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Jesse-Lee

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Everything posted by Jesse-Lee

  1. Jesse-Lee
    My bad, I was paraphrasing.
  2. Jesse-Lee
    Yeah, I think this is all fair, especially the part about the studio taking the authority/autonomy away from creators like Snyder, which, when you dictate to your creative, it's always going to hurt the end product.
  3. Jesse-Lee
    Well, that's an interesting and fair point. I will admit that I'm much more of a casual fan when it comes to Marvel comics as compared to DC. I've always been much more of a DC comics fan and much more well-versed in those storylines, especially the run from Crisis on Infinite Earths through Final Crisis, some of the New 52 (Bat-books mostly), and I'm mostly up to speed on the overall Rebirth era, etc. But my point is that from a Marvel standpoint, when I see Downy Jr. or Cumberbatch or Johansson or whoever, I'm like, oh yeah, I recognize that character. Or they even shift their comics universe to match the cinematic one, like in the case of Jackson as Nick Fury. There's a consistency there is quickly easy to see. The fact that I'm much more well-versed in the DC comics universe could also be why I judge the DCEU more harshly compared to the MCU. But also, I think there are a lot of people who like the movies - both MCU and DCEU - who would consider themselves "casual fans," and this is another reason why I think MCU's model makes it more accessible to a broader audience. With a consistent universe, you can see a character show up in another movie and know who they are right away - that's Nick Fury, that's Black Widow, etc. With the DCEU and its multiple iterations of the same character, a casual fan - one who just likes the movies but maybe doesn't delve too far into the books - doesn't get that same experience. Now, that all again comes down to personal preference - as @Bosco685 said, he doesn't want the DCEU to follow the MCU style; he prefers stand-alone stories or a mix in the middle. Obviously nothing wrong with that, it's just not what I would prefer - I like DC characters better for the most part and I do wish they would have done what Marvel did with the MCU. Also, I think that if it's true that the MCU on the whole appeals to a broader audience because of their model, that can lead to more commercial success overall; they certainly do a better job of marketing, and that job is probably easier when people have a familiarity with the characters from previous movies and shows. You could argue that commercial success is only one indicator of success, and I'd agree with that, but it's an important one when it comes to making further movies.
  4. Jesse-Lee
    Seriously though, if we consider 2008 the "starting point" of the MCU with the release of Iron Man - in that same time frame, DC has had 5 different Batmans/Bruce Waynes, 5 different Jokers, 4 different Jim Gordons, and so on, and that's just Batman. It's hard to stay true to characters when you have so many different versions of each. I don't disagree with you that Cavill fits the mold of Superman from a look and feel standpoint; he does - I just don't like his acting and I'm not a fan of his, and I think he's just mediocre. But I think that Iron Man, Thor, Banner, Peter Parker, Black Widow, Doctor Strange, Vision, Black Panther and so on look like they came off the page. I don't love DC's aesthetic/style in the TV shows either - their shows have always had the feel of "teen drama" to me. With the exception of Peacemaker, which I thought was incredible.
  5. Jesse-Lee
    I expanded on all this in subsequent posts, so I won't rehash it all here (they're right above) - but in short, yes, I stand by all of this. I'll rehash a small amount in response to what you bolded. I stated above that for me personally, I'd much rather have DC follow the marvel model of interconnected movies and shows to create an organized universe - so yeah, I'd say that I find the MCU to be a much more organized effort. Marvel has also focused on casting choices and storylines that, for the most part, more closely reflect the source material compared to DC. Yes, this is my opinion. Actually, I find Superman to be a less compelling character overall than many other superheroes. But yeah, not a Cavill fan. For what it's worth, Christopher Reeve is my favorite Superman. Peacemaker is the first DC show that, for me, was must-see the moment each episode dropped. When it came to the Marvel shows, they were almost all that way for me. Again, I'd personally be way more invested in the DC shows if DC had a cohesive universe, instead of a different Bruce Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Jim Gordon, etc. in Titans, then other different ones in The Batman, then yet more different ones in the upcoming Batgirl and so on. At the end of the day, here's what I said to Bosco above about the DCEU/MCU stuff - in a nutshell, it comes down to personal opinion and preference; to each their own:
  6. Jesse-Lee
    I feel like people don't talk enough about the spelling error on this cover - it drives me nuts! Edited to add: Wow, turns out I'm either an insufficiently_thoughtful_person or I wish I was British - I Googled it, and apparently "kidnaped" is the US version of the spelling, and "kidnapped" is the UK version! Crazy! It just looks so wrong to me as "kidnaped." I rescind my scorn!
  7. Jesse-Lee
    This discussion started in another thread (and again, could probably have its own thread) -but considering Detective 576 is Todd's first Batman cover (and I think it's his first cover on a major mainstream title), why doesn't it get as much love as Batman 423? Or for that matter, a lot of his other work? Don't get me wrong, 423 is amazing, one of my favorites (flaws aside - and when the flaws are pointed out, you can't unsee them). I own multiple copies of both books. I do give the nod to 423 as a "cooler-looking" cover in my opinion, but is 'Tec 576 criminally underrated? I just picked up a fairly high-grade copy of that book the other day for only $11! Tec 576: Batman 423:
  8. Jesse-Lee
  9. Jesse-Lee
  10. Jesse-Lee
    Thank you!
  11. Jesse-Lee
    2 for $2.40
  12. Jesse-Lee
    2 for $4.80
  13. Jesse-Lee
    - 2 for $1.60 2 for $2.40
  14. Jesse-Lee
  15. Jesse-Lee
    The Marvel Comics Presents 1 is a newsstand, I just didn't feel like doing a scan of the back where the barcode is - I didn't actually know it was a newsstand until I got it home and took it out of the bag.
  16. Jesse-Lee
    I think you could do both - this might be a spoiler I guess for The Batman movie, but it's a very light one:
  17. Jesse-Lee
    I 100% agree with this - Disney/Marvel does do a much better job at marketing. These are the points where we're in disagreement. Not that I'm right and you're wrong (or vice versa) by any means; but that I absolutely do want the DC film universe to follow a semblance of the MCU model, and you don't - and that's totally fine. There are plenty of DC movies I really like, and if they make more movies along those lines or in those universes, I'll continue to go see them. But for me, I'll always feel like the DCEU as a whole is flawed because of that. It just comes down to a difference in what style we like. I guess I do wish that if they're not going the connected route, then I wish they wouldn't try to do it at all - like shoehorning the Justice League appearance into Peacemaker. Again, just down to preference.
  18. Jesse-Lee
    I didn’t make that connection either, and I thought they were actually setting up a Hush possibility with the Elliot name and how “Hush!” flashed on the screen. I also got excited when they were talking about the “founding families of Gotham,” because I hoped they’d drop a Court of Owls hint or Easter egg, but I didn’t see anything like that.
  19. Jesse-Lee
    That's a fair point. When I said DC strays further from the source material, I had in mind characters (and even settings) more than story. I mean, we've had multiple iterations of most of the fan-favorite DC characters in the same time frame as the MCU has existed with its (mostly) consistent characterization and world building, using (mostly) actors who look and act very closely to the source material for the characters. Then with DC, you have characters like Cassandra Cain (I know she's not really a mainstream character, but I love the Cain Batgirl/Orphan) - a bad-a** in the comics who they made a doofy pickpocket in Birds of Prey; Flash, who, I'm sorry, but Ezra Miller is not Barry Allen. I could see him as Impulse maybe, but whatever. When they get it right, it's so good - I think Kravitz's Catwoman is the best version of that character I've ever seen in live-action - but when they get it wrong, it's glaring. I'm not saying that doing it the way Marvel did is the be-all-end-all, but their way does make fans become more invested across the sum of the movies and shows - because even if you have somewhat of a flop, you still know that there's opportunity for the character you like to show up elsewhere. For example, Black Widow was not a great movie, but Florence Pugh as Yelena was great, and then they used her in Hawkeye, and she'll be in future stuff. The Nolan Batman movies are still the top of my list for comic movies (especially The Dark Knight). The first Wonder Woman was outstanding; 1984 was awful. The Aquaman movies were fine but forgettable. I loved the Joker movie (just watched it again last night actually), and I loved the new Batman movie as well. But the problem I have with it is that everything starts over each time - they're not building anything, it just feels like throwing things at the wall to see what sticks and then trying to capitalize. Like, if they decided The Batman would be a jumping-off point going forward, that Pattinson is the new Batman, Wright is the new Gordon, etc. - and then they built on that, that'd be great. But you have a Batgirl movie coming out this year that has yet another Jim Gordon, a new Batgirl who is not the Barbara Gordon from Titans, a Batman who isn't Pattinson or even Bat-fleck or Glen (Bruce Wayne in Titans) - although it is a fan-favorite Batman for sure. But each entry into the DCEU is basically a stand-alone. It's hard to get invested in them as a fan, especially when you have movies like The Batman, Suicide Squad, Joker that are outstanding, but then you have Birds of Prey, BvS, 1984 that are just not good. The ZSJL doesn't do it for me, mostly because, what's the point? There will likely just be another Batman, another Joker, another whoever coming along on the next project anyway. They may be trying to pull everything together by claiming it's a multiverse thing, and I could get behind that if it felt like they actually had a plan and a real vision for it, but as it stands it feels sloppy to me.
  20. Jesse-Lee
    Free shipping though, that's nice.
  21. Jesse-Lee
    "I'd rather you just say thank you, and go on your way..." Seriously though, I know I'm inserting myself into an ongoing argument here, but I think many people would agree that the MCU is an organized effort that stays true to its source material as a service to long-time fans, while drawing in new fans through really good movies that can stand alone or be watched as an integrated universe. DCEU; not so much. From a comics standpoint, I've always been a DC guy. From a movie standpoint, they can't hold a candle to the MCU. The characters and stories in the MCU seem like they were ripped right from the pages of comics. The characters and stories in the DCEU are a muddled mess. Robert Downey Jr. has been Iron Man since 2008, and he absolutely embodies the character. We've had three different big-screen Batmans in that same time-frame. The DCEU often strays much further from its source material - characters, settings, etc. - than the MCU. You can argue that you don't need to re-hash stories or character types, or even to have an interconnected universe; but one look at the success of the MCU show that it's what many fans want. The ZSJL is just ok. Ezra Miller is a crappy Flash. Henry Cavill is a mediocre Superman. Who is the DCEU Batman going forward? Gal Gadot is an amazing Wonder Woman, but 1984 was a mess. Momoa is fine as Aquaman I guess. Joker and The Batman were really good movies, but they're standalone glimpses into the DC Universe. Same with Suicide Squad (the recent one obviously) and Peacemaker. Birds of Prey had so much potential - Margot Robbie is an awesome Harley, and I loved Rosie Perez as Montoya - but they ruined Cassandra Cain and ruined/wasted Black Mask. The TV shows are a hot mess compared to the Marvel shows. It's frustrating as a DC fan. @Frank Castle 74 hit the nail on the head with this:
  22. Jesse-Lee
    Ah, I think you're right - I think it was that 1:25 first print that goes for crazy $$. I ended up grabbing a couple of the 2nd print right before FOC for around $3 each; I'll probably just hold on to them awhile. Just was curious to see what other people thought about the potential for that one.
  23. Jesse-Lee
    A lot of people (myself included) use eBay sold listings to determine value. It's best if you can find sold listings that were an auction - it can help determine overall interest - although looking at a number of overall sold listings and finding a sweet spot is good too. I know I've won auctions or missed auctions where a book went far below value, maybe because of a botched listing or something like that, so the more comps you can find, the better you're able to determine the actual value. For graded books you can also use GPA, but there's a cost for that.
  24. Jesse-Lee
    The part where Batman reaches into the cage with the bat to grab the card seemed to last about 20 minutes on its own... I was like, "dude, you're wearing gloves, just reach in and grab it, you'll be fine..."
  25. Jesse-Lee
    I feel like you and I should have just gone to see it together at this point... I 100% was sitting there, thinking, did they just steal the Imperial March? How did they get away with that?