super hero comics with rounded characters

matsuiny2004 · 08-23-2012, 04:29 PM

What recent or old comics has well rounded characters as in characters with drama in their life and where your given a reason to actually care if the hero succeeds of fails. A comic where the characters are devloped before the plot really starts.

curtw · 08-23-2012, 09:53 PM

I would say that for me, the top three stories with the best-rounded characters all came out in the same two year period. In order from most to least engaging, I would say:

The Daredevil "Born Again" Story arc
Watchmen
The Dark Knight Returns

I'd be a little surprised if you haven't already read these, but if you like, I would be more than willing to expand on why I hold these in such high esteem.

matsuiny2004 · 08-23-2012, 10:48 PM

sure explain

rkomar · 08-23-2012, 11:19 PM

I was going to recommend "Path of the Assassin" by Kazuo Koike, but it looks like Dark Horse only allow you to read it through some kind of app or browser. No epubs or anything like that for ereaders. Oh well.

replica145 · 08-24-2012, 10:30 AM

I can't think of any modern SH comic that doesn't at least attempt to personalize the characters, hero and villain alike; the success being dependent on the writer.
But off the top of my head: Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers Academy are some really character-centric books I've read recently. Also, the Identity Crisis (Justice League) mini is particularly dramatic.

jtdolphins · 08-25-2012, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matsuiny2004

What recent or old comics has well rounded characters as in characters with drama in their life and where your given a reason to actually care if the hero succeeds of fails. A comic where the characters are devloped before the plot really starts.

I really liked Y The Last Man and Transmetropolitan. I don't think I have ever read anything else by Warren Ellis that I liked, but he hit it with Transmetropolitan.

fjtorres · 08-25-2012, 10:31 AM

Superhero series where character comes before and above plot/action?
Quite a few:
The Roger Stern run of STARMAN comes to mind; the James Robinson run even more so.
Robinson's current SHADE.
The Mike Baron FLASH run.
NEXUS (long one, too).

jtdolphins · 08-25-2012, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Superhero series where character comes before and above plot/action?
Quite a few:
The Roger Stern run of STARMAN comes to mind; the James Robinson run even more so.
Robinson's current SHADE.
The Mike Baron FLASH run.
NEXUS (long one, too).

As much as I liked Stern's run, Robinson's was much better and longer. Giving it time to develop. I think Stern only lasted about 2 years. The comic went downhill fast after Stern left.

Robinson's is available in trade form. I would also check out Robinson's Sandman run. One of my favorite series. I haven't reread either in awhile, think its time to.

Has there been many changes to the Shade or is he still pretty much the same character that was in Starman? Thought about checking it out. I generally don't buy new issues anymore.

fjtorres · 08-25-2012, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtdolphins

As much as I liked Stern's run, Robinson's was much better and longer. Giving it time to develop. I think Stern only lasted about 2 years. The comic went downhill fast after Stern left.

Uh... yeah... Like, 1 issue.

Everything that made the character and cast interesting was instantly ditched.

Quote:

Has there been many changes to the Shade or is he still pretty much the same character that was in Starman? Thought about checking it out. I generally don't buy new issues anymore.

The current SHADE series is by Robinson and it pretty much picks up after his last STARMAN appearance. Same general tone and style. Issue 12 will be a times-past featuring his origin. Not sure if it's still billed as a 12-issue limited series or if its been slipstreamed into an ongoing. Wouldn't mind it at all if it went on indefinitely; it's a different take on the not-quite-heroic superhuman.

Robinson is also running the show on EARTH 2, the totally rebooted/reimagined JSA series. It's too early to tell if it's going to work but so far the new EARTH 2 is looking more interesting than the Wildstormed "New 52" Earth. Paul Levitz' WORLD'S FINEST is also a fresh and fun title and a good bridge between EARTH 2 and the core DCU Earth.

Namekuseijin · 08-25-2012, 06:49 PM

The Blob from X-Men comics

jtdolphins · 08-25-2012, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Uh... yeah... Like, 1 issue.

Everything that made the character and cast interesting was instantly ditched.

I had to go look after talking about this. Looks like Stern was responsible for some of those changes. I had forgotten that. The costume change took place in issue 26, with Stern's last issue being 28. I felt the book really started heading south with the "With the lets leave home because things are falling apart story" line before that in 21-24.

Can't really tell if it was him or the editor wanting those changes those.

JSWolf · 08-25-2012, 10:22 PM

Comics have jumped the shark because of DC's rebooting their entire universe.

fjtorres · 08-26-2012, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Comics have jumped the shark because of DC's rebooting their entire universe.

Like they did in 1985?? 1995? 2005? 2009?

(And a few times in between?)

I'm no fan of the Wildstorming of the DCU (I believe the best of the New 52 titles are the ones that didn't reboot; the GL's, The Legion, Aquaman--yes, Aquaman is *cool*) but there is nothing particularly offensive in them rebooting the DCU yet again. (Crisis, Zero Hour, The Kingdom/Hypertime, Infinite Crisis...)

replica145 · 08-28-2012, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Comics have jumped the shark because of DC's rebooting their entire universe.

You mean DC Comics have jumped the shark? Not sure how the New 52 would cause the entire medium to jump the shark.

JSWolf · 08-28-2012, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by replica145

You mean DC Comics have jumped the shark? Not sure how the New 52 would cause the entire medium to jump the shark.

DC's shark jumping is so bad, it makes the entire comic industry look bad.

08-23-2012, 04:29 PM	#1
matsuiny2004 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: none	super hero comics with rounded characters What recent or old comics has well rounded characters as in characters with drama in their life and where your given a reason to actually care if the hero succeeds of fails. A comic where the characters are devloped before the plot really starts.

08-23-2012, 09:53 PM	#2
curtw Outside of a dog Posts: 863 Karma: 4457646 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Houston, TX Device: Kindle Voyage	I would say that for me, the top three stories with the best-rounded characters all came out in the same two year period. In order from most to least engaging, I would say: The Daredevil "Born Again" Story arc Watchmen The Dark Knight Returns I'd be a little surprised if you haven't already read these, but if you like, I would be more than willing to expand on why I hold these in such high esteem.

08-24-2012, 10:30 AM	#5
replica145 Bake 'Em Away Toys Posts: 210 Karma: 1271856 Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Dirty Jersey Device: Kindle PW (Books) & iPad 3 (Comics)	I can't think of any modern SH comic that doesn't at least attempt to personalize the characters, hero and villain alike; the success being dependent on the writer. But off the top of my head: Ultimate Spider-Man and Avengers Academy are some really character-centric books I've read recently. Also, the Identity Crisis (Justice League) mini is particularly dramatic. Last edited by replica145; 08-28-2012 at 09:50 AM.

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08-23-2012, 10:48 PM	#3
matsuiny2004 Junior Member Posts: 5 Karma: 10 Join Date: Nov 2011 Device: none	sure explain

08-23-2012, 11:19 PM	#4
rkomar Wizard Posts: 2,982 Karma: 18343081 Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Sudbury, ON, Canada Device: PRS-505, PB 902, PRS-T1, PB 623, PB 840, PB 633	I was going to recommend "Path of the Assassin" by Kazuo Koike, but it looks like Dark Horse only allow you to read it through some kind of app or browser. No epubs or anything like that for ereaders. Oh well.

08-25-2012, 10:31 AM	#7
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08-25-2012, 06:49 PM	#10
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08-25-2012, 10:22 PM	#12
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