Posted by Chris on Jan 25, 2011 in
Culture,
Life 
On the outset, there doesn’t seem to be much to the Green Hornet. The TV series would probably be forgotten, except that it was the first appearance of Bruce Lee in the US. Seth Rogen makes sure the newest movie is fun, but it’s also forgetable.
Conceptually, it’s an unapologetic rip off of Batman. However, there are two points of difference that set Green Hornet apart form Batman and other superheroes, which serve as leadership lessons.
1. The Green Hornet is a Jerk. It kind of takes a bit of a meglomaniac to become a masked vigilante. Rogen’s Green Hornet is unapologetically self obsessed. I’m not suggesting that good leaders should be self absorbed, but they must know who they are and stick to it.
2. The Green Hornet doesn’t mind being mistaken for a bad guy. A lot of time is wasted trying to justify one’s past actions. The Green Hornet knows from the beginning that he and Cato will be taken for bad guys. He uses that to his advantage. If point number one is true, point number two is unavoidable. Do what you have to do as a leader. Expect to be demonized in the process.
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Tags: Batman, Comics, Green Hornet
Posted by Chris on Jan 25, 2010 in
Culture Y: The Last Man, began as one the most fascinating and addictive graphic novels I have ever read, but ended in lethargy and preachy-ness. Published and told over five years, Y is a unique post-apocalyptic story of manchild Yorick, the only living male to survive a catastrophe that kills every male creature on earth.
Yorick is a pop-culture junkie a la Kevin Smith, aspiring escape artist, and woefully immature. He is accompanied by a fem fatale from a secret organization, a shy genius biologist on the verge perfecting human cloning, and a monkey. As they travel across the U.S. and eventually the world, they are faced with the worst that both mankind, and womankind have to offer. Yorick is seduced by desperate women, attacked by violent anti-misogynists, and hunted by foreign governments. With half its population suddenly gone, most societies delve into violence and rampant sexuality, while the remaining institutions, such as women’s prisons and orders of nuns, struggle to redefine themselves.
I hesitantly recommend The Last Man. Stephen King called it the best graphic novels he’d ever read. It’s compared to Lost in it’s depth and addicting nature. It is also surprisingly fair, condemning both feminism and misogyny. However, the only overarching theme is that of Yorick’s own disjointed and disappointing descent into adulthood. As the book progresses it’s theme gets lost in the graphic portrayal of widespread homosexuality. The authors try to wrap it all in a touching love story, however even this is lost, along with a clear answer as to what caused the catastrophe in the first place.
Y: The Last Man is a lot of fun, raises some good questions, but is too graphic and looses its way. In other words, it’s not for everybody.
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Tags: 40 Books in 2010, Comics, Graphic Novels, LOST, Stephen King, Y: The Last Man
On the outset, there doesn’t seem to be much to the Green Hornet. The TV series would probably be forgotten, except that it was the first appearance of Bruce Lee in the US. Seth Rogen makes sure the newest movie is fun, but it’s also forgetable.