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Ok as most of you know is there a way a character can be powerful and at the same time very interesting.

Or can a character be average and be able to be a character like an omipotent.

Power is irrelevant to an interesting character.

Huh?

.....anyway....

Sure. Surfer's powerful and interesting.

Sometimes.

So's Thanos. 2nd best villian ever, imo (Doom being #1).

I like the Smallville idea of a character being powerful but not really having a clue as to just how powerful he actually is ... plus it lets you see how characters learn to cope with these powers without accidentally killing everyone around them and also how it alienates them from "normal" people.

Create for him/her interesting and powerful challenges.

The Authority.

The premise behind them was "over the top powers, over the top challenges". So sometimes you don't need intricate character development....if you're badass and have epic storylines, it works.

They've gotten away from that some, but that was the idea back in the beginning.

Conflict is what makes a character interesting, they need to have some challenges that are difficult for them to accomplish... and not necessarily power wise.

Originally posted by DigiMark007
The Authority.

The premise behind them was "over the top powers, over the top challenges". So sometimes you don't need intricate character development....if you're badass and have epic storylines, it works.

They've gotten away from that some, but that was the idea back in the beginning. The characters in themselves are pretty interesting though - even setting aside the powers. Particularly Jenny Sparks. Sure she's 100 years old... but Jenny floats my boat.

Authority is amazing stuff.

Anyway, it's all in the hands of the writer. Certain writers can make uber characters interesting. Look at just about any Surfer writer, or most of the work Oeming has done.

All the above is true (except for whatever Srank said) ermm

Especially Digi's example about The Authority

However, the opposite can be true.

A character can be very unpowerful, and be very uninteresting.

Why, just look at Wolverine Jubilee

Originally posted by xmarksthespot
The characters in themselves are pretty interesting though - even setting aside the powers. Particularly Jenny Sparks. Sure she's 100 years old... but Jenny floats my boat.

I'd hit it.

And we all know how I quickly became a Doctor fanboy back before he died ( )...still the worst desicion in their run. He was actually starting to develop intricacy and compassion to his character. At least his swan song (Revolution) was a good arc.

P.S. Jubilee's the sh*t.

Originally posted by DigiMark007
I'd hit it. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/1/15/I%27d_Hit_It_-_McDonalds_banner.gif
Originally posted by DigiMark007
And we all know how I quickly became a Doctor fanboy back before he died ( )...still the worst desicion in their run. He was actually starting to develop intricacy and compassion to his character. At least his swan song (Revolution) was a good arc.He was okay... but he's no Jenny Sparks.
Originally posted by DigiMark007
P.S. Jubilee's sh*t. Fixed.

Originally posted by xmarksthespot
He was okay... but he's no Jenny Sparks.

...or Quantum. Barely legal > Grandma.

Two Good examples from DC:

Joker: No Super powers. Extremely Evil and Interesting.

Darkseid: Great Power. Extremely Evil and very Interesting.

Villains despite the power they or may not hold. Are always interesting. That is why most people have an interest on the bad guy more than the good guy.

Originally posted by DigiMark007
So's Thanos. 2nd best villian ever, imo (Doom being #1). You people sicken me...

Originally posted by srankmissingnin
Conflict is what makes a character interesting, they need to have some challenges that are difficult for them to accomplish... and not necessarily power wise.

absolutely

what makes a good character a lot of the time is that the conflict isn't always man against man

Usually more poweful characters become boring faster because:
1. Character itself is neglected.
2. They are harder to relate to on a normal basis.

Originally posted by Tha C-Master
Usually more poweful characters become boring faster because:
1. Character itself is neglected.
2. They are harder to relate to on a normal basis. And yet Thanos is still one of the most interesting people in comics.

I agree, but he is one of the exceptions, and he has a good personality and good conflict. How many high-level characters can have their own series, especially in Marvel, and be successful in it?

Originally posted by Tha C-Master
I agree, but he is one of the exceptions, and he has a good personality and good conflict. How many high-level characters can have their own series, especially in Marvel, and be successful in it? Hmm... Wolverine?

If he is from Krypton

Originally posted by bigbran
Hmm... Wolverine? He is one of the few who got more powerful and got more popular with it...

Originally posted by By Crom!
If he is from Krypton



I disagree, I think MOST of Superman's suff is seriously mediocre.

Badguys = More interesting then Goodguys 90% of the time.

I don't think you have to be able to relate to a bad guy. You just have to be able to completley grasp their conflict, their motive, and their goal.

In addition, it helps if there are unique personality trait(s) that set the character apart and distinguish his story from all the others.

This, I believe, is why Thanos is so interesting.

To find out, read Sandman or Lucifer

Interesting characters=relate-able

Powerful characters= creativity

Originally posted by namhaY (&lt
I disagree, I think MOST of Superman's suff is seriously mediocre.

MOST? honestly? i'd have to disagree... there is alot of really good superman stuff... expecially post crisis...

Read All-star Superman then you will know.

Originally posted by Endless Mike
To find out, read Sandman or Lucifer
Wesley Dodds Sandman?

Originally posted by pr1983
MOST? honestly? i'd have to disagree... there is alot of really good superman stuff... expecially post crisis...

I disagree . For every All star arc, there have been countless 'For Tomorrow Arcs'. I like what G.J. and Brusiek are doing with him, and i like some of Jurgens and Brynes stuff, but its still pretty meh !! compared to Miracle Man, Supreme Power, Sandman, Kingdom Come, Lucifer and Morison's JLA all of which are depicting immensely powerful characters.

Originally posted by namhaY (&lt
I disagree . For every All star arc, there have been countless 'For Tomorrow Arcs'. I like what G.J. and Brusiek are doing with him, and i like some of Jurgens and Brynes stuff, but its still pretty meh !! compared to Miracle Man, Supreme Power, Sandman, Kingdom Come, Lucifer and Morison's JLA all of which are depicting immensely powerful characters.

or the Naz still the most underrated comic of all time.

Originally posted by The Libertine
or the Naz still the most underrated comic of all time.

Naz ?

Griffin, Mike Carey and Ellis, all seem to be pretty competent and making uber characters interesting. Griffin's G.L. run is pretty good, but his Annihilation and Thanos work is sublime. Omening work with Marvels Gods is pretty consistent also.

Morrisons JLA is the most overrated team book ever.

Originally posted by namhaY (&lt
Naz ?

You mean you have never heard of the Naz! Let me educate you (imagine a pompous voice at this point).

Veitch and Talbot, it was/is pure genius.

Originally posted by UniOmni
Morrisons JLA is the most overrated team book ever.

IMO that is like saying the Godfather is a rubbish film, it makes me wonder what kind of taste you have.

Originally posted by The Libertine
You mean you have never heard of the Naz! Let me educate you (imagine a pompous voice at this point).

Veitch and Talbot, it was/is pure genius.

No wiki entry mate, and I'm not the biggest fan of magic based books. Far more of a Sci-fi man.

Originally posted by namhaY (&lt
No wiki entry mate, and I'm not the biggest fan of magic based books. Far more of a Sci-fi man.

He is a martial artist into esoteric stuff, he goes to the east wanders round a bit, hits as low as you can get. Finds a Cambodian shaman/warlord/freedom fighter/ terrorist. Opens himself to deeper Hindu teachings and opens himself to power. He becomes a conduit to the powers of destruction and rebirth. He returns to the USA and kills a mugger. Shatters his Jaw by gently squeezing. The government want him to join the ludicrous punisher style force they have created (all of which are depraved). The Nazz gains apostles acolytes and becomes the sidewalk superman. His appetites increase (in all ways as his power increases) he gives others power and takes it away. He laughs at mans law. Dissembling a courtroom on the molecular level. They drop an H bomb on him. Everyone around him dies as he is not interested in protecting them he is by now totally corrupt or beyond human corruption it's left ambiguous which is clever. He decides to "Judge" humanity. Throughout a love story is running and eventually he is killed by his lover (this is a complex death because his lover has become his "lover" on a spiritual level and he is killed for a number of esoteric reasons). All in all it almost matches the Sandman or Miracleman and is far less famous. Why I have no idea. It also has subplot of a perverted Government bioengineering plot etc, etc.

The Nazz rocked!!

http://www.bryan-talbot.com/nazz/index.html

Originally posted by namhaY (&lt
IMO that is like saying the Godfather is a rubbish film, it makes me wonder what kind of taste you have.

I can honestly say I disliked The Godfather , the story bored me and the film itself was dark and grainy.

Originally posted by namhaY (&lt
I disagree . For every All star arc, there have been countless 'For Tomorrow Arcs'. I like what G.J. and Brusiek are doing with him, and i like some of Jurgens and Brynes stuff, but its still pretty meh !! compared to Miracle Man, Supreme Power, Sandman, Kingdom Come, Lucifer and Morison's JLA all of which are depicting immensely powerful characters.

i think for tomorrow gets ALOT of undeserved flak... they tried to do something new with superman, and while it was a bit hit and miss, the hits were as good as the misses were bad... imo there is some amazing dialogue concerning his love for lois, how the world around him perceives him, and how far he is allowed to go in his role as one of the world's protectors...

i loved the verheiden/benes run, i really did, though admittedly, without benes' art, parts of it wouldn't have been the best... though the sacrifice arc happened during this run, and i have to say i quite enjoyed the story...

the gog-war arc, for me, is one of the best recent superman arcs, there isn't alot of it i could fault...

secret identity is one of the best comics of modern times imo... its damn good...

up, up and away was good imo, as was the arc with the intergalactic collectors (which seemed to get better as it went on imo), and the recent arc concerning khyber (which also, strangely enough, seemed to improve with time), and the possibility that the more superman fights against the worlds problems, the more they're building up, until the next crisis hits...

busiek is, on his day imo, a fine superman writer...

death of superman, imo, was a good comic, i just felt, given its storyline, it should have been bigger in scope...

and of course there's all-star...

there was one more i wanted to mention, but i just forgot it... crap... meh, when i remember, ill post it...