From The Desk of The Don #2: Ruby Rose Colored Glasses

Ruby Rose will not be returning as Batwoman for Season 2

What a week this past week was! First, hit a snag when recording the Major Issues Podcast, and had to switch gears at the last minute to cover the Stargirl pilot. I’m actually glad we did, but more on that later. Next, we had to deal with the massive news of Ruby Rose exiting the role of Batwoman, which was announced WHILE we were recording! I was floored by the news, but it turns out it was mutual? The show runners are optimistic that the juicy gossip of Ruby exiting might entice new viewers to catch a new Kate Kane in early 2021, which is when these shows are returning. It’s one hell of a promotional tactic, but I don’t blame them for trying to make the best of a crappy situation.

The hunt is on for a new Batwoman as it seems. It’s a shame because from what I heard, the show ended with a bit of a cliffhanger, and the introduction of the actor that would play Bruce Wayne. Hopefully, all of this is for the best. We need strong female characters on our television screens, and Kate Kane had the distinction of being openly gay, something not many heroes in fiction are. That representation is an immensely important reason why some of us flock to our favorite pieces of media. As a minority, I remember being floored by the representation of Latinos in Spider-Man: Into The SpiderVerse. It felt like someone understood me and where my life has taken me. Here’s hoping the LGBT community gets their mainstream hero back.

A Sweet Release

It’s finally happening, and not a moment too soon.

It seems like not too long ago, people were up in arms about 2017’s Justice League film, saying the movie was not director Zack Snyder’s original vision. They were right, with Snyder being taken off the film for a myriad of reasons, Joss Whedon was brought in to finish the film. Whedon tried his best, but what we got, as a result, was a Frankenstein of a feature and one that most critics and even some die-hard DC fans refuse to acknowledge when discussing comic book movies. #ReleaseTheSnyderCut ran wild on social media, and I even had someone hand me an informational pamphlet explaining why it would only be fair to show Snyder’s unfinished cut of the film. Not only was the hashtag popular, but stars of the film like Aquabro himself Jason Momoa were expressing their interest in seeing Snyder’s Cut as well, lending credibility to the idea of its existence.

Not everyone jumped on the bandwagon though. Some dismissed the idea that a secret, completed, better version of Justice League was out there, even when Zack was teasing the reality of it on Vero. It put fans in an awkward position. Should we try our best to love Justice League as it stands, or throw it in the garbage in favor of the original vision/cut? Those who held out hope spammed social media, often clashing with those who didn’t think the cut would ever see the light of day. Incredibly, a few days after talking about it on the podcast, it was announced that HBO Max would be premiering Justice League: The Snyder Cut in 2021! I asked DCEU fan Yogi what he thought about the release, but you’ll have to check the podcast this week to hear his thoughts. I hope people get what they want from the showing, whether it be closure or a new journey entirely.

Comic Book Catch-Up

Guys, it’s been seven long years, but I have finally gotten into the Injustice comics! I have no clue what took me so long. I guess I thought the books were rough adaptations of the Story Mode of Injustice. Comics based on video games are usually pretty bad, but this one is different. This comic does some tremendous things to flesh out the story, and it was incredibly interesting to watch the slow descent of our Man of Steel rather than a flashback and a time jump to an already insatiable dictator. Tom Taylor (who wrote DCeased which we covered here) has fun with the Injustice universe and has compelled me to dust off my old copy of Injustice so I can join in on the fun. I’ve considered doing Twitch content for the site, and maybe this is the game to do it with.

The Harley Quinn comic is officially over after 75 issues. That’s as respectable a run as I would have imagined, but I have admittedly missed most of it. She is becoming ever more popular, and our review of Harleen is one of our most popular episodes of the Major Issues Podcast. What’s even more interesting is DC has added a new character to Joker’s menagerie, Punchline. Featured on the cover of Harley’s last issue will be the past and present of Joker’s love life, and serve as a reminder that Harley has come a long way since her creation. Hats off to Ms. Quinzell for finally stepping out of her pudding’s shadow once and for all.

Coming Up Next

Loved seeing the Mark I armor in Iron Man: Extremis

After some careful maneuvering, Yogi and I recorded a stellar episode covering Alan Moore’s failed Twilight of Superheroes pitch that will be out on the 27th. I’m also considering finding a way to explain the entire premise in short form because it needs to been seen to be believed. It was a blast to cover, and I hope you guys enjoy the discussion. After that, you will get to hear me ramble about Iron Man, weapons manufacturing, and the military when GT Rebirth and I cover Iron Man: Extremis. The book itself seems to raise a bunch of ethical questions regarding war, and those who profit off it the most and will serve as an interesting look at Tony Stark, the man who cheated and yet manufactures death.

As a former soldier, I am no stranger to the logic used in creating weapons for peace, and strengthening our military is a constant goal in American politics. What lessons can we learn from Tony Stark, who chose to leave his previous life of war profiteering for something better? Is this the classic case of "gun vs people" in the argument of who is to blame for the deaths across the globe? What blame does lay at the feet of Tony and Stark Industries, if any? Hopefully, we’ll be able to answer all that in less than 3 hours. The book also recounts Tony’s updated origin, and it looks exactly like it did in the first Iron Man film. I want to read Superior Iron Man, but if you need a recommendation, I say give Infamous Iron Man a shot. In it, Tony is missing and presumed dead, and it's up to the usually nefarious Dr. Doom to take up the mantle of Armoured Avenger. It’s a great read!

Et Cetera

As a massive Community fan, this past week has been a whirlwind. The cast reunited after over half a decade, and I got to see Joel McHale play Starman in the Stargirl pilot we spoke about earlier. Sure, he didn’t give one of his classic “Winger Speeches”, but I think Joel does have the gravitas to do more cape-stuff. I can see him heading a superhero project one day, as he joins his other Greendale Alumni that have acted in superhero media. Danny Pudi was in Captain America: The Winter Soldier, while Jim Rash was in its sequel Civil War. Yvette Nicole Brown and Ken Jeong were in Avengers: Endgame, having a cameo in the highest-grossing movie of all time. Did I mention those films were directed by The Russ Brothers, who played a huge role in the first couple seasons of Community? Last, but not least, Donald Glover played Aaron Davis in Spider-Man: Homecoming and wore Spidey PJs in an episode! It's great to see my two fandoms come together.

Sadly, not everything was sunshine and rainbows. This week saw the losses of popular pro wrestlers Shad Gaspard and Hana Kimura. I watched Shad in my teenage years as one half of Cryme Tyme, a team that represented my home borough of Brooklyn, New York. Last year, he was in my neck of the woods, hanging out with other wrestling fans and watching WrestleMania. It was so cool to see how much he enjoyed being around wrestling fans. Unfortunately, he died when he was pulled in by a riptide while going for a swim with his son. He used his last words to request that his son be saved instead of him, before ultimately disappearing into the deep. Kimura’s situation is just as sad, as she took her own life after months of cyber-bullying. Besides wrestling, Kimura was also a reality TV star, which brought her the contempt of ridiculous fans who would make fun of her Indonesian background. Both losses hurt as we try to imagine their last moments, but we need to remember to BE BETTER. Shad was a hero, and Hana an inspiration, and that’s how they will be remembered. I love you all (in case you didn’t know), and I’ll see you next week.
Stay safe and…

Remember…You (yes you) Are Worthy
G.S.