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Post by Amoebas on Feb 21, 2019 13:13:29 GMT
Spinning out of the Carol Danvers thread...
Our own, the much maligned Chappy, brought up an interesting observation about a character who works great in a team book but doesn't as a solo player.
Who else fits this model?
Twisting this for a moment, I'll say the Inhumans. I love them in a guest star role, but on their own - forget it. Marvel spent years trying to make them something and they failed so bad (in print and on TV) that it's just laughable.
What say you?
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Post by SporkBot on Feb 21, 2019 16:44:15 GMT
Probably most of the X-Men. I get preferring one character among them all, but, yeah, sometimes they work best as a team, not so much on their own. I like Nightcrawler, but I don't know if he can carry his own solo title. He's not a hardened loner with a mysterious past, he's not out fighting crime on a nightly basis, or stopping planet-destroying meteors single-handedly.
At best, I think the right story could see Kurt work on his own in a limited title, but that's about it. But like I said, the same is true for most of the X-folk.
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Post by chap22 on Feb 21, 2019 17:25:05 GMT
I think the Inhumans, the royal family anyway, could make their own book work. One book. About just them. Not splitting them up with new Inhumans and doing whatever the hell it is Marvel tried to do over the last few years. Kkeep them as a team and it could work. But none of them, and I mean not a single one, could or should carry a solo book.
Same thing with Spork's mention of the X-Men. Look, I love Beast and Iceman and Kitty and Rogue and Colossus and Nightcrawler and on and on, but none of them can carry an ongoing solo book. A mini-series length story at a time, sure, but that's it. Honestly, outside of Wolverine and honestly Cable, the closest I think you could come to a legit solo type is maybe Gambit, just because he has the Thieves' Guild stuff in his background...but they've already been there, done that and I don't know if there's any left to tap from that well.
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Post by chap22 on Feb 21, 2019 17:35:46 GMT
Other than those, I feel like most of the Avengers (outside of the Big 3, Hulk, She-Hulk, Black Panther, and surprisingly even to me, Hawkeye to a better extent than most of the other non-big guns) are not really suited for long solo runs. Wonder Man of all people sort of had a shot back in the day when he was acting and out in LA b/c it offered a different locale and perspective from all the NYC-based folks, but there's so much water under his bridge since then I don't think his current status quo lends to that anymore. I personally think you could run a while with Vision too with the right setup (although I don't particularly think King's was it). But beyond that...I don't think Wanda really fits a solo book. I love Hank and Jan, but neither of them scream headliner (nor does the new Wasp, but I at least get why Marvel's trying with her...there's a shot there). I don't believe Carol really works at Marvel, though I think she could at DC. And on and on.
And as much as I love all the FF, the guy in my avatar is the only one of them who could come close to carrying a solo book, and even his efforts have struggled. Ben as a character, as great as he is, simply works better with other characters to bounce off of. Always has, always will. And again, there's nothing wrong with being an ensemble character, those folks are what make team books great. But that's where they shine and w here they should stay.
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Post by chap22 on Feb 21, 2019 17:50:26 GMT
Now over at DC, it's a little different I think. Most everyone in the JLA over the years could and does carry/has previously carried a pretty decent solo book. But some notable exceptions, in my mind anyway: J'onn -- I know he's had the Ostrander series, but J'onn just feels to me, and has always felt, like the consummate team "glue guy"; he works better in a team setting Black Canary -- love Dinah too, but she's another who's just better bouncing off others like Ollie or the Birds Atom -- a low-key favorite character of mine, whether Ray or Ryan, but just not suited to a long run Elongated Man Beetle (although conversely, I think Booster works well in a solo role) Red Tornado Zatanna by all rights should be able to, but for whatever reason just doesn't None of the traditional Titans except Dick and Wally should ever have solo books (stop trying to make fetch happen with Cyborg, DC!) Most of the JSA folks need not apply (and yes, achilles, that includes Power Girl) Same for any Outsiders other than Bats or Black Lightning
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Post by achilles on Feb 21, 2019 19:03:51 GMT
Now over at DC, it's a little different I think. Most everyone in the JLA over the years could and does carry/has previously carried a pretty decent solo book. But some notable exceptions, in my mind anyway: J'onn -- I know he's had the Ostrander series, but J'onn just feels to me, and has always felt, like the consummate team "glue guy"; he works better in a team setting Black Canary -- love Dinah too, but she's another who's just better bouncing off others like Ollie or the Birds Atom -- a low-key favorite character of mine, whether Ray or Ryan, but just not suited to a long run Elongated Man Beetle (although conversely, I think Booster works well in a solo role) Red Tornado Zatanna by all rights should be able to, but for whatever reason just doesn't None of the traditional Titans except Dick and Wally should ever have solo books (stop trying to make fetch happen with Cyborg, DC!) Most of the JSA folks need not apply (and yes, achilles, that includes Power Girl) Same for any Outsiders other than Bats or Black Lightning
Boo. unlike! Power Girl's never been given a real chance at a solo series. Just some crap with Palmiotti, Gray, and Connor, (which was completely unlike their pitch on Old Rama which could have been awesome), and the second series with Winick, which was ruined by having to tie into another of Winick's series. That's it. Supergirl has had numerous series, many of which have sucked, as does her TV show, and PG was created to be a cooler version of SG, which, when done right, she is. Just put someone on a PG series who gets the character, likes her, and can give her a niche unique in the DCU. I agree about Cyborg, how many chances should he get? |
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Post by Grayson on Feb 21, 2019 20:10:16 GMT
Beetle (although conversely, I think Booster works well in a solo role)
I would read an ongoing Blue Beetle series if the Blue Beetle in question is Ted Kord and they figured out a way to keep the series light-hearted but still treat Ted as a competent hero whose intelligence rivals that of the top minds in the DCU. |
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Post by chap22 on Feb 21, 2019 21:06:31 GMT
Beetle (although conversely, I think Booster works well in a solo role)
I would read an ongoing Blue Beetle series if the Blue Beetle in question is Ted Kord and they figured out a way to keep the series light-hearted but still treat Ted as a competent hero whose intelligence rivals that of the top minds in the DCU. I'd probably read that too, but I'm not sure it's a sustainable long-term ongoing. |
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Post by Amoebas on Feb 21, 2019 22:23:54 GMT
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Post by achilles on Feb 21, 2019 23:50:30 GMT
With lower ratings than PG's, which ran much longer, (though PG's was cancelled due to Flashpoint), and with too many appearances in other media to count, including two live action movies and the upcoming Doom Patrol. |
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Post by glaeken on Feb 22, 2019 16:59:41 GMT
Glob of the X-Men  |
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Post by mothman on Feb 22, 2019 19:12:45 GMT
-I did like the Ostrander series-but Martian Manhunter makes the list.
-I would disagree over Blue Beetle,first Jaime series was good and there is a potential for a DC Spiderman there.Another idea they keep trying every so often.
-Doctor Strange.Hes cool as an advisor/magic specialist/deus ex machina but there is nothing to do in a solo series.
-Catwoman- IMO she functions better as a supporting character then solo.
-Solo GoTG books dont really work either.
-I cant remember if there was ever a Red Tornado ongoing attempted?I think there was a mini or two?
-As a whole team Freedom Fighters-they are cool as a background/multiversal decor but they are not interesting enough for a book of their own.OFC,that could just be me.
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Post by Amoebas on Feb 22, 2019 19:25:39 GMT
As a whole team Freedom Fighters-they are cool as a background/multiversal decor but they are not interesting enough for a book of their own.OFC,that could just be me. Their current mini is leaps and bounds better than previous ones. |
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Post by chap22 on Feb 22, 2019 19:48:50 GMT
As a whole team Freedom Fighters-they are cool as a background/multiversal decor but they are not interesting enough for a book of their own.OFC,that could just be me. Their current mini is leaps and bounds better than previous ones.
Yeah, is good.
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Post by chap22 on Feb 22, 2019 19:51:58 GMT
-I did like the Ostrander series-but Martian Manhunter makes the list. -I would disagree over Blue Beetle,first Jaime series was good and there is a potential for a DC Spiderman there.Another idea they keep trying every so often. -Doctor Strange.Hes cool as an advisor/magic specialist/deus ex machina but there is nothing to do in a solo series. -Catwoman- IMO she functions better as a supporting character then solo. -Solo GoTG books dont really work either. -I cant remember if there was ever a Red Tornado ongoing attempted?I think there was a mini or two? -As a whole team Freedom Fighters-they are cool as a background/multiversal decor but they are not interesting enough for a book of their own.OFC,that could just be me.
I would pretty strongly disagree on Strange and Catwoman. I think those are both characters who can easily carry successful ongoings, and both have multiple times over the years. As examples, Aaron and Waid have both written really fun, fairly innovative Strange runs recently, and the Bru/Pfeiffer Catwoman run in the 00s that came off of Selina's Big Score by Cooke was fantastic. At least IMO.
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