Superman

[Will]

To everyone who says kryptonite is his only weakness, you're wrong. He has a heart, and a strong moral sense. That's also a very exploitable weakness.

And magic as well.

Also remember that, even though comics are art, and shouldn't be dismissed as valid and thoughtful entertainment, a lot of writers are hacks, and you're going to deal with a lot of filler shrek if you're going to release +4 Superman comics every month.

I 100% agree.

[Mzo]

And magic as well.

Damnit, I forgot... I remember how screwed he was in the Underworld Unleashed series, and how Wonder Woman's enchanted sword could cut him in Kingdom Come.

[mollipen]

I wish the American comic market would take a look at the Japanese (and other countries', for that matter) comic market past it's surface. There's two major things lacking in the American market; familiarity and finiteness.

You said it before I could.

People can say what they want about Japanese comics, but one thing they have far over most American comics is that 99% of manga titles have a beginning and an end. A structured, specific story is told, and when that story is finished, it is allowed to be finished.

Then you look at American titles like Batman, Superman, X-men, etc. They have to keep finding desperation ways of keeping the story interesting. How many idiotic antagonist characters have come and gone in the life of all of those titles? And for me, it just feels kind of empty to know that things just keep going, and going, and going, and there is no ending, no resolution, nothing ever truly gets solved. It is kind soap operas, where they have to keep bringing in new characters and remaking the same storylines just with different people. In Japan, dramas are the same - they have a finite run, a structured story, and everything feels like there is a point to it. It's isn't just filler-filler-filler-filler, every now and then hitting on a good storyline.

The problem is, of course, that if American comics has a set storyline, and a set finish, the creators would then have to come up with new titles with new characters and new storylines. And, you know, God forbid they have to do that, and not be allowed to just make X-men issue #1092 or whatever they are up to.

I just don't see anything interesting about what he does or how he does it, and it has mystified me how he's stayed popular for so long (much like Peanuts). When he debuted, it made sense, but now? He should have died or retired.

Well, direct opinion on the series aside, Superman and Peanuts have nothing in common. Superman was a drama with specific storylines, while Peanuts was a humor strip meant to tell jokes. Nobody expects a show like Seinfeld to have a structured storyline all of the way through, and a set beginning and ending. It is comedy, and comedy doesn't need to work that way.

[rezo]

Sure, a full-out brawl is simple for the Man of Steel, but what could he do about a virus?

I think Superman from the old Superman TV series would have been able to find a cure. He'd duck out of the room while talking to Lois and Jimmy, fly on down to the rainforest, use his super powers to create some concoction, settle the whole affair and get back to the Daily Planet before anyone became suspicious of how he just happened to dissapear around the time Superman saved the day~

[Will]

You said it before I could.

People can say what they want about Japanese comics, but one thing they have far over most American comics is that 99% of manga titles have a beginning and an end. A structured, specific story is told, and when that story is finished, it is allowed to be finished.

Then you look at American titles like Batman, Superman, X-men, etc. They have to keep finding desperation ways of keeping the story interesting. How many idiotic antagonist characters have come and gone in the life of all of those titles? And for me, it just feels kind of empty to know that things just keep going, and going, and going, and there is no ending, no resolution, nothing ever truly gets solved. It is kind soap operas, where they have to keep bringing in new characters and remaking the same storylines just with different people. In Japan, dramas are the same - they have a finite run, a structured story, and everything feels like there is a point to it. It's isn't just filler-filler-filler-filler, every now and then hitting on a good storyline.

The problem is, of course, that if American comics has a set storyline, and a set finish, the creators would then have to come up with new titles with new characters and new storylines. And, you know, God forbid they have to do that, and not be allowed to just make X-men issue #1092 or whatever they are up to.

It would be cool if the American comic companies adapted to the Japanese way of releasing limited series and stories in TPB form so that when you read that book you'd only have to read one story instead of continuously buying a book forever. Thats what I like about Superman Red Son and DKR since the reader doesn't really have to read another book and can accept that as a standalone story.

But you also have to think that if X-men only ran 1-10 there would be no Phoenix Saga or if Batman only ended in up to issue 25 there would be no DKR or Batman the long Halloween or any of the other stories done about these classic characters with great different writers/artists showing their take on them and redefining the characters. I'm glad Marvel is still around for movie studios to make some awesome movies based on the comic source material such as X-Men/Spiderman/Blade/Hulk/Daredevil and all. Hell maybe Marvel will dump comics altogether and just aim for being a movie development studio while releasing stories in trade form or something, but right now I kind of like how its going even if it is kicking my wallet's ass. :/

As I said before Marvel,DC,Image,Vertigo..whatever company are always creating new characters and ideas to cater to different audiences so you don't really have to worry about them running out of stories to tell with different people even if it isn't finite.

Superman protecting little boys from falling debris...one day at a time...

[Lordmrw]

I actually still have that wizard poster in tip top shape. Actually, i have about 50 or 60 of their posters just lying in my draw.

[Will]

I actually still have that wizard poster in tip top shape. Actually, i have about 50 or 60 of their posters just lying in my draw.

Ahh from postermania? I love those they had all the cool covers from the Wizard mags in full poster form.

Here's a sketch from Keron Grant who did a VF4 PSM cover, drew some New X-Men and is doing the art for the New Mutants comic out now. Supe's midsection looks off though, a little too long and narrow but his style is usually pretty distorted.

[Mzo]

Shidoshi said...
People can say what they want about Japanese comics, but one thing they have far over most American comics is that 99% of manga titles have a beginning and an end. A structured, specific story is told, and when that story is finished, it is allowed to be finished.

Maybe it's just the American way. Ever notice how our soap operas are also never-ending, compared to spanish ones which are finite story arcs?

Not like I watch them or anything; well, I used to with my mom when I was like 6 or 7, but that's about it.

Truth is, I'd be sad if my (hypothetical future) son wouldn't be able to read a new and original Batman story as he grew up.

Now, I wouldn't mind if the man behind the mask was either Dick or Tim, though.

[FuryFox]

Well, direct opinion on the series aside, Superman and Peanuts have nothing in common. Superman was a drama with specific storylines, while Peanuts was a humor strip meant to tell jokes. Nobody expects a show like Seinfeld to have a structured storyline all of the way through, and a set beginning and ending. It is comedy, and comedy doesn't need to work that way.

I know. I just really hate Peanuts...so much that it overrode my logic and got inserted into unrelated argument...just like how much I hate Dave Mathew's Band.

[Mzo]

I know. I just really hate Peanuts...

Trust me, I know how you feel. If that selfish bastard had held out a little longer, he would've retired as planned. Instead, we now get "classic Peanuts" comics as a tribute.

And they've never once made me laugh in my entire life. Fuck Peanuts.