Comic book based Super Hero Cartoons

[BigDaddyCool]

I've been watching a lot of them via netflix lately. Are they suppose to be stand alone stories that we are suppose to know back stories with unless they decide to tell us what the character's back story is?

For example I saw the Return of Black Adam Last night, they assumed we knew who Superman is but had the origin of Captain Marvel. They followed up with the Specter, and didn't have any origin and just went straight into a story, and I have never fucking heard of this guy before and that one was just shit.

Last week or 2 weeks ago, I can't remember, it was when there was a huge fucking snow storm, I saw Batman/Superman Apocalypses. They assumed we knew who Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are, which is fine. They introduced/had the origin story for Super-girl, also fine, whatever, weird since we were suppose to know that Superman has a super dog, but not a super cousin. They also assumed we knew who Granny Goodness, Big Barta, and a handful of other minor character I don't know I have heard before. Now I am getting slightly confused, but they are minor, so who gives a fuck.

I do recall seeing Hulk Vs, and those they never give any one's backstory which is fine, but they also manage to introduce all the character in it.

I guess my point is, I'm never sure who I should already know in these stories and if they should be treated as "What If" stories, or just hey we want to tell this story with these characters, but don't remember anything about it because they won't in the next straight to dvd cartoon we make.

[Lock Jaw]

The Batman/Superman one at least was directly adapted from the comic book story. In which Supergirl (the current version, anyways) was introduced. Thus her origin was part of the story.

Haven't seen the Black Adam or Spectre shorts. I want to see The Spectre one, cause Spectre is the man. Or at least, he was before they messed his character up.

[BigDaddyCool]

I turned Spectre of half way through when he was killing this dude in a car. Not because he was killing, I have no problem with that, but more of how unbelievable it all is. I can accept magic powers or whatever. That is fine. What I can't accept is a car going highway speeds, being launched into the air, the seat belt disappearing, so that normal guy get ejected on impact from the car and hits the ground hard. Only to get up and walk so the car has to turn into a demon car and run him over.

[Lock Jaw]

Comic Book Spectre series was Awesome though. At least, the one written by John Ostrander. I think it was volume 3. It is a shame that they never reprinted it in collections.

It takes talent to write a series about a pretty much omnipotent character that can do pretty much anything he wants and actually have it be interesting.

[Lock Jaw]

Spectre being badass:


http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q223/Trrrath/spectrev302704.jpg

http://i137.photobucket.com/albums/q223/Trrrath/spectrev302705.jpg

[BigDaddyCool]

That seems pointless.

[Lock Jaw]

He was really angry at the time. Usually he just kills 'em and moves on.

[whiteyford]

They seem to be ok when they stick to one character, the Batman: Red Hood explained everything pretty well.

[BigDaddyCool]

This is just an aside...I hate how so many DC characters are overpowered gods. I mean Superman, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, this Specter fellow, Darkside, Black Adam, Green Lanter, and the list goes on. They are just all so over powered that normal humans don't stand a chance against them.

While at least in the Marvel Universe a street thug with a little bit of luck could beat Spider-Man or Hulk (if they beat up Bruce Banner fast enough).

[Sixx]

How is he a good guy?

Spectre, I mean.

[BigDaddyCool]

They seem to be ok when they stick to one character, the Batman: Red Hood explained everything pretty well.

Yeah, that one seemed fine.

[BigDaddyCool]

While Crisis on Infinite Earths was shit.

[BigDaddyCool]

How is he a good guy?

Spectre, I mean.

He is killing people that committed crimes, sort of like how Punisher is a good guy.

But with his power, he should be saving lives before they get murdered or whatever.

[Lock Jaw]

Spectre is the Angel of Vengeance/Wrath.

He was a cop, who died, but then was sent back down by God as host of the Angel of Vengeance.

[BigDaddyCool]

Ghost Rider is too, but Ghost Rider's powers seem less than that of Spectre. Spectre, at his level of power seems like he should be preventing death instead of causing, unless his power only works against the guilty. I do recall Ghost Rides power seems to reflect the pain the guilty have caused on other people so that makes since on why Ghost Rider isn't preventing more harm.

But Spectre is described as Omnipotent and Omniscient, so if he isn't preventing harm, he is infact an asshole.

[Lock Jaw]

He punishes the guilty. It is what he does.

Basically the Spectre half is just a mindless being of destruction and death who kills the guilty (So I guess The Spectre half is an asshole). Which is why God decided that it needed a human host to kind of keep it more in control. So the host is in like a constant struggle to not let it run wild, or let the anger overwhelm him.

[Sixx]

He is killing people that committed crimes, sort of like how Punisher is a good guy.

But with his power, he should be saving lives before they get murdered or whatever.

Punisher isn't conisdered a good guy. He's considered an anti-hero.

From what I've read on wiki this guy here is considered full on good guy.

Then again, it's wiki we're talking about.

[Lock Jaw]

Spectre used to be more of a heroe in the 1940s when he was created. As things went on, he got more and more distant and more and more supernatural. By the point of the series which the pages above are from, he pretty much had given up on humanity and being human. More a force of nature than a hero.

[BigDaddyCool]

Yeah...I was guessing original Spectre was less powerful.

[dronepool]

I loved that Spectre short animation. He's the The Spirit of Vengeance/Avenging Wrath of God in DC comics.


Ostrander also added several new concepts into the Spectre's history: He revealed that the Spectre was meant to exist as the embodiment of the Wrath of God, and Jim Corrigan was but the latest human spirit assigned to guide him while he existed on Earth. It was also shown that the Spectre was a fallen angel named Aztar who had participated in Lucifer's rebellion, but then repented, and that serving as the embodiment of God's anger was its penance.

Furthermore, the Spectre was not the first embodiment of God's anger, but was the replacement for the previously minor DC character Eclipso. Ostrander chose to portray this as a distinction between the Spectre's pursuit of vengeance and Eclipso's pursuit of revenge. In a historical context, Eclipso was responsible for the biblical Flood, while the Spectre was the Angel of Death who slew the firstborn Egyptian children. Spectre and Eclipso have battled numerous times through history but neither entity can be fully destroyed.

In Gotham Central #38, Crispus Allen is killed by a policeman coincidentally named Jim Corrigan (not the same Corrigan formerly associated with the Spectre). While Allen's body is in the morgue, the Spectre is forced against his will to enter Crispus Allen, taking Allen as his new host

Check out this cool episode of Batman the Brave and The Bold.


<embed src="http://player.youku.com/player.php/sid/XMTYxMjgyNjUy/v.swf" quality="high" width="480" height="400" align="middle" allowScriptAccess="sameDomain" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed>

[Lock Jaw]

Yeah, Ostrander created a whole backstory, and "rules" about The Spectre in his series. In the first issue, I think he writes in the letter column introduction that some other writers were like "Lol, it is impossible to write an ongoing series about The Spectre", to which Ostrander was like "CHALLENGE ACCEPTED" and then the series ran like 60-something issues I think.

Pretty much all has been promptly ignored since the moment his series ended.

[BigDaddyCool]

You would have too have a bunch of rules and caveats to explain how he has such tremendous powers but only seeks vengeance, which is such a dirty motive.

[Lock Jaw]

This thread is making me want to re-read the series.

[dronepool]

You would have too have a bunch of rules and caveats to explain how he has such tremendous powers but only seeks vengeance, which is such a dirty motive.

He's basically just working for God and seeking out people deemed worthy of vengeance. I like how he makes a lot of his vengeance "ironic".

[BigDaddyCool]

ok, that is slight better, as long as he isn't judge, jury and executioner. But since he is simply the executioner, that is better.

[BigDaddyCool]

But anyhow, I hated the cartoon because of how unkillable the guy driving was.

[dronepool]

I thought that this was cool, it was in Batman Brave and The Bold, one of the 2 minute mini stories before the intro starts...

"In a recent scheme to further fund his genetic experiments, Milo staked out a diamond repository and sent a legion of modified laboratory test rats to steal. Batman secretly replaced the diamonds with tracer-lined fakes and confronted Milo with the Spectre. Rather than surrender, he ingested a serum that transformed him into a monstrous hulk. While the Spectre saved the lives of innocent bystanders, namely lab test animals, Batman faced Dr. Milo in his new form. It appears that the once meek and frail Milo was gifted with the power of super strength but also entered into a state of heightened aggression. After gasing his eyes, Batman defeated Milo with an improvised electric shock. He vowed to be out in two months and back to crime. Once Batman left, the Spectre returned to dispense his wrath. He released the rats and transformed Milo's body into cheese."

[Boondock Saint]

The recent Young Justice and Avengers cartoons are pretty awesome

[dronepool]

Yes, I love them.

[BigDaddyCool]

Why am I not surprised that dudes with comic book based avatar are fapping over these cartoons?

[Boondock Saint]

I was hoping you would be surprised

[BigDaddyCool]

Anyhow the batman cartoons I have seen aren't bad, I am just getting tired of batman, he is a jerk. Superman is too powerful and know one knows how to write for Wonder Woman. I get annoyed with DC easily because of those. I need to catch more of the Marvel ones but they aren't on Instant Watch on the Netflix.

[dronepool]

Why am I not surprised that dudes with comic book based avatar are fapping over these cartoons?

Besides music, I just love comic/superhero related things.



Anyhow the batman cartoons I have seen aren't bad, I am just getting tired of batman, he is a jerk. Superman is too powerful and know one knows how to write for Wonder Woman. I get annoyed with DC easily because of those. I need to catch more of the Marvel ones but they aren't on Instant Watch on the Netflix.


Have you seen Justice League: New Frontier?

[BigDaddyCool]

I do not believe so.

[Lock Jaw]

New Frontier is pretty good, as is the comic it is based on. One of my favorite comics. Movie cuts things out, but on the whole is "pretty rad".

[dronepool]

It's pretty cool, it's 'silver age' Justice League set in an earlier time.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/cnkKnvomyjU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[BigDaddyCool]

Does it properly introduce all the character because I know only a list and some b list character.

[dronepool]

I think it does a fine job introducing all the main/relevant characters. I need to rewatch though, it's been like 2 years since I've watched it.

[BigDaddyCool]

Do you know all the characters before watching(

[whiteyford]

I dont really follow DC and i didnt get lost watching New Frontier, sure everyone who matters was explained enough, although i think it takes for granted that you know who/what Batman, Superman etc are.

[dronepool]

If you know the main DC guys, you're pretty much set.

http://comicattack.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/JUSTICE_LEAGUE_NEW_FRONTIER_D1-4.jpg

http://media.monstersandcritics.com/articles/1377139/article_images/justice2disc.jpg


Know most of these?

[BigDaddyCool]

I am fine with know who batmans is.

[BigDaddyCool]

who is the purple guy and who is the rocketeer looking fellow?

[Nowhere Man]

The Rocketeer-looking guy is Adam Strange; he's an old fashioned Flash Gordon-style outer space hero.

The purple guy is one of the Challengers of the Unknown, I think. They're a team that does crazy super-science adventures with time travel and alternate dimensions and shit.

Neither of them are particularly major to the story, and are mostly just there to showcase the old-school silver age setting (in the movie, at least--in the comic they get a nice explanation of who they are and what they do).

[Lock Jaw]

Just rewatched New Frontier. Still pretty damn Awesome.

I think most of the major characters are explained pretty well. There are some who show up near the end of the movie too for the climax, but they are more background characters there to fight. So if you don't know who Adam Strange or The Blackhawks are you aren't really missing anything.

Also, I had forgotten how bloody it was.

[BigDaddyCool]

k, it is in my netflix list.