We Don't Have to Be the Good Guys #SuicideSquad #NotHeroes #NoApologies #NoProblem

Last night, Mini and I had a movie date to see Suicide Squad. I walked into that theatre with no expectations. To be blunt, DC makes great television, fantastic animated films, and good comics. Their movies, however, have been very hit or miss. All of that said, the following post will be as spoiler free as I can make it, but if you haven't seen the films and don't want to be spoiled at all, just bookmark this post and come back later after you watched it.

Okay?

Good.

Suicide Squad Has No Fucks to Give

Let me preface the following post with a couple of simple facts:

I'm a huge comic book nerd geek. Seriously--been reading comics since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I was a DC Comics mega fan and a Marvel fan, too. The New Teen Titans and Batman were my favorites. I read them every month, at one point, I took three buses across town to get my favorite comic book store every Saturday morning so I could get what was new and I haunted this used and vintage bookstore at a flea market where they sold comics in the back. So when I say BIG comic book fan, I mean HUGE nerd.

Second, I have watched or do watch every comic book movie/television series. I don't always stick with them if they suck, but I've watched them all from seeing George Reeves fly in black and white on Saturday mornings when I was a kid to Christopher Reeve on the big screen to the old Batman and Robin series from the 60s to the Superfriends to Lois and Clark to Smallville and more recently--Arrow, Flash, Supergirl, Agents of Shield, Legends of Tomorrow...well, I think you get the picture.

I'm the target audience here, I get it. That is okay with me.

I FLOVED SUICIDE SQUAD

Walking into the theatre, I had some trepidation. I really didn't like Man of Steel. It was too grimy, too grey and that was never Superman to me. I get it, the Superman they are telling the story of isn't the one I grew up with. For the most part, I loved Henry Cavill, but I just didn't care for all the sturm und drang. Flash forward (pun wholly intended) to Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and I seriously wasn't sure I wanted to see it. In fact, I didn't go to the theatre.

Why?

I have loved these characters for decades and I had very definitive ideas about them. I may be in the minority, but I am not that big a fan of Nolan's Batman. The films were all right and had their high points, but one of the things I think people forget about Batman is he is a bit of a borderline sociopath. The man literally hunts criminals and Bruce is his mask, not Batman is the mask for Bruce Wayne. However, that is a whole other conversation. I didn't see it in the theatre, but when it released on iTunes, I had to know.

So I got the ultimate edition and watched it. Other than wanting desperately to smack the director upside the head for his abuse of dream sequences, I actually loved the film. But here's the trick, I had zero expectations when I watched it and I set aside what I wanted to see to let them tell me their story.

From Batman to Wonder Woman, I thought they knocked it out of the park. There were some seriously intense moments and Gal Gadot did a phenomenal job as Diana Prince and Wonder Woman. Ben Affleck, to me, is probably the best Batman I'd ever seen them do and that's saying something (cause dude, there's a lot of Batman).

With this in mind, I skipped (okay no I didn't really skip) but walked into Suicide Squad with hope in my heart. I told Mini on the drive up if they got the fact that the squad aren't heroes, are the bad guys, have zero fucks to give, and don't pull goofy shit like trying to redeem the bat crap crazy ones, I'll be good with it.

Exceeded My Expectations

From the outset, we're thrust into this world of sturm und drang, we're tied immediately into the greater DC Universe they've created and they use a narrative technique to gather the squad into their cells and asylum--and I floved it.

Margot Robbie nailed the mad glee of Harley Quinn to perfection. I enjoyed Will Smith's take on Floyd Lawton. Even Joel Kinneman as Rick Flagg (who I didn't realize was in the film) came across a little dirtier, a little twisted and jaded--but damn if he wouldn't get the job done. The other characters in the Squad aren't as well known but Killer Croc and Diablo were a hoot. Katana was way underused and felt shoe-horned in, in fact the only one in the Squad I didn't like was Captain Boomerang and part of that was his accent was hard to understand in a couple of scenes and frankly, he wasn't funny.

Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, however, holy shit! She brought it, and she bitch slapped them all with it. Talk about a woman with no fucks to give and that was the thing about Waller in the comics, she had no fear of wading into the muck and getting dirty if it got the job done.

They didn't shy away from showing us just how effed up the whole situation was, and yet, they delivered to me one of the more perfect films in the genre right up there with Deadpool.

And Jared Leto as Joker? Nailed it.

The Suicide Squad is a keeper, here's hoping we get to see these fruitcakes again.

Had for YEARS, and need one from this movie now!

Speaking of heroes and misfits, don't miss Heather's latest release: The Judas Contact, Boomers #1. You can read the first two chapters right here.

You Want Me to Settle? Hell No!

“Romance novels and romance novel heroes are unrealistic and a total fantasy.”

As a writer of romance novels, I hear this phrase often. As a single woman who writes romance novels, I hear this statement all of the time.

A few weeks ago a reporter asked me if romance novels should be used as guides for relationships, to which I answered “absolutely!” But often I am told that I am setting myself up for disappointment for believing that I could have a relationship like those in my books, and more specifically find a man who is like my heroes. I have been told that I need to lower my standards.

Excuse me? Back up. You want realistic? Let’s get real.

Take away the man chest book cover and let’s look inside at the men in my books. Here is what they all have in common:

*Kindness           *Compassion             *Intelligence         *Courageous     *Wicked Sense of Humor

*Loyal        *Takes Pride in Their Appearance       *Has the Ability to Rip it Up Between the Sheets

*Has Respect for Themselves and Others

So I ask, the man described above is a fantasy? Why? Some would say, “No one is perfect, Anna.”  Ah, but notice I never mention perfection. Perfection is unrealistic. And my heroes are not perfect. They have their quirks and faults, sometimes they make poor choices, but at their core they are good human beings who find someone who inspires them to be a better person. Not perfect, better. 

Of course the door swings both ways. As the heroine in my own story, I strive to be like the women in my books. Those characteristics are not that much different than my heroes. Compassion, kindness, possess a generosity of spirit, loyal, and holds respect for others. I won’t be a martyr and will ask for help when needed, but I’ll  do all that I can to save myself. I take pride in my appearance and yes, I am adventurous in the bedroom.  I will give as good as I get.

To the people of the world I say don’t lower your standards, instead rise them up! I am not going to settle, and I do not want to be the person someone else has settled for.  

Available now for only $2.99 on Amazon!

You want me to choose between fantasy or reality, I’ll take the fantasy every time. Who’s with me?

Until next time y’all,

 Anna- The Super Diva

Website- http://annaalexander.net/
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Guilty Pleasures- Superman and Wonder Woman

Guilty pleasures. We all have them. One of my many guilty pleasures is reading the new line of Superman and Wonder Woman comics from DC Comics. Why do I love it so? Well, first of all you have Superman (total hottie) and Wonder Woman (kick-ass princess) who make the ultimate couple. They are so ultimate that their union sends mankind into a panic. What will happen if they decide to take over the world? We'd all be doomed. Like that would ever happen, but hey, it brings conflict to the story.

Secondly I love the good, old fashioned, soap opera feel to the story. Now that they’re a couple, Clark feels it’s his job to protect Wonder Woman, which she allows. Not. The art is fantastic in the way draw Wonder Woman as she says, “Seriously, Clark, I got it. This is my job. I've been saving the world for years.” And then there was issue six in which they have to make a life or death decision. Just before they swing the sword towards their salvation, or destruction, Clark says to Diana, “I love you.” To which she replies, “Of course you do.” Loved it! I crushed even more when a few issues down the road, Superman inhales Doomsday venom and turns a little nasty. In his frustration he shouts, “and I told you I loved you months ago. Why haven't you said anything?” (Hands clap with glee)

But it’s not just S&WW that has all of this delicious angst. In the Forever Evil line, our heroes have bizarro-world type counterparts. These villains arrive on Earth in the forms of Ultraman, Superwoman and Owl Man. Yep. Owl Man. Ultraman and Superwoman are a couple, and does he ever hold the reins on this relationship. But wait, Superwoman is catching a little something on the side with Owl Man, and she's (gasp) pregnant! Not only that, she tells BOTH men that they're the father! Secret babies!! I could add a million more exclamation points I love this so!

Of course, not everyone is as in love with these story lines as I am. My brother has rolled his eyes many times, but I say bring it on! In fact I think it's time to go back to "my stories."

Until next time my friends!

Anna- The Super Diva

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Finding a Hero

Starting a new story is always my favorite part of the process. Staring at the blank page and letting the possibilities flood my head is one of the best feelings in the world. I’m a pantser. I write by the seat of my pants. So as I sit there and stare at the page, I get to imagine any number of plots, settings, and genres. For that one brief moment, I could write them all. The moment I write the first word, the story starts. And the more words I write, them more locked in I am.

One thing that always amazes me is how long it takes me to figure out my hero. I often have the heroine down from the first word. I know who she is, what she wants, and how she’d react to just about any situation I throw at her. Some of my heroines are smart and serious, others are wild and fun but each of them come to me as a fully developed character. My heroes? Not so much.

I’m currently writing a new series in a new world. The hero is a mage. Not just any mage, he’s a pretty dark mage. He has to be. He works for the best assassin in the three kingdoms. But he’s also my hero. So when I started writing him, I kind of thought he’d be kind, companionate, and sweet with her to counterbalance his profession. When I started writing their first sex scene, however, that’s not how I wrote him. As I typed in the words, he ended up being almost the exact opposite of the lover I’d planned on him being. Oh, he’s still kind and compassionate. He loves the heroine deeply. He just realizes that she needs a man who can stand up to her in the bedroom.

And that’s just what she needs.

It’s true, the scene wasn’t anything like what I first pictured it’d be. But it turned out exactly as it should be. I found my hero. Or, at least, I found my most recent hero. The challenge isn’t over, however. I’ve written minor power-exchanges before. Bond Betrayed was probably my most notable. But I have a feeling things are going to get intense between these two. I’ll be swimming into dark waters with them. And it’ll be a challenge to stay true to their journey. Now that I’ve got the story and the characters set, however, I can see how much fun this particular adventure is going to be.

What's your favorite part of writing or reading? Is it that first moment when you open a new story or when it's all said and done and you finally get to take a deep breath?