The Pitch - All Star Superman

And here we are at the end of the journey; we've done a film about Superman's morality, one about his humanity, and now, we do one about his divinity. Superman, being the creation of two Jewish American Immigrants during the Great Depression, is a prophetic figure, with more than a few elements of Moses going into him. As the writing of the character passed through more than a few Gentile hands over the 75 years of his tenure, Superman has become more associated with Jesus by many, but thematically, he has always leaned towards the prophetic more than messianic. Remember Superman is The Man of Tomorrow, the example that lights the way for us to follow, more so than the Lamb who will suffer to free us from ourselves. With this in mind, let's take a look at how Superman will die for our sins. 

To address the Kryptonian elephant in the Phantom Zone, yes, there is an animated adaptation of the All Star Superman comic, which is great and needs no replacing. What we'll be doing with our All Star Superman (in fact, I think there's a decent argument to be made that this film should have a different title, like "Superman - Son of Earth", but for the purposes of this article, I stuck with the original) is taking some of the elements and themes of the graphic novel and expanding upon them with what's happened previously. All Star Superman reads as an anthology, with Superman completing his Herculean labors in the face of impending death, which is a great framing device, but doesn't necessarily translate to film. Whilst a five- or twelve-act classical structure would work, three acts is the default for film because it works for most audiences and All Star Superman is really about hope, not tragedy. For those hoping for a 1:1 live action adaptation of the graphic novel, sorry, but that's not what I'm about. 

At the close of the last film, Superman had to part with the closest thing he would ever have to a son and Lex Luthor was arrested for crimes against humanity. As All Star Superman opens, Luthor is on trial and Professor Quintus Quintum is in a space ship heading for the sun. Our version of Quintum is a little more grounded, think a tech-sector wunderkind trying to privatise space travel, but he's still a big Superman fan. Just as Luthor is sentenced to death, an explosion happens on Quitum's spacecraft and it begins to spiral into the sun, but never fear, Superman is here! Supes rescues Quintum and crew, but as he goes back to save the computer, a secondary device detonates, a device containing Krytonite! In an instant, Superman's cells are exposed to more direct Yellow Solar Energy than ever before, increasing his powers, but also starting to destroy his body. Superman is dying. 

With help from Professor Quintum, Superman figures out that he has around a month before his body is overwhelmed with Solar Energy, we get a little montage showing off his increased strength and durability, maybe a little something to indicate that he's become even faster somehow. We're not really going to dwell on how powerful Supes is, because it's boring and doesn't matter all that much to the narrative. For the fans of the comic, we'll only really be adapting parts of the story, Lois visiting the Fortress of Solitude, Lois getting powers, the interview with Luthor, Bar-El and Lilo, and the extended finale with Superman curing cancer and fighting Luthor. Everything will be a bit more grounded than in the comic, because we're aiming for a broad audience, but I think the MCU has kind of lifted just how much people will let superheroes get away with. 

As we've already laid in Kandor, the Phantom Zone and the Fortress of Solitude, so there won't be long-winded explanations of any of those happening, this All Star Superman is almost a mood piece, a requiem for an icon. There will be action scenes, especially the blow-out with Luthor in the 3rd act, and I think it would be worth adding in some more references, like the "I feel like I live in a world made of cardboard" speech from Justice League Unlimited and "The Son becomes the Father" dubbed in via recordings of Marlon Brando, but the message is the point. We're not shying away from the ridiculous, Superman will cure kids of cancer using microscopic Kryptonian doctors, we'll see Krypto and Superman will end the film by flying into the sun to restart it. The Son becomes the father and the father becomes the Sun. 

So why make something so "out-there"? Each of the films in this series has had a point to make, the first was about why Superman is stronger because he doesn't kill, the second is about legacy and family. This film is about Superman as a secular saint. Not even kidding. Superman is the Man of Tomorrow, the shining light to lead the way, who we should aspire to become, and that's what this film is about. I hope you enjoyed this little run of articles, not sure when I'll be looking at pitching films again, but it may be a while. 

In the post credits-sequence of the film, we see Professor Quintum and his staff at the Fortress of Solitude, working at the Phantom Zone Projector. The picture on the Projector gradually clears to reveal Chris Kent floating in the void.

Superhero Media: Code 8

I had to watch most of Code 8 before I figured out what the film was trying to be, which was pretty frustrating and killed my enjoyment a little. In the not-too-distant future, people with superpowers are an oppressed underclass, forced to work insecure jobs for little pay and at risk of being arrested at any time for any reason. So is Code 8 about capitalist oppression of the working class, or the lack of rights of immigrants in the USA? Well, no. The Police use robotic drones and automatic weapons to kill renegade supers without any real oversight or jurisprudence, so is Code 8 about the militarisation of police forces and/or police violence? Also no. Although it took me until the third act to realise it, Code 8 is a small-time crime family film in the vein of The Town, but with superheroes. Now, I've long said that Superhero cinema should branch out to explore other genres, and urban crime is a really good one, given how much characters like Spider-Man and Batman engage in that world, but Code 8 just fails to be interesting or exciting. 

Conner Reed has the power to control/generate electricity, which he uses to day-labor on construction sites, supporting his mother who can freeze things and has some kind of serious but not-overly-specific illness. Accepting a job from Garrett, a small-time criminal and telekinetic, Conner soon finds himself taking more jobs so that he can get his mother the medicine she needs, but the cops are closing in and he's running out of luck. Code 8 runs pretty much the same as any of these low-key crime films, but with more spectacular fights thanks to the presence of super-powers and robot drones. The budget for Code 8 is clearly tiny, with the streets obviously being Toronto, no big name actors present and many of the effects-sequences being short and most of the power effects being reused. The cynical part of me assumes that Stephen Amell helped throw the thing together to get his brother, Robbie, more work. As far as cheap vanity projects go, though, Code 8 is not without it's charm; having something of the feel of an inFamous or Prototype fan film. 

Like many of these superhero also-rans that are popping up regularly now in the wake of the MCU's unbridled success, Code 8 has plenty to offer superhero gamers. For those who like a "grittier" setting for their games, "Vancago" works as a good stand-in for a real city and the idea of people with superpowers having to be petty criminals to survive would make for an interesting roleplaying campaign. People born with powers being an oppressed underclass has shades of many X-Men stories about it, it would certainly not be hard to marry elements of Code 8 to many of the films, or even some comics. The Marvel universe already has Sentinel Troopers and DC the OMAC Program, so supers-hunting robotic drones aren't a huge leap, perhaps one city in an existing setting introduces draconian measures in the wake of an event like the Terrigan cloud and heroes from outside the city have to work to help the newly-powered within. I'd honestly like to see more films like Code 8, but only if they tackle some of the broader issues they present; for now, this is fine to paint to, but that's about it.

From the Archives - 14

Hey, another one of these! Can't stop, won't stop.

Human Torch (Jim Hammond): Another hastily-acquired WWII character, I always intend to use this Human Torch in more games, but the opportunity never crops up. Heroclix. 

Moon Knight: On a flat base because the intention was to use Moon Knight for pulp games, I must have bought every sculpt of this character, but none of them have been great, sadly. Heroclix. 

Human Torch (Johnny Storm): The very first superhero miniature I painted, I actually used to use this for Necromunda as a Wyrd Pyromaniac. Johnny has since been repainted again to match my current skill level. Heroclix.

 

Wasp: I'm unsure if I picked this one up to be part of my SHIELD 40k project, or later as a job-lot, but I'm pretty sure I didn't order her specifically, because I had my eye on a more Silver Age version of Janet. Heroclix. 

Mokoto: I was sure I'd shown this model before, but I couldn't find it in the archive, so here we are. I have the expensive clear resin version as well to mark when she uses her thermoptic camo. Hasslefree. 

Superhero Media: Men In Black II

Yes, Men In Black II is not a very good film, I don't think anyone really wants to debate that, even if they enjoy it on some level. The setting of the original Men In Black opened up almost endless opportunity for storytelling, with a universe of colourful aliens and an international team of agents operating in secret to protect the Earth. Sadly, this is a Hollywood production, so the only option for a new story is to retread the old one. What bugs me most about Men In Black II is that there's a great cast backing up a terrible script, but they can't do anything with it, which, implies to me, bad direction and too much studio oversight. Seriously, how bad of a job do you have to do to make David Cross, Tony Shalhoub, Patrick Warburton, Lara Flynn Boyle, Rosario Dawson, Rip Torn, Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith uninteresting to watch for ninety minutes? Well, you retread the last film, including all of the jokes, and fail to innovate at all. 

There are good moments in Men In Black II, but in the kind of way that a good Saturday Night Live sketch will endure, rather than being genuinely good parts of the film. Rip Torn and Patrick Warburton are playing great characters, but their appearances are almost rendered vignettes, lest they distract from more Will Smith shtick. The hints that Zed drops about his past as an agent, sex symbol and bon vivant are more interesting than the trail-of-clues plot, and some of the guest spots from comedy actors, yes even Michael Jackson, a the only parts I really enjoyed in this re-watch. So here's my take; redo the Men In Black "franchise" as a sketch series. Not so much a television run in the vein of The Sketch Show, but something more like Amazon Women On the Moon or even History of the World Part I, where there are linking characters, but any narrative only serves to set up a running gag. 

Yes, we still have Men In Black III and MIB International to get to, but hear me out on this one. The central joke of the Men In Black series is that aliens living on Earth have the same struggles as immigrants to the United States, which is not only only pretty ripe for exploitation, but is also a safe way to explore cultural difference for comedy whist [hopefully] skirting away from racism and bigotry. The series already uses unique and iconoclastic individuals as aliens (Shalhoub, Jackson and even Biz Markie), so that's a great way to draw in guest stars for short scenes, especially those with a Sci-Fi background (William Shattner and Mark Hammil spring to mind). I don't know, I'm not really a screen writer, especially the "Late Night Comedy" format that this idea would demand, but it's a thought. Don't bother watching this again, it's not worth the time it would take.

Thinking Out Loud: Big Hero 6 Versus the 7 Guns

I really should get around to doing a "Superhero Media" on Black Summer, but for those who don't know, it's an indy graphic novel written by Warren Ellis, in which a cadre of university students develop technology to give them the super powers they need to strike back at the corrupt private police force who have a strangle-hold on their city. In Big Hero 6, a cadre of university students develop their experimental technology into superhero suits to avenge the death of their friend. Chicken and egg time, is Big Hero 6 the family-friendly Black Summer or is Black Summer the gritty and brutal Big Hero 6? Well, neither, really, as the two only have superficial commonalities, but it's kind of fun to compare and contrast the two works. For my money, Big Hero 6 is the better effort, if only because Black Summer was written as a response to the Bush Administration's handling of the War on Terror, so is pretty ranty and agenda-driven in sections. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, Ellis is better when working for a big studio, where he has some editorial oversight. 

The core concept of both works, that super powers aren't given, but are made through ingenuity and research, is one that I really like, and feel could really have legs in your own narrative, be it miniatures or an RPG. More and more school-leavers are moving into tertiary education and, in my personal experience, most roleplayers are the kind to have at least dropped out of university, if not wasted too many years on postgraduate qualifications like myself, so a game where the players start as students would have plenty of near-universal themes. This idea is a great way to introduce powers to a setting that previously didn't have them as well, as I've met a few people for whom this mechanical detail, which I tend to find rather trivial, is hugely important in designing an original setting. For a more collaborative approach, literally having the players in the group set what the technology level is and how powers work through their original characters lets people be the arbiters on their own limits. Got that one killjoy in your group who insists that one particular thing never works? Make him happy by setting that limit in the technology from the get-go. 

The options for tone in this approach should be pretty obvious, if only due to the two works I've chosen to demonstrate it. Yes, Big Hero 6 is probably a little twee and light-hearted for most wargamers and roleplayers, but I'd argue that Black Summer is probably a bit too grimdark for the kind of game I'd really want to play. The "society is so bad we need to take up arms and kill cops for justice" concept has some potential, and whilst I could see running it from an ANTIFA angle, I'd be worried that it would be like running a Vampire: The Masquerade game where the group loses sight of the intended point and just starts reveling in murder and mayhem. A balance between the kind of youthful optimism that drives you into postgrad study and the brutal reality that makes otherwise sane young people develop super-suits is pretty much were I'd want this to sit. I have no plans for any games along this line anytime in the near future, but if you decide to give it a go, please let me know, chuck a link in the comments or whatever.

Superhero Media: Spider-Man 2

Whereas I was pleasantly surprised re-watching the first Spider-Man, I began to find Spider-Man 2 a bit grating in parts. That is, of course, not to say that Spider-Man 2 is at all a bad film, if anything, it's probably technically "better" than the first one, but with the value of hindsight, it is somewhat diminished. Following on directly from the first film, Peter Parker's life is a mess, he can't hold down a job or get to class on time because of his duties as Spider-Man, is perpetually broke and even forgets his own birthday, being so wrapped up in his great responsibility. Meanwhile, Harry Osborn is obsessed with getting revenge on Spider-Man, but somehow running Oscorp even better than Norman did whilst drinking himself into familial insanity. Otto Octavius, in this version, a charismatic, chubby, "Latin Lover" type, is attempting to create a fusion reactor for Oscorp, which is big enough news for Peter to be on photographer duty, but no one makes a fuss over the artificially-intelligent quartet of robot tentacles he's using. When the experiment goes wrong, Octavius goes insane and starts plotting revenge. 

As with Spider-Man, Rami and the production crew lean heavily on Silver Age comics for inspiration, which is good in terms of short-handing, but some elements become anachronistic with close viewing. No, I don't mean that the Daily Bugle is still a big deal, newspapers were still pretty big in 2004, but there's a scene where Peter doesn't have enough change for a payphone, and one later where every student in a lecture is using paper rather than laptops. If the whole film had a matching aesthetic, it would be alright, but most of the background characters and extras are wearing contemporary clothing and New York looks like it did when the film was made. If I had to guess, I'd say that Rami and the team were working from a preexisting understanding and iconography of Spider-Man, rather than where the character was at at the time in comics. Now, there's nothing wrong with that approach, it worked for Batman in 1989 and Superman in 1978, but it does mean that you get more of a period film than may first be apparent. Superman The Movie rides this juxtaposition pretty well with the Smallville/Metropolis contrast, but Batman embraces the retro aesthetic wholeheartedly.

There are some great elements of Spider-Man 2, which really makes it a fun watch, like the train fight and Alfred Molina, even James Franco becoming goblinised for the next film. All-in, this is really probably one of the best superhero films of the pre-MCU era, warts and all. Toby MacGuire is still grating, especially in the emotional scenes, he cries worse than Deku and is clearly a decade older than the character he's playing. The showcase fight on the train between Spidey and Doc Ock is still a great action sequence, one of the best one-on-one superhero fights ever put to film, even if it gets sappy in the end; "I'm Spider-kus!" I don't think I'll be coming back to this series anytime soon, I much prefer the MCU Spider-Man efforts, not to mention that I now have Disney+ and therefore access to all of the Spider-man cartoons. Also, a friend has the Japanese Spider-Man television series on DVD, so look forward to that one as well.

From the Archives - 13

Seeing so many of these heroes that have never really seen play is making me want to run more games. Which means I need to write more character stats. Better get to it...

Batman: Picking this Batman figure early into building my Ultimate Alliance project was a pretty easy choice, the presence of the pose is perfect for the character. I went with a BTAS colour scheme, of course. Heroclix. 

Luke Cage: The factory paint job of this figure had him in pretty ordinary clothes, so I changed things up as a tribute to Luke's original costume. Heroclix. 

Black Panther: A "colonial era" version of Black Panther for Pirates gaming, where players could land on Wakanda during the big multiplayer game and get butchered. The lucky few got away with some treasure and a much-diminished crew. Converted Heroclix. 

Captain America: I started with a repainted Ultimate Captain America, but this classic costume has seen the most play in my games. You can't really top a Silver-Age Cap charging into battle, shield at the ready. Heroclix. 

Deadpool: Probably the figure I get the most comment on at events, because I went with the classic comic colour scheme, rather than the one most people are familiar with through the video games and films. That said, I painted this model sometime around 2009, so the films wouldn't be out for years. Heroclix. 

Spider-Man: I think I may be the only supers gamer who likes the pose of this figure, but I honestly find too many of the Spider-Man Heroclix to be too static for my tastes. Heroclix. 
 

Superhero Media: The Phantom (1996)

Hey, would you like a comic-accurate film adaptation, set in the Golden Age that remains faithful to the source material and tells a compelling story? Well, probably not, I'm assuming, as The Phantom, as a character, only really remains popular in Australia and some of the South Pacific, outside of a few die-hard fans elsewhere. For those fans, the 1996 film, The Phantom, is considered such a milestone classic that some fans still tout the possibility of Billy Zane returning to the role, more than two decades later. The Phantom is part of that odd wave of superhero films that were made in the wake of Batman's (1989) success, that drew on Golden Age heroes, as the rights to more popular and contemporary characters were too hard to get. Most of these films have been forgotten by all but the most tragic of nerds, but along with The Phantom, there was Darkman, The Rocketeer and The Shadow, all of which are worth checking out if you can find them. 

The film opens with a recounting of the history of The Phantom and how the line has descended to Kit Walker, then the ride starts and doesn't let up for ninety minutes. The Phantom is not high art, or attempting to be anything more than a fun, pulpy romp, and there's a fun honestly to that which really makes the film watchable. The antagonist, Xander Drax, is an industrialist searching for three mystical skulls which, when united, grant the power to  rule the world, The Phantom is on the trail of Drax and his Sky-Pirates, crossing the world in classic pulp style. Style is probably the key word for The Phantom, as a lot of thought has gone into the design, sets and locations used for the film, really evoking an inter-war serial feel and making the film a pleasure to watch, even through the goofy sequences. In fact, The Phantom, in terms of look, feel and design, plays like a trial run for the Marvel Cinematic Universe; taking the core elements of the characters and just making a good film around them. 

I'm not a big reader of The Phantom comics, but the film really does translate what I recognise, from The Phantom and Devil, through to the Singh Brotherhood and trick-shooting. Some minor changes, like Bangalla seeming to be in South East Asia, rather than Africa are pretty easy to overlook, as the pace doesn't let up long enough for the cracks to show. It's kind of shocking just how compelling a not-terribly-popular character like the Phantom can be when the adaptation is done well and with a decent sensitivity to what made the original media popular. The Phantom isn't a gritty reboot, it doesn't attempt to shave away the goofy parts of the character and it has the balls to be a Golden Age treatment. If my The Pitch articles on the Defenders of the Earth weren't indication enough, I think The Phantom would be a great opportunity for any studio looking to make a superhero film outside of the Marvel/DC paradigm. Because the character is a legacy, any film or television could be set at any time, or the actor replaced without needing a full reboot; just steer clear of making bad choices with the character and pandering to trends. 

700 Posts, looking back.

Wow, 700 posts on my little writing and gaming side-project blog, I honestly thought I'd have given it up by now. But doing this has been a good thing for me, giving me something to focus on through lock downs and breakups and illness. I really have no intention of stopping anymore, just keeping going with this as I plod through life, never being without something to do on a rainy afternoon. So enjoy a look back at the last 99 posts and scroll down for something a bit new and fun.

And one more!

Thanks for reading, see you again soon.