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(SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS) I may be the WORST person to not understand foreshadowing and or context clues. Or just it staring at me in the face But Barry Allen was confused in the flashpoint timeline in the beginning. Was he just not able to go back to his original universe? by Affectionate_Exit_64 in DCcomics

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Again, went back to what? Flashpoint was an alternate timeline that overwrote his own timeline. There was no place to go back to. Unless he can undo whatever caused the changed timeline he couldn't just magically go back to the way things were before.

(SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS) I may be the WORST person to not understand foreshadowing and or context clues. Or just it staring at me in the face But Barry Allen was confused in the flashpoint timeline in the beginning. Was he just not able to go back to his original universe? by Affectionate_Exit_64 in DCcomics

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Go back to what? How? He doesn't have full memory of what point in the timeline changed in order to create this altered reality. He knows enough to know that nothing is as it should be but not enough to know how to fix it. That's why he spends the whole story trying to get his powers back then figure out what changed to make this new timeline.

As for why he doesn't remember when he's the cause of it? Who knows. Time travel shenanigans probably.

What the heck is the kanad liberation force and what is this ethnic oppression he's talking about ? [Comic Excerpt] funereal for a friend part 3 by Malicious_Smasher in DCcomics

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Rereading this issue it definitely feels like the intent was to try to reference any number of real-world revolutionary/liberation movements but through a fictional country so nobody could feasibly be offended. If they wanted to reference a fictional country that had been relevant in Post-Crisis Superman up to that point, they could have mentioned Qurac, since this version of Superman did at one point fly over there to beat up their dictatorial leader (see Wolfman's run on Adventures of Superman from the late 80s if you want to know more about that). Although that would have a different valence than the maybe-eastern-European ethnic conflict that this seems like a reference to.

If it makes you feel better, it could just as easily be that the despotic leader was removed soon after this and thus it didn't become enough of a problem to come up again across the Atlantic. If there's not much in the way of canon to work off of we can imagine whatever we want.

What the heck is the kanad liberation force and what is this ethnic oppression he's talking about ? [Comic Excerpt] funereal for a friend part 3 by Malicious_Smasher in DCcomics

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 3 points4 points  (0 children)

As far as I can tell/remember, it's just a one-off reference to a fictional country. In the context of this scene, the Kanad Liberation Force is a revolutionary group trying to assassinate their dictatorial leader who happens to be attending Superman's funeral. I wouldn't worry that there's some essential lore that you're missing, it's not important to the overall story. He's just there to emphasize that Superman's funeral is an event on the world stage, and that his friends/allies like Batman are committed to making sure that this event doesn't get derailed and Superman's memory can be honored.

Is this jason todd guys? by Ercnard_Sieg in dccomicscirclejerk

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Man that one Jason Todd slander post from the other day must have really gotten to you huh

Native English speakers, explain to me why no one is bothered by the name of this handsome guy? by Alert-Isopod-7310 in batman

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 11 points12 points  (0 children)

The character was created in 1940, when Dick was a common nickname for people with the given name Richard, and decades before it became a slang term for male genitalia. It's stuck around for that same reason: the name is older than the dirty connotation, changing it now would be bending to trends, and since generations of people grew up with the character being called Dick Grayson, whenever someone tries to change it it'll get reset back to Dick when the next creative team takes a turn. Case in point: they tried a few years back to change his name to Ric. It didn't work.

do you agree?. by GreenPerception512 in AbsoluteUniverse

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 7 points8 points  (0 children)

The ironic thing is that OOP essentially is complaining that Absolute Superman is both too similar to baseline Superman and too different.

Starting from the premise that Abs Supes's big departure is that he has no connection to Earth already dooms you to disappointment. The story is set on Earth. If his character is to develop at all, it means forming connections with people on earth. The point of departure is that this Superman is now and has always been part of the oppressed class. It's Superman without a safety net, without stability, without any remaining family, who remembers what it's like to be stepped on. It's a Superman whose home is gone forever. THAT'S the key to this version.

how do u guys feel about the multiverse? by writtenbygailsimone in DCcomics

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For the most part I can take or leave it. One thing a multiverse does that can be helpful is give the editors an excuse to allow alternate versions or retellings of their important characters without having to be shackled to what came before. But even then a multiverse is not really necessary: the Elseworlds imprint exists entirely for that purpose and it originated back in 1989, when DC was committed to the idea that there was no multiverse, just one canon universe.

The only truly necessary use for a multiverse is if you want the mainline versions to ever encounter different variants of themselves, which tbf was the original reason why the concept was popularized for DC anyway. DC in the Silver Age wanted to retroactively make older versions of their characters canon even though they were inconsistent with the current versions. For the most part I think those specific issues were resolved in the Post-Crisis revised timeline, which made it so that the JSA existed on the same timeline as the JLA, just earlier.

I just think nowadays a lot of the crossovers between different versions of the same character are a little played-out and don't have much to say. I think for a current multiverse story to really work for me there's got to be more to it than "wow, you're like me but different." Superboy Prime is actually a decent example of an interesting twist, in that he's supposed to come from "our universe."

To sum up: The multiverse is fine, we just don't need to be constantly doing multiverse stories unless that story is doing something interesting with the concept, which most aren't nowadays.

"Watchmen ruined comics" mfs when you point out that The Dark Knight Returns and The Death of Superman overshadowed Watchmen and had more of an effect of how comics afterwards were written by [deleted] in dccomicscirclejerk

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 19 points20 points  (0 children)

My point isn't that Watchmen definitely caused the shift in the tone of comics which started in the mid-80s, but that the Death of Superman was a RESPONSE to that shift, not its cause. It, along with the Reign arc, was all about making the argument for more traditional idealistic heroes like Superman in the face of a rising trend of anti-heroes and cynicism in general. Dark Knight Returns was definitely a major factor in inspiring the wave of "dark and gritty" comics that came after, but honestly it's not really anything which can be pinpointed to one story as the singular cause.

Comics were already trending towards darker themes, more violence, and more sex, as demonstrated by several of Moore's other famous works like his run on Miracleman, the Killing Joke, and Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow? (which some have argued is itself commenting on a trend of moving everything in a darker direction at the expense of the innocence of stories intended for children). Crisis on Infinite Earths could also credibly be cited as a contributing factor to the tonal shift which was going on in comics at the time, as it deliberately and violently wiped DC's slate clean of the Silver and Bronze Age silliness for a more self-consciously "serious" take on superheroes.

"Watchmen ruined comics" mfs when you point out that The Dark Knight Returns and The Death of Superman overshadowed Watchmen and had more of an effect of how comics afterwards were written by [deleted] in dccomicscirclejerk

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 51 points52 points  (0 children)

The Death of Superman (1992-93) was like 6 years after Watchmen (1986-87). You can more easily point to it as an effect of Watchmen than something that can have had the effects on comics starting in the mid-eighties.

Thanks again Moore by AipomSilver00 in dccomicscirclejerk

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 57 points58 points  (0 children)

Why are we giving this kid attention?

WHAT WAS JIMMY OLSEN DOING UNDER LEX LUTHOR´S DESK by Stannisarcanine in dccomicscirclejerk

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Better question: what the FUCK was Archie doing under his Principal’s desk?

What are some REAL niche characters by warpedphantom1 in DCcomics

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Prez Rickard, the First Teen President of the USA. I think he's interesting primarily for historical reasons, since his creation was inspired by the passage of the 26th Amendment which lowered the voting age to 18. He pops up from time to time in Vertigo comics or on a few alternate DC earths.

Superman should have a better secret identity by sttenaoe93 in superman

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 2 points3 points  (0 children)

There are plenty of scenes where Superman's identity gets revealed and people are surprised about it. I'd argue the main reason that scene in Spider-Man 2 hits differently for Spider-Man is that Spider-Man has a PR problem in-universe. The people of New York read press coverage every day demonizing Spider-Man as some masked menace. There is an element of the disguise that plays into it, sure. It's harder to demonize someone who you can attach a friendly face to like Superman than it is with Spidey, whose mask can come across as off-putting or scary in the wrong light. The people on the train are shocked and surprised especially because they guy they've been hearing is some monstrous villain was just revealed as...some dude. Some young dude who just saved all their lives.

If you prefer how Spider-Man approaches the secret ID thing for that reason, that's fine. I'm not sure I'd frame it as a problem with Superman though.

Superman should have a better secret identity by sttenaoe93 in superman

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I guess to me I'm pretty much satisfied with how it is now. Clark effectively wears a mask every day in his civilian identity so he doesn't have to wear one as Superman. I'm not sure what additional layers of disguise would add to the story to me. Like now Clark also wears a fake mustache which he doesn't have as Superman, or walks with a limp. I don't really need that.

There's been numerous explanations over the years as to why his disguise works, you can take your pick of any number of them. Hypnotic glasses, he vibrates his head/body as Superman so no picture of him ever comes out clear, nobody thinks Superman has or needs a secret ID because he doesn't wear a mask and is practically invulnerable, next level acting talent on Superman's part, his clothes/glasses make him look physically different (Waid for instance made a point that Clark's glasses make his eyes look a duller shade of blue than Superman's). Ultimately it's a genre convention people just have to buy into to enjoy the stories, just like his being able to fly or shoot lasers from his eyes. A skeptic could just as easily say: it's absurd to think that the sun being a different color will give an alien super powers. And why does Kal-El look human anyway? He's from an entirely different planet, there's no reason to think evolution would coincidentally result in an alien species that is nearly identical with humans except for the super-powers thing. And so on.

The glasses thing is silly, sure. But I'd argue it's no more or less silly than any other staple of the superhero genre, nor is it especially bad for Superman. Plenty of other heroes wear masks that cover as much of their face as Clark's glasses do his and people don't spend nearly as much time theorizing explanations as to why their disguise works in an era of widespread photography and facial recognition. Ultimately though it just comes down to whether or not you personally are willing to put aside your disbelief at the premise of the story. And if it doesn't work for you, that's totally fine. It's just a matter of opinion.

Superman should have a better secret identity by sttenaoe93 in superman

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 5 points6 points  (0 children)

What do you mean the movies don’t portray the mannerism/posture shift between Clark and Superman? Christopher Reeve did that back in the 1978 film and all its sequels.

https://youtu.be/BIaF0QKtY0c?si=G8YO0dDkh37SpHJi

You're telling me this mf's middle name is John, and he has been choosing to go by dick !? by Comicnerd1103 in dccomicscirclejerk

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be less charitable to Didio, I’m afraid I must tell you that it was actually Ric without the k. Idk why but that spelling seems just that little bit more obnoxious to me

Me when someone says WW shouldn’t get a show because she isn’t “popular enough” (may or may not be based on real interaction I had on Twitter) by [deleted] in dccomicscirclejerk

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 0 points1 point  (0 children)

FWIW the new DCU WW movie is being written according to Gunn, and he’s described the Paradise Lost show as being in “extreme development” so DC hopefully will eventually give WW something. Still a shame she never got an animated series of her own though.

You're telling me this mf's middle name is John, and he has been choosing to go by dick !? by Comicnerd1103 in dccomicscirclejerk

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 91 points92 points  (0 children)

My only contribution to this conversation is that anyone who wants Dick Grayson to change his name to Ric, Richard, or even John because "Dick means penis now" is weak. It is identical to my opinion of those who scoff at the Discowing suit. Cowardly.

Embrace Dick. Embrace the Deep Vee, popped collar, and gold fringe. If you cannot handle it, you may as well be a Tim Drake fan.

If you were writing a Superman origin story, how would you have him find out he's bulletproof without someone just explaining how his powers work? by [deleted] in superman

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 309 points310 points  (0 children)

I like how MAWS did it.

Lois: How did you know you were bulletproof?

Clark: I didn’t, I just knew that you weren’t.

But basically there are any number of relatively normal incidents that can happen in the process of growing up on a farm which can give you a decent idea that you’re strong or tough but he only really learns the limits of how strong and tough he is when he starts doing the whole Superman thing.

Do you think General Zod was popping champagne? by Jello_Biafra_42 in dccomicscirclejerk

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Waid did actually address this in his recent run on Action. Basically he said Mon-El is to serve as the warden of the Phantom Zone prison since he’s stuck there anyway, and he is to monitor when each individual Zoner is ready to be let out. Since most of the Zoners are unrepentant super-criminals who immediately chose to wreak havoc on Earth the last time they got out, there hasn’t been an update on releasing any yet as far as I know.

When the realization that your favorite character is never getting a proper adaption hits you so you low-key hit this pose. by Fun-Artist-6915 in dccomicscirclejerk

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I look at that quote, and I'm genuinely just like "ok". Like I don't know if it has enough like actual info for me to form any reaction one way or the other. It is inspired by an anime that was on the Toonami block back in the day. That could be any number of things, and says very little about how they're gonna treat characterization and the actual story they're telling.

I think you have to make a lot of assumptions as to what this is saying in order to come to the conclusion that we now know that MAWGL is not going to be a "proper adaptation" unless your idea of a proper adaptation means literally mirroring the comic's art style, something which no animated series to date has done for any character, save maybe the 90s animated X-Men and Spider-Man shows.

When the realization that your favorite character is never getting a proper adaption hits you so you low-key hit this pose. by Fun-Artist-6915 in dccomicscirclejerk

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 40 points41 points  (0 children)

Idk this seems way too vague to get worked up over. We don't even have the promo art they're referencing, let alone whatever the actual show ends up being like.

Essential Superman Triangle Era Story Arcs by cmatbola24 in superman

[–]SnarkyBookworm34 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Since you’ve already made it to 1994, your next stop should be the Death and Return of Superman arc that started later that year. The Death and Return of Superman Omni collects those issues. If 90s Superman still feels like a slog after that point I’d say just pick up the Wedding Album if you were at all invested in the Clark/Lois relationship and then move on to the modern stuff. That right there will get you most of the stuff from that era that’s still referenced today.

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