The Citizen Kane of Something

You often hear a really good product get described as the Citizen Kane of that medium. For example, The Last of Us has been called the Citizen Kane of videogames, or Watchmen the Citizen Kane of Comic Books. What they're saying is that these products are so good that they could be argued as being the best product of that medium, the new standard of quality and everything will now be compared to it...but that's not what the description means. Citizen Kane is not something I would personally describe as the greatest film of all time, however, i would describe it as the most influential film of all time. The cinematography, the editing, the lighting, the pacing, everyone in some way is copying what Citizen Kane did, whether they intend to or not, it so much that was different for the time that movies these days just take for granted. So next time you compliment something by saying it's the Citizen Kane of something, take that into consideration.

With that being said, what are the Citizen Kane's of other mediums? Let's start with the youngest of the mediums, videogames. Videogames have only in recent years had enough leg to stand on and claim themselves as high art, while some would still disagree with that statement, they're mostly those who are unfamiliar with the medium. So is The Last of Us the Citizen Kane of gaming? Who knows. It's possible, it broke a lot of boundaries, but whether or not that's going to influence everyone else to make games like that is too early to be said. What about Mario then? Well Mario was one of, if not the first game to leave a massive impact on culture, but on a more internal spectrum, i would say it's influence was limited in both time and technology, it was a period where what you could do creatively with videogames was just simply move left to right with differently coloured characters. As time has gone by and potential has expanded, games like Super Mario Bros have become less common, so maybe it isn't as influential as people would think. Or maybe Gaming hasn't hit it's Citizen Kane yet, it is only 30-40 years old and only recently has begun achieving higher praise as an art form, but there is one game out there that could have a solid argument behind it, one that's old enough to have seen it's influence, but experimental enough to stand out from the crowd. Metal Gear Solid, a franchise with heavy focus on narrative, character development and professional voice acting, as well as experimental and creative gameplay mechanics that we see the lasting impact to this day, not just on it's own genre, but gaming as a whole. It fulfils the criteria that i've designed and many would agree with me on it's influence and ingenuity, and as of right now, i can't see any game topping it.

What about comic books? ...It's Watchmen. I'm not gonna argue against that, it's a genius piece of work that analyses it's characters, it's genre and it's form, it's intelligently written, unique for it's time and multiple comic books and graphic novels since then have tried to replicate the success of Watchmen. It's the comic book that showed that comic books could be smart, could have ideas, could influence and provoke conversation while still telling a fascinating narrative, regardless of the message. It wasn't the first comic book to try and have an intelligent moral, and it wasn't the first to succeed. But when I think of a comic that changed the game for comic books since, Watchmen is the one that I would go too.

Television is much more difficult to decide, videogames, films and comic books can be compared because there is usually a continuous narrative or theme driving them that is unlikely to change. Television is much more of a gamble, most shows will see a massive change the longest it goes on and adapts. Don't get me wrong, other mediums will see a change or growth in their narratives and ideas, but they're usually planned out from the beginning. Television, it's unknown where they could end up, take for example the show Supernatural, it started out as a dark drama and ended up as a satirical action comedy, it adapted for the times and responded to criticism from it's audience. Other mediums don't have that opportunity to adapt as they go along depending on how audiences feel about it. So saying which one above all else influenced an entire medium to adapt to their style when they themselves would have needed to adapt is difficult to pinpoint.

So there ya go, those are my opinions on the idea of using Citizen Kane as an adjective when describing another product, it should really be a once in a lifetime compliment so next time you want to use it, think carefully about that.

-Danny

My Favourite Characters - Spike Spiegel

Cowboy Bebop is one of the most stylistic and engaging animes of all time, it's without a doubt the coolest anime there is, but the ice cube of coolness is the protagonist Spike Spiegel. Set in the year 2071, Spike is part of a small team of bounty hunters, not looking for glory or a challenge, just enough money to get by. Spike is a very reluctant and lazy character, when he's not on the job he's taking a nap or complaining about his fellow crew members. But that's who Spike is, he's a laid back and very relaxed person in almost every scenario, whether he's sat around on the ship waiting for the next job or in a gun battle where the smallest mistake can lead to death, he takes it all without flinching or a hint of fear. He always has a witty line up his sleeve, a cigarette waiting to be lit and a kick with your name on in. Spike is a master in hand to hand combat in a similar style to Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do, a flexible body with a feminine walk, he moves as fluidly as water with the force of a boulder. As well as an expert marksman with his pistol for when he's too impatient to fight them head to head. Not to mention his skills as a pilot are unmatched to the point where he could make Han Solo jealous of his manoeuvres. The final point to make on his coolness is the voice, famous voice actor Steve Blum has stated multiple times how he considers this the role that gave him his big break and it's no wonder why, very few people would have a voice cool enough to portray this character, almost every line of dialogue said by him could be stapled as his new coolest line.

*Spoilers Ahead*

But what would a cool character be without a tragic past? Spike was a promising gangster of the Red Dragon Crime Syndicate, but after falling in love with a woman named Julia, he faked his death so he could leave the syndicate, but things didn't go as planned and he remains a wanted man by the syndicate. Spike lives by the philosophy of immediacy, he sees life and death as one and the same and he wouldn't be able to tell the difference until his time comes, thus he lives life by a day by day basis, never fears death and feels no obligation to anyone or anything. On one hand it could be seen as a tragic way to live, he doesn't consider his life to have any worth or see himself as anyone important, but on the other hand it also gives him a sense of freedom and joy knowing he only has the responsibilities he assigns himself. All coming to a head in the finale where he faces his old past and takes on the entire Red Dragon by himself, knowing he will be killed in the process, or as he puts it "i'm not going to die...i'm going to see if i was ever alive" and in his final few moments of life, rather than the show playing it out as tragic or sympathetic, Spike's in a state of bliss, having an answer to his philosophy and finally feeling catharsis for how he's lived his life.

Spike is without a doubt the coolest fictional character that I have ever seen, he's cooler than Han Solo, cooler than Tyler Durden, cooler than Batman. But on top of that he still has a unique philosophy and character arc to make him complex and worth analysing, and despite all this, he would still just call himself a humble bounty hunter. See you space cowboy...

-Danny

Why Does Disney Hate England?

Disney has made some damn amazing movies in their time, they have an insane amount of money because of it and they have movies that can appeal to all demographics. So someone want to tell me why we keep getting the short end of the stick when it comes to release dates!? Apart from Frozen, every Disney movie for some reason takes forever to make its way over to England. Here are some examples: Wreck-It Ralph, US Release Date: 2nd November 2012, UK Release Date: 14th February 2013. Big Hero 6, US Release Date: 7th November 2014, UK Release Date: 30th January 2015.

It's not just with their own films that they do this, but with Pixar as well, take the new Inside Out, US Release Date: 19th June 2015, UK Release Date: 24th July 2015. I don't understand why it takes so long for them to be released over here in England, they have the money and the fanbase so what's the hold up? Do they think British people don't want to watch Inside Out as much as Americans? I understand pushed back release dates for smaller films but this is friggin' Disney, what the hell is going on with them that we have to wait this long to get any of their material?

-Danny

Batman: Arkham Knight - The Psychology of Fear

*Spoilers Ahead*

One of Batman's most defining characteristics is that of fear, his control over Gotham's criminals relies on the fact that they are afraid of him and this is one of the key themes in the Arkham Knight videogame. Scarecrow is planning on destroying Gotham, his main weapon is manipulating people's fears, he is able to get the majority of the town to abandon Gotham by the simple means of a threat. Fear can make a person do crazy things, it can make them desperate, aggressive and idiotic, Scarecrow knows this and he prays on it, our fears show us our greatest weakness, if he knows your fear, he knows your weakness. So here we have our contrast, two characters who use fear to manipulate their enemies, but Scarecrow has the upper hand cause he knows what Batman's fear is, losing the people close to him. It was established in the previous game, Arkham City, that Batman does let his love for others cloud his judgement, he was willing to save Talia over the lives of others, let the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many. Scarecrow uses this to his advantage, threatening, kidnapping and at one point convincing Batman that he had killed those close to him.

I've always found Batman to be a stubborn character, he often rejects help from the people he trusts and never gives an explanation why other than saying that he can handle it, which i do believe is true, but it would be a lot easier to have Robin or Nightwing there to help him. This game gives more information by tying it together with the story of Jason Todd, the second Robin who was kidnapped, tortured and then killed by the Joker, a tragedy that to this day, Batman sees as his greatest mistake, his greatest fear is that happening again to someone else he loves, which Scarecrow is able to exploit with the help of Jason as the Arkham Knight. So the idea of using fear against a hero who relies on fear as a weapon is really intelligent and very well handled.

But then there's another layer to The Batman's fear, Joker. Throughout the game we see Batman's psyche slowly dissolve and give into The Joker's toxin from the previous game, eventually taking over The Batman and becoming more dangerous than ever before. The Batman's true greatest fear, letting The Joker win. But then the game takes it in a new twist that i never really thought about before, if Batman's greatest fear is The Joker...what's Joker's greatest fear? It's honestly a thought i never thought of before, Joker always seemed like an unbreakable character, so what is his greatest fear? Being forgotten. Now that may sound like a very identifiable character trait, but really it's the idea that Joker didn't create enough chaos to be remembered. During the final psychological episode where The Joker finally takes over, Batman then turns the tables on him, now he's haunting his thoughts and revealing his greatest fear. Joker can't live without Batman, but Batman can live without The Joker, his true death happens when Batman finally let's him go, he doesn't fear him anymore and he truly has left no everlasting impact, on Gotham, on Batman, on anyone. It's an interesting analysis that I haven't been seen covered by many other formats and gives me a new perspective on the Joker as a character and his relationship with Batman.

-Danny

Romeo & Juliet...But With Dragons

American Dragon is an animated television show that ran on the Disney Channel from 2005 to 2007, centred around Jake Long, a teenage boy who can transform into a dragon at will and is his duty to protect all magical creatures in New York, while also maintain his regular social life as a teenager, think Spider-Man meets Avatar: The Last Airbender. The show has a lot of good things going for it, it's creative, well written, the animation is...debatable, but overall it's a good show. However, the big draw for me is the relationship between Jake and Rose, yeah, an action show aimed at boys and it was the romance that i was invested in. Jake and Rose were friends at high school, eventually turned lovers, but unbeknownst to them, they were mortal enemies, Rose being part of the underground cult The Huntsclan, a group who dedicate their lives to hunting and killing magical creatures, especially dragons.

*Spoilers Ahead*

Eventually, the two learn each other's secret identity and that's where the emotional conflict begins, both are loyal to their causes, but they also love each other, this all comes to a climax when Jake makes a wish to change history and stop Rose from being taken from her parents and forced to join the hunstclan, thus, the two never meet and never become enemies, Rose can live a happy life, while Jake retains the memories of a future that never could. What makes it so interesting and gets me so invested is how conflicted they are, they don't turn their back on each other, but there's no way they can be together without betraying their beliefs. A modern day Romeo & Juliet story, two lovers from two different worlds, wonder brought them together but tragedy stuck them apart, in the end they can't be together, the only way they can be happy is to prevent the one thing that brought them together from happening. Not only does it make for a good love story, but it also makes for a good hero story, Jake is a cocky cock, he likes to make quips, slack off his duties and use his powers for selfish gain, but he always knows where his values must lie and that he does have to be patient and make sacrifices for the sake of the greater good. Also they're played by Dante Basco & Mae Whitman, so if you were upset that Zuko and Katara never got together, this is a good severance package.

-Danny

Batman Arkham Knight: The Best Shitty Release

Don't you love misleading titles? I'm currently playing Batman: Arkham Knight and so far I am bloody loving it, already clocked in over 20 hours and still got plenty more to go. But it is strange how for a game that is so good, so enjoyable and so right in so many ways...did so much wrong, not in terms of content, but in terms of PR. Let's look at all the faults with this game before it was released: Get's it's release date pushed back twice, that's not a good sign. Day One DLC, that's always shitty. Offering free DLC when pre-ordered, also shitty. Different DLC when ordering from different retailers, that's just cruel. Persistent on a season pass, really obnoxious. Over saturation of trailers, you risk spoiling the game guys. Horrible PC port due to outsourcing the game, way to fucking screw it up fellas.

Those are seven strikes against this game, seven examples of the corrupt, greedy and uncaring nature of gaming companies, especially the marketing teams. Yet very few people seem to be focusing on any of these, well, except the PC port (See Angry Joe for that). Why? Because it's a good fucking game, the story is excellent, the visuals are stunning, the gameplay is magnificent, you know, the stuff that actually matters. But it's important to take note whenever a game does shitty business practises like this, because if we discriminate against when it is and isn't a bad thing then gaming companies are never going to change. No it's not going to affect my enjoyment of the game, but it does mean you lose trust and because i can see through your shitty business schemes, i'm not going to buy a single piece of your DLC...not that it matters to you cause you're going to make millions off of this game. Wow i'm so conflicted, on one hand i don't want to support this game because of the shitty decisions that came with it, but on the other hand...it's the mother-fucking Batman! And it's so good!

-Danny

The Best Of The Marvel Line-Up

Marvel is currently going through it's Secret Wars storyline right now which is their way of rebooting the entire comic universe and it is...confusing to say the least (How many Peter Parkers are there?). But we already know what comics will remain come October, there will be 45 overall and I am going to talk about the ones that get me excited (in alphabetical order).

1. All New, All Different Avengers
As much as I love The Avengers, the comic series has never really appealed to me, but with a brand new line-up of heroes, hopefully this will give it a fresh perspective. The line-up includes Iron Man (Tony Stark), Thor (Jane Foster), Captain America (Sam Wilson), Ms Marvel (Kamala Khan), Spider-Man (Miles Morales) Nova (Sam Alexander) and The Vision. It's a creative and new line-up of characters who we haven't seen interact in this combination so i look forward to seeing how they all get along.






2. Daredevil
Ever since the breakout success of Netflix's Daredevil, of course Marvel are going to want to give him a lot of focus, and the big change that we can see from this cover alone is that Matt Murdock has a sidekick! I'm interested in seeing where they're going to go with this character and see what they do new. Unlike some other comics like Amazing Spider-Man or All New X-Men which i'm sure will be good, i expect them to be the same as before, here, who knows what they're gonna do.







3. Extraordinary X-Men
The X-Men comic is one that needed a hard reboot, character relationships were convoluted, people were much angstier than before, the line-up was too different, i want to see the X-Men go back to their roots. Hopefully this comic-line will do that (The inclusion of Old Man Logan is interesting) and they can give us the X-Men we all know and love.









4. Guardians of the Galaxy
Star-Lord is a woman!? Is it Kitty Pryde!? Where's Gamora!? Venom's there!? AND THE THING!? Fuck me, comic, ya got me hooked and i haven't seen a single page yet!











5. Ms Marvel
This is kind of against the other titles on my list, i'm mostly focusing on the comics that look like they're doing something different and actually feel like there was a reason for a reboot. Ms Marvel is a character I want to stay the exact same, she's still new enough that they can just continue her story and i'd be fine with it. Hell, she's one of the best characters and comics that Marvel has got right now, don't mess with something perfect.








6. Spider-Gwen
One of the breakout characters of the past year, though I love the concept, the character and the costume design, being honest her short run didn't really impress me all too much. Hopefully now that Marvel has realised her popularity will result in a stronger focus on better storytelling.










7. Spider-Man
Miles Morales's Spider-Man is sailing on the same boat as Ms Marvel, a break-out character that fans fell in love with and he's still fresh enough that they don't really have to change much about his story, especially seeing as his story ended with the revelation that is girlfriend is a Hydra agent, i wanna see where that goes. It also shows how much faith Marvel has in Miles as a character seeing as his title is just 'Spider-Man' as if it's their way of saying he's the main Spidey for them.







So those were the Marvel comics that I am most looking forward to reading come October, there are plenty of others that I will be checking out, but for the most part i either don't expect them to do much different or was never really interested in the characters in the first place. These are the ones that are doing new ideas for characters I love, i cannot wait to see what they're going to do and to see what the new Marvel Universe has in store for us.