I Am Becoming a Huge Fan of DC!

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Spoilers.

After seeing Superman and, during the last 7 days, season 1 of Peacemaker , and of course every Guardians of the Galaxy project, I’m starting to love comic book properties again. This feeling is so refreshing and hopeful for the future of comic book media. While watching the first season, I laughed so hard. It’s been a long time since I laughed like that at a show. Any project that’s capable of provoking these strong emotions is likely to become a piece of endearment. Overall, the first season just blew me away—I was sitting on something so funny for so much time.

My theory about the deeper meaning of Peacemaker is simple and short, but I’ll put it here because I really think I’m onto something. Peacemaker is actually James Gunn, and the people he interacts with are parts of his real life. His wife literally, his colleagues, his father—who I believe represents Kevin Feige, David Zaslav, or Bob Iger. And the KKK are Marvel/Disney fans, or the ones that came after him about the jokes. In this universe, we see different aspects of social media commentary across the scenarios: in Superman—the evil monkey bots and here in the dialogues with secondary people. If not colleagues, Peacemaker’s teammates could very much represent aspects of Gunn’s loyal fanbase, which I’m starting to feel a part of. The way he interacts with them feels exactly like Gunn’s interactions with his fans—or probably close friends that work with him. It’s a theory, bear with me.

The first season is full of gags and ridiculous moments, like when he tied the couple in the second episode and they had a huge argument about their feelings in front of the intruder. The husband who dropped the stolen vinyl and his love for Foster the People—loved every second of that scene. And when Leota prepared herself to interrogate the couple in the hallway, and in that moment those two just walked out of their apartament—the face of Danielle Brooks, that “oh fuck, like I was caught in the act”—that was the last nail in the coffin. I was hooked.

The opening dance, which I hated the first time I saw it back when it came out (probably the reason I never watched the show until now), really grew on me. By the start of the third episode I was already a fan of the music choice, the dance, the show, and the characters overall.

The action definitely made a strong impression and deserved my time. The fight scenes were funny but also brutal, and many times I felt danger—which is a great compliment for everyone involved. The fight between Harcourt, Adebayo, and Judomaster was an 'oh shit, what the fuck am I watching, this is so good' kind of fight. The action throughout the season was impeccable. The VFX never killed the fantasy, and Eagly just became my favorite new pet—after Cosmo, Krypto and after my dog, of course. Forever Bobi.

Peacemaker has a heart—not only the character, but the show itself. The touchy moments are powerful, and you feel them. Like when Gunn revealed that John Cena killed his brother because of the brutal nature of his father, and then had to kill him too. His father in shock that his “pussy son” actually did it. It’s incredible how much more depth you can find in an 8-hour show compared to a 2-hour movie. Same as Alien: Earth. I’m definitely going back to watch his Suicide Squad and his animated Creature Commandos. At this point I trust Gunn—his vision, humor, direction. There was a moment in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 where Nebula tries to get in the car with Peter and Groot, and Peter loses his temper and says, “Open the fucking door.” That’s my favorite scene in the movie—the first “fuck” of Marvel. And here in my blog I can say whatever I want—fuck, fuck, fuck, FUUUCK, fucky.

Stupid me had prejudgments about Gunn, his projects, and his persona, because I watched certain media that really affected my opinion about him way before I realized it was happening. But now I feel like the veil is lifted and I see what’s going on here. The music choices are stellar—such rock properties—same as Alien: Earth. I Don’t Love You Anymore by Quireboys is my anthem among others from the season.

The one thing I didn’t like was the cheap excuse to kill the baddies. The bugs had already killed the hosts, so now they ran the show—making Peacemaker and his team look like heroes while massacring people left and right. A few times the show showed it had balls, and a few times it sucked them right back in its hole.

And to be honest, I saw John Cena’s photos from the show in his tighty whities years before this moment. In a way, I could say that was the main driver for coming back. I found a lot—and much more.

Peacemaker is a really damaged person, whose dream of becoming something more than his past takes over. In the end history repeats in a way—by killing his father, killing a nightmare (killing Feige, perhaps? Ah? Ah? Huh? You see where I’m going with this?). That doesn’t make it any less heavy. With that dead dream, we shift into the second season, where he’s looking for another way. He’s lost, and when you don’t know what you’re looking for, you’re never going to find it. But he stumbles upon another universe where things are different (here Gunn is the head of DC) . I bet in that reality, his brother actually kicked his ass as a kid, pushing him to become more vicious, brutal, and efficient. The second season starts with a bang: new opening dance that I love, new neighbors, sex, drugs, and alcohol to 'cure' the pain from the previous one. This show deals with our worst traits, but apparently couldn’t show Cena’s bulge anymore—because now it looks like he’s got a sock in his whities, while big black dicks and whores dance and fuck around him. John Cena—did you put that sock?

The new end of season 1, where Snyderverse became the Gunnverse, was a pretty good move, and I approve it all around. I trust this guy. The Justice gang joke was funny, but I’m lost on the deep cuts.

James Gunn’s wife, Jennifer Holland, is such a good toxic male. Loved that scene and the action it led to.

Peacemaker killed himself—as if some kind of twisted rebirth—and I bet in this universe he will kill his brother. By the way, Peacemaker’s brother, in my theory, is Gunn’s brother, but if I am right, they will end up working with each other. 

Iliya Badev


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