Linkara Tackles Identity Crisis, I Analyse the Incredibles, and An Odd Dr Doom Cover

[espanolbot]

Firstly, the cover,


Linkara's Fifteen Things Wrong with Identity Crisis,


In addition, here's my analysis of the Incredibles, and how I don't think that it's actually about Objectivism, which seems to be the go-to interpretation of the film in certain circles,
http://espanolbot.blogspot.com/2012/01/is-incredibles-objectivist-movie.html

EDIT: Yikes, people are getting personal against Linkara in the comments here, what gives?

Comments

[anothermoviegeek]

I couldn't even get past his first reason before turning it off. Maybe its just me but if arguing the merits of the legal system in the DC universe is your opening salvo for disliking Identity Crisis, you have lost me already.

[espanolbot]

He did say he was starting with the nitpicky things and working up from there.

Plus, it was legitimately stupid from a story point of view. It appears in-story that the Atom had her committed to Arkham, yet apparently her relationship to him was well known, so that put her into extreme levels of physical danger also.

Also, although Arkham appears to be a privately owned facility... some of the time, it's still a maximum security mental institution for criminally insane people, why did Ray Palmer think sticking her there would be a good idea?

[fifthie]

One of many reasons I wish he would take his lengthy critiques of comics and videogames, and then, WRITE THEM THE FUCK DOWN so I don't have to look at his stupid face saying words at the Youtube for twenty minutes when I could read them in less than five (realisticially: skim for the good parts, read those in one).

[icon_uk]

I agree with most of his points, but his presentation style is incredibly annoying. His speaking voice is somewhat irritating, his screeching voice is painful.

[abriel]

This.

I had to stop it and then watch it by fastforwarding through most of it. He needs to tone it down a notch or two. Hundred.

[drexer]

Really? I can handle most of his voices(specially compared to other internet commentators) and the only one that really makes me cringe is his females voices.

[espanolbot]

Different strokes.

A guy can't help how his voice sounds. Hrrmph.

[freezer]

Odd; I find Linkara's voice one of the most listenable on TGWTG. Definitely far from the bottom of the list (COUGHphelousCOUGH) on that score.

[biod]

I find my tolerance differs from video to video.

Mod note

[greenmask]

Icon! Critique what he does (screeching), not what you think he is (annoyingly vox'd) or you shall be punished. We have policies!

Warning: a little long

[starwolf_oakley]

I've been waiting for this episode since I saw it on Linkara schedule.

Linkara does not cover what I consider a major flaw: How Wally and Kyle are treated by the Justice League *and* Brad Meltzer. It is not like they joined the JLA just last week. But reading IDENTITY CRISIS, you'd think Wally isn't a "worthy" successor to Barry and Kyle was picked by Ganthet in order to punish Hal Jordan's friends. Also, it SHOULD take Kyle two seconds to squash Deathstroke with a big green fish.

Linkara gives a pass to the whole "Jean Loring knows Jack Drake knows Tim Drake is Robin." Odd that. Jack didn't know about Tim being Robin for quite a while. Then he learns about Tim *and* Bruce. And there has never been ANYTHING on how Jean could POSSIBLY know this.

Stuff about Jean going on trial was covered in HAWKMAN.

Re: Warning: a little long

[freezer]

I figure the "Jean Loring knows Jack Drake knows Tim Drake is Robin" was covered by his line that Jean knew far more secret identities than she should have.

Re: Warning: a little long

[starwolf_oakley]

Also, it SHOULD take Kyle two seconds to squash Deathstroke with a big green fish.

That should be "big green fist." Although Kyle squashing Deathstroke with a big green fish would be quite a sight.

Re: Warning: a little long

[jaybee3]

The Jean knowing who Tim Drake was was the biggest plothole (of several) in Identity Crisis and one I couldn't get over (another being for a supposed murder mystery it was a very bad one - yeah I'm sure Jean "accidentally" just happened to bring a flame thrower after stomping on Sue's brain). Someone correct me, but wasn't Jean divorced from Ray for YEARS (during which time Ray married the Princess of the little people and was widowed) and certainly was during the time Tim became Robin. I can see her knowing Dick was Robin or even Jason's name but Tim's? He didn't even tell his Young Justice teammates or his girlfriend (Spoiler) his real name. Yet the Atom's ex-wife knew it? Not buying. And yet an entire part of the plot (and Jean's planning) turned on this knowledge.

Identity Crisis was bad, and over time it has aged even worse. I'm glad the reboot has done away with it (still hoping to see the Dibnys).

Re: Warning: a little long

[mrstatham]

The entire thing with Jean turns into so much bullshit when you consider the notion that the plot makes a hell of a lot more sense when Ray is inserted into the murderer's role. Since Jean and Ray have been separated for a while - to the point where Ray is coming around offering HER weapons to defend herself, as I recall - Ray would be more in the know about superhero ID's, the MO's of villains like the one they suggest could've tried to kill Jean, and so on. Ray also makes more sense when you consider that he could've been confident enough as a scientist to figure that no-one would spot his footprints like Batman does during his tests. Ray also knows the Justice League's security measures better than Jean arguably would.

[domino_blue]

I like Linkara and while I sometimes disagree on some of his points on other comics I think he has a good opinion and thinks about then and gives legitimate reasons why.Plus he created the I am a Man meme I love that one.

[leikomgwtfbbq]

I guess I'm the only person who agreed with everything Linkara said.

Although, like Starwolf_oakley, I also hated the treatment of Wally and Kyle.

[sil]

Count me as one of the people who completely agree with Linkara on this one.

[jaybee3]

I think Linkara's final point was the most important - what was accomplished? What was the point? Other than DC's need to show they can be as dark and "mature" as Marvel? You had a murder mystery about Sue Dibny shown in the most horrific way possible, you ret-conned a rape into Sue Dibny's past, you showed how much the characters in-universe cared for Sue Dibny, you relied on reader's perceptions of how nice and kind Sue Dibny was to get them angry/excited/etc. and in the end the story had NOTHING to do with Sue Dibny at all. So what was the point?

[kd_the_movie]

The two points I think Meltzer wanted to point out was that:

*The DCU isn't as bright and shiny and whitebread as its perceived to be. Particularly the Silver and Bronze ages (nevermind the fact that the killing of Arthur Jr. already covered that point). That the DC Heroes apparently can be just as duplicitous and flawed as the Marvels.

*That despite how underpowered, how goofy they may seem, some of the b-z list villains in the DCU are sick fucks that are genuinely dangerous. Which in turn makes the heroes seem more credible and competent when they take them down.

[sigmund_droid]

Good review, I agree with most of his points. Identity Crisis was entertaining at times but everything was so...pointless

[espanolbot]

On the plus side, it got rid of that condescending asshole Jack Drake.

On the negative side... well... see above.

[mrstatham]

You know, it's only now that, alongside Linkara's raving, that I see just how creepy that splash page of Batman hugging Tim Drake after his father's death really is. It's almost like Tim's being sucked into his mentor's darkness. If it's intentional on Morales' behalf, I have to say that's pretty much a genius move.

[wizardru]

Having now watched it, I have to pretty much agree with everything said. Though it could have been a trifle less shouty (and the echoing audio grates a little), I'm pretty much on-board with everything he says here.

[espanolbot]

He's shouty because he's angry about it, normally he doesn't really raise his voice, see the Wonder Woman review I posted about a week or so ago.

[big_daddy_d]

Linkara voiced a lot of what I was thinking. The way they just mention the rape and don't even bother to bring it up and explore it in a mature, meaningful manner. I always said from day 1, it was extremely unnecessary. If they wanted to do the mindwipe angle, they could've did it based on the time, the villains and heroes switched bodies, and the villains did the smartest thing ever. They took off the masks to learn the identity of their foes! Or hell even go by what Linkara suggested, but don't use rape, and Sue as a damn prop!

While on the subject, Dr. Light..just..wow he got creepy real fast.

And seriously when Batman was in his dickish period, I automatically side with him due to this book because..you just don't do that to a friend. When Zee froze him in place, couldn't they have used that time to..well idk..ACTUALLY EXPLAIN TO HIM WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?! As much as I LOOVE Zatanna and am a big shipper of her and Bruce, this is a black mark for her and I still think the forgiveness thing might've been done a little too easy. This is something that her and other members of the league kept secret for years. and seriously, Hawkman trying to fight Batman when he punched him..I so wanted to see Bruce own his ass.

Honestly, I didn't mind Tim's dad and Boomerang biting it. I actually liked the Deathstroke fight..that is..until it was pointed out that Deathstroke overpowered Kyle's will....how the hell did I end up blocking that out of my mind? What kind of shit?... The idea for this series, wasn't bad, but the execution was heavily flawed and as much as I like Brad Meltzer, this is a black mark on his resume.

mod note

[greenmask]

Cheers for pointing out the policy on personal attacks when relevant. :]

[kirke_novak]

I may not always agree with Linkara but he's def in the top 5 TGWTG reviewers for me. Having said that - I agree with this video very strongly, especially the retro-look at some leaguers as people who brainwashed Batman.