Comic book villains are sometimes the best part of the story, but how their nature has changed over the course of the last seventy five years. Motivations have gone from simple robbery to world domination to personal vengeance. The methods have also changed; in the Golden Age it was trickery and minor property damage, today outright murder and mayhem are the order of the day.
This is true, it has evolved from trickery to absolute damnation. Interesting topic. – danielle5778 years ago
Don't forget world domination. When I was a kid every villain wanted to rule the world. – Munjeera8 years ago
Definitely something I've noted as well. What is interesting to see is how a majority of villains now in comics and films based on comics is the overwhelming amount of villains who are motivated by revenge directed towards a hero. Jealousy, revenge, or mental illness.
VEry rarely nowadays do we see a villain committing a crime for crimes sake.
There's been a surge in analyzing the psyhology of the villain, and I think it's a change for the better. it humanizes the characters and adds a level of empathy. – Pvrvgon8 years ago
This seems like a controversial issue in the wake of all the new Marvel/DC Comic movies. In light of all the talk over Suicide Squad, there seems to be a rising debate. Should film adaptations follow the characters and plot lines, or are the comics just inspiration for a blockbuster? Every time something Batman related in particular comes out, there is a storm of analysis and critique about the abidance to the original story in the comics, or the original TV shows. Perhaps they altered a character's personality, or the origins of the character's story. This is always met with vehement criticism. But why? Is there really any harm in being inspired by a character's story, and taking it and running with something new? Is it just glorified fan fiction then? Why or why not is it important to remember the comics in all of this? What are the pros and cons either way?
Other examples, which represent both sides of the argument: "V for Vendetta" "300" "Sin City" "Wanted" "Constantine" – Tarben8 years ago
Very interesting topic but very heavy in content. When writing this it would be good to organize this well and be careful to keep an unbiased tone -- especially when discussing pros and cons, glorified fan fiction, and why comics/origins are and aren't important. I'm not sure if this would work, but perhaps organizing this topic in terms of a compare and contrasts with an ending critique/opinion would be best. – Mela8 years ago
I think the crux of adaptations are that they must keep the spirit of the story alive. Yes, the characters can change and evolve. Spiderman has been successful because it has kept the character of the misunderstood hero intact. The same with LOTR, small Hobbit triumphs over massive evil with a tiny band of hopefuls. My view would be if it ain't broke, don't fix it. – Munjeera8 years ago
I definitely agree with Mela that structuring it as an objective compare/contrast of both sides, and ending with a critique/opinion would work best. – eadewaard8 years ago
I think one consequence of overdoing truth to the comics is the general flatness of the MCU. It isn't quite realism and it isn't quite camp. This is because they refuse to create a world different from the one in the comics, so the films often fail to come alive in the new medium. – TKing8 years ago
That depends... If Oliver Stone's writing the screenplay, feel free, Olly, to change nothing from the original. If Vince Gilligan's doing the screenplay, give him carte blanche. – Tigey8 years ago
You would also have to define the parameters of this article, as there are so many ways to look at the films. You have the MCU, The DCU (both film and screen), then there is the animated films that DC produce which stick closer to source material than some of the films, as well as the original batman films. It is a very rich area and so would need to become more focused. – Tyler McPherson8 years ago
An example might be the way the Watchmen movie was done. Many scenes were visually the same as comic panels, and dialogue was often word for word. However, some people didn't like that certain plot threads got left out or deemphasized even though the movie was already long enough, and I'm not certain how much sense it would've made if I hadn't read the graphic novel first. So should an adaptation be reinterpreting the ideas for now, or just moving from one medium to another? – sk8knight8 years ago
Many comic books deal with whether or not a hero should kill someone if they feel they have to. Villains always break out of jail and hurt people, so at what point should they be executed? Some heros, like the Hulk, can't control themselves and often leave a path of destruction, should they be gotten rid of? Discuss how some of these scenarios played out and what killing means to different heros. Comics that explore this are Batman Hush, Justice League Crisis on Two Earths, Injustice, Marvel's Civil War, and Watchmen.
Love the idea! Might be worthwhile comparing the way the ethics of heroes killing villains in comics is represented, against the representation of that struggle in films and television, and why there might be differences. Daredevil seems like a good example given the entire second season is about the opposition between Daredevil and the Punisher's ideologies of life and death. – Zujaja K8 years ago
this could even be brought into the age of ultron and what it meant to ultron to kill, he did not want to kill just because there was a reason behind it. he wanted to essentially make the world a better place, but some people got in the way of that. very very good topic! – scole8 years ago
Recently Fun home by Alison Bechdel has been listed as one of the most controversial novels of the year. Why do you think this is? Possible ideas include the portrayal of sexuality within the text, and is this more controversial due to the – literally graphic – nature of the text.
"Blechdel" should be "Bechdel." :) I had to learn about this graphic novel in both a comics class and my university book club. I think the primary points are sexuality and Bechdel's complicated relationship with her father. These two issues are intertwined because Bechdel is a lesbian and her father, who potentially committed suicide, was closeted and could not come to terms with his identity. Bechdel talks some about sex, as well as how her and her father inverted gender roles. There's also a bit about death. – Emily Deibler8 years ago
I've met Bechdel and spoken with her about this very book! I think the controversy lies in the fact that it is so heavily personal, because so much of it involves her own memories, diary entries, and suspicions in her own head. Her exploration of her family is one that I'm not sure many people would even attempt to make, and that is what makes the story so poignant. Not to mention, the story was written in graphic novel form, meaning not only do we get to read of this struggle for identity, but we are given the chance to look at it for ourselves, even if they are recreated fragments of Bechdel's memories. – amandagoodwin8 years ago
I'm uncertain about this topic, especially since the graphic novel came out in 2006, and I haven't really heard this novel regarded as controversial, especially this year?
On the topic of Bechdel, one of the more fascinating topics in regard to the author is the "test," named and created by the author in her comic "Dykes to Watch Out For," (1985): Bechdel Test is a simple assessment that names the following three criteria: (1) it has to have at least two women in it, who (2) who talk to each other, about (3) something besides a man. Interestingly enough, not many movies, nor books pass this test. This would be an interesting topic to explore through television, movies, or/and, literature.
– danielle5778 years ago
It is a graphic memoir, not a novel per se. And this so call 'controversy' is relative, depending on who sees it what and where. Not sure what this topic will try to accomplish. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Analyze the changes made to the character of Steve Rogers in comic book history, and the recent story line presented in "Captain America: Steve Rogers" issue #1, that Steve Rogers has been a secret Hydra agent all along. Analyze the character's past actions in comic book history, whether or not this story line gives us whiplash by attempting to create a shocking conundrum, and what it means for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Should take into consideration that Captain America's creators, Joe Simon and Jack Kirby, were Jewish, and he was created during the genocide of World War II as a symbol of hope and to make people care about the atrocities taking place. Hydra is an actual Nazi synonym. – Amanda8 years ago
Definitely agree with Amanda. Captain America's very origins are crucial to why "Hydra Cap" is not only horrible in terms of characterization, but also an atrocity in terms of how disrespectful it is towards Simon and Kirby, what Captain American stands for, and towards what happened to the Jewish people. This may seem like an exaggeration, but Captain America truly was created as a hopeful symbol against the Nazi's and the horrors they committed against the Jewish population. – Mela8 years ago
Losing a loved one is a life-changing event. In comics, it's common that the death of a parental figure is the catalyst for becoming a superhero. Batman, Spiderman, and Daredevil are just a few examples. Is there a reason that this plot point continues to be reused? Has it become overused, or is it just an accurate representation of the extremes to which the death of a loved one can push you? (Obviously, we don't tend to become superheroes, but I'm speaking metaphorically.)
Batman is the only one who has no inherent powers, and was truly driven to that point by the death of his parents. It would also be interesting to see how many villains have this origin, and were driven to deplorable acts by the death of a loved one. – Tarben8 years ago
Explore the relationship between physical/mental/emotional disabilities and powers in superhero history. How and when does a disability create the parameters for the hero's powers. To further this argument, delve into the role of personifying disabilities as strengths and what effect does that have on those who read comics but live with those disabilities? Simple examples – Daredevil's skill set is dependent on his blindness. Whereas Hawkeye's deafness does not necessarily create the parameters for his abilities. What are the differences to these approaches?
Barbara Gordon/Oracle could also be discussed. – Emily Deibler8 years ago
Sometimes disability is addressed negatively as in the person had a physical limitation or a loved one had a limitation and getting the person healed was a motivation to discover an antidote for the physical challenge. But maybe your take sounds different from what I am writing about here. – Munjeera8 years ago
It's how the character deals and struggles with their disability. In spite of their shortcomings they prove that with resolve and determination anything can be overcome. – RadosianStar8 years ago
With The Killing Joke sneak peak at ComicCon 2016, there has been an uproar about the sex scene with Batman and Batgirl. Why would DC Animation do such an off continuity stunt like this? The source material and the animated films will obviously have differences, but why go this extreme. I take no side on the argument about the scene. I do understand that directors can choose to change and alter parts of the story and allow the end product to be slightly different. Is that what the public wants? Have they gone too far? Is it disrespectful to the writers?
From what I understand their writer that wrote this adaptation also has a hand in the "Batman: Beyond" series. In the series (which takes place decades in the future) Bruce and Barbra eventually hookup in their twilight years. I dunno man. I guess that writer really ships the pairing? – tacit8 years ago
