An Alternate Reality: I saw Gotham's Doom...

The Doom That Came to Gotham is DC/WB's latest Batman, animated (Elsewhere) feature. It pits the Dark Knight against Lovecraftian lore, with dashes of Faust and Constantine for devilish measure. More so, it's a tale that claims that sons must pay for the sins of their fathers, but at what cost to their morality, let alone their souls?  

The gnawing apologue comes from a 2001, graphic-novel trilogy, by Michael (Hellboy) Mignola and Richard Pace (with artwork by Troy Nixey and Dennis Janke), which takes place in an undisclosed, alternate-reality year in the 1920s. The animated feature was adapted by Mignola, Pace and Jase Rici and directed by Sam Liu and Christopher Berkeley, who merge H.P. Lovecraft's The Doom That Came To Sarnath (and smidgeon of The Color Out of Space) with Talia al Ghul summoning dark forces to resurrect her fanatical father, Ra's al, in hopes of tearing "irredeemable" Gotham down. 

The story starts with an investigation of an Oswald Cobblepot, Antarctic expedition, conducted by Bruce Wayne and his Robin variants, which includes the diligent Ka Li Cain. The gang deduces that the expedition's catastrophic aftermath, flanked by killer penguins, sprung from a fit of madness, though in truth, it's the consequence of a long interred curse. 

The curse is, in fact, the result of Cobblepot, Thomas Wayne and other Gotham founding fathers having fiddled with The Necronomicon to strengthen their teetering city, but as with any Faustian pact, there's a catch, and now with the passing of years, the repercussions of the reckless entente come to light, unleashing a tentacled monster, The Lurker at the Threshold (a modified Yog-Sothoth, derived from August Derleth's Lovecraft homage), foreshadowed by Daitya, Talia's hulking, volcanic pawn. 

As Wayne/Batman investigates the terrifying signs, other characters reveal the complexities of the curse and how such fits into its frightful web, including Mr. Freeze (shivering in a whole new way, despite his established, icy condition); Kirk Langstrom (Man-Bat, if only in mind); Harvey Dent (made a mayor, though plagued by a ruddy rash); Poison Ivy (zombie-fied, but strangely fetching); Jason Blood (the two-fisted Etrigon); Killer Croc (a would-be Resident Evil recruit); Barbara Gordon (a super-charged Oracle); James Gordon (sporting a Teddy Roosevelt scowl); Alfred Pennyworth (still faithful to the hilt); Lucius Fox (still erudite and astute); and in a twisty, John Barrymore-esque turn, Oliver Queen, who steals the show when he suits up as the knightly Green Arrow.   

Though the characters may possess quirks unique to this parallel path, the story often leans on tested tropes, including the assault on Thomas and Martha Wayne (though this time murdered by blade, not bullet), and the establishment of The Bat Cave, which Pennyworth coins " the wine cellar" (a nice home for a neato, steampunked Batmobile). The Ra's al Ghul element isn't much different, either, even if it slithers from another angle, acting as a means to purge that which was meant to be good, but has soured over time. (What unfolds, however, is much more dangerous than in any previous Ra's al Ghul/Talia/Bane attempts to annihilate the eminient city.) 

Though it eventually becomes clear why Bruce Wayne must take a personal interest in his city's demonic infestation, it's tricky to justify why he must perish (sacrifice himself) for the misguided act that his father (and others) committed. He does his best to avoid his reputed fate, but then Wayne/Batman isn't one to bemoan his circumstances. He acts upon the task at hand to help one and all, but in this instance, does he deserve the blame or the trouble? For anyone who's been told they must suffer the consequences of others' crimes (whether in recent years or centuries past), The Doom will prompt frustration and maybe along the delineated course, pathos for a dilemma that burns at both ends. 

With that said, The Doom is a worthy watch, if only for the deep (if not uncomfortable) contemplation it inspires. In other words, it stands as one of Batman's most profound submissions, even if its rationale may prove problematic for some. 

TERRIFIC TEAM-UP IMAGE: AQUAMAN & GREEN ARROW: DEEP TARGET #1 (INHYUK LEE)

TERRIFIC TEAM-UP IMAGE: AQUAMAN/GREEN ARROW: DEEP TARGET #4: (MARCO SANTUCCI)

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 80TH, OLIVER QUEEN & ARTHUR CURRY

 

GODSPEED, DENNIS "DENNY" O'NEIL...

You were instrumental in carving the Caped Crusader's modern path for such dynamic DC entries as Batman, Detective Comics and Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight. 

Ra's al Ghul, Talia al Ghul, Azrael, Leslie "Lee" Thompkins and Richard Dragon sprung from your genius, while you gave a significant, hip edge to the Joker, Two-Face and Jason Todd.

Green Arrow, Green Lantern, the Justice League, the Question and, Doc Savage also benefited from your writing prowess. To boot, your Superman vs Muhammad Ali epic emerged as the greatest of all one-shots. 

Within the Marvel Universe, you wove terrific tales for Spider-man, Daredevil and Iron Man, while helping create such energetic entities as Madame Web, Hydro-Man and Lady Deathstrike.

On television, you were every ounce as prolific, supplying scripts for "Superboy", "Batman: the Animated Series", "G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero" and "Logan's Run". 

You were perpetually insightful, diverse and meticulous, Mr. O'Neil, a wordsmith whose imagination redefined a new, comic-book era and whose presence will continue to influence for decades to come.

CW's Superheroes/DC's Decline

As autumn beckons, my mind turns not only to crusty leaves, crisp air and pumpkins, but to a new batch of CW's DC/WB superhero shows. Alas, as was the case last year, my faith wanes.

The good vibes started to subside a few seasons back when "Supergirl" joined the CW camp. Contrary to the smooth way the show played on stodgy CBS, things got mighty unorthodox on what many presumed was a more fitting network. 

For starters, bad became good, and good became bad, without a smidgen of ironic justification. James Olsen took pride in slanting news reports; Supergirl gushed over a parallel-plane President, despite the woman's flagrant insincerity (why, oh why, couldn't Lynda Carter have won a more respectable part?); and well, you get the dreadful drift.

It didn't take long for "Supergirl'"s stain to infect the other shows, in particular "Legends of Tomorrow". Though the White Canary-led jaunt retained its "Doctor Who" ambiance, its reinterpreted (and therefore, inaccurate) historical staging became more common than sporadic. 

Crackpot history wasn't CW's only DC misstep. The shows' soap-opera trimmings tiered to a nauseating peak: "The Flash" took delight in our hero's sexual relationship with his "sister", and "Arrow'"s focus fell on sappy squabbles and strained relationships. When scripts did tap some needed virility, it was generally penitentiary-based, pushing most traces of time travel, alternate realities and the need to snuff out corruption and deceit to the back burner.   

Please don't misunderstand: I've no objections to planting plebeian seeds within a fantasy plot line, but dear Lord, it's got to be within reason. When episodes of "Supergirl" catered to dating pursuits and wedding bliss (no matter if the participants were "diverse", "straight" or you name it), I took issue. Leave that fluff stuff to "General Hospital" and "Love of Life", not comic-book adaptations where mad scientists, rampaging robots and verbose apes should occupy the adversarial spotlight.

Okay, perhaps there's still a chance that these disconcerting intersections will lose favor among the execs. "Black Lightning" looks like a great way to set things on course, but considering the other series' track records, how long before it also stumbles? The same might be said of Batwoman, Lois Lane and Dreamer's anticipated intros: sensible, maybe, but if their actions are gimmick-driven, cloudy or (like CW's infrequent-flying Kal-El) designed for shameful defeat, why the bloody hell bother?

Indeed, the current situation leaves DC's followers little reason to feel confident. WB's theatrical scene continues to be hit and miss, with matters now further complicated by Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill's departures. In addition, though the DC/WB's direct-to-disc, animated features have proven exemplary, they come way too few and far between. Then, there's the much hyped, DCEU subscription service, which promises to deliver new cartoon and live-action shows in the near future, but it'll cost $75 a year to test its uncertain waters. Ouch!

Despite these good and/or bad insinuations, it hurts to see DC's most prolific, filmic strand go the Disney/Lucasfilm route. Perhaps the reverberations from "Star Wars'" backlash will rattle CW's leadership enough to reinstate the programs' earlier formats, while WB gets its other houses in order. That's probably too much to ask at this far-gone point, but then if worse comes to worse, we still have Fox's "Gotham" and SyFy's "Krypton" to lean on, right? On the other hand, considering the troubling way things have been going, dare we be so certain?

CW's DC Crusaders Return, But Oh! How The Mighty Have Fallen (An Editorial Lament)

Betrayed! That’s how I feel by last season’s CW superhero shows. How, you might ask? Well, here's the rundown...

First off, “The Flash” was more soap opera than classic DC. It's bordered on such during past paths, but Season 3 took it to a whole new, humdinger level. Sure, the season had some admirable moments, particularly whenever Gorilla Grodd made the scene, but otherwise its momentum was smothered by Barry Allen (Grant Gustin)’s salacious obsession with his adopted sibling. Damn it, why can't he just love Iris as a sister? The two may not be blood related, but all the same, the psychological and environmental ramifications of their coupling causes me discomfort, and from what I've read and heard, I ain't the only one ridin' that righteous train. 

We can only hope that Season 4's character redesign ("reborn/recharged", as CW proclaims) will get us closer to, not farther away from, Allen's better qualities; if not, perhaps the producers would be wise to abandon this current incarnation and transport us back to John Wesley Shipp's '90s universe, or at least some modernized extension of it. That particular CBS version never once strayed from the straight and narrow, and that's precisely what this current show desperately needs--the damn straight and narrow.

While "Flash" slipped significantly from its once noble standing, “Legends of Tomorrow” actually improved on its second run; of course, Season 1 left much to be desired as it wrestled to find its time-travel footing, sometimes seeming more like a "Doctor Who" wannabe than its own thing. 

What improvement Season 2 gained stems from Dominic Purcell’s dry-humored portrayal of Mick Rory/Heat Wave, but even with Purcell's blunt wit, the show has faltered via historical inaccuracies and a general hollowness. Yeah, it was nice to see that episode devoted to young George Lucas, but it never truly felt sincere: Lucas felt more like a fleeting novelty than a man destined to reinvent Alex Raymond's "Flash Gordon". Without the required credibility, there's no sincerity, and without sincerity, the magic dies. (In the same vein, I could go on for days bemoaning the Reagan/Gorbachev installment, but it's suffice to say, it didn't come close to being all that it could have been: another terrible, missed opportunity...)

To worsen the situation, Ray Palmer, the Atom, has been reduced to a bumbling, along-for-the-ride second-stringer. If he was ever given the chance to shine, the writers were quick to bolt him right back to ineptitude. I mean, gee whiz, wasn’t Palmer supposed to be the primary force behind this show? As I recall, a solo Atom series was even considered at one point. So, what happened? This is a real slap in the face to ex-Superman actor, Brandon Routh, who early on shined in the Palmer role. The Atom must be in the forefront—the competent forefront, that is, with all his amazing abilities amply displayed—if "Legends" is ever to succeed. Somehow, though, I doubt Palmer will reclaim his prestigious spot, but oh, how I wish to be proven wrong...

“Arrow”, in contrast to the latter shows, was at least more consistent in its dark, somber tone. However, there were way too many times when Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell)'s heroics were marred by the same ponderous padding that's cursed “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” Instead of experiencing "Arrow" anchored with verbosity and perplexing passages that put Queen at an embarrassing disadvantage, I'd rather that its episodes be cut in half. I know that won't happen, but it still would be preferable to seeing the regal Green Arrow spawn yawns.  

On the other hand, superfluous chit-chat isn't so bad when compared to the monumental way "Supergirl" has derailed. So pleased were we when the series leaped from CBS to CW. The move made sense. Most of us were confident that, in addition to giving Supergirl (Melissa Benoist) more chances to mingle with the other heroes, CW was less likely to make Kara Danvers engage in (and support) skewed politics. Boy, oh boy, were we ever wrong!

Indeed, of all of CW's DC shows, “Supergirl” has become the most ideologically slanted, often favoring elements of corruption before acts of justice. I don’t care if the plots are relegated to some parallel plane. Within "Supergirl'"s sector, good is generally bad, and bad is generally good: distasteful for this character and her regal heritage. 

To add fuel to the fire, the show's guest stars, whether recurring or one-shots, have been shamefully misused, including Dean Cain, Helen Slater, Teri Hatcher, Kevin Sorbo and Lynda Carter. The latter’s misrepresentation stings the most: a conniving Madame President, whose obvious, insincere stance is taken at face value. Okay, Carter isn't playing Wonder Woman here; I realize that, but if she’s supposed to be a baddie, then why isn't that fact acknowledged and/or discussed? That most politicians are corrupt and self-serving might be a given, but that doesn't mean their deceit should ever be accepted with a mere shrug. 

The most heart-wrenching betrayal, however, comes from Superman. Remember how Tyler Hoechlin impressed fans when he flew into Season 2, to the point where the actor and his Man of Steel portrayal seemed destined to give Henry Cavill’s a competitive run for the money? Unfortunately, by Season 2’s close, Kal-El had been diminished into a cruel, mind-controlled parody, incapable of saving the world, let alone supporting his cousin in the cataclysmic circumstances presented. BLASPHEMOUS!!!

Well, at least in “Supergirl’”s case, there may yet be a glimmer of hope, at least some wee promise for the show to return to its roots, if one can believe what one reads. With that said, I still can't shake how the much ballyhooed, second “Flash/Supergirl” (mid-season) crossover was to be a spectacle for the ages, and instead we got an hour-long, musical jaunt that added nothing to either show or for that matter, any of the overlapping plots. Okay, it might be nice to see the cast members show off their talents beyond the DC universe, as in perhaps a non-connecting, variety-show, special-of-the-week, but why squash the established superheroics and story thread? It's like we were being told that these folks are too good for the material they regularly engage in, and we, the fans, needed a cultural awakening, as it were, to reprimand us for our insipid allegiance. That's just plain mean, not to mention sadistically self-indulgent on the participants' part. 

And it's precisely this sort of crazy, CW decision-making that hurts the network's prestige. It doesn't reflect well on DC or WB, either, when such blatant, tradition-stomping is ignored.

If this haphazard, pompous progression continues, DC/WB’s big-screen, Justice League adventures will surely soar without interference, comparison or complaint among fans. As it stands, CW's recent programming has been more a curse than a blessing to those who've tuned in; I wonder how many viewers will remain on board. I can only hope that the tarnish left by the shows' sappy and misdirected experimentation will wash away. It's a pity we can't just jettison the damage to some faraway, unseen, alternate reality: one that we and our heroes would be honored to scorn and better yet, forget.