Doug: In addition to the teams we love around these parts, there have been many wonderful partnerships throughout comics history. Focusing on the Bronze Age, however, let's offer you an opportunity to discuss some of your favorites. Just to toss a few out there, what do you have to say about:
Captain America and the Falcon would have to be my favorite, probably because it felt more like a mentor/partner relationship than "sidekick."
With Daredevil and the Black Widow it really never seemed like anything more than an occasional partnership (with benefits). Natasha was at least as experienced as DD, so sidekick really didn't fit.
Of course, Cap and DD were/are two of my favorite Bronze Age books, so I may be a little biased.
I had/have a real hard time taking the Supervillian Team-up books seriously. I don't what it is...
Electra Woman and Dyna Girl - just kidding. More seriously: E-man and Nova, and Ka-zar and Zabu - and speaking of Ka-zar, with reference to your poll, I don't think he and Shanna actually fought crime...
being a dyed-in-the-wool back-in-the-day Bat-fan, I'm gonna have to go with Batman and Robin. Dick Grayson Robin, though. they should've just dropped the idea once Dick grew up and became Nightwing. I got no time for Jason Todd or Tim Drake, at all.
after that, yeah, it's gotta be Captain America and the Falcon.
I actually would go with PowerMan and Iron Fist, i loved that book. But not since Luke has been ruined by Bendis, and i'm not sure how BMB writes Iron Fist now (I just know when Danny first joined the NEW Avengers, Bendis had him cracking jokes....not the Iron Fist I remember...). Sweet Christmas!
So I went with Cap and Falcon, with DD and BW in 2nd.
Yep, like it would be a secret here..: Captain America and Falcon.. Steve Englehart's 'Secret Empire' and the 'super-strength/Falcon wings' sagas were fantastic storylines, especially with Sam Wilson's depth, thanks much to both Steve and Sal Buscema, who was the best pick for Cap's monthly title.
As for DD and BW.., well, that's another topic all together :). I would have loved to have seen more there, but I understand the Code didn't allow much.
Lantern and Arrow stretched the envelope quite a bit with their early 70s title, but a lot of their banter now seems fairly one-dimensional and a bit dated.
Loved the Dynamic Duo, but really saw more of them on the TV show rather than reading their mag.
I think Cap & the Falcon was a clever an interesting partnership. Cap’s man-out-of-time, fuddy-duddy, but I still love my country, founding fathers, Big Values thing contrasted well with Sam’s cool-dude, child of the 60’s, modern life, everything’s changing, civil rights thing. ...though a lot more could have been made of it.
I always thought that Natasha was a wasted opportunity. Her powers are a bit crap, but her history is fantastic. Femme fatale, Russian spy, martial arts champion, sniper, assassin, gymnast, married to the Red Guardian, seducer of Hawkeye, foe of Iron Man, defector, agent of SHIELD, relationship to Ivan ( and thereby the Crimson Dynamo situation and mother Russia again), crimefighter, Avenger, Champion, foe of Spider Man ( first appearance of THAT costume, btw...remember that Romita shadow cover? ) and, wait for it, ballerina...although I think the retcon airbrush was taken to that one later. And what did they do with her? Made her a fashion designer. Hmmm.
I thought her relationship to Daredevil could have been a lot more interestingly handled, especially since as Matt Murdock he supposedly champions the underdog, where she has socialist ideals and helped out hippies and the social underclass in Am Adv’s. An interesting contrast would have been her being raised in an atheist society where he is clearly quite Catholic (or at least he was when Miller started using the iconography).
Also, I think they both lost their parents at an early age. Don’t remember that being picked up on.
Doug: In addition to the teams we love around these parts, there have been many wonderful partnerships throughout comics history. Focusing on the Bronze Age, however, let's offer you an opportunity to discuss some of your favorites. Just to toss a few out there, what do you have to say about:
Captain America and the Falcon would have to be my favorite, probably because it felt more like a mentor/partner relationship than "sidekick."
ReplyDeleteWith Daredevil and the Black Widow it really never seemed like anything more than an occasional partnership (with benefits). Natasha was at least as experienced as DD, so sidekick really didn't fit.
Of course, Cap and DD were/are two of my favorite Bronze Age books, so I may be a little biased.
I had/have a real hard time taking the Supervillian Team-up books seriously. I don't what it is...
Electra Woman and Dyna Girl - just kidding.
ReplyDeleteMore seriously: E-man and Nova, and Ka-zar and Zabu - and speaking of Ka-zar, with reference to your poll, I don't think he and Shanna actually fought crime...
being a dyed-in-the-wool back-in-the-day Bat-fan, I'm gonna have to go with Batman and Robin. Dick Grayson Robin, though. they should've just dropped the idea once Dick grew up and became Nightwing. I got no time for Jason Todd or Tim Drake, at all.
ReplyDeleteafter that, yeah, it's gotta be Captain America and the Falcon.
I actually would go with PowerMan and Iron Fist, i loved that book. But not since Luke has been ruined by Bendis, and i'm not sure how BMB writes Iron Fist now (I just know when Danny first joined the NEW Avengers, Bendis had him cracking jokes....not the Iron Fist I remember...). Sweet Christmas!
ReplyDeleteSo I went with Cap and Falcon, with DD and BW in 2nd.
starfoxxx
Yep, like it would be a secret here..: Captain America and Falcon.. Steve Englehart's 'Secret Empire' and the 'super-strength/Falcon wings' sagas were fantastic storylines, especially with Sam Wilson's depth, thanks much to both Steve and Sal Buscema, who was the best pick for Cap's monthly title.
ReplyDeleteAs for DD and BW.., well, that's another topic all together :). I would have loved to have seen more there, but I understand the Code didn't allow much.
Lantern and Arrow stretched the envelope quite a bit with their early 70s title, but a lot of their banter now seems fairly one-dimensional and a bit dated.
Loved the Dynamic Duo, but really saw more of them on the TV show rather than reading their mag.
I think Cap & the Falcon was a clever an interesting partnership. Cap’s man-out-of-time, fuddy-duddy, but I still love my country, founding fathers, Big Values thing contrasted well with Sam’s cool-dude, child of the 60’s, modern life, everything’s changing, civil rights thing. ...though a lot more could have been made of it.
ReplyDeleteI always thought that Natasha was a wasted opportunity. Her powers are a bit crap, but her history is fantastic. Femme fatale, Russian spy, martial arts champion, sniper, assassin, gymnast, married to the Red Guardian, seducer of Hawkeye, foe of Iron Man, defector, agent of SHIELD, relationship to Ivan ( and thereby the Crimson Dynamo situation and mother Russia again), crimefighter, Avenger, Champion, foe of Spider Man ( first appearance of THAT costume, btw...remember that Romita shadow cover? ) and, wait for it, ballerina...although I think the retcon airbrush was taken to that one later. And what did they do with her? Made her a fashion designer. Hmmm.
I thought her relationship to Daredevil could have been a lot more interestingly handled, especially since as Matt Murdock he supposedly champions the underdog, where she has socialist ideals and helped out hippies and the social underclass in Am Adv’s. An interesting contrast would have been her being raised in an atheist society where he is clearly quite Catholic (or at least he was when Miller started using the iconography).
Also, I think they both lost their parents at an early age. Don’t remember that being picked up on.
Richard
Batman and Robin. Superman and Batman (pre-Crisis); I always enjoyed the World's Finest team-ups before the new world took over.
ReplyDeleteCaptain America and Bucky/Human Torch and Toro back in the Invaders. You have the sidekick dynamic, then the partnet dynamic of Bucky and Toro.
Captain America and Falcon were nearly perfect -- they hardly ever agreed, but they respected each other.
Power man and Iron Fist -- a perfect partnership?
Hercules and Black Widow should have had a book together, without the rest of the Champions, since they worked off each other so well.