DC characters not living up to their potential

[TheCorpulent1]

He's dead anyway. Maybe the kid will take up the mantle at some point.

Huh. I wonder if that would be enough to make Checkmate consider him a meta dude and force him to change his position.

 

[Harlekin]

I don't know. I've considered buying it. I never read Strikes again, so I don't really know what happened for it to be seen as so horrible. If anybody would be willing to give me a rundown of the events of the book it would be much appreciated.

I'm a little hazy on the actual events, but I remember the art being... blegh. I also didn't really like the characterization much. Doesn't wiki have a summary?

 

[comicfan4Life]

Aquaman, it's a shame a guy who rules 3/4 of the world, has a unknown world with unlimited potential, and could have great villians and WTF moments, doesn't get the red carpet treatment. Tad is doing the best he can with what he's got, but maybe he could do a mini where he's not limted by what someone else did. Also, the art is too cartoonish, guice should've stayed on board.

 

[Rorschach II]

I'll go with Superman and Hal Jordan. But are you talking about a story in particular or the character in general ? There are tons of stories that doesn't use the potential of their character but generally speaking, I find Superman and Hal Jordan are not living up to their potential.
Aquaman as well, I agree with most of the posts about him.

Generally speaking. When you look at each of the really "big" characters on either side (DC or Marvel), they each have at least one story that many readers consider masterpieces. But not so with most of the characters that have been mentioned as not living up to their potential in this thread. Think of The Batman or Superman: they've got quite a few masterpieces under their belts. Now what about Aquaman or Nightwing?
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[rigel7soldiers]

Batman is a big one. I have a real problem with a lot of recent characterizations of the character (looking at you, All Star Batman. What, are you dense, ******ed, or something?).

Hal Jordan was always a bland character from the beginning. What happended to being free from fear? we never see that work against him in any situation; even as the Spectre he tended to be overly cautious.

Arsenal. For one thing, what happened to Speedy? There was nothing wrong with that name. Second, he's a one dimensional libido monster with a bizarre brotherly relationship with Nightwing, who isn't very friendly in the first place. It's like he wants to get on Officer Grayson's good side for when he finds out he's still on the stuff.

 

[Rorschach II]

Batman is a big one. I have a real problem with a lot of recent characterizations of the character (looking at you, All Star Batman. What, are you dense, ******ed, or something?).

I know people are gonna think I'm crazy for this but I don't like Miller writing for Batman. I love his stuff on Daredevil and his Sin City books, but I don't think he gets Batman. Year One was alright, but The Dark Knight Returns is vastly overrated as a story (though it deserves some credit for making The Dark Knight 'dark' again) and it's sequel, Strikes Again is flat out poor. I read one issue of All-Star Batman in the local bookstore and I was dumbfounded by The Batman's behavior in it. Alan Moore once said something about us, as readers, being unable to say what a character would or would not do because they're fictional and they're in the hands of different writers every few years, tops, but I think that Miller's Batman is just too "out there" for anyone to think that's the way The Batman would've acted.


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[sinewave]

Read more Superman stories, preferably from Alan Moore, Greg Rucka, Grant Morrison, or Mark Waid. Good Superman stories aren't that hard to find, and if you think he's intrinsically uninteresting, you're as wrong as if you were to say that about any other character. It all comes down to the writers.

Actually, I thought about it some more. Hal currently sucks, and all Hal can ever really do well is suck, so I guess he could be construed as living up to his potential. The real question, of course, is whether he's sucking enough.

for me, some of the characters not being used to their full potential include:

nightwing
connor hawke
speedy
dr. mid-nite
sandman
martian manhunter
joker
zatanna

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Yeah, that's called hyperbole, just like when I rag on Hal any other time. I don't really hate the character that much, it's just fun to piss off the Hal fanboys.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

He DID say about any other character. Not any character.

 

[sinewave]

Yeah, that's called hyperbole, just like when I rag on Hal any other time. I don't really hate the character that much, it's just fun to piss off the Hal fanboys.

just trying to keep you honest.

He DID say about any other character. Not any character.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Roll your eyes all you want. It's what he said.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Haha, it's weird to see other people argue over my semantics for once.

 

[sinewave]

Roll your eyes all you want. It's what he said.

i rolled my eyes because you come off as smug.

Haha, it's weird to see other people argue over my semantics for once.

yeah, this board is incredibly clique-y. i call you out for contradicting yourself and, of course, one of your pals comes along to defend you.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

i rolled my eyes because you come off as smug in just about every post i see from you.



yeah, this board is incredibly clique-y. i call you out for contradicting yourself and, of course, one of your pals comes along to defend you.

Takes one to know one situation I take?

And uh, you definitely don't read a lot of my posts, obviously.

I'm just as likely to "attack" Corpy than help him.

 

[sinewave]

could be...

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Gluey just desperately wants to be in ASSHAT. I think she might offer sexual favors if she swung my way.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Gluey just desperately wants to be in ASSHAT. I think she might offer sexual favors if she swung my way.

ASSHAT has rules. I hate rules.

That, and I think it's Harlekin who has the say so. o.o

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Haha, Harlekin's power pales beside my own.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

That's what Tropico told me.

I miss Tropico...

 

[TheCorpulent1]

We all do. When we're not laughing at him behind his back.

 

[CLARKY]

Generally speaking. When you look at each of the really "big" characters on either side (DC or Marvel), they each have at least one story that many readers consider masterpieces. But not so with most of the characters that have been mentioned as not living up to their potential in this thread. Think of The Batman or Superman: they've got quite a few masterpieces under their belts. Now what about Aquaman or Nightwing?
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Well I consider Nightwing having at least several good stories. And in the end, for Supes, not that much. Nightwing have been overall good. But in the case of Supes, only few stories are really that great, or at least exploring his potential. Having three or five good stories in 50 years of existence doesn't mean the character's potential has been explored. Nightwing had average stories and good or very good stories and I think he is living up to his potential ; or not very far from it. As I said Superman or Hal Jordan are not IMO.
And Aquaman of course.

 

[Rorschach II]

I disagree about Supes, and I still say that, if you're considering quality over quantity, Nightwing hasn't been used to his full potential.

 

[CLARKY]

I AM considering quality over quantity, but not in the same way : I meant that quality here and there throughout history is better than one solid story every ten years. Not obligatory better. But I think Supes is not very often is excellent stories. On the contrary Nightwing often is. Of course, one could argue that nobody has ever been used to the full potential.

 

[Rorschach II]

Nightwing: Year One sucked though.

 

[trustyside-kick]

Not really saying Superman...it's more like his lack of intelligent use with his super speed. It seems like he only uses it to catch up to villains, shock them when they see him pop in front of them, and continue to punch away like a three year old, not using any fighting tactics.

It almost makes him having super speed pointless. I really wouldn't mind him losing that power since it seems like it's never really used.