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metatextual vs regular fiction
so this is from another thread that did not end particularly well. basically we all (many of us) love metatextual characters--especially higher level ones. see the yellow aliens from animal man and multiversity for examples.
but the very nature of metatextual is STILL fiction, and yet many of these metatextual characters are held in esteem above and beyond their more traditionally fictional characters. SHOULD that be the case? who are some of the biggest and baddest metafiction characters and how do they REALLY compare to the biggest and baddest traditional comic characters from all companies?
this is essentially more of a discussion than a vs match, but obviously characters will be pitted against each other here as examples. can the two types of characters even BE compared in any way that matters, or should the metafictional versions not be allowed to be placed in vs match ups?
I love Morrison's interpretation about comic and story.
Comic is living "meme" which interact with us.
So, I put metafictional importance above settings which can be changed.
In Trano & Zaarn's case it isn't just their inherent metafictional nature that makes them so difficult to argue against. It is the fact that *only* the metafictional Supreme Being(ie. the real world DC writers) was stated to have any true power/authority over them -- they were his direct agents/hands. Seemed like some people were having a very difficult time grasping this, and I'm honestly not sure why.
But no, a metafictional character isn't automatically more powerful than a 'regular' fictional character *just* because they're metafictional. Mxy, for example, is a metafictional character, yet Dr. Manhattan has been implicated to be more powerful than him, even though he isn't a metafictional being. Granted, Manhattan's standing as Mxy's superior may or may not turn out to be true once Doomsday Clock has wrapped up, but I'm sure you understand my point regardless.
Metafiction or not, there still must be a tangible reason why one character is superior to another.