I used to be a massive comic book fan and purchaser. As of the last decade or so though not so much. I don't like this direction comics are heading in. There are too many characters in both DC and Marvel with be all end all powers. I used to enjoy comics when things were more rock, paper, scissors. Where a guy had a powerset that trumped another guy and that was that. Now everybody has galaxy busting abilities and feats. Also too many reality warpers or people who can travel at cross universe speeds.
They tend to be wildly inconsistent also, with people not using powers they have. Take surfer for example. With the power cosmic comes cosmic awareness. With that kind of awareness nothing that isn't top tier marvel should be able to touch him. Also he should be able to know about things from light years away. Yet countless times we see him being hit by slow moving things. Or hey even being depowered by a human missle(how do you not know about it or dodge it?).
With this high amount of people with be all end all powers. Like time and space control or reality control the universe has gone from interesting to down right painful to read. I'll continue this when i'm thinking more clearly and present a better case, but i think you get what I mean.
Well... don't read cosmic crap. Street level characters, especially Batman and Daredevil, and much more interesting than Silver Surfer etc. Also, their power levels are pretty obviously set in stone.
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But that's a problem that affects even my favourites like batman and other street level heroes. There stories and timeline and other important things are effected by those other characters. Like someone punching your reality(which makes no sense that someone can punch reality). Also constantly you hear about people with powers who by all defninition should never lose a fight. Yet when you see them fight all you see them do is energy beams or punch.
OH but when a comic book even happens they get all heroic make a speech and bust out said stupid be all end all power(which they go back to not using after). Both marvel and DC universes should have been destroyed ten times over just with the high amount of galaxy and universe destroying beings(many of which are evil).
Kid's got a point. What's the point of, say, Batman in the DC Universe when Emo can retcon reality with punches? Or half the Justice League could annihilate the planet?
I enjoyed the original Crisis because it was a multiversal threat from a "Be all end all" character....but it was before such threats were commonplace. Power-ups please the fanboys. But there's a lot to be said for keeping characters more grounded.
In fact I don't even hate people who have great power. I like people who can say control time and do it on a regular.
I think a good depiction of how powers should be used is something like the show Heroes. In that show when someone comes to the limit of their powers a good reason is given. Like a telepath is trying to control a heavy object. The guys with godlike powers in that show use them too. Heck the phasing guy just phased his fist into another guys head. Hiro can stop time, but for once it's used well. The only people you see able to counter his time manipulation are people who have his ability.
In the comic book universe now though it seems everybody has invulnerability to everything. So they have all great powers but everybody seems to be immune to them(which makes no sense).
You guys may think I'm coming off as a comic book hater. I'm not. My 3 favourite heroes of all time are batman, hulk, and spawn. I've read all of spawn can't say that about the other too though becasue they are in a bigger universe with lots of tie ins.
Why? Also i'm not shouting out heroes I just think the way powers are used and limited is well portrayed. If you disagree based on not liking the show I can understand. If it's based on the point i'm trying to make then explain.
I can't really think of these moments you speak of, I'm sure they do exist. I'm just sure they aren't as frequent as in comic books. If you could give me a good examples of the heroes one(without CIS) that would be appreciated.
Not really. Cosmic awareness is for all intents a passive ability(or so I think). Also him tearing off the vault door was him still using one of his abilities. Also Hiros powers are thought activated. So far sylar has no thought manipulation powers. So the two examples you gave me are still showing people using their powers to a logical extent in a battle situation where they don't have time to think of all the possibilities.
Also you made a mistake with comparing the cast of heroes making a mistake every here and there to Surfer making many. Do you forget the insane level of thought speed the surfer has? So him forgetting to do something is much worst than a mere human that has a lot of powers using the wrong one.
Actually I love surfer. I just wish he would be portrayed with his powers. Right now he just shoots energy beams. He is one of my favourite characters but for the love of God use your powerset.
So you think Sylar being fast enough to stop bullets and yet being stabbed by a short, chubby Asian guy running at him very slowly is acceptable but Surfer getting caught off guard every now and then is terrible?
So your putting bullet catching on par with the power cosmic and all it entails? Also the bullet catching thing can be explained easily with a kenetic field around him or something. True it wasn't stated to my knowledge but telekenetics catching or manipulating bullets is nothing new or impressive. Also telekenetics is blown away by time control(with a thought no less).
To drive it home further. Surfers abilities make him think and calculate faster than any supercomputer. So don't compare a regular guy using his POWERS even if it's not the one you'd prefer. In the heat of battle to someone who can think thousands of times more thana human being per second. Also Hiros physical appearance has nothing to do with his abilities. Don't let your hatred of the show blind you.
Welcome to the world of anyone over meta-level, razor. Name me a character that is close to Surfer in power, and I will show you CIS for the fair majority of their showings from not utilizing all of their powers.
You hate Surfer not using his full power set at all times? Try reading the Authority. Actually, don't. God help me, I can't stop but I shed a small tear every time Doctor and/or Jenny gets PIS'd out of a story, or doesn't end a fight quickly.
The powers are ancillary to the story. The former facilitates the latter. This is true of any character who is so powerful. Your complaints are valid, but they exist everywhere there are powerful characters (not just comics), and so you indeed might be able to stomach street-levelers more easily.
Actually, one of the things I don't like about the Surfer is that he is way too versatile. A simpler, more basic powerset would've been more realistic as herald, IMO, and it would've avoided his apparent jobbing over the years. It would also explain why he tumbles everytime he's knock off his board.
Yes. Yes I do.
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Last edited by Mindship on Aug 29th, 2008 at 09:48 PM
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Aug 29th, 2008 03:54 PM
