Originally Posted by
The Cool Thatguy
Honestly, I think this entire run is just a collection of failure of execution.
The crux seems like it wants to be religion against science. But the only real conflict there is artificial, for a host of reasons. For one, many famous scientists were men of faith. As a matter of fact, the Catholic Church holds evolution as fact. There are plenty of religious believers at conflict with science, but they're on the fringe, and for a conflict to exist, their beliefs need to be established.
And for another thing, what exactly would a conflict between science and religion look like? On a practical level, I'm hard pressed to see how it might work. Even in a world where literal Gods walk around.
The second failure is the attempt to include progressive politics in this run. Execution matters, and it's been terrible here.
Cardiac was turned into a cartoonish, death trap villain. He was woke against corporate greed before woke was a concept!
Patsy lecturing Tony about his privilege for his ability to pay his own hospital bills was/is asinine in general, but looks even worse under examination. Tony is basically a first responder, and his inability to get health insurance because he's been hurt so many times helping others should be an indictment against our insurance system, not Tony's wealth.
That was followed by Patsy dismissing Tony's issues following his death and rebirth. The idea that trauma is a contest, that one is worse than another, is one that many progressives have rightfully fought against. Trauma is trauma. Patsy saying hers was worse is not a way to help.
And most glaring of all, was how the writers just glossed over Tony's attempted murder of Melter.
Frankly, in certain ways, I found it frightfully realistic. Tony, an otherwise good man, is pushed past his limits and nearly murders a man simply for destroying his car.
I often wonder, how many police officers who were/are otherwise good people, simply had one bad day? Who, lacking meaningful emotional support, gave into their worser instincts and left themselves and the public forever scarred by it? Everyone has a breaking point, and without meaningful help, can get closer to it than we should allow.
Yet the attempted murder is simply glossed over, and more focus is given to Tony whining about not being in first class than him attempting to end a man's life because of a car.
So yeah, I'm ready for a new writer. Bendis almost looks good at this point.