Back In the Bronze Age: Black Widow

Showing posts with label Black Widow. Show all posts

Monday, March 26, 2018

Chew the Fat: Evolution of Characters!

Martinex1: Recently, I have been pondering the way some comic characters evolve and the way others seem fully formed from the first time they appear. Take a look at some of these pictures and I think you will see what I mean. The art or style may fit the times, but in some cases the characters are virtually untouched while others have significant modifications to design, motives, physical traits and even personality.

BLACK WIDOW:

SUPERMAN:

WASP:

GREEN LANTERN:

IRON MAN:

AUNT MAY:

CAPTAIN AMERICA:

What makes some characters work right from the start? Are icons born fully fledged? Do the different companies respect the genesis of their characters more than others? Are female characters treated differently than their male counterparts, or have they evolved to reflect the decades of change in our own culture? What about age - does that come into play? Do some characters need a boost in complexity? What would cause a total revamp of costume and design? Who do you think has stayed most true to their original core character over the decades? And what character do you think evolved the most?

Don't limit the conversation to the heroes depicted. Who do you think is worth discussing in this context... the Flash, Cyclops, Reed Richards, Batman, Alfred, or Plastic Man? Why do some characters work no matter what the era? Why do others need to change? What characters dropped from the popular heights because adjustments were not made?

So much to consider and discuss today at BitBA, so consider the options and open the conversation! Cheers!

Tuesday, November 22, 2016

Rank and File: Marvel Leaders

Martinex1: Hello everyone! Thanks for joining us this Tuesday for another round of "Rank and File."   This time instead of looking at movies, we are going to focus on leaders from the Marvel universe.   Through their decades of publishing, Marvel has created and established a myriad of characters who have leadership skills.   Good or bad, hero or villain, there are dozens of candidates to consider. There are tactical leaders and monarchs and newspaper publishers and criminal emperors. So list your own personal top five bosses and also share one example of a leader that you don't like.

Here are my top five Marvel leaders:

1) Captain America. This one goes without explanation, doesn't it?   Everybody turns to Cap when they need guidance.   He is strategic and tactical. He is calm under pressure and always on the right side.   His only weakness seems to be his ability to maintain a long term personal relationship (just ask Bernie or Diamondback).
2) Hawkeye. I enjoyed his stints with the West Coast Avengers, Great Lakes Avengers, and Thunderbolts.   I find his flaws incredibly engaging (from a reader's standpoint).    He is always trying to be better while bordering on arrogant incompetence. Somehow sheer will and good intentions make the difference.
3) Baron Zemo. Not that I would want to follow him - but he is particularly driven, always has a complex and competent plan, and the will to get it done. Whether battling the Avengers or leading the Thunderbolts, he is extremely watchable and is one villain that I strangely root for.
4) Nick Fury: Whether with the Howling Commandos or with S.H.I.E.L.D, nobody commands respect like Fury. Cantankerous and gruff - he is tough in all the right ways. I was always surprised he never outright led an A-List superhero team back in the Bronze Age.   As far as sheer crabbiness as a style, I almost put J. Jonah Jameson in this spot, but I have to give it to Nick.
5) The Wasp. She was not the strongest nor the most capable.   But I respected how Roger Stern scripted her during the classic "Siege on Avengers Mansion" storyline. She understood her own weaknesses but worked hard to surround herself with talents she didn't have and pushed forward through overwhelming odds.

Sure my picks tend to be Avengers' centric, but there are so many good choices and a favorite of mine, Namor Prince of Atlantis just narrowly missed the cut.

As far as my least favorite - he may not be the "worst" but I just don't grok why the Fantastic Four follow Reed Richards. He may have a brilliant mind, but he seems to lead the team into a lot of trouble. He is so obsessively distracted that he is a poor communicator. Thumbs down from me.

Though there are more options than I can depict, take a gander at some leaders below and using whatever criteria you deem adequate make your selections and share your thoughts.

Until Irving Forbush leads the FF, make mine BIBTA....