Merry Christmas from the BitBA Team! Red and Green All Around!



Martinex1: Redartz and I wish a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of the BitBA visitors, lurkers, commentators, and friends!  Happy Holidays to all!! Hope the New Year is a good one for everybody!  And as always, thank you for contributing and participating all year long. 



It seems the Hulks (Red and Green) are battling over the very thing we will be discussing today.  Who has the best Christmas-colored duds?   Whose costume with the not-so-common color scheme of red and green is your favorite?  We've got champions from both DC and Marvel, so let us know what you think about the seasonal fighting togs of these heroes?

First up is 3-D Man.  Not only does he have the look, but the colors are actually related to his powers.

Or how about Mr. Miracle?  His new series is getting high marks and is flying off the shelves.  And you have to admit that his name fits the season.

 For that matter, the original Starman should definitely have a shot at the prize as he is thematically appropriate as well.

Haven't decided yet, well how about the Vision?  He's a classic in red and green!

Or how about Hawkman and Hawkgirl?   Talk about a classic team, and they have the wings which makes them particularly appropriate.

 If these Golden Agers don't grab your fancy, what do you think about Dr. Mid-Nite? He wears a costume that is a favorite of mine, and it has changed so little over the many decades.

 How can we forget the Boy Wonder - Robin?  He was one of the first to embrace the red and green!

Still fighting it out?  Who has the best red and green costume?   What do you think about these?

Wonder Man and Vision share the same brainwaves, and obviously similar fashion sense!  And in case you think we are just spotlighting heroes, there is one villain we cannot ignore... the Crimson Centipede!

 So that is the selection for the day! What do you think?  What do you have to say?  Red and Green costumes are all in play! And did your comic-loving heart grow three sizes today?  

Cheers all!



Rank and File: The Better Six!

Martinex1:   Here we are for another round of ranking the Avengers and Justice League of America superstars!   This time around we are taking a look at the female characters.

Scarlet Witch, the Wasp, Zatanna, Black Canary, Hawkgirl, and Ms. Marvel are all to be compared today in terms of their contribution to their respective teams as well as  who generates the most interest for you. 

I have to say that Marvel is the clear leader for me in this category.   I admittedly am not as versed in DC lore; I struggled to name many JLA featured characters although I suspect Power Girl and Vixen could have been added to the list.   While for Marvel, I strongly considered adding Tigra, Black Widow, She-Hulk, and Captain Marvel (Photon) to the list as I felt they were all significant contributors, but discounted their impact due to length of service or contributions to other teams (She-Hulk on the FF and Black Widow and the Champions),

But you can add others to this Rank and File as you see fit.

My personal rankings are:

1. Wasp:  The early days were rough, but I really grew to appreciate Janet Van Dyne during Roger Stern's run as I think he created a wonderful evolution for the character.
2. Scarlet Witch: Although she has had serious retcons and re-imaginings over the years.  I still think of Wanda as a core and interesting member of the team.  I find I prefer eras with her in the cast  more so than those times she is absent.  
3. Hawkgirl: The "Hawk" characters are so convoluted with their various reincarnations and shifting alter egos and origins.  But I still like them.   Out of all of the winged characters, however, I really like the costume and warrior-like intentions of Kendra.
4. Ms. Marvel:  I have mixed feelings about Carol Danvers.  She is a different and bold creation and I enjoy that they made her such a powerhouse,  but I have never found her characteristics to be totally rounded and complete.  I have not read her adventures for a while, but back in the Bronze Age I would have liked to see more depth to her motivation.  And unfortunately Avengers #200 was a complete travesty that had impacted her future.
5. Black Canary:  Despite coming first, I always felt that Dinah was a strange copy of Black Widow but with an added power with her vocal ability.   I am probably completely wrong as I know so little about her history in the JLA, with the Bird of Prey, or when teaming with Green Arrow.   I essentially defer to others' input.
6. Zatanna:  Again, I am at a loss.  Are there major arcs involving Zatanna?   This may say a lot about my DC knowledge, but perhaps it also is a commentary about DC characters in general.   Should other characters be on this list?

I also want to point out that in regards to the Avengers, the Wasp and Scarlet Witch are top tier.  I would bump a couple from my "male" top six to make room for them on the team.   In my eyes, they are more important to the team than Thor, Iron Man, Wonder Man, Black Panther and many others.

What do you think about these heroines?  How do you rank them?  And how do you list them when side-by-side with their male counterparts?
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