"Then, Earth 2 Arachno-Man and Proto-Spider-Boy combined their anti and anti-anti spider powers to pull apart reality, allowing Super Boy Man Squared to escape the Null-Neo-Nexus-Oblivion-Void Dimension where he had been trapped for centuries, unwittingly unleashing a powerful Spectral-Space-Outer-Force that could destroy the Anti-Reality Particles needed to stop Bizarro-Bat-Mite from turning the universe into cotton candy. Luckily, Batman had prepared for just such an occurrence."
Forgot the part where The Chunt returns to the world of the living to torture Gwen Stacy XXI to death and decorate Gotham City Park with her entrails. Which have been raped.
Agreed. There are far more memorable Bat Villains than there are villains of the other major DC heroes. I assume we're all nerds/geeks here, so go ask some normal people to make a list of Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter villains.
Then have them make a list of Batman villains. I'd be amazed if there were more than 5 on the first list, and less than 6 on the second.
@John Dukehart: The point isn't who published Batman/Bat-Man, but that the way teh character is written is more along the lines of a Marvel character. Just like how Falcon seems like he should be in DC stories instead of Captain America's friend.
@ John Dukehart Captain America also appeared before "Marvel" existed, as it was then "Timely" Comics, so even if Andrew was making a comment about the character's publishing history and not his traits, it is still possible for a character to be part of Marvel and yet have existed before the company we now know as Marvel Comics had its current name. However, since it's clear the point he wanted to make was that Batman has the "feel" of the characters of Marvel more than he does the one at DC, letting everyone know that you're so smart you know Batman's publication year (as does anyone with access to Wikipedia) doesn't really bring anything to the conversation.
My advice -- Spend less time trying to sound smart on the Internet and more time learning how to have an actual social interaction where you don't just come off sounding like a know-it-all ass. Otherwise you just sound like one of the eye-rolling characters Mr. Tim draws.
@Anon 3:15 I apologize for trying to interject some actual factual information into the discussion. And yes, I do know about Timely Comics. That doesn't change the fact the Batman was one of DC's first and most iconic character. It's not Batman's fault that other DC characters suck.
As for the idea that Batman (who, we will remember, is one of DC oldest characters and has gone through many different versions, from gumshoe to campy gadgeteer to dark knight and so on) and his villains are more like those in Marvel, this ignores that Marvel also has godlike characters such as Galactus & Dark Phoenix. Also, most of the problems encountered in Marvel are imposed by society (poor characters living in a society that fears hates mutants) where as in DC, the heroes then to be rich, and have a nice mansion, island or footrace they can go to anytime they want.
Simply saying "Batman is more Marvel than DC" is like saying "James T. Kirk is more Star Wars than Star Trek. It *may* be true, but without providing facts to support your opinion doesn't really bring anything to the conversation.
tl;dl Using facts in a conversation doesn't make you a know-it-all-ass. Factless opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.
Depends who's writing him, really. Batman is probably the most elastic character in the DCU, so you could write him in a "Marvel style" or a "DC style".
@Imitorar: In the spirit of John Dukehart, I proclaim Plastic Man to be the most elastic character in the DCU.
@John Dukehart: Yeah, Marvel has Galactus, Dark Phoenix, Thanos, etc., but those are all cosmic entities and/or major event plot points. The standard DC hero is much more powerful than the standard Marvel hero.
And while bringing facts in to a conversation doesn't make you a know-it-all-ass, bringing up facts that are only tangentially related to the topic being discussed merely makes it seem like the person doesn't understand the point of the conversation.
In this case, I think it was merely one person overreacting to non-relevant information that was presented in a condescending manner. The way you presented your information ("Um, you do realize that The Bat-Man, aka The Detective, first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939, long before Marvel existed.") came across as if you thought we didn't understand that Batman was a DC character due to when he was published.
Yes, Bat-Man was published before Marvel existed. Yes, he IS a DC character. However, the only reply before yours (Danicus: His villains back up that opinion. Batman's villains feel closer to Marvel villains than your standard DC ones.) presented the beginnings of a conversation. Interjecting with the publishing date contributed nothing to the conversation other than to derail it.
That's an interesting idea. What if DC and Marvel allowed each other to do one-shots of their characters? They've done Amalgam and crossovers in the past but nothing like this. Just Imagine Stan Lee... was a shot at this but Stan was out of his prime.
If DC had started Spider-man back in the day there would be plenty of differences. JJJ would not hate him, he would be a media darling. Peter would be rich and never struggle for money. He would always get the girl. He would not have been an outcast. He would not have let the burglar get away out of selfishness. In short, he would not have any of the down-to-earth qualities that make Peter Parker Spiderman. DC's heroes were more iconic, and did not have personal problems the way Marvel's did.
Barry was larger than life? Dude was a nerdy police scientist with a reporter girlfriend; that's it. Barry's one of the few superheroes who had a relatively normal life and managed to be a grown ass man long before getting his powers. If that makes him larger than life I don't know what that says about how people are living.
Sorry, I meant "Barry Allen Flash" as opposed to "Jay Garrick Flash", "Wally West Flash", etc. Did the Barry Allen incarnation of the Flash start off as losing loved ones of having real issues? (I'm legitimately asking.)
When I say that Barry Allen Flash has a "larger than life" quality, I mean that the powers Flash has (invincible super speed) make writing stories about him seem... silly. The powers that the DC mainstays have all seem larger than life, Superman being the prime example. Other than Batman, the main Dc characters I think of as "mainstays" are:
- Superman (practically invincible) - Wonder Woman (similar to Superman, only with no ranged attacks and slightly lower stats) - Martian Manhunter (Superman with psychic and shape changing abilities and a weakness that's easier to obtain) - Flash (So fast that he should be unbeatable) - Green Lantern (a "magic" ring that can do practically anything, unless it involves the color yellow) NOTE: Yes, I am aware of the recent removal of the yellow impurity, etc. - Aquaman (OK, he and Namor are cut from similar cloth, only older Namor used to be a villain while Aquaman was always a hero) - Plastic Man (Alright, he could be a Marvel character too. Team him up with Spider-Man and watch Peter get REALLY annoyed. Team him up with Deadpool and watch the pop culture references fly. And then they just go hit on everything that moves.)
Alright everyone of the internet, we need to pick a winner here... the only way for this to happen in a meaningful way is for either DC or Marvel to go bankrupt and end up being bought out by the other... which should be choose to let tank?
Actually I'd rather see Fantagraphics do Spider-Man, with maybe Clowes or Ware writing and drawing it. "Like a Red Glove Cast in Webs" by Clowes or "Peter Parker, the Most Troubled Super Powered Teen on Earth" by Ware. Either of those would be AWESOME!
I'm...I'm not sure he's entirely wrong here.
ReplyDelete"Then, Earth 2 Arachno-Man and Proto-Spider-Boy combined their anti and anti-anti spider powers to pull apart reality, allowing Super Boy Man Squared to escape the Null-Neo-Nexus-Oblivion-Void Dimension where he had been trapped for centuries, unwittingly unleashing a powerful Spectral-Space-Outer-Force that could destroy the Anti-Reality Particles needed to stop Bizarro-Bat-Mite from turning the universe into cotton candy. Luckily, Batman had prepared for just such an occurrence."
ReplyDeleteYou win the internet!
Deleteyou have just convinced me that Marvel would make better Batman comics, LOL.
DeleteForgot the part where The Chunt returns to the world of the living to torture Gwen Stacy XXI to death and decorate Gotham City Park with her entrails. Which have been raped.
DeleteIt also may be true that Batman is essentially a Marvel character stranded in the DC universe. Discuss.
ReplyDeleteHis villains back up that opinion. Batman's villains feel closer to Marvel villains than your standard DC ones.
DeleteUm, you do realize that The Bat-Man, aka The Detective, first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939, long before Marvel existed.
DeleteDoes this human concept of "humor" both confuse and enrage you, Dukeheart?
DeleteAgreed. There are far more memorable Bat Villains than there are villains of the other major DC heroes. I assume we're all nerds/geeks here, so go ask some normal people to make a list of Superman, Flash, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, Aquaman, Martian Manhunter villains.
DeleteThen have them make a list of Batman villains. I'd be amazed if there were more than 5 on the first list, and less than 6 on the second.
@John Dukehart: The point isn't who published Batman/Bat-Man, but that the way teh character is written is more along the lines of a Marvel character. Just like how Falcon seems like he should be in DC stories instead of Captain America's friend.
@ John Dukehart Captain America also appeared before "Marvel" existed, as it was then "Timely" Comics, so even if Andrew was making a comment about the character's publishing history and not his traits, it is still possible for a character to be part of Marvel and yet have existed before the company we now know as Marvel Comics had its current name. However, since it's clear the point he wanted to make was that Batman has the "feel" of the characters of Marvel more than he does the one at DC, letting everyone know that you're so smart you know Batman's publication year (as does anyone with access to Wikipedia) doesn't really bring anything to the conversation.
DeleteMy advice -- Spend less time trying to sound smart on the Internet and more time learning how to have an actual social interaction where you don't just come off sounding like a know-it-all ass. Otherwise you just sound like one of the eye-rolling characters Mr. Tim draws.
@Anon 3:15 I apologize for trying to interject some actual factual information into the discussion. And yes, I do know about Timely Comics. That doesn't change the fact the Batman was one of DC's first and most iconic character. It's not Batman's fault that other DC characters suck.
DeleteAs for the idea that Batman (who, we will remember, is one of DC oldest characters and has gone through many different versions, from gumshoe to campy gadgeteer to dark knight and so on) and his villains are more like those in Marvel, this ignores that Marvel also has godlike characters such as Galactus & Dark Phoenix. Also, most of the problems encountered in Marvel are imposed by society (poor characters living in a society that fears hates mutants) where as in DC, the heroes then to be rich, and have a nice mansion, island or footrace they can go to anytime they want.
Simply saying "Batman is more Marvel than DC" is like saying "James T. Kirk is more Star Wars than Star Trek. It *may* be true, but without providing facts to support your opinion doesn't really bring anything to the conversation.
tl;dl Using facts in a conversation doesn't make you a know-it-all-ass. Factless opinions are like assholes, everyone has one.
**Fortress, not footrace, damnit.
DeleteSuperman retreats to his footrace of solitude . . .
DeleteI Like It! sometimes typos are inspiring
Depends who's writing him, really. Batman is probably the most elastic character in the DCU, so you could write him in a "Marvel style" or a "DC style".
Delete@Imitorar: In the spirit of John Dukehart, I proclaim Plastic Man to be the most elastic character in the DCU.
Delete@John Dukehart: Yeah, Marvel has Galactus, Dark Phoenix, Thanos, etc., but those are all cosmic entities and/or major event plot points. The standard DC hero is much more powerful than the standard Marvel hero.
And while bringing facts in to a conversation doesn't make you a know-it-all-ass, bringing up facts that are only tangentially related to the topic being discussed merely makes it seem like the person doesn't understand the point of the conversation.
In this case, I think it was merely one person overreacting to non-relevant information that was presented in a condescending manner. The way you presented your information ("Um, you do realize that The Bat-Man, aka The Detective, first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939, long before Marvel existed.") came across as if you thought we didn't understand that Batman was a DC character due to when he was published.
Yes, Bat-Man was published before Marvel existed. Yes, he IS a DC character. However, the only reply before yours (Danicus: His villains back up that opinion. Batman's villains feel closer to Marvel villains than your standard DC ones.) presented the beginnings of a conversation. Interjecting with the publishing date contributed nothing to the conversation other than to derail it.
I've always felt this way too.
ReplyDeleteNo, DC would make Spider-Man comics EXACTLY AS BAD as Marvel does.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I wasn't the only one thinking it.
DeleteThat's an interesting idea. What if DC and Marvel allowed each other to do one-shots of their characters? They've done Amalgam and crossovers in the past but nothing like this. Just Imagine Stan Lee... was a shot at this but Stan was out of his prime.
ReplyDeleteI want to see a story where Doctor Doom ends up in the DCU. He would be the most beloved member of the Justice League within a week.
DeleteI used to think they could send Captain Cold to be a hero in the Marvel universe as a trade but Flashpoint kind of ruined that half of it for me.
If DC had started Spider-man back in the day there would be plenty of differences. JJJ would not hate him, he would be a media darling. Peter would be rich and never struggle for money. He would always get the girl. He would not have been an outcast. He would not have let the burglar get away out of selfishness. In short, he would not have any of the down-to-earth qualities that make Peter Parker Spiderman. DC's heroes were more iconic, and did not have personal problems the way Marvel's did.
ReplyDeleteThis demonstrates the differences between the Golden Age and what came after.
DeleteExcept that Barry Allen was a Silver Age DC character and he still seemed to have that "larger than life" quality.
DeleteBarry was larger than life? Dude was a nerdy police scientist with a reporter girlfriend; that's it. Barry's one of the few superheroes who had a relatively normal life and managed to be a grown ass man long before getting his powers. If that makes him larger than life I don't know what that says about how people are living.
DeleteSorry, I meant "Barry Allen Flash" as opposed to "Jay Garrick Flash", "Wally West Flash", etc. Did the Barry Allen incarnation of the Flash start off as losing loved ones of having real issues? (I'm legitimately asking.)
DeleteWhen I say that Barry Allen Flash has a "larger than life" quality, I mean that the powers Flash has (invincible super speed) make writing stories about him seem... silly. The powers that the DC mainstays have all seem larger than life, Superman being the prime example. Other than Batman, the main Dc characters I think of as "mainstays" are:
- Superman (practically invincible)
- Wonder Woman (similar to Superman, only with no ranged attacks and slightly lower stats)
- Martian Manhunter (Superman with psychic and shape changing abilities and a weakness that's easier to obtain)
- Flash (So fast that he should be unbeatable)
- Green Lantern (a "magic" ring that can do practically anything, unless it involves the color yellow) NOTE: Yes, I am aware of the recent removal of the yellow impurity, etc.
- Aquaman (OK, he and Namor are cut from similar cloth, only older Namor used to be a villain while Aquaman was always a hero)
- Plastic Man (Alright, he could be a Marvel character too. Team him up with Spider-Man and watch Peter get REALLY annoyed. Team him up with Deadpool and watch the pop culture references fly. And then they just go hit on everything that moves.)
Alright everyone of the internet, we need to pick a winner here... the only way for this to happen in a meaningful way is for either DC or Marvel to go bankrupt and end up being bought out by the other... which should be choose to let tank?
ReplyDeleteDC. I mean, they employed Leifeld after the 90's!
Deletewhy let marvel off the hook for rob liefeld? they created that monster and therefore should get the blame for it.
DeleteActually I'd rather see Fantagraphics do Spider-Man, with maybe Clowes or Ware writing and drawing it.
ReplyDelete"Like a Red Glove Cast in Webs" by Clowes or
"Peter Parker, the Most Troubled Super Powered Teen on Earth" by Ware.
Either of those would be AWESOME!
I've never seen anyone be this wrong about anything before.
ReplyDeleteEven Bluewater could make better Spider-Man comics than the ones that Marvel has been giving us for the last few years.
ReplyDeleteBatman & Spider-Man, the Boy Wonder
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
I've always thought Spider-Man would get along rather well with Dick Grayson, while Batman and Daredevil would be an interesting team-up.
DeleteI think the Amalgam Spider-Boy comic was as close as we'll get to a DC Spider-man. I rather enjoyed it.
ReplyDeleteI agree: When Neron offered to restore Wally West's secret identity in exchange for his love for Linda, he refused.
ReplyDeleteThat may or may not be true, but I can guarantee you this: DC would not make better Spider-Man movies than Marvel has made.
ReplyDeleteDC might be able to make a better Spider-Man comic, but Warner Bros wouldn't be able to make a movie out of it.
ReplyDelete