Off the Cuff – Edition 2

By Eric Barrett

Comics, Cartoons, and all things related

* Bear with me this week friends. I know it’s ‘National Payroll Week’ and we are all excited about that. But I have a few things to say, and then you can get back to celebrating.

* Teen Titans: As probably most of you are aware, I love the Teen Titans cartoon on Cartoon Network. It’s the attention to detail that I like the most. Don’t get me wrong; I think there is a lot of character development as well. But that’s for another column.

In the latest episode (okay, so it’s 2 weeks ago now) the Titans are reeling from being betrayed by a one-time ally and friend. Terra has joined forces with Slade and become a virtually unstoppable foe for the Titans. Part of the issue involves Terra’s transformation into Slade’s apprentice. But what I like is that this isn’t just a metaphorical transformation. No, Terra is starting to take on the appearance of Slade.

If you watch the episode carefully you’ll notice that Terra stands like Slade (arms behind the back). Her hair also covers the same side of the face as the black part of Slade’s mask.

It’s this attention to detail that makes Teen Titans consistently one of the best cartoons on TV. I for one can’t wait to see each episode. Let’s hope that the artists and writers get the credit they deserve!

* Out of all the Titans, Beast Boy is my least favorite. However, the one thing I like about him is that he seems to use his powers as creatively as another favorite superhero: Copycat. You don’t know who Copycat is? Well shame on you. (Hint: read the book Other People’s Heroes)

* Cartoon violence. Every so often ‘cartoon violence’ becomes one of those hot topics. Now I’ll admit that there are certain cartoons and comic books that are pretty violent. And in a lot of cases, the violence is more realistic using graphic wounds and blood. However, for all of you violence critics, have you ever watched ‘classic’ cartoons like Tom and Jerry or Popeye? Talk about violence in cartoons!

* Okay, so has everyone heard about the new LeBron James comic book? Well apparently Powerade and DC have decided to team up to create a new comic book. They are planning on using this comic book to launch a new type of Powerade (and people accuse Marvel of selling out).

In case anyone was wondering, the new drink is called “Powerade Flava 23”. Isn’t this a sign of the apocalypse or something?

* I was pretty hard on the whole King James comic book, so now it’s time to say something positive. This is a quote from King James himself.

“I’ve always enjoyed reading comics, so helping to create a comic of my own is really cool,” said James. “I mean ripped muscles, impossible moves, scoring at will, and beating the ‘bad guys’ — who wouldn’t want to be a heroic basketball player in a comic book?”

It’s always nice to see famous people talking about their love for our little hobby. Okay, so it’s nice to see anyone talking about our little hobby!

* Why must I always have something to complain about when I watch Justice League (now Unlimited!) on Cartoon Network? Can’t they just produce an episode that I can simply enjoy? Obviously since that is a rhetorical question they can’t.

This week’s complaint is about the nature of evil and war. The episode is a typical “can’t we all just get along” storyline. Espousing such statements as ‘education can solve anything’ and ‘if only the leaders would sit down and talk.’ These are both gigantic lapses of both logic and common sense. How many times do countries really go to war based on a true ‘misunderstanding’? The answer: not many. Did France misunderstand Germany during World War 2 when it was invaded? How did the United States misunderstand Japan when they bombed Pearl Harbor? Did the Kurds misunderstand Saddam Hussein when he was gassing them? How would ‘education’ or ‘talking’ have solved the menace that these evil men sought to create? When confronting evil in the world, you can’t talk it down. You must take action and be prepared to defend yourself.

Not even in the world of comic books does this logic hold. When’s the last time Darkseid sat down with Superman to discuss their differences? Do Spider-Man and the Hobgoblin just need to be educated about their differences? No, of course not, that’s because these villains are evil! Same as Hitler and Hussein.

Just because you are a cartoon doesn’t mean you can’t have a little logic in your show!

* I was reading a column about a New York Times columnist and her writing style. Anyway, the author of the article used the phrase “true believer” to describe the loyal fans of the columnist. I couldn’t help but hear Stan Lee’s voice..

* So originally I wasn’t all that thrilled with the “War Games” concept. But I like cross-overs (mostly), so I figured I’d give it a shot. Well turns out I’m glad I did. I’ve really liked it so far. Especially Part 1 which was in Batman Detective Comics # 797. Hopefully I’ll like the conclusion of this series as much as I’ve enjoyed the beginning. I know, I know, I’m behind in my reading – but when am I not?!

* You know what I like best out of that issue? Well after my comments of praise, it wasn’t “War Games.” It was the Poison Ivy/Riddler story at the end. It obviously ties in with the “Return of Hush” saga. But that’s not the coolest part. What’s cool is the boarder between panels that rocks! The story involves Riddler being trapped in Poison Ivy’s world….and the boarders between panels are vines! I love it! Good job creative team on that one! (Scott McCarthy; Tommy Castillo; Rodney Ramos; Tony Avina) Nicely done gentleman.

* If you’ll allow me a little StarGate: SG1. I love this show – can’t get enough. Anyway, one of the things I love is the recurring characters. They will often kill a good character. (They kill a lot of characters in this show – it’s almost as bad as being a Red Shirt in Star Trek). But because of the sci-fi nature of the show, they can work these characters back in for an episode or so. So far, I haven’t thought any of the ‘resurrections’ have been cheesy. After all, this is no Superman’s alive type deal. These individuals remain dead in the ‘real’ world, but they can come back in an episode due to holograms, alternate dimensions, and robots. Good stuff.

* Does anyone else wonder what happens to the people in the background of a comic book fight? For instance, in She-Hulk #5, Southpaw (great name) smacks Nova through a minimum of two buildings. Very cool effect. But how many people die because of that? This has always disturbed me.

* While on the topic of She-Hulk. I think it might be the best written Marvel book on the shelves. Certainly at the top. But then you already knew that. Right?

* One more: She-Hulk is one of those books that makes you wish you had picked it up earlier than you did.

* Robin #127: Scene: Bat Cave. Mood: Pensive. Batman is thinking about his next move. Robin is eating her dinner. Naturally she becomes thirsty and reaches for a drink. Well, when you drink in the Bat Cave, apparently you only drink from the Official Bat Water Bottle™. Complete with Bat-Logo of course. A little Adam West-ish, no?

* The character ‘Berndard’ from Robin sounds like he’s seen one too many Michael Moore movies with all of his Batman conspiracy theories.

* All right guys (and gals) see you in 2!

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