So you've come back from the dead... let's talk about that Doug...

[icon_uk]

From CBR's preview for New Mutants #38


It's nice to see this kind of thing addressed, isn't it...



What follows is not what you might expect, but it does help if appreciate that Doug has been learning to speak "dream". An interesting issue, which does feature the return of a not-remotely-missed (by me) former New Mutant, some interesting personal developments, and does some nice set up for the story.

Comments

[glprime]

Not to mention he can't master basic grammar. "An unpleasant," not "a unpleasant."

/snark

[batman]

Or even know the meaning of the word "syntax".

His metaphors are just so messed up though - what would it mean to have a major case of punctuation? How does this convey to the reader what he actually thinks, because what he is saying obscures his point? He doesn't have to be poetic in his language (though his language here is rather tortured and certainly lacks elegance) but he does have to be precise. This is sloppy because it is not the exact, precise words that he would need to convey what he wants to say.

It's a shame, because under a competent wordsmith, Doug would come across as a gem of a character who can communicate exactly what he means, using words precisely and accurately to convey his meaning, regardless of their length. Right now he just comes across as a self-important kid who doesn't know half as many words as he thinks.

[icon_uk]

what would it mean to have a major case of punctuation?

LIke I said elsewhere, he got a full stop in the middle of his sentence, possibly with an exclamation mark, and a couple of jarns and grawlix thrown in...

I agree though, that when a character's power is language, you really need to take care when writing him.

[batman]

No kidding. I just have this image of his death being instead the punctuation laden comments that you see commenting to news articles online with lots of ??????!!!!! and !!!!11 and hyperbole, which (while undeniably hilarious) rather underscores the tragedy of his death. He's not trying to be wry, he's trying to be serious and the mental picture his words convey is not helping him with that.

I do sympathise with the writer, because a character like that is hard. You'd spend more time crafting his lines than anyone else because it would have to be correct. But man, I'm being drawn out of a traumatised man's discussion about his death because of his inability to describe his experiences, which is a shame and a bit of a failing on the writer's part.

[icon_uk]

"So Doug, how was your death?"

"Tabloid-y...."

[djt2445.livejournal.com]

I always figured Doug could communicate quite well to others, but that -feelings-, in being chaotic, illogical things, are slippery to explain. So one can explain quite well facts, opinions backed by analysis, and such, but anything emotional requires being able to understand -feelings-, and such things are like trying to grasp water - you can sometime get it in your hands and control it, but one slight move, and it slips through your hands.

Doug's power is, to me, linguistic, but not empathic.

[icon_uk]

I think DnA are doing something a little different with them. When he came back Doug was able to reassure Amara that he'd never hurt her by basically inventing a private language on the spot which only he and she would be able to comprehend. (How that works is anyone's guess), so correct intuiting of other peoples (in some cases subconscious) feelings are part of his power.

Here he mentions that he can read body language, micro-expressions, chemical pheromones and spot the feelings, but has issues when it comes to his OWN feelings.