God Bless Captain America

Word. Yet another entirely inadequate opening. Starting things like this is always the hardest. Let's just get right to it, as the actress said to the bishop.

Ouch. That was spectacularly weak.

Ok, so if you actually listened to me and started reading Jon Carey's Facedown In The Gutters then you'd know that we're about to come to the end of the Top Ten Marvel and DC characters as voted for by readers of FITG. It's been a long ride and the tensions has really been getting to me with this one. We only have the top two from each list to go now and I'm pretty sure that I know who these 4 people are going to be. For the Marvel side we've yet to see Spider-Man or Captain America and for DC it's Batman and Robin. And it's got me worried.

I think it's pretty cool that Batman and Robin are still to come and what would be even more awesome would be if Tim Drake got placed higher than Bruce Wayne. It won't be that surprising if he doesn't but I'm holding out for a little miracle of taste. What I'm worrying about is "What if Spider-Man beats Captain America?"

Now I'm a Spidey-Fan. Always have been and always will be no matter how many Clone Sagas or Sins Past we get. But Cap should win. Now, a lot of people who don't read comics don't "get" Captain America. They see him as a ridiculous symbol of that United States flag-saluting-we're-number-one-brash-tourist-gun-toting- insanity brand of patriotism that so many people around the world find so frightening. He's not. Captain America is all the things about America that people love, be they big or small. He's Mark Twain and Cheers, liberating Europe and BBQ sauce, big melting pot, boundless enthusiasm and a written constitution. And most importantly of all, the thing that sums up why Captain America represents all that is great about the US is very straightforward and it's amazing that more people don't pick up on it straight away - he carries a shield, not a sword. Captain America saves lives.

That makes me want to salute too.

A little bit ranty there, I know, but it gets to me sometimes. I get tired of hearing people knock Captain America purely on the basis of the name. This isn't directed at anyone who reads this, it's more about people I work with who either know nothing or just a little bit about comics and say things like "You like Captain America?! I've never liked the idea of Captain America." These people don't get the idea of Captain America and they're a little bit racist to boot with their non-stop "Yanks are stupid, the English are so much better" rants. You all know the sort.

The thing is though, if these xenophobic chumps were attacked by Nazis or supervillains then Cap would still come and save them because that's who he is. Me? I'd probably just leave them to it but I'd like to think that maybe I'd try and save them regardless of my distaste because I think that there's a little of Steve Rogers in everyone around the world. It's the part of us that always strives for us to better ourselves and stand up for what's right. That's what we should do. That's a hero.




That's Captain America.

A Hollow And Soulless Mockery Of Blogging

What up? Just dropping in to give you a heads up of what to expect from This Sentence No Verb this coming weekend. But first let's ramble on nonsensically for a while!

Anyway, today is another one of those times when I want to write about something but all I've got (apart from the one or two big posts that are still being worked on) are lots of half ideas. I watched the Superman Doomsday film last night and as much as I want to discuss the highs and lows (mainly lows) I can't because, well, there's really not that much to it. Seriously. The fights were OK I guess but in true fanboy entitlement fashion I can't get over the fact that...oh, wait -


- there we go. Yes, I can't get over the fact that Mercy gets shot in the head. Not cool. Not cool. I also watched Heroes Season 2 Episode 1 and it was pretty good but if it stays true to form and Season 1 was a Watchmen/Days Of Future Past type affair then I have the horrible feeling that Season 2 is going to be a Legacy Virus/Contagion thing. And nobody wants that.

I also kind of want to do a thing about the Black Canary and Green Arrow Wedding Special too but...I didn't like it. I didn't hate it either which leaves me very little opportunity to attempt to be entertaining about it. All I can say is what has already been said elsewhere on the interweb - Amanda Conner Draw Pretty. Look at her absolutely perfect Wonder Woman and Superman:

Man, I would love for AC to be the artist on my ill-conceived Hela mini-series.

True dat Captioning John. Y'see how cool that looks? That's what I want to see more of in my comics. Smiling. That's Wonder Woman right there. Is she on the art when Gail Simone takes over Wonder Woman? Or is it the Dodsons? It'd be both boss and mint if AC was on there. It's like everyone else has been saying - she's as good as Maguire. Although one thing that nobody else (that I'm aware of) has mentioned is her take on Deathstroke the Terminator.

He's so cute! Look at his little legs dangling! Awww!
I want a Deathstroke the Terminator plushie now!

I also found a wonderful page that I could grab an out-of-context-panel from too when I was composing my list of Top 25 Marvel and DC characters for Jon Carey's Maths and I was thinking about Batman's best ever love interest - Sasha Bordeaux/Cover.* Thing is, it's just a very poor piece of innuendo that ruins what is otherwise a 3 page sequence of serious Comic Book Badassery. I kid you not, this moment is up there with Steph's reaction when Batman said she could be Robin and I don't know if I can cheapen that. It wouldn't feel right.

I, however, have no problems with cheapening it! Let the lowbrow commence!

Yeah, that is pretty lowest common denominator, isn't it? What next,
we going to make jokes about Liefeld's inability to draw human anatomy?

Err...

Weak dude. Weak.

This Weekend On This Sentence No Verb: JLA/Hitman, JYD Loves Hela and Mirror Match!

*Seriously. I say best because she very quickly outgrew the Love Interest cliché and became one of the top characters DC have right now. Unlike others who we may think aren't "good enough" for the Batman, with Sasha it's very apparent that he isn't good enough for her. Talia, Selina and Silver can bugger right off. Especially Silver. Go on, get out of here! Scat! At least those other two had more to their character than generic love interest! *waves stick* We don't need your stereotypical ways round here you yacht riding dilettante! Go on, scram!