Source: TextsFromSuperheroes.com
Showing posts with label Comics. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Comics. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Daily Dose of Awesome(?): Star Wars/Avengers Crossover
I came across an article that discussed the idea of a crossover movie between the "Star Wars" franchise and the MCU. While it could "technically" happen as both are owned by the same company, I think it is just a fun "what if", though Stan Lee seems to support the idea.
Honestly, I could see it as a comic mini-series, or maybe an animated movie. There have certainly been stranger crossovers. It isn't even that outside the realm of possibility as Thanos is a galactic threat. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch to put one of the infinity gems in Skywalker's neck of the woods. It would also be interesting to see a team of jedi try to challenge the mad titan.
The obvious problem is timeline. As every movie in the "Star Wars" franchise notes, those events took place a long time ago. Maybe use the characters from the "Legacy" comics, that take place several centuries later and focus on descendants of the more well known characters of the original trilogy?
Making it canon for both franchises also adds weird implications in terms of story and the rules of the established universes. I think it's best left to the realm of a self contained "elseworld" story.
Doing a live action film of this nature is also difficult as there are just so many characters. It would get a little crowded and the story would likely suffer for it.
Still, if you're a geek, you can't help but be intrigued by the idea. Crossovers are always fun, especially when they feature such popular franchises like the two discussed here.
Honestly, I could see it as a comic mini-series, or maybe an animated movie. There have certainly been stranger crossovers. It isn't even that outside the realm of possibility as Thanos is a galactic threat. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch to put one of the infinity gems in Skywalker's neck of the woods. It would also be interesting to see a team of jedi try to challenge the mad titan.
The obvious problem is timeline. As every movie in the "Star Wars" franchise notes, those events took place a long time ago. Maybe use the characters from the "Legacy" comics, that take place several centuries later and focus on descendants of the more well known characters of the original trilogy?
Making it canon for both franchises also adds weird implications in terms of story and the rules of the established universes. I think it's best left to the realm of a self contained "elseworld" story.
Doing a live action film of this nature is also difficult as there are just so many characters. It would get a little crowded and the story would likely suffer for it.
Still, if you're a geek, you can't help but be intrigued by the idea. Crossovers are always fun, especially when they feature such popular franchises like the two discussed here.
Friday, January 8, 2016
Daily Dose of Awesome: Bat-Cow
I'm not as in the loop on comics as I once was. While it's easier on the wallet, it does mean I miss certain things, like the existence of Bat-Cow. Yes, apparently, Batman recently acquired a bovine sidekick. I knew about Ace, and I knew about the super pets (dog, cat, monkey, and even horse), but this one threw me.
Wikipedia gives some context and, from what I can gather, he's more of a pet than a crime fighting sidekick like Ace. Nevertheless, this seems like something for a wacky "elseworlds" tale. I'm astounded that this was a canon thing. Either way, it's freaking amazing and one of the reasons why comic books are so glorious and wonderful.
Wikipedia gives some context and, from what I can gather, he's more of a pet than a crime fighting sidekick like Ace. Nevertheless, this seems like something for a wacky "elseworlds" tale. I'm astounded that this was a canon thing. Either way, it's freaking amazing and one of the reasons why comic books are so glorious and wonderful.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Tales from the Bully Pulpit
I only found out about this comic moments ago. Frankly, I'm disappointed in the internet for not making it known that this was a thing until now. I mean, it's already available in trade.
Anyway, here's the hook: Teddy Roosevelt steals H.G. Wells' time machine, joins forces with the ghost of Thomas Edison, and travels through time to battle the descendant of Hitler. Said descendant has a nefarious scheme to conquer Mars.
Right?
I don't need to say anything else, really. The plot hook sells itself. Stuff like this is what makes comics such a fun hobby.
Anyway, here's the hook: Teddy Roosevelt steals H.G. Wells' time machine, joins forces with the ghost of Thomas Edison, and travels through time to battle the descendant of Hitler. Said descendant has a nefarious scheme to conquer Mars.
Right?
I don't need to say anything else, really. The plot hook sells itself. Stuff like this is what makes comics such a fun hobby.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Daily Dose of Awesome: Wonder Woman's Retractable Pants
A few years ago, DC Comics tried to revitalize it's line and bring in new readers by relaunching the whole DC Universe. Every comic went back to issue number 1 and many characters were reverted to their younger selves.
Along with retconned characterizations and personality traits, so too did the costumes be getting tweaked to really show how different things are now.
One costume change that got a lot of attention was Wonder Woman's. DC decided to forego her iconic wears and try out something else, specifically, pants. Naturally, comic fans complained as it didn't look right, it wasn't iconic blah blah blah.
DC decided to listen to its fan base and, while they kept some of the changes, they went ahead and gave her the star spangled panties again. Naturally, comic fans complained as it's cheap fan service, it's anti-feminist, blah blah blah.
As a way to have their cake and eat it too, DC decided to split the difference and announced that the pants are retractable.
I have no idea how that works, but it's freaking hilarious. This is the sort of thing that you could only pull off in comics. It'll be interesting to see how this is executed. To be honest, I'm rather unimpressed with the story announcements made so far concerning the reboot, but this one has piqued my interest, if only because it's such a bizarre thing to have. We'll have to wait and see how that goes, I do believe the relaunch happens in September, but you might want to double check that.
You can read more about it here.
Along with retconned characterizations and personality traits, so too did the costumes be getting tweaked to really show how different things are now.
One costume change that got a lot of attention was Wonder Woman's. DC decided to forego her iconic wears and try out something else, specifically, pants. Naturally, comic fans complained as it didn't look right, it wasn't iconic blah blah blah.
DC decided to listen to its fan base and, while they kept some of the changes, they went ahead and gave her the star spangled panties again. Naturally, comic fans complained as it's cheap fan service, it's anti-feminist, blah blah blah.
As a way to have their cake and eat it too, DC decided to split the difference and announced that the pants are retractable.
I have no idea how that works, but it's freaking hilarious. This is the sort of thing that you could only pull off in comics. It'll be interesting to see how this is executed. To be honest, I'm rather unimpressed with the story announcements made so far concerning the reboot, but this one has piqued my interest, if only because it's such a bizarre thing to have. We'll have to wait and see how that goes, I do believe the relaunch happens in September, but you might want to double check that.
You can read more about it here.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Hulk vs. The Thing
I don't understand this rivalry. Both comics and fans seem to be under the impression that this would be some epic fight that could go either way. I hate to be the screen door on your submarine, but it isn't. It really isn't.
Who would win in a fight between Hulk and the Thing? Hulk. Hulk wins. That's it. Hulk can go toe to toe with Thor and Superman. When has the Thing come anywhere close to being that strong?
Even if the two started off on an even keel, everyone knows that the angrier Hulk gets, the stronger he gets. Unless Thing can pull off some sort of Mike Tyson-esque immediate knockout early in the fight, he'll lose ground against his adversary the longer the fight goes on.
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Thursday, January 1, 2015
Sunday, December 7, 2014
The Top 5 Reasons Why the X-Men Make No Sense
X-Men is one of Marvel's flagship titles, and while I'm a fan, I can't help but notice that, once you give it some thought, the ideas presented don't make a whole lot of sense.
1. The Metaphor Falls Apart
From the get go, the X-Men were supposed to act as an allegory for oppressed minorities, African Americans and gays specifically. It preaches a message of tolerance and acceptance for those who may be different from you.
It's a nice message and all, but the parallel doesn't really work. Being a mutant isn't as simple as skin color or sexual orientation. Unlike those birth traits, mutant abilities do pose a threat.
As I mention, Cyclops can level a building by looking at it, Magneto can manipulate the magnetic field of the entire planet, and Professor X is a telepath who can not only read thoughts, but control them as well.
Xavier's plan to teach mutants to control their powers and use them responsibly is great, but the idea that humanity's fear is based solely on their own prejudicial nature is just goofy.
It's even worse because nobody calls them on this. At face value, Senator Kelly has a point, but the writers go so far to turn him into a straw politician that any ambiguity is lost.
It would be interesting to explore those elements because while the comic may have been created to act as a morality play about bigotry, there's far more at play here than simple short-sightedness on mankind's part.
2. Some Superpowers are OK and Others Aren't?
The Marvel Universe is populated with meta-humans who are granted powers that normal people can only dream of. As part of the allegory, it's said that humans hate and fear mutants. Sometimes, it's because of their appearance, while other times it's the powers themselves that instill fear.
This idea is undercut when you have characters like the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and Captain America running around. They have similar powers, but they are loved by the patrons of New York, while the X-Men are jeered.
Because of this disparity, Marvel tries to keep the two separate, but they do intersect and it still stands as a very bizarre issue in terms of story.
3. Cyclops' Power
The idea of shooting beams from your eyes is a simple one. Unlike most characters with this ability, Cyclops has no control over the beams and they fire whenever his eyes are open. The only way to stop it is through ruby quartz in his visor and a pair of custom made sunglasses for day to day wear.
How they figured that out is baffling enough, but the real kicker is that the only other way for Scott to stop the beams from firing is to close his eyes.
These beams have been shown to be quite powerful. He can level a building with no trouble. While they make a point to say that the beams are "concussive" as opposed to heat or laser based, I still find it hard to believe that such power is held back by his eyelids. It can tear through brick like a hot knife through butter, but a thin layer of skin is more than enough to contain it? Sorry, I call shenanigans.
4. No More Mutants
When the "House of M" event ended, the Scarlet Witch rewrote reality declaring that there shouldn't be any more mutants. While this did, in fact, rob several mutants of their powers, there were still a couple hundred who kept theirs...How? She said "no more mutants" not "only a couple of hundred mutants". Shouldn't they have all lost their powers? You could argue that it would mean the end of the series, but why bring it up in the first place if you're just going to ignore it completely?
5. Sentinels
The Government doesn't have the money for this. Even if they did, this is not a feasible use of tax dollars and no one would actually sign off on this sort of program.
1. The Metaphor Falls Apart
From the get go, the X-Men were supposed to act as an allegory for oppressed minorities, African Americans and gays specifically. It preaches a message of tolerance and acceptance for those who may be different from you.
It's a nice message and all, but the parallel doesn't really work. Being a mutant isn't as simple as skin color or sexual orientation. Unlike those birth traits, mutant abilities do pose a threat.
As I mention, Cyclops can level a building by looking at it, Magneto can manipulate the magnetic field of the entire planet, and Professor X is a telepath who can not only read thoughts, but control them as well.
Xavier's plan to teach mutants to control their powers and use them responsibly is great, but the idea that humanity's fear is based solely on their own prejudicial nature is just goofy.
It's even worse because nobody calls them on this. At face value, Senator Kelly has a point, but the writers go so far to turn him into a straw politician that any ambiguity is lost.
It would be interesting to explore those elements because while the comic may have been created to act as a morality play about bigotry, there's far more at play here than simple short-sightedness on mankind's part.
2. Some Superpowers are OK and Others Aren't?
The Marvel Universe is populated with meta-humans who are granted powers that normal people can only dream of. As part of the allegory, it's said that humans hate and fear mutants. Sometimes, it's because of their appearance, while other times it's the powers themselves that instill fear.
This idea is undercut when you have characters like the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and Captain America running around. They have similar powers, but they are loved by the patrons of New York, while the X-Men are jeered.
Because of this disparity, Marvel tries to keep the two separate, but they do intersect and it still stands as a very bizarre issue in terms of story.
3. Cyclops' Power
The idea of shooting beams from your eyes is a simple one. Unlike most characters with this ability, Cyclops has no control over the beams and they fire whenever his eyes are open. The only way to stop it is through ruby quartz in his visor and a pair of custom made sunglasses for day to day wear.
How they figured that out is baffling enough, but the real kicker is that the only other way for Scott to stop the beams from firing is to close his eyes.
These beams have been shown to be quite powerful. He can level a building with no trouble. While they make a point to say that the beams are "concussive" as opposed to heat or laser based, I still find it hard to believe that such power is held back by his eyelids. It can tear through brick like a hot knife through butter, but a thin layer of skin is more than enough to contain it? Sorry, I call shenanigans.
4. No More Mutants
When the "House of M" event ended, the Scarlet Witch rewrote reality declaring that there shouldn't be any more mutants. While this did, in fact, rob several mutants of their powers, there were still a couple hundred who kept theirs...How? She said "no more mutants" not "only a couple of hundred mutants". Shouldn't they have all lost their powers? You could argue that it would mean the end of the series, but why bring it up in the first place if you're just going to ignore it completely?
5. Sentinels
The Government doesn't have the money for this. Even if they did, this is not a feasible use of tax dollars and no one would actually sign off on this sort of program.
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
The X-Men's Sentinels Make No Sense
One of the first articles that I wrote centered around the faulty metaphor that acts as the lynch-pin for the X-Men franchise. However, that isn't the only thing that doesn't work about this comic. After giving it some thought, I realized that the sentinels make no sense whatsoever.
For those unfamiliar with the comic, sentinels are giant robots that are designed to hunt down mutants. Yes, you read that right. I have a question, who's paying for this? No, really, our government spends a lot of money on relatively simple things like planes and tanks. Can you imagine how much it would cost to build just one of these things? They're five stories tall for crying out loud. Yet, here there are hundreds, if not thousands of them being produced en masse.
Even if you were to ignore our current government's fiscal woes and pretend that the U.S. government of the Marvel Universe has no debt or deficit so that they would even have a chance of being able to fund this, this is a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars. No one on either end of the political spectrum would go along with this.
Going back to the money problem, you can't even say that it would be funded by private corporations because there's no profit in it unless there's some sort of military contract, which brings us back to the government.
Speaking of which, why doesn't the military use this technology? Could you imagine the sort of advantage we would have against enemies if we just sent our army of giant robots to rain down fiery death? Why aren't other countries terrified about the existence of these things? You'd think that the U.N might have something to say about a country having a vast army of death robots.
While creating counter-measures to combat mutants when they want to wreak havoc is understandable, this just doesn't seem like the way to do it. The Marvel Universe has established that there is technology capable of suppressing powers, whether it's via "cure" or an electronic collar. I would think that you would be better off putting your money into things like that rather than something as outlandish as giant robots. Giant robots are cool and all, but it just doesn't seem feasible.
I know that comics require a certain suspension of disbelief. Maybe it's unfair to chide something like this when I'm more than willing to buy into the functionality of the Green Lantern ring, but that's how suspension of disbelief works. Fantastical elements can work in a franchise that has it, whereas something as quasi-realistic as giant robots makes no sense in the context of a somewhat real world setting.
For those unfamiliar with the comic, sentinels are giant robots that are designed to hunt down mutants. Yes, you read that right. I have a question, who's paying for this? No, really, our government spends a lot of money on relatively simple things like planes and tanks. Can you imagine how much it would cost to build just one of these things? They're five stories tall for crying out loud. Yet, here there are hundreds, if not thousands of them being produced en masse.
Even if you were to ignore our current government's fiscal woes and pretend that the U.S. government of the Marvel Universe has no debt or deficit so that they would even have a chance of being able to fund this, this is a gross misuse of taxpayer dollars. No one on either end of the political spectrum would go along with this.
Going back to the money problem, you can't even say that it would be funded by private corporations because there's no profit in it unless there's some sort of military contract, which brings us back to the government.
Speaking of which, why doesn't the military use this technology? Could you imagine the sort of advantage we would have against enemies if we just sent our army of giant robots to rain down fiery death? Why aren't other countries terrified about the existence of these things? You'd think that the U.N might have something to say about a country having a vast army of death robots.
While creating counter-measures to combat mutants when they want to wreak havoc is understandable, this just doesn't seem like the way to do it. The Marvel Universe has established that there is technology capable of suppressing powers, whether it's via "cure" or an electronic collar. I would think that you would be better off putting your money into things like that rather than something as outlandish as giant robots. Giant robots are cool and all, but it just doesn't seem feasible.
I know that comics require a certain suspension of disbelief. Maybe it's unfair to chide something like this when I'm more than willing to buy into the functionality of the Green Lantern ring, but that's how suspension of disbelief works. Fantastical elements can work in a franchise that has it, whereas something as quasi-realistic as giant robots makes no sense in the context of a somewhat real world setting.
Saturday, November 22, 2014
A Beginner's Guide to Collecting Comics
*Originally published on 6/4/10
Comics are struggling to get new readers hooked onto the medium. People are intimidated by the massive continuity and history behind a lot of characters and feel like they would be lost from the get go. The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way.
Even the hardcore comic collectors had to start somewhere and they too probably felt intimidated by the decades long history of both Marvel's and DC's respective universes. As they did, you too can wade into the waters of comic fandom.
A good way to get introduced to a character is through another medium. Many people my age grew up watching the various superhero animated shows that aired on weekday afternoons or Saturday mornings and it gave us a general background on the character and a sense of their mythos. With comic book movies becoming more and more popular with each passing summer, it won't be too hard to get an introduction to a character that you are interested in.
Start with the big heroes. The background behind characters like Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man is common knowledge. Even if you've never read a comic in your life, you'll certainly be familiar with characters like the Joker or Lex Luthor. While they may not be presented as you remember them, it is just a matter of adjusting to the new medium.
Comic stores get a bad rap as a place where the staff is snobbish and unhelpful. Sadly, this is the case with some stores, but by and large, comic store clerks are friendly and helpful. If you have a question, don't be afraid to ask. The staff can help you find what you're looking for, provide insight as to what's been happening in recent arcs, and can also provide recommendations for books to start with.
There is also an assumption that in order to properly collect comics, you need to read everything. If you have the money and desire to do so, by all means, but there's nothing wrong with only picking up a book or two every month. If you like Superman and want to read Superman, you read Superman. Green Lantern is awesome, but you should add new comics at your own pace.
Trades are also a great tool to get caught up. They can be quite a bit cheaper than back issues, look great on bookshelves, and are widely available in bookstores and online.
Technology also allows you access to information you may not have otherwise had. When it comes to elaborate back stories, Wikipedia is your friend. It can sum up a character's entire history, including recent major events on one page, saving you a lot of time digging through archives so that you can have a clue as to what's going on.
If you have friends who read comics, use them as a way to get your foot in the door. They can help give you a frame of reference and can allow you to put their experience to your advantage.
A lot of comic titles relaunch every few years in the hope of bringing on new readers, sometimes it's just a matter of a good writer coming on. Take for instance, Wonder Woman, I never really read her comic before. I knew the character through Justice League and instances where she's guest star on other books, but I never really picked up her solo title. That is until I heard rave reviews for Gail Simone's run on the book. I started buying and never looked back. I know, internet message boards have a bad reputation, but there are times where even they will give credit where credit is due and praise various writers and stories.
If comics are to survive as an industry, new readers need to be brought in. Alas, the companies can only do so much. It is up to people to boldly take that first step into the comic book store in the hope of opening themselves up to new possibilities and interests.
Comics are struggling to get new readers hooked onto the medium. People are intimidated by the massive continuity and history behind a lot of characters and feel like they would be lost from the get go. The good news is that it doesn't have to be that way.
Even the hardcore comic collectors had to start somewhere and they too probably felt intimidated by the decades long history of both Marvel's and DC's respective universes. As they did, you too can wade into the waters of comic fandom.
A good way to get introduced to a character is through another medium. Many people my age grew up watching the various superhero animated shows that aired on weekday afternoons or Saturday mornings and it gave us a general background on the character and a sense of their mythos. With comic book movies becoming more and more popular with each passing summer, it won't be too hard to get an introduction to a character that you are interested in.
Start with the big heroes. The background behind characters like Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man is common knowledge. Even if you've never read a comic in your life, you'll certainly be familiar with characters like the Joker or Lex Luthor. While they may not be presented as you remember them, it is just a matter of adjusting to the new medium.
Comic stores get a bad rap as a place where the staff is snobbish and unhelpful. Sadly, this is the case with some stores, but by and large, comic store clerks are friendly and helpful. If you have a question, don't be afraid to ask. The staff can help you find what you're looking for, provide insight as to what's been happening in recent arcs, and can also provide recommendations for books to start with.
There is also an assumption that in order to properly collect comics, you need to read everything. If you have the money and desire to do so, by all means, but there's nothing wrong with only picking up a book or two every month. If you like Superman and want to read Superman, you read Superman. Green Lantern is awesome, but you should add new comics at your own pace.
Trades are also a great tool to get caught up. They can be quite a bit cheaper than back issues, look great on bookshelves, and are widely available in bookstores and online.
Technology also allows you access to information you may not have otherwise had. When it comes to elaborate back stories, Wikipedia is your friend. It can sum up a character's entire history, including recent major events on one page, saving you a lot of time digging through archives so that you can have a clue as to what's going on.
If you have friends who read comics, use them as a way to get your foot in the door. They can help give you a frame of reference and can allow you to put their experience to your advantage.
A lot of comic titles relaunch every few years in the hope of bringing on new readers, sometimes it's just a matter of a good writer coming on. Take for instance, Wonder Woman, I never really read her comic before. I knew the character through Justice League and instances where she's guest star on other books, but I never really picked up her solo title. That is until I heard rave reviews for Gail Simone's run on the book. I started buying and never looked back. I know, internet message boards have a bad reputation, but there are times where even they will give credit where credit is due and praise various writers and stories.
If comics are to survive as an industry, new readers need to be brought in. Alas, the companies can only do so much. It is up to people to boldly take that first step into the comic book store in the hope of opening themselves up to new possibilities and interests.
The Best in Fictional Weaponry: Captain America's Shield
*Originally published on 2/27/12
When talking about iconic weapons, especially in comic book circles, someone is sure to mention Captain America's shield. It's become an image just as well known as the "A" on his forehead and acts as the primary weapon of one of the Marvel roster's bigger icons.
The shield itself has gone through many changes. Originally, it was shaped more like a traditional shield before it was changed up to the circular design that many are more familiar with today. With the new design came new details that made it all the more impressive.
Captain America's shield measures out to about 2 ½ feet in diameter and is composed of Vibranium, an indestructible metal that is capable of absorbing vibrations (although in some instances, the shield is made up of a Vibranium-Adamantium alloy). This gives Captain America a great defensive advantage as he can protect himself from any sort of attack that may come his way.
While the shield is resilient to most attacks, it has, on occasion, cracked under pressure. To the shield's credit, every instance was during a confrontation with beings of godlike power. All things considered, that's not too shabby. Of course, being broken by godlike beings usually results in it being repaired by godlike beings, which usually ends up making the thing even more resistant to damage.
While Captain America can, and does, use the shield in hand to hand combat, the circular design also gave it the capability to be used as a ranged weapon. This was accomplished by Captain America throwing the shield at his target like a weaponized Frisbee.
You'd think that this would limit Captain America's abilities, but the shield comes back to him much like a boomerang. This is especially handy as it would look rather silly if Captain America threw his shield and had to constantly run to retrieve it during fight scenes.
This can also be used to give his opponents a false sense of security. This was shown when Captain America confronted the Batman villain Bane in the intercompany crossover Marvel Vs. DC. Cap throws his shield, but Bane manages to dodge the attack and points out that Captain America just gave up his primary asset in this fight. Bane is soon hit from behind as the shield makes impact on the return trip.
Not only can it return to its wielder, but the shield also has great potential to ricochet, allowing Captain America to take out a whole squad of mooks with a single throw.
While shields have proven useful in battle time and time again, its status as a defensive item means that it never really comes to mind when talking about weapons. This shield, however, stands out. Not only is it incredibly effective at providing the defense that a good shield should, but it can be used on the other end of battle, giving it a versatility that is hard to come by.
When talking about iconic weapons, especially in comic book circles, someone is sure to mention Captain America's shield. It's become an image just as well known as the "A" on his forehead and acts as the primary weapon of one of the Marvel roster's bigger icons.
The shield itself has gone through many changes. Originally, it was shaped more like a traditional shield before it was changed up to the circular design that many are more familiar with today. With the new design came new details that made it all the more impressive.
Captain America's shield measures out to about 2 ½ feet in diameter and is composed of Vibranium, an indestructible metal that is capable of absorbing vibrations (although in some instances, the shield is made up of a Vibranium-Adamantium alloy). This gives Captain America a great defensive advantage as he can protect himself from any sort of attack that may come his way.
While the shield is resilient to most attacks, it has, on occasion, cracked under pressure. To the shield's credit, every instance was during a confrontation with beings of godlike power. All things considered, that's not too shabby. Of course, being broken by godlike beings usually results in it being repaired by godlike beings, which usually ends up making the thing even more resistant to damage.
While Captain America can, and does, use the shield in hand to hand combat, the circular design also gave it the capability to be used as a ranged weapon. This was accomplished by Captain America throwing the shield at his target like a weaponized Frisbee.
You'd think that this would limit Captain America's abilities, but the shield comes back to him much like a boomerang. This is especially handy as it would look rather silly if Captain America threw his shield and had to constantly run to retrieve it during fight scenes.
This can also be used to give his opponents a false sense of security. This was shown when Captain America confronted the Batman villain Bane in the intercompany crossover Marvel Vs. DC. Cap throws his shield, but Bane manages to dodge the attack and points out that Captain America just gave up his primary asset in this fight. Bane is soon hit from behind as the shield makes impact on the return trip.
Not only can it return to its wielder, but the shield also has great potential to ricochet, allowing Captain America to take out a whole squad of mooks with a single throw.
While shields have proven useful in battle time and time again, its status as a defensive item means that it never really comes to mind when talking about weapons. This shield, however, stands out. Not only is it incredibly effective at providing the defense that a good shield should, but it can be used on the other end of battle, giving it a versatility that is hard to come by.
Superman as a god
*Originally published on 11/30/09
While most Superman stories just feature a straight up superhero adventure, other writers have tried to examine the impact such a being really would have on the world. The DCAU examined the political implications of such a being (as well as a veritable army like the Justice League) and some writers have examined the religious implications, most notably in Kingdom Come as well as Grant Morrison's run on JLA.
It's not difficult to make religious parallels with Superman. His origin story draws very much from the story of Moses, which isn't surprising given that both are Jewish.
What is surprising, and kind of ironic if you think about it, is the Christ parallel that many writers have used for the man of tomorrow. It's not difficult to see really, both were sent to Earth by their fathers from the heavens, both have powers beyond those of mortal men, both were raised in a sort of blue collar working class environment, Jesus being a carpenter's son and Kal-El being raised on a farm, and both dedicated their lives to spreading a positive message of hope to try and make the world a better place.
When Superman died and came back to life back in the '90s that only furthered that parallel. OK, a ton of characters have died and come back to life, and they tried to hand-wave it by saying that Superman wasn't quite dead, only in a sort of coma type state, but the idea still stands that Superman rose from the dead with nary an explanation (until the Superboy prime thing anyway).
Back when Action Comics was a weekly serial comic, they introduced a plot thread in the Superman strips that involved a cult of people who really did worship Superman as a god. Suffice it to say, he wasn't exactly comfortable with it.
This also raises the issue of semantics. I mean, how do you define a god? Take Darkseid for example, he's a creation of Jack Kirby and one of the "New Gods" and yet you could make the argument that he's just a very powerful alien on a planet that may or may not be in another dimension. So where do you draw the line?
I'm not saying this to be blasphemous, it's just one of those metaphysical things that you start to wonder about from time to time.
Moving back to Superman though, the "god" angle has been played up a lot recently. A lot of people complain that that is what he, essentially is and as such there's no connection. On the other side of the spectrum, some fans argue that the angle isn't played up enough. This sentiment is expressed by Batman in Infinite Crisis when he says that the last time Superman inspired anyone was when he died. This is kind of ironic as Batman constantly chides Clark for his power.
I think the problem is that the term "god" refers to both literal examples like Thor or Gozer and metaphorical examples. Thus the term becomes tenuous in instances like this where he is, in a metaphorical sense, a god, but he isn't one in the literal sense.
While most Superman stories just feature a straight up superhero adventure, other writers have tried to examine the impact such a being really would have on the world. The DCAU examined the political implications of such a being (as well as a veritable army like the Justice League) and some writers have examined the religious implications, most notably in Kingdom Come as well as Grant Morrison's run on JLA.
It's not difficult to make religious parallels with Superman. His origin story draws very much from the story of Moses, which isn't surprising given that both are Jewish.
What is surprising, and kind of ironic if you think about it, is the Christ parallel that many writers have used for the man of tomorrow. It's not difficult to see really, both were sent to Earth by their fathers from the heavens, both have powers beyond those of mortal men, both were raised in a sort of blue collar working class environment, Jesus being a carpenter's son and Kal-El being raised on a farm, and both dedicated their lives to spreading a positive message of hope to try and make the world a better place.
When Superman died and came back to life back in the '90s that only furthered that parallel. OK, a ton of characters have died and come back to life, and they tried to hand-wave it by saying that Superman wasn't quite dead, only in a sort of coma type state, but the idea still stands that Superman rose from the dead with nary an explanation (until the Superboy prime thing anyway).
Back when Action Comics was a weekly serial comic, they introduced a plot thread in the Superman strips that involved a cult of people who really did worship Superman as a god. Suffice it to say, he wasn't exactly comfortable with it.
This also raises the issue of semantics. I mean, how do you define a god? Take Darkseid for example, he's a creation of Jack Kirby and one of the "New Gods" and yet you could make the argument that he's just a very powerful alien on a planet that may or may not be in another dimension. So where do you draw the line?
I'm not saying this to be blasphemous, it's just one of those metaphysical things that you start to wonder about from time to time.
Moving back to Superman though, the "god" angle has been played up a lot recently. A lot of people complain that that is what he, essentially is and as such there's no connection. On the other side of the spectrum, some fans argue that the angle isn't played up enough. This sentiment is expressed by Batman in Infinite Crisis when he says that the last time Superman inspired anyone was when he died. This is kind of ironic as Batman constantly chides Clark for his power.
I think the problem is that the term "god" refers to both literal examples like Thor or Gozer and metaphorical examples. Thus the term becomes tenuous in instances like this where he is, in a metaphorical sense, a god, but he isn't one in the literal sense.
Animal Superheroes
*Originally published on 11/5/09
Superheroes have a tendency to enlist sidekicks to aid them in their fight against crime. It will usually be a teenager who they take under their wing to show them the tricks of the trade. The idea was used to give the kids reading someone to identify with, to help them imagine what it would be like to fight alongside characters like Batman and Green Arrow as a superhero. For some reason, the sidekick category soon expanded to animals. Dogs, cats, and other various animals were also introduced. Why? I don't know. It's not like the family dog needs a superhero character to identify with. For whatever reason, animal heroes became huge.
The most well known is Krypto. He's a white dog from Krypton who Jor-El sent in a separate rocket ship. He landed on Earth when Clark was a young boy and he became the family dog. Because Krypto is from Krypton, he too has all the powers of Superman. He can fly, has heat vision and is invulnerable. Given how good Earth dogs can hear, I can only imagine the level of super hearing Krypto has. As silly as it sounds, it worked. This was the golden and silver age, remember, so wackiness was part of the game. Besides, young Clark should have a dog, it fits if you ask me.
This wasn't the only superpowered animal to appear though, oh no, there were others. Just behind Krypto comes Streaky the super cat. OK, I'll buy this one. Cats have their fans and they should get equal treatment as they too make great pets. It's interesting to note that Streaky isn't Kryptonian. Rather, he got exposed to a piece of Kryptonite and the radiation did it (because radiation was the source of all superpowers back then).
That's reasonable, though. You have a dog and a cat. You don't need more animals, right? Wrong. There was a super monkey called Beppo. I'm not even joking. Apparently, Beppo is a Kryptonian monkey who stowed away on Kal-El's ship. Beppo was usually used to bring in some wacky high jinks that would be blamed on the young Clark. Given his ridiculous nature, he was phased out of comic continuity, although he has been referenced on occasion.
But that's not all, oh no, there was also Comet the super horse. Really? They weren't even trying anymore, were they? I'm surprised they didn't introduce the super moose, super cow, super platypus and super chupacabra. You want to hear something that's really disturbing? Supergirl had a romance with Comet ... sort of. Comet acquired the ability to shape-shift, and she dated his human form. It's acceptable on a certain level but still kind of unsettling. Comet is unique in that his powers have nothing to do with Krypton. Instead, his origin is rooted in Greek myth, which you would think would lend itself to Wonder Woman more than Superman, but hey whatever works, I guess.
Superman wasn't the only one with animal sidekicks. Batman, the gritty urban avenger himself, had a canine sidekick as well called Ace the bathound. What's odd is that Batman continually pokes fun at Superman for having a dog sidekick, yet he himself had one. Actually, Batman is worse because he put the dog in a mask to protect his secret identity. OK, it makes sense in the context of Ace's origin, but it's still kind of goofy even if they did manage to come up with a passable explanation. Also, let's not forget that he's teamed up with Scooby-Doo and the mystery gang not once, but twice.
On a random note, I still want to see a DCAU/Scooby Doo crossover where the Kevin Conroy voiced Dark Knight of the animated series teams up with the group to take on the classic Mark Hamill-voiced Joker. That's entertainment.
Back to the topic at hand. Given the similarities to Superman, it's no wonder that Captain Marvel had an animal sidekick. Yes, to aid him, Marvel enlisted Hoppy the Marvel Bunny. As you can tell, they were clearly running out of ideas.
Most of these characters have faded into obscurity. Streaky is still around, though sans superpowers. Really, Krypto is the only one who's managed to stick around. Given the silliness associated with an animal sidekick, you have to admit, that's pretty impressive.
Superheroes have a tendency to enlist sidekicks to aid them in their fight against crime. It will usually be a teenager who they take under their wing to show them the tricks of the trade. The idea was used to give the kids reading someone to identify with, to help them imagine what it would be like to fight alongside characters like Batman and Green Arrow as a superhero. For some reason, the sidekick category soon expanded to animals. Dogs, cats, and other various animals were also introduced. Why? I don't know. It's not like the family dog needs a superhero character to identify with. For whatever reason, animal heroes became huge.
The most well known is Krypto. He's a white dog from Krypton who Jor-El sent in a separate rocket ship. He landed on Earth when Clark was a young boy and he became the family dog. Because Krypto is from Krypton, he too has all the powers of Superman. He can fly, has heat vision and is invulnerable. Given how good Earth dogs can hear, I can only imagine the level of super hearing Krypto has. As silly as it sounds, it worked. This was the golden and silver age, remember, so wackiness was part of the game. Besides, young Clark should have a dog, it fits if you ask me.
This wasn't the only superpowered animal to appear though, oh no, there were others. Just behind Krypto comes Streaky the super cat. OK, I'll buy this one. Cats have their fans and they should get equal treatment as they too make great pets. It's interesting to note that Streaky isn't Kryptonian. Rather, he got exposed to a piece of Kryptonite and the radiation did it (because radiation was the source of all superpowers back then).
That's reasonable, though. You have a dog and a cat. You don't need more animals, right? Wrong. There was a super monkey called Beppo. I'm not even joking. Apparently, Beppo is a Kryptonian monkey who stowed away on Kal-El's ship. Beppo was usually used to bring in some wacky high jinks that would be blamed on the young Clark. Given his ridiculous nature, he was phased out of comic continuity, although he has been referenced on occasion.
But that's not all, oh no, there was also Comet the super horse. Really? They weren't even trying anymore, were they? I'm surprised they didn't introduce the super moose, super cow, super platypus and super chupacabra. You want to hear something that's really disturbing? Supergirl had a romance with Comet ... sort of. Comet acquired the ability to shape-shift, and she dated his human form. It's acceptable on a certain level but still kind of unsettling. Comet is unique in that his powers have nothing to do with Krypton. Instead, his origin is rooted in Greek myth, which you would think would lend itself to Wonder Woman more than Superman, but hey whatever works, I guess.
Superman wasn't the only one with animal sidekicks. Batman, the gritty urban avenger himself, had a canine sidekick as well called Ace the bathound. What's odd is that Batman continually pokes fun at Superman for having a dog sidekick, yet he himself had one. Actually, Batman is worse because he put the dog in a mask to protect his secret identity. OK, it makes sense in the context of Ace's origin, but it's still kind of goofy even if they did manage to come up with a passable explanation. Also, let's not forget that he's teamed up with Scooby-Doo and the mystery gang not once, but twice.
On a random note, I still want to see a DCAU/Scooby Doo crossover where the Kevin Conroy voiced Dark Knight of the animated series teams up with the group to take on the classic Mark Hamill-voiced Joker. That's entertainment.
Back to the topic at hand. Given the similarities to Superman, it's no wonder that Captain Marvel had an animal sidekick. Yes, to aid him, Marvel enlisted Hoppy the Marvel Bunny. As you can tell, they were clearly running out of ideas.
Most of these characters have faded into obscurity. Streaky is still around, though sans superpowers. Really, Krypto is the only one who's managed to stick around. Given the silliness associated with an animal sidekick, you have to admit, that's pretty impressive.
Friday, November 21, 2014
The Best in Fictional Weaponry: The Arsenal of Wonder Woman
*Originally published on 2/27/12
Superman has his heat vision and Batman may have his batarangs, but Wonder Woman (the third in DC's big superhero trinity) has an array of weapons at her disposal. It's fitting as she is an Amazon warrior.
Perhaps her most iconic weapon is her lasso of truth. No being bound by it can escape its grip and the rope itself is unbreakable. Well, OK, it's broken in the comics, but very bad things tend to happen as a result and those circumstances are incredibly rare. More than that though, whoever comes into contact with the lasso is magically compelled to tell the truth. This comes in handy when trying to get information regarding the latest super villain plot. It used to also grant the bearer the power of mind control over those who were bound by it, but this ability was phased out over time.
In addition to the lasso, Wonder Woman wears two gauntlets on her wrists that allow her to deflect bullets, lasers, and the like. She even uses them to protect herself when being attacked by someone wielding a bladed weapon. Despite being leveled up to be on par with Superman, she still keeps them as, while she can take a lot of punishment in a super powered fist fight, she is still vulnerable to certain weapons and can be harmed by them.
Interestingly enough, the gauntlets have some offensive capabilities as well. If Wonder Woman slams them together, they will create a concussive wave that is capable of making Superman's ears bleed.
For a while, Wonder Woman used her trademark tiara as a weapon, but that was more in the Golden and Silver Age. She used to throw it like a boomerang to knock out enemies and could also use it like a dagger when the situation called for it. She will occasionally still use it, though it is usually intended as a throwback. Really, once she started wielding a sword forged by Hephaestus capable of shaving the electrons off of an atom, the tiara became a bit obsolete.
Wonder Woman also has her own invisible jet. Contrary to popular portrayal, Wonder Woman herself is also rendered invisible when sitting inside it. You don't just see a sitting Wonder Woman hovering around the planet. It was thought that the jet would be phased out as Wonder Woman was later given the power of flight, but she still uses it for longer trips and the stealth capabilities do come in handy.
For a time, Wonder Woman also utilized other mystical knick knacks, such as the sandals of Hermes, which granted her great speed and flight and the gauntlets of Atlas, which gave her enhanced strength. She later passed these on to Wonder Girl (presumably because she acquired these abilities outright, making them redundant).
While none of these weapons on their own may stand out as particularly impressive compared to other weapons discussed, when put together, the sum becomes greater than its parts. Wonder Woman is a formidable hero in her own right, but having these resources at her disposal certainly helps a great deal.
Superman has his heat vision and Batman may have his batarangs, but Wonder Woman (the third in DC's big superhero trinity) has an array of weapons at her disposal. It's fitting as she is an Amazon warrior.
Perhaps her most iconic weapon is her lasso of truth. No being bound by it can escape its grip and the rope itself is unbreakable. Well, OK, it's broken in the comics, but very bad things tend to happen as a result and those circumstances are incredibly rare. More than that though, whoever comes into contact with the lasso is magically compelled to tell the truth. This comes in handy when trying to get information regarding the latest super villain plot. It used to also grant the bearer the power of mind control over those who were bound by it, but this ability was phased out over time.
In addition to the lasso, Wonder Woman wears two gauntlets on her wrists that allow her to deflect bullets, lasers, and the like. She even uses them to protect herself when being attacked by someone wielding a bladed weapon. Despite being leveled up to be on par with Superman, she still keeps them as, while she can take a lot of punishment in a super powered fist fight, she is still vulnerable to certain weapons and can be harmed by them.
Interestingly enough, the gauntlets have some offensive capabilities as well. If Wonder Woman slams them together, they will create a concussive wave that is capable of making Superman's ears bleed.
For a while, Wonder Woman used her trademark tiara as a weapon, but that was more in the Golden and Silver Age. She used to throw it like a boomerang to knock out enemies and could also use it like a dagger when the situation called for it. She will occasionally still use it, though it is usually intended as a throwback. Really, once she started wielding a sword forged by Hephaestus capable of shaving the electrons off of an atom, the tiara became a bit obsolete.
Wonder Woman also has her own invisible jet. Contrary to popular portrayal, Wonder Woman herself is also rendered invisible when sitting inside it. You don't just see a sitting Wonder Woman hovering around the planet. It was thought that the jet would be phased out as Wonder Woman was later given the power of flight, but she still uses it for longer trips and the stealth capabilities do come in handy.
For a time, Wonder Woman also utilized other mystical knick knacks, such as the sandals of Hermes, which granted her great speed and flight and the gauntlets of Atlas, which gave her enhanced strength. She later passed these on to Wonder Girl (presumably because she acquired these abilities outright, making them redundant).
While none of these weapons on their own may stand out as particularly impressive compared to other weapons discussed, when put together, the sum becomes greater than its parts. Wonder Woman is a formidable hero in her own right, but having these resources at her disposal certainly helps a great deal.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
What Would Marvel's "New 52" Look Like?
*Originally published on 9/26/11
In September of 2011, DC Comics scrapped it's ongoing continuity in favor of a company wide relaunch dubbed the "new 52" as it consists of 52 ongoing titles. This was done in an effort to draw in new readers and shake up the status quo. While the reviews for the series are hit or miss (which, all things considered isn't that surprising), it does seem to have yielded the desired results as far as sales are concerned.
Seeing as Marvel and DC seem to mimic each other when it comes to certain aspects of plot or continuity (seriously, look at the recent story arcs for Batman and Captain America, it's eerie), I can't help but wonder what a "new 52" would look like under the Marvel banner.
Now, I've said before that I'm a DC guy, but there's plenty of stuff in the Marvel line to get behind. Honestly, I wouldn't mind branching out into the Marvel Universe, so who knows? Maybe it could work for them as well. I thought I would compose a list of titles that could work out rather well for them. As these are titles that stick to the "mainstream" continuity, books like the Ultimate line, the Marvel Zombies series, or the Stephen King based titles (namely The Stand and The Dark Tower) won't be factored in, but I will assume that they will continue to be published as they have been. With that being said, let's get on with my list of Marvel's hypothetical "new 52" titles.
1. The Amazing Spider-Man
As one of Marvel's most prominent and well liked characters, it should come as no surprise that Spidey will have an ongoing title.
2. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
I really tried to avoid flooding the list with multiple titles surrounding the same character. If there's one problem I have with comics, it is that certain characters have way too many ongoings. However, I do understand wanting to push the more popular characters and two titles isn't that outlandish, so I kept that as a self imposed limit when composing this list.
3. X-Men
4. Uncanny X-Men
These were actually the titles that got me into comics. Back in the day, it was just these two titles. After I left, all the titles got swapped, new titles were added, and it became a mess. I think the franchise would benefit from a streamlining. As said before, flooding the market with similar titles only adds to the confusion and makes it harder for new readers to jump on.
5. Iron Man
While Civil War turned the character into something of a strawman, the character has gained a certain amount of popularity with the recent movies starring Robert Downey Jr. He has also lasted decades and gotten enough exposure to get a few animated series of his own as well as an anime.
6. Captain America
Marvel tends to go for more relatable heroes, where DC tends to go for the iconic. Cap, on the other hand, does lean more twoards the latter. He's a symbol for justice, liberty and peace. Some argue that he's too jingoistic, but really, upon reading about the character, you find that it isn't the case. Like Iron Man, Cap has recently made it to the big screen. His recent run under Ed Brubaker has also been highly regarded. As such, giving readers a jumping on point would be a great way to give him more mainstream exposure so that he can become the icon that he should be.
7. The Mighty Thor
Here's another hero who has benefitted from a recent big screen outing. Despite people saying that he would be the hardest to translate, it performed well enough to warrant a sequel after the upcoming Avengers film. He's an interesting character with a whole mythos behind him, being part of a pantheon of gods. It would give those into high fantasy a book to check out and it would make for a more optimistic book to contrast with a lot of the "grim and gritty" series out there.
8. The Incredible Hulk
People want to see Hulk smash, this book will let them see just that. Nothing more needs to be said.
9. She-Hulk
While one would think that she was just a distaff counterpart, She-Hulk has developed into her own character. She's smart, capable, and her series is more light hearted, allowing for the kind of fun you don't see in comics that often these days.
10. Spider-Woman
11. The Incredible Hercules
From what I recall, this series was used as a "Hulk" substitute back when Hulk was shipped off to another planet (long story). It was pretty well regarded, and was another "fun" title. While Hulk is back on Earth, there's no reason he couldn't use the exposure as a springboard to his own series.
12. Deadpool
You really can't go wrong with the Merc with a Mouth. His comics are zany as a result of his insanity and the result is a highly enjoyable read.
13. Deadpool Team-Up
This title would act as a Marvel counterpart to DC's The Brave and the Bold (in some iterations anyway), only instead of Batman, it would be Deadpool acting as the constant as part of a semi-rotating cast. Deadpool has become rather popular and he develops great interactions with other characters, allowing for some good comedy. I considered adding "Cable and Deadpool" to the list, but wanted to avoid adding too much Deadpool. I figure that Cable could be a recurring guest star, allowing this to carry on the title in spirit.
14. Black Panther
Here's a character that I've become somewhat intrigued by. From what I've read, he's a bit of a Gary Stu and I'm not too fond of the "we have the cure for cancer, but refuse to share it" plot point, but I figure we can retcon that out. As the character is being relaunched, we can tone down the Stuish traits, but still portray him as a strong leader and a capable hero.
15. Namor the Sub-Mariner
Contrary to what you may think, this character is actually highly regarded by comicdom. I wouldn't have thought it either, had I not read it myself. Between the pointy ears and the green speedo, he seemed like an inevitable joke. Instead, people say that he's something of a badass. For as long as the character has been present in the Marvel Universe, he hasn't had an ongoing recently (at least judging by the few trades I could find on Amazon). Let's see what makes this character work so well and showcase why people stand by him to the extent that they do.
16. Doctor Strange
He's the Sorcerer Supreme, what more needs to be said? There are tons of story oppurtunities that can be taken advantage of with an ongoing featuring Marvel's resident master of the mystic arts.
17. The Defenders
This is a Marvel team that consists of Hulk, Doctor Strange, and Namor. The stories can range from serious and dramatic, to more lighthearted and comedic. The small cast allows for a focus on character, and the team is formidable enough that you could tell some epic stories.
18. Howard the Duck
Oh, you read that right. Granted I, along with most people, immediately think of the cinematic flop (which, to be fair leans more towards the "so bad it's good" side). However, the comics were rather well written, clever, and funny. Howard is a very sympathetic character and you can make all sorts of social commentary with this comic book while providing an entertaining series for the readers.
19. Mrs. Marvel (Carol Danvers)
I'll admit that I don't know a lot about this character, but she is a strong character who has served on the Avengers for quite some time and did have her own ongoing not too long ago. With both companies trying to provide a more diverse cast, it would make sense to go through the roster of already existing characters to bring a bit of flavor to the comic racks.
20. Fantastic Four
I hate Reed Richards, but this team is one of Marvel's long runners. They have endured as popular characters for decades and, as such, it makes perfect sense to feature them in the new line up. Besides, it gives us Dr. Doom, and he's one of the best villains out there.
21. The Avengers
Just as DC has the Justice League, so too does Marvel have the Avengers, a series that features all of the universe's biggest heroes teaming up to take on larger threats. It would give new readers a way to get acquainted to several characters at once and allow for some epic stories.
22. Nick Fury: Agent of Shield
Nick Fury is a gruff, no nonsense, cigar smoking, one eyed badass who leads an entire organization to fight nefarious forces. It would make for a cool "spy" series that gives readers a break from all of the superheroes. I like the superheroes, but a little variety never hurt anyone.
23.The Howling Commandos
The Howling Commandos were a squad of international soldiers who fought during WW2. Incidently, they were lead by none other than Nick Fury. While it would be cool to see him there, at this point, it would be hard to believe that Fury would be active during WW2 and still active today (unless he somehow got frozen like Cap did). However, Cap and Logan could pop up from time to time for cameos as they were both active at that time.
24. Moon Knight
25. Daredevil
By day, Matt Murdock is a District Attorney, but at night, he dons the guise of Daredevil, gritty vigilante who protects the innocent in Hell's Kitchen. He's gained some exposure due to various cartoons and a movie (which kind of bombed, but that's beside the point). He's become rather popular and manages to balance grittiness with strong character development and solid writing.
26. The Punisher
One would think that Frank Castle is a two-dimensional character. A standard gun-toting vigilante who kills those who would kill others. As it turns out, when given the right staff, he makes for compelling stories. I don't know if Marvel still has it's "Max" imprint, but if it doesn't, it should be made clear that this is a title for mature readers as it does have its fair share of gore and violence.
27. The Silver Surfer
Now, we go into the cosmic side of Marvel. I only know the gist of Silver Surfer, he agreed to become the herald of the planet eating Galactus in order to spare his world. He later rebelled and now fights against his former master. The character has been a Marvel staple for some time. You would think that it would get redundant, but from what I've heard, the writers have managed to avoid that and churned out some really strong stories.
28. Blade
This Human/Vampire human hybrid hunts other bloodsuckers. Blade has gained some popularity, getting his own movie trilogy, a live action series, and appearing in other media adaptations. He's a cool character and there's a lot you can do with a solo ongoing. This would somewhat cash in on the vampire "craze", but it would be a darker, more serious iteration. Much like Punisher, this is a book for older readers as I imagine there would be some pretty graphic imagery, what with Blade slicing and dicing vampires left and right.
29. Luke Cage
30. Venom
31. Electra
32. Hawkeye
33. Captain Marvel
Sadly, I am not referring to the big red cheese, as he's a DC guy. Though they do share a name, that's about the extent of their similarity.
34. The Sentry
From what I recall, this character was supposed to be an "expy" of Superman. Beyond that, I don't know much about the character, I'm sad to say.
35. Alpha Flight
This was the team of Canadian superheroes that Logan joined shortly after his procedure. As far as I know, they are still active. They've got some interesting characters and it would be nice to have a title that doesn't take place in New York.
36. Ghost Rider
OK, the movie was terrible (and it somehow got a sequel), but you could make a pretty cool series about this guy. He does fight against the freaking devil, so you know you've got a noteworthy villain. His whole "biker" schtick may be a bit corny, but it could still be pulled off well.
37. Winter Soldier
When it was announced that Bucky, Captain America's WW2 sidekick, was coming back, I groaned. Shockingly enough, his return has made for some great stories and it all ended up working out rather well. So, why not capitalize on that by giving him a title under his new nom de guerre?
38. Runaways
I have not read this series, but I have heard very good things about it. I wouldn't mind checking it out.
39. Black Widow
Black Widow is a Russian spy who often works with Nick Fury. Her allegiances are unknown as she seems to constantly switch up who she's working with. An ongoing would make for another espionage title while also giving us more insight into this character
40. The Immortal Iron Fist
41. The Inhumans
42. The Irredeemable Ant-Man
I have no idea how people take this character seriously. The fact that Marvel is so eager to make a movie about him just confuses me. Nevertheless, he is a long standing character and he does have something of a fandom. As such, it would make sense to utilize that by showcasing him in his own book.
43. Marvel Team Up
This would be another "Brave and the Bold" style book, only this gives you more freedom as you could pair up any two heroes together for quick "one and done" stories that allow readers to get introduced to some of the lesser known characters in the Marvel Universe
44. Morbius: The Living Vampire
45. Falcon
46. Wolverine
I was hesitant to throw this title on there as we already had two X-Men titles, but 52 spots is a lot harder to fill than you would think. He is a popular character and it probably would sell like hot cakes. As such, I figure, what the heck?
47. Squirrel Girl
48. X-23
49. Spider-Girl
50. Thunderbolts
51. Captain Britain
52. Exiles
I'll admit, I was having trouble coming up with titles as 52 is a far larger number than you might think. I'm not familiar with a lot of these guys to be honest, but then again, maybe that's the point of it all. By giving these B and C list characters a solo title, it would allow newbies like me to jump on and learn about who they are.
In September of 2011, DC Comics scrapped it's ongoing continuity in favor of a company wide relaunch dubbed the "new 52" as it consists of 52 ongoing titles. This was done in an effort to draw in new readers and shake up the status quo. While the reviews for the series are hit or miss (which, all things considered isn't that surprising), it does seem to have yielded the desired results as far as sales are concerned.
Seeing as Marvel and DC seem to mimic each other when it comes to certain aspects of plot or continuity (seriously, look at the recent story arcs for Batman and Captain America, it's eerie), I can't help but wonder what a "new 52" would look like under the Marvel banner.
Now, I've said before that I'm a DC guy, but there's plenty of stuff in the Marvel line to get behind. Honestly, I wouldn't mind branching out into the Marvel Universe, so who knows? Maybe it could work for them as well. I thought I would compose a list of titles that could work out rather well for them. As these are titles that stick to the "mainstream" continuity, books like the Ultimate line, the Marvel Zombies series, or the Stephen King based titles (namely The Stand and The Dark Tower) won't be factored in, but I will assume that they will continue to be published as they have been. With that being said, let's get on with my list of Marvel's hypothetical "new 52" titles.
1. The Amazing Spider-Man
As one of Marvel's most prominent and well liked characters, it should come as no surprise that Spidey will have an ongoing title.
2. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man
I really tried to avoid flooding the list with multiple titles surrounding the same character. If there's one problem I have with comics, it is that certain characters have way too many ongoings. However, I do understand wanting to push the more popular characters and two titles isn't that outlandish, so I kept that as a self imposed limit when composing this list.
3. X-Men
4. Uncanny X-Men
These were actually the titles that got me into comics. Back in the day, it was just these two titles. After I left, all the titles got swapped, new titles were added, and it became a mess. I think the franchise would benefit from a streamlining. As said before, flooding the market with similar titles only adds to the confusion and makes it harder for new readers to jump on.
5. Iron Man
While Civil War turned the character into something of a strawman, the character has gained a certain amount of popularity with the recent movies starring Robert Downey Jr. He has also lasted decades and gotten enough exposure to get a few animated series of his own as well as an anime.
6. Captain America
Marvel tends to go for more relatable heroes, where DC tends to go for the iconic. Cap, on the other hand, does lean more twoards the latter. He's a symbol for justice, liberty and peace. Some argue that he's too jingoistic, but really, upon reading about the character, you find that it isn't the case. Like Iron Man, Cap has recently made it to the big screen. His recent run under Ed Brubaker has also been highly regarded. As such, giving readers a jumping on point would be a great way to give him more mainstream exposure so that he can become the icon that he should be.
7. The Mighty Thor
Here's another hero who has benefitted from a recent big screen outing. Despite people saying that he would be the hardest to translate, it performed well enough to warrant a sequel after the upcoming Avengers film. He's an interesting character with a whole mythos behind him, being part of a pantheon of gods. It would give those into high fantasy a book to check out and it would make for a more optimistic book to contrast with a lot of the "grim and gritty" series out there.
8. The Incredible Hulk
People want to see Hulk smash, this book will let them see just that. Nothing more needs to be said.
9. She-Hulk
While one would think that she was just a distaff counterpart, She-Hulk has developed into her own character. She's smart, capable, and her series is more light hearted, allowing for the kind of fun you don't see in comics that often these days.
10. Spider-Woman
11. The Incredible Hercules
From what I recall, this series was used as a "Hulk" substitute back when Hulk was shipped off to another planet (long story). It was pretty well regarded, and was another "fun" title. While Hulk is back on Earth, there's no reason he couldn't use the exposure as a springboard to his own series.
12. Deadpool
You really can't go wrong with the Merc with a Mouth. His comics are zany as a result of his insanity and the result is a highly enjoyable read.
13. Deadpool Team-Up
This title would act as a Marvel counterpart to DC's The Brave and the Bold (in some iterations anyway), only instead of Batman, it would be Deadpool acting as the constant as part of a semi-rotating cast. Deadpool has become rather popular and he develops great interactions with other characters, allowing for some good comedy. I considered adding "Cable and Deadpool" to the list, but wanted to avoid adding too much Deadpool. I figure that Cable could be a recurring guest star, allowing this to carry on the title in spirit.
14. Black Panther
Here's a character that I've become somewhat intrigued by. From what I've read, he's a bit of a Gary Stu and I'm not too fond of the "we have the cure for cancer, but refuse to share it" plot point, but I figure we can retcon that out. As the character is being relaunched, we can tone down the Stuish traits, but still portray him as a strong leader and a capable hero.
15. Namor the Sub-Mariner
Contrary to what you may think, this character is actually highly regarded by comicdom. I wouldn't have thought it either, had I not read it myself. Between the pointy ears and the green speedo, he seemed like an inevitable joke. Instead, people say that he's something of a badass. For as long as the character has been present in the Marvel Universe, he hasn't had an ongoing recently (at least judging by the few trades I could find on Amazon). Let's see what makes this character work so well and showcase why people stand by him to the extent that they do.
16. Doctor Strange
He's the Sorcerer Supreme, what more needs to be said? There are tons of story oppurtunities that can be taken advantage of with an ongoing featuring Marvel's resident master of the mystic arts.
17. The Defenders
This is a Marvel team that consists of Hulk, Doctor Strange, and Namor. The stories can range from serious and dramatic, to more lighthearted and comedic. The small cast allows for a focus on character, and the team is formidable enough that you could tell some epic stories.
18. Howard the Duck
Oh, you read that right. Granted I, along with most people, immediately think of the cinematic flop (which, to be fair leans more towards the "so bad it's good" side). However, the comics were rather well written, clever, and funny. Howard is a very sympathetic character and you can make all sorts of social commentary with this comic book while providing an entertaining series for the readers.
19. Mrs. Marvel (Carol Danvers)
I'll admit that I don't know a lot about this character, but she is a strong character who has served on the Avengers for quite some time and did have her own ongoing not too long ago. With both companies trying to provide a more diverse cast, it would make sense to go through the roster of already existing characters to bring a bit of flavor to the comic racks.
20. Fantastic Four
I hate Reed Richards, but this team is one of Marvel's long runners. They have endured as popular characters for decades and, as such, it makes perfect sense to feature them in the new line up. Besides, it gives us Dr. Doom, and he's one of the best villains out there.
21. The Avengers
Just as DC has the Justice League, so too does Marvel have the Avengers, a series that features all of the universe's biggest heroes teaming up to take on larger threats. It would give new readers a way to get acquainted to several characters at once and allow for some epic stories.
22. Nick Fury: Agent of Shield
Nick Fury is a gruff, no nonsense, cigar smoking, one eyed badass who leads an entire organization to fight nefarious forces. It would make for a cool "spy" series that gives readers a break from all of the superheroes. I like the superheroes, but a little variety never hurt anyone.
23.The Howling Commandos
The Howling Commandos were a squad of international soldiers who fought during WW2. Incidently, they were lead by none other than Nick Fury. While it would be cool to see him there, at this point, it would be hard to believe that Fury would be active during WW2 and still active today (unless he somehow got frozen like Cap did). However, Cap and Logan could pop up from time to time for cameos as they were both active at that time.
24. Moon Knight
25. Daredevil
By day, Matt Murdock is a District Attorney, but at night, he dons the guise of Daredevil, gritty vigilante who protects the innocent in Hell's Kitchen. He's gained some exposure due to various cartoons and a movie (which kind of bombed, but that's beside the point). He's become rather popular and manages to balance grittiness with strong character development and solid writing.
26. The Punisher
One would think that Frank Castle is a two-dimensional character. A standard gun-toting vigilante who kills those who would kill others. As it turns out, when given the right staff, he makes for compelling stories. I don't know if Marvel still has it's "Max" imprint, but if it doesn't, it should be made clear that this is a title for mature readers as it does have its fair share of gore and violence.
27. The Silver Surfer
Now, we go into the cosmic side of Marvel. I only know the gist of Silver Surfer, he agreed to become the herald of the planet eating Galactus in order to spare his world. He later rebelled and now fights against his former master. The character has been a Marvel staple for some time. You would think that it would get redundant, but from what I've heard, the writers have managed to avoid that and churned out some really strong stories.
28. Blade
This Human/Vampire human hybrid hunts other bloodsuckers. Blade has gained some popularity, getting his own movie trilogy, a live action series, and appearing in other media adaptations. He's a cool character and there's a lot you can do with a solo ongoing. This would somewhat cash in on the vampire "craze", but it would be a darker, more serious iteration. Much like Punisher, this is a book for older readers as I imagine there would be some pretty graphic imagery, what with Blade slicing and dicing vampires left and right.
29. Luke Cage
30. Venom
31. Electra
32. Hawkeye
33. Captain Marvel
Sadly, I am not referring to the big red cheese, as he's a DC guy. Though they do share a name, that's about the extent of their similarity.
34. The Sentry
From what I recall, this character was supposed to be an "expy" of Superman. Beyond that, I don't know much about the character, I'm sad to say.
35. Alpha Flight
This was the team of Canadian superheroes that Logan joined shortly after his procedure. As far as I know, they are still active. They've got some interesting characters and it would be nice to have a title that doesn't take place in New York.
36. Ghost Rider
OK, the movie was terrible (and it somehow got a sequel), but you could make a pretty cool series about this guy. He does fight against the freaking devil, so you know you've got a noteworthy villain. His whole "biker" schtick may be a bit corny, but it could still be pulled off well.
37. Winter Soldier
When it was announced that Bucky, Captain America's WW2 sidekick, was coming back, I groaned. Shockingly enough, his return has made for some great stories and it all ended up working out rather well. So, why not capitalize on that by giving him a title under his new nom de guerre?
38. Runaways
I have not read this series, but I have heard very good things about it. I wouldn't mind checking it out.
39. Black Widow
Black Widow is a Russian spy who often works with Nick Fury. Her allegiances are unknown as she seems to constantly switch up who she's working with. An ongoing would make for another espionage title while also giving us more insight into this character
40. The Immortal Iron Fist
41. The Inhumans
42. The Irredeemable Ant-Man
I have no idea how people take this character seriously. The fact that Marvel is so eager to make a movie about him just confuses me. Nevertheless, he is a long standing character and he does have something of a fandom. As such, it would make sense to utilize that by showcasing him in his own book.
43. Marvel Team Up
This would be another "Brave and the Bold" style book, only this gives you more freedom as you could pair up any two heroes together for quick "one and done" stories that allow readers to get introduced to some of the lesser known characters in the Marvel Universe
44. Morbius: The Living Vampire
45. Falcon
46. Wolverine
I was hesitant to throw this title on there as we already had two X-Men titles, but 52 spots is a lot harder to fill than you would think. He is a popular character and it probably would sell like hot cakes. As such, I figure, what the heck?
47. Squirrel Girl
48. X-23
49. Spider-Girl
50. Thunderbolts
51. Captain Britain
52. Exiles
I'll admit, I was having trouble coming up with titles as 52 is a far larger number than you might think. I'm not familiar with a lot of these guys to be honest, but then again, maybe that's the point of it all. By giving these B and C list characters a solo title, it would allow newbies like me to jump on and learn about who they are.
Top 5 Comics That Deserve the Omnibus Treatment
Comics can be daunting to newcomers. A lot of series go back for years, if not decades. That's a lot of material to try to hunt down if you're just getting started. The fact that some issues are hard to find or out of print doesn't help matters. One way that comic companies have tried to help ease new readers into a series is with trade paperbacks that collect several issues, or sometimes even an entire story arc, into one book. While this has proven helpful, six to twelve issues can still be ineffective when it comes to collecting series that have been going on for hundreds of issues. As such, the ante has been upped with what are called "omnibus" editions, these collect several years worth of comics (usually 30-50 issues) and bring it into one door-stopper sized volume.
We've seen it with series like "The Walking Dead", Brubaker's run on "Captain America", and even the long running comic strip, "Bone" has been collected into one complete collection. They are becoming a more common occurrence, but there are still series that still haven't been omnibus..ized? Despite lengthy runs. Submitted for your approval, my picks for five series that should be collected in the omnibus format.
1. Hellblazer
Quite frankly, I'm surprised that this hasn't already been collected in omnibus form. The series has been going on for so long that even trying to collect the series in trade format will take you a while. Even worse is the fact that the trades are missing some issues. Collecting the series in giant compendiums will make it easier for newcomers to get immersed in John Constantine's world and it will give publishers a chance to get the issues that were skipped the last time around collected so that readers can enjoy them without having to deal with the hassle of hunting down a rare copy.
2. Our Worlds at War
This isn't a "series" per se, as it's an epic story arc. It was similar to "Blackest Night" in the sense that while it centered on a specific superhero (Superman here compared to Green Lantern's "Blackest Night"), it had ramifications that affected the entire DC Universe. It's true that the series has been collected in trade, but a lot of the peripheral issues were glossed over in favor of collecting the "core" issues. It makes sense from a certain perspective, but it leads to some hiccups here and there. An omnibus will allow readers to enjoy the story in its entirety.
3. Preacher
While this comic is similar to "Hellblazer" in terms of tone, it is different enough to stand on its own. It's true that the entire series has been collected into nine rather convenient trades, it couldn't hurt to collect the entire series into one or two doorstopper tomes.
4. Blackest Night
I alluded to this earlier, but now that I think about it, this series should be collected as well. The trades collected each mini-series, which seems like the most convenient way to go about it, but at the same time, the way events unfold, it can become confusing. An omnibus can collect the issues in the order that they were meant to be read, making for a much smoother read. As the individual trades would still be available, readers would be able to have their cake and eat it too, as it were with collections that contain a single mini-series and a collection that allows you to enjoy the entire event from start to finish.
5. Transmetropolitan
Admittedly, I haven't read this series, but it is held in high regard by many. Like "Hellblazer" and "The Walking Dead", this is a series that has enough issues where even trying to collect the trades can be intimidating. Being able to collect a larger chunk of the series in a massive volume would make it easier for new readers to get up to speed.
With more and more series being given the omnibus treatment, these are a few titles that I think are worth considering.
Tuesday, November 18, 2014
Wonder Woman's Rogues Gallery
*Originally published on 5/10/10
We've talked about Batman's rogues gallery as well as Superman's, so I figure it's time we talk about the villains who threaten the last of DC Comics' big three, Wonder Woman. While her rogues gallery lacks the punch of the two aforementioned heroes, there are still a few good villains of note. In fact, one theory as to why Wonder Woman doesn't get as much respect as the others is because she lacks memorable villains. Efforts have been made recently to remedy this.
The most recent addition to Wonder Woman's rogues gallery is a monster by the name of Genocide. This creature appeared during Gail Simone's run and has proven capable of besting the Amazon warrior, as well as the rest of the Justice League in combat. The monster even manages to steal Diana's lasso of truth to use against them. I won't go into the details of the creature's background, for that you'll have to pick up the comics, but rest assured, Genocide has the potential to be an iconic Wonder Woman villain.
Taking a cue from Diana's roots in Greek mythology, Circe has become a recurring foe for the Princess of the Amazons. Classic literature fans will note that a character with the same name appeared in The Odyssey. While the villain is certainly based on the older version, I can't say for certain whether it's supposed to be the same character. Really, it's just splitting hairs as the comic character displays the same powers, turning people into animals as well as being capable of casting other spells.
Wonder Woman's biggest enemy is probably Ares, God of War. He stands as the opposite of Diana in many respects. In some continuities, it is because of him that the women of Themiscyra have such a low opinion of men. Furthermore, as a being who desires to bring war, he stands against Diana's role as an ambassador and bringer of peace.
One of the more mainstream Wonder Woman villains is the Cheetah. Originally, the Cheetah was just a woman who donned a costume, making her a carbon copy of Catwoman. The more recent incarnation is a result of genetic engineering. With superhuman strength, she now has the capability to go toe to toe with Wonder Woman, who has strength on par with Superman.
Giganta is also a big thorn in Diana's side, and I do mean that literally. While I was familiar with the character (she appears in both Superfriends and the more recent Justice League animated series, I didn't know that she was a Wonder Woman villain. The original Giganta was a gorilla who was evolved by Professor Zool (isn't he a minion of Gozer?). This was retconned and her origin was tweaked. Instead, a Dr. Zuel (seriously, where's Vinz Clortho?) tried to perform an experiment on herself and botched it when Wonder Girl got in the way. She transferred her essence to a gorilla and then to a circus strong-woman.
As you can see, Diana's roster of villains isn't quite as beefed up as Batman's or Superman's. It's a problem that's being addressed. While there are certainly other villains that Diana has faced, those are the biggest of the recurring foes. It's getting better, but a few more iconic villains certainly couldn't hurt.
We've talked about Batman's rogues gallery as well as Superman's, so I figure it's time we talk about the villains who threaten the last of DC Comics' big three, Wonder Woman. While her rogues gallery lacks the punch of the two aforementioned heroes, there are still a few good villains of note. In fact, one theory as to why Wonder Woman doesn't get as much respect as the others is because she lacks memorable villains. Efforts have been made recently to remedy this.
The most recent addition to Wonder Woman's rogues gallery is a monster by the name of Genocide. This creature appeared during Gail Simone's run and has proven capable of besting the Amazon warrior, as well as the rest of the Justice League in combat. The monster even manages to steal Diana's lasso of truth to use against them. I won't go into the details of the creature's background, for that you'll have to pick up the comics, but rest assured, Genocide has the potential to be an iconic Wonder Woman villain.
Taking a cue from Diana's roots in Greek mythology, Circe has become a recurring foe for the Princess of the Amazons. Classic literature fans will note that a character with the same name appeared in The Odyssey. While the villain is certainly based on the older version, I can't say for certain whether it's supposed to be the same character. Really, it's just splitting hairs as the comic character displays the same powers, turning people into animals as well as being capable of casting other spells.
Wonder Woman's biggest enemy is probably Ares, God of War. He stands as the opposite of Diana in many respects. In some continuities, it is because of him that the women of Themiscyra have such a low opinion of men. Furthermore, as a being who desires to bring war, he stands against Diana's role as an ambassador and bringer of peace.
One of the more mainstream Wonder Woman villains is the Cheetah. Originally, the Cheetah was just a woman who donned a costume, making her a carbon copy of Catwoman. The more recent incarnation is a result of genetic engineering. With superhuman strength, she now has the capability to go toe to toe with Wonder Woman, who has strength on par with Superman.
Giganta is also a big thorn in Diana's side, and I do mean that literally. While I was familiar with the character (she appears in both Superfriends and the more recent Justice League animated series, I didn't know that she was a Wonder Woman villain. The original Giganta was a gorilla who was evolved by Professor Zool (isn't he a minion of Gozer?). This was retconned and her origin was tweaked. Instead, a Dr. Zuel (seriously, where's Vinz Clortho?) tried to perform an experiment on herself and botched it when Wonder Girl got in the way. She transferred her essence to a gorilla and then to a circus strong-woman.
As you can see, Diana's roster of villains isn't quite as beefed up as Batman's or Superman's. It's a problem that's being addressed. While there are certainly other villains that Diana has faced, those are the biggest of the recurring foes. It's getting better, but a few more iconic villains certainly couldn't hurt.
Comic Writers vs. Comic Fans
*Originally published on 5/4/10
Over the years, there's been a divide between comic book writers and comic book fans. You would think that in a medium as ghettoized as comics, that the two would come together to celebrate all that is great about the medium. Instead, the two choose to go at each other like siblings trapped in the back seat during a long car ride.
It can't be said for certain when, exactly, this little spat began, but one of the major ones was DC's decision to kill off Hal Jordan, wipe out the Corps and replace it with Kyle Rayner. There were backlashes before, take Wonder Woman being depowered for example (even though superheroes lose their powers all the time, taking hers away was sexist) but never before had the fans so quickly turned on the writers.
Now, Kyle was eventually fleshed out and became a well regarded Lantern in his own right. Heck, in Rebirth, which featured Hal's return as well as the rise of a new Green Lantern Corps, Hal payed Kyle the proper respect and the two even shook hands in a splash page.
You would think that having both Lanterns active and well written would squash the debate and allow all fans to be happy. You would be mistaken, I don't know how, or why, but the Hal/Kyle fanwar continues to this day. It's mind boggling.
You can't even write this off as an isolated incident as there are fan uproars across comic book fandom. Writers have decided to fight back and have often lashed out at fans. Nothing violent, but it's pretty clear that they don't think much of their fanbase.
When discussing the oft maligned One More Day arc in Spider-Man, Marvel editor Joe Quesada pretty much stated that comic readers couldn't relate to Peter because he was successful and happily married. As a way to combat this, Joe ordered that Peter lose his marriage and move back in with his aunt.
When DC re-introduced pre-Crisis characters for Infinite Crisis, Superboy-Prime was turned into a whiny brat who wasn't happy with the DC Universe as it stood and wanted to alter reality to fit his idea of a perfect DC world. So, basically, it was an unsubtle jab at the fans who often complained about how the DC Universe was turning out.
I'm not too familiar with Mark Millar's comic work, but I did see the two films based on his comic book properties, Wanted and Kick-Ass. While in both cases, a lot of things were changed (for better or worse is in the eye of the beholder, one thing that remained was a not so subtle sense of contempt for the audience.
The first movie ends with the main character breaking the fourth wall only to tell you that you suck for not accomplishing anything (how does he know what anyone's accomplished? There could be a nobel prize winner in the audience, he doesn't know).
The latter features a stereotypical comic nerd as the protagonist. He's obsessed with sex and doesn't have much in the way of a social life. Friends of mine found the love interest offensive as a fangirl stereotype, but his portrayal was much more denigrating in my opinion.
While Grant Morrison hasn't included any sort of jab at fans per se, his general attitude is to dismiss readers who don't like his work as simply "not getting it". People hail him as one of the great geniuses of comics and while some of his stuff is quite good, an equal portion is subpar and weird just for the sake of being weird.
This whole thing is just weird to me and both sides have points while also being in the wrong on some level.
First of all, everyone's talking about how comics are struggling to survive and how major changes are needed if the medium is going to continue. If things are that dire, why are you openly insulting your current consumers? That's a horrible business model if I ever saw one. Second, you're writers, grow a thick skin. You're not going to please everyone. Yes, the internet has its fair share of trolls, but that doesn't mean that you can't dismiss all criticism as such. They want us to care about the characters and spend our hard earned money to buy their books, but then get mad when we get mad at something that was done wrong. Just because someone writes a lengthy blog post detailing why a story fails doesn't make them some basement dweller who should be scorned. On the contrary, a lot of it is constructive and it could help the writers in the long term so that they can tell better stories and get more people buying their product.
As far as the fans are concerned, you guys need to lighten up. There are some epic fails in terms of story telling I'll agree with you on that, but there are a lot of times where people make a mountain out of a mole hill. It's perfectly fine to criticize and analyze a work, but try to keep it constructive. Rather than calling the writers names and telling them to die in a fire, point out why a plot element doesn't work and provide a better alternative.
As well as the fans, comic writers love the characters that they write. Editorial mandates can get in the way (and really the editors of both companies need to learn to take a "hands off" approach") but they're fans as much as we are. A fandom divided against itself cannot stand. When the writers attack the fans and the fans attack the writers, nothing gets solved and everyone ends up looking bad. Both parties end up looking petty and juvenile and it only furthers the stereotype.
Rather than widening the rift between the two, we should work on joining together to ensure the medium gets the success that it has the potential to have.
Over the years, there's been a divide between comic book writers and comic book fans. You would think that in a medium as ghettoized as comics, that the two would come together to celebrate all that is great about the medium. Instead, the two choose to go at each other like siblings trapped in the back seat during a long car ride.
It can't be said for certain when, exactly, this little spat began, but one of the major ones was DC's decision to kill off Hal Jordan, wipe out the Corps and replace it with Kyle Rayner. There were backlashes before, take Wonder Woman being depowered for example (even though superheroes lose their powers all the time, taking hers away was sexist) but never before had the fans so quickly turned on the writers.
Now, Kyle was eventually fleshed out and became a well regarded Lantern in his own right. Heck, in Rebirth, which featured Hal's return as well as the rise of a new Green Lantern Corps, Hal payed Kyle the proper respect and the two even shook hands in a splash page.
You would think that having both Lanterns active and well written would squash the debate and allow all fans to be happy. You would be mistaken, I don't know how, or why, but the Hal/Kyle fanwar continues to this day. It's mind boggling.
You can't even write this off as an isolated incident as there are fan uproars across comic book fandom. Writers have decided to fight back and have often lashed out at fans. Nothing violent, but it's pretty clear that they don't think much of their fanbase.
When discussing the oft maligned One More Day arc in Spider-Man, Marvel editor Joe Quesada pretty much stated that comic readers couldn't relate to Peter because he was successful and happily married. As a way to combat this, Joe ordered that Peter lose his marriage and move back in with his aunt.
When DC re-introduced pre-Crisis characters for Infinite Crisis, Superboy-Prime was turned into a whiny brat who wasn't happy with the DC Universe as it stood and wanted to alter reality to fit his idea of a perfect DC world. So, basically, it was an unsubtle jab at the fans who often complained about how the DC Universe was turning out.
I'm not too familiar with Mark Millar's comic work, but I did see the two films based on his comic book properties, Wanted and Kick-Ass. While in both cases, a lot of things were changed (for better or worse is in the eye of the beholder, one thing that remained was a not so subtle sense of contempt for the audience.
The first movie ends with the main character breaking the fourth wall only to tell you that you suck for not accomplishing anything (how does he know what anyone's accomplished? There could be a nobel prize winner in the audience, he doesn't know).
The latter features a stereotypical comic nerd as the protagonist. He's obsessed with sex and doesn't have much in the way of a social life. Friends of mine found the love interest offensive as a fangirl stereotype, but his portrayal was much more denigrating in my opinion.
While Grant Morrison hasn't included any sort of jab at fans per se, his general attitude is to dismiss readers who don't like his work as simply "not getting it". People hail him as one of the great geniuses of comics and while some of his stuff is quite good, an equal portion is subpar and weird just for the sake of being weird.
This whole thing is just weird to me and both sides have points while also being in the wrong on some level.
First of all, everyone's talking about how comics are struggling to survive and how major changes are needed if the medium is going to continue. If things are that dire, why are you openly insulting your current consumers? That's a horrible business model if I ever saw one. Second, you're writers, grow a thick skin. You're not going to please everyone. Yes, the internet has its fair share of trolls, but that doesn't mean that you can't dismiss all criticism as such. They want us to care about the characters and spend our hard earned money to buy their books, but then get mad when we get mad at something that was done wrong. Just because someone writes a lengthy blog post detailing why a story fails doesn't make them some basement dweller who should be scorned. On the contrary, a lot of it is constructive and it could help the writers in the long term so that they can tell better stories and get more people buying their product.
As far as the fans are concerned, you guys need to lighten up. There are some epic fails in terms of story telling I'll agree with you on that, but there are a lot of times where people make a mountain out of a mole hill. It's perfectly fine to criticize and analyze a work, but try to keep it constructive. Rather than calling the writers names and telling them to die in a fire, point out why a plot element doesn't work and provide a better alternative.
As well as the fans, comic writers love the characters that they write. Editorial mandates can get in the way (and really the editors of both companies need to learn to take a "hands off" approach") but they're fans as much as we are. A fandom divided against itself cannot stand. When the writers attack the fans and the fans attack the writers, nothing gets solved and everyone ends up looking bad. Both parties end up looking petty and juvenile and it only furthers the stereotype.
Rather than widening the rift between the two, we should work on joining together to ensure the medium gets the success that it has the potential to have.
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