Monday Movie Musings: Marvel Phase 1

     Superhero TV Shows and movies have been with us for a while. I tend to think it was Tim Burton's Batman that began the modern age of Superhero movies. Far from the strong-jawed idealism of Superman the movie, and ages apart from the silly camp of the 1966 Batman {WHAM!} and [POW!!] this was dark, gritty and concluded with the gruesome death of the Joker after falling (assuming I counted the steps correctly to the top of the Gotham Cathedral) about 20.000 feet to the Gotham street. Since that time, most of our Superheros have been casual killers. No Christopher Reeve carting Gene Hackman and Ned Beatty off to jail sans due process...

The Joker- dead and getting the last laugh. 

The Penguin- Dead and surreal penguin funeral

Two-Face-Dead

The Green Goblin-Dead

Doctor Octopus-Dead but redeemed

Venom-Dead

Iron Monger- Dead

Whiplash- Dead

The Red Skull-Probably dead

     Oddly, it was The Nolan Batman trilogy that seemed to re-establish the Batman no-killing rule. 

     Now if you are one of the five people still trying to avoid spoilers on Spider-man Homecoming, read no further, for I shall speak that which you cannot hear. 

SPOILERS

     In Homecoming, Peter does not just spare, but actively runs into fire to save an enemy who knows his identity, and who has already threatened his life and family. I hope to see this as a trend that continues. 

      Superheroes don't kill, unless there is no other choice, and there is usually another choice. One of the big complaints about Man of Steel was that Superman killed someone. 

     Not what I planned to talk about, but here we are...you never really know where Mondays are going to lead me.