Damn you, Marvel! Damn you, DC! + Serioius Questions About Silly Shit

 It's not easy being a comic book fan, particularly if you're me.  Look, I don't know why, but I tell you this: if I really love a title, it is officially on the chopping block.  Don't believe me?  Just ask the green She-Hulk, the Thunderbolts, the red She-Hulk, or Hawkeye, among others.  Now, Marvel is apparently ready to pull the plug on my favorite title and their most underrated hero, Iron Fist (again), and DC is poised to do likewise with what may very well be my second favorite title (and the only book of theirs that I follow), Swamp Thing.  Bonus points: Spider-Man (my favorite superhero) is finally going to get involved in the film side of the Marvel universe and there are reports that his skin color is about to change.  Let me repeat: it's not easy being a comic book fan, particularly if you're me. 

No Iron Fist title?  Why?  This run has been marked by a gripping story paired with the most sensational art gracing the shelves of your favorite comic shop in 2014 and 2015, both courtesy of Kaare Andrews.  If this title truly ends with issue #12, we riot--or something.  Bitch and moan, most likely.

No Swamp Thing?  Jesus, DC, does everything have to be a Batman book?  Seriously, we can produce 718 Batman stories a month, but I can't chill with Swampy?  If Swamp Thing ends at issue #40, we riot--or something.  Yes, probably just more bitching and moaning.

And now for the powder keg: a black Spider-Man?  First off, this could mean that we're getting Miles Morales.  I don't want to see Miles Morales hanging out with the Avengers.  I don't like Miles Morales.  I like Peter Parker.  Peter Parker is Spider-Man.

No, you're not.  Shut the fuck up, Miles Morales.  Grown people are talking.  I like you about as much as I like the Ultimate universe version of Galactus.  Seriously, I'm a Marvel fanboy, and guess how many Ultimate books I follow?  None.  Zero.  Zilch.  I don't like that shit.  I like the originals just fine, and I'd rather read something new than read something that fucks with the original shit.  Which brings us to the the next paragraph, the one that may piss people off.  Maybe it should and maybe it shouldn't.  I honestly don't know.

So, here goes.  What if it isn't Miles Morales?  What if it's just a black Peter Parker?  Am I a racist because I don't really like that idea?  Okay, first off,  I think I'd rather have a black Peter Parker than Miles Morales, but I'm not 100% sure.  It's hard to choose from two things you aren't really keen on with any confidence.  Truthfully, I like the idea of fucking with Peter Parker about as much I like that Ultimate line bullshit.  Do I think that's racist?  No, I don't.  Not even a little bit.  Guess who would be bitching like crazy if they dropped a white Blade on us?  This guy.  White Luke Cage?  Me again.  I don't like the idea of tweaking stuff in that manner--and that would go for race or sex.  Seriously, a male Storm?  I'm not hearing it.  Deadpool as a chick?  Nope.  Black Widow as a dude?  Can that noise.  I wouldn't like any of that shit.

At the end of the day, I don't know if it really makes a difference or not, but I don't like it.  I know that.  I wouldn't like it if they moved Peter from New York to California.  I wouldn't really like it if they made him blonde.  I wouldn't be cool with it if he became an actor instead of a lowly photographer.  I didn't like the Andrew Garfield "cool outsider" approach as much as the Tobey Maguire "straight-up geek" approach because one didn't feel genuine to me and the other was what I grew up reading.  How much does any of this shit really matter?  Could you stay true to all the things that make Spider-Man so entertaining if Peter Parker was a black actor who lived in California?  Shit, I don't know.  If I'm keeping it real, though, I don't want to find out.  Maybe I am being silly.  Maybe it doesn't matter at all, but if you're going to adapt something to the screen, why not be as faithful to the source material as possible.  Is that racist?  Is it pointless?  Again, I don't know.  Who has the definitive answers when it comes to this kind of stuff?

I will also note this as today's blog winds down: you may have noticed that I pointed out that Iron Fist and Swamp Thing are my favorite titles while Spider-Man is my favorite character.  That may seem odd, but it's true.  Why is that?  Well, as much as I love the character of Spider-Man, his popularity has essentially turned his comics into a never-ending series of publicity stunts over the years.  I'm sure that this approach has been very profitable for Marvel, but as much as I love Spidey, it has made it hard for his books to keep up with the freshest material hitting the shelves every month.  I only point that out because it may figure into this whole "black Spider-Man" debate.  It feels distinctly publicity stunt-esque.  Once again, I bet it would make money, but as a fan I'm far more interested in seeing a good movie or reading a good comic than knowing that Marvel made mad loot.  I'm pretty sure Marvel's making mad loot any way it goes.  Seriously, those motherfuckers probably came out okay with the Elektra movie.

As always, maybe I'm wrong, and if I have offended anyone, well, tough shit.  Some of you people offend me with the way you get offended all the time.  We need open conversation in this society a lot more than we need delicate motherfuckers who are always getting offended.  I'm just asking questions.  Are they serious questions?  Perhaps, perhaps not, and if they are serious questions, they're serious questions about silly shit.  If you have the answers (or think that you do), please share them with me.  Would Spider-Man still be Spider-Man if he was a Canadian Mountie (as opposed to a Jamaican Mountie) who lived in Winnipeg?  Does anyone out there really like Miles Morales more than Peter Parker?  Why can't I have my Iron Fist and my Swamp Thing comics? 

Why does Justified have to end?

Justified Keeps Getting Better and Better

Man, I love Justified.  For those of you who know me well, this is old news.  For those of you who don't, it's probably hard to grasp.  I'm not really a big TV guy unless it's football season, and then I'm mostly there for the NFL.  On average, I follow maybe 2 or 3 shows, and there have been numerous points in my life when I didn't follow any.  I love movies and I read like it's something I'm paid to do, but television has always been the red-headed stepchild of my entertainment family.

And then there's Justified.  I'm a big Elmore Leonard fan, I love Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins, and this show has thrilled me from the very start.  Picking my favorite season would be like trying to pick a favorite child.  In some way, shape, or form, each one is my favorite, and thus far the fifth season has been no different.

As we head toward next week's finale, I've never been more excited to see what comes next.  Justified has mastered the art of wrapping each season around one big story and telling a multitude of little stories along the way.  The way the characters and their relationships have evolved and the way the show has managed to add great talent to the mix each and every year is nothing short of remarkable.  I think the series is positively golden, and I can't recommend it enough.

Much of this is old news, I've praised the show frequently before on a number of platforms, and this isn't the first time I worked to spread the Harlan Gospel with my blog.  I just want to make sure everyone understands that this love story is really no different from my marriage to the most wonderful woman on the planet; I'm still head over heels in love, I'm still being surprised and thrilled every step of the way, and I'm always eager to tell someone about my joy. 

Justified, where the good guys aren't all good, the bad guys aren't all bad, the outcome is never predictable, and the dialogue is impeccable.  I firmly believe this is the best show ever, and I can't wait for next week's season finale.  Forgive me, however, if I'm trying really hard not to dwell on the fact that the next season will be the last season.

Could this be the best season of Justified yet?

Last night, FX gave us another thrilling episode of Justified, and I think this fourth season has been a joy to watch thus far.  Is it possible that we're watching the best season yet of perhaps the finest show on television?

There are a number of things that make Justified special.  The show's ability to tap into Elmore Leonard's world and deliver the riveting characters, the thrilling plots, and all the action and humor that make Leonard the foremost crime writer on the planet are a major asset to the program.  Star Timothy Olyphant was made for the role of Raylan Givens, and Walton Goggins is also a perfect match for his part, that of Raylan's old pal/nemesis Boyd Crowder.  Crowder was originally slated to perish in the series premiere (the character did meet his end in Leonard's short story "Fire in the Hole", which served as both the inspiration and the pilot for the series) and the decision to keep him around has paid dividends for FX.  The way these characters relate to one another and the situations the show puts them in have cemented Justified as top-tier entertainment, but there's more to it than that.

The setting is critical, the supporting cast is outstanding, and the various guest stars (many of whom starred alongside Olyphant in HBO's supreme western series, Deadwood) always bring a lot to the equation.  The show has the look of a feature film, the soundtrack is on point, and each season has done a splendid job of focusing on one big story while telling a multitude of smaller ones.  In truth, each season has been a terrific success, and I don't know how I would rank them.  Yet, at present, I'm tempted to say that this fourth season has been the finest.  Where will it take us, and how it will measure up to its predecessors when all is said and done?  Well, that remains to be seen, but I'll be sure to weigh in when we get there. 

What I do know is this: Justified may just be the best show on TV, and this fourth season may be the best.  If you're not watching it, you should be.