I couldn’t care less about Superman.
Superman is such a single note character that the good things that came out of his existence can all be counted on one hand. I get that he was foundational to the concept of superheros, but it shows in this day and age.
I will say the monologue in justice league while he’s slapping around Darkside is immaculate though.
The best thing to come from Superman is Lex Luther. No villain can go toe to toe with Supes, except maybe Doomsday, but does he really count as a villain? Mindless kill machine. Anyway, Lex has to beat Superman who can punch him into mist, or roast him by looking at him too hard, or literally blow him to the moon. How do you write a villain to counter that? By making them cunning and lovable to the public so that if Superman does any of those things, the public turns against him. Superman’s weakness isn’t only kryptonite, he craves social acceptance, if he didn’t he would just punch his way into being in charge and dare anyone to stop him. Lex gets how razor thin that edge is and takes full advantage.
“The only reason anyone is good is because they want to be seen and thought of as good.”
Pure narcissism.
Eh, Batman is exactly as single-note as Superman is.
Superman requires very good writing from someone who understands what to do with the character.
I’m pretty excited to see what Gunn does with him, tbh.
Yeah but batman is literally just as crazy as the villains he fights. Gotham is just glad he has a weird justice obsession instead of a weird clown or scarecrow kink. That’s more interesting than superman just being perfect at everything. I’ve been reading through “Alan Moore in the DC universe” and like, each of the superman stories are just so one note. He is good at everything, until a random mcguffin comes up and then another charcter comes along to pick it off the ground, and then Supes beats up whoever brought the evil space flower to him in the first place.
I’ll be intrigued to see how Gunn handles him too, but in a life time of reading comics the only superman stories I found interesting was elseworld stuff red son and kingdom come where they treat him as a concept more than a charcter.
Main universe or any of the movies? Meh.
Well, it can’t be any worse than Synder’s “Objectiman.”
There’s an entire song about this.
Superman has had its good moments like the world made of cardboard scene. Nowadays I think saitama from one punch man makes for a better all powerful hero as the narrative really focuses more on the consiquences of that power on himself and the people around him rather than just having him save the day over and over.
so many. jesus, allah, jehova, it goes on and on.
Harry Potter. People often talk about a “golden age” of JK Rowling, and I think to myself, what golden age? Harry Potter, both the character and the books, are written like a hyperinflated Cinderella, complete with an attempt at discriminatory apologetics that would make CS Lewis say “you okay bro?”
Also, Luke Skywalker. People hate Anakin for being whiny and weak and Rey for being a Mary Sue, but Luke is both and nobody complains.
Luke had to actually train and failed when he fought his main, more experienced villain for the first time. Then he went back and did more training off screen. I think that makes him less a Mary Sue. He’s definitely whiny, though.
Only in the beginning. Part of the excellence of the OT was seeing him grow from whiny kid to self-confident man.
True, true. It’'s a good coming of age story in that way. You don’t see him grow up physically, but in maturity, confidence, wisdom, and least importantly, ironically enough, power. I say least importantly, because it’s the growing in wisdom that helps him defeat the Emperor in the end, not his cool force powers (although that does make the movies more fun to watch).
Additionally, and probably most importantly, Luke actually isn’t strong enough to defeat the emperor at the end. He losses. However, he wins over his father and that’s what turns the tide.
Similarly, while Anikan has some mary sue moments, he has a far share of losses (chase for Padme’s would be assassin, count doku fight, Obi-Wan fight, etc.)
I think the only time Rey “losses” a battle is in force awakens when she gets captured (but even after being captured she overpowers Ben almost immediately).
Just an FYI incase they weren’t typos but the word you’re after in the first and last paragraph is ‘loses’; the one in the second para is correct.
Haha, thanks! I always mess those words up.
Yeah, but he used to bullseye womp rats in his T-16 back home, they’re not much bigger than two meters.
All superheroes.
One-trick ponies, with one characteristic only (strong, loyal, fast, …)
So flat and boooring.
The Doctor.
We get it. You wish a dashing eccentric gentleman with an English accent will appear out of the blue and whisk you away from your situation to a life of adventure. But it’s not going to happen, sweetheart.
It doesn’t help that Doctor Who has always been crap sci-fi, but gets a free ride due to having such a long history stretching back to before anyone knew any better. The series as a whole is one of those I find also dragged down by a subsection of rabid insufferable fans, at least the modern incarnations, right up there with Rick and Morty and Supernatural. (I see I already kicked the beehive.)
Dr Who has had some genuinely good episodes and plot lines, nowadays though it does mostly seem to be re-hashing its own old plot lines but in a shorter and less well executed form or just trying to cram as many current issues into an episode as possible. Its basically suffering the same fate as the simpsons.
I think the sci-fi is not crap. But it is not appealing to everyone. DW remains a children’s show, always has been. It should be viewed as such, just like Star Wars is.
TBH, I still watch it, even though it peaked seasons 4 - 6, then went down and down and down. I think nostalgia has got a hold of me because the new season wouldn’t wouldn’t get hooked to it if I were my first time watching it.
Upvoted for a hot take!
I never watched the old stuff. I enjoyed the campy and quirky scifi romp that peaked with the 10/11 doctors, but there are certainly long stretches of pretty dull episodes, I admit. There are many episodes that I just love and tried to make note of through my last watch through.
It doesn’t take itself too seriously and I like that. It’s also like gateway scifi for people not normally too into the genre.
Who hurt you?
I thought you were referring to The Doctor from Star Trek: Voyager and was about to pitch a fit but, yeah—fuck Whom’st Doctor Doth Darken Mine Teleboothe
I never got the hype with Doctor Who in general, but I can see the appeal of the character.
Astarion from BG3. I can understand why people like him. I personally do not and generally never used him in the party because I didn’t want to hear him be annoyed yet again I was helping people.
Astarion is particularly annoying in Act 1 for some reason, with 99% of his reactions just being him hating anything that is remotely positive. His reactions (and character in general) in the following acts is a lot more fleshed out and varied.
His guard is up for the first act because he is traveling with new people.the change is due to warming up to the characters.
Shadowheart does this in the first act too, and combined they are really annoying as a combo but I found both to be fine individually.
Even with her guard up, Shadowheart’s character is still more varied. Her reactions are more mixed and you can really see her bluntness and pragmatism come through. Her responses vary from indifference, apathy, rudeness, hostility, and moments of care and tenderness. Astarion in Act 1 is just an asshole all the time. I also feel that some of his reactions clash with his character and don’t make sense. Don’t get me wrong; I think he’s a good character but I can also see why so many want nothing to do with him.
The thing is, Viconia and ::: spoiler Throne of Bhaal spoilers Sarevok ::: had similar arcs in the previous games but I never got annoyed enough to not want them in my party. A character can be disagreeable without being insufferable.
I wasn’t a fan of Astarion either. Though to be fair, I’m never a fan of self-centered characters or evil runs. I don’t get the appeal.
It was the same for me with the guy with the hamster in Baldur’s Gate 1 and 2. He’s a favourite to everyone, to me he was just an annoying idiot.
I think he’s endearing. But I was probably about 12 when I first played BG1, and the dumb-but-good-hearted warrior with the world’s only miniature giant space hamster was comedic gold for me at that age.
Minsc is also relatively weak compared to other potential party members.
He was much better written in those games, I think
Minsc is getting a big punch up for the nostalgia factor. He’s a beloved character from the original games and has been featured in other D&D stories.
I killed him almost immediately after those first few nights in camp. I then left Shadowheart there to rot with his corpse. I never understand the mass appeal towards those two.
I found Shart less annoyed by altruism, and there are story reasons too. Astarion’s just an ass.
I didn’t mind Shadowheart as much but she sure has her moments!
I think as the game progresses, you get to see why Astarion is so eager to act in his own interests. However, his backstory really only justifies half of his refusal to help people. The other half of his whining feels antithetical to his own situation, but perhaps that’s just because he doesn’t fully acknowledge his newfound freedoms until Act 2.
Yeah but you gotta have a rogue in the party
Hey Withers, here’s 100 gold to turn a better character into whatever role I need.
My bard pc got most things done that a rogue did!
…sometimes with a smidge of savescumming when a lock was particularly rude.
That’s when you ask the barbarian to give it a go.
Edward Kenway from Assassin’s Creed 4. The whole game actually is extremely overrated. I had a hard time finishing that game. I rather play 3 or even Unity.
Jim from the US version of The Office.
You take that back! You’re just jealous that you’re not Big Tuna. /s
I’ve been watching some Friends here and there (a bit late to the game) and I absolutely cannot stand Rachel.
Ross is the one that drives me insane. Literally every other person demonstrates some sort of growth over the 10 years the show takes place, but Ross is pretty much exactly the same.
For me, Rachel starts out annoying but gets more likeable through the seasons.
I was watching a few on a road trip and happened to catch them when Rachel was rejecting Joey, then demanding Ross not date and stay with her. She was just awful in every episode I saw.
The Joker.
I really don’t get the obsession with overusing the Joker when most of Barman’s other rogue gallery members are much more interesting. The worst of it is during “The Batman Who Laughs”, because now you have both the regular Joker and “what if Batman became Joker” running around. And then, as if it couldn’t get any more ridiculous,
spoiler
The Batman who Laughs gets Dr. Manhattan’s powers in a groan-worthy way which is like, not how Dr. Manhattan works at all just so they can fit more Joker into the story.
And I think most people will agree by now that Harley Quinn is a lot better of a character after she’s done being Joker’s sidekick.
Sephiroth. His look is basically the most generic bishy anime character you can make, his entire backstory can be boiled down to “mommy issues” and his motivations are the standard villain “destroy world/become god”. He’s just so bland.
Agreed. And Kefka was way cooler anyway.
(I firmly believe most people gush over FF7 so much only because it was their first exposure to a mainstream console RPG in non-Japanese circles. FF7 as a whole was a fairly meh entry into the series anyway, if you ask me.)
Not only did Kefka have real style, twisted though it may be, he also for all intents and purposes actually managed to win. He fractured the world, scattered the heroes, built his goddamned tower, and was lording it all over everybody with a penthouse view. He didn’t have angst; he was just nuts. It was frankly a complete fluke that he got the shit whacked out of him by a little girl with a paintbrush, a 8x per round attacking Moogle with Genji gloves, a senior citizen, and a mime.
Deadpool
John Wick
Many others too but I hardly watch any movies or tv series so no one else comes to mind
John wick is supposed to be a shallow character. A nobody who is surprisingly a goat assassin. The surprising simplicity of the first movie is exactly what it’s supposed to be. Man mad cuz wife dead and brat crimelord son kills dog gets revenge.
Just like another Keanu movie that there shouldn’t have been sequels to the story suffers if the perspective gets expanded. Prison break too, forcing follow ups means the story gets more complex whilst the simplicity is it’s main draw.
Keanu sommes un those roles a he is a bit aloof and emotionally detached. Somehow that suits both roles, but there isn’t much there to flesh out a longer story.
John Constantine. The snarky smartass that has the most plot armor of any character.
Everyone on Rick and Morty.
They’re not supposed to be likeable, they’re supposed to be entertaining.
I find they’re neither.
K
I’ve got three questions for you.
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Did you not grow up watching cartoons?
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Do you find the science fiction based topics to be too much?
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Do you believe there shouldn’t be cartoons geared towards adults?
If you answered yes to all of these:
spoiler
Who hurt you?
I grew up watching cartoons, and still do. I’m an avid scifi, horror, and speculative fiction reader/watcher. There absolutely should be animations geared toward adults.
I don’t like Rick and Morty. I think it’s dumb, self obsessed, drivel. I think it’s writing style is the literary equivalent of pumpkin spice latte. No one hurt me, I just don’t like it and I don’t understand why people do. I answered a question. I didn’t tell people to not watch it.
Understandable. Thanks for replying.
Now… what are some of your favorite new sci-fi movies? =)
It’s been more books recently.
We just did Snowcrash, which has parts that aged poorly, but over all was a fun read. That leads to the old movie Pontypool (Snowcrash is in a shot in that that’s an obvious plant- both had similar themes). That lead to Pontypool Changes Everything a book that, try as I did, I could not get through. But the movie and BBC radio drama are both great.
We’re doing Ubik by Philip K Dick right now, and I’m enjoying that a lot. I’ve read a fair bit of his stuff but missed this one. I tend to binge authors so I imagine I’ll do a few more from him.
Late last year I did about everything from Scott Meyers. The Magic 2.0 books are deff for a younger audience but were fun in their own way.
I tried to do the Murderbot series recently, but it missed it’s mark with me. I didn’t not like them and I can see goung back to give them a second try maybe in the fall.
The Duck and Cover series was heavily thrown at me through ads so I gave that a go. It deff has its moments but I think there’s underlying difference of opinion between me and the author. I have no proof of this, it’s just kind of a feeling. Not bad books, funny and clever in spots.
John Scalzi and Dennis E. Taylor are two guys I get everything from as soon as something new drops.
And recently a buddy got me to watch Ravenous. An old cannibalistic, period piece in the Spanish American War era with a good dose of homoeroticisim thrown in. Deff highly recommend watching that.
Not op, but i dont care much for the show myself either. I used to, when it was new and something different, but I believe I have grown past the pseudointellectual, but actual college humor. It just hits different these days
I actually agree. I started losing interest in the show during season 5 (2021). But like how GoT seasons went, I don’t write the show off as a loss because the last few seasons weren’t strong hitters.
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