tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post875451504639305911..comments2024-03-27T19:04:14.544-05:00Comments on The Absorbascon: Barry Allen defeats Genre BlindnessScipiohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217376618860561999noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-17318627146551277712011-11-05T07:12:05.944-05:002011-11-05T07:12:05.944-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Cyrusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-15368569588293715422010-09-26T16:54:51.479-05:002010-09-26T16:54:51.479-05:00Excellent, as usual.
Lately, I've been thinki...Excellent, as usual.<br /><br />Lately, I've been thinking about another form of genre blindness--the fact that the hero always has to play by the villain's rules. I've been reading lots of 50s Superman stories, and they all seem to follow this generic convention. After all, Superman, if allowed to use the full extent of his powers, could usually defeat Luthor by the middle of page 2. And so, to keep the story going, Superman always has to defeat the villain (or Lois) at his/her own game. Luthor is committing crimes based on the Periodic Table of Elements? Superman invents his own element (Supermanium, of course) to defeat him.<br /><br />(Though I'm sure it must have occurred earlier, the scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indy draws his gun on the sword wielding baddie is the first time I can recall being made aware of this convention. Of course, like your Flash example, we are made aware through the genre's violation.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-68593943281547283682010-09-22T17:16:44.611-05:002010-09-22T17:16:44.611-05:00Redforce said...
Excellent analysis as usual, Scip...Redforce said...<br /><i>Excellent analysis as usual, Scipio.<br />Personally, I would like to see a 'mix-n-match' approach- Genre blindness alongside trope awareness DONE SPARINGLY, IN SERVICE TO THE STORY. <b>What I DON'T like is writers that think they are 'ironic' and 'hip' and succeed in showing pretty much contempt for the superheroic genre.</b></i><br /><br />Bolded for agreement... :PMr. Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05780516415936164616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-1910715372493580432010-09-20T09:41:55.294-05:002010-09-20T09:41:55.294-05:00Excellent analysis as usual, Scipio.
Personally, I...Excellent analysis as usual, Scipio.<br />Personally, I would like to see a 'mix-n-match' approach- Genre blindness alongside trope awareness DONE SPARINGLY, IN SERVICE TO THE STORY. What I DON'T like is writers that think they are 'ironic' and 'hip' and succeed in showing pretty much contempt for the superheroic genre.Redforcenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-33102273390026574082010-09-18T19:12:12.046-05:002010-09-18T19:12:12.046-05:00Michael, what would make you think that all the de...Michael, what would make you think that all the developments listed were being praised as positive changes? They weren't.<br /><br />Looking to express that anti-DC negativity...?Scipiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16217376618860561999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-10058455722376302062010-09-18T18:27:53.569-05:002010-09-18T18:27:53.569-05:00So we should cheer Barry being a killer? Hmmm...no...So we should cheer Barry being a killer? Hmmm...no wonder DC comics is shite now.Michaelhttp://www.twitter.com/colierranndnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-86774288718153879322010-09-18T10:52:31.134-05:002010-09-18T10:52:31.134-05:00I love your site, thank you for coming back to it....I love your site, thank you for coming back to it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-48809308127215292042010-09-17T23:20:45.586-05:002010-09-17T23:20:45.586-05:00Well, of course we know there's a bathroom on ...Well, of course we know there's a bathroom on the <i>Enterprise</i> - because Ensign Chekhov was holed up there for two whole seasons with a space version of Montezuma's revenge. Which is why we didn't see him until the third season. :-pAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-16169477099558643182010-09-17T16:48:15.618-05:002010-09-17T16:48:15.618-05:00Scipio:
Oh man, that made me laugh.Scipio:<br /><br />Oh man, that made me laugh.plokhttp://www.circumstantial.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-42539245764782839292010-09-17T16:24:25.315-05:002010-09-17T16:24:25.315-05:00I remember a Golden Age FLASH adventure in which h...I remember a Golden Age FLASH adventure in which his three goofy sidekicks became temporarily aware they were in a comic book and began to migrate from panel to panel a little.<br /><br />Is that genre awareness? Media awareness? Or what?Gene Phillipshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11495562795211277146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-69913222016652661122010-09-17T14:52:23.561-05:002010-09-17T14:52:23.561-05:00GL: typo corrected, thank you. And Superman is do...GL: typo corrected, thank you. And Superman is doing the "Krypton Crawl". At least, to the best of his ability.<br /><br />LissBirda: 'That tailor' is Paul Gambi, a recurring Flash character, whose brother Peter Gambi was Black Lightning's mentor.<br /><br />Plok: Heh, thanks for noticing; a lot of bloggers, well, don't strive for compactness.<br /><br />Alicides: I honestly don't know, but it's the first one I really notice as a standout example. I'm certainly interesetd in hearing others.Scipiohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16217376618860561999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-2228698233571316482010-09-17T10:47:20.209-05:002010-09-17T10:47:20.209-05:00Your analysis seems fine. It's not a "bre...Your analysis seems fine. It's not a "breaking the fourth wall" moment, but it certainly is an instance of a character questioning the (sillier) premises of the genre.<br /><br />My only question is - was that the very first instance of confronting genre blindness?Alcides Graçanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-37619713443558204922010-09-17T05:00:42.341-05:002010-09-17T05:00:42.341-05:00Now that is an essay question like my old Phil. of...Now <i>that</i> is an essay question like my old Phil. of Sci. prof used to give: a deceptively compacted one.<br /><br />I guess I think the worser writers of today would've gotten there anyway, since I take them to be less informed by comics history than by external commentary on well-known conventions: in other words I think their subversion/apologies start from jokes about where the bathroom is on the Starship Enterprise, and aren't these old shows so stupid, and consequently probably believe their own genre-blindness-busting is pretty darn <i>au courant</i>...forgetting that Star Trek joke itself is so old it's entered the public domain already.<br /><br />Conversely, I think without the whimsical subversions of the past the better writers of recent times might not have been so interested in toying with conventions themselves. So I guess I'm saying I think this might be the first step towards <i>Watchmen</i>, but not necessarily towards <i>Civil War</i>.<br /><br />(Wait, what's up with that reference, is it you who's been away or is it me?)plokhttp://circumstantial.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-82033991055064307792010-09-17T01:39:25.000-05:002010-09-17T01:39:25.000-05:00I bet whoever that tailor is, he does a lot of wor...I bet whoever that tailor is, he does a lot of work for Harvey Dent, too.LissBirdshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17059648604602469375noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-65231887190487104632010-09-16T18:53:57.468-05:002010-09-16T18:53:57.468-05:00Have you *seen* CSI, Sally? The character of Griss...Have you *seen* CSI, Sally? The character of Grissom is a complete and total nerd. I think that's part of why my sister is so fond of him.<br /><br />As for everything else, I fear that you may be right, Scipio. Barry Allen no only ushered in a new era, he in some way defined it by his unconventional actions.<br /><br />Perhaps it <i>is</i> a good thing that he's returned...Diamondrockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03489418142341597119noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-77840739085617465222010-09-16T14:30:22.547-05:002010-09-16T14:30:22.547-05:00This is an interesting theory. If they would use ...This is an interesting theory. If they would use the newly resurrected Barry in proper CSI fashion, I would be delighted.<br /><br />But I always LIKED the fact that Barry was a nerd.SallyPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05592635194271250605noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11737441.post-51750097933432731462010-09-16T10:04:47.198-05:002010-09-16T10:04:47.198-05:00"Cool it, Big Daddy!"???
No wonder, I&#..."Cool it, Big Daddy!"???<br /><br />No wonder, I've never been a Jimmy fan. And what kind of dance is Superman performing??? Is that one of the Beatles in the background???<br /><br />He's a milquetoast, he's a GREEK, he's totally whipped by the ultimate shrew, Iris "Just Plain Mean" Allen.<br /><br />Oh Wait, my verification word is comidis (which sounds like the ancient Greek father of comics). Scipio, not only are you awesome but your blogger-fu is so advanced that verification words bend to your will.<br /><br />Question: Does Barry have a Grissom-like or a Horatio-like voice in his head, telling him to follow the evidence?The One True GLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17603526778266187315noreply@blogger.com