Stupidity of Comics

[JoeGKushner]

One of the reasons I don't read comics as much as I used to, is that it's hard to shut my brain off all the time.

What do I mean?

Why is the original Batgirl still in a wheelchair? Why did Aquaman never get his hand back? It's acceptable for people to come back from the dead, but they can't use some type of super technology to do relatively 'normal' things? Heck, have one of the spellcasters do something. "Specter, we saved the space time continum. Give Barbra the abilty to walk."

 

[Truth Seeker]

One of the reasons I don't read comics as much as I used to, is that it's hard to shut my brain off all the time.

What do I mean?

Why is the original Batgirl still in a wheelchair? Why did Aquaman never get his hand back? It's acceptable for people to come back from the dead, but they can't use some type of super technology to do relatively 'normal' things? Heck, have one of the spellcasters do something. "Specter, we saved the space time continum. Give Barbra the abilty to walk."

For Barbara...there will be no Oracle.

Anime and comic (Aquaman), he got a hook, a mechanical hand(could be wrong on that one) and lately, a water one.

But you have valid points...why, why...maybe of simple reasons...something they don't see that far enough, or, from the higher ups, it is all about who has the flavor of bringing in the $$$$.

Sad way to think, but then again, there are many reasons or not, on why, these handicap heroes, don't get a full recovery treatment.

Reasons...we don't know.

 

[Klaus]

The reason they don't get better is that writers tend to be very limited and think that a character NEEDS that handicap to be entertaining.

Take Barbara, for instance. She hasn't been Batgirl for a long time. There's a new Batgirl running around. She has settled in her new role as Oracle. She could easily start walking again and remain Oracle (and given how technology seems to be heading towards wireless more and more, she'd be a better Oracle for it).

During his last arc in JLA, World War III, Grant Morrison had the League give the entire world superman-level superpowers to fight the god-weapon Maggeddon. One panel had Barbara _standing up_. Chuck Dixon said he wouldn't ruin his entire character development just to justify a panel in another comic. >sigh<

Aquaman could easily have his hand back, if a writer wanted.

Chris Claremont once said that if Rogue lost her inability to touch people, she'd be ruined as a character. I hope he saw Rogue kiss Iceman in X2...

 

[The Serge]

Actually, I like the fact that Barbara is still in a wheelchair and that Aquaman is still shy one hand. I think it's necessary to have some characters without perfect faculties. While on the one hand it's important to have heroes with disabilities still being heroic, I also think it's important to have some kind of continuity and drama in the story lines.

If Barbara was able to walk again, the impact of what happened in The Killing Joke would not be as severe and permanent as it should. It would weaken the progression of one of the best character developments in DC (I am willfully ignoring many other pretty asinine creative decisions). Sometimes heroes do not return. While Jason Todd should never come back, Batgirl -- as we knew her in the Silver Age -- will never return either. There are and should be casualties in the fight against injustice and evil and Barbara Gordon was a casualty in a way. However, she's also a success because she's probably more of a hero now in spite of her disability.

I think that one of the major problems in comics is the inability for many writers to adhere to great story concepts set down by earlier writers. And the fact that so many of them seem not to respect each other (Grant Morrison, while a great conceptualist, is not only a subpar writer, but he has a nasty habit of completely ignoring continuity or logical character progression in order to accomplish "huge story arcs;" the death of Magneto is a good example of this sort of stupidity) only exacerbates the problem. Too many writers don't bother to keep up with character progression over the course of a character's life, resulting in idiotic returns that weaken the sacrifice and dramatic impact of a character's death/handicap.

I agree with Claremont on Rogue. The nature of her character is her inability to ever have a "normal" relationship with anyone. Sure, some may find ways around this, but it's her curse (something you'll notice with all X-Men is that they seem to have some sort of curse that limits their powers). When Rogue kisses Iceman in X-2, they're both swiftly reminded of the risks and limitations in their desired relationship. The character progresses only so far and does make some changes, but the essential aspects of her character remain intact.

 

[JoeGKushner]

I try not to think about it.

No offense, but about 98% of the Marvel Universe should be dead.

They've shown how an old man could use a Civil War rifle to hit a target three miles away.

Now I know, what fun is that, but the point being, given the current state of technology in most comics, everyone should be wearing something like Captain America's chain mesh body armor or some type of protection.

I mean, I imagine a comic where the Punisher is laying in bed one cold January morning and feels his side groaning. "I'm going to get Wolverine back the best way possible." And then goes and kills all the non-bulletproof X-Men.

 

[Truth Seeker]

I try not to think about it.

No offense, but about 98% of the Marvel Universe should be dead.

They've shown how an old man could use a Civil War rifle to hit a target three miles away.

Now I know, what fun is that, but the point being, given the current state of technology in most comics, everyone should be wearing something like Captain America's chain mesh body armor or some type of protection.

I mean, I imagine a comic where the Punisher is laying in bed one cold January morning and feels his side groaning. "I'm going to get Wolverine back the best way possible." And then goes and kills all the non-bulletproof X-Men.

Hmmmm, that is why they have the Ulimate Line, and DC will be having the ALL-STARS, but for upgrade in tech(body armor wise), don't expect to see that around, if it was, fans will be calling all the supes...wimps.

The Lesser of two Evils...I suspect.

 

[Viking Bastard]

Actually, Aquaman has been offered his hand back, I think during PAD's run, rather
than Larsen's, but he didn't want it. I forget the reasoning.

Of course, now, he has that magical hand thingy anyway, so why would he want it?

Oracle doesn't trust magic and doesn't want anything to do with cybernetics, these
are the only ways to cure paralysis in the DCU. Unless you're lucky like John Stewart
and have an old near-omnipotent friend that's looking for redemption. There's plenty
of in-story explainations for these kinda things, they're just not mentioned in every
issue. That's what the internet is for.

Also, one must remember, while the DCU is, as such, a whole, it is seperated into
different cores, each with it's own set of logic. The bat titles simply do not mesh
perfectly with the JLA and the Green Lantern Corps. If the Batman is such a Übergod
in other heroes' titles, why is has he such problems when dealing with Gotham scums?
He goes toe-to-toe with White Martians yet sometimes has trouble taking down Croc?
It doesn't make sense, but why would it? JLA and Batman are seperate stories, simply
sharing a few characters.

Don't worry about this kinda continuity. The DCU doesn't work within it's boundaries.
It was never supposed to. Well, not until the 80s, when they tried to force it to,
against it's nature.

Just think Hypertime.

Marvel, though, has no exscuses.

 

[hellbender]

I just read Heavy Metal and Metal Hurlant. I don't have time to read about Batman's next angst ridden tangent. I would rather be exposed to a panoply of writers and artists from around the world than follow a comic storyline for years. If I had to read actual comics, it would be Judge Dredd, Slaine or Thrud the Barbarian.

 

[Andre La Roche]

Honestly, my problem with comics these days are that they have enough of these "cures" and events happening to generate the mindset that characters who suffer from irreversible afflictions (like oh, say...death) are unrealistic anomolies instead of the norm.

 

[Viking Bastard]

Well, think about it in D&D terms. Only the heroes and Big Bads have access to True Resurrection.