Cat-Tale 54: War of the Poses

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BenRG	Chapter 3 - May Look at a King	#41	[url]	[-]
Posts: 303 11/28/07 05:44	Sorry for the later-than-usual review. I've been a bit snowed under recently. I have deliberately not read any of the other reviews so I can look at the chapter with fresh eyes. With this in mind, I apologise if I repeat anyone else's comments or insights. I love how you have written Lex. People forget that Lex, despite his megalomania, is actually quite sane and definately has a rational view of the universe (one, like most villain types, that fails to see his own lunacy). You certainly get into his head. His thoughts about how Selina's 'cat' persona may affect her reactions were very interesting. I also like the fact that one single missing bit of information - that Selina is in a relationship with Batman and counts Superman as an associate, if not as a friend - will completely confuse him. It suggests that Lex relies a little too much on pre-planning and lacks the flexibility to handle an unexpected wrinkle. Hey! A Spoiler! [+] Still, it is nice to know that Lex is behind android!Superman and is the one responsible for Bruce's current absence. Of course, this (startlingly for her) puts her in the poisition of Gotham's protector. Bruce will definately lip-twitch when he reads her mission report on this one. Quoth the Cat "Well, as long as it's not personal," Catwoman muttered. Oh... ouch. I think that Jack has blown it big time. x.X He's going to be in a do-up-the-back shirt and on happy pills for some time. After this mess, I strongly suspect that the 'Clown Prince of Crime' will be incapable of much except quite giggling and drooling on his bib until he comes up for his lobotomy, whereupon said behaviour will become normal rather than drug-induced. I do feel sorry for Dr. Bart though. Jaer was a beast and you can't help feel that Joker was an instrument of justice in some ways. Then, you naturally feel guilty for that thought. Of course, that is the difference between sane people and psychopaths like Jaer and Joker himself. Harley considered this. She took a deep, thoughtful breath… and then jutted out her tongue to produce the longest sustained raspberry in the history of Arkham Asylum. XD Can't... can't stop laughing... XD This hilarity aside, it looks like Harley may have been knocked unexpectedly into the deep end of something unexpected. Could she end up acting as Dr. Bart's shrink. Jack, assuming he still has all his frontal lobes wired up by the end of the week, will find this one very funny. So! Selina has ratted out Lexy, hmm? Should be interesting to see how she and Bruce handle this one. A great story that has suddenly taken several interesting and unexpected turns. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all works out. BenRG's Rating: 8.5/10 Reviewer's Note Sorry about the formatting chaos. It seems that whenever I do quotes, it completely messes up the font sizes and styles. >( ~~~~ They call me BenRG* But... I don't know why... ~~~*~ Last Edited By: BenRG 11/28/07 05:51. Edited 1 time.
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The Thundering Monkey	The Thing that just KILLS me...	#42	[url]	[-]
Posts: 834 11/28/07 09:51	with all these villains and thier "At last I will destroy the Justice League" is how shortsighted they all are. Can Luthor stop a meteor the size of Texas from hitting the earth? (And consequently all LutherCorp holdings). Can he count on Gorilla Grod to do it? How many white Martians can he take on? Can he buy off Darkseid? He'd be absolutely screwed within months of taking out the Justice League. as for the story, they have to be careful how they handle it. Luthors smart enough to be suspicious, that he talked to Catwoman, and hours later Batman has disappeared from his carefully laid diversion and is back in Gotham. Last Edited By: The Thundering Monkey 12/01/07 23:30. Edited 1 time.
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Chris Dee	Channeling Lexxy...	#43	[url]	[-]
Posts: 792 11/28/07 10:07	*Lex comes running into podium, pointing at Thundering Monkey like a shrieking Donald Sutherland at the end of Bodysnatchers: You see! There it is! The insidious end result of this meta brainwashing, this idea that human beings, ordinary human beings cannot run their own affairs or defend their own planet without the help of these self-appointed demi... Oh shit, here comes Gore. I will thrash you later, you demented fool.
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NathanPerry.gothampm		#44	[url]	[-]
Posts: 388 11/28/07 10:08 Gothamite	Can Luthor stop a meteor the size of Texas from hitting the earth? (And consequently all LutherCorp holdings). Can he count on Gorilla Grod to do it? How many white Martians can he take on? Can he buy off Darkseid? Lex believes EXACTLY THAT. Not so much that Darkseid'll be asking cash or credit, but that his brains and willpower are strong enough to defeat anything, and success in destroying the Justice League would only be further proof of this. To put it in Gotham-villain terms, Lex's egomania is his theme. Anything that opposes that theme (defeat, the concept that someone might be as intelligent and resourceful as he is, Superman's very existence,) he feels he must wipe out from existence to validate his towering self-image.
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Chris Dee		#45	[url]	[-]
Posts: 792 11/28/07 18:35	From which we may extrapolate: prick the size of a pin, I believe that's the conventional wisdom. And it kind of explains Mercy. --Chris Dee Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Superpowers corrupts - superbly. --Identity Element
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fangirl1001		#46	[url]	[-]
Posts: 64 12/03/07 22:18	My belated review: The story jumps back and forth between Queen Selina's royal headaches (including, but not limited to, Batman, Eddie and Lex) and Doc Jerry's House of Fun where Leland Bartholomew and Harley Quinn seem to have unknowingly locked themselves into a battle of therapy Chicken, each trying to make the other crack, to some degree or another. At Arkham, Leland and Harley are actually acting in very similar manners as they each use the same set of tools to try and get into each other's heads. I think Harley will get in first, partly because she knows never to pause in a race, while good old Bart doesn't even know there's a race on, and partly because Harley does have quite the brain and when she /does/ use it she can unleash quite the criminal genius level planning and scheming. Harley's intelligence is too often underestimated, and stories where she does act as the brains often have some killer twists to them. As Batman said Joker in the 90's carton series - "She came a lot closer to killing me than you ever did… Puddin'." Meanwhile, Catwoman has been sucked into another one of Lex's "Gotham-Metropolis alliance" plans (and that worked so well last time in World's Finest ) and I am quite curious to hear Batman's response to both "storm opals" and "owl cave slave girl." Selina and Bruce have some partner planning of their own to do, but I doubt it will distract them too long from where they were before Bruce was called away to fight Superman robots. Stepping away from the plot, I just want to say how much I appreciate reading something that treats the reader like an intelligent being, unlike a lot of dreak out there these days. I really enjoy the literary references that pop up throughout ( I have the conch!), the width and breadth on numerous subjects from astronomy to zoology, the history (see all my squeals of geeky glee from the last story over the Templers), and the perfect mix of 'Time to Save the World!' with 'Honey, have you seen my socks?' - usually seen at the Grayson's, who are always a pleasure to visit. Thank you Chris Dee. Evil Overlord's List Rule 42: "When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around."
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Chris Dee		#47	[url]	[-]
Posts: 792 12/07/07 11:11	Chapter 4: Plans, now at FFnet and the Cat-Tales website. --Chris Dee Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Superpowers corrupts - superbly. --Identity Element
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SteelBlaidd		#48	[url]	[-]
Posts: 64 12/07/07 13:15	I am soooo loving this. Wonderful interactions with Cassie and Blake(booo Hisss), and Clark. Selina is domesticating the bat-family so very well. ;) Luthor's contention that Humans are smart enough to defend themselves is a great sentiment its the Humans = Myself and my underlings that isthe problem. end he's just as monomaniacal as any of the rest of the roges. The big question is what is different between him and Bruce, in thier conviction that thier way is the right one. "If ever you find yor self looking down the wong end of an arrow. Hope that it's an evil man. a good man will kill you with hardly a word." - Sam Vimes
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Abaddon8780		#49	[url]	[-]
Posts: 345 12/07/07 13:21 Titans Together!	The big question is what is different between him and Bruce, in thier conviction that thier way is the right one. The difference comes from the fact that Bruce still has faith in humanity. It's a simple thing to say, but it makes all the difference in the world. Especially when compared to Luthor's "People are Sheep" outlook. "And sometimes," Tim muttered, "it's like living with a bunch of second graders." -Learning Curve
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JabberwockyPie		#50	[url]	[-]
Posts: 53 12/07/07 15:25	I really enjoyed the interaction between Selina and Cassie (and Blake snort). Superman officially ranks as a jackass now! We should bake him a cake to celebrate or something. I am dying to find out what the plans are for.
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Fett One.gothampm		#51	[url]	[-]
Posts: 48 12/07/07 22:19	It's about time that Superman has been made an official member of the gang. The stuff with Cassie was interesting, although I can see that turning out horribly if she goes over board. Once Bruce finds out, she really is going to be in for it, which makes you wonder what he is going to do when he finds out that Selina is the one that taught her this. Bruce's comment at the end was neat (his response to Clark). That has to be the first time that has ever happened.
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Nodrogs		#52	[url]	[-]
Posts: 238 12/08/07 02:34	~J'ohn?~ ~What's wrong, Superman?~ ~Call the rest of the Justice League, Omega Level Threat.~ ~You've detected something that could cause the end of the world?~ ~Batman just admitted that Lex Luthor had done something Batman didn't have plans for~ ~Understood. Sending alert now~
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Jarissa Paxton		#53	[url]	[-]
Posts: 547 12/08/07 03:29	Chris Dee wrote: Chapter 4: Plans Is it at all significant that when I read this chapter title, the first thing to flash through my mind was this: Luthor: The best laid plans of mice and men-- Selina (interrupting): Sorry; neither. And it should've stopped there, only then I heard Tim say to Nightwing: Robin: Whoa.... Classic Trek Quote from the Catwoman! followed in the background by Kyle: OhmyGOD {nerdgasm} Good grief. Make them stop. I'm one of those people who "hear" every letter of each word as I read them, and how they shape one another; so, yes, I'm going to totally miss a reasonable point if it's discussing makeup instead of knaves. Not that there aren't some hilarious correlations! Anyway, please be patient with me on this.
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Letomo		#54	[url]	[-]
Posts: 23 12/08/07 03:43	Nodrogs wrote: ~J'ohn?~ ~What's wrong, Superman?~ ~Call the rest of the Justice League, Omega Level Threat.~ ~You've detected something that could cause the end of the world?~ ~Batman just admitted that Lex Luthor had done something Batman didn't have plans for~ ~Understood. Sending alert now~ Thanks! That was hilarious! First thing to make me laugh out loud after a long, hard day. Also, I thought something similiar, though more boring. Okay, it is something that may be related to their old transporters. Could Lex be making a 'Slideways' of his own? Or working on something to scramble transporting people? I agree that Cassie has a liking for Catwoman's techniques. They are both smaller than their opponents, and have a different build than the ones that trained them. If nothing else, Catwoman has lived with the lower center of gravity that Bruce may account for, but can't know like Selina can. Thus, her training would help Cassie. Amazed this hasn't happened before, here or in the DCU.
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BenRG	Re.: Chapter 4 - Plans	#55	[url]	[-]
Posts: 303 12/08/07 08:35	Woo! An interesting and absorbing chapter. It is always interesting when we see things mostly from Selina's point-of-view as she has a fairly unique way of looking at the universe. The Plan is now fully afoot, both for Luthor and for the JLA (and can Selina's official invitation into the ranks be that far away? She would refuse but be secretly flattered). Certainly she has the attitude. I loved the way that she keeps on tumbling Clark and Bruce's attempts to 'subtly' protect her. In harmony with several fellow reviewers, I think that Cassie might be playing with fire here. Still, it might be better for her to be burned. If she is, I don't think that Bruce would blame Selina. All she did was teach Cassie the tools; it was up to Cassie to decide what to do with them. BTW: Am I the only one who thinks that Selina is rapidly becoming a mother figure to our communcation-challenged crimefighter? Ease down, Ms. Kyle; I know the thought horrifies you but better you than Wonder Woman So long as she doesn't redesign the costume and tries to make it as 'Catgirl' (flashes on the brat in DKR2 and nearly blacks out from the horror), I'm sure that everything will be fine. Hopefully. That aside, I loved the way Selina arranged for Cassie to get her own back on Catman. What is wonderful is that Blake will think it is his own fault that Batgirl caught up with him, so Selina's cover is intact. Ozzie has done the "I'm sorry, Batman, but I had no idea that kwaka-kwak felon was trying to sell me stolen property! By all means, return it to its legitimate owner" schtick so many times that the Rogues will automatically assume that is what happend in the Poker Room. Okay, now to wrap-up, here is my take on Luthor's master plan: He is going to... [+] sabotage the Watchtower, destroying the entire League (apart from anyone not feeling well on meeting day) in a single fell swoop. It is a perfect crime as it will probably be nearly impossible to prove that anyone did anything after an accident in orbit. That aside... How sad is Lex Luthor anyway? He doesn't really seem to understand how having a revenge agenda puts him on the same level as those 'Must-Kill-Bat' idiots that he so despises. Oh well. You live and learn, I guess. BenRG's Rating: 8/10 ~~~~ They call me BenRG* But... I don't know why... ~~~*~ Last Edited By: BenRG 12/08/07 08:38. Edited 2 times.
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Random Equinox		#56	[url]	[-]
Posts: 289 12/09/07 02:01	Ditto to most of the other reviewers. Cassie: on the one hand, she's learning things that she couldn't learn from anyone else. On the downside, if she doesn't tone down the excitement, she's gonna find herself in one hell of a pickle. Tom: Ouch. First, he has to swallow his pride and acknowledge Catwoman as the Queen in order to get access to the Vault. Then, he gets used so Cassie can get a re-match (he should've known Selina had an ulterior motive). Gotta give him props for swallowing his pride, though. Clark: So he's now an official jack-ass. Congratulations, Spitcurl! You're part of the family...part of the family...part of the family... Lex's plans: yes, it's always easier to make better plans when you're not distracted by crazy partners. I agree that, based on the evidence we have so far, Lex's plans probably involve arranging an accident that conveniently destroys the Watchtower at a time when Superman and Batman are conveniently on site. The loss of other JLA members would be a bonus, but the primary objective is to decapitate the JLA (and notice that Wonder Woman isn't included. Lack of desire for revenge or recognition on who's really important?), and Lex probably wouldn't risk his primary objective for the sake of a higher body count. Bruce: What? I think I felt the earth shake. Oddly enough, it was at the same time that I read that he did not have a plan to handle this scenario. Hopefully, this decoy will help set up a trap or, better yet, will yield a partial success, thus requiring Lex to request additional services of Selina, and while he's patting himself on the back for his successful plans...
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Chris Dee		#57	[url]	[-]
Posts: 792 12/09/07 10:42	Hi gang, Going to do my usual respond and run as it's a nice day for a walk and there are bagels waiting up the street. Fangirl, I absolutely love "therapy chicken." MUST find occasion to use. And you're quite right that Harley's intelligence is often underestimated. So is her lunacy and her potential to be truly dangerous. I think the reason is the same in all three cases: it's intermittent and not predictably so like windshield wipers. You can never tell which Harley is "in" until you're wiping banana cream off your nose. Steel, that was a brilliant way of defining Luthor's egomania. The principles he spouts are downright laudable if taken at face value. Humans should certainly pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. We don't want architects not bothering to build buildings that will stand because, "hey, if it collapses, Superman will be there." But of course Luthor doesn't mean that. He doesn't mean any little kid can grow up to be president, he means HE can. And did, and would be still if the game weren't rigged. There shouldn't be any abilities or distinctions on the playing field that he can't have. If he can't achieve it, invent it, or buy it, it's an evil to be wiped out. So what is the difference between him and Bruce? I think it comes down to dispassionate analysis on one side and malice on the other. Bruce acknowledges that superpowers can be a threat in much the same way he acknowledges the jet fuel kept in the batcave is flammable. If you're going to keep the stuff around, you better know what it can do and have a fire extinguisher handy. But he doesn't hate the fuel. Selina and Cassie… hm, nobody has used the phrase I expected. I was sure someone would pull out the old Harvey standby. "This can't end well." Luthor: The best laid plans of mice and men-- Selina (interrupting): Sorry; neither. Kyle: OhmyGOD {nerdgasm} Love it. Catnip toy for Jarissa. waves to nodrogs and Letomo Selina's point-of-view as she has a fairly unique way of looking at the universe. Bless you, Ben, you made her day and mine. (Bruce reminds you that a new line of "Feline Logic" merchandise will soon be available in the gift shop.) can Selina's official invitation into the ranks (of the JLA) be that far away? She would refuse but be secretly flattered I think if you look at her mention of their files on her in Identity Element and String Theory, you might come to a different conclusion there. The interesting thing that she doesn't seem to notice is she actually likes many of them individually: Clark, Arthur, J'onn, Wally. It's just collectively, when it becomes a group or category. Much like me, I love all of you individually, but as soon as anyone says "fanboys" I start burning sage and sharpening my wooden stakes. Blake Lewis Black on Dick Cheney: "Isn't it great that we've come so far, that that's all I have to say now. I don't have to say "Dick Cheney, the Vice President who shot his friend in the face." I just come out here and say "Dick Cheney" you all laugh, and we move on." Congratulations, Spitcurl! You're part of the family...part of the family...part of the family... ROFL, I thought of that scene too! Kudos, R.E. You're the only other reviewer here or at ffnet to mention it. You're also the only one to… notice that Wonder Woman isn't included That is the tell, isn't it. This isn't about taking down the League or she would have been at least mentioned, if only to say why she wasn't a prime target. Lex: The so-called "Big Three" is an invention of proletarian superstition, the number of wishes and wise men. No, in reality, Wonder Woman is quite irrelevant… But he doesn't say that. He doesn't explain her omission at all, because there is nothing to explain if his real goal is revenge on Batman and Superman for ending his presidency. She wasn't involved in that, so she's not on his mental radar. His mouth is talking about the League, but his brain is on that hamster wheel Must-get-Bat, Must-get-Alien, Must-get-Bat, Must-get-Alien… pause to eat … Must-get-Bat, Must-get-Alien… pause to sleep …Must-get-Bat… Yikes, this was going to be a QUICK one so I could go get a bagel. Damn, gotta fly. --Chris Dee Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Superpowers corrupts - superbly. --Identity Element Last Edited By: Chris Dee 12/09/07 10:46. Edited 2 times.
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BenRG		#58	[url]	[-]
Posts: 303 12/09/07 12:49	Chris Dee wrote: Selina and Cassie… hm, nobody has used the phrase I expected. I was sure someone would pull out the old Harvey standby. "This can't end well." And it can't. I'm betting that she gets caught with her hand in the display case by Robin or possibly Azrael. Oh, there will be no harm done and she won't have actually taken anything. However, she will definately have to deal with a cold wind of disapproval (especially from Bruce) for being in the museum, pawing through the display cases, for no good reason. This will ultimately be beneficial for her as it will help her develop a bit more impulse control. It is even possible that this may lead to some form of Tim/Cassie moment, where he has to persuade her that, no, she isn't suddenly a pariah, hated by everyone. This is good old fashioned familial dicipline for being naughty. ~~~~ They call me BenRG* But... I don't know why... ~~~*~
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fangirl1001		#59	[url]	[-]
Posts: 64 12/09/07 14:18	This: Catman looked up at Peahen with the stunned horror of a condemned man long forgotten in a crowded dungeon. Suddenly hearing his name called out, what could it mean? Time to rise and be led to the gallows? perfectly suited the melodrama that is Blake. He is prone to angst and does tend to blow everything up into a huge freaking deal. His the type I bet would advocate most conspiracy theories - and to whine like a little spoiled brat about how hard life is for him. Remember how much he complained when Hugo put him on a diet? Meanwhile my immediate reaction to Cassie trying out her newly leaned skills was simply "uh oh." I have a feeling that might not play out as Cassie hopes. And then - Mr. Crome Dome and his plans. Wow. Luther's ruminations on his obsessions this chapter make the residents of Arkham look sane psychologically balanced in comparison. However, all the references to lead make me wonder - is Luther going the way of the Ceasers and succumbing to lead poisoning? His unused ad campaign certainly underscores his belief that human/good/savior/right/whatever = Lex Luther. He /can't/ say humans are great and people are sheep in the same breath and yet he /does/. Does he get that he's a liar or has he so compartmentalized things that he doesn't get it? It's like the line from this book on WWII that I read where the main character says: "Your lies don't scare me - the fact that you believe them does." And funniest line of the chapter: either he was afraid of Aquaman or he just liked being mean to dolphins Evil Overlord's List Rule 42: "When I capture the hero, I will make sure I also get his dog, monkey, ferret, or whatever sickeningly cute little animal capable of untying ropes and filching keys happens to follow him around."
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SteelBlaidd		#60	[url]	[-]
Posts: 64 12/11/07 12:49	Chris Dee wrote: So what is the difference between him and Bruce? I think it comes down to dispassionate analysis on one side and malice on the other. Bruce acknowledges that superpowers can be a threat in much the same way he acknowledges the jet fuel kept in the batcave is flammable. If you're going to keep the stuff around, you better know what it can do and have a fire extinguisher handy. But he doesn't hate the fuel. I think the other main differanceis is the same as the diference between Mr. incredible and Syndrome. Both of them apreciate the praise of the people they've saved. But for Syndrome the praise is the whole point. For Bob Parr it's a nice bonus but its the helping thats important. Mr. Incredible exists to serve people. In Syndrome's mind people exist to serve him. This same diference is what drives Bruce. He takes hurt upon himself to save others from it. Which is at base the difference between Good and Evil. Selina and Cassie… hm, nobody has used the phrase I expected. I was sure someone would pull out the old Harvey standby. "This can't end well." Which is hard because she's had so few oppourtunities in life to play. "If ever you find yor self looking down the wong end of an arrow. Hope that it's an evil man. a good man will kill you with hardly a word." - Sam Vimes
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Cat-Tale 54: War of the Poses

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