DC in Tiers: From Superman to F*** You Forever
In this lively and irreverent episode of The Middle of Culture, Peter and Eden build a tier list ranking 29 DC movies, from the highs of Christopher Reeve's iconic Superman to the lows of Black Adam, which earns a new category all its own: "F*** You Forever." Along the way, they debate the merits of Nolan's Batman trilogy, praise Margot Robbie while trashing her material, and wax poetic about Michelle Pfeiffer's Catwoman and the ridiculous joy of Catwoman(2004). The episode also dives into recent reads, including the emotionally devastating Adachi and Shimamura 99.9, with Eden delivering an impassioned recounting that might just wreck you. Add in some heat-dome weather talk, tech-death music recs, and plenty of hot takes, and you've got one of the most entertaining episodes yet.
Episode Notes:
Welcome Back
Eden shares weather misery and emotional tales of crying over Adachi and Shimamura
Peter updates on his son's relentless swim meet schedule and praises the dedication of teen athletes
What We're Into
Eden continues to love The Apothecary Diaries, now reading it aloud with Cassi
Deep emotional dive into Adachi and Shimamura 99.9, including:
Cozy slice-of-life moments
Post-apocalyptic existentialism
A bittersweet afterlife reunion that left Eden in tears
Peter shares his current reading on behavior change and playing Mario Kart with the kids
Metal music recs from Peter:
Fallujah and Exocrine (tech-death highlights)
Sigh's re-recording of Hangman's Hymn (2007 → 2025 edition)
The Tier List Begins
29 DC movies ranked from S-tier to a newly invented bottom tier
Immediate praise for Superman: The Movie -- the only true S-tier film
Batman Begins and The Batman hold strong in A-tier
The Dark Knight lands at a controversial B, Dark Knight Rises flops to D
Surprising affection for Catwoman bumps it up to C, while Suicide Squad, Justice League, and Black Adam are rightfully trashed
Eden passionately defends the joyfully chaotic Batman & Robin, despite its execution
Zack Snyder's Justice League makes it to B solely for its absurdity
Lego Batman wins hearts, even from Eden who has a Lego movie vendetta
New Tier Created: "F*** You Forever"
Reserved exclusively for Black Adam, a film so despised that Peter stopped watching anything with The Rock afterward
Wrap-Up
One clear conclusion: 1978's Superman stands unmatched
Richard Donner hailed as the god-tier director James Gunn can't touch
Gentle roast of MCU's decline vs DC's chaotic legacy
Call to action: listeners encouraged to weigh in via feedback@themiddleofculture.com