Unpopular Comic Book Opinions - Part 1

[SuperFerret]

The average person is an average student.

 

[The Question]

The average person is an average student.

I suppose. That seems like a minor detail to get hung up on. The way I usually see the concept used in practice, the everyman isn't supposed to be the median of all human experience, they simply share a lot in life with the majority of the population, and lead a fairly ordinary life. They're still allowed to be good at things.

 

[Harlekin]

No, the book had been bad long before Claremont was even on the title. Bedard's run was pretty awful. I'm fairly certain Austen did more than 10 issues, but the number is irrelevant. Who was it that retconed the time broker into the time breaker? I thought it was Austen, but now you have me second guessing myself that it may have been Bedard. Either way, the second that the book stopped being "X-Men meets Quantum Leap" was the exact time it started to go downhill.

It was Bedard. Definitely agree on the 'X-Men meets Quantum Leap' thing though.

 

[WalkingDeadMike]

It was Bedard. Definitely agree on the 'X-Men meets Quantum Leap' thing though.

 

[fifthfiend]

I don't totally disagree with the various comments about Peter Parker being an everyman, but none of the aspects of his character which make him an Everyman are actually changed by any of the Totem ****.

He's exactly the same character he always was, who was A. randomly bitten by a radioactive spider AND/OR B. randomly selected by some nebulous Spider Spirit to be bitten by a radioactive spider, at which point he get superhuman powers, irresponsibly murders his uncle, and swings around the city in a bright red and blue leotard beating up small-time crooks with his superstrong fists.

Nothing important about the character changes (until The Other which, again, was ****). As someone said above, turning his parents into SHIELD agents did more to make him a not-Everyman than anything anyone else has done.

 

[SuperFerret]

That is true. People tend to be more accepting of science fiction than magical fantasy for whatever reason, even if the methods are equally nebulous. You'll hear about how Dr. Strange is a walking deus ex machina (in a negative sense) with the stuff he does, but nobody tends to blink when a Green Lantern or the Silver Surfer does something equally amazing.

 

[fifthfiend]

Everyone who has a problem with the Spider-Spirit should just tell themselves that it was actually a rogue Celestial. BOOM, magic defeated, 'science' re-enthroned, problem gone.

 

[E-Man]

That is true. People tend to be more accepting of science fiction than magical fantasy for whatever reason, even if the methods are equally nebulous. You'll hear about how Dr. Strange is a walking deus ex machina (in a negative sense) with the stuff he does, but nobody tends to blink when a Green Lantern or the Silver Surfer does something equally amazing.

I think the reason why a GL or Silver Surfer gets away with doing large feats is because they are accepted as cosmic characters. Even when a Lantern does something major on Earth their main source of power is seen as a cosmic one. With the cosmics there is a higher expectation of power levels, so people don't complain as much.

On the flip side, Dr. Strange may be seen by some as having the powers that he has too easily. Unlike other powerful heroes who got their powers by accidents or birth, he's really just a guy who found a way to redeem himself and studied and worked hard to acquire the high level powers that he has. That goes against some fanboys' code because there is absolutely no way that someone can work hard and get what they want.

 

[The Question]

Well, in Green Lantern's defense, the rings do have mostly better defined limits than Doctor Strange, who really seems to be able to do whatever the writer wants him to do. GL is often like this aswell, but there is enough established canon about their limitations to make this harder to get away with.

 

[E-Man]

Well, in Green Lantern's defense, the rings do have mostly better defined limits than Doctor Strange, who really seems to be able to do whatever the writer wants him to do. GL is often like this aswell, but there is enough established canon about their limitations to make this harder to get away with.

I can agree with that. How defined is magic really? We've seen Dr. Strange do a lot of things that we would expect like levitate, energy bolts, etc. If he did something else it's hard to say that he isn't capable because magic can be anything the writer wants it to be. All you have to do is say that it's some random spell that only the SS knows while with Green Lantern you already know what they can do.

 

[The Question]

I can agree with that. How defined is magic really? We've seen Dr. Strange do a lot of things that we would expect like levitate, energy bolts, etc. If he did something else it's hard to say that he isn't capable because magic can be anything the writer wants it to be. All you have to do is say that it's some random spell that only the SS knows while with Green Lantern you already know what they can do.

Yes, it would be nice to give Doctor Strange defined limites. Even if hiw powers are theoretically limitless it would be nice to have this defined. Otherwsie it feels less awe inspiring and more lazy.

 

[The Morningstar]

I don't know, I'd say a GLs ring is basically just a plot device.

 

[SuperFerret]

My point is that the Green Lantern rings and the Power Cosmic, while defined in universe as technology or science, are fairly indistinguishable from magic.

 

[Anubis]

This is true.

 

[Manic]

Dr. Strange's spells have whatever limits are imposed by the writer at the time. For example, Brian K. Vaughan's miniseries started with Stephen being unable to deflect an enchanted bullet, and ended with him kicking someone's ass the old fashioned way.

 

[chamber-music]

I like the the magical doctor from the authority. He would ranomly just wave his hand and annihilate an entire army when he wasn't being a coward or shooting up heroin.

Also speaking of Miracle Man that was some nightmare making stuff. Johnny punching his fist through womens heads and stuff.

 

[E-Man]

I still don't know what The Doctor's full powers were in The Authority. Same with Jack too. They never really broke down what they do, but at least the Doctor was magic.

 

[Manic]

The Doctor's power mostly consisted of transmutation. 90% of the time, he transformed stuff into other stuff.

 

[hammerhedd11]

I really liked the Preacher series...but I fail to see what is groundbreaking about it. It's really fun and interesting but I fail to see why so many people rate it as one of the best comics ever.

I think Ex Machina by Brian Vaughn is very underrated. I'd go as far as to say I like it more than Y: The Last Man.

I don't like John Byrne's art. It's not badly done or anything, I just don't like his style.

I see a lot of Bendis hate. I haven't read his Avengers series or the big event issues( mostly because regardless of the writer they are usually not very good or a product of the writer) but I have read his Daredevil run, the first 100 or so issues of Ultimate Spiderman and Powers which are all great. Powers especially is one of my all time favorites.

Screw it; All Star Batman and Robin and TDKSA are f***ing awesome.

 

[The Morningstar]

Bendis is good at street level stuff. But that's it. His Avengers is appaling. All the characters have the same "voice". He just isn't cut out for big time superheroics.

Bendis is to writing in the 2000s what Liefeld was to drawing in the 90s.

 

[Manic]

Bendis is good at street level stuff. But that's it. His Avengers is appaling. All the characters have the same "voice". He just isn't cut out for big time superheroics.

You just expressed the exact same opinion that most of us have on this site.

 

[Watchman]

Screw it; All Star Batman and Robin and TDKSA are f***ing awesome.

 

[The Morningstar]

lol yea i thought so, i was just replying to hammerhedd11. it's good that this site is populated with relatively sane people

 

[chamber-music]

Grant Morrisons X-Men run sucked

 

[E-Man]

I see a lot of Bendis hate. I haven't read his Avengers series or the big event issues( mostly because regardless of the writer they are usually not very good or a product of the writer) but I have read his Daredevil run, the first 100 or so issues of Ultimate Spiderman and Powers which are all great. Powers especially is one of my all time favorites.

That's pretty much how it is with Bendis. Even his haters acknowledge that he has good work on Daredevil and Ultimate Spidey. I haven't read Powers, but that seems to get some love too. It's just his big runs with the Avengers is what turns people off. I loved the DD run and what I've read of Ultimate Spider-man too, but I can't read his Avengers at all. The dialogue is just too much, and the continuity issues and pacing aren't my cup of tea.