trust me, you won’t be surprised, but you can read it after the break anyway.

So, Generation X was an hour and a half long pilot for a show of the same name, which, amazingly, never happened.

I’m being sarcastic, and it’s obvious to any poor sap that has ever seen this movie before.

It follows the lives of Jubilee and the five other students at the Xavier “Academy” which Emma Frost and Banshee run, and yes – about half of them are made up characters.

The film is rife with the melancholy that was the mid nineties, I have to say. Very melodramatically avante garde, and that’s not helped by the obvious lack of acting talent present.

Also, interestingly enough, well, it looks, feels, and tastes like a bad parody of Batman Forever. It uses odd lighting, green and blue hues at night, and features a villain who quite obviously took his cue from Jim Carrey as Riddler.

I’d avoid watching this one, unless you’re a masochist.

I’d love to say more, but I might ruin the experience for others – I really don’t want to ruin the awful surprises and twists in store.

Of all of Marvel’s characters, Wolverine  has always been the most mysterious; numerous flashbacks and glimpses into his past, prior to the revealing of his origin, were never any help to those attempting to discern a coherent story – in fact, they were generally often considered to be fake, retconned as fake memories implanted by Weapon X. Whether or not Wolverine would ever remember what really happened to him in the past, and the mysterious nature of his origin lended to the character in ways that having an actual, coherent origin never could have. However, Marvel, in times of economic hardship, has rejected this belief system in lieu of complete disclosure, evidenced by their recent film, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. What does this all mean?

It seems to me to be a concession that in times of fiscal trouble, Marvel is willing to ignore the artistic integrity of the characterization of our heroes for a way to make quick cash.

Wolverine has always been the character we know next to nothing about; when he was dropped into Incredible Hulk #181, we didn’t really know how or why, just that he was fighting the Green goliath. When he became a major character, and he did have flashbacks, those were characterized as possibly being fake – a tool which added to his mystery. If even the little we know about him may not be true, it’s actually harder to know anything about him than if we didn’t know anything at all.

And, more importantly, when given the chance to explore his origin, as evidenced by numerous instances in which Xavier has offered to sort things out for him mentally, he chose not to. It was an integral part of his character, and his motivations. In Secret War, he fought with Fury for brainwashing him and manipulating his memory once again. It also stood as a tool through which individuals could analyze comic book violence – the feuds wolverine had, when devoid of backstory, stood as a critique of the generic”vengeful” villain; no one knows what happened ages ago to make Sabretooth so upset with Wolvie, really, all we know is that there is a supreme bloodfeud.

The fact that this is the first of the X-Men Origins released stands as a testament to the fact that this lack of a backstory has been completely reneged. Why? For cash.

We all know Marvel, as of late, has not been doing as well as expected. Delays plaguing upcoming films such as Captain America and the Avengers series has hurt them financially, as well as an increasingly worse X-Men film franchise. More evidence would be the fact that key characters such as Deadpool have been revamped for the film; we can all see Ryan Reynolds is not horribly disfigured in the tv spot for the film daily.

Wolverine has always been a character representing redemption. No matter his past, the evils he has done, and those done to him, he became an X-Man, and chose to ignore the skeletons in his closet, in hopes of becoming a better human being. The gradual return to man from beast we have seen in the decades he has been in comic books begins to be undone when we focus on that which is not supposed to be remembered – his past.

I just hope that Wolverine’s redemption, his motivations,  and his general essence, are not neglected in coming days and months, and the years after which this film begins to influence the comic books. No one wants to see that… Just, as I suspect, no one is going to want to see this film after PTAB gets its review out…

In the Dark Knight, many have seen the unfortunate impacts of technological, calculative thinking – those with “a plan” – and, for many, the hero has become “The Joker,” Ledger’s mind-bending antagonist. In this sense, Hollywood’s biggest blockbuster could be seen as…

A litmus test for Heideggarean re-thinking?

For those unfamiliar with Heidegger, He was a german ontologist who believed that, throughout the course of Western history, science had failed to answer the fundamental ontological questions that man finds himself faced with.  Science and technological thinking both endowed man with  a rationality to apply to us, but was fundamentally flawed in that this enframement is limiting – limiting of Dasien (a term Heidegger used to describe man’s ability to create infinite opportunities for himself).

Heidegger’s work upset philosophy’s established order, one might say. It fundamentally changed the way many ontologists look at questions such as economic freedom, ethics, and the social order. Joker’s actions essentially question the same things Heidegger does, for a few different reasons.

The Joker is an ontologist. He spends an extended period of time not only studying being and ethics, but conducting social expirements to prove his thesis. His theses? Well, there seem to be a few here.

1. Ontology comes before ethics.

When, at the final scene, Joker places the bombs in the two ferries, he looks to prove that individuals value their own being over others. He believed that Gotham would favor their own being over the ethical decision, and it appears as if they do.

The now infamous line “I believe whatever doesn’t kill you simply makes you stranger” – essentially, one bad day can ruin – or change – an individual, so much so that they become what is referred to as “a freak” throughout the film, is another example of being examined by the Joker.

The Joker’s assumption is deterministic in nature, yes, and yet still evokes a higher kind of being. he joker is allowed to “be” in his way of thinking, as he thinks entirely meditatively, free of calculative logic.

“I’m a dog chasing a car,” He explains. “I don’t know what I’d do with one if I ever caught one, I just do things.”

Joker says he isn’t the man with the plan, and you have to believe that. You don’t offer to have yourself killed for the sake of chaos and then think managerially. Ultimately, his actions seem random, from the tone of voice he chooses to use to the shotgun to whether or not he wants to live or die.

If it’s not a plan, what do you call it then? Joker’s thinking is meditive, he’s a dog who caught the car – a cop car, which he hung out on his way to freedom after his escape.

2. The Joker endorses the belief that economic thought reduces all individuals to their economic value thus objectifying life.

Remember what the Joker tells the Chechen right before feeding him to his dogs.

“All you care about is money.” The Chechen, the rest of the gangsters, they’re all less free because they’re tied to economic principles. They have these rules the Joker doesn’t have – they don’t burn money, they’re tied up by it. Money makes their world go around. Joker’s world is moved instead by a ontological drive for freedom from this technological thinking that Gotham ultimately represents.

In Gotham, there are ultimately two powerful estates, theorizes Kelsey Kraven, in her theses on The Dark Knight. The mob and the Wayne estate are ultimately the only two power structures in Gotham. Batman’s emergence reflects a privatisation of law enforcement, along with the privatization of transportation by Wayne Enterprises in Batman Begins, and we see the law, along with the government, almost literally crumble before us. These power structures wage war – Batman fights the mob, as the caped defender of the Wayne Estate, and the mob steals Wayne technology in Batman Begins.  Therefore, individuals must either subsist, economically, by working for either of these two organizations, essentially.

But for Joker, ”It’s not about money, It’s about sending a message.” Joker has freed himself of objectification in this sense. He is allowed to project his being rather than become an object.

He projects his being by acting free of rules. “The only sensible way to live in this world is without rules,” he tells us. And, ultimately, he plays without any.

He is free of the rules that criminals used to place on themself – “honor, respect.” He needs them not.

He is free of the rules of ethics as he has positioned himself ontologically in a place where he needs them not.

He is free of economic thought, and he is free of the social order.

3. The Joker’s “world without rules” is the only place in which there truly exists no social order.

Joker spends extended periods of time trying to break down social barriers, getting all classes involved in the anarchy he was putting forth. He encourages all take part in the chaos, asking all to kill Coleman Reese, and then again when he declares his ownership of Gotham. When he tells Batman “the only sensible way to live in this world is without rules,” social rules apply.

Joker’s meditative thought is ultimately the only thing that can be considered just by his standards. “Introduce a little anarchy, upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos. I’m an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It’s fair.” 

4. Joker’s understanding of history is infinitely similar to that of Heidegger.

Joker, in his version of history, (“multiple choice,” if you put any wieght in The Killing Joke) is able to do what western history does not in that it encorporates Being into it. Heidegger’s critique of history is that it reduces the Dasien of individuals. Joker’s history is truly free, in that it doesn’t exist. He’s not limited by the past. For more on that, look here.

There has been much ado as of late in the religious arena regarding the film The Dark Knight, in particular Heath Ledger’s portrayal of The Joker. More than one site has regarded him as more of an anti-christ. But what I’m more interested in are the similarities there are to Christianity’s lord and savior, of which there are many.

The most convincing comparison is, essentially, the purity of both of these individuals.

Christ was born a man in a time of immense sin and moral decay. It is said that God was so frustrated with humanity he closed the gates of Heaven. Christ is sent to teach us, restore order, and open the gates of heaven. He delivers us his moral code in the form of the beatitudes – Jesus’ assertion that justice exists through God – dressed brightly in a white robe. He is free of sins of the flesh.

Joker, on the other hand, is a man who is born in a time where there’s this universal moral code – which he proposes is “a bad joke, dropped at the first sign of trouble.” He proposes a new moral code, a new path to justice to Harvey Dent, dressed brightly in a white Nurses Outfit. “Introduce a little anarchy, upset the established order,” he cooed, “And everything becomes chaos. I’m an agent of chaos. Oh, and you know the thing about chaos? It’s fair.” Joker is free of rules.

The thing both Joker and Christ aren’t free of, however, is fate. And they both believe in some twisted form of that. It’s no coincidence Joker’s first line in this film is “I believe whatever doesn’t kill you simply makes you… stranger.” Joker implies that we are all slaves to fate. One bad day can destroy an individual – it did it to him.

Christ makes an extremely similar argument in John 8:31-36, stating we are all slaves to sin – and he has come to free us, just as the Joker frees us of rules.

Absent fathers seem to have destroyed both of these characters. Christ’s “father” clearly wasn’t around, since he seemed to be busy running creation – and Christ knows it. Depending what Gospel you read, some of his last word were “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

It gets more interesting when you consider the original Hebrew. Translated as “My God, My God” in the Bible, the actual Hebrew word used is Abba – meaning, literally, “father.” Insert that word, and we have “father, father, why have you forsaken me?”

It doesn’t take a Freudian scholar to recognize Joker’s father screwed up pretty badly. As Joker wills Gamble, he reminisces, most likely falsely – “You know how I got these scars? My father was a drinker and a fiend. One night he goes off ca-razier than usual; Mommy gets the kitchen knife to defend herself. Daddy doesn’t like that, not one bit.” His father goes on to carve a smile into his face. Later in the film, Joker grabs a wealthy individual by the face, portrayed by Senator Patrick Leahy (D, VT). Leahy, in his distinctive voice, tells Joker, “we’re not initimidated by thugs.” Some are willing to argue Leahy could be representative of the traditional christian God, older, wise, and steadfast.

Joker replies, somewhat famously, “You know, you remind me of my Father. I hated my father!”

Most importantly, one must consider the character’s mission. Joker is an individual who inspires individuals to follow him on a quest culminating in his own self destruction. Joker arises as an individual who meets Batman and preaches his New Gospel – the only sensible way to live in this world is without rules. Joker then embarks on a quest to sacrifice his own life in order to show Batman this truth.

Marvel has released photos of a bust featuring the likeness of Ray Stevenson as The Punisher, set to commemorate the opening for the full length feature film Punisher: War Zone on December 5th.

The statue, designed by Kotobuyika, will retail at $79.99. I’m excited about this statue, simply because the Marvel Marquee is wired to light up – and, apparently, it features bullet holes as well.

It’s a limited edition, so expect the usual frenzy to get one. Whether or not you want to read that sentence with any sarcasm is up to you.

It’s been awhile since Marvel announced it was selling these life size Hulk statues that Marvel set loose on theaters everywhere for Iron Man’s premiere. And, it pains me to say it, but it looks like they’re finally gone.

I think I speak for every monetarily challenged Marvel fan when I say I wished I could have a life size hulk statue in my living room next to the coffee table. So I was ecstatic when they went on sale. Then I looked at the price tag.

Anyway, It appears they’re finally out of statues. Bidding ended yesterday for the last batch.

I pray they do an Incredible Hulk sequel. Not because the movie would be particularly good, but because maybe then, things will be different…

Phil Sheldon, Marvel’s favorite everyman, is back fourteen years after his debut in Marvels, but this time, Alex Ross is noticeably absent.

Eye of the Camera, the sequel to the critically acclaimed Marvels, will still be written by Kurt Busiek, though, and painted once again, this time by Jay Anacleto. The story will follow Sheldon through some of the stories of the 70’s and 80’s, mostly what wasn’t touched upon in Marvels.

Editor Tom Brevoort has stated of the series:

We’ll be covering a broad spectrum of Marvel events, everything from the first appearance of the Punisher in Manhattan to the rise of monsters such as Man-Thing and Werewolf By Night, to the X-Men’s seeming death in Dallas during Fall of the Mutants to SECRET WARS II and beyond.

We’ll see how the story, and artwork, hold up without Ross, who has proven himself time and again to be one of the most talented men in the comic industry. One thing is certain, however – the series, which has been in the works since 2002, has been a big investment for Marvel, and its success will, in all likelihood, determine whether or not we see more of life in Marvels all-encompassing universe from the perspective of, well, everyday people like us.

August 15th website Latino Review reported that upcoming “Punisher: War Zone” was going to be edited down to PG-13, which I found interesting after watching a few trailers, which can be seen after the break.

Then there’s this one:

That didn’t look too PG-13 to me.

Now, these rumors have been fueled by the fact that Lexi Alexander, the director of the movie, didn’t appear at San Diego Comic Con, which led many to believe she’s been taken off the project due to creative differences with the studio. However, director of photographer Steve Gainer denies these rumors, stating the movie will be R and Alexander is still on the project.

We all know Magneto was right, but, once upon a time, he was also able to conquer the world – in an alternate reality, that is. Civil War: House of M #1 will pit brother against brother, but not in the same way as 2006, when Cap’s forces took on the bureaucratic, led by Iron Man. No, this civil war is much larger scale – spanning the earth’s population.

“The title refers to the civil war between mutantkind and humanity—one that can pit brother against brother or parent against child,” gushes writer Christos Gage, who is partnering up with artist Andrea DeVito to make the project happen.

At the root of the conflict is, of course, Magneto, self-mandated representative of the mutant population. He’s capable, intelligent, and powerful, but he emerges not as a leader for mutants just because he says they should trust him…

“…he doesn’t go unchallenged for the role of top dog—in our first issue, he has to battle Apocalypse for leadership of the mutant rebellion.”

That sounds like fun.

And then there’s the way he leads:

He [unites mutantkind] by liberating mutants from oppression or captivity, then allowing them to join his ranks.

Gage wrote House of M: Avengers, so this isn’t new territory for him. Plus, I’m just excited to see Magneto take over the world. There’s plenty of writing material there, and a lot of time for Gage to play with, since the story arc is set to begin in World War II.

Civil War: House of M #1 will be on shelves September 10th.

Marvel fans old enough to remember or nerdy enough to have cared in their childhood should be thrilled to see Stan’s Soapbox on book shelves nationwide come November.

The comic book icon is known for helping build the Marvel universe, creating a unique method of writing comics while marketing his unique brand of dementia to a group of loyal followers. Come November, his famous “Stan’s Soapbox” series of articles, featured in Marvel comics for decades, back in the glory days, when Stan led a bullpen at Marvel hellbent on bringing us bigger, badder villains and zany, down-to-earth heroes, will be on sale in a dazzling collection spanning 144 pages. The collection is organized so as to provide the reader with a historical context, and will feature the writing of Joe Quesada, and a bunch of other people who Joe allowed to be in the book. He’s so humble.

But, the book goes to a good cause. Stan explains:

“…Every Stan’s Soapbox book sold means more money for the great Hero Initiative cause. No wonder I’m so proud of this book and the cause that it serves! Heck, I might even buy two copies!”

He’ll never change.