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Our Midnight Garden
Canada
เข้าร่วมเมื่อ 20 มี.ค. 2022
The Garden is a place for relaxed discussions about comics and other topics.
If you'd like to see text versions of video topics, along with original text material, visit ourmidnightgarden.blogspot.com.
If you'd like to see text versions of video topics, along with original text material, visit ourmidnightgarden.blogspot.com.
The Appeal of Aquaman
An analysis of how Aquaman in DC Comics has the concept of harmony engrained in his actions, his powers, and more.
0:00 - Aquaman Represents Balance
0:19 - Balance in Each of His Roles
0:58 - Balance in His Powers
1:59 - Times of Imbalance
2:29 - Seek Arthur's Harmony
0:00 - Aquaman Represents Balance
0:19 - Balance in Each of His Roles
0:58 - Balance in His Powers
1:59 - Times of Imbalance
2:29 - Seek Arthur's Harmony
มุมมอง: 676
วีดีโอ
The Appeal of Hal Jordan
มุมมอง 1K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
An analysis of Hal Jordan, DC's predominant Green Lantern, examining the unique and relatable way in which he overcomes fear. The myth of the Green Lantern Corps may be about using willpower to overcome fear, but the special way this is depicted in Hal's life may explain why he has remained such a popular Green Lantern for so long. 0:00 - What Makes Hal Unique? 0:47 - Fear of Instability 0:59 -...
The Appeal of Barry Allen
มุมมอง 1.1K2 หลายเดือนก่อน
An analysis of Barry Allen in comics, as a figure that subconsciously promotes having enthusiasm and appreciation for the richness of life. 0:00 - Barry is a Symbol of Zeal 0:24 - Powers as a Byproduct of Passion 0:54 - Wrapped Up in Life 1:39 - Personality and Sacrifice 2:07 - The Lesson of The Flash
The Appeal of the Legion of Super-Heroes
มุมมอง 4.5K3 หลายเดือนก่อน
An analysis of the optimistic and reassuring message about goodness that is symbolized in DC's Legion of Super-Heroes. 0:00 - Goodness is Omnipresent 0:15 - Goodness in All Times 1:40 - Goodness in All Places 2:05 - Anytime, Anywhere 2:28 - You Do Make a Difference
The Appeal of Wonder Woman
มุมมอง 2.3K4 หลายเดือนก่อน
An analysis of what makes Wonder Woman of DC Comics such an inspiration, and what sets her apart from heroes like Superman. I believe she embodies a mighty faith in the people around her, and this teaches us a valuable lesson about believing in the world's ability to grow and improve. A superhero defined mainly by her compassion and her use of defensive or non-violent weapons (bracelets and a l...
The Psychology of Physical Media: Why Inconvenience is Satisfying
มุมมอง 5606 หลายเดือนก่อน
What causes the indescribable satisfaction of holding a book in your hand? Isn't it just a more inconvenient option compared to digital media? I propose that when it comes to physical media, or anything that requires effort in life, inconvenience itself may be a path to greater satisfaction, given our penchant for detecting salience. I haven't been able to find any papers on this topic, but it ...
The Mirror Psychology of Superman's Villains
มุมมอง 4.2K6 หลายเดือนก่อน
An analysis of several characters in Superman's rogues gallery, and how they reflect different aspects of Superman's personality in distorted ways. 0:00 - Introduction 0:10 - Parasite 0:40 - Toyman & Bizarro 1:34 - Brainiac 2:02 - Mr. Mxyzptlk 3:15 - Lex Luthor To summarize, I believe that: -Parasite is a Superman without the satiation/contentment Clark feels with his powers. -Toyman and Bizarr...
The Appeal of The Question
มุมมอง 8808 หลายเดือนก่อน
An analysis of the DC Comics character Vic Sage/The Question, interpreting him as a champion of curiosity. Curiosity is important in life for introspection in order to improve yourself, for understanding others in order to easily be social, and for learning in order to gain intelligence. The Question provides valuable inspiration by urging readers to nurture their own curiosity to become more b...
The Appeal of Plastic Man
มุมมอง 3828 หลายเดือนก่อน
An analysis of Quality Comics and DC Comics' character Plastic Man, interpreting his powers as a metaphor for personal change, given the many growths his character has undergone.
The Appeal of Hulk
มุมมอง 1.1K8 หลายเดือนก่อน
(Warning: the last image in the video contains depictions of DV.) An analysis of Marvel Comics' Incredible Hulk, as a representation of the social rejection towards anger as an emotion. Hulk showcasing the social repulsiveness of rage alongside its utility displays a realistic, well-rounded portrayal of the emotion. Readers' angry impulses are validated in a more truthful way by Hulk than by ot...
The Appeal of Daredevil
มุมมอง 6728 หลายเดือนก่อน
An analysis of Marvel Comics' Daredevil, as a person bearing the rage of grief, which manifests in his powers that evoke the human physical response to anger.
The Appeal of Spider-Woman
มุมมอง 7888 หลายเดือนก่อน
An analysis of Jessica Drew, Marvel's first Spider-Woman, detailing how she is uniquely realistic compared to other lonely characters and is thus more relatable. The character's heroism comes in the form of lacking any sort of resentment for others despite her uncontrollable isolation.
The Appeal of Tim Drake
มุมมอง 8469 หลายเดือนก่อน
An analysis of the third Robin, Tim Drake, as a representative of the principle of observation in two forms: interpersonal and logical/problem-solving. These are exemplified in his origin of becoming Robin because he observed Batman's need for a partner, and in his detective qualities. The strength of Tim Drake's character manifests in this way, in my opinion, and makes him stand out uniquely a...
The Appeal of Lois Lane
มุมมอง 1K10 หลายเดือนก่อน
An analysis of Lois Lane's ability to see the goodness in others, even when it's obscured, and how this provides wish-fulfillment and inspiration to readers of the Superman mythos.
The Appeal of Iron Man
มุมมอง 1Kปีที่แล้ว
An analysis of Marvel Comics' Invincible Iron Man, interpreting him as a hero of fragility. The story of his origin, as well as the stories regarding his alcoholism, are defined by vulnerability; and his crusade into superheroics was likely influenced by his understanding of vulnerability encouraging him to become a protector.
Going by the thumbnail.. I guess to be the inverse of superman means to have a bad hairline 😂
2:00 That version of the Legion will always be "mine". It sucks that it fizzled out.
I'm a really big fan of that version too, from what I've read of it. I haven't gone through the whole run but I've found it terrific so far. Great writing and art, and also wonderful coloring in my opinion. The Legion never looked so vibrant to me!
Back in the 196O's we believed that a coalition of altruistic young people banding together could actually effect positive change in the world. We were so naïve.
I was an avid reader of the JSA and the All Star Squadron so this is right up my alley!!... Great work my guy!!👍🇹🇹
Thanks! Alan was always my favorite member of both those teams (not that he was in the All-Star Squadron that much).
@@ourmidnightgarden I'm a Lantern guy myself but my personal favorite JSA member was actually Hourman😏... I loved the idea of superpowers for an hour....So original you know?😎🇹🇹
I just love the mid-cenrury Tomorrowland aesthetic.
Green Lantern has always been one of my favourite superheroes and, frankly, just one of the most underrated superheroes in general. Hal Jordan is one of my favourite GLs, too, and it is probably my second favourite GL after Kyle Rayner. A lot of people shit on Hal Jordan after the 2011 movie or his bad track record in the pre-Geoff Johns GL era of comics where Hal slept with Arisa and was written as a pedophile, even though that was permanently retconned and dont blame the character, blame the weird writers who wrote the stories for their own perverted fantasy's... I dont mean to go on a rant, but Im a little tired of people disrespecting Hal when I doubt people even take the time to truly understand the character and want to jump on the bandwagon. Hal, in my opinion, is a great character because his will is to persevere so much inner emotional turmoil and self-hatred he has for himself is very relatable for me personally as someone who also has severe insecurities and inner fears that I try every day to overcome even when it seems impossible. Hal's will is something I feel a lot of us want to strive to achieve. Even when Hal puts on this fake persona of a coky pilot to hide his own inner fears and self-hatred over how he feels like he failed his family, the death of his father family and friends, how he feels like he let down his former best friend Sinestro into becoming a villain or how much he feels like he's hurt people he loves like Carol or his friends, Hal still tries his damn hardest to make thing right and wants to be a better person, and feels a sense of honour and purpose in his life as a Green Lantern and helping to make up for his own mistakes by helping others, not just on Earth but all over the universe.
Very well put. There's a lot to like about Hal beyond a bad movie and one writer making a weird choice (within a run that is otherwise well-received, which makes it frustrating that that one aspect is all people talk about). Sorry to hear you have to deal with such insecurities and fears. I'm glad you have a character you can look to for inspiration.
Surprised but glad you did Aquaman.
That bit at the end, about not knowing if your altruistic efforts make any difference down the road, really hit close to home for me. I was an elementary school teacher for 25 years. The last 20 years was in one school. I taught 2nd, 4th, and 5th grades before I was given a new Special Area class, the K-5 Hands-on Science Lab, which I taught for 10 years. In my last couple of years at the school before retiring, some of my old students returned to the school to bring their children to become students. When they did, they made a point to pop in and say hello and thank me for being their teacher. They also told me that I made a real difference in their lives. So even though I couldn't punch out giant robots or have bullets bounce off my chest, I guess I had a super-power, too: teaching. Thank you for posting this. I've been a big fan of the LSH for years, and this is the closest I've ever felt to being a member of the team. ❤
I really appreciate your kind words, and I even more so appreciate you sharing your experience. It can definitely be hard in life to feel like you're making a difference and I'm so glad you had students provide that validation to you. Teachers are so important in general because you guys can have a tremendous influence on young people's lives and futures -- and by the sounds of it, you were a rather positive influence on those students of yours. Plus I know how grueling teaching can be (I have some close relatives in the field and I see how hard they work). I hope you feel a sense of pride for what you accomplished over those 25 years. You'll never see all the effects of your altruism, but rest assured that they're out there. :)
My only exposure to the Legion of Super Heroes being the WB cartoon and the handful of appearances in the DCAU (meaning I’ve never ready the comics), how does their TV show hold up in your opinion (someone who has read the comics?
I only saw the cartoon once all the way through a few years ago, so my memory isn't perfect. I remember that it diverged a lot from the comic material, but was still very enjoyable even as an adult. It got the spirit of the Legion right, I think, even if it threw in a lot of original elements like the Superboy clone and whatnot. I'm a big fan of the 2000s DC shows like The Batman, and the Legion show fit in with them in terms of quality to me. If you liked the show I can't guarantee you'll like the comics, because the biggest difference was that the comics have a gigantic roster of characters, so they're much less focused than the cartoon. I wish I'd seen the show more recently so I could give a more detailed answer. Thank you for the question. :)
It’s nice to see someone who dives deeper into exploring the character of Aquaman, looking past the common perception of him being a joke that needs to be laughed at for talking to fish. Great video 👍🏽
Lovely stuff, Starheart. You nailed it in my opinion. This is one of the reasons Aquaman connects with me so much. Finding a way to bridge that duality within yourself (especially when it comes to identity) is not an easy task. I've always divided Aquaman into three distinct categories and your thesis fits very nicely into the distinction 1) The resentful: an Arthur that is angry at something external and lashes out (a lack of harmony with his identities). EX: Aquaman Book One by Peter David 2) The vagabond: aimless due to a rejection from those around him (his identities lacking harmony with him) EX: Aquaman Underworld by Dan Abnett 3) The diplomat: taking upon the roles thrust onto him in order to do right by Atlanteans and the world (complete harmony) EX: Sub-Diego by Will Pfeiffer Also something I appreciated - which you typically do - is take into account the art as well as the text. There are so many people trying to analyze comics by just looking at a wiki block and that misses half of the point. Great work
Aquaman is a rip-off. Thanks to Aquaman, we can never have a Namor movie. So sad. Namor came first!
Meh, Namor is very different. He was always much more 'high stakes' than Aquaman was, especially at that time. Also Namor was in Black Panther 2 so it's not like they're afraid to use him
@@gokenrocks They had to make Namor in that movie, some Mexican or South American thing. Not the Namor I grew up with and a slap in the face to his creator. All woke crap. Hence there may never be a Namor movie where he was born in the waters of the South Pole.
What got me about the Legion is the fact that many of these costumed heroes are close to invulnerable, so the writers have really painted themselves into a corner, and the fun is finding out how they are likely to get out of that corner. Up until Smallville I always thought of kryptonite as a crock.
You just earned a subscriber. I love this.
Thanks so much!
@@ourmidnightgarden You really get Aquaman and have explained his appeal better than most. It’s about balance.
Hal Jordan is my favorite Superhero, not just in DC, but overall. I fell in love with whole Green Lantern Mythos a while back when I learned more about it, and I wish DC, or at least WB would realize peopel wanna see more of him. Peopel want a Show or Movie series (a good one) about Green Lantern and the whole Mythos about them.
Excellent analysis. I have always believed that the Superman villains are great foils for Superman and are much deeper and complex when you actually look deeper into them. For example Metallo is a literally man of steel who is powered by a piece of Clark's home world. Deep down Metallo is envious towards Superman and hate the fact that he lost his humanity for power whereas Superman does not throw it away and can go outside with being feared or hated.
Great video I have never been a huge Barry Allen fan but after watching this video, I have hew found appreciation for him
Love this vid. Keep up the great work mate
Thank you!
Pick up AQUAMAN: SUB DIEGO. Aquaman at his best.
Yep. My all time favorite. Such a shame that Lorena has not brought back to the continuity yet
It is absolutely insane that you post character essays about characters I’m reading right when I’m reading them 💀. Just started dusting off my Aquaman knowledge a few days ago by researching his different continuities 😂.
Aquaman has a lot in common with Superman. They are both men who have try to find a balance between their human lifes and their respective heritages, with Kal El being an alien from another planet while Arthur was child of two worlds (land and atlantis). The two also deal with similar struggle: loneliness. Much like Clark is an alien from a lost world who tries to live among humans, Aquaman finds difficult to fit in both in human world, since he's an atlantean, and in his kingdom, since he was raised as human.
I agree! I was thinking about their parallels while I was editing the video. The balance in Superman's life is very clearly shown in him splitting his time as Clark and as Superman.
@@ourmidnightgarden Exactly, which is the reason why Arthur search for balance is more difficult. Unlike Superman, he doesn't have a secret identity, but multiple duties, as hero, a king and a husband and father, having to handle the pressure by others 24/7. At least being Clark Kent provides Superman some stability and for him to enjoy life without having to deal with so much pressure all the time.
Yeppp. Old school Aquaman fans always got dunked on for having "Superman Lite" which was sad to see. They did have very similar stories but the way that they go about solving issues is very different
I'll always be sad my mans rep got ruined because of a mediocre 60s cartoon. I love Aquaman Andromeda by Ram V if anyone wants an Aquaman recc. Good video per the usual.
Unfortunately the side affects of the comics code authority is still affecting The general audiences view of comics, with aquaman receiving the worst of it. I have hope Gunn will fix that
It's such a shame how people have responded to the Super Friends depiction, but to me I find it sad that people have always dismissed 60s/70s corny Aquaman because I actually like him! People make fun of him for riding seahorses and say it's silly to talk to fish -- I think it would be awesome to ride a seahorse and speak to fish. I'm of the mindset that he doesn't need any modernizing and doesn't necessarily need to be made cooler. I hope someday people become more appreciative of the "less cool" Aquaman. And thank you!
The 1967 Filmation Aquaman cartoon was great! It was the late 1969 tv cartoon non violence edict (which ALL networks had to adhere to) that helped to create the “Aquaman is Useless” trope.
It's not so much that he's stuck in the 60s/70s, it's that most incarnations since then have seemed to only characterize him in a defensive, kneejerk response to mainstream criticism of that classic version. The 90s books, JLU, the New 52, and the DCEU movies have strained desperately to say, "Look guys, you don't understand, he's actually super cool and badass and not lame at all!" This has been successful for him commercially, as his 2018 film made a billion dollars off his new "badass" persona, but that persona only originated because of disdain for the classic take, rather than out of some true artistic deep-dive into how the character would reasonably act, in my opinion. "Cool" Aquaman is the modern norm, but I personally feel that this is just a reaction to the 60s/70s version that people are seemingly too insecure to explore depthfully. So in a way, I suppose he is stuck in the 60s/70s, the way that his character is continually written to be compensating against that era.
Another case of him loosing his hand was in the justice league animated show, which also follows the theme of balance, because he’s put in a situation where he and his daughter are chained in danger. His one hand is free, the other still chained so he cuts the other off to rescue his daughter. And if I remember correctly, he was in said situation because of his lack of faith in humanity, so when he returns to the league he joins them, forms friendships with them, Becomes an ally of humanity, And in Batman Beyond His said daughter becomes a member of the new justice league. So in essence by focusing more Atlantis than the surface, he risked the life of Himself, his daughter, the surface world, so bye sacrificing his hand, he saved all of them and more
Hal Jordan is literally my most favourite DC character along with Superman Hal is just perfect
I like him a lot too. I always want to see more Superman-Hal teamups. For some reason I'm a big fan of that pairing and don't feel like I see it too often.
Excellent breakdown!
Thank you!
Nice video man thank you
Thank you!
@ourmidnightgarden your welcome
He's definitely my favorite Green Lantern ever since i warched the movie Green Lantern: First Flight.
I greatly enjoyed that film too.
amazing video man. you exactly talk about why i love the character of hal jordan
Which character do you want to analyze next? I would recommend Zorro, the Shadow, Dr. Clark Savage, the Phantom, the Lone Ranger, the Green Hornet, Dick Grayson/Nightwing, Jason Todd/Red Hood, Tim Drake/Red Robin, Damian Wayne/Robin, Carrie Kelly, Barbara Gordon, Stephanie Brown/Spoiler, Cassandra Cain/Black Bat, Helena Bertinelli/Huntress, Selina Kyle/Catwoman, Batman or the mirror psychology of Batman’s villains, Wally West, Billy Batson/Captain Marvel/Shazam, Dr. Sivana, Black Adam, the Spectre, Doctor Fate, Hourman, the Atom, Guy Gardner, John Stewart, Kyle Rayner, Sinestro, the mirror psychology of the Green Lantern Corps’ villains, Starman, Doctor Midnight, Mister Terrific (Terrence Sloane and Michael Holt), Aquaman, Wonder Woman or the mirror psychology of Wonder Woman’s villains, Martian Manhunter, Captain America or the mirror psychology of Captain America’s villains, Nick Fury, the Falcon, Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic, Susan Storm/Invisible Woman, Johnny Storm/Human Torch, Benjamin Grimm/Thing, or the Fantastic Four in general, Namor, Doctor Doom, the Silver Surfer, the mirror psychology of the Hulk’s villains, Peter Parker, Miles Morales, the mirror psychology of Spider-Man’s villains, Thor or the mirror psychology of Thor’s villains, Doctor Strange, Dr. Henry Pym/Ant-Man, Janet Van Dyne/the Wasp, Scott Lang/Ant-Man, the mirror psychology of Iron Man’s villains, Natalia Romanova/Black Widow, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Wanda Maximoff/Scarlet Witch, Pietro Maximoff/Quicksilver, Wonder Man, the Vision, Professor Charles Xavier, Jean Grey, Dr. Henry McCoy/Beast, Warren Worthington III/Angel/Archangel, Bobby Drake/Iceman, Wolverine or the mirror psychology of Wolverine’s villains, Ororo Munroe/Storm, Piotr Rasputin/Colossus, Kurt Wagner/Nightcrawler, Kitty Pryde/Shadowcat, Rogue, Remy LeBeau/Gambit, Jubilee, Laura Kinney/X-23, Magneto, Raven Darkhölme/Mystique, the mirror psychology of Daredevil’s villains (including the Owl, Stilt-Man, the Gladiator, the Jester, Mister Fear, Typhoid Mary Walker, Bullseye, and the Kingpin), Frank Castle/the Punisher, Elektra Natchios, Luke Cage, Iron Fist, Jessica Jones, Blade, Peter Quill/Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax the Destroyer, Rocket Raccoon, Groot, T’Challa/Black Panther or the mirror psychology of Black Panther’s villains, Carol Danvers, or Richard Rider/Nova, among others. Alternatively, you could analyze other characters, like Hellboy, Spawn, Invincible, Omni-Man, or the Transformers characters (including Optimus Prime, Jazz, Hound, Ratchet, Prowl, Wheeljack, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Megatron, Soundwave, Shockwave, or Blitzwing, among others).
Excellent job on showcasing why he's the greatest green lantern of them all.
Thank you!
Fantastic analysis! I think you've summed up what many Hal fans think, but haven't been able to verbalize well. Bravo!
While Jessica Cruz is my favorite Green Lantern, Hal Jordan is the one who embodies what means to be a green lantern and the themes present in HL stories, how Will Power allows someone to overcome not just fear but any emotion and it's negative aspects, which is represent by some of his enemies like Sinestro (fear), Atrocitus (anger), Star Sapphire (love) and Lartfleeze (Greed). In their fights, Hal face those emotions they represent, and was even corrupt by their power in some occasions, but was able to win in the end thanks to his will and ability to focus those emotions to a selfless goal.
I think Jessica is great too. I can't believe it took so long for a GL like her to be created. It seems like such a perfect idea to give a GL an inherent issue involving fear.
@@ourmidnightgarden Im' surprise it took long to create a super hero like her. Usually these type of characters are show to be very brave and willing to risk their lifes for others. Jessica was the opposite, constantly having to deal with relatable struggles like anxiety. Making a Green Lantern only made her an even more interesting character, giving her a power that rely on her finding her will power and courage.
great video!!
Thank you!
The thing I like about Hal is he always questions authority no matter how big or small. Ex, the guardians, his boss, Sinestro, etc. keep up the videos 👍
Well said. For being a "space cop", he's certainly quite critical of the system. And thank you for the kind words. It's been a bit difficult to produce videos lately and the encouragement is helpful. :)
1:00 lightning lads quip sounds a bit smutty
Tim Drake was the perfect All-around Robin. Cause every Robin has a definitive Quirk about them. Dick was breezy, Jason had too much Rage, and Damian was Too Arrogant and a bit entitled. Tim was probably the most Normal of the Robins
Fantastic
This was very good
The Legion of Super-Heroes is my absolute favorite team of all time. Lucky enough to have most of the silver age comics, all the way up to the reboots, three-boots...Bendis trash.....
=<} D
(=<{D)
This was really what brought me into the Flash as a whole, real shame that this sort of topic isn’t talked much about it though.
And here i thought wonder woman stood for truth, but what you said makes way more sense
Could you do I e for the FF
great video! u have a great perspective and i always love seeing people talk about barry as he was pre flashpoint
👏👏⚡️
I suppose the Prankster is the counter to Superman’s humility. Superman is a flashy figure and does big feats. But it’s never for his own self-aggrandizement. He does it to inspire the best in people. The Prankster loves an audience for its own sake. He loves to have all eyes on him to the point of pulling bigger and more dangerous pranks.
Very interesting idea. Acting for recognition vs acting nobly. Thank you for sharing :)
Just discovered this channel and I LOVE the premise of your channel, and this video is like a cherry on top as I love Superman villains and thinks his rogues gallery is the best
Thanks! Very glad you're enjoying :) Superman's rogues' gallery is one of my favorites too.
what gravitates people to the Legion is the dozens of super-characters...more bang for the buck..
Too bad Barry was killed and pee on in that Suicide Squad game. That game just total disrespect, but I guess that was the James Gunn style Suicide Squad humor they were going for.