Spoiler Warning – some spoilers for the first episode of the show as this sets up the main storyline of the show

The Plot

Invincible takes place in a world full of superheroes and supervillains. They range from gadget wielding humans with no powers, to magical creatures, to aliens from distant worlds. And while there are many superheroes and superhero groups there is an undisputed top superhero – Omni-Man. He is a hero with a vast range of powers, virtually indestructible and an alien from a distant world and is obviously, blatantly and intentionally, a version of Superman. Omni-Man has a secret identity and a family – including a son in high school – Mark, who is aware of who his father is and is expecting his own powers to kick in any day. Just as they do the premier superhero group, Guardians of the Globe are massacred and Mark is immediately called upon to help fill the gap, taking the superhero name Invincible. The investigation into the murder of Guardians of the Globe begins to raise some troubling questions while Mark has problems balancing his superhero life and normal teenage life.

The Cast

It’s worth taking a moment to consider the astounding cast for Invincible, with Steven Yeung, Sandra Oh, Gillian Jacobs and J.K. Simmons taking leading roles and numerous brilliant actors brought in for small parts – Mark Hamil, Mahershala Ali, Jon Hamm, Seth Rogen, Laura Cohan and more. By my reckoning, the film has two Oscar-winning actors in the cast and one of them has two Oscars.

Two Superhero Worlds

One of the things that struck me most about Invincible was the mix of two different kinds of superhero-story styles. Invincible has a bright costume and his struggles with his girlfriend and schoolwork are discussed as much as saving the planet, bringing to mind a friendly, and lower-rated superhero world. It also has people being literally torn limb from limb with that carnage shown on screen. The first episode ends with a massacre of superheroes where you see what happens when people with superpowers fight, bodies ripped apart, bones crushed, punching through people. It is brutal. This continues throughout the series with numerous fights showing what being indestructible and having super strength does to your opponent. There are also a deeply unpleasant array of villains, one of whom kidnaps people and carries out grotesque experiments on them that are up there with awful body horror.

There are also some truly devastating emotional moments of people doing and saying awful things, of believing awful things, and the show does not back away from what that would mean. There is no easy redemption for characters who have done bad things, people who suffer terrible injuries and trauma aren’t just immediately better – this stuff has an impact.

The Military-Industrial Complex Vs Superpowers

One of my favourite parts of Invincible is the moment when the American government needs to take action against some superpowered individuals, without calling on superheroes for help. So America, the most powerful country in the world, with a defence budget so huge they should frankly be ashamed of it, with cutting edge science and seemingly endless resources can’t stop these superpowered opponents. And this is a sci-fi comic book America with space lasers and invisible SWAT teams, the amazing line of “$400billion dollars for the world’s most expensive nosebleed” reflects the sum of their efforts come to – a nosebleed.

Saving People

I’ve seen a lot of people talk about Bruce Wayne could do far more good in the world if instead of spending his time beating up criminals he put his billions towards social programmes. And there is at least one superhero in Invincible who does think that they could use their powers and spend their time doing good works rather than fighting, it’s perhaps less obviously heroic but helps people and she certainly feels it’s a better use of her time (but she will stop happily punch an alien monster or whatever if the occasion calls for it).

So while Invincible the comic book isn’t as well known as Superman or Captain America, this tv show is far better than much of the output of its more famous rivals.

Also Read: Has The Marvel Cinematic Universe Reached Its Peak?

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“Tonight’s Forecast, A Freeze Is Coming”

Batman (George Clooney) and Robin (Chris O’Donnell) face two new challenging villains. They are Mr. Freeze (Arnold Schwarzenegger) who is building a weapon to ransom Gotham for money to find a cure for his terminally ill wife, and Poison Ivy (Uma Thurman) who seeks to punish humanity for its environmental destruction. Meanwhile, Robin feels like Batman doesn’t trust him. Their faithful butler Alfred (Michael Gough) is slowly dying. And Alfred’s niece Barbara (Alicia Silverstone) is poking around Wayne Manor. Will the Bat-family survive?

“If I Must Suffer, Humanity Will Suffer With Me”

One of Batman and Robin’s biggest problems is that the film has numerous plotlines competing for screentime and many of their tones clash greatly. One minute we are indulging in silly slapstick action and ice puns, then we are suddenly dealing with a long-time Bat-family member gradually losing their life. Furthermore, because of the bloated story, several plotlines feel underdeveloped (Batgirl’s subplot) or pointless (Bane’s inclusion).

As well as this some of the film’s components feel very slapdash and can take you out of the experience. This includes the writing plot holes. For example, Mr. Freeze using a machine powered by huge diamonds to ransom Gotham rather than selling the diamonds on the black market. Which would probably be just as profitable. Along with this some of the CGI has aged incredibly poorly. The human figures move very unnaturally and a few sequences look barely finished.

And of course, there is the grating cheesy dialogue and the performances from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Chris O’Donnell, and Alicia Silverstone which range from bland to irritating to hilariously misjudged.

“You Lie”

Unfortunately, a lot of good-faith criticism of Batman and Robin is lost among complaints about its deviation from the darkness of Tim Burton’s Batman films and Batman and Robin’s suits having nipples and rubber bums. You can prefer the Tim Burton films over Batman and Robin. But, a lighter tone doesn’t necessarily make a film bad. And complaining about something as harmless as Bat-bums/nipples feels petty and slightly homophobic through its ridicule of something potentially appealing to a gay audience. It’s therefore regrettable that these complaints are what largely stuck with the film.

“That Is The Nature Of Family”

However, Batman and Robin does have genuinely praiseworthy elements. Firstly, there is Elliot Goldenthal’s music. Full of bombastic epic sweeps and sultry seduction. It makes the film feel exciting throughout and is a fine listen.

Then there are the undervalued performances by George Clooney, Uma Thurman, and Michael Gough. Clooney perfectly fits the role of playboy Bruce Wayne. He also adds a sly self-awareness to his Batman which makes him an enjoyable presence. Additionally, this allows him to get away with his cheeky humour more than other cast members. Uma Thurman is an absolute blast as Poison Ivy. She really embodies Ivy’s seductive and bold nature and every time she appears her energy makes it impossible to look away. That said Michael Gough is the film’s true star. Effortlessly humorous and heartfelt, his interactions with the Bat-family, particularly Clooney, add real dramatic weight to proceedings. Truthfully his storyline is worth the watch alone.

Finally, the cheesy dialogue, flimsy plot, varying acting quality, tonally mismatched story elements, loud colours, wild theatrical costumes, and other elements combine well to create a fun, campy atmosphere that helps excuse some of the film’s worst excesses. Making the film genuinely entertaining to watch despite itself.

Was It Really That Bad? No

Regrettably, most audiences only view Batman and Robin as a punching bag. Yes, the film has a story, CG, and minor acting problems but it also has many aspects to appreciate and enjoy. Including its infectious atmosphere, its music, and some underappreciated performances. After years of dour, joyless Batman films, we need something as unapologetically bright and fun as Batman and Robin.

Also Read: The Batman: Snyderverse and the DCEU

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Today, we will look at how DC’s actions feed into sex-negative attitudes in media. Why sex is such a huge issue and why other mediums are seen as more capable of discussing sex? But let’s first ask why DC wanted this scene cut?

Superheroes are for children

Three potential reasons explain DC’s decision. Firstly, many view Batman as a children’s superhero, therefore depicting sex is inappropriate. However, Harley Quinn is aimed at older audiences. It features swearing, violence, and mature themes. So why restrict sex?

Secondly, DC could see this as out of character. Superheroes are righteous therefore Batman wouldn’t have sex with Catwoman. Except for Batman, over his 80+ years existence, has been written as a morally questionable vigilante (the Burton and Nolan movies), a camp icon (Adam West’s era), a teen heartthrob (Gotham High), and more. Even Batman’s aversion to killing and guns has been challenged (Batman V Superman). So there is hardly a “definitive” Batman this action deviates from. 

Finally, DC wants to protect profits. Because ratings boards view oral sex with women unfavourably, including this scene might restrict the series potential audience with a higher age rating. But considering DC’s parent company owns their own streaming service a higher age restriction would hardly affect distribution. And DC has released Batman media showing him unheroically killing people (leaving them in crashing vehicles, blowing people up, or shooting them) as well as having sex with daughter figure Barbara Gordon (Batman: The Killing Joke). Not to mention numerous comics where Batman has sex (Son of the Demon and Batman Rebirth) or performs horrifically violent or abusive acts. This definitely puts DC’s pearl-clutching over Batman and Catwoman’s hanky-panky into perspective.

Art and Sex

So why is DC more concerned by Harley Quinn’s sex scene than sex in Batman comics? Well DC received substantial backlash over Batman’s sex scene in The Killing Joke animated movie. And because Harley Quinn has a large viewer base DC could simply be trying to please a broader audience. Meanwhile, comics are seen as niche and able to take risks. But The Killing Joke backlash was about more than simply showing intercourse. And many popular adult animated shows feature sex scenes, like South Park.

An alternative explanation is that the comic medium is now seen as more mature. Like animation, comics were once seen as children’s entertainment. But since the 1980s comic houses like DC have been exploring new avenues of storytelling and with this, came more discussion of sex. And it has mostly become the medium’s norm. Thanks to fans embracing it and the creator’s and publisher’s willingness to explore it. 

Let’s Talk About Sex

Truthfully, DC’s removal of the scene isn’t surprising. Sex and violence are often big concerns within media. However many see depictions of sex as a greater threat than depictions of violence. 

This is because most people in western democracies think violence is unlikely to affect them. Thus it seems inherently unrealistic. Meanwhile, sex is a fact of life and some argue that depicting sex without showing consequences (pregnancies and STI’s) encourages unsafe practices. 

Nevertheless, one of the most effective counters to unsafe sex is comprehensive education on the subject. But the unwillingness to discuss or depict sex makes it culturally taboo. It also hinders education and negatively affects people wanting to seek help or develop their identity. This is especially problematic when much of the entertainment which does focus on sex prioritises male pleasure over female pleasure and agency. Thus erasing scenes like this has a very negative cultural impact.

Conclusion

Despite their comics successfully exploring sexual themes, DC clearly views animation as incapable of dealing with this topic. DC’s decision to excise Batman and Catwoman’s sex scene is another example of media sex-negativity that denies the opportunity to discuss and encourage openness towards sex and to centre discussion of female pleasure. Ironically, showing superheroes like Batman caring about Catwoman’s pleasure would have been the most heroic thing to do.

Also Read: With The Batman Now Set In Earth-2 and Calls To #RestoreTheSnyderVerse, What Will Happen With The DCEU?

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Brightburn is the story of an alien child who comes to Earth and is adopted by human parents but as he grows he develops incredible powers. Sound familiar? Well, it should as it’s basically the plot for Superman but the difference in new film Brightburn is that while Clark Kent grows up to be the ultimate hero things go a bit sideways with this child. Not surprisingly giving a teenage boy superpowers quickly leads to him abusing those powers and hurting people. Obviously, this is a far more realistic outcome than the saintly Superman and we must, therefore, consider Martha and Jonathan Kent the greatest parents of all time. If we ask ourselves what would we do if we woke up tomorrow with Superman’s powers I think most honest people would come back with an unpleasant answer – so the question must, therefore, be asked, do we actually want superheroes?

Super

Before James Gunn made the upbeat and joyous Guardians of the Galaxy he made Super – a film in which a character in a badly made costume beats people with a wrench and has the catchphrase “Shut up, crime!” This indie gem features a stellar cast from Rainn Wilson to Ellen Page including the amazing Nathan Fillion as a TV Christian superhero called the Holy Avenger who inspires Wilson’s character to become the Crimson Bolt. Not only does it deal with the problems when a vigilante goes after people committing very serious crimes, but also how the line can get a little blurred from serious crime to a misdemeanour to just being rude, and all of these people being hit very hard on the head with a wrench. The behaviour of Wilson’s character is so questionable that at times you find yourself agreeing with Kevin Bacon’s drug dealer villain, who often seems far more reasonable.

Chronicle

Brightburn focuses on a young teen while found-footage superhero film Chronicle is about teenagers a few years older. This time three teenagers fall into a mysterious cavern and develop incredible powers, at first the three teenagers bond over their powers and largely do no harm aside from minor mischief. But it is not long before the loner of the group starts getting carried away with his powers. This teenager, who had few friends and had a history of being bullied before he got his powers, is easily corrupted by his new capabilities and his chance to be a star and maybe get even with a few people. While Chronicle deals with superhuman abilities and over the top fight scenes the fact that only one of three teenagers became a power-crazed killing machine always struck me as the implausible bit. Certainly my memories of other teenagers – and being one myself – would suggest adding superpowers to an already irrational and emotional group would make a bad situation far worse.

The Incredibles

Do you know what you get when you use superpowers? Collateral damage. Man of Steel showed Metropolis being levelled by Superman and Zod battling it out but a much better film also addresses this issue – The Incredibles. The film is centred on Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl not only two superpowered crimefighters but also a married couple. The pair and all other superheroes are forced into retirement when the government decides that the collateral damage they do simply outweighs the good. Naturally enough, some of them have trouble adjusting to living a normal life and not using their powers. This is especially true of Mr. Incredible who is looking for any opportunity to escape his boring office job and go back to being a hero. A dark issue in the world of superheroes is explored in The Incredibles – why do they become heroes? Is it for justice and to save people or for attention and fame? Does Mr. Incredible just love being a hero? Ultimately I think the film comes down on that yes, he does miss the attention but deep down he wants to help people and finds it impossible to just sit back while people suffer.

Watchmen

When it comes to the downsides of superheroes the ultimate film is Watchmen. Based on what many consider the best graphic novel of all-time Watchmen is essentially the story of what happens to superheroes when they are forced to retire but is also about far more. It examines why someone would choose to risk their life to fight criminals, why some people would cheer them and others be disgusted? Are people with superpowers fundamentally different from “normal” people? Why does putting on a mask make beating people up okay?

If we look at the lineup of Watchmen we have a wide variety of superheroes:

Rorschach – a man who regularly brutally murder criminals and one of the few superheroes who did not retire, only believing in his personal code and not the law.

The Comedian – Superhero with no powers who fought crime for decades but also an attempted rapist and government assassin (it is suggested that it is the Comedian who killed JFK and, in this world, Woodward & Bernstein, the journalists who uncovered the Watergate scandal).

Nite-Owl II – restrained and relatively respectable when compared to some of the other Watchmen.

Silk Spectre II – helpful if inappropriately dressed for fighting crime who seemingly only became involved because of pressure from her mother, the original Silk Spectre.

Ozymandias – not only the smartest man in the world but a formidable fighter capable of catching bullets. He might sound like a nice guy but MAJOR SPOILER ALERT Ozymandias kills millions of people in order to save the world.

Dr Manhattan – one-time physicist Jon Osterman became Dr Manhattan, seemingly indestructible and unstoppable and is often said to be a god.

On close inspection, they don’t seem to be a good bunch of people, certainly not heroes. Ozymandias takes the superhero idea of breaking some rules for the greater good to its logical extent while Rorschach is simply appalling. The most interesting case is Dr Manhattan who serves as the film’s Superman, a man so powerful he is no longer human.

So looking through some of the darker superhero films we have a collection of violent, dangerous and sometimes insane individuals who all – at least at some point- thought themselves to be good people. Watchmen takes its title from the expression “What watches the watchmen?”, originally from ancient Roman poetry but applied throughout history to abuses of power by those who are meant to be guardians. Perhaps Lisa Simpson when confronting her own vigilante father put it best “if you’re the police, who will police the police?”

Also Read: Video Nasties: The History of Censored Films in the UK

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