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Raf
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I'm slightly behind on Gotham because the Mrs got bored with it partway through

last season, and only catches updates when convenient. So, I haven't sat down

to watch this week's episode yet. (I'm behind on Supergirl also, and next

week I will be out of contact and will briefly fall behind on everything for

most of the week. Just FYI.)

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I don't think Gotham should be on at 8 pm. It's an ugly violent, hateful show that's seen by a lot of kids, who in my opinion, should not be watching. It's a Batman show, even without Batman. For myself, I find myself more depressed than intrigued by the thing, though I think the future Catwoman is cute, and I can see that kid becoming Batman.

Supergirl is a little heavy on the female empowerment focus. You're writing your own story, you'll be saving the man of steel before it's over, yadda yadda. I like the woman playing Supergirl, but am finding myself bored after three episodes. With this show and Gotham, I could write paragraphs on what I think they get wrong and right from my perspective, , but will leave it at not understanding what they have against yellow or unmuted red and blue. Supergirl would look perfect with a few color adjustments on the costume.

I am getting to like the Flash a lot. I wasn't crazy about the team of techies at first, but they've grown on me. The Jay Garrick crossover was brilliant (I'm coming, I'm coming, indeed). The teaser for next week with Gorilla Grodd crashing into the frame has just about won me over to this show.

Haven't seen enough of Arrow to comment, but suspect it is much like watching the Flash in tone and structure. It still amazes me that Green Arrow has his own tv series. I doubt he is using a boxing glove arrow, though I'd be more inclined to tune in if he did.

That's my twelve cents, which was what comics cost soon after I started buying them. That two cent increase from ten cents seemed traumatic at the time.

Edited by hiway29
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I hadn't given much thought to the Gotham time slot, but you make a good point. (Even worse, it's on at 7 PM in my time zone.)

Arrow is a bit darker than Flash, but still a lot cheerier than Gotham. Oliver doesn't have a boxing glove arrow, but he does use some trick arrows (EMP, gas, rope).

After "Man of Steel," I suspect that bright colors (and yellow in the "shield") are gone forever. (I did enjoy the sequence where Kara tried on a few alternative costumes.)

FYI, I started reading comic books in early 1962, just after the price went up from 10 to 12 cents. As I recall, they stayed there until about 1968, and then stayed at 15 cents until the early-mid 70's. After that, all bets were off. Now comics cost anywhere from 2 to 5 dollars (with graphic novels, etc., costing as much as 25 dollars). It's a shame that kids can't afford comics, anymore.

George

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It's just as well. The comics aren't written for kids anymore.

They're secondarily for purchase, primarily for advertising products

for merchandising (toys, cartoons, movies, shows...)

As for the feel of the shows, Flash is brighter, like classic Superman,

and Arrow is darker, like Batman.

DC is going to have to actually LISTEN to the fans before Superman

can be a BRIGHT hero of HOPE again. That may take a long time and

cost them a lot of money first.

In general, we don't want our kid watching "Gotham" regardless of

when it airs, so I agree about the time-slot. It's solely for adults

and is grim and gritty.

BTW, Ollie DID use a boxing-glove arrow ONCE. In the Wildcat story,

he was in a gym. He stuck a boxing glove on an arrow before firing

it a short distance. He's used some kind of bola-arrow recently.

I'm waiting for Ollie to make some of his super-spicy chili.

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It's just as well. The comics aren't written for kids anymore.

I'm not sure which is the chicken, and which is the egg. Are comics today more adult, because only adults can afford them; or are they priced higher because of adult content?

I just ran a back-of-the envelope estimate on what a 12-cent, 1965 comic would cost, assuming a doubling every ten years (roughly 7% inflation): five doublings (to 2015) equals 32, so the comic would be $3.84, not that out-of-line with current prices. 6% inflation (doubling every 12 years) would give a price at about $2.00. My weekly run to the comic store costs me about $45. That was about a year-and-a-half's worth, in 1965. (Of course, the higher expenditure is due not just to higher prices, but also to the much greater number of titles I now purchase.)

George

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I think the price is what they think the market would bear.

They're not targeting kids because it's about MERCHANDISING now

as much as anything else. Who has all the money?

To some extent, they're targeting teenagers and 20s.

(A lot of the X-titles and new characters pander to a

left slant. That appeals to youths more pretty much always,

and has the advantage of making the comics more "inclusive"

(of those who claim exclusion the loudest, at least.)

There's a small subgroup targeted towards older, old-school

comics geeks, which explains why they keep retconning progress

in characters like Hal Jordan, Oliver Queen, etc.)

If you're targeting a handful of fans who want their characters

preserved in amber and spend handfuls of money on them,

then you're going to preserve the characters.

I expect kids can watch the cartoons, and then get the toys,

but the comics may be a bit inaccessible to them right now.

(My opinion only-you're free to disagree as always.)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, I'm going to make my comment about Gotham, now. Hopefully, WW isn't more than a week behind.

So, Galvan has evidence of the Waynes' killer, and offers it to Bruce in trade for Bruce's company.

So, why didn't Bruce (or at least Alfred, for crying out loud) ask Galvan why he wouldn't turn the evidence over to the police or, for that matter, give it to Bruce for free? He (Galvan) was painting himself as this noble savior of Gotham city; but this act alone would show that he isn't.

George

PS My DVR didn't pick up Supergirl last week, and my lady-friend backup either missed it, too, or deleted it. I'll try to find it on the internet, so please try not to give spoilers. If I haven't seen it by this time next week, go ahead and post.

Edited by GeorgeStGeorge
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The only thing I will say about Supergirl is that they aired last week's episode out of order. It was supposed to air this week. But the episode slated to air LAST week hit a little too close to home after the Paris massacre.

So Thanksgiving came a little early to National City.

Also, HELEN SLATER!

She's so pretty.

Anyway, anything else would be a spoiler.

I'm ALMOST caught up on Arrow, and while I appreciate that they have to expand their universe after introducing the Flash, I do miss the gritty "this can happen in the real world" tone of the first season. Now we have the Lazarus Pit and the creepy corpse thing (which we knew had to happen because, crap, she's in Legends of Tomorrow).

In the most recent episode I saw, Felicity is getting text messages she can't explain (with hit-me-over-the-head-with-it hints that the messages are coming from a still very much alive Ray Palmer, who also HAS to come back because Legends of Tomorrow).

I like Brandon Routh. I think his Ray Palmer is loads of fun.

Expect to be caught up in a couple of weeks, but not in time for next week's crossovers.

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I'm current with Flash until this week. I'm 1 week behind in Arrow and Gotham, and a bit more with Supergirl.

1 week on Agents of SHIELD as well. The jumbled order of the Supergirl episodes will mean I will

have some trouble watching the last one quickly (the one moved back a week.)

As for the Flash, I'm wondering if Johnny Chambers himself will show up on an Earth,

or if we've already seen the closest I'll get to him.

(Speaking vaguely to avoid spoilers.)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Let me know when we're ready to discuss this week's episodes.

Not a spoiler: Vandal Savage is the villain of this week's crossover episodes of Flash and Arrow. I wasn't overly tickled, but I did like it.

Based on the old Justice League cartoon series (well, not THAT old), I thought Vandal Savage would make one hell of a movie villain for a Justice League movie. The Legends of Tomorrow series ought to be good with him as the main antagonist.

...

Anyone see the trailer for Batman v Superman that was just released. I liked it. And DOOMSDAY! Oh MAN! I hope they don't screw that up.

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I taped Flash and figured I would tape Arrow and watch them together. Unfortunately, my DVR screwed up and didn't get Arrow. Fortunately, my lady-friend "backup" got them, so I'll see them on Saturday. I did see Supergirl, Gotham, and SHIELD.

I've seen photos of the movie Doomsday. I've seen comparisons to an Orc and a Ninja Turtle. :lol:

George

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I watched the second part of the Flash-Arrow team up, but I'm still one episode shy of being completely caught up on the Arrow series.

The Flash episode was better than the Arrow, and I'm not sure how you guys are going to react to the Arrow episode. Personally, I think they made a storytelling blunder that just came off as lazy. Not bad. Consistent. But come on.

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I watched the second part of the Flash-Arrow team up, but I'm still one episode shy of being completely caught up on the Arrow series.

The Flash episode was better than the Arrow, and I'm not sure how you guys are going to react to the Arrow episode. Personally, I think they made a storytelling blunder that just came off as lazy. Not bad. Consistent. But come on.

The "deus ex machina"?

Yeah.

When I was tabletop RP'ing superhero games, I had some characters who COULD

time-travel, but I never just used it to reverse the outcome of gameplay.

It felt like cheating.

And my excuse was that tampering with space-time was dangerous.

In fact, we had pretty consistent discussions about whether I SHOULD.

We once flattened the GameMaster when he overheard one argument about it at full speed, in character.

"You've gotta do it!"

"I don't want to wreck the space-time continuum! The consequences could be disastrous!

I could wake up nude in the trunk of my car with my keys up my @$$!"

"If you do, we'll pull you out!"

THAT'S when the GM collapsed with laughter.

I also thought the final ending was cheating.

BTW, Mrs Wolf and I thought that Kendra's idea should have been discussed.

If Savage would have died off if he wasn't able to complete his cycle,

then deny him the cycle and pick up a century later, once he's dead.

And I liked the little mention of "nth metal."

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I did like the scene where all the heroes stood together after beating Savage. It just had a nice, comic-book feel. It reminds of a similar scene in "Smallville." The best example, so far, though, was in the first Avengers movie, when all the Avengers were standing briefly together in a circle, facing outward, before heading off to fight their individual battles.

What did Malcolm say when he scooped up the Savage-dust? I couldn't make it out. What's he up to?

George

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What did Malcolm say when he scooped up the Savage-dust? I couldn't make it out. What's he up to?

George

""*mumble* *mumble* "

Translation:

"Your hate will be everlasting.

Your emnity will never die.

It will follow them through this life,

into the next, and the next.

You owe me one, buddy."

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