This is the blog's 600th post. I think that's pretty good. Though I'm surprised I've made it this far. To celebrate, I think I'll talk a little about something that I've talked about before: how much I hate Marvel.
But this isn't my usual Marvel hating. In truth, I don't really hate Marvel at all. After all, yesterday I went to see Iron Man and today I saw Incredible Hulk. And it is these movies that have stoked the flames of my hatred. These excellent, enjoyable superhero movies with brilliantly intertwined plots. I hate them because I'm jealous.
I hate them because they're doing -- brilliantly -- what DC's corporate owners have never even tried to do. They're exploiting their properties in ways that both make awesome movies and tons of money. Sure, DC has had tremendous success with their resurgent Batman franchise. But that's it. Marvel's done probably dozens of movies in the same time frame. And when they falter (like Hulk) they turn around and do it again (see: Incredible Hulk).
But its not just that they're making so many of these movies. It's that they're now tying them together. Dark Knight was a phenomenal film. There's no question of that. But it exists in its own universe. Marvel seems to have done the impossible: they've not just brought Marvel characters and properties to the big screen -- they've brought the entire frickin' Marvel Universe to the big screen. And I hate them for it.
I hate them for it because every time I enjoy one of those MU movies I think that in some alternate reality I might be watching a DCU movie instead. I'd be watching awesome films about characters I like rather than awesome films about characters I merely tolerate.
Instead of seeing Tony Stark be an ass on screen, I could be watching Hal Jordan do the same. Instead of watching the Hulk tear up the streets of New York I could be watching the Flash tear up the streets of Central City. Instead of hints for an Avengers film we would be seeing hints of the Justice League of America.
But then, maybe it's not Marvel that deserves my ire. After all, can I really fault them for managing their properties well? Perhaps I should reserve my anger for Warner Bros. After all; they're the ones who are mismanaging some of the greatest fictional characters ever conceived. And thanks to them, we're all losing out.
