly six of us and there were five Power Rangers (the Mighty Morphin days....Sweet Jesus, I'm old) so, except for the inevitable argument over who would be the Green Ranger, it was simple. Then, someone else would come along and want to play with us. Now, the likelihood of them wanting to be Zordon, the giant, omniscient floating head that told the Rangers to do shit was slim to none (although, in retrospect, when I put it that way, why the FUCK didn't I ever want to be Zordon), so they wanted to be a Ranger, too. Despite there only being six Rangers, there were, of course, more than six colors in the spectrum of colors, so fuck it. Little Amy can be the Violet Ranger and she can have a giant Velociraptor robot. Peace was maintained and playtime could continue.

The moral of that little story was that when other people want to be a part of what you're into, you have to share. In this day and age, movie adaptations are ideally the sign that a larger audience (Hollywood, non comic nerds, kids, whatever) wants to be in on what was once a very niche fiction of, at it's best, a million readers. Nerds (I'm guilty of this, too) have to understand that it's inevitable that when something becomes popular enough, corporate America will create a medium where it can be consumed by anyone. This happens with rap, spoken word, art house film-making, etc. Comic books aren't immune. The sad truth is that if Hollywood can fail us by keeping Channing Tatum in movies and allowing James Cameron to make Avatar sequels, it's not too farfetched that they would fuck up Ghost Rider and Elektra.

In summary....SUCK IT UP.

Stuff I Read This Week Episode 28 or Maybe DC Will Give Kanye and Kim A Comic.....

Batman #24: As much as I disliked the idea of yet another origin story for Batman (as if there haven't been plenty already), Scott Snyder has managed to breathe new life into the Dark Knight's beginnings, giving us a much different Bruce Wayne than we're used to. Over the years, we've grown used to a young man who wasn't terribly youthful in the wake of his parents' death. Zero Year gives us an brash, impulsive hero who is far less premeditated than the once we've come to know. What Daniel Craig and Casino Royale did for the James Bond mythos is what Snyder has done for Batman here.

This issue (mostly) wraps up the threads of the first story arc that has been mainly dedicated to Batman's one man war against the Red Hood Gang. Some reviewers haven't liked Red Hood One as an opening foil for young Batman, but I think he's created the perfect dichotomy for the kind of reimagined origins Snyder wants to convey. A villain who seems to have the entire city under control through merciless resolve and meticulous plotting is the perfect challenge for a young, headstrong vigilante fighting like he has nothing to lose. At the same time, we also see Bruce learning the importance of creating a larger than life legend around his alter ego, something for cowardly and superstitious criminals to remember in the years to come.

Greg Capullo's pencils and Danny Miki's inking do not disappoint. Here we see a Gotham that resembles a flourishing city built on old money that hasn't quite had the chance to descend into madness just yet. The action scenes do a masterful job of lending themselves to the beginnings of a character creating a myth around himself. In the final ten pages, we also see a changing of the artistic guard with Rafael Albuquerque taking the helm on pencils, delivering a drastic but logical visual shift. The eerie, shady tones suit the change in narrative since we see a Gotham whose innocence is lost. In the birth of the Batman legend and the revelation of the necessity for Batman, there's no turning back for the people of the city. It's still a bit of a mystery what the end game of Zero Year is, but if we get more of what we've gotten so far, I'm in.

Bottom Line: A kinetic, exciting finish to an immensely fun story arc. 9 out of 10.

Infinity #4: We're past the halfway point of Marvel's big crossover and here in the fourth issue (of six), we finally see a turning point of sorts for our heroes. After four issues of the Avengers, the Galactic Council and Black Bolt barely holding their own against the seemingly insurmountable Builders and the mad titan Thanos, surviving through Trojan Horse scenarios and retreats, it's a welcome change of pace to see them (two characters in particular) making definitive stands, drawing lines in the proverbial sand in the fight for Earth. We also finally get a brief insight into the motivations behind the Builders' campaign through the universe. It's not quite as satisfying as what we've come to expect from Jonathan Hickman, but it serves as a decent enough explanation to keep us reading until their goals (I'm assuming) unify with those of Thanos. Also, without spoiling anything for you, this week in awesome.....Thor. I'm just going to leave that there. This issue does a much better job in offering a more comprehensive chapter that doesn't seem to need tie-ins as a supplement. HOWEVER, as I've said before, if you're not reading the corresponding issues of Avengers and New Avengers, you are missing out on some quality goddamned superheroing. After the revealed fallout of Black Bolt's actions in issue three, it's going to be interesting to see a). where New Avengers goes from here and b). the ramifications throughout the Marvel Universe as a whole.

The artwork here is still as strong as it's been throughout the series. Dustin Weaver and Jerome Opena are still delivering quality work on their respective fronts (Opena does the scenes in space while Weaver handles those that take place on Earth). Although the scenes in the hidden Inhuman city are gorgeous, the real standout treat here is how Opena depicts Thor's defining moment so far in the event. If your jaw isn't on the floor when you see one of the final pages, you don't love comics.

Bottom Line: The respective threats on Earth and in space shouldn't feel so divorced this late in the game, but still....Jonathan Goddamn Hickman strikes again. 8.5 out of 10

Superman/Wonder Woman #1: Superman and Wonder Woman being a power couple in the DC Universe is one of the most half-assed, unnecessary publicity stunts DC has ever pulled. And considering the fact that they've completely rebooted their universe at least three times now, that's saying something. There's no real point because, from what I can tell, NOBODY cares. I dare you to name three people you know that bought the issue of Justice League specifically because they heard the news that these two heroes were going to hook up. DC has gone from assuming that all of their readers are perverted 40 year old men to assuming that they're all tweens who read the Vampire Diaries.

So, of course, in the fallout of their biggest non-event, they have to squeeze a spinoff out of it the way television does everytime a Kardashian does something (or someone) else nobody cares about. Sure, there's a handful of action involving a villain that hasn't done anything of real mention since the 90s, but you have to first sit through Wonder Woman having girl talk about what a wet blanket Superman is and Clark Kent playing Bloggerman. Then, there's Clark and Diana having a date. The prevailing problem here is obvious. There is NO CHEMISTRY between these two to speak of. Their date even feels like two celebrities having lunch together as a publicity stunt very much like Kim Kardashian's month long marriage. Charles Soule is great with character development and building the contrasts between the two of them, but the whole thing is so clearly a force-fed stunt for visibility, Ryan Seacrest may as well be standing off in the distance on a red carpet asking them who they're wearing.

On the plus side, artist Tony Daniel's work looks fantastic. With the sort of costume he wears, the color palette and the size of him, Superman tends to dominate the panels they share, but Daniel draws a damn good looking Wonder Woman who occupies the happy medium between warrior and royalty. He manages to make her look like Superman's equal while still maintaining a very feminine look for her. My main complaint is the costume. For the most part, it looks really good, but why is she in HEELS again??? With the fighting she does in this issue, it just feels awkward and out of place.

Bottom Line: Despite being a good looking book, it doesn't do a very good job in dwarfing how unnecessary this hookup and, ultimately, this title actually are. 6 out of 10.

Women and Comics: Why Not Wonder Woman?

So, now that DC Comics have finally gotten their heads in the game to actually compete with Marvel's movie universe, the comic movie gods are blessing us with a long awaited team-up between Batman and Superman in Man of Steel 2: The Steel Strikes Back. Soon after, there's supposed to be a Flash movie (I called that, by the way). But what of Wonder Woman? The quest to put the amazon on a small or silver screen seems to be a neverending battle unto itself. But why? This is a character that has survived the constant evolution of comics for just as long as Batman or Superman, who have both had more television/movie properties than I care to list here. She's had a red carpet list of writers lending their talents over the years ranging from George Perez to Jodi Picoult. What's so difficult about getting translating a story like this one to live action? Torontoist writer, Christopher Bird, hypothsizes that the problem lies with that fact that there simply hasn't been a definitive Wonder Woman from which to derive a blueprint. And that's actually sort of true. Most casual fans of Spider Man can at least name a supporting cast member (Mary Jane Watson), a villain (most likely the Green Goblin) and a definitive moment that proves to shape the character (probably Uncle Ben's death). Take a minute and do the same for Wonder Woman. I'll wait....

And in this, we find the "Wonder Woman Problem." Ask ten people to name three defining things about her and they MIGHT be able to think of "amazon", "lasso" and maybe "Lynda Carter." Fortunately, the recent revelation that DC is beginning to craft its own cinematic universe lends a little more hope towards Diana finally getting a turn at the spotlight. This is exactly what the character needs because a good movie would be more likely to give us a definitive version that the mainstream (nerds and non nerds alike) can latch onto for the forseeable future like Christopher Reeve did for Superman (I mean, lets face it....). However, there are a few things any writer/director should be aware of going into a Wonder Woman project.

1). This is going to certainly come into direct competition with Marvel, who just had the Hulk and a god help repel an alien invasion and save humanity. Granted, she has come a long way from being...let's face it...William Marston's homemade "spank bank" material. However,Wonder Woman has been a reincarnated over the years as the female version of Shazam, a kung fu master, a foreign dignitary from Amazon Island, a clay statue brought to life and a demigod. No two versions of her are ever the same. Although comic readers (especially DC readers) have come to see this as just par for the course with some characters, casual moviegoers will definitely find themselves confounded looking up information on WW when/if a movie ever gets announced. If it were me, I'd go with her being the super strong daughter of Zeus similar to (I believe) Brian Azzarello's run. Perhaps, she steals her armor and bracelets and runs away to "Man's World"....which would likely equate to New York...with the belief that the mortals are worth saving. Combine that with the mythological sword/shield element and you basically have the Justice League's Thor, a slightly headstrong yet noble soul trying to defend a modern society she doesn't quite understand.

2). The villain will make or break the movie. The sad fact is that Wonder Woman doesn't have the most diverse, notorious or even compelling list of villains. I'm sorry but Angle Man? Blue Snowman? Doctor Psycho? Can you even say any of these names with a straight face? I can't. And if I can't, I know for certain the non-nerds can't.

My pick for a quality villain would definitely be Ares, the god of war. Think about this: a super strong deity who has complete mastery of any weapon he puts his hands on, can influence people to be violently malicious assholes (as if we need much of a push....I mean, just look at 4Chan), and the ability to raise the dead. How awesome would a super powered street fight be between Diana and this guy? Meanwhile, Steve Trevor would be fighting undead Amazon warriors, cracking "Diana, can you hurry up before we all fucking die" running commentary.


3). For fuck's sake, put some pants on her. It's probably one of the best ideas NBC ever had (except for the stars along the seams). For one thing, there is just no way star spangled britches look good on ANYONE in real life. I imagine this is why Marvel seems to be leaning more towards a more functional style of uniform for Captain America. It's also pretty common sense for a superhero who, no matter what incarnation you use, is usually characterized as a badass fighter. Going into hand to hand combat as often as she does without armor on your legs doesn't seem tactically sound. I mean, sure, if you believe the 300 version, the Spartans did it all the time and they were also badass sword/shield fighters....but they died. And they didn't even have to fight people with guns.

Remember when this shit tried to happen?

As a viable tv/film property, Wonder Woman IS possible, but, creatively, it has to be taken as seriously as the Batman franchise or (arguably) Superman. Although there could very well be a degree of sexism involved in studios and, ultimately, DC dragging their feet to realize this, it's a dismissive, self fufilling prophecy to say that it's not possible because "nobody wants to see a movie about a feminist superhero." Feminist narrative don't necessarily equate to bra burnings and soapbox lectures about women's rights. Despite her share of sex and mushy stuff, Buffy was, more or less, Joss Whedon's epic feminist superhero legend. Alien's Ellen Ripley is a study in feminist narrative if ever there was one. Katniss Everdeen, despite being the central character in a teen drama that is basically The Running Man With Feelings, is a popular "strong female lead." So, the only real question anyone should be asking is "Why not Wonder Woman?"

Justice League Movie: Outlook Not Good

For those of you who've asked me if I think there's going to be a Justice League movie anytime soon..... My Prediction: Maybe, but it won't happen anytime soon. Why, you ask?


-There's a big hole to dig themselves out of. Too many of DC's properties are tied with Warner Brothers in a way that leaves them just the indentured servants, working as consultants and whatnot.


-Even after they find a way out of that, they still have to start tying these characters together. Even if Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale wanted to do more Batman (which they don't), it's very unlikely that his gritty, semi-realistic style of storytelling would gel well enough that his Batman could exist in a larger superpowered community. Then again, Hawkeye exists in the Avengers, so you never know.


-The Superman franchise is still looking for forgivness. Don't get me wrong. I have complete faith in Zak Snyder's directing skills (despite wack ass Sucker Punch), but it's going to take a lot to get the taste of Superman Returns out of our mouths. You know...like maybe Superman could actually punch a bad guy at some point.


-Nobody really knows what the hell is happening with the Wonder Woman project. That makes three of your top characters that need a fresh reboot even though I don't think Batman and Superman need origin stories at this point. You would have to look far and wide for someone who doesn't know that Superman is from another planet and Batman's parents were killed when he was a kid.


-Even after you establish a contained cinematic universe for all these characters (I'd go with a Flash movie to start), it would take amnesia, an alien invasion and Oprah giving away coupons for massage parlor happy endings to make people forget that Green Lantern was easily one of the worse cinematic superhero experiences to occur in the past five years.

I'm not saying it won't ever happen, but it'll be five years at the very least!