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Topic: JB: any "classic characters" you just don’t get? (Topic Closed Topic Closed) Post ReplyPost New Topic
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Wallace Sellars
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Posted: 30 August 2007 at 6:32pm | IP Logged | 1  

Because  J'Onn has such a huge vulnerability to something so common, I don't mind the fact that he has so many abilities.  Heck, I wish DC would bring back the yellow weakness in the Green Lantern rings.  Otherwise, they're too powerful!
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Chad Carter
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Posted: 30 August 2007 at 6:33pm | IP Logged | 2  

 

Okay, when talking classics, Namor the Sub-Mariner I never got. I mean, rather, I got him when he was a cocky, swaggering prick in the early 60s. Then, I really got him during the John Buscema series (talk about an Essential that needs to happen). And then the 80s rolled around, and he became an Avenger, and I kind of didn't take to the businessman Namor. Namor just didn't seem Namor without that patented pissed-off Imperious Rex attitude.

Triton the Inhuman, I'm all over that character. What I distinctly like about Triton is what I don't about Namor and Aquaman, the only "original" underwater superheroes: Triton isn't connnected to Atlantis. Triton is loyal to Black Bolt, but he's his own man. He bailed out the FF a couple times, on his own accord. Huge missed opportunity, by the way, Triton not becoming a member of the FF at some point, maybe during Englehart's run with Ben as leader.

Anyhow, Namor has been out-Namored by Black Adam, which is a shame. And Aquaman...he's a wreck.

 

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Chad Carter
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Posted: 30 August 2007 at 6:39pm | IP Logged | 3  

I confess I didn´t "get" the Demon in the latest series.  It seemed that Etrigan wanted to be evil, but ended up doing good in spite of himself...?  For instance, I get the impression he wanted to roast people with his fire-breath...unaware of the cleansing effect his flames were having...?  Of course, it seems he was always fighting somebody worse than he.  Was it a case - kind of like Tomb of Dracula - of making the protagonist the lesser of evils?

That's exactly what I love about the Demon. I think, as a Demon, Etrigan would definitely be eager to burn, kill, and destroy any living thing, but he's sort of locked into fighting other, bigger Evil than himself by his loyalty to Merlin (as I understood it). That is the whole point of the Demon, that Etrigan's so bloodthirsty and destructive yet that power is directed towards other Evil, using Evil's own force against it.

 

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John Mietus
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Posted: 30 August 2007 at 6:42pm | IP Logged | 4  

I've said it before, I'll say it again -- I've never gotten Thor (inasmuch as he's
actually Thor the Norse god. Don Blake as a guy who finds a stick that gives
him powers that inspire him to call himself Thor? That I get. Thor the actual
Norse god as a super hero? Nope), the Hulk (pure rage manifested as
destructive force? And this is a super hero?), or Sub-Mariner (pomposity and
arrogance personified? And this is a super hero?).
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Andrew W. Farago
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Posted: 30 August 2007 at 7:45pm | IP Logged | 5  

Venom is a Spider-Man villain who got his superpowers from Spider-Man's old pants.  What's not to get?
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Joe Zhang
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Posted: 30 August 2007 at 7:52pm | IP Logged | 6  

Good vs. Evil is sooo yesterday. Good vs. laundry, now that's drama ! 
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Paul Kimball
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Posted: 30 August 2007 at 8:03pm | IP Logged | 7  

the human torch. Just never cared about him as a character and it seems like
he would inadvertantly kill almost anyone he faces

Green Arrow. His lecturing green lantern that saving the planet wasn't
enough was too much for me.

Cable. History was just too convoluted and I'm sick of the word "techno-
organic"
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Chad Carter
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Posted: 30 August 2007 at 8:05pm | IP Logged | 8  

 

Human Torch. Which one? The original or Johnny Storm?

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Flavio Sapha
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Posted: 30 August 2007 at 9:45pm | IP Logged | 9  

That is the whole point of the Demon, that Etrigan's so bloodthirsty and
destructive yet that power is directed towards other Evil, using Evil's own
force against it.
++++

Yeah, ok. I just never thought his "franchise" had been clearly established.
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Chad Carter
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Posted: 30 August 2007 at 9:50pm | IP Logged | 10  

 

Well, I'm only going by the original Kirby stuff. I never read the Alan Grant stuff. Anyone read it? Was it good?

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Paul Kimball
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Posted: 30 August 2007 at 10:24pm | IP Logged | 11  

Johnny Storm. He seemed too reckless and immature to handle a power like
that. The ww2 torch I liked a lot.
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Jonathan Stover
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Posted: 31 August 2007 at 4:25am | IP Logged | 12  

Having read a lot of Dr. Strange, I can see that starting with certain issues/time periods/writers could be something of a problem. Thanks to those Pocket Books reprints of the late 1970's and early 1980's, I started Dr. Strange with Stan Lee and Steve Ditko -- that character isn't a tragic hero, but is instead cool, competent and heroic, often faced by legions of enemies and generally forced to use his brain as much as his powers to get himself out of these situations: his first defeat of Dormammu is a case in point of Doctor Strange being a smart man, and in many ways he's like Spider-man. It's not just that he's the Master of the Mystic Arts -- he's also cleverer than most people. 

When I started trying to track down new Dr. Strange (this was when I bought all my comics at drug stores and Dr. Strange was a low-selling bi-monthly), I was lucky enough to be reading the Roger Stern Dr. Strange, which I'd call the post-Lee/Ditko peak of the character with no reservations.

If you can track down the Darkhold/Dracula saga in back issues, you might change your mind about Dr. Strange. Dracula pushes Dr. Strange to the limit, there are great guest appearances galore, and the under-rated Dan Green-as-penciller does a lot of issues. There are also some sweet Steve Leialoha and Paul Smith issues from the same period. If only they'd collect the Stern run!

Cheers, Jon

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