Bad Guys Can Be Cool Too

-
Spotlight Pick:

Photo Courtesy of Amazon's Affiliate Program.

This week we see the return of CW's DC superhero shows line-up, also known as the FLARROW_VERSE (Flash + Arrow). The shows will occupy Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday on CW's prime time schedule.

The Flash and Black Lightning will kick things off on the 9th.  I know, I know, there's debate about whether Black Lightning is part of the FLARROW_VERSE, or not, but he's a DC superhero, so I count him as part of it.

Because the IHeartRadio Music Festival runs on the 7th & 8th, the rest of the line-up will premier on the 14th, 15th, & 22nd.

Tuesday, October 9th
8:00-9:00pm The Flash 
9:00-10:00pm Black Lightning

Sunday, October 14th
8:00-9:00pm Supergirl

Monday, October 15th
8:00-9:00pm Arrow 

Monday, October 22nd
9:00-10:00pm DC’s Legends of Tomorrow 

---

Bad Guys Can Be Cool Too:

Photo Courtesy of Amazon's Affiliate Program.

On October 5th the movie Venom hit theaters, and I was there for the very first showing.  If you are reading this blog you probably already know who the character is.  On the off chance you don't know the character, Venom has been an anti-spiderman in the comics since 1987.

I enjoyed the movie, but as I sat there I couldn't help thinking it was odd that the bad guy had his own movie without his traditional superhero being involved.  Yet, I realized he's not alone.

Last year we saw the movie Suicide Squad about a group of comic book villains working for the government as heroes.  Next year the Joker and Black Adam (SHAZAM's arch enemy) will each have their own stand alone movies as well.

There seems to be a trend in Hollywood of making movies out of comic book bad guys.  I was forced to wonder why.  I mean, don't we usually root against the bad guy?

I thought back to when I was little and playing with Star Wars action figures.  We all wanted to be Boba Fett because he looked cool.  The bad guy, with his jet pack and wrist rockets, was the coolest action figure in our collection.  Bad guys look cool.

Not only do the bad guys look cool they can do things that superheros can't do.  Superheros have to stay the "good guys. "  Thus, they cannot kill.  Batman Vs. Superman flopped partly because we didn't want to see Batman shoot and kill bad guys.  That's not Batman.

Yet, we like to go to the movies and root for a protagonist who can f#&k up their antagonists.  We love to see our "hero" completely trash their foes.  Somehow watching our hero commit acts of violence satisfies some primal urge within  ourselves.  In response to this urge, Hollywood has given us Venom, who can do things we'd never accept Spiderman doing.  It is almost like a two hour Purge.

I'm not saying we're all sadistic, but maybe we do like to exercise our dark sides.