"Great Hera!"

Okay, you've got me:  I don't care if Ben Affleck plays Batman.

I don't blame Mr. Affleck for the failings of the Daredevil movie.  I think there's a difference between what you do and what is done to you, and I think that he did the best he could with the role.  Would I have picked him for Batman?  Probably not my first choice*, but I'm willing to let him take a shot at it:  too many other people, like Michael Keaton and Heath Ledger, have been publicly villified for taking on iconic roles and then gone on to set the standard. 

ANYway, once the smoke from the whole Batffleck thing has cleared, hopefully we can get back to the important question that's in front of us:  when are they going to give Wonder Woman a shot at the big screen?

Wonder Woman has been the topic of a couple of postings here:  I've looked at her roots and how it's influenced her portrayal in the DC Universe, and I've also talked about ethnic opportunities in casting her for live action.

However, the issue here is the opposite of the Batman casting question.  I really don't care who they cast as Wonder Woman - there are all sorts of options there, each with its own opportunities and pitfalls.  The big question is how they decide to portray the character.

There are already a couple of independently produced trailer/short film presentations of Wonder Woman available online, which show two very different approaches: one relies on her WWII roots for inspiration, and the other is more of a plain-clothes introduction to Diana Prince.

They’re both well done, and I think they present an interesting challenge to the producers of a Wonder Woman film, but they don’t really show the full magnitude of the character’s abilities.  The comic book version of Wonder Woman has gone up and down the range of abilities over the years, but I think that it’s generally accepted that her strength rivals that of Superman - a difficult impression to create on an independent budget.

Really though, this is all moot:  Wonder Woman has already been perfectly brought to life (so to speak) in five seasons of the animated Justice League/Justice League Unlimited series, as well as in a solo feature-length animated film.**  The Wonder Woman of the animated world is everything that the character should be, and that should provide the guidelines for live action.

So, there you go, Hollywood, there's Wonder Woman. All you have to do is to follow what they did in the animated versions.

Make her strong.

Make her proud.

Make her compassionate, but determined.

Make her fearless.

Make her a warrior.

Make her a goddess.  

Make her wonderful.

- Sid

* I don't actually have a first choice, I'd have to do some research.

** The animated DC Comics television adaptations - Batman, Superman, Justice League, Teen Titans -  have all been excellent.  It's unfortunate that DC has such an uneven record in live action.

In space, no one can hear you ... what was that line again?

I've just finished reading the Expanse Trilogy by James S. A. Corey:  Leviathan Wakes, Caliban's War, and Abaddon's Gate.  Definitely recommended reading - good well-written high concept science fiction, and it's easy to see why the first book was nominated for both Hugo and Locus awards in 2012.  But I do have one bone to pick with Mr. Corey.*

In Caliban's War, our heroes are on a spaceship that's escaping from a planetoid infested with alien monsters that can run around in vacuum, rip people in half and tear through steel plate like it's wet cardboard. The following conversation takes place:  

“Okay,” Alex replied, then hit something on a panel twice and frowned. “Huh, we have a red on the board. Gettin’ a ‘no seal’ on the cargo airlock. Might’ve caught some flak on the way down, I guess. It was pretty hot up there.”

“Well, we’re not going to stop and fix it now,” Holden said. “We keep the bay in vacuum most of the time anyway. If the inner hatch into the cargo area is showing a good seal, just override the alarm and let’s go.”

“Roger,” Alex said, and tapped the override.

Is anyone - ANYONE - surprised that later they find one of the monsters in the cargo hold? What, have the lessons of Ellen Ripley been completely lost with the passage of time?

- Sid

* Which is actually a cooperative pen name for Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, but let's not pick nits while we're picking bones.

Damn it, Space™!

Ahem:  science fiction sharks, Space™!  SCIENCE FICTION SHARKS!!!*

Cartoon from Cartwheel Marathon.

 Yeah, they showed Jaws again...

- Sid

* Okay, maybe fantasy sharks, but still, sharks with jetpacks, you get the idea. By the way, please do look at the full size version of the cartoon, so you don't miss any of the little subtleties of expression.