If you've got a comment, question, or crisis about how I play this character, this is the place to tell me.

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I don't go out of my way to disguise the fact that I hate Frank Miller, despite the fact he's produced some truly nifty things in his career (Big Guy & Rusty the Boy Robot prominent among them). No, the predominant reason I hate Frank Miller is what he and his hamfisted asshattery (or is that hamassed fisthattery?) did to the Spirit in what can only be called a "movie" in the loosest and most needlessly charitable sense of the term.

See, I hate Frank Miller because he may have incurably poisoned the minds of millions of people for whom that "movie" was their first exposure to one of the greatest comic strip characters of all time.

But to paraphrase a certain good fairy, "a ray of hope there still may be in this, the gift [Brian Azzarello and DC Comics] give[s] to thee." And that would be the upcoming First Wave.

I've plugged it before, but this is the first time I've seen such an in-depth review of what it's going to include. Stuff like: Doc Savage, gun-toting Batman, Left Coast Gotham, Spirit monthly series confirmed, the Octopus, Central City as Chicago, and more that I won't go into. But as fresh starts go--especially fresh starts that involve "the blessing of the Eisner estate" to take the Spirit in a new direction (and I'm just hoping that means "Far away from Frank Miller, who should die in a fire")--this has got me pretty jazzed.

So, I really like the Spirit (duh, I do spend time playing him on the Internet). I really liked the DC revitalization of his series and enjoyed the books they were putting out under Darwyn Cooke's vision for the character, but then a couple of things happened. One, Cooke left the book, and that made me sad. Two... Really, all I should say is "Die in a fire, Frank Miller", because otherwise I'll launch into ridiculous amounts of profanity and need to go find some booze. The point is, I stopped reading DC's book and just about lost faith in everything Spirit-related that was coming from them.

But now there are new developments, and thus I am forced to ask the question in the subject line. And what are these developments, you might ask...?
( Well... )

[Continuations or new threads for any of mine (Thor, Ricochet, the Spirit, and/or Xanatos) can go here! Note that there'll be a delay in replies, as I'm about to go on vacation for the Fourth!]

I haven't seen the movie. I don't want to see the movie. Heck, I don't even like acknowledging the movie's existence. But some people have it as their jobs to acknowledge, see, and yes, even attempt to rationally critique the movie.

And they should be applauded for their efforts. Behold: Commentary Tracks of the Damned: The Spirit, via the Onion AV Club.

I post this as a warning to the unwary, and an opportunity to once again issue the clarion call so that it might thunder from every throat and cause the very firmament to resound with the cry:

"Die in a fire, Frank Miller."

... seriously, read some of the quotes they excerpted from the commentary. The man seems like walking scum, and not just because he's a lecherously misogynistic hack. Although that may be the main reason.

So I was planning on going to bed, only then I found this on Scans Daily.

Sure, walking's fine... But sometimes a walk won't do... Neither will a stroll, a saunter or a jog. Sometimes, you just need a... SPRINT.

There is so much to love here that I don't know where to start.

Oh, this is telling--from an interview with Gabriel Macht, the actor portraying the Spirit in the upcoming film:

"Wizard Magazine: Did Miller advise you to go and read some Eisner, or were you already a fan?
Macht: I actually didn't know about the Spirit until the audition. I bought the "best of" Spirit collections. When I got to set, Frank said, "Listen, I don't want you to look at those. I'm not crazy about the coloring." He wasn't a fan. He liked the black and white. So he gave me his best picks, and I read through all of those Spirit comics and put them up in my trailer. You couldn't see any wall. It was all comics."

And later...
"Wizard: Are you ready for the analysis that goes along with these kinds of films? There are already fans up in arms because your suit isn't blue.
Macht: I'm fine with that. I think that it's fine to change and adjust things. That's what Eisner would have wanted. Look at Darwyn Cooke's new Spirit comic. It's different from what Eisner did 50 years ago. I think he would've trusted Frank with this material. Every day we'd say, "Would Will go for this? Would he buy this?" If we didn't feel like he would, we wouldn't go with it."

The rest of this can be found here, if you're a glutton for punishment like I am. Edit: Huzzah! Now with fixed linky thing!

"The final clip they showed was the climactic fight between the Octopus and the Spirit in a pool of mud. The action here was cartoonish and full of slapstick, ‘Looney Toons’ style violence (each character was hit over the head with a massive object at least twice). It ends with the Octopus dropping a toilet on the Spirit, and saying, “Come on. Toilets are always funny!"

With that, the panel came to an end."

...

I fucking hate you, Frank Miller.

The rest is here.

Offscreen Activity Meme: Comment and we'll work out what we can assume that our characters do together offscreen!

Thor roams. He goes days without sleeping and spends the time just wandering around, occasionally passing through camp proper but mostly keeping to the woods, on patrol for monsters and what have you. In camp itself he can be found either wherever something seems exciting, or holed up in the Mess Hall or the Library (reading either pop-up books, or atlases). He does a lot of training out by the Barrier, and very occasionally takes to the skies to figure out how the whole flying thing works. If there's a disturbance, he usually knows about it (unless Plot intervenes, or I fail).

Ricochet can usually be found in the Video-Rama. He sleeps in the back room there--he gets up late & opens the doors around 11 AM, and just putters around in there stocking shelves or dealing with the occasional customer. Every so often he'll drop by the Hospital, Mess Hall, or--with increasing frequency--the Library. Around mid-afternoon he'll suit up and do a patrol around camp, but he's back at the Library at sundown unless there's trouble. He does another patrol later at night, and is back at the 'Rama in the wee small hours of the morning. For some inexplicable reason, his schedule's shifted a lot more towards the nocturnal in the last few months...

The Spirit doesn't spend much time in his cabin, and is usually lurking somewhere around camp--often out by the random streetlamp-lit corner of No & Where in the woods, because it reminds him of the city. He likes the Library because it's quiet and the Mess Hall because it's not, and--like Thor--is prone to wander without much in the way of a set direction. He doesn't usually go on patrol, preferring to find whatever he happens across rather than go looking for trouble.

Well, thanks to the marvel that is the Quarter System, I've finished another round of classes and am about to start a new exam cycle--meaning that I'm going to be scarce for the next few weeks. Specifically, I have exams on the upcoming Thursday (2/14), Saturday (2/16), Tuesday (2/19), and Friday (2/22).

Yes, Valentine's Day. How romantic.

So! You won't--or at least you shouldn't--be seeing much more of me all through that time, as when I'm not actually taking an exam I'll be studying for the next one. Meaning I'm calling a hiatus for Thor, Ricochet, and the Spirit for the duration. I have no doubt that I'll be breaking that hiatus at times when studying is driving me up the walls and I could use a little RP insanity or srs poll to break the monotony, but my intention is not to do any late-night marathon posting. The plan is to study hard and make my way in the wild world of law school.

We'll see what happens. And I'll see you on the flip-side.

From here.

Trust one who has gone through it.
-- Virgil (70 BC - 19 BC), The Aeneid

Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do.
-- Voltaire (1694 - 1778)

If you can't convince them, confuse them.
-- Harry S Truman (1884 - 1972)

Nothing you can't spell will ever work.
-- Will Rogers (1879 - 1935)

As you journey through life take a minute every now and then to give a thought for the other fellow. He could be plotting something.
-- Hagar the Horrible

Like it says, first impressions meme for the Spirit! Because I'm at work and bored and it'll help me keep better track of who he's met so far. (Responses might be slow due to the aforementioned workninja-ing, but I'll get them done.)

Please 1) mention who you play 'cause I suck at remembering usernames, and 2) don't hesitate to "holla back, yo," as the kids these days are saying. If you want to. (You do. We both know it.)

Quick overview of the Spirit's canon, plus a little info about how he fits into the mainstream DC universe now that they're publishing his books.

( I know many things, for I walk by night. I know many strange tales, many secrets hidden in the hearts of men and women who have stepped into the shadows. For I am--the Whistler! ... oh. Right. )

I think that's everyone from the DC-verse he's had the... pleasure... to meet, so far. So! DC folks in camp--I don't want to step on any toes with regards to how I play the Spirit's familiarity with your characters. If there's a way you prefer me to have Spirit respond to your character, please comment here and let me know.

Name: Denny Colt, alias The Spirit
Age: Unspecified (27-30)
Series: The Spirit, DC Comics reboot
Job: Resurrection Instructor

Canon: It's funny how dying can give a guy a whole new lease on life. Believed killed in action while investigating a shadowy criminal organization, detective Denny Colt secretly survived and found himself presented with an unparalleled opportunity. Disenchanted after years of trying to work within the system to little success, he now had the chance to avoid paying income tax ever again effect real change by operating on the outside. Leaving his old life dead and buried, he adopted a new identity as the two-fisted dispenser of justice for Central City, the costumed crimefighter known as the Spirit!

A mystery man more Sam Spade than Superman, the Spirit has no special powers to speak of—just the uncanny ability to dive headlong into situations beyond his depth and still end up on top. With a rogue's gallery that includes Russian mobsters, femmes fatales, and a sinister marketing consultant with an avian fetish, the Spirit faces the weirder and wilder side of superheroics—always outmatched but never outdone, he'll solve the case, unravel the plot, and save the day with nothing more than quick wits, deductive skill, and some old-fashioned knuckledusting.

Sample Entry:

Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? That's somebody else. I'm the guy who knows what evil lurks in the minds of men, and it's lucky for you that I do. You might get crimes of passion nine times out of ten, but like the Bard said, "Half of this game is 90% mental," and it's the stuff some jerk thinks up that causes the most problems.

Right, introductions… Hi kids, I'm the Spirit, and here's the bad news—every single one of you is going to die. Normally, this isn't a problem—it's what we call "Life," and it happens when you get older. It's only become a problem in this place, where the odds are that 1) it's going to happen to you soon, and 2) it's probably not going to stick. See, it's been noted that a lot of you have been dropping dead lately only to end up feeling a whole lot better later on. Now, that's not strictly normal, but it is something I've got some, uh, very limited familiarity with… So I've been brought in to be your new resurrection instructor. Just think of me as an after-lifeguard—I'm here to make sure you know what to do if your dirt nap ends up being only temporary.

Now, I've noticed you've got both undead and previously-dead-but-now-alive-again people around here. (It was hard not to, what with all the zombies asking me if I'm the "Ghost Who Walks." I'm not; they've got me confused with somebody else.) Because of that, it's very important to know the difference between the two—especially if you're the resurrected party. It's really embarrassing to come back to life and think, "Oh, I'm just fine and dandy," only to messily devour your friends and loved ones once you get home. So if you've just risen from the grave, ask yourself this question right away: "Do I hunger or thirst for the flesh or blood of the living?" If you answer yes—and you're not a cannibal to begin with—odds are you've become the undead. Cannibals, please stay and talk to me after class—and also remember that the traditional way to suck up to educators is with apples. Do not go home; instead, head for the nearest concentration of well-armed individuals—like your local Post Office.

But if the answer’s no, then it's time for a quick inventory of any valuables that were on or about your person when you died. These include car keys, loose change, scuba equipment, golf clubs, your girlfriend, and internal organs. And that goes double for redundant organs—just because one kidney's still there doesn't mean you shouldn't check for the other.

It's a sad truth, but some people see a dead body as a business opportunity. So if you think you're about to spend any time deceased in the near future, you've got to know the people and places to avoid. Trust me, the last thing you want is to rejoin the living after spending some time at Dr. Cobra's Discount School of Undertaking and TV/VCR Repair, or the annual "Love Never Dies" Ero Guro Convention… Or, God forbid, during.

… Well, judging from your reactions, I'd say that's about it for today's lecture. But before you go, I'd just like to add this—if you ever anticipate something bad happening to you after you've died, just remember one of the fringe benefits—and, coincidentally, the topic of our next lecture—of being publicly deceased…

Hazy legal standing. I'll let you figure out the rest.