Ultimate Iron Earl
ROBERT DOWNEY JR. CAST AS TONY STARK
I quite approve.
- ***
ULTIMATES 2 # 12
Wow. Delivers on all fronts.
A very pro-American story until you really stop to think about it. Traditionally, in super hero comics, one of the things that seperates the hero from the villain is that the villain is willing to go further to accomplish his aims. Many heroes, for instance, won't kill, even to save lives, but even villains who see themselves as noble or heroic will kill if they see it as necessary to achieving their goals.
The Ultimates win here not because they are inherently nobler or morally superior, but because they are stronger and more hardcore than the dreamy-eyed bad guys: Hulk simply tears Abomination apart, and Quicksilver basically disitegrates a Korean speedster by going faster and being tougher.
It's a great formula, and makes for a very satisfying super hero story. The self-commentary here is in how far it's allowed to go, and the fact that it is perfectly acceptable -- heroic, even -- to show a white American (Captain America) kill a Muslim (Abdul).
Ultimates is and has always been the best super hero comic published.
- ***
MY NAME IS EARL
How come it's not funny anymore? Was that second episode just a blip, or are they rethinking the show for the second season?
I think the problem is that they deviated from the show's premise -- My Name is Earl is about Earl crossing things off his list. Every episode, he needs to cross something off. Problem, complication (complication, complication, complication...), resolution. Each episode should tell its own story, not carry over from the previous episode.
This is the first time the show has stumbled for me -- I'm sure it will recover soon.
posted by Robert Burke Richardson at
12:51 PM
2 Comments:
I don't watch My Name is Earl, but then I don't watch much TV beyond sports and the occasional episode of "House" on Sundays (Dad records them for Sunday dinners with the family). I think RDJr is going to do a fine job as Anthony Stark. And I've loved Ultimates from the very first issue. If they ever really do an Avengers movie, they have to start it the way Ultimates Vol. 1 #1 started. Millar has been pretty solid throughout the run, and Hitch is always great when he gets the art out. It's a shame the team is breaking up. Kinda how I feel about Ultimate Spidey.
Millar and Hitch will still be working together on at least one more project after Ultimates. Hitch might be too busy with Hollywood after that, though, at least according to Mark.
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