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Favorite Comic hero? - Orlog - 07-01-2013

For a lighter topic as I continue to be curious of people's take on the world of fiction... Originally I was going to label this "Favorite comic super hero" but looks back on it now, some of my most favorite comic heroes aren't super at all.

So, what's your favorite, if you partake in comics? Did your favorite type of comic book have any sort of influence on the type of RP you're into, or the type of character you'd like to portray?

To answer my own question, this goes without even thinking twice about it: Hellboy. I found out about this masterpiece back when the first movie came out, fell in love with the world and the character, shared it with my fiance, and we quickly went out to buy all of the comics we could get our hands on. HB is mostly a sort of detective story with a cast of characters struggling with their differences in a human society. With that being said, it's not the main plot of the story. For the most part the author loves following mythos and generally giving HB the chance to beat supernatural ass.

And to add on to that, I'd definitely say that Mignola's comic put a huge influence on the type of writing and characters I like to portray. Before coming across his work, I didn't really have any direction that I wanted to go with my characters. But the amount of grit and dark humor that was found in these comics really helped me really focus on what direction I wanted my characters to go.

I mean, really. How can you not love this guy?

[Image: hellboy-strange-places003.png]

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Uther - 07-01-2013

I've been reading comics since I was six years old and writing comics since I was seventeen. I'm a huge fan of the super hero genre and a big proponent of the idea that super heroes aren't cliche or childish by nature. My favorite is Batman, but not for the same dumb reasons every half-fan likes him. Outside of spending about $1,000 a year on Batman comics and memorabilia, I've read Batman and Philosophy and The Psychology of Batman and they really changed how I see the super hero genre as a whole. 

Y'know what, I'll just copy and paste something I wrote to a friend about Batman earlier. She didn't get why I liked Batman so much so I wrote this:

Batman is a story of tragedy, insanity, vengeance, and punishment. It is the most compelling saga in comic book lore. Batman's saga is a heavily emotional opera of a story told out frame-by-frame with bone-chilling dialogue and images as dark as the night. We all know the story: Young Bruce Wayne sees his parents murdered before his eyes and vows vengeance on the evil that took their lives, no matter what form it chooses. Bruce Wayne is merely a man, but what most people don't understand is that Batman is not. When Bruce Wayne puts on the cape and cowl, he loses himself in the horrific facade that is the Batman. Batman is vengeance. Batman is the night, and all it represents. When Batman faces off against the Joker, he is not facing a crazed felon, he is facing the very insanity that has engulfed his life and forced him out into the darkness, armed for war. The truth of the matter is, Bruce Wayne no longer uses the Batman disguise to battle evil. Rather, Batman uses the Bruce Wayne disguise as a means to gain information. Batman is not a "billionaire in a bat-suit that punches bad guys at night". Batman is a man on the brink of insanity, fighting pure evil in the very bowels of his own Hell. Every night, he takes one more step down the rabbit hole, and comes that much closer to losing his grip on his mind. Batman is the shattered remnants of a man trying to protect his city and his world from the evil that broke him. That is why Batman is my favorite super hero.

[Image: yZChWGr3kmmawjk4gzlpI6poo1_500.jpg]


That aside, I'm also a huge fan of Superman, the X-Men, Wolverine (I didn't assume he was included in 'the X-Men' because he has plenty of solo series and he's an Avenger), Spider-Man, Captain America (when he's done right) and Spawn.

The series I'm currently following as of this month, in case you were wondering:

-Batman
-Justice League
-Batman/Superman
-Aquaman
-All New X-Men
-Uncanny X-Men
-The Avengers
-Captain America
-Spawn
-Wolverine
-Savage Wolverine
-Superior Spider-Man

To answer the question about if this character influenced my character(s) at all, I'd say very little. Uther is based almost entirely on Medieval legend, though I added in a bit of Superman and Aquaman with the "I'm not one of these people. I don't belong here, but I'll help anyway." attitude, because Uther is from Ishgard. Wart, I'd say is more Wolverine than anyone. He's older than he looks, he's scruffy, he's short, and he's a fighter. I did add in some Batman to him though with the idea that Wart uses inventions to make up for his physical disadvantage just as Batman uses gadgets to make up for his lack of super powers.

[Image: wolverine-origins-comic-50.jpg]

I could also go on and on about Wolverine and how much I love the man-vs.-beast internal conflict and how I love that he's 5'3 in the comics and I'm 5'3 IRL and I think it's cool that he's universally seen as a badass despite his stature... But I'll save it for another time.

I'm way too big of a comic fan for this thread of simple questions. If I get started, I'll go forever. I've probably spent $20,000 in comics and comic book related things in the past five years alone. I have a problem. You started the wrong thread Tongue


EDIT: This is the best thread in the world. IF ANYONE EVER WANTS TO TALK ABOUT COMIC BOOKS EVER SEND ME A PM. I LOVE COMICS.

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - ArmachiA - 07-01-2013

Deadpool.

I don't even thing I need to explain that one. Forever sad that that Wolverine movie kinda ruined him...

My favorite comic book series is the Xmen, generally the Ultimates storyline or the "main" Story. I know it's really popular, but I actually didn't much care for the Dark Phoenix storyline, as Jean Grey is one of my least favorite characters.

My favorite xmen is Nightcrawler <3.


EDIT: I haven't played the new Deadpool game because I'm really scared it's gonna suck, so if anyone has played it let me know!

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Uther - 07-01-2013

(07-01-2013, 02:28 AM)ArmachiA Wrote: Deadpool.

I don't even thing I need to explain that one. Forever sad that that Wolverine movie kinda ruined him...

My favorite comic book series is the Xmen, generally the Ultimates storyline or the "main" Story. I know it's really popular, but I actually didn't much care for the Dark Phoenix storyline, as Jean Grey is one of my least favorite characters.

My favorite xmen is Nightcrawler <3.

I've never liked Deadpool, though I can see his appeal, so I definitely don't insult others for liking him. To each his/her own.

Great choice on Nightcrawler, though. That guy's one of my favorites. Thumbsup

EDIT: that Wolverine movie also ruined Wolverine :/

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Tivahlt - 07-01-2013

(07-01-2013, 01:30 AM)Bea Wrote: For a lighter topic as I continue to be curious of people's take on the world of fiction... Originally I was going to label this "Favorite comic super hero" but looks back on it now, some of my most favorite comic heroes aren't super at all.

So, what's your favorite, if you partake in comics? Did your favorite type of comic book have any sort of influence on the type of RP you're into, or the type of character you'd like to portray?

To answer my own question, this goes without even thinking twice about it: Hellboy. I found out about this masterpiece back when the first movie came out, fell in love with the world and the character, shared it with my fiance, and we quickly went out to buy all of the comics we could get our hands on. HB is mostly a sort of detective story with a cast of characters struggling with their differences in a human society. With that being said, it's not the main plot of the story. For the most part the author loves following mythos and generally giving HB the chance to beat supernatural ass.

And to add on to that, I'd definitely say that Mignola's comic put a huge influence on the type of writing and characters I like to portray. Before coming across his work, I didn't really have any direction that I wanted to go with my characters. But the amount of grit and dark humor that was found in these comics really helped me really focus on what direction I wanted my characters to go.

I mean, really. How can you not love this guy?

[Image: hellboy-strange-places003.png]

Well now I can't even reply to this thread because you said everything for me.

Except for the inspiration. I wasn't inspired by Hellboy so much as I was overjoyed to find that not only did other people share my love of horror/supernatural and mythology and a dark sense of humor, but they were getting paid for it. I've always been drawn to darker stories with characters that weren't necessarily depressing or brooding drama queens, and still had enough sense to not take themselves too seriously to add a little humor. It's something that has permeated pretty much every single one of my creations since day one.

So of course I loved the first Hellboy movie, read all of the comics (from the library, no less. I love this place sometimes), and now I have it in hardcover.

===

Also, the Wolverine movie ruined everything and everyone involved. Let us speak of it no more, that it might someday be struck from the records of history.

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Vash - 07-01-2013

Although she is not a superhero she is in comics. One of my favorite comics is one i actually read recently. It's called the last of us American Dreams. I stumbled upon it very recently and have been drawn in. After watching the full last of us game play and seeing Ellie grow as a character I found it as a great series.
[Image: gsm_169_lastofus_vr_ps3_060413_80_640.jpg]

Ellie inspires Vash in many ways. She is not afraid to say what she wants. She delves into the fray even if it means risking her own life. She is also very witty which is something I love to do with characters. Ellie is also fascinated by the past which I loved about her. Over all Ellie is a great character and one i grew very fondly of in the game and comics. 
[Image: tE0Mg.jpeg]
I love dark moral choice RP. I feel like it helps build a character somewhat. I think the dark pasts are very interesting and puts a real sense of the character making them seem more real.

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Shuck - 07-01-2013

(07-01-2013, 01:30 AM)Bea Wrote: Some bid'ness about the greatest supernatural detective of all time. All of it true.

Still super-thankful that you introduced me to this. Excellent read, excellent character.

To contribute a few more:

[Image: Invincible_Iron_Man_Vol_1_25_Textless_Variant.PNG]

Iron Man. And not because of the recent surge in popularity, or Robert Downy Junior's performance (though I do maintain that he is accidentally the best method actor for the part of Tony Stark).

Instead, we've got a few reasons he makes the top of my list. The first of which is that Iron Man makes a promise that no other superhero has, or even could make. Superman promises that there will always be someone watching out for you. Batman promises that no one can escape their comeuppance. A whole myriad of superheroes promise that there is an immutable "right", and that all it takes is one person to stand up for it, and eventually, it'll all get smoothed over.

Iron Man promises that someday? We'll all be Iron Man. Every last one of us. This is a man who built a machine that fights creatures who call themselves gods. He demonstrates, time and again, that there's absolutely nothing that keeps humanity from reaching into the hostile, exceptionally dangerous universe it exists in, and snatching back not only our survival, but our autonomy as a species. He shows us that we don't have to bow our heads to things that were simply born "better" than us. Through our ability to adapt and invent, we can overcome anything.

On the flip: Iron Man shows us that it's never going to be an outside threat that wipes Humanity out. Whatever curveball comes our way, we'll handle it. Our biggest issue is ourselves. Tony Stark is largely his own worst enemy. "Demon in a Bottle" gets a ton of talk on this issue, but self-medication is a symptom of a greater issue. The trouble that this character runs into is a fear of greatness, and a fear of choice. With the kind of freedom that Stark's money buys him, and the kind of level his exploits as a superhero raise him to, he kind of buckles under the weight of reality. When you've got the tools to tell a god to fly up it's own ass and disappear, there's not a lot that's gonna stop you from making...like any decision at all.

As much as Iron Man promises us that one day, we'll all shrug our shoulders at a hostile world, the stories also ask "Are we ready for that?" In your usual story, you'd see the protagonist come to a definite affirmative, but I appreciate that the better writers Iron Man has seen have had the balls to say "Y'know what? I don't think we are, and I don't know when we will be." Because, let's face it: We're not infallible. We're going to stumble, and fall, and sabotage ourselves, and we might make one misstep too many. Then again, we might not, and it's worth the shot anyway.


Next up, we've got:

[Image: ultimate-spider-man.jpg]

Spiderman. Now, he makes the list on some less lofty grounds than Iron Man does. Mostly in that he's just kind of in a perpetual state of ruin. Doesn't even matter which "Spiderman" we're talking about. In any iteration, of any timeline, we find an individual who projects competence and confidence, but is basically falling apart in their real-world existence.

On this end, I see Spiderman in the same light I see Captain Ahab. This is a guy so possessed by, so utterly consumed by their own mission that they slowly but surely sacrifice absolutely everything that they've ever held dear. They kill bits and pieces of themselves in their pursuits, and, in my opinion, are at their most interesting during the aftermath. When Peter Parker tracks his uncle's killer, what exactly does he gain? There's no closure there. There's no thrill of revenge. There's just the hollow realization that this all could've been different, if he'd cared/thought ahead/done X,Y,Z a bit more.

He spends the rest of his life obsessively trying to prevent the next incident that would create another "Uncle Ben" to the exclusion of all else. And what does it get him? A heap more trouble and a shrinking list of friends and family. Spiderman never truly "wins". He can't. Somewhere, he knows he can't. But he's kind of too committed to the fight to quit.

Anyway, I bring up these two (I could go on forever about this list of favorites) for the purposes of the sub-question here. There's a bit of Iron Man and Spiderman in Isaac. There's the struggle against the inevitable present in the character, as well as a similar promise that Iron Man makes. He's a firm believer in the democratization of power. At the same time, he's not nearly as stable or sure as he would project, and his past is riddled with some exceptionally poor decisions in pursuit of something he may never achieve.

More thoughts later.

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Faiz - 07-01-2013

Two of my most-favorite comic book heroes would have to be (in no particular order) Spider-Man, and Nightwing. I love many heroes, but these are literally the only ones I fanboy over /so much/. I don't believe they have any influence in how I RP, but they have a lot of influence in why I choose to play hero-type characters instead of villain-like characters. I don't really have much else to say on the matter though.. ^^;

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Uther - 07-01-2013

(07-01-2013, 03:00 AM)Tivahlt Wrote: I've always been drawn to darker stories with characters that weren't necessarily depressing or brooding drama queens, and still had enough sense to not take themselves too seriously to add a little humor.

Also, the Wolverine movie ruined everything and everyone involved. Let us speak of it no more, that it might someday be struck from the records of history.

This first part feels like a jab to Batman or Spider-Man. And no, as a huge fan of both I'm not going to flip out on you and start nerd raging. I actually half agree about that. With the wrong writer, Batman can easily turn into a humorless drama queen, but it's not always the case. Writers like Jeph Loeb, Grant Morrison, and most recently Scott Snyder have all done the Dark Knight justice. More ancient ones like Denny O'Neil, Alan Moore, and Frank Miller have done their part as well, but you do have a point. Get the wrong writer on some more human dark characters and they just become a bunch of cry babies.

About the Wolverine movie. Agreed.

Agreed agreed and agreed. Twelve foot tall Hugh Jackman and his band of thugs ruined everything sacred about 5'3 Wolverine.

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Tivahlt - 07-01-2013

(07-01-2013, 05:36 AM)Uther Wrote:
(07-01-2013, 03:00 AM)Tivahlt Wrote: I've always been drawn to darker stories with characters that weren't necessarily depressing or brooding drama queens, and still had enough sense to not take themselves too seriously to add a little humor.

Also, the Wolverine movie ruined everything and everyone involved. Let us speak of it no more, that it might someday be struck from the records of history.

This first part feels like a jab to Batman or Spider-Man. And no, as a huge fan of both I'm not going to flip out on you and start nerd raging. I actually half agree about that. With the wrong writer, Batman can easily turn into a humorless drama queen, but it's not always the case. Writers like Jeph Loeb, Grant Morrison, and most recently Scott Snyder have all done the Dark Knight justice. More ancient ones like Denny O'Neil, Alan Moore, and Frank Miller have done their part as well, but you do have a point. Get the wrong writer on some more human dark characters and they just become a bunch of cry babies.

About the Wolverine movie. Agreed.

Agreed agreed and agreed. Twelve foot tall Hugh Jackman and his band of thugs ruined everything sacred about 5'3 Wolverine.
I actually wasn't thinking of Batman at all. I wasn't even thinking of comics, just stories in general, regardless of format. I like Batman...he just isn't my favorite. :<

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Uther - 07-01-2013

(07-01-2013, 04:48 AM)Shuck Wrote: Something about Iron Man. 

Something less significant but also insightful about Spider-Man.

These are very good observations. I thought I was the only one who looked at comic book super heroes as culturally relevant allegories these days.

I've never been a huge fan of Iron Man. I stopped reading around the Extremis mini-series, and I disliked the side he chose/led during the Civil War arc. Usually I preach about him being an asshole or whatever. After reading your post about him I started thinking about all of the old Iron Man/Avengers arcs I've read, and you have a point. Very insightful. I'm going to have to re-read a lot of my older Iron Man stuff.

I already felt the same way about Spider-Man's "road to ruin", but I thought this was worth noting. No one ever seems to really get this side of the character. Most people see him as a fun-loving young adult with spider powers.

In short, I'm glad I'm not alone on my analysis of comic book characters.
(07-01-2013, 05:41 AM)Tivahlt Wrote: I actually wasn't thinking of Batman at all. I wasn't even thinking of comics, just stories in general, regardless of format. I like Batman...he just isn't my favorite. :<

Welp, I'mmm dumb.

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Dogberry - 07-01-2013

I love Hellboy a lot. He's just awesome.

My favorite comic right now is Mouse Guard. It's note a superhero comic, it's about mice trying to survive in a medieval society. My favorite character? This guy:

[Image: 4S38Nhe.png]
Lieam, one of the most hardcore mice ever. You have to be hardcore when you're a mouse. Otherwise something will eat you. Lieam takes it up a notch in the first issue when he stabs a snake in the brain through the roof of its mouth. Really, though, Lieam is all about the transformation from rookie tenderpaw to legend. It's awesome to see how the character changes, especially in contrast to Saxon and Kenzie, who sometimes seem to operate as two sides of the same character. As events progress he takes on the identity of a legendary guardsmouse, and you get the sense that he's going to do some great things. If there's any comparison I can make to another character it would be to Jon Snow from Song of Ice and Fire except he's less prone to making stupid mistakes by getting emotional. Lieam knows he can't afford to do that. He's a mouse, and one small mistake could make him some fox's dinner. I think that's really what I find so compelling about Mouse Guard. The dangers each and every mouse faces just to survive on a day to day basis just make the tiniest of hopes and dreams seem that much bigger. It's inspirational to me. They're overwhelmed by nature itself and none of them are fatalistic about their futures.

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Uther - 07-01-2013

(07-01-2013, 07:31 AM)Dogberry Wrote: I love Hellboy a lot. He's just awesome.

My favorite comic right now is Mouse Guard. It's note a superhero comic, it's about mice trying to survive in a medieval society. My favorite character? This guy:

[Image: 4S38Nhe.png]
Lieam, one of the most hardcore mice ever. You have to be hardcore when you're a mouse. Otherwise something will eat you. Lieam takes it up a notch in the first issue when he stabs a snake in the brain through the roof of its mouth. Really, though, Lieam is all about the transformation from rookie tenderpaw to legend. It's awesome to see how the character changes, especially in contrast to Saxon and Kenzie, who sometimes seem to operate as two sides of the same character. As events progress he takes on the identity of a legendary guardsmouse, and you get the sense that he's going to do some great things. If there's any comparison I can make to another character it would be to Jon Snow from Song of Ice and Fire except he's less prone to making stupid mistakes by getting emotional. Lieam knows he can't afford to do that. He's a mouse, and one small mistake could make him some fox's dinner. I think that's really what I find so compelling about Mouse Guard. The dangers each and every mouse faces just to survive on a day to day basis just make the tiniest of hopes and dreams seem that much bigger. It's inspirational to me. They're overwhelmed by nature itself and none of them are fatalistic about their futures.
YES! Forgot all about Mouse Guard! Great choice.

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Y'sehr - 07-01-2013

I'm going to say Sonic. Honestly, it is the only comic I read much of, and the kind of dark and gritty world was a big impact on me, I think. I started appreciating serious settings more, and I found a greater focus on humor in them as a counter-point. Plus small fuzzy animals and robots!

RE: Favorite Comic hero? - Nel Celestine - 07-01-2013

I kind of like my Anti-Heros too.

[Image: tumblr_m7x2mnK2Z91qg8i80o1_1280.jpg]