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Eric Russ
Byrne Robotics Member
Joined: 13 March 2006
Location: United States
Posts: 1994
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| Posted: 16 August 2014 at 9:29pm | IP Logged | 1
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Question for everyone -
Which character types and stories do you enjoy more? Is it the science based characters/stories such as Superman, Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer or those based in mysticism like Dr, Strange, Hellboy, Thor?
Any particular reasons why you enjoy one over the other?
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Stephen Churay
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Joined: 25 March 2009
Location: United States
Posts: 8369
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| Posted: 16 August 2014 at 9:44pm | IP Logged | 2
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Definitely science based, even if it's erroneous science. I like the
feeling that there's potential fact to my fiction. I think it helps me
ground the story enough to believe the fantastic.
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Mike Norris
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Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 4274
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| Posted: 16 August 2014 at 10:23pm | IP Logged | 3
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Science. Never really followed any mystic superheroes.
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Jason Schulman
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Joined: 08 July 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2473
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| Posted: 16 August 2014 at 11:08pm | IP Logged | 4
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For me it's always "science" heroes because mystic heroes all too often have no clear limits to their powers. One exception: the Spectre, who really does have no clear limits to his powers, because I grew up in a Judeo-Christian culture and the Spectre is literally the Wrath of God, so I guess that strikes some sort of chord in me.
Edited by Jason Schulman on 17 August 2014 at 8:00am
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Kevin Hagerman
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Joined: 15 April 2005
Location: United States
Posts: 17995
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| Posted: 16 August 2014 at 11:14pm | IP Logged | 5
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Reading something like Doctor Strange can really scratch an itch for the worlds the artist can imagine, but character's like Batman and Reed Richards just make "troubleshooting the universe" FUN. Put me on team science.
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Kevin Hagerman
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| Posted: 16 August 2014 at 11:16pm | IP Logged | 6
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To Jason's point: a lot of times the limits placed on mystic heroes seem to come from the heroes themselves a la "There are things we are not meant to know/do", which of course is often the driver in science stories because they DON'T follow that rule!
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Conrad Teves
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Joined: 28 January 2014
Location: United States
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| Posted: 16 August 2014 at 11:32pm | IP Logged | 7
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Science. (Even the fictional equivalent)Magic can be fun because of the mystery aspect, but it's sort of a battle between understanding, vs stuff that is Unknowable.
Reed Richards is one of my favorite characters because I like the idea that someone could be smart enough to learn that stuff. It's as much a kind of power fantasy as being able to fly.
Magic, on the other hand has this air of invoking powers that do not belong to you. If done well, it can be fun, but a lot of ground rules have to be laid down before you build a sturdy enough Suspension of Disbelief bubble. |
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Anthony J Lombardi
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Joined: 12 January 2005
Location: United States
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| Posted: 17 August 2014 at 12:09am | IP Logged | 8
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I like mystic characters a bit more. Because of the unknown quality about them. I enjoy the mystery of having this thing that can't be explained by science.
Althou It's an absolute joy when you discover a scientific character that has an almost mystical quality about them, like Doctor Who.
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Robert Cosgrove
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Joined: 16 January 2005
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| Posted: 17 August 2014 at 12:16am | IP Logged | 9
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I don't really distinguish. It's not the character so much as what's done with him. Hellboy, for example, doesn't interest me per se, but Mignola following his own story obsessions does, so it's a book I always read.
In comics in particular, the difference between science based and magic tends to blur. When the Silver Surfer fights Mephisto, is that a "science based" story? When Thor battles the High Evolutionary, is that magic or science based? Superman was probably "science based" when he first appeared, and ostensibly still is; but functionally, his powers now seem more or less magic.
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Matt Reed
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Robotmod
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| Posted: 17 August 2014 at 12:30am | IP Logged | 10
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If it's one or the other, it's always science. Fact before fiction for me.
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Robert White
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| Posted: 17 August 2014 at 1:42am | IP Logged | 11
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I'd say that I'd lean toward science based characters, simply because it's theoretically possible that we could one day be Elders of the Universe or Watchers. Conversely, we're never going to be Sorcerer Supreme's.
That said, I love mystical characters, and I particularly love the concept of science and magic coexisting in the same reality.
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Carmen Bernardo
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Joined: 08 August 2006
Location: United States
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| Posted: 17 August 2014 at 3:29am | IP Logged | 12
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Make mine science! There's something entertaining in having a character's powers and abilities be defined by something we could identify as actually existing in reality, albeit not in the manner in which it operates in reality.
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