News Next Arrowverse Crossover to Include Batwoman
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Is she (E1 Alex)?
I didn't really get that sense from her at all.
What I thought Kara appealed to was E1 Alex's internalized sense of morality and justice.
Think E-1 Alex was so deep in the closet it was a wonder she didn't end up in Narnia.
Random thought: could the fact that Earth-1 (seemingly) doesn't have a Clark Kent be at least partly why Earth-1 Bruce is missing while Earth-38 Bruce is (presumably) still around?
Well, we have two versions of the Flash who look like, John Wesley Shipp , two Bruce Waynes who presumably had one very bad night in crime alley, two Barry Allens that became forensic scientists for the CCPD, and uh, at least two Mariah Careys..?
It wasn't any one thing so much as *everything* Kara said to her. Knowing all kinds of things about her past, what kind of person she is at her core and yes, that she's gay. Of course for that last part to be powerful enough to matter, it kinda needs to *not* be obvious otherwise anyone could make the same observation.
^^^
To be fair, it was establised as far back as Supergirl Season 1 that Superman had been an active hero on Earth 38 for nearly a decade prior to Kara's pod landing, and CONTINUED in that role as she grew up.
Bottom line: he's had probably over two decades of adventures related to Earth 38 that we the audience have never seen; so I had zero issue with the "I've seen stuff like this before..." and hell, was HAPPY to see his years of experience in protecting the Earth-38 Universe finally counted for something in a Berlanti storyline.
I have no issue with him wanting to retire/take a break on the Argo City asteroid, and hell, it's a logical way for the 'can Superman/Lois have sex and a kid without Lois dying in the process as on said asteroid, he's just a 'normal humanoid' and Lois suffers no ill effects that we know of from being in a Red Sun environment. It also allows them to present a valid reason why Superman isn't more prominent and that he and Kara aren't teaming more often.
What I DID hate was the fact the writers feel the need to ultimately emasculate him yet again with the "Kara, you're so much stronger/better then me in every way..." scenes they give him at the end of this. Yeah, I get it - the show is "Supergirl" but IMO they don't need to continually 'lessen' the Superman character at every opportunity like they have with his past two guest appearances (IMO).
The existence of a stronger female relative does not emasculate a man.
What bugs me about the ending is, how did Ollie actually save the day by shooting an arrow at the Book of Destiny? I mean, it's a cosmically powerful artifact -- why would a pointy stick have any effect on it? Did the Monitor give his arrow some special power? If so, why didn't they say so?
Ooh, I like that.
No one with a healthy sense of masculinity would consider that emasculating. Being a man does NOT require being stronger than women. That is a sexist assumption that is as degrading to men as it is to women. True, healthy masculinity is about being supportive to others, using your strength to take care of others rather than to feed your own ego or show off how tough you are. Men who are afraid to appear weak are the weakest men of all.
Ooh, I like that.
No one with a healthy sense of masculinity would consider that emasculating. Being a man does NOT require being stronger than women. That is a sexist assumption that is as degrading to men as it is to women. True, healthy masculinity is about being supportive to others, using your strength to take care of others rather than to feed your own ego or show off how tough you are. Men who are afraid to appear weak are the weakest men of all.
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The repeated use of that term in this discussion is very telling.
Is it "emasculating" by definition to acknowledge that absolutely anyone is better than you at absolutely anything?
Or only when the other person is a woman?
Masculinity is a pretty fragile and delusional thing in either case.
Which is fine. Nothing wrong with that, though we have seen situations where Supergirl clearly did need his help, like with Reign. Trusting her is without question, she's amazing, but there's a difference between support, and bowing to her as his better.
All nice motivations, though Earth still needs Superman. Whether it's facing Darkseid or rescuing a cat from a tree, Superman loves what he does, and his work is important. In a big battle, Superman would be fine with help. He does partake in the Justice League.
Leaving because Lois is pregnant and needs to have a depowered pregnancy is fine. Leaving for years and deciding that Kara is better than him so he doesn't need to be on Earth anymore, his home, is just awful writing and out of character.
Except that IS a problem, it IS emasculating, and it IS inconsistent with Superman outside of this one small show. You may not like it, but it doesn't make it any less true.
Not when you have writers that want to check every politically correct box they can.
So your definition of masculine is the exact opposite of what masculine is. Being a man does not require bending the knee and being submissive. In fact, that's exactly what emasculating is.
Supportive does not mean submissive.
Apparently I've been replied to, but there is such a massive quote-fail here that it's impossible to tell who's saying what.
Just to be clear: I don't mean that in a "something happened to Bruce and Clark would have saved him" kind of way, but more of a "Clark has a positive influence on Bruce" type of thing. Indeed, much like we see here with Oliver & Barry.
Well it was a blue glowy pointy stick, so clearly something is going on there. One assumes this is something that will be addressed when the "cost" of saving Barry & Kara comes due.
Don't be ridiculous. Everyone knows representation is a zero sum game dammit!
The existence of a stronger female relative does not emasculate a man.
It’s funny how it seems to only be an issue with certain male fans. Superman couldn’t be prouder of Kara. Secure men aren’t threatened by women, especially powerful women.
The existence of a stronger female relative does not emasculate a man.
Why wouldn’t she be gay? You’re born that way, the fact that she’s an exact double of her Alex would imply she has the same genetics. So she would be gay too. It’s not like it has anything to do with how you’re raised.
Yes, he had already operated as Superman long before she arrived on earth, but I mean the book is such a "thing" on the show, that his using it with such skill makes me want to see how he came to be so familiar with it, like a flashback to some event that will play a role in future events (more than what was seen in this crossover).
True, and as I've pointed out before, its the very reason why the presentation of characters in the DC movies is superior, since no one has to be whittled down in any way to lift up other characters. Each lives up to whatever their established traits/abilities are, at no cost to anyone else.
I think he might mean alternate dimension versions in fantasy fiction are not often exact copies of what the audiences knows as the original (think DC's Earth 2, in the way it was first handled in the Silver & Bronze Age of comics, or Star Trek's "Mirror, Mirror"). There's usually some difference in appearance, life choices, occupation, moral codes, etc., hence the shock for the lead characters when they encounter the alternate version.
Those are things that can be influenced by life and situations, it wouldn’t change your sexuality. That’s set at birth. If the two are genetically identical, then both would be gay.
I think that's the key right there. The interpretation of Kara's strength relative to Kal-El's as the "emasculation" of Superman points to a profound insecurity. I don't use the word "profound" lightly, but seeing this as "emasculation" is a rather extreme reaction.
Has Superman been "emasculated" when The Flash beats him in a race? I don't think so. But what if The Flash had been a woman?
Speaking of Supermen... it probably won't ever ever happen, but I'd be cool to have Tom Welling fill the role of the older Earth-2 "Golden Age" Superman from the original Crisis comic.
@Kirk Prime I think you will enjoy this video. John Campea reviewed the CW crossover and while he loved the crossover in general, he goes on an epic rant about what the crossover does to Superman that I think you will enjoy.
Even putting that aside, Earth-1 Alex's subtle reaction to Kara's comment about her own Alex wanting "a wife and kids" said it all to any observant viewer.