Nobody wants this, really. |
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No I am not referring to the 3rd Reich, I mean one a bit closer to home. One that hides itself, not in sheep's clothing, but in the guises of a mouse, a duck, and two dogs (one of which speaks while the other does not, prompting people to think it is developmentally impaired - Wise Ass Alpha.) Yes I am referring to Disney. The victim this time is something I hold very near and dear to my heart, Marvel Comics. This came straight from the press release, "On August 31, 2009, The Walt Disney Company announced a deal to acquire Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion in cash and stock." This may sound like a blessing to all of the parents of the world who want their children to be able have bland and inoffensive reading material where Spiderman and Mickey can riff off of each other and The Incredible Hulk and Donald Duck can go into a hysterical fit of rage together while being stuck in traffic. The fans out there know this will have some serious repercussions. Today I will discuss how I feel this will effect/ruin my funny 
I am not sure Disney will like this cover. |
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books.
Characters
Sure you won't miss a single cheesy Spiderman joke or one-liner, but think of the other heroes/villains we love. Punisher might have to punish without killing, Wolverine may only be able to pop his claws for cutting and the occasional shish kabob, SNIKT! Iron Man/Tony Stark might have to make his drink of choice a virgin martini and simply walk the woman to her door and leave with blue balls. Captain America will come back to life because we can't have Bucky take his place what with him formerly being the hired assassin Winter Soldier. Oh and let's not forget that The Cabal and Norman Osborn/Green Goblin/Iron Patriot will have to go back to being plain black and white bad guys because having them in charge of the government might make a suggestion about our government which Disney would like to avoid making.
Story Lines
Marvel has dealt with some criticism for some of the choices they made. They have killed several heroes throughout the course the history of comics, Bucky, Toro, Captain 
He may have to learn to like this. |
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America, Jean Grey, Clint Barton/Hawkeye, Ant-Man, Black Goliath, Captain Marvel, Corsair, Guardian, Thunderstrike, and Wasp just to name a few. Some have returned and some have not, but the point in their deaths is to demonstrate that life is precious and can be taken at any time. This is why we leave heroics to those trained and equipped to handle that possibility. Disney might not like the idea of potentially being label as "vigilante enablers" or something to that effect. This does not even touch on the fact that there are openly gay heroes in the fold. Characters like Northstar, Moondragon, Martyr/Phyla-Vell, Wiccan and Hulkling have been brought to the forefront because of their sexual preferences and become examples of how art imitates life. Their struggles, albeit a little more over-the top and theatrical, are a reflection of society. I am not sure this is an aspect of society Disney would care to acknowledge.
Movies
Don't get me wrong, Disney has taken content that could have been ruined with too much sugar and not enough story and put out 
Let him be him Disney. |
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some good films. The Pirates of the Caribbean franchise has done well for itself. Pixar has made some movies that had moments that I wouldn't have expect like in UP when you see the history of relationship between the old man and his wife who passed away. This was quoted from a CNNMoney.com article on the topic, "Marvel still holds deals with Paramount, Sony and Fox for future movies, including several more Spider-Man films. Marvel chairman Morton Handel estimated that the company has about five more films with Paramount and intends to honor the current contracts it has with other movie studios, even if the Disney deal is inked before the contracts expire." This could be good news for those of us looking forward to Iron Man 2, Thor, Spiderman 4 & 5, The Avengers and Captain America: The First Avenger.
I know I am taking the alarmist approach to this, but if enough of us raise concerns early, maybe just maybe, Disney listen and continue to give us what we want. Only time will tell for this former Timely comics company. Stand with me and thanks for reading true believers, EXCELSIOR!
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| The Alpha Craig |
I am the first and the last, maybe not. I'm 31 years old and still spend my disposable income on comic books. Might as well put it to good use.
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