|
Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2021 11:17:50 GMT -5
Like the Black Cat's infatuation with Spidey, and near equal disdain of Peter, which hero or heroes lose their luster for you when the mask/helmet comes off? Vice versa is OK too.
I've always thought Clark/Kal-El in certain ways was just as interesting as Superman, or Peter and Spider-Man, and you need both to really appreciate the character. But then there's Green Lantern (silver/bronze age) who I think is so cool, and as soon as he's Hal Jordan, he's kind of boring to me. I hate to admit this, but much as I love Iron Man, Tony Stark doesn't do as much for me (it's not really fair since only the wealth is really the common trait, but my mind always goes to Bruce Wayne as pulling off the rich guy bit more meaningfully).
What characters come to mind for you?
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 13, 2021 11:25:36 GMT -5
With all due respect to Martian Manhunter, who I love, I am only really interested in him when he’s in Martian form.
|
|
|
Post by pinkfloydsound17 on Dec 13, 2021 12:30:10 GMT -5
Kingpin...when he is Wilson Fisk, ugh what a bore
|
|
|
Post by The Captain on Dec 13, 2021 12:54:11 GMT -5
The Lizard. Curt Conners is a milquetoast wet blanket, while his alter ego is a cold-blooded killing machine.
|
|
|
Post by brutalis on Dec 13, 2021 13:18:27 GMT -5
Ted Sallis. Has all the personality of a potted plant.
|
|
|
Post by adamwarlock2099 on Dec 13, 2021 13:23:33 GMT -5
I will agree with the OP's sentiment when it comes to Green Lantern, and especially Hal Jordan. I too really like the concept of GL in general and what the power ring is capable of. But the harder part of being able to stick with a GL title is largely dependent on who GL is. And to this day the only one that has consistently done so for me was Kyle Rayner. On the other side of the coin I found myself disinterested in his Ion persona. So I guess it's a mixed bag. But usually I am much more interested in the hero than I am the day to day life of superheroes. With Batman/Bruce Wayne being the only usual exception. And I think that's because Bruce Wayne is the persona not the other way around. And so that's more appealing than a hero that was put into the position to be a superhero for any other reason than his/her own choice. There's something more interesting about a person that rose to the challenge to be a hero rather than being thrown into it even though they still rise to the occasion.
It's like romance/love interests in comics; I really have no desire for it. If I did I would read an actual romance comic. But I get that others do enjoy it and that's fine and all. It's one of the reasons I've never been a consistent Spiderman title buyer. I see a cover and/or a story arc that looks interesting, sure I'll buy it. But I don't have a desire to invest time in Peter Parker's daily life.
|
|
|
Post by brutalis on Dec 13, 2021 13:53:26 GMT -5
It amazes me how much story is devoted to the civilian identity of heroes and/or villains. We pay for the SUPER parts of their life, not the secret identity stuff. No kid cares about the boring, icky romance aspect in comparison to the fisticuffs and powers. As adults, we all know the drudgery of work as a normal human being while we yearn for having our own super powers.
Who cares a whit about any hero or villain when not wearing their costume? Phooey I say, gimme the fun and action adventures of on duty superheroing every time.
|
|
|
Post by tarkintino on Dec 13, 2021 14:00:37 GMT -5
Like the Black Cat's infatuation with Spidey, and near equal disdain of Peter, which hero or heroes lose their luster for you when the mask/helmet comes off? Vice versa is OK too. I've always thought Clark/Kal-El in certain ways was just as interesting as Superman, or Peter and Spider-Man, and you need both to really appreciate the character. But then there's Green Lantern (silver/bronze age) who I think is so cool, and as soon as he's Hal Jordan, he's kind of boring to me. I hate to admit this, but much as I love Iron Man, Tony Stark doesn't do as much for me (it's not really fair since only the wealth is really the common trait, but my mind always goes to Bruce Wayne as pulling off the rich guy bit more meaningfully). What characters come to mind for you? I believed Hal Jordan was perfectly fit for the eras he "traveled" through; in the Silver Age, he was one of the best comic book representations of a Cold War-era man (with pro-Western sensibilities) who lived a life built on internal and external benefits granted by his non-costumed life. In the Bronze Age, this kind of mentality was placed on trial (so to speak) as he had to see the changing world through reconsidering eyes and apply his gifts in a far different way than his early, more traditioonal "space cop" years. As a result, he turned into one of comics' more complex characters who mirrored many real world behavioral attributes.
Tony Stark: never a fan of the drunk version (and cannot stand RDJ's take in those largely awful MCU films), but I always loved his early Silver Age version--the one who appeared to be the aloof, corporate mover and shaker on the outside, but had to suffer through more than his heart problems--such as troubles in an out of costume (e.g. senate hearings / investigations as seen in the pages of Tales of Suspense), and never being able to share his life with those closest to him, or (like Peter Parker) could not easily explain his disappearances. In other words, he carried many burdens all well-tied to his super-heroics, and he was never just another rich guy character leading a double-life.
|
|
|
Post by tarkintino on Dec 13, 2021 14:02:57 GMT -5
It amazes me how much story is devoted to the civilian identity of heroes and/or villains. We pay for the SUPER parts of their life, not the secret identity stuff. No kid cares about the boring, icky romance aspect in comparison to the fisticuffs and powers. As adults, we all know the drudgery of work as a normal human being while we yearn for having our own super powers. Who cares a whit about any hero or villain when not wearing their costume? Phooey I say, gimme the fun and action adventures of on duty superheroing every time. Silver/Bronze Age Norman Osborn was just as compelling out of costume as he had been in the costume. One of the greatest of all "true identity" running plotlines.
|
|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 13, 2021 14:20:35 GMT -5
Who cares a whit about any hero or villain when not wearing their costume? Phooey I say, gimme the fun and action adventures of on duty superheroing every time. This kind of flies in the face of the whole basis of Marvel Comics.
|
|
|
Post by adamwarlock2099 on Dec 13, 2021 14:27:41 GMT -5
It amazes me how much story is devoted to the civilian identity of heroes and/or villains. We pay for the SUPER parts of their life, not the secret identity stuff. No kid cares about the boring, icky romance aspect in comparison to the fisticuffs and powers. As adults, we all know the drudgery of work as a normal human being while we yearn for having our own super powers. Who cares a whit about any hero or villain when not wearing their costume? Phooey I say, gimme the fun and action adventures of on duty superheroing every time. This is why I can's sit for hours at a time with my wife watching General Hospital. I want to see Sonny and Jason kicking butt. Or how absolutely insane Carley is going to be in this episode lol. But far too much of the time slot is filled with whose bedding who. And whose the hussy cheating on her man. It gets old, and I don't know how people stay interested over the years. After all comics are mostly just soap operas on printed page.
|
|
|
Post by badwolf on Dec 13, 2021 16:12:05 GMT -5
Tony Stark: never a fan of the drunk version (and cannot stand RDJ's take in those largely awful MCU films), but I always loved his early Silver Age version--the one who appeared to be the aloof, corporate mover and shaker on the outside, but had to suffer through more than his heart problems--such as troubles in an out of costume (e.g. senate hearings / investigations as seen in the pages of Tales of Suspense), and never being able to share his life with those closest to him, or (like Peter Parker) could not easily explain his disappearances. In other words, he carried many burdens all well-tied to his super-heroics, and he was never just another rich guy character leading a double-life.
I like Iron Man 2 a lot but the one part I hate is the drunken party scene. It's clunky, embarrassing, and brings the film to a screeching halt. They could have communicated his problem better if they had him screw up on a mission instead, and incorporated that into the ongoing plot.
|
|
|
Post by jason on Dec 13, 2021 18:22:07 GMT -5
Dr. Donald Blake being Thor's Alter ego (which was wisely dropped later). I think that Marvel was influenced by the popularity of doctor shows at the time (ie, Marcus Welby, Ben Casey, etc), but I dont care about that, I want to see him fighting frost giants and armored strongmen.
|
|
|
Post by profh0011 on Dec 13, 2021 18:42:32 GMT -5
Dr. Donald Blake being Thor's Alter ego (which was wisely dropped later). I think that Marvel was influenced by the popularity of doctor shows at the time (ie, Marcus Welby, Ben Casey, etc), but I dont care about that, I want to see him fighting frost giants and armored strongmen. DR. KILDARE starring Richard Chamberlain, which debuted in 1961 (as did BEN CASEY), without doubt not only led to a whole slew of doctor shows (including, among others, THE FUGITIVE, which was initially conceived as a western), and, having THOR's human identity be a doctor... who, until I connected this, I never noticed how much Don Blake LOOKED like Dr. Kildare.
MARCUS WELBY, M.D. didn't debut until 1969.
Of course, DR. KILDARE was actualy created in the 1930s, first in a magazine serial, then a 1937 movie with Joel McCrea, followed by a movie series with Lew Ayers. I'm actually interested in getting ahold of that if it's available on DVD. The ambulance driver, played by Nat Pendleton, was the inspiration for "Happy Hogan"! (Yes. "Dr. Kildare" had connections to both "Iron Man" AND "Thor"!)
|
|
|
Post by profh0011 on Dec 13, 2021 18:45:07 GMT -5
Who cares a whit about any hero or villain when not wearing their costume? Phooey I say, gimme the fun and action adventures of on duty superheroing every time. You might as well burn all your Marvel Comics then...and any DC Comics from the mid-60s-on where they began to imitate the "soap-opera" format of Marvel.
I've heard it once said that "soap-opera" is much easier to write than "mystery" or "adventure" stories, which probably was one reason so many 2nd-rate (5th rate?) writers gravitated to it so much.
|
|