Adam Graham's Blog: Christians and Superheroes, page 47

July 16, 2017

My Thoughts on the 13th Doctor

Those who have read my blog know that I read a lot of female heroes:

Spider-girl, Captain Marvel*, Squirrel Girl, Batgirl, the Birds of Prey, Silk, Spider Woman (Jessica Drew), Superwoman, Wonder Woman. I've read them, generally loved them, reviewed them, and recommended them. I'm looking forward to both the Captain Marvel and Batgirl Movies. I say all that to say that I love good, well-written stories of female heroes and promote them.

However, I was disappointed to hear about Jodie Whittaker becoming the 13th Doctor. Why? Because I'm a stick in the mud prejudiced sexist who hates women and doesn't think women can't be heroes---or at least that's what the Internet tells me.

I don't think she's a bad actress. I saw her in the first two series of Broadchurch and thought she was pretty good in that, although nothing in what I saw screamed that she was Doctor material, but I think that was just the nature of her role.

There are numerous arguments in response to people not being happy with a female Doctor that are not really honest:

---It doesn't matter what the Doctor's plumbing is, just as long as the writing's good.
---People shouldn't get upset, it's just a TV show.
---The Doctor's different from other heroes given that he/she's not actually human, he/she's an alien Time Lord and it's always been a possibility that the Doctor would regenerate into a woman.

The first argument is disingenuous for those who have been saying for months that we need a female doctor. If the plumbing doesn't matter....why have you been hoping for and calling for a Female Doctor for years on end?

The second point is silly because creators want us to care about media, and if you're a fan of a show, you want other people to be fans so you can talk about it with them. To decide, "You disagree with me on this topic which I obviously care about, therefore you care too much about it," is silly and unjust.

The final point has a little bit of truth in it. Yes, the Doctor is an alien and not a human. However, he's alien who has looked like a series of human men for the past fifty-four years and that's how we've met and related to him. Some of the most popular Doctors (Hartnell, Pertwee, and Tennant) did little to act alien, but even the most alien (Capaldi, Baker) were still just odd men to most of us. As for the Doctor's gender changing, that possibility has only become canon recently.,

It was first mentioned as a possibility as Tom Baker shared a random thought that popped into his head in 1980. Then during the era that Doctor Who was off the air, there was spin off media that went a bit crazy as no one at the BBC cared what they were doing and someone wrote a gender changing regeneration into a novel. for someone other than the Doctor. A comedy story written by Steven Moffat for a non-canon Comic relief special in 1999 featuring Rowan Atkinson as the Doctor ended up with the Doctor regenerating multiple times with the last being into a woman.

There was an audio drama, "Exile" that suggested a Time Lord suicide could produce a different gender regeneration in an alternate universe. This was never even confirmed to exist until the Doctor's Wife aired in 2011 and the Eleventh Doctor mentioned someone who had regenerated into a different gender. We didn't actually encounter a character this had happened to until 2014. In short, for the vast majority of the show's existence, this wasn't even confirmed to be "on the table," and only extreme geeky fans of the show were aware of the non-canonical places it'd been mentioned.

The ideal behind the argument against people being upset with the new Doctor is the idea that gender is irrelevant. It's just the plumbing, that's all. Yet, biologically, that's not true. Science has shown that there's a difference between how men's brains and women's brains work. There's a difference in how we relate to one another. Guys are not just women with different plumbing. Women are not just guys with different plumbing. This is the twenty-first century, so I have to write that.

And you can be cute about it and say the Doctor's not human and therefore that doesn't apply. I guess you could argue if you forget that the Doctor traveled for a Time Lady for 3 seasons and those differences were shown to exist.

I think the message behind this change is that gender is an irrelevant social construct. Men and women, mothers and fathers are ultimately interchangable and therefore ultimately disposable under this gender ideology. I don't think that's true, and when a falsehood becomes the core of your story, it really becomes a problem. I think most science fiction has some lie in it, but if it's off to the side, you can ignore it and enjoy the story and find the truth in it, if it's front and center, it becomes harder.

The truth is that over the 50+ years, the program's been on the air, many have related to the Doctor as a father figure or if not that, then a bit of a male authority figure and role model. Some times that played out on the show: there was the warm fatherly relationship between the Doctor and Jo Grant. When she left she even married a man who was much the younger version of the Doctor. It could also be seen in the relationship between the Seventh Doctor and Ace, and most recently between the Twelfth Doctor and Clara.

Fictional characters can play a big role in our lives and perhaps too big a role. I'll always remember the first season of Who Wants to be a Superhero? where a contestant met Stan Lee and confessed that his father committed suicide when he was a young man and he relied on Spider-man as a role model.

In a society where fathers are so often absent for the children's lives, I wonder to what degree, some children have latched onto the Doctor in the same way that young man latched onto Spider-man so many years ago. In many ways, despite his flaws, the Doctor was one of the better male role models on television. Often teaching lessons in kindness, mercy, and compassion you don't really see from many male heroes on TV.

Of course, one might argue that this new Doctor will be a female role model. Fair enough, but you shouldn't have to destroy a male role model to create a female one. As the Fifth Doctor said at the end of Warriors from the Deep, "There should have been another way."

Romana or Susan could have been brought back to regenerate along with the Doctor and you have a Time Lady who could get her own spin off. Sara Jane Smith's spin off ran for five successful season and would have run many more if not for her untimely death. However, what was decided was to go this direction to support an ideology, even though a wide variety of fans shared their discomfort and ignoring them will have a cost.

If I were to guess, I think Doctor Who will probably lose between a quarter to one third of their domestic viewers over the change, which would put them below the viewership totals that Sylvester McCoy had during Season 26, but the show will probably continue if, for no other reason than political pressure as well as multi-year commitments in other countries that will keep the show on the air until 2020.

Of course, Chibnall could also write some scripts that draws new fans in. He did a great job on Broadchurch Series 1, and I think his scripts "42," "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship," and "The Power of Three" worked fairly well. On the other hand, Broadchurch Series 2 was a bit of a mess and that Silurian story from Doctor Who Series 5 was the low point of a very good series.

For my part, I won't know because I don't plan to watch Series 11 at all. If you do, then that means you're....a person with a different point of view than me.

There has been way too much invective thrown about this online. Many people who love the show have different views on it's direction. , For example, many who are generally progressive still opposed a female Doctor. Among them, Fifth Doctor (Peter Davison) and Seventh Doctor (Sylvester McCoy), along with Third Doctor Companion Jo Grant (Katy Manning) and First Doctor Companion Steven Taylor (Peter Purves). And yes, there are plenty on the other side as well. It's a fundamental disagreement about what's right for the show. And the other side of the argument is not evil.

Certainly, Doctor Who is under no obligation to entertain me. I'm thankful for the hundreds of hours of entertainment I've gotten from Doctor Who and if you want to continue to enjoy it into Series 11 and beyond, have fun.

I have no ill will towards Chibnall or Jodie Whitaker, both of whom should be treated with decency and respect.

For my part, I'll be like those fans who only watch Classic Doctor Who and listen to Big Finish, only though I'll add Doctors 9-12 to the mix as well as the spin off media from Big Finish and Titan comics. It should be a long time before we run out of stuff from these old Doctors and I'll enjoy every bit of it.
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Published on July 16, 2017 19:00 Tags: 13th-doctor, doctor-who

July 11, 2017

Book Review: Superman: Earth One, Vol.

Superman: Earth One, Vol. 2 Superman: Earth One, Vol. 2 by J. Michael Straczynski

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book continues the saga of the newly emerged Superman from Volume 1. The book has several key themes: one is examining Clark's life and delving his past, this is aided by Lois' quest to find out the truth behind the new kid. Superman receives resistance to disaster relief effort from a foreign dictator. At the same time, the government is trying to figure out how they can kill Superman (Just in case) and we have the emergence of parasite.

Clark's backstory has a great deal of sadness and loneliness. Yet, there's some sweetness and tenderness mixed in, particularly with his pet cat and his friend he meets in Metropolis. At the same time, the sad suspicion that he deals with makes him someone who can be connected with.

Parasite is a fair villain. He really put Superman through his paces without distracting from the character work that makes this book so compelling. Overall, another solid outing for this series.



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Published on July 11, 2017 21:44 Tags: earth-two, superman

July 10, 2017

Book Review: Batman Beyond: Escaping the Grave

Batman Beyond, Volume 1: Escaping the Grave Batman Beyond, Volume 1: Escaping the Grave by Dan Jurgens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Batman Beyond: Rebirth and Batman Beyond 1-5.

Terry McGinnis is back in Neo-Gotham after being presumed dead. He's got his little brother and his friend Max to help. His first task: invadne Jokertown and rescue his old girlfriend Dana. However, taking on an army of Jokerz and with Bruce Wayne dead from the last war, he's going to have to try some dangerous new tactics to get the job done.

This book is an enjoyable adventure with solid art and good action. It works as a jumping on point if you're not familiar with any of Dan Jurgens' three previous DCU Batman Beyond books. I only watched the TV series and read a few DCAU comics about the character and felt I understood everything fairly well. The one thing that did stand out a a bit odd is that Max seemed to know less than in the TV show but this is a different universe, so I can allow it.

While the book wasn't flawless, it does remember entertaining and delivers some massive reveals in Issues 3 and 5 that make the whole trade worth it. Overall, this is one of the most schway books DC has released this year.



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Published on July 10, 2017 18:23 Tags: batman-beyond, terry-mcginnis

July 9, 2017

Book Review: Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Volume 5: The One

Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Volume 5: The One Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor, Volume 5: The One by Simon Spurrier

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book continues the story begun in Volume 4 which finds the Doctor trying to clear himself for a crime committed during the Time War where his memory is vague and the whole thing is timelocked. Joined by his companion Alice, as well as Absalom Daak, River Song, and the mysterious Squire (an alleged companion from the Time War), the Doctor seeks to unravel this mystery.

The book once again features several solid mysteries with some mind-blowing Time Lord stuff that you couldn't portray on TV. There are some problematic elements. There's some frontmatter dedicated to a character profile of Daak which I'm not sure how it works. River Song is pretty quickly sidelined, and the Doctor spends much of the book being mean to Alice. Though, there's later an explanation for this.

The book's ending certainly doesn't wrap things up but it does make Volume 6 a must-read. Despite it's problems, this is a truly awesome ride and I'm looking forward to reading how it wraps up.



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Published on July 09, 2017 06:44 Tags: doctor-who, eleventh-doctor, titan-comics

July 6, 2017

Book Review: The Flash, Volume 2: Speed of Darkness

The Flash, Volume 2: Speed of Darkness The Flash, Volume 2: Speed of Darkness by Joshua Williamson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book collects Issues 9-13 of the Flash.

Issue 9 features a meeting between the two Wally Wests (the post-Crisis Wally and the New 52 teenage Wally.) The characters play well off each other and have to team up when things go wrong with Barry. This is a fun story and the characters play well off one another and it ends with a great Easter Egg.

Issues 10-12 has Kid Flash in trouble for running off to fight crime on his own with the Teen Titans and in Central City and Barry stopping training him which results in the two of them being caught with the Shade. The Shade is one of the DCU's most interesting villains and he's just not handled well here, and the story is a bit tired. It's not horrible, but a bit of a let down from prior storylines.

Issue 13 has Kid Flash taking on a b-list Supervillain named Tarpit while Barry and Iris go out to eat on a date around Christmastime. This is a fun Holiday issue and shows some character growth by Wally.

Overall, the book has two enjoyable one-shots with a lackluster three part story sandwiched in between. This collection is worth checking out if you've been following the Flash's Adventures as it does move that story forward.



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Published on July 06, 2017 04:35 Tags: dc-rebirth, flash

June 30, 2017

Book Review: Superman/Batman: Saga of the Super Sons

Superman/Batman: Saga of the Super Sons Superman/Batman: Saga of the Super Sons by Bob Haney

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects the appearance of the Super Sons, the imagined sons of Batman and Superman who appeared in a dozen stories in World’s Finest comics back in the 1970s before making a nostalgic return for Elseworld’s 80-page Giant in 1990.

The book doesn’t include an introduction (which is a shame) because it’s hard to tell what the writers were going for. Did they always intend for this to be a joke or were they trying to be hip and relevant in the 1970s and merely failed hilariously. Whatever, the case, the Super Sons provide a wacky and fun series of adventures that find them fighting crime while trying to deal with their fathers that don’t understand them: Batman and Superman.

There’s all sorts of fun and wacky stuff such as when Batman, Jr. and Superman, Jr. get a jury to order their fathers confined for showboating or when the Super fathers and sons check in to a new age retreat center. In another comic, Superman, Jr. and Batman, Jr. find a town made up of an entirely of women that’s being controlled by an alien using women’s lib for her own schemes.

To be honest, this book is stupid, but it’s gloriously stupid with stories that appear hilariously bizarre and goofy even if the writers thought they were trying to be serious. If you like 1970s comic book cheese, this is a book for you.




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Published on June 30, 2017 13:07 Tags: batman, bronze-age, super-sons, superman

June 29, 2017

Book Review: Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Volume 7 - War of Gods

Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Volume 7 - War of Gods Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor Volume 7 - War of Gods by Nick Abadzis

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book brings Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor: Year Two to an end with issues 15-17 and also includes Issue #5 of the Year 3 series.

Sutekh has returned to menace Anubis and our heroes in a final showdown and he has some allies. The art is very good and brings the scale of it to life beautifully, and the story is okay. To be honest, I think the Osirian storyline has dragged on far too long and outlived its usefellness. This storyline has been running since the Third Volume of Year One off and on.

Issue 5 is a one shot featuring a monster trying to feed on the Doctor’s pain. The art is substandard. Gabby doesn’t look like herself at all, and the story’s been told before and a little bit better.
Overall, this is an okay volume but just okay. I hope Year 3 brings a better fresh start for the Doctor.




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Published on June 29, 2017 13:52 Tags: doctor-who, tenth-doctor, titan-comics

June 25, 2017

Book Review: Wonder Woman, Volume 1: The Lies

Wonder Woman, Volume 1: The Lies Wonder Woman, Volume 1: The Lies by Greg Rucka

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Retcons. Every DC hero gets them, but few have had so many dramatic retcons and changes as Wonder Woman, and fewer still have had so many that violated the character as fans knew and loved her.

In the Lies, Wonder Woman sets to resolve the conflict, sort out the truth, and find her way home. It's a great concept laid out in Wonder Woman: Rebirth where Greg Rucka confronts the issue head on. It's beautifully written step up. The rest of the book (containing all of the odd issues 1, 3, 5,7, 9 and 11 of Wonder Woman) tells a solid Superhero story about her search and her having to stop a demigod and human trafficking along the way. Overall, it's a great re-introduction for the character.



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Published on June 25, 2017 06:34 Tags: wonder-woman

June 21, 2017

Book Review: Essential Thor, Vol. 3

Essential Thor, Vol. 3 Essential Thor, Vol. 3 by Stan Lee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects 30 issues of Thor from Issue 137-166. It's a massive volume given that these are Silver Age issues with back up "Tales of Asgard" including the first few issues and full 20 page stories in the last few issues.

Thor takes a few steps forward and a few steps back. In the first half of the book, the war against the Trolls is okay, but then Thor is depowered by Odin so he's only got his strength for---reasons. The stated reason eventually is Thor's lack of humility but he really hadn't shown a lack of humility. Unlike Odin's earlier reactions to Thor's desire for Jane Foster, Odin's actions in this book are entirely arbitrary and capricious. While that might reflect general view of God or any gods, in the context of Thor, it really betrays the character.

The depowered Thor meets up with the Crime Circus, a perfectly okay foe for the early days of Daredevil and Spider-man, but not really a worthy foe for Thor in the late Silver age.

In addition, the Tales of Asgard began to wear thinner. There was less to say and it was with good reason, Thor stopped carrying these back up stories.

Then the book got very good in its seconds half as Thor had to deal with the potential coming of Ragnorak. It was an epic multi-issue story bringing together so many together and so much action, it was just tremendous.

Then the book featured Thor, Galactus, and Ego the Living Planet in conflict. Here, the superb nature of Jack Kirby's art work shines through as we're given some epic threads and moments.

Finally, we get a chapter in the Adam Warlock saga, though at this time, the character was simply known as "Him."

This is also very good stuff. The other big positive of the book is that with Jane Foster out of the picture, Sif is Thor's love interest and she's a more interesting character and also can contribute to the action. She makes even the lesser stories better.

Overall, this isn't quite as good as Volume 2, but when the book is good, it makes up for the weaker stories in the first part of the volume.



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Published on June 21, 2017 15:58 Tags: thor

June 19, 2017

Book Review: Nightwing, Volume 2: Back to Bludhaven

Nightwing (2016-) Vol. 2: Back to Bludhaven Nightwing (2016-) Vol. 2: Back to Bludhaven by Tim Seeley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This book collects Issues 9-15 of Nightwing. The book is essentially a five part story bracketed in by a One Shot. Issue 9 is, “Fighting Destiny” and finds Dick having some serious nightmares. Superman comes along to help him. Even though, he’s not the Superman Dick knows, the two have a good dynamic and it’s interesting to see that relationship to develop. There are also some good insight as Dick faces his fears.

Issues 10-14 is a five part story that has Dick moving to Blüdhaven in an attempt to get in touch with himself and find out who he really is and to enjoy a city where everything is black and white and he hoped to work in the light as a social worker. Unfortunately, it turns out not to be all that simple. As his boss is a former supervillainess and Blüdhaven has become a refuge for ex-minor villains seeking to turn over a new leaf who go by the name the Run Offs. In addition to that, there’s a series of murders that the Run Offs are being framed for. Overall, this story’s got solid characters, a good mystery, and also some nice character work for Dick.

Issue 15 features a new romance for Dick and focuses on its development . It’s counting down to the present and setitng up the next big storyline. I like the story and the way it just does focus on the relationship and insight into the characters without having to have those as elements jammed into an action story, even though its clearly set up for the next storyline. Given that there were already six issues in this trade, it’s probably reasonable to wonder if this shouldn’t have been included in the next trade, but that’s nitpicky.

Overall, Nightwing continues to be an enjoyable character driven series. This book manages to mine some good moments from what would normally be lesser characters including a battle with the infamous villain Orca. A solid installment.
***Disclosure: I Received a free digital copy from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review***




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Published on June 19, 2017 18:37 Tags: dc-rebirth, dick-grayson, nightwing

Christians and Superheroes

Adam Graham
I'm a Christian who writes superhero fiction (some parody and some serious.)

On this blog, we'll take a look at:

1) Superhero stories
2) Issues of faith in relation to Superhero stories
3) Writing Superhe
...more
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