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Comments for the week ending September 8, 2024

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Thanks for sharing, Todd. Honestly wasn't expecting Gargoyles to show up in an MSN article. I do appreciate the "formative millennial text" description because that might be one of the more apt titles for the series.
Matthew the Fedora Guy
Ain't nothing crazy 'bout me but my brain!

And I discovered a link to this article about "The Mirror", that might appeal.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/the-tragic-romance-of-when-the-gargoyles-turned-human-for-a-night/ar-AA1pcvxp

Todd Jensen

I mentioned a few weeks ago that my "today in history" desk calendar picked the defeat of Macbeth in 1057 for its August 15 entry. Today's entry was another event with ties to the Gargoyles Universe: thylacines going extinct on September 7, 1936. It included a mention of reports of thylacine sightings since then, but added that the evidence was that they had died out. (And the evidence in "Gargoyles: Bad Guys" is that the Tazmanian Tiger's two thylacines were not a case of "a few were left in the wild after all" but "Sevarius produced new ones in a not-quite-"Jurassic Park" experiment".)

While the gargoyles haven't yet met Benjamin and Natasha, I suspect they will eventually. The Tazmanian Tiger's a strong candidate for the new member of the Ultra-Pack, and I can certainly imagine him bringing those two along when he joins - maybe with a tone of "Now that the gargoyles have two of those beasts rather than just one, we could do with our own beasts". The gargoyles encountering the thylacines could offer some dramatic possibilities as well as action, incidentally; given that, for a while, they were faced with the spectre of extinction (until the Avalon World Tour revealed otherwise), it would be worth seeing their response to other species threatened with that fate - and who, indeed, had undergone it until the not-so-good-doctor pulled them out of the zoological graveyard.

Todd Jensen

Thanks Todd, I've been meaning to get to this for a while but there's been other things on my plate.
Matthew the Fedora Guy
Ain't nothing crazy 'bout me but my brain!

Thanks for the latest post, Matthew, and congratulations on completing the look at Season One this week.
Todd Jensen

Figured I'd finish with the first season before the week ends. So here's Psychology 101.

Persona-9/10. The Symbiote bonds to Peter, Peter faces his first imposter through the works of Chameleon, Beck and Mason, Peter loses what friendship he has with Eddie and also gets his first kiss. The presence of Chameleon retroactively adds a lot of paranoia to previous episodes as it's implied he and his team have been active in the city for some time. There's also some future problems to be had with the Connors losing the symbiote so quickly, the lack to study it extensively and the money problems that will creep in soon. The stage is also set with Spidey and Black Cat's relationship, he can count on her to watch his back, but he can't trust her either.

There's the matter of Aunt May working herself to exhaustion and the little voice in the back of Peter's head encouraging him to act a little more selfishly...

Group Therapy-10/10. The Sinister Six make their debut and I like that they were in part formed by the Big Man deciding to spring Spider-Man's dangerous foes and sic 'em on the webslinger, that decision will have major impacts in the second season. What I like about the battle with the Six is that while together they're dangerous, they're untested as a team which the symbiote takes advantage of and while the previous tactics don't work against them they can be their own worst enemy, especially Electro and his shoot first, think later approach.

The red flags are aplenty here, besides the fact that the symbiote is willing to puppet him around and willing to try and kill Dr. Octopus for daring to separate him and Peter there's also the point at the end where it's undercutting Peter's concern completely and it's only news of May's heart attack that snaps him back to reality. And then there's the matter of Eddie who goes from resentful to reckless to the point that not even Mary Jane is willing to put up with him.

Intervention-7/10. This one is a bit lower because it's the belated origin story told through flashbacks wrapped in a "trapped inside your own mind" episode. I'd argue the big highlight of Peter's internal struggle comes from Ed Asner's performance as Uncle Ben and then it's a little shaky whether that's coming from Peter's consciousness or whether that's actually Ben's spirit helping him out. I'm not sure I can buy some mysticism in this series.

Actually the biggest development comes from the supporting cast as news of May's hospitalization marks a huge shift. Even if they generally ignored Peter before they can't brush aside the fact that one of their peers might lose the only family he has. And Flash takes his first step from schoolyard bully to better man by knocking down Peter's emo attitude. Unfortunately it's too late to repair things with Eddie as his resentment and anger with Peter and Spider-Man make him the perfect rebound for the symbiote.

Nature vs. Nurture-10/10. This is the Venom I want to see in live-action so desperately and they make quite the splash; poor Peter, he had to get all of his archenemies in one season. Anyway, most of the episode is dedicated to closing of the symbiote arc and the personal arc Peter has with the supporting cast. He manages to stop the symbiote but fails to keep track of Eddie which will be important later on. The cast of Midtown rally not just in support of Spider-Man but also to rescue Gwen, firmly cementing them as important figures for both Peter and Spider-Man.

And finally we have another bit of relationship drama as Liz and Gwen both start to jostle for Peter's attention and Gwen's impromptu kiss throws another wrench into Peter's focus. What they do or don't do next is going to shape the dynamics of the next season.

That's it for season 1, season 2 will start next week.

Matthew the Fedora Guy
Ain't nothing crazy 'bout me but my brain!

I probably should have mentioned this sooner, but I gave a brief report on the use of the term "White Council" in "Gargoyles Quest" #2 to a Tolkien newsletter I've been subscribing to for some time.

(I also imagined a new possible name for their organization - if with the drawback that there are probably more than three members (the Director, for a start) and they might move their headquarters at some point: the Bermuda Triangle.)

Todd Jensen

Todd Jensen> I mean they might have a book division, though I figured if it's from Mercury Filmworks, they might be aiming for say a movie.
Antiyonder

ANTIYONDER - I'd read myself recently that there'd be a new HIlda book [SPOILER] in which she and Twig go out exploring and apparently get caught in the rain; it looks like it'll be aimed at younger audiences than the original graphic novels. I suspect that's what the link's referring to. [/SPOILER]
Todd Jensen

And it looks like there will be more of Hilda:

https://x.com/ToonHive/status/1831331026267668815

Antiyonder

We now have the full names of the two wannabe Quarrymen from the Halloween special up at GargWiki, and I found them amusing. It strikes me as an appropriate allusion for "Gargoyles", and especially for the Hunters/Quarrymen with the common feature of [SPOILER] the hunter pursuing the "beast" out of vengeance over his disfigurement, whether facial scars or a missing leg [/SPOILER].
Todd Jensen

Unrelated, but today I just got my notice from Kickstarter to confirm my shipping address. Hopefully it won't be much longer.
Matthew the Fedora Guy
Ain't nothing crazy 'bout me but my brain!

Todd Jensen> Of course the best [SPOILER] Captain Marvel [/SPOILER] is [SPOILER] Phoebe Howell. I mean you do remember her dressing up as such during Unicornado while Marigold went out as a human cause she sees us to be brave going out in spite of well how imperfect we are. [/SPOILER]
Antiyonder

ANTIYONDER - I saw an ad for that one; the part that most stood out to me was [SPOILER] Scrooge McDuck and Magica de Spell appearing in the picture. Generally, Disney comics keep the "Mouse-world" and the "Duck-world" separate; this looks like an exception to the rule. [/SPOILER]
Todd Jensen

Todd Jensen> Incidentally, Minnie Mouse will be getting a turn in November as [SPOILER] Captain Marvel [/SPOILER].
Antiyonder

MATTHEW - Thanks for your commentary on those episodes of "The Spectacular Spider-Man".

This week's e-mail from the Fantasy Shop in St. Louis about upcoming comics announced another oddball Disney/Marvel crossover-of-a-sort, with Donald Duck this time getting Thor's powers. The summary in the e-mail said that Donald finds Thor's hammer while helping his nephews look for Viking artifacts (presumably part of a Junior Woodchucks project). I can't help thinking that the situation demands a brief allusion to Carl Barks' "Golden Helmet" story.

Todd Jensen

Back for another round of Spectacular Spider-Man rankings. Time for Chemistry 101.

Catalysts-10/10. Designated prom episode but one that's had a lot of buildup over the past few episodes. Mary Jane starts the breakdown of Midtown's social cliques by just brushing aside the usual teenage drama. But the teen drama falls on Harry this time as his date goes badly and there are hints that his recent success in football and school may be chemically induced...

We get some new introductions that offer some shakeups. First is John Jameson who brings out some genuine paternal affection from J.J., plus there's his upcoming trip to space. Then there's the Green Goblin whose conflict against Tombstone starts forming the cracks in his criminal empire. And gives a brand new, dangerous enemy for Peter to face.

We never got to see the payoff, but I like to think that MJ saving the last dance for Peter was an indication that while there'll be bumps on the road the two will ultimately end up together.

Reaction-10/10. The abuse from Osborn finally boils over as an "accident" turns Otto Octavius into Doctor Octopus. I like that while he decides that he's aiming for revenge against Osborn and going to try for world domination, the first thing on the agenda is a reliable power source for his arms. A pragmatic megalomaniac. And because of this the relationship between Oscorp and Lincoln (via Hammerhead) also begins to reach a boiling point, the effects of which will be seen soon but the consequences won't hit until next season.

On the more mundane side of things, Liz's invitation to Coney Island not only shows the blossoming crush between her and Peter but also how things have changed as he's no longer the outcast at school. Unfortunately it also means a messy breakup between her and Flash.

The Uncertainty Principle-10/10. The Goblin triptych comes to an end on the Halloween episode, there's no proper introductions for new characters but there are hints like Black Cat touring the street fair and "Norman" getting face-to-face with the Green Goblin. While the major action is of course Goblin trying to kill Spider-Man, Tombstone, and Hammerhead the major climax is the reveal of Harry as the Goblin and his addiction to globulin green. This is both a great conclusion like the last few arc closers and a great setup as Harry has to leave the picture, MJ transferring to Midtown High, and the hints of Hammerhead's less than secure position as Tombstone's number two.

Also there's the hitchhiker that came back to Earth with John...

Matthew the Fedora Guy
Ain't nothing crazy 'bout me but my brain!

After a discussion with Greg Bishansky about my theory (posted here last Saturday) that Nicolas in "Dark Ages: Alliance" is the Gargoyles Universe version of Nick Bottom from "A Midsummer Night's Dream", I had a further thought.

We know that, just twenty-four years after the events of "Dark Ages: Alliance", Oberon divorces Titania and exiles the Third Race to the outside world, because of Titania treating mortals scornfully - with some indication that there was a specific scornful act towards mortals involved (though it seems to have been more the catalyst than the cause). And, with Nicolas being the possible original of a human noted for getting involved with Titania - could this be a hint over just what that act of Titania's was. Without engaging in deep speculation, might the events behind Titania and Bottom's meeting in "A Midsummer Night's Dream" have been what triggered the "Great Divorce"?

If so, it would indicate all the more that Shakespeare was taking liberties with events when he wrote the play - not only in shifting them to the time of Theseus in ancient Athens, but also because, in the play, the "Titania and Bottom" scene is part of the events that lead to the mending of a rift between Oberon and Titania, rather than the creating of that rift - the reverse of what happened in this hypothesis. Evidently it was another case of "All things are true; few things are accurate".

Todd Jensen

"Let's put that to the test. Hey, Jurgan, divide by zero."

Sorry, I work mainly on the Riemann Sphere, the Complex numbers union with infinity. Not familiar with wheel theory. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel_theory

Jurgan - [jurgan6 at yahoo dot com]

Seventh?

And also not a bot!

Matt
"And, thus, given no choice, we waited..." - Alesand, "The Reach"

Sorry I got confused and was looking at an old comment. I also am not a bot.
Alex

Sorry I got confused and was looking at an old comment. I also am not a bot.
Alex

George C Scott I think?
Alex

Warm September brings the fruit;
Sportsmen then begin to shoot.

Sara Coleridge, "The Garden Year".

And happy Labor Day, everyone!

Todd Jensen

Fourth.

August is over and there has been no solicitation for a new Gargoyles issue, which can mean one of two things:
1)Quest 5 will be delayed once again and come out in November rather than October 30th.
2)Quest 5 will come out on the 30th but we'll have to wait a while before the new Weisman/Paur mini-series is ready for publication.

CarumboZabumbo
Noi siamo le creature della notte! Noi siamo... i Gargoyles!

The enemy before us is naught but code and circuitry! :)

Third.

Craig

Let's put that to the test. Hey, Jurgan, divide by zero.
Matthew the Fedora Guy
Ain't nothing crazy 'bout me but my brain!

First, I suppose. I'm not a bot, I promise.
Jurgan - [jurgan6 at yahoo dot com]