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critique

Marvel introduced a black female Iron Man – is that a good thing? (Yes.)

July 6, 2016 by krisis

Today, Marvel and writer Brian Bendis broke the news via Time Magazine that at the end of the currently-running event “Civil War II” the mantle of Iron Man will be taken over by a 15-year old black MIT student named Riri Williams

(This IIM - 2016 - promois a major shocker, because the vast majority of fans assumed Riri’s introduction in the pages of Invincible Iron Man (visit the guide) – where she was reverse-engineering Tony Stark’s armor – was a set-up for her to take over the mantle of War Machine. Rhodey has become unavailable to carry that title due to the events of Civil War.)

Riri Williams as Iron Man is a very good thing. We do not have enough female heroes or heroes of color, and to see a that in a character who is both as she takes over the mantle of ostensibly Marvel’s most popular single hero outside of Spider-Man is a huge, visible step not only for Marvel comic readers, but for their film fans who this news will surely reach. To have Williams also be a female super-scientist when Marvel generally boasts only a handful is even more wonderful.

(The most prominent female geniuses of Marvel are Kitty Pryde, who is frequently shown to be nearly as genius as Beast; Valeria Richards, whose preternatural intelligence is partially attributed to super powers; the new Moon Girl; and Mockingbird, an oft-forgotten PhD) .

So Riri Williams as Iron Man is a good thing, right?

On the face of it, yes. Inclusion means representation. I love reading books about heroes that are women, and so does my daughter – also a girl of color.

However, there are some aspects of this character choice that have given some fans and critics pause, which I’d like to discuss here – three in particular. I’m very interested in your input. (Edited to add: Here is a post with similar critique from black writer Son of Baldwin, Here is another from black female nerd BlerdGurl.)

1. Minority legacy heroes are only useful until the original makes their return; then their marginalization can be worse than the average minority hero.

“Legacy Heroes” is a term applied to heroes that are the replacement or junior version to their original heroes. They are sometimes used by creators as an opportunity to change the gender or race of the character bearing the main mantle.. The easiest examples to give are from DC comics (Superboy, Batgirl, Wondergirl, etc), because Marvel simply isn’t known for this practice outside the past few years.

Let’s stick with Marvel, for the moment. For a brief time in the 1980s, Tony Stark could not serve as Iron Man and Rhodey Rhodes took over the title. Rhodey is the best possible example of a Legacy Hero – he was a dynamic, well-developed character long before he became Iron Man, and that means that he was able to continue to be featured even when Tony Stark returned.

Ms-Marvel - 2014 - 0004As War Machine, he’s lead his own title on many occasions (though they are usually short-lived) and he’s and been a significant character in both comics and now films (though he’s frequently sacrificed as a narrative reason to make Stark feel bad, as has happened twice this year alone).

His time as a Legacy Hero made him more visible, but after being Iron Man he didn’t stay an A-level hero. The white guy bumped him.

Another terrific example is the relatively new Ms. Marvel, the Pakastani-American Kamala Khan (visit the guide). Kamala is a wonderful analog to the original Spider-Man as a new, unsure hero, and Carol Danvers is very unlikely to ever retake her “Ms.” hero mantle now that she is officially Captain Marvel.

Her books sell ridiculous amounts of copies and have been nominated for Eisners. She’s now an Avenger. Things are going well … but we’re only in year two.

There are examples that don’t go as well. At the end of the comics version of the original Civil War, Captain America appears to die, and Bucky takes over the mantle as Cap (visit the guide). His days as Cap are amazing – great, layered storytelling. When Cap came back they shared the mantle for a while before Bucky was spun back to being Winter Soldier, at which point he began to sink back into obscurity – and he’s a white guy who stars in movies.

As with War Machine, he’s now a character Marvel needs to periodically kickstart into a new title or team only to watch him sink again.

Despite those concerns, check out the amazing list of Legacy Heroes Marvel is currently fielding: [Read more…] about Marvel introduced a black female Iron Man – is that a good thing? (Yes.)

Filed Under: comic books, critique, essays Tagged With: Ant-Man, Brian Bendis, Captain Marvel, diversity, Hulk, inclusion, Iron Man, Kitty Pryde, Miles Morales, Moon Girl, Ms. Marvel, Representation, Riri Williams, Spider-Man, The Falcon, Thor, Tony Stark, Wasp, Winter Soldier, Wolverine

Grading #TheVoice – Battle Round #2

May 17, 2011 by krisis

Here are my first reaction thoughts to tonight’s The Voice Battle Round!

I made my first notes listening totally blind, although tonight it was easy to tell the voices apart. I then went back for a single watch before picking my victor. I didn’t peek at the judges picks until after I made my own.

Here we go! The rankings I list are based on my original team breakdowns from last week.

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Team Cee Lo: Tje Austin (#4) against Nakia (#6) on “Closer”

In my original breakdown of Cee Lo’s team I said Tje had a lot of raw awesome, while Nakia was a sweetheart and a showman, but not the best singer.

Did my opinion hold up? [Read more…] about Grading #TheVoice – Battle Round #2

Filed Under: critique, reviews, teevee Tagged With: Recaps, The Voice

Grading #TheVoice – Battle Round #1

May 11, 2011 by krisis

Here are my quick and dirty thoughts on last night’s The Voice – featuring the first intimidatingly-named “Battle Round” between singers. Who really won this first round of fights, and how did they effect the overall standings? My feedback is based on the song and only the song – I didn’t watch any of the backstories, mentor sessions, or judge comments.

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Team Christina: Tarralyn Ramsey (#2) v. Frenchie Davis (#3) on “Single Ladies” (Watch it!)

I had these ladies ranked one after another on my Team Christina ranking, but in my original draft they were a tie – so this could have gone either way.

If they had pulled a big ballad Tarralyn might have eeked out a win, but on “Single Ladies” it was a blood-bath. [Read more…] about Grading #TheVoice – Battle Round #1

Filed Under: critique, reviews, teevee Tagged With: Recap, The Voice

Grading The Voice – Team Adam

May 10, 2011 by krisis

After The Voice judges Blake, Christina, and Cee Lo we arrive at the final mentor on the row – Adam Levine, frontman for what is currently best pop band in the world.

Go ahead, try to think of a better one.

You’re going to fail. Every band you name short of the Jonas Brothers is a crossover from either rock or R&B. Like Hall & Oates before them, Maroon 5 was a pop band right out of the gate – rock radio will only give them credit in retrospect. They’re muscular, flexible, and just raunchy enough to be a little transgressive.

Does Adam have The Voice? I don’t know. I once (very recently) swore he sang like a duck. Given how drop dead sexy he sounds on most studio songs, he sometimes has a surprising thin, nasal quality that can sound unrefined. And like a duck.

Is he a good coach for The Voice? Abso-freaking-lutely. Occasional quacking aside, I have no doubt of Adam’s technical chops, his influences are a Hall of Fame of pop singers, and he has an ear for solid gold singers and singles. It all showed through in how he landed the three absolutely memorable auditioners.

Adam is also devilishly charming and clearly the breakout star of the show. His comedy and cocksure attitude might be scripted, but they also seem like an accurate characterization.

What’s so great about Team Levine? Let’s take a look.

Team Adam

  1. Javier Colon – “Time After Time”
    Is this the best reality show audition I’ve ever seen? His voice is stunning. Stunning. I would have rang in after a single line, maybe thinking he was a woman. There’s nothing else to say, aside from that I can forgive him the one over-the-top melisma near the end. If he can maintain this quality on non-ballads he is one of two men to beat, and the other one is on his team. (Which, if I understand the rules of this show, is actually more dangerous than if he was on someone else’s team.)I loved the sheer excitement on Adam’s face as he listened. I seriously cried every time they showed Adam’s reactions. I’m actually crying right now relistening to this. Damnit. Give me a minute.(It should surprise no one that Javier has an established music career. He got his start touring as the lead vocalist for Derek Trucks Band. Then he was tapped for two solo albums with Capitol Records, which he followed up last month with an indie EP on CD Baby that’s going to be sold out real darn soon already sold out (but still available in MP3). He has a home page with some cool-looking merch that’s about to become collectors items. Finally, he seems to be allowed to maintain his existing Facebook artist page, where he has done some responding since the broadcast.)
    .
  2. Jeff Jenkins – “God Bless the Broken Road”
    You don’t have to like country music to hear that Jeff has an absolutely golden, effortless voice. I’m a little incredulous he’s not a professional singing background vocals or jingles or something. But, there’s the bias-busting of The Voice at work – if I listened blind I would never assume he should be in the background because his voice is that gorgeous. I’m with Adam and Blake – he doesn’t need much help, and he can do whatever genre he wants to do. I really hope he’s versatile, because I want to see him go far in this competition. And life.Oh dear, I’m crying again. Hold me.
    .
  3. Rebecca Loebe – “Come as You Are”
    Chills. I got absolute chills from this. Rebecca’s voice is not flawless, but the quality of it. The intention. The restraint. The phrasing. She is a natural born singer and she is going to come out of this with a record deal one way or another. Does that make her The Voice of the competition? Maybe not on sheer power, but interpretation counts for something – note that Christina was floored by her. I would have hit the button hard and fast to get her on my team. It’s a testament to Adam’s lineup that I have her at number three – she is my personal favorite of the entire show so far. Hopefully she doesn’t retreat into reductive singer-songwriter-isms in future rounds – she needs to think big if she’s going to slide past one of the boys ahead of her.(Clearly from her bio reel Rebecca is a touring songwriter. Her page has a slew of LPs for sale and describes her genre as “post-brontosaurus indie folk/crunk.” Maybe a bit too weird for America, but I am quickly falling in love with her. Also? Adorable in her video blog.) [Read more…] about Grading The Voice – Team Adam

Filed Under: critique, reviews, teevee Tagged With: Ranking, The Voice

Grading The Voice – Team Cee Lo

May 9, 2011 by krisis

After Blake and Christina on the row of The Voice mentors we arrive at Goodie Mob member, half of Gnarls Barkley, and unstoppable songwriting force Cee Lo Green.

For me, Cee Lo Green is the most legitimate pick as both a capital-V Voice and mentor on this show. He’s a singer, but he’s also an artist, musician, and songwriter. He’s current, but he’s also been around for over 15 years. He’s mainstream, but he’s also a freaking weirdo. As Blake said, he might come out dressed as Batman. Or a Peacock.

And I would love it.

Cee Lo went all-in for pretty girls and intriguing voices, and the resulting team is pretty intriguing team. On the flip, his competition with Adam and lusting after ladies started to wear thin after only two episodes, and he battled Ms. Aguilera for the incoherency title (which is a pretty remarkable feat, as both of them could critique a circle around Randy Randy Randy).

Will Cee Lo’s solid gold instincts translate to reliable mentorship, or will he be all peacock feathers and obscure cover songs? It’s a pity he has to battle his team down to half, because they’re packed with potential.

Let’s take a peek at what Cee Lo has in store for us.

Team Cee Lo

    1. Kelsey Rey – “American Boy”
      Was I influenced by being able to see her? It doesn’t matter. Her precision handling of the jazzy melody of the song was incredible. She made sure all of the rapid fire interval leaps were distinct. She does not need to be a belter (or a beauty) with that voice (and, as Cee Lo pointed out, great breath control!). Christina was right on with her “the kind of voice for radio” comment. It wasn’t the backhanded “we need to auto-tune you or bury you in reverb” that the comment usually means on Idol. More like, “wow, we can put you on anything and push your voice to the forefront.” Her reedy tone makes me want to hear some Michael Jackson out of her immediately. I would have rung in for her and fought hard.Did she make the right pick with Cee Lo? I say Adam would have been better for her (Her fronting his band? Hot.), but he didn’t make a very strong case. Christina was genuine, but I can see Kelsey wanting to steer clear of being turned into a screamer. See, Cee Lo it is.(Fun facts about Kelsey Rey: She was a member of a tween group called “Funn Club.” She used to be blonde. She made it all the way to the top 50 of Idol but lost her voice before her final audition. The less said about the awful club track on her homepage, the better.)
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    2. Vicci Martinez – “Rolling in the Deep”
      Here is a Voice. Was “Rolling” the right song to show off her beautiful, husky vibrato and rock belting? I remain unsure. She did amazing things with it, and with that sort of unusual voice she’s probably spent her recent life getting lumped into the Duffy/Adele bucket. In reality, she’s a lot more unique than that, and one of the few truly remarkable people that has been featured. Christina should have fought Cee Lo harder for her, but I passed … she needs careful direction, and she might not connect with audiences in the voting rounds. She’ll need the help of both Cee Lo and the show’s editors to make it to the final four.(Vicci has had a prolific indie career. Check out her website to hook up with her existing social media identity, or download one of her six existing albums on Bandcamp.)
      .

[Read more…] about Grading The Voice – Team Cee Lo

Filed Under: critique, reviews, teevee Tagged With: Ranking, The Voice

Grading The Voice – Team Christina

May 9, 2011 by krisis

We move from Blake down the row of The Voice mentors to Christina Aguilera.

Of the panel, hers is clearly the voice that most deserves the capital T and V. She may pick some dull songs from time to time, or oversing good ones, but there’s no denying the power of her instrument.

As I watched Christina’s cartoonish “I’m thinking really hard” face in her turned chair I felt like I got a vibe for her strategy. This is someone who knows the characteristics of a good voice. You could visibly see her turn off to someone if they hit a bum note, or even if they were in-tune but out-of-key during a run.

I think X-Tina was on the hunt for two belters (one black, one white), one unusual pop voice, and one guy. Aside from losing out on quality men, she got just what she wanted. Once she had a favorite in the bag, she was looking for someone for them to battle – either to push them harder, or to make her choice simpler.

The minor problem with her picks is the minor problem with her. Note when she tapped in – usually on the basis of melisma and ornamental high notes. If an auditioner didn’t have that – or Adam gunning for them – then X-Tina’s interest wasn’t piqued. My evidence? She wound up with a seven-lady team with only one truly off-kilter pick (who, surprise, has a Linda Perry vibe).

Is her strategy all that bad? Nope. For all her wishy-washy arguments to join her team, I think once it gets down to singing in a room with them she’s going to be a hard-ass. But can a vocal prodigy like Christina articulate good vocal technique to relative novices?

Let’s take a look at her roster.

Team Christina

    1. Julia Eason – “Mercy”
      Julia is my dark horse pick of the competition at the moment. She has a beautiful voice for pop and good instincts on how to use it. Christina was right, her runs were thoughtful and distinct. That said, she pushed a little too hard on the verse runs in her chest voice, which threatened to throw her out of tune. Quick runs like that take finesse, which she clearly showed on the intensely pretty higher run in mixed voice (where she physically couldn’t hit it so hard). I’d chalk it up to nerves. Even as she wobbled at points her vocal was connected, and only shouty on the highest chest note. I would have taken her in a heartbeat, and I think she’s the person Christina seemed the most genuinely excited to work with.(Not a shock that Julia’s already experienced in music – as Julia Harriman. She has a YouTube  channel as Julia Harriman with two finely-produced songs – one country, and one alt-pop. )
      .
    2. Tarralyn Ramsey – “Breathe”
      Did she luck out by being first, or is she the real deal? I say the latter. Despite two bad lines of nerves and some struggling in the top of her chest range, she has one of the most impressive voices of all the women in the show. Take note of all of the unforced head voice, in which she hits only one bad note. That’s not an easy thing to manage. I don’t think anyone else showed this sort of balladeer pipes, save for Javier and maybe Angela Wolff – both on Team Levine – and neither had Tarralyn’s range. I fear for her nerves and her handling of faster pop songs, but I would have recruited her in a hot second.(Another established artist, Tarralyn was signed to Verity/Warner and released a pair of self-titled Gospel/R&B albums. She’s also no stranger to reality TV singing competitions – she won VH1’s Born to Diva in 2004.)
      .
    3. Frenchie Davis – “I Kissed a Girl”
      On one hand, that early in the competition I would have jumped on a powerful pop belter pretty quickly. Christina rightfully has some doubts about Tarralyn, so she by punching in on Frenchie she was stacking the deck in her favor (and in her wheelhouse). At points Frenchie pushed too hard, and it was interfering with her support and breath control. She also was a hair behind the beat, but maybe that’s how Perry performs it. (I don’t want to know; Perry is the death of Feminism. It’s another post entirely.) The combination didn’t inspire much blind confidence in me, which may be why Adam and Blake didn’t go for her. I would have eventually punched in to block X-Tina from snagging her, realized instantly (like Cee Lo) who she was, and then fought X-Tina for her. (Except, in this alternate universe I’d already have Tarralyn, who I am confident in, so I’d pass.) Will her years of pop and Broadway experience help or hinder Christina’s efforts to coach her?
      .

[Read more…] about Grading The Voice – Team Christina

Filed Under: critique, reviews, teevee Tagged With: Ranking, The Voice

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