Beloved 52 cast members

[Flash-er]

Since 52, I've been reading a number of posts saying that they love this character or that one. but how many of you REALLY liked the characters before the series got started? Lets even go back to Idenity Crisis. I know people who say they liked Ray Palmer now, but didn't even know who the Atom was before ID.

Me, I never knew or cared about The Question before 52, but now I hate to see him go. I'm pretty sure that after the series though, Renee is going to be a new Question.

 

[Kenda Man]

I would have to say Black Adam. I liked him when he was wicked, as seen in "The Power of Shazam" Trade. I am happy that Geof Johns gave him more personality with the JSA and IC showed that he doesn't tolerate Psycho Pirate's silly faces.

It is interesting seeing him grow, but being tamed by Isis seems like a long shot, but it does happen in the real world, people making personal changes for someone they care for.

 

[Roughneck]

I have always liked Black Adam and Booster Gold and Renee Montoya.........But I love them even more now.

 

[Roughneck]

Also....Three Threads....Nice

 

[Tropico]

I would have to say that I've come to admire Ralph Dibny more than I did. I know he was always a great detective and had his serious side but the majority of my contact with him was during the JLI years. Even when he was in Starman for a bit he still had his goofy side. It's awesome to see him so confident and serious in his current quest even though he hasn't used gingold on himself (but very ingeniously as an offensive tool), it makes him even more formidable.

The other arc that I like the best is the space one. On this one I have to say that it saddened me to see Adam Strange's struggle. I feel like he was held back from what he could really accomplish. Sure, it was impressive that he could do all the thins he did while being blind, but he still got 'gimped'. Starfire got seriously slighted and reduced to a prissy warrior princess which she hadn't been for years.

 

[sinewave]

yeah, i'll agree with trop on this one. i didn't know much about ralph dibny pre-ID crisis, but since then and especially within the pages of 52 i've grown to like him. i never liked boster much and still don't. i love the question and am glad he got some exposure from 52. i'm hoping he survives.

 

[Phoney Bone]

Ralph and Booster were two of my favorite characters before stuff ever started to go down with them.....I read "Formerly Known as the Justice League" and a bunch of JLI back issues becfor they decided to serious-ize them all up. Not to say I don't like them being taken seriously.

 

[yenaled]

If you take the main character of 52; Booster, Ralph, Question, Renee, Steel, Buddy Baker, Strange, Starfire, Black Adam.

For me I've liked Booster for absolutely years, since reading his solo series and JLI stuff then FKATJL/CBINTJL. A lot of my friends got to like the character in Countdown actually - which is a shame that the best Blue & Gold story was the last. So hearing he would be leading a huge book like 52 was just awesome news. Same with Animal Man (who been needing some spotlight for years) who I think everyone who has ever read Morrison's work on the title fell in love with Buddy and his family.

I always liked Ralph reading him in JLI, but it actually wasn't till Identity Crisis when I appreciated the character for anything but comedy. I think 52 has done a great job in building the character too.

Question I have to say I never read anything with him in but always liked the look of the character and shamefully the best introduction to the character I'd had was JLU cartoon. Where as Renee Montoya I'd enjoyed all the way through Gotham Central and Steel I'd liked in Morrison's Justice League and always thought he was one of the DCU's strongest black characters.

Adam Strange I'd got to know through Man of Two Worlds, Green Lantern and Justice League and more recently Planet Heist - what is cooler than a man with a jet pack and a ray gun - nothing! Where as Starfire I'd known of but ever really liked (even with her lesbian tendencies) I'm not really the biggest Teen Titans fan.

I think anyone that has read JSA just knows how awesome Black Adam is far before 52 or Infinite Crisis.

To be honest, they pretty much chose a fanboy line-up for me. Shame that it probably means so many of them won't be coming out of it.

 

[jaydawg]

The series really hasnt changed my opinion of any characters. I always loved the Question and always thought Black Adam was a bad ass. If anything it made me hate Montoya more. Not that the story was necessarily bad, but I feel like ever since they decided to make her lesbien, she just became this token shock character than DC said, now how can we keep shocking readers and make her life worse?

 

[Flash-er]

The series really hasnt changed my opinion of any characters. I always loved the Question and always thought Black Adam was a bad ass. If anything it made me hate Montoya more. Not that the story was necessarily bad, but I feel like ever since they decided to make her lesbien, she just became this token shock character than DC said, now how can we keep shocking readers and make her life worse?

To me it sounds like you're just anti-gay. What do you think any comic company does with any character except for think "how can we keep shocking readers and make X character's life worse?" She's already an established detective, she can kick ass, this story has shown she's got heart with her interaction with the Question and how torn she was having to kill a child suicide bomber. Sure, they may have gone a bit far showing her in bed with other women, but I remember the public used to complain how, on Will & Grace that you never saw the characters kiss other men even though they were gay.

The one character I haven't really seen developed much is Batwoman. All we know is that she's been trained to kick ass and she's rich. Basically a lesbian version of Batman minus all his training and tools and not high on the detective skill.

 

[GoldenAgeHero]

steel. and ive gotten to like booster and im very interested in the metal men. 52 did'nt use them enough

 

[yenaled]

I forgot about Magnus and the Metal Men.

The issue when Mercury and Will were attacked by the fake Metal Men was awesome. I'm glad they have been reintroduced by the writers but I was hoping for them to be used slightly more.

 

[jaydawg]

To me it sounds like you're just anti-gay. What do you think any comic company does with any character except for think "how can we keep shocking readers and make X character's life worse?" She's already an established detective, she can kick ass, this story has shown she's got heart with her interaction with the Question and how torn she was having to kill a child suicide bomber. Sure, they may have gone a bit far showing her in bed with other women, but I remember the public used to complain how, on Will & Grace that you never saw the characters kiss other men even though they were gay.

The one character I haven't really seen developed much is Batwoman. All we know is that she's been trained to kick ass and she's rich. Basically a lesbian version of Batman minus all his training and tools and not high on the detective skill.

I figured someone would say I'm anti-gay.

I've been following the character since she was created. There was never any evidence that she was gay till NML. What i'm saying, is that since that point, DC has just crapped on her and made her life worse simply for shock value. And now they're making her the Question which is just ******ed because the Question has never been more popular especially thanks to JLU. She should have stayed as a cop. Not some alcoholic loser who Two-Face tried to marry.

 

[Darthphere]

You know, everybody is getting all this attention and I feel that Steel is getting the shortend of the stick on this one.

 

[WompuM]

Booster and Question I had only seen in JLU and they were great in it. In "The greatest story never told" skeets was such a great little robot that it breaks my heart seeing him EVIL!!! Steel I liked from reading comics when Superman died and I had his action figure.
Black Adam is cool but I don't care about him really and Montoya I couldnt care about.

 

[Flash-er]

I figured someone would say I'm anti-gay.

I've been following the character since she was created. There was never any evidence that she was gay till NML. What i'm saying, is that since that point, DC has just crapped on her and made her life worse simply for shock value. And now they're making her the Question which is just ******ed because the Question has never been more popular especially thanks to JLU. She should have stayed as a cop. Not some alcoholic loser who Two-Face tried to marry.

She was a lesbian before Two face married her, and in real life, a great number of homosexual people keep their sexuality a secret until they feel comfortable letting others know so I don't see it as dc crapping all over her as what would naturally happen. Her parents disowning her would also be entirely possible considering their strict religious beliefs. Being outed and disowned makes turning to the bottle a lot more plausable. Her adventure with Question, if anything, has been bringing her to redemption and showing her what's really important.
As for her becoming the Question, that was just what I see as the logical conclusion to theri story. Unless someone heard something I haven't?

 

[Darthphere]

I loved Renee in Gotham Central, even after the outing. She was just written better and she had much better hair.

 

[jaydawg]

She was a lesbian before Two face married her, and in real life, a great number of homosexual people keep their sexuality a secret until they feel comfortable letting others know so I don't see it as dc crapping all over her as what would naturally happen. Her parents disowning her would also be entirely possible considering their strict religious beliefs. Being outed and disowned makes turning to the bottle a lot more plausable. Her adventure with Question, if anything, has been bringing her to redemption and showing her what's really important.
As for her becoming the Question, that was just what I see as the logical conclusion to theri story. Unless someone heard something I haven't?

Bruce Timm never made her to make a gay character. He just wanted a female rookie. Her being a lesbien is a retcon. Thats all I'm saying.

 

[Darthphere]

That was Dini.

 

[Tropico]

Bruce Timm never made her to make a gay character. He just wanted a female rookie. Her being a lesbien is a retcon. Thats all I'm saying.

Was her sexuality discussed before the outing? If not, I don't see how it's a retcon.

 

[Twilight Knight]

I think what he's trying to say is that they're using it as a gimmick instead of character development...kinda like Nightwing becoming a ****e in OYL. It's not that he's got anything against gays, it just seems like a marketing too, something to keep the liberal left happy rather than a true development. I know you may not agree with it, but that's where I think he's coming from. Such a stark departure...one minute, you're reading about a rookie who's got drinking problems...her sexuality never really playing a role, next, you're getting it crammed down your throat. They're making it all she is, it seems like. All right, she's a lesbian, big flippin' whoppie! there's more to the char besides her sexuality...and besides, what if kids read these things. I grew up with some pretty strict parents, actually had to stop collecting comics for a long time cause my folks saw a drawing of some chick in a skull bikini (with her assets drawn rather explicitively). Wasn't even in a comic I was collecting (I was strictly Spidey at that time).

I know you're going to say, that's what sells comics, the shock value, but I don't think going overboard with a persons sexuality all of a sudden is a good shock value...personal opinon, so please, try not to take offense. Plus, if the only way to get people to buy a comic is to plug in their fantasy about lesbians being one shy of a threesome, then that's piss poor writing. There's nothing talented about writing over and over a lesbian's scene anymore than continuously showing a naked Starfire. It's smut, pure and simple. For those that care more about story and development, smut seems like a pitiful excuse at laziness.

Hmmmm, don't got anything life changing about Montoya...she can't constantly be crying over Question or getting over alcoholism...let's have her screw a chick...that'll make her interesting...hey, let's have some guys walk in...yeah...that's real creative. Anyway, again, my opinion. I know sex sells and lesbian sex sells the best but jeez...don't abuse it...ya know.. too much of a good thing?

 

[CConn]

While I was already sorta fans of the characters, 52 certainly has made me like Booster, Animal Man, Adam Strange, and even Starfire more than I did before.

Oddly, it's made me really hate Renee Montoya. At least early on in the series.

 

[Mr.Dent]

52 made me a pretty big fan of Animal Man and Black Adam.
I already digged The Question.
But the character I've REALLY begun to love since ID is Ralph Dibny. When I first saw him I thought "Oh, ANOTHER plastic man", but ID and 52 made him a character to me.

 

[CConn]

Personally, I think Ralph's TONS better as the happy guy from his JLI years.

 

[Jake-El]

Personally, I have to say Animal Man and Black Adam. I never really cared whether these characters existed or didn't. Now I like Buddy Baker and Teth Adam. I want to read more about them and their backstories. Which I believe was a goal for 52 chracters.