Gail Simone's Blog, page 1032
April 26, 2012
In your opinion, being a comic writer who has worked with the Batfamily... Do you think that Batman has ever accidentally induced a heart attack in a thug that he was interrogating and then ended up working the code for 20 minutes? Or does he have Oracle
I think a lot about some of the more brutal tropes in comics…stuff we applaud in fiction we would rightly condemn in real life. Two of my favorite characters to write are Black Canary and Barbara Gordon (both versions), because they actually DO take a moment to consider the morality of what they do, and the risks imparted on the thugs they beat up.
Huntress will put her boot in your mouth and she’s fine with it. But it makes less sense to me to have Canary or Batgirl beating up some disadvantaged teenager so gleefully. It’s askew, it doesn’t fit.
Batman, I give something of a pass to on this, because I write Batman in a way that the terror and danger is all there for criminals who see him…but in my heart, I think Batman cares what happens to those people. I think, of all the heroes, Batman is the one who pays for rehab clinics and job training. I get that he hates crime, but I think his perception is so intensely pinpoint that he knows what the line is and when not to cross it.
I may be wrong, but that’s how I feel. In Secret Six, Catman says, “I don’t get it…why do you even care what happens to us?”
And Batman says, “I thought you knew me better than that, Blake. I care about everyone.”
I thought it was one of the most badass things Batman has ever said.
In your opinion, being a comic writer who has worked with the Batfamily... Do you think that Batman has ever accidentally induced a heart attack in a thug that he was interrogating and then ended up working the code for 20 minutes? Or does he have Oracle
I think a lot about some of the more brutal tropes in comics…stuff we applaud in fiction we would rightly condemn in real life. Two of my favorite characters to write are Black Canary and Barbara Gordon (both versions), because they actually DO take a moment to consider the morality of what they do, and the risks imparted on the thugs they beat up.
Huntress will put her boot in your mouth and she’s fine with it. But it makes less sense to me to have Canary or Batgirl beating up some disadvantaged teenager so gleefully. It’s askew, it doesn’t fit.
Batman, I give something of a pass to on this, because I write Batman in a way that the terror and danger is all there for criminals who see him…but in my heart, I think Batman cares what happens to those people. I think, of all the heroes, Batman is the one who pays for rehab clinics and job training. I get that he hates crime, but I think his perception is so intensely pinpoint that he knows what the line is and when not to cross it.
I may be wrong, but that’s how I feel. In Secret Six, Catman says, “I don’t get it…why do you even care what happens to us?”
And Batman says, “I thought you knew me better than that, Blake. I care about everyone.”
I thought it was one of the most badass things Batman has ever said.
In your opinion, being a comic writer who has worked with the Batfamily... Do you think that Batman has ever accidentally induced a heart attack in a thug that he was interrogating and then ended up working the code for 20 minutes? Or does he have Oracle
I think a lot about some of the more brutal tropes in comics…stuff we applaud in fiction we would rightly condemn in real life. Two of my favorite characters to write are Black Canary and Barbara Gordon (both versions), because they actually DO take a moment to consider the morality of what they do, and the risks imparted on the thugs they beat up.
Huntress will put her boot in your mouth and she’s fine with it. But it makes less sense to me to have Canary or Batgirl beating up some disadvantaged teenager so gleefully. It’s askew, it doesn’t fit.
Batman, I give something of a pass to on this, because I write Batman in a way that the terror and danger is all there for criminals who see him…but in my heart, I think Batman cares what happens to those people. I think, of all the heroes, Batman is the one who pays for rehab clinics and job training. I get that he hates crime, but I think his perception is so intensely pinpoint that he knows what the line is and when not to cross it.
I may be wrong, but that’s how I feel. In Secret Six, Catman says, “I don’t get it…why do you even care what happens to us?”
And Batman says, “I thought you knew me better than that, Blake. I care about everyone.”
I thought it was one of the most badass things Batman has ever said.
Actual Black Lady Cunt: Unpopular Opinions
It is my professional opinion that Riley has a cluster B personality disorder. More specifically, the dramatic types. I believe they probably have a combination of antisocial personality disorder (sociopath), narcissistic personality disorder and…
That is one of the meanest and most ridiculously disingenuous things I have ever read on Tumblr.
It's Princess Week and today's princess is ...
Disney has declared this Princess Week and I’m highlighting the princesses of DC Comics. Earlier this week I highlighted Starfire and Amethyst. You decided that you like the animated version of Starfire best and that you would like to see a new version of Amethyst: Princess of Gemworld although you’d like to have some insight into the creative team. Some of you liked my team but others had some great ideas. Dan Mishkin, the original writer stopped by to say he liked some of the ideas and Ben Caldwell told me on Twitter he has pitch in his sketchbook. Come on DC. let’s get going.
Today our Princess is Tora Olofsdotter also known as Ice.
Ice is also the girlfriend of Fire Guy Gardner. Tora/Bea/Guy best threesome ever or best threesome ever? Moving on.
Tora is a princess of a tribe of Norsemen. Let me repeat that. She is a princess of a tribe of Norsemen. In Justice League: Generation Lost a certain writer who has a habit of pissing me off more than he pleases me attempted to eradicate that background and claim it was a lie.
I know Ice would never say it but I will - “bullshit”. Read this blogger’s take on that retcon.
Ice’s status as a princess was used for one of Gail Simone’s very best Birds of Prey arc ever, where the Birds and the Secret Six team up and discover that Ice, who had been thought dead for years, was alive.
Seriously this is a great arc. Unfortunately it is out of print right now and thus being sold for big bucks on Amazon and eBay. Hopefully you can pick up the issues, #104-108 in digital.
And since I’ve done a poll with each of these, I’ll ask you this question.
http://micropoll.com/t/KEcOAZLwYw
Thank you, I love Tora.
It’s a funny little story. Mark Waid, who killed Tora in one of his stories, instantly regretted it, and for a long time, he would publicly hate on himself for having killed a great, sweet character for cheap shock value. He felt he’d really messed up.
I agreed, I don’t blame Mark, but I did hate that she was killed in one of his lesser efforts, for what seemed like no good reason. Charm seemed to be kryptonite in comics at that time, and Tora was unbelievably charming. So she had to go.
Over the years, I gather that several people had asked Ice’s creator, Keith Giffen, if they could bring her back, and he had turned them down. I guess he had a story that he wanted to tell to bring her back some day that he was saving.
So it was with a fair warning that it might not fly that my editor gave me Keith’s phone number to call and ask myself. Keith’s a hero of mine, one of comics’ best idea men, so it was a bit intimidating. He could not have been nicer. He listened to my idea, and he said go for it. He said he ‘trusted me to do it right.’
That sort of thing sticks with you, believe me.
So we brought her back, which I will defend to the death. We got some crap about how death is so cheap in comics right now, and I get that, but holy crap, if you can’t bring back a NORSE ICE GODDESS, there is something very wrong. I felt that the very nature of her origin made her ‘death’ the unlikely event, not her resurrection.
Anyway, I love the character, and I didn’t get to have her in the book for long, so I wanted the PERFECT scene to sum up what kind of character she was, for new readers. Only a couple pages, how do I convey why she is special, and unique?
What happens is, after all that, after dying, and being resurrected, and becoming a raging angry goddess and nearly accidentally killing her saviors, Misfit asks if there’s anything she can do for Tora.
And Tora says, “Could I have a cup of hot cocoa, if it’s not too much trouble?”
THAT’s why I love her so much. :)
About Smallville
I have talked about this a little bit before. Most of my followers are probably aware that there is a digital comic continuing the characters from the television show Smallville. If you have already bought it, wonderful, thank you!
If not, I want to repeat, PLEASE CONSIDER BUYING THIS SERIES.
There are a lot of reasons. One is, it has two of my friends, ridiculously talented people, working on it; Cat Staggs and Bryan Q. Miller. These two are giving it their all, and it shows.
Second, original content for digital comics from the majors is a significant risk that COULD yield tremendous rewards for readers. I always prefer and support local comic shops. But this could present an avenue for new, exciting books specifically tailored for internet fandom. If you buy these things, they WILL produce more.
Third, I just heard from Bryan some of the plans for this book this past week, and I want to say with some authority, BUY THIS BOOK. Because pretty soon, you will wish you had been along for the ride all along. Yep. Honest. I can’t say more. Just get the book.
But the last reason is the best. It’s just a great book. I am not the world’s biggest Smallville fan. I appreciate what it did well, but I didn’t really follow it. None of that matters here, in this extremely well-told story. Issues are just 99 cents each.
I don’t have a dog in this hunt, other than I like to support good work. But this is a book you are going to want, I am positive, and I know that if this book is successful, it opens up possibilities for things you won’t believe.
So that’s pretty exciting.
billcorbett:
The time to back SUPER-POWERED REVENGE CHRISTMAS...
The time to back SUPER-POWERED REVENGE CHRISTMAS is rapidly drawing to a close. Just two days to go! All the info a person might need is here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1536910960/super-powered-revenge-christmas
So if you are interested in pre-ordering the book AND getting your name printed inside it as an original backer for all posterity (ALL of it!), then please check out the link above!
Plus you’ll get a bonus RIFFTRAX of your choice for backing with $100 or more; THREE bonus RiffTrax of your choice for $200 or more! Info on that here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1536910960/super-powered-revenge-christmas/posts/208307
Thanks!
Bill
Reblogging for excellentness!
April 25, 2012
sexgenderbody: Ableism in Atheism Anonymous #6
Cross-posted from Naturalistic Neurodiversity.
Do you consider yourself to be a person with a disability?
No.
Have you (or do you personally know someone who has) felt out-of-place or limited your involvement with an atheist community because of disability-related…
Speaking as an atheist, I dearly want to punch this person in the face.
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