Marveling

Earlier this year and late last, in preparation for Black Panther, I tried to watch all the MCU movies I could.

From the Avenger movies, I've never much cared for Iron Man or Tony Stark. I finally got around to watching the first of the Iron Man films, and while it was decent, I still didn't care enough to go on to watch the second or third. (They were also unavailable on Hulu or Netflix, while #1 was on an airplane flight.)  I guess I just don't like the spoiled brat rich guy as hero, just like I've never particularly loved Batman.


I watched Guardians of the Galaxy and its Volume 2 with some friends, and they're the perfect goofball flicks to watch in an unserious mood. In all honesty, I wouldn't have watched them on my own, but I've grown to like the MCU so I'm glad I've gotten a better picture of it... even if Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 5 on ABC was its worst, and I don't entirely love storylines stuck in space. Guardians were funny and enjoyable.

The Thor movies were all amazing. I thought I'd seen the first two when I made plans to see Ragnarok in theatres, but a quick Wikipedia read made me realize I hadn't. Luckily, both 1 and 2 were available on plane trips. I love the humor that floats on the surface of larger, darker themes about heritage and legacy. Of all these new-to-me MCU movies, the Thor series definitely wins. I'd watch them all again. Plus, who doesn't love Norse mythology? I'll go off and binge-watch Vikings now.

And then... Black Panther. So many critics, scholars, activists, and comics fans have said almost everything about it, from every angle. Parts of it made me uncomfortable (the made-up language, the made-up cultures, the black liberation character being innately violent and the "necessity" of his death), but I accept that the power of the story is rooted in part in a pan-African tribute, that generation trauma is a very real part of the post-colonial experience and diaspora, and that as a superhero's origin story there are basic formulas films follow. Besides, it's sci-fi. And it's also possible to love and dislike and critique and adore something all at the same time. The power of black representation, a strong storyline (with kick-ass, intelligent, independent females!), and great action sequences make it inspiring and immediately beloved. Since its theatrical release, Black Panther has since come to Netflix, and I have already re-watched it twice.

My 9-year-old nephew is also a fan of all things Marvel, in that obsessive way that children learning about things are. A few years ago I swear he memorized the gazillion Pokemon characters, which I didn't realize have like three different iterations each, and suggested I read his thousand-page Pokemon encyclopedia to educate myself before browsing through his Pokemon card collection. Recently, I mentioned to him that I was trying to watch a lot of the Marvel superhero movies and series spinoffs. He proceeded to quiz me on the gazillions of minor characters that he is learning about... in a comic book encyclopedia, which of course he suggested I read. I doubt I will reach his level of nerdery: I don't really care to learn the intricacies of how every timeline and character fits together in some intergalactic scheme.

But I warned Mi Hermana that she probably has a future Comic Con devotee in the house...