9/28/2017 Adaptation Recommendation: Sunstone, or how to actually write about BDSM without coming across as a complete idiotRead NowIntroductionsSo I get an email from this company called book bub which lists the occasional e-book sale. Now, while they do have the occasional bit of classic literature, or even classic sci-fi, one type of book that always seems to show up on these books is the inevitable kink book. Now, we all know the one that I’m talking about. It’s got some vague imagery related to the s&m scene, someone holding a whip or something to that effect. The description will usually be about some woman getting involved with some sketchy guy who happens to be have a thing for chains and whips. Now, we all know where this trend came from, right? I’ll give you a hint. It involves shades, and not the kind you’d see on Rupaul’s Drag Race, or even your average fantasy novel, either. 50 shades to be precise. Oh yes, ever since E.L. James’s handcuffed laden opus, the number of books dealing with themes of S&M have skyrocketed like “paranormal romance” novels in the late oughts, and which I assume have the same level of quality. Here’s the thing, though, like most things that actually exist in this world, yet hacky writers prefer to fetishize as opposed to do more research outside of a google search, there is a very personal, very cultural reason behind why chains and whips excite some people. Heck, some of the people who loath the 50 Shades series the most are people actually into S&M. If you listen to most of James’s interviews, or heard excerpts of the book it’s abundantly clear that all she knows about the subject comes from bad fan fiction (seriously, though, it’s never a good sign when Clive Barker did more research for his horror novel than you did for your fetish novel). But yeah, I know a decent bit about that community, if only thanks to having friends who are interested in it, and them doing a presentation at the local pride club. That’s not to say I pretend to be an expert, or that I'm into the lifestyle itself. I just know a decent amount about the subject. And while I’ll admit that I don’t dabble that much in the world of erotic bondage literature, there’s a feeling in my gut that if there was ever any piece of fiction that was the that got the mindset of someone who was into bondage, it would be none other than Stjepan "Shiniez" Šejić Sunstone. Disclaimer, yes, Imma dirty BoyAlright, let’s just get this out of the way. Yes this is an erotic internet comic. Yes, there’s plenty of tit, ass, and vagina. And yes, this was definitely designed with the male gaze in mind. Yeah, yeah, I read erotic stuff. That being said, something that is most often forgotten is that the genre of erotica does have legitimate defenders in the world. Just because something has “adult” themes doesn’t mean that it can’t be deep or talk about something of relevance. Take Fritz the Cat, for example. Yes, it's raunchy, but it's not above making the occasional clever social commentary. I know that this must seem like I’m the type of guy who says who that he reads stuff like playboy for the articles, but, believe it or not, there were people who genuinely read playboy for the articles. Something to keep in mind, as well, is that television has been overtly more sexual, especially since GoT’s premier. What I’m saying is that with a lot of these stories, people came for the spicy sex scenes, but stayed for the unique characters and the fantastical stories. So, Sunstone Sunstone follows the slice of life adventures of Lisa (not that one) and Ally, a sub-domme pairing who find themselves falling head over heel for one another rather quickly, despite being overtly straight. From there, we meet Ally’s cadre of S&M friends, not to mention learn more of Ally’s past failures and successes, as well as Lisa’s own past lovelife, and how she became intrigued by the lifestyle. In a way, it’s almost like a sort of S&M themed Archie, minus the love triangle… somewhat. But yeah, if there’s one thing that Sunstone get’s, it’s the BDSM subculture. There’s a great scene for example when the reasoning behind latex is given. It’s a great description of how Latex is almost like a second skin, bending, kneeding and almost going with the person wearing it. I think the thing that convinced me that Shiniez was speaking from experience, or at the very least knew what he was talking about had to be the following line: “That is what BDSM people are… behind all the pretense. Sexual Nerds. A bunch of sexual cosplayers and larpers really… we play roles.” I love this because that really described what BDSM was. I mean, if you ever overhear people who are into BDMS talk about it, it really does sound just like most other hobbies. BDSM isn’t some mystical, sex laden world of chains and whips. It’s a world of people who spend their free time thinking of what rope chaifs the least. Where an anime nerd may see a shovel and think of the stand arrow from Jojo’s Bizarre Adventures, someone into the hobby would probably think of several ways they could either shove the handle, or the spade itself if they’re being extra kinky, up either their or their partner’s orifice. I think the scene that clinches it is when Ally is attending an S&M themed convention, and can’t help but make fun of the various crazy things she finds there. I bring this up because if there’s one thing nerds love to do, it’s compare themselves to other nerds, in an “I may be this, but at least I’m not this sort of way.” Most anime fans will say that while they may have watched all bajillion episodes of Bleach, but at least they’re not the type of fucker who has a body pillow and watches Boku no Pico (I’d put a link there, but to be honest, like 8chan the less you know the better). It also isn’t this all consuming thing. Like most things in life, it’s just something that just so happens to be hobby that people enjoy and that has, ironically a culture around it. There’s a great sense of duel identity that problably comes from the creator’s own love of comics. There’s also the massive, massive role that trust plays into in many of the story. Hell, Ally puts a massive, massive emphasis on the fact that she if you say her safe word, the game is done. Stop. The pause button is pressed, and the fantasy stops. One of the other major things I like about Sunstone, it’s how it rather subverts the clichés of the bondage book, particularly when it comes to our Domme character, Ally. While Ally is the more wealthy of the pair and does have an entire fucking room dominated (pun not entirely unintended) to her bondage shit, she’s hardly the mysterious figure that someone, like, say, Christian Gray is. Outside her and Lisa’s… play sessions, she’s a snarky, loudmouthed gamergirl who enjoys her a nice mmorpg. She also knows when to stop. If you’ve been reading this entire post and are still wonder just why in the hell a series about lesbian bondage would have a name like Sunstone, it’s because that’s Ally's safeword. That’s the point where she’s trained herself to literally stop incase things get too far in the fantasy, in case the pain comes to a head, and you’re not able to take it anymore. You say Sunstone, and the pause button is pressed. What is BDSM, after all, if not a slightly more elaborate version of a trust fall. You let yourself fall, trusting that that person will catch you. The sub is the person doing the falling, and the domme is the one doing the catching. There’s even a rather poignant scene around the end of the second arc about how Ally, to a degree, doesn’t entirely trust herself. And there’s also Lisa herself. While Ally may technically be her first domme, Lisa's hardly the virgin whore that someone like Anastasia is (Jesus, what kind of name even is Anastasia? What does she end up being a deposed Russian princess at the end of that fucking series?). She’s lost her virginity, and she’s well aware of the community. Hell, her main hobby is writing erotic fiction. The last thing I’d like to touch on in the series is Ally and Lisa’s relationship outside of the bedroom. You see, both had been very strictly heterosexual, but when the two meet and almost instantly hit it off, both can’t help but wonder whether what they feel is friendship. Hell, Ally has what is quite possibly a crisis of conscience before she asks if Lisa is interested in living with her (Ally in general tends to have trouble talking about things that are difficult to her). That, of course, is the tension in the story. Where are the boundries? is this a friends with benefits type situation, or is the line between playmate and lover starting to blur? I'll admit that it sounds a little cliche, but sometimes that's not necessarily a bad thing. After all, some cliches do resinate with people, such as the death of the father figure, or the importance of the love interest. My Adaptation RecommendationsAlright, so if I were gonna suggest how to get this bad boy off the ground, I’d probably start by saying that this is definitely something that would be preferable on something like Shotime, starz, or one of the other various other tv channels that can get away with R rated shit. While the series doesn’t focus too heavily on the actual sex acts themselves, I still think it would lose something if the kinky costumes weren’t, at the very least, kept in. One of the things that kind of takes away from something like "Preacher" is just how limiting being on AMC can be. It doesn't hurt that a decent chunk of the action takes place at an S&M themed establishment, something which
I think that a thorough emphasis should also be put on costume design. After all, this is a series about fetishism, and if there’s one thing that this series goes into great detail about, it’s the way that wearing certain clothing can make you practically feel like a different person. This goes doubly for the bondage and normal Ally and Lisa. I’d recommend an emphasis be placed on set, filming, and even make-up between the two parts of these character’s lives. This will make the scene I was talking about with Ally all the poignant, if it’s done when she’s looking all kinky and stuff. I'd also recommend that everyone involved in production be read up on the graphic novel itself, and not just some cliffnotes b.s., either. Perhaps even read up on some S&M philosophy. Also make sure that the person who's designing the costumes has a history with this kind of shit. After all, there are people both in real life and in Sunstone proper, who specialize in bondage gear, In fact, I'd even recommend getting a BDSM consultant, just to make sure everything's in order. Yes, I am recommending that a major studio hire what will most likely amount to a dominatrix to consult on a television series, however I think that it would be as appropriate as having a medical expert consult on any of the deluge of hospital dramas out there, or an asshole consult on "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia." Laslty, but certainly no leastly, I’d recommend that the treading lightly around is the fact that there are a couple of characters in the series that serve as the contrasts between erotic antics and normal people are portrayed as rather… interesting. If you’ve ever read certain types of queer literature then you’re probably rather familiar with the fact that in many of these stories, anyone who isn’t queer is an asshole. In these universes, decent human beings who also happen to be straight don’t seem to fucking exist (I'm looking at you YU+ME: Dream). Now while Sunstone doesn’t quite fall into the same pitfall, I’d definitely say that characters are either completely turned off by the subject of S&M or very secretly into it. There’s no middle ground of, "oh, that’s what you’re into, that’s interesting." You either think that it’s for insane people or you’re deep, deep into the scene. I mean, come on, not everyone in the world is either a complete stoner or got their knowledge of weed from Reefer Madness. Some just like to brag about how much they smoke, despite living in upper-middle-class suburban neighborhoods where culture goes to die.
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The World's Most Artfully Crafted B MovieYou know, maybe it’s just that I’d just watched it and don’t quite know what to make Covenant, although that might be, to be honest, the fact that my tone with regards to the film changed about half-way through. I think the best way to describe Covenant would be as the best B-movie this side of snakes on a Plane… minus the tongue and cheek attitude. Because make no mistake, this is not a well written film, and any of the aspects added to make the film more aesthetically pleasing came across less as artistically enthralling and more… pretentious… at least early on. I suppose I should back up a bit. You see, the film opens up with us learning the origin of David and how he was created in what can roughly be described as the sort of thing that would most likely be in Steve Jobs’ wettest of dreams, we cut to the crew of the Covenant. The covenant is one of those ships on a mission to terraform and do the whole song dance of start of making a colony. What makes the crew of the Covenant unique, however, was the fact that someone thought that it would be a good idea to make it consist entirely of couples, outside of the single Android. Now, anyone who’s ever worked with family, or even watched an episode of Kitchen nightmares, will tell you how bad of an idea this is. Working with a spouse, from what I can tell, tends to be something of a minefield. Add the fact that they’re in space, in charge of lord knows how many people in cryo sleep (and who’s pods are hanging like the clean clothing at a dry cleaners) and it’s not that hard to imagine why I’d be skeptical early on. And while you could make an argument for the idea that it was just Scott trying to hammer home the theme of creation and birth (which is done with all the subtlety that Metroid: Other M approaches the topic), I’d argue that putting symbolism before logic is the same goddamned thing that fucked over Alien Resurrection. And from there the bad decisions just keep piling up like dirty laundry. The new captain takes his new crew mourning the death of one of their own as a personal slight. The crew, instead of sending, say, a small party explore the planet, send the entire damned crew, oh, and just to add to the sheer stupid on display, they don’t even bother wearing, oh, I don’t know, environmental suits. Now I know what you’re thinking: “dude, have you never watched a slasher flick ever? Bad decisions are to be expected in these kinds of films, like male gaze focused fan service in comics.” Here’s the thing through; aside from being a horror movie, Covenant is trying to live up to the Alien Franchise's legacy as an intelligent sci-fi story. As I mentioned before, there’s a heavy emphasis on birth and such, and even if there wasn’t, this movie is way too high budget for that sort of excuse, (or maybe that’s the whole reason why it’s so poorly written). Here’s the thing though, around the half-way point, inspite of a good 45 of accumulated stupidity beforehand, actually started to genuinely enjoy the film. Incidentally, this is where we get the blood burster scene, which, dare I say it, puts the original chest burster scene to shame. Now this is definitely an interesting concept, if only because it takes the original chestburster concept, and almost modernizes it. The original Xeno felt a little too convenient, and I feel like this adds a certain understanding, even if the first back burster enters through one yahoo’s ears. Or strips it of its symbolic relevance. Yeah, let’s face it. We all know that the Xenos aren’t the most biologically viable organism out there. They were more pure rape imagery. Moving on, it turns out that everyone’s favorite android, David, has been on the planet no-fawna for a while now, and… well… let’s just say that he’s been a busy beaver. Yeah, spoiler alert, but, believe it or not, this bad boy of an Alien flick actually gives us a supposed origin for the xenos, at least in part. It’s just a shame that people continue on with the stupid decisions like the nitwits they are. I won’t spoil anything, but let’s just say that a certain scene, even with the addition of dramatic irony doesn’t do much to lessen the blow of the sheer stupidity of it all. There’s also a scene where David and the crew’s Android, Walter, duke it out, which is excessively out of place even in this mess of a film. While, yeah, there was a duke out between Ripley and the Queen in the second film, it felt more primordial, more animalistic. It felt more like a fight for survival between man and a primordial monster, like, say the fight between shark and Shaw in Jaws. Between two androids, we don’t really get that. They both feel evenly matched and two blatantly immortal individuals. Like, imagine if, right in the middle of something like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, one of the morons who was exploring the deep south turned out to be some super-trained badass Rambo mother fucker. While it would be awesome to see him and Leatherface duke it out, it would be significantly less eerie. A good horror film evokes a sense of desperation from the characters, even when someone survives an attack, or even kills the baddie, it wasn’t an "even" battle. It done out of a sense of sheer survival instinct. And a pair of milk spewing automatons does not evoke such a feeling. Okay, let it be immediately said that I may have gone a little overboard with that description. But yeah, in spite of the massive rant I just gave, this movie actually does have a lot of good things going for it: a resolution to how the xenos came into being, some incredible transformation scenes, and some beautiful (if not pretentious) shots. If Scott does decide to make more of these, I have the sneaking suspicion that it will just become its own universe, a la other “origin” series like “Hannibal,” or the like. Here’s the thing, though, I’d argue that, like Alien 3, as flawed as this film is, I think that it’s a proper stopping point for the film, if only because I dread how blatantly stupid characters can get from here. It’s bad enough that Wayland Yutani are massive idiots in the expanded universe, they don’t need to be in the main continuity. So on the off chance that you got around to reading my Breakdown of the Superhero genre, you may have noticed something missing. Or you may not have. Perhaps you even saw that there was little mention of something that felt… important. But yeah, it was only after having finished that bad boy that it finally occurred to me that I was missing something. Specifically, I was missing what is arguably the most obvious reason why people connect to superheroes, or at least the major overarching reason why superheroes have endured over the years (aside from copious marketing). You see, superheroes are often a loose collection of character traits and motifs, that coalesce into a vaguely solid image, not unlike the images of a pointalist painting. You see, superheroes represent ideals, things that we should strive for, or at the very least certain aspects of humanity. They are the physical embodiments of abstract concepts as “truth, justice, and the American way,” “protector of women and peace monger,” etc, and sometimes these are taken quite literally, believe it or not.
Do you remember how everyone got angry about how the new Superman didn’t feel like superman. And it wasn’t just little things like how they removed his classic hairdo or got rid of those undies. You see, here’s the thing: Zack Snyder didn’t get what made superman superman. While it could be argued that Superman had killed in the Richard Donner films, he very rarely did so in a manner so… visceral. He’s the big blue boyscout, and while he may occasionally cause collateral damage, he won’t openly let shit like what happened at the end of Man of Steel happen. It doesn't hurt that it felt like Man of Steel was trying to sell this weird grim-dark version of the big blue boyscout, with it's dark shades and disturbing imagery. What I’m getting at here is that while Snyder kind of got that there was Jesus symbolism to be found in Superman, he forgot that, along with that imagery, there’s the fact that he is, at his core, a good person. He is the embodiment of the idea that ultimate power does not corrupt. He is, ultimately, the big blue boyscout. And then we have what is his arguable counterpart, Batman. He is the one who allows himself to delve as deeply as possible into the psyche of the mad, of the irredeemable, and isn’t afraid to even use some of their tactics if need be. He is the thing that criminals fear, their fears of made form, that shadow in the dark just out of view who will spring given the chance. But he has a code, he has lines he will not cross, primarily killing (Snyder, I’m looking at you). This is part of why I liked the new Wonder Woman so much, if only because she didn’t seem to have the Frank Miller Comics that Snyder read to get most of his understanding of how the DC universe works. She is a protector, a wise woman, and prefers talking things out over the use of force. She represent the idea that everyone is important, and by extension isn’t afraid to be with normal people. At heart, though, she is a warrior, and is a skilled one at that, embracing her Amazonian heritage to kick ass when need be. The X-Men represent outsiders in all shapes and colors. They’re those who are outsiders and yet have power of their own. Whether it be because they are disabled, look different, or just have different kinds of mindsets, they are outsiders and they are here to stay. Contrasting this are characters like Spiderman. Spiderman represents, well, the struggle of those who desperately attempt to balance two very different aspects of their lives. Villains, in a way, become just another set of hassles. Annoying road blocks who are getting in the way of trying Peter Parker’s desperate bid to have a normal life. This is especially relevant to a character like the Kamalah Khan, the new Ms. Marvel. Aside from having to balance her Irani and American halves, she also has this whole being a superhero thing to contend with. Characters like this are relateable because they represent the very real struggle of having to balance the various portions of your life without the benefits of being exceptionally rich or having god like powers. Which isn’t to say that they usually find crime fighting automatically necessary. Sometimes they’ll have a very good reason for wanting to fight crime. And with that the understanding that they are, int heir own way powerful. Why else do you think that there’s so much guilt whenever Kamalah is around her parents, or that Matt Murdock is a devout catholic. There’s a feeling of obligation involved with many of these characters, as if it is our responsibility to fight crime. None personify this better than Peter Parker himself. He could have used his skills to stop a criminal, but he decided not. Now he’s down an Uncle. With great power indeed. You see what I’m getting at here, right. Just as the gods of old represented certain aspects of nature—the ocean (and horses), the skies (and fucking everything you see), the realm of the dead—so too do modern day superheroes represent idea and ideals. Why else do you think there are certain heroes and even villains that have very elemental powers. Flash is the master of speed (and even references Mercury with the original’s football helmet), Aquaman is the master of the ocean, Static shock is electricity personified. This is also why many characters of legend, including in more than a few cases literal gods, are found throughout comics. Their power and abilities have been updated for the modern time, making them just as relevant these days as they were millennia ago. This, of course, why the idea of the supervillain is such an integral part of the hero mythos. They oppose the hero not just in terms of strength or power, but in terms of idea. Lex Luthor and even the Joker aren’t that much of a match for their counterparts. If superman represents many of the good things about being an American—the multiculturalism, looking out for one another—then Lex Luthor represents the worst parts—xenophobic, greedy, ruthless. Joker, of course, is the chaos to batman’s order. He’s the happy face that lurks beneath true madness. He’s why you should never trust someone who says they have your best interests at heart. This is why, in spite of being unrelated to superman, Darkseid has become such an integral part of superman’s mythos. He is the tyranny to Superman’s truth justice, and the American way. He is ultimate power and ultimate corruption personified. You can see this with other hero/villain pairings as well. Magneto and his brotherhood are equally as much outsiders as Xavier and his X-men, and yet they take the anger that the world has thrown their way and turned it towards something aggressive and angry. The kingpin represents the almost insurmountable odds, the greed, and the brutality beneath the civility of the world he faces, and Bullseye, aside from someone with perfect eyesite, is someone who uses their gifts for murder and death. If Jessica Jones represents the fact that women don’t have to be sexy in comics, as well as the person who uncovers the dirty truths about the world, Purpleman represents the idea of dehumanizing others. While Jessica pretends not to give a shit, Purpleman is the womanizing, abusive creep who isn’t afraid to get his way. This is part of why the origin story is such a big deal for a super hero. The past builds and shapes us in ways that we don’t think too much about. Superman coming to grips with the fact that he is just as much a member of earth society as he is a kryptonian, thus becoming the all American super-hero. Peter Parker initially using his new-found spider powers to get cash instead of to help fight someone. Even Tony Stark coming to realize that his weapons weren’t making the world a safer place. These people become the symbols they do just as much because of their past as because of their powers. This is, of course, what Moore taps into whenever he adapts a character into his own, or even when creating his own. Swamp thing, for example, initially thought that he was a man who’d been turned into a plant, whereas it was actually the other way around. He was the living embodiment of the green, no longer human, just a ghost. Could you blame a guy for feeling alone if he were to realize that he wasn’t human at all. And then you have the characters of Watchmen. The three biggest are, of course, the Comedian, Rorschach, and Dr. Manhatten, each of which were realistic takes on what it would mean to be the archetype they represent. The comedian, an all American type, is a sociopathic maniac who has no qualms with raping his supposed teammate or gunning down the woman he got pregnant. I mean, would you expect anything less from someone who’s sponsored by the united States government during the Vietnam era. Rorschach, the badass loner, is a sociopath who mooches off of others, judges the shit out people, hardly ever bathes, and is not someone you’d look up to. I mean, the guy is pretty bluntly a deeply troubled man taking out his anger at his mother on the world. Dr. Manhatten, on the other hand, is your classic borderline god character, and is utterly alone because of it. When you’re a god, how are you supposed to relate to someone who doesn’t view the world on an almost microscopic level. Speaking from experience, loneliness can be an all consuming thing. It’s made all the worse when you feel that you’re the one for your loneliness, lashing yourself internally for your own supposed sins. In a way, this is part of the reason why I like Worm so much. You see, the thing about Worm, is that it takes a sort of opposite approach to things. It reveals how, beneath many of the ridiculous costumes and such, most of the characters are just troubled with psychological issues ranging from abuse to seeing the horrors of war. Like Moore’s work, it reveals the human core at the essence of most of these characters. It’s telling that most people got their powers during moments of emotional duress. Moments that are most likely to haunt someone for the rest of their life. One of the most interesting examples is a woman called Miss Militia who, as it turned out, was actually a victim of war crimes when she was forced to walk through a mine field for some insurgents. And then we have the character who ends up staying with the people who made her “trigger” who is certainly an… interesting character. In a way, many of the characters of Worm are tragic figures. When Taylor first triggers, she is desperately grasping at straws for someone, anyone to call a friend, but, in the end, she gets herself millions of tiny little friends. We have Rachel, aka Bitch, who can thoroughly relate to dogs, but has issues relating to people. Of course, most people don’t know this outright. After all, all of the blustering and such simply hides this fact. Naturally, this just makes it harder for “capes” to relate to others, leading to, lo and behold, more loneliness. Is it any wonder why most of the people in this universe become super villains. Introductions.So I was initially going to have this most recent post be about robots and the various things they represent, not to mention the various themes associated with them, however I hit one of those ungodly walls that we writers occasionally hit when we’re not careful. So instead of writing about how robots represent out struggles with the very definition of what it means to be human, not to mention the process by which people tend to dehumanize one another, I’d talk about why a certain type of anti-hero is my favorite. I know, the idea that a man has a preference for tough, scary people, what a concept. Here’s the thing, though, an anti-hero is technically just someone who isn’t traditionally “heroic.” Ignoring the issue that the idea of what it means to be heroic changes depending on era and culture, the anti-hero has definitely seen a resurgence, if only due to Tim Burton and Christopher Nolan’s take on Batman. This, of course, has brought about an endless succession of wanna-be’s and imitators, especially during the 90s. Here’s the thing, though, in spite of being at best normal heroes who wear dark and at worst winy pricks, there’s a particular type of anti-hero that I, at least, genuinely enjoy. Now most so-called antiheros are just guys who occasionally kill and who occasionally whine about shit, the kind I enjoy are, in their own ways, just as bad, if not worse than the socalled antagonists, and not that they’re villain protagonists, just that their means make you genuinely wonder about their sanity. To put it simply, most heros, you tend to keep reading/watching to see how they’ll get out whatever situation. With these “heroes” you keep watching to see what kind of fucked up shit they’ll do next. Which isn’t to say they don’t have a code, but that their code seems almost alien compared to others. In essence, these aren't people you look up to. These are people you run the flying hell away from. These are people you worry about meeting in a dark ally, or at the very least be reluctant to have dinner with them. That being said, I'm perfectly happy to be viewing them through the filter that is fiction. The PunisherNow I know what you're thinking: Really? The Punisher? The quintessential overdone "anti-hero." The guy who seems to scare baddies dickless in spite of being just a normal human. Here's the thing, though. While the Punisher might just be human—as opposed to many of his super-powered compatriots—it’s his inhumanity that really makes him a force to be feared. He can take a hit and keep on coming, true, but he takes no prisoners, whether they be his worst enemies or his best friends. This is a guy who will murder an old man solely to get the attention of several dozen Mafioso. While he’s known for his guns, his bread and butter is his skill with those weapons and the fact that he can take a hit and keep coming, it's his tactics that make him a force to be reconned with, not to mention his intensely black and white view of the world.. Say what I will about the 2004 film. Yeah it was slower and more boring than an employee instruction video not made by the Krusty Crab, but it got that the Punisher wasn’t afraid to, well, punish people. The scene where he’s prentending to cook a man’s back flesh off while actually touching him with a popsicle is certainly both scary and funny, but it’s just as a scary and funny as the scene where he attaches a man’s hand to a grenade, forcing him to keep it up, in spite of dying. He isn't afraid of to hurt others, and you're never cetain whether or not he'll leave you in peace or in pieces. GutsAnd then you have what can roughly be described as the Punisher's eastern equivalent, Guts, of the acclaimed manga, Berserk. Now, the thing about the universe of Berserk is that it’s a bit like Westeros, in that everything is exceptionally fucked up, up to and including the people. Royalty is regularly debaucherous in some manner, the church is corrupt (more so than in actual life), and the world is filled to the brim with half-demonic bastards who take pleasure in abusing the power they’re granted. And then there's the fact that several individuals have been making pacts with what could roughly be described as devils, turning themselves into grotesque monsters in exchange for power and immortality. Here’s the thing, though, Guts doesn’t care about trying to make the world a better place. In fact, in his own way, Guts is just as bad as the monsters he has to fight on a daily basis. Aside from being more than willing to murder the poor soldiers who would inevitably face a fate worse than death if they didn’t obey their superiors, it’s his fights with half-demons that really leave an impression. Early on, in fact, Guts takes on a particularly nasty half-snake half man, who makes the mistake of toying with Guts like he’s your usual pathetic human, only to get a face full of literal hand cannon, and then get sliced in half. And then, instead of delivering a killing blow, Guts tortures the helpless wretch, taunting it, all the while talking about how he’s sharing what it feels like to be “human” by making it feel pain. This is a fucker who willing to let himself get the shit beaten out of him on a regular basis, primarily so that he could turn eldritch abominations into the crumpled wrecks they inevitably leave their victims as. Guts will do anything, to win, no matter who he has to hurt, whether it be himself or innocent soldiers. He’s the kind of guy who, when you see a bunch of mooks being jersks, all you can wonder is what gruesome fate awaits them. One of my favorite scenes in the series is when Guts gives one woman what can roughly be described as the most brutal reality check this side of Tony Stark’s origin story. So fairly late into the manga, Guts ends up getting captured by some religious schmucks because the writer is like that, so when he manages to free himself, he kidnaps the head torturer and drags her along with him, burning their camp behind him. Now while she was initially kidnapped as a sort of human shield, Guts decides that this lady needs a taste of reality. So he decides to wait until demons become attracted to him (long story) and shows her just what demons look like. As he hacks his way through demons and monsters, he tells her that if the church was the ones who'd spawned these monstrosities, then she'd be all over it like nothing else. This is a guy who does not mince words, he doesn't give long, overly complicated explanations of his back story and lives solely to smash reality into the faces of anyone who crosses his path. LucyAnother western favorite of mind would have to be Lucy, from Elfen Lied. I think the best way to describe Lucy would be as the ultimate misanthrope. To clarify as sussinctly as possible, Lucy, is what is called a diclonious, sort of super-powered mutants who may or may not threaten to overtake humanity. The only way to tell a diclionious is the with horns on their head, that, to the unexpected, make her look like your standard issue anime catgirl, but let me assure that she’s anything but. What's more, she's the apparently the only one who can give birth. Here's the thing, though, she doesn't really care about any of this. She doesn't care what she is, or what others are. When she was young, a deep, deep distrust of humanity or anything sentient for that matter was instilled in her, She doesn’t care whether you’re a soldier come to kill her, whether you’re an innocent bistandard, or even whether you’re a fellow diclonius. She will slice you to bits like you’re nothing, and what little joy she gets out of life is reducing her enemies to little more than toys for her cold amusement. One of the earliest scenes in the show has Lucy escaping, and it sets the tone for the series pretty early on. A naked woman wearing a cyberpunk mask of some kind rips her way through most of the security sent to kill her like they’re tissue paper, and when a poor secretary stumbles her way into the insuing gun battle, her head is ripped off before she can evne realize there’s any danger. When it’s later revealed that the skeevy organization that was supposed out to stop the diclinii from taking over was actually harnessing their DNA to advance the human race or whatever, Lucy doesn’t give a shit. She tears the guy telling her--who also happens to have turned himself into a diclonous--a new one just like most of the other idiots stupid enough to get in her way. Lucy's world in one of death and cruelty, both by her own hand and by the hand of others. HelenaFor our next contestant, let's go back to the west, and, to a degree, two characters who are at least somewhat sympathetic, beginning with Orphan Black's Helena. Now, if you’ve never watched the UK’s Orphan Black, then I’d thoroughly recommend it, if only because of the stellar performances by one Tatiana Maslani. When I initially started watched it, I swore that the roles of the clones were being played by twins. But nope, it was all one actress playing a good half dozen different characters that feel like different characters, whether it be the ever sure of herself Sarah, the snoody Rachel, the stick-shoved-so-far-up-her-ass-it’s-amazing-she-can-bend-over Allison, or the quirky, loveable Cosima. However, if you’re like me, your favorite of the clones is Helena, the fighter of the bunch and obviously the scariest. Early on, she is technically an antagonist, programmed by a militeristic religious cult into murdering her way through other clones, which is probably when one of her most defining features make themselves apparent. You see, there's a sort of childlike innocence to Helena, as if she was never truly allowed to grow up. When she infiltrates a police station to get info on the clones, she gets distracted and starts eating a muffin. Whenever she kills someone, she leaves behind childish pictures, hinting that, in her own way, she tries to make the whole thing into a sort of twisted game. She even starts cutting her back into the pattern of a pair of angel wings, giving us a feeling that, until she comes to realize otherwise, she thinks that to be saintly, to be angelic, is to harm oneself (which, let’s be honest here, isn’t that much of a stretch for someone raised in her environement). as she’s about to murder fellow clone Rachel, we see her cut a Barbie doll’s hair until it looks like Rachels, implying that she envys her sisters in a way. She’s a troubled woman who was turned into a weapon. Early on, as well, we’re never certain whether she’ll end up befriending you, stabbing you, or removing someone’s genetically included tail and then dancing with it. When she switches sides, she still retains some of her brutality, not unafraid to murder someone even when giving birth. Which is definitely impressive. The creepy, eerie, music that plays whenever she does something like stab a nurse who’s just doing her job in face with a long ass needle certainly doesn't hurt matters. In essence, she's one of the few examples out there of a sympathetic "psychopathic woman-child." She's a ruthless murder, true, but she also just a scared, confused little girl. James DelanyAnother great example from recent television has to be what probably one of my favorite characters of 2017, James Delany of the awesome “Taboo.” Whereas western literature has always had a condescending fascination with the idea of the noble savage--a fascination that continues to live on in pretentious junk like James Cameron’s Avatar (come at me, nerds)—Taboo is much more interested in showing us a world of savage nobles. Keep in mind that this was the era of western expansion and the East India Company, an era in which people weren’t afraid of getting an entire country addicted to opium just so they could get some silks and some fucking tea. This is, of course, in contrast to the poofy wigs and ridiculous outfits everyone back then wore, not to mention how everything seemed so formal and precise, everyone ever afraid of their reputations.
In enters James Delany, who in isn’t afraid to get his hands or his reputation dirty. Unlike most of the characters on this list, I’m not afraid that, if I were to meet Delany, he’d kill or maim me. I’m more worried of the fact that he’d pressgang me into working for one of his mad cap schemes, and that at at least one point, I’d end up with a karambit at my throat. You see, like many of the characters on this list, James is of an almost single-minded mission. Unlike most of the characters on this list, he isn’t looking to “purge the world of evil” or avenge some slight against him. His mission: get land that rightfully belongs to him, and make a profit while doing so. In his way are only the British Empire, the fledgeling nation of United States of America, and the East India Company. Now one of the things that tend to mark a good anti-hero is the tendency to embrace the tactics of their enemies. And while this usually means murdering, torturing, et al, in Delany’s case, this means manipulation, intimidation and, to a degree, exploitation. He isn’t afraid to use a man’s duel identity as a crossdressing Molly to betray a company that would most likely filet him alive if they even heard that he was being unloyal. He isn’t afraid to intimidate the poor, elderly manservant who’s served his family at least since his father. And he isn’t afraid of getting himself captured by the East India, just so that he can squeeze them for favors. Part of what makes Delany so unique in his approach, however, is that he is perfectly honest and open about the fact that you’re little more than a means to an end for him. Whenever he recruits someone, he tells them “I have a use for you.” Unlike the many of the pompous pricks who rule the country, James Delany makes it abundantly clear that you’re nothing more than a tool to be exploited, which arguably makes him the most honest character in that show. This isn’t to say that James isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. Far from it. One of Delaney’s schticks is that when he kills someone personally, he leaves the remains brutalized for his enemies to find like the victims of a serial killer in Hannibal. Like the previously mentioned Guts, Delaney’s primary tactic in battle is allow his enemies to come close enough to think him defeated, only to surprise them with a Karambit to the chest. After that, he displays their body in a Macabre fashion like something out of Hannibal. Except that in this case, it abundantly clear to whoever found the body what the message is: do not fuck with James Delaney |
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AuthorHello all and Welcome to Jacob's Latter. Here I will be giving my opinions on everything from movies, video games and books to my general outlook on the world. Archives
January 2018
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