HEROES

GREAT SUPERHERO SERIES
By Alex Ness
July 17, 2022

SO WHY NOT SUPERHEROES?

In a recent comic based article here I had mentioned that superheroes don't move me as they once did. That single comment led to a number of emails defending them, and one even suggested that I was a bit of fool to say I like comic books but am not a fan of superheroes. However, as much as that might sound reasonable, since superheroes are involved in many if not most comics released and are a valid form of expression, I have a right to evolve over time in my taste. I also have the right to have works resound or not as they do, as I evolve.

This does not mean I dislike superheroes. It simply means that of the various legends and myths, heroic tales I enjoy, the presence of superheroes doesn't nearly have the impact that they once had. I think that comic book medium is valid, and as it evolves, the need to tell stories of masked vigilantes will some day be a far smaller portion of the stories told. That isn't, in the least bit, meant as an insult to comic reading people, or the creatives of comics. It is meant to suggest that as comics are a medium that can tell many kinds of stories, there are almost no limits to what the medium can do.

I think that superheroes are fine. I also think that there are myths and legends from as long as humans have existed, that should equally be utilized for the content of their heroic journey. But I do think, superheroes require suspension of belief from the very beginning, since people in costumes aren't the norm of existence. As a child, it can be easy to believe but the older I get, the less I believe.Vigilante justice has grown rather more illegal, so, it isn't even as if I can assume that a story is likely even without a mask involved. I confess, writing my own work has led me to look at superheroes differently than at one time. I can still enjoy works that came out when I was younger, but going forward I've become more critical and less accepting of the more fantastic of aspects of a heroic story.

MY 5 FAVORITE SUPERHEROES

Cyclops: Young, tall, mutant, X-Man, moody guy in love with a redhead. (Marvel)
Hawkman: Golden age hero, Archeologist, lover of a redhead. (DC)
UnderDog: Newspaper boy, lover of reporter Polly Purebred. (Charlton)
Orion: Son of Darkseid, moral warrior who opposes his father. (DC)
Captain America: Patriotic super soldier, true American, man out of time. (Marvel)

Yes, there are some shared aspects of each character in that list. I would just say, I am married to a beautiful redhead who moves me to do courageous things. But to be entirely honest, I have too many favorites to list.  I love comics, and think them a valid and an exciting medium. And, I didn't list Batman, or a variety of other heroes I think are fascinating, but they aren't my favorites, just that the characters have had great stories featuring them.

MY FAVORITE SUPERHERO TV SERIES ALL TIME

This is a short list, because I've tended to not like most comic book based shows. And, while I don't list the Green Hornet, I did enjoy it, I've just not watched the single year of shows. 

Powers: 2 seasons only, and imperfect. For various reasons there were changes to the series of Brian Bendis and Mike Oeming, that didn't altogether work. If I'd forgotten what I'd read, and accept what was on the screen as whatever it was, it was quite good. And I was rather sad it never went beyond two seasons, it had tons of potential.

Batman the Animated Series was a true to original source work that perfectly captured the Batman mythos and legacy, and did it in a way that never grew old.

Samurai Jack is a brilliant confluence of myth, legend, narrative and science fiction. It is fun, funny and exciting. It is full of joy, and drama. I loved it.

Ultraman from Netflix reunited a boring old fart with a beloved scifi superhero series. I truly loved the original, and especially more as I grew older and appreciated the story telling and myth making found in the original. Ultraman from Netflix was a brilliant adaptation of the series, taking off where the original left. It was so good I had tears in various moments. I loved it even more than the original, it is my favorite all time television series.

X-Men Evolution took the basic X-Men story, re-aged the characters, added new story telling narratives, and kept the whole of the original story in the comics. I definitely loved it.

Batman with Adam West and Burt Ward is innocent fun. Some people who wanted a series hero hated it, but not me. It dwells in my memory and nostalgia zone comfortably and with kind thoughts towards that time of life.

About Getting Reviews from Me

I can be found on Facebook, Twitter or through email Alexanderness63@gmail.com. I accept hard copies, so when you inquire at any of these places, I'll follow through by telling you my street address. I no longer have a post box, although I regret that.  It was a crushing defeat to no longer have a p.o. box, when I came to realize I was getting so little product it made no sense to pay for the privilege to not receive mail at both my home and at the post office. If you send hard copies for review I will always review them, but if you prefer to send pdf or ebooks to my email, I will review these at my discretion. I don't share my pdf/ebooks, so you can avoid worry that I'd dispense them for free to others.

MY LINKS:


My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com

Published Work  AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com/2007/01/My-Work.html

Amazon Page Amazon.com/author/AlexNess

Cthulhu Horror CthulhuDarkness.Blogspot.Com

Atlantis & Lost Worlds AlexNessLostWorlds.Blogspot.Com

All works and art remain the property of the owners/creators and nothing more than fair use is asserted