Do Superheroes Fight Bad Guys Anymore?

[Felon]

So, I stopped at the comic shop last night to see what's on the shelves. The thought on my mind was "entertain me--take my money". I noticed that we're two issues into Brad Meltzer's new Justice League series. I was just skimming, but it certainly seemed that it was two issues of superheroes doing nothing particularly fun to look at. Flipping through other comics on the shelves, I saw more of the same: a lot of talking heads with minimal action.

Now, I love characterization as much as the next guy, I like to see them depicted as more than a bunch of guys in funny outfits that save the world from aliens and mad scientists...but on some level superheroes are a bunch of guys in funny outfits that save the world from aliens and mad scientists. The writer's of today seem not to want to accept that.

Are there any action-packed titles out there I'm missing?

Post-script: At least it wasn't a total bust. I picked up Scott McCloud's Making Comics and the 6th volume of Fantatistc Four Visionaries featuring John Byrne's run.

 

[Ghostwind]

Pick up Alex Ross' mini-series, Justice. Great stuff.

 

[Felon]

I picked up the first couple of issues of Justice, and found them to be more of the same stuff we've already seen from Alex Ross. That lengthy, morose diatribe about how superheroes are like great gilded deities who trivialize the accomplishments of mere humans not only old territory, but it rings false. DC superheroes really don't really do that much besides preserve the status quo. They don't topple dictators, they don't bring rivers to deserts, they don't share the secrets behind their hi-tech gadgets. And beyond that, Ross makes all these exceptions for guys like Batman, Green Arrow, and Green Lantern--guys who are just human. Well, plenty of heroes are "just human", so if he just wants to have a go at Superman and Martian Manhunter, then he just go ahead and say so.

All that aside, I didn't find the pace of those first few issues to be particularly action-packed. Has that changed?

 

[mmu1]

I've lately been reading... Ultimate Spiderman, Ultimate FF, Civil War / Frontline, New Avengers, Ultimates and an assortment of other Civil War stuff, and there are people getting kicked in the head all over the place.

 

[Captain Tagon]

I thought Justice League of America #2 was very action packed, but maybe that's just me.

 

[Cthulhudrew]

Everyone knows that superheroes just fight each other these days.

Seriously, for action packed titles- Thunderbolts is pretty good, although very dense, story-wise (especially if you're just jumping into the book).

The Annihilation series that is running over at Marvel these days is also really good, and not quite as difficult to follow- it is a cosmic level war, essentially. Lots of action and intrigue.

From what I understand, the Planet Hulk storyline in the Hulk is very action packed and good (though I admittedly haven't been reading it).

At DC, Teen Titans is usually pretty good.

Can't think of others offhand, which is strange. I'll give it a little more thought.

 

[Felon]

Heck, as long as they're fighting somebody.

I'll also note that I've picked up the first of couple of issues of Jim Starlin's Myster in Space. Fun read, at least the Captain Comet section.

 

[kitoy]

Nextwave! Healing America by beating people up!

So you say you want superheroes fighting bad guys? Look no further than Nextwave! Every issue so far has literally given me one laugh out loud moment as well as multiple moments of a$$-kickery! Luck for you the hardcover collecting the first six issues has already come out. Get it or Nextwave will come to your house and make sweet love to your mother and/or dog! (Sorry, read the comic and you'll understand why I get like this.)

 

[Darthjaye]

Honestly, read Inivincible if your looking for good stuff. A friend of mine brought me the first trade a few months back and it was great. I've just finished the second and will be looking for the third as soon as I can get the time to find a good comic book store here in Vegas.

 

[Klaus]

Planet Hulk is very very good, and quite reminiscent of Dark Sun (with technology).

Action packed titles out there include Superman (by Busiek and Pacheco), Batman (by Morrison and Kubert), Robin, All-Star Superman (by Morrison and Quitely), Green Lantern (by Johns and Reis) and Uncle Sam & the Freedom Fighters.

One of the many problems of comics these days is that they're written for trade paperback format. Stories that could be told in two or three issues are watered down into five or six issues. This is called "decompression", and it is a drag!