Who's The Best... Class of Powers?

Martinex1:   The heroes and villains from Marvel and DC can be classified fairly easily according to their primary power sets.   I am sure there are more categories than I have listed below, but I find that most characters can be catalogued in nine groups.  Even if a character has multiple powers they will continue to rely on their core capability.  So which group is the best?   Do you gravitate to a type of hero with certain abilities?  Does one set have better intrinsic value or interest? How about costumes and visual depiction - is one group generally better than others?   Or is there a classification that I have not mentioned that you consider superior?

Outlined below are my broad categories and some pictorial examples to get the conversation going:

• The Blasters:   These are characters who use energy as a weapon.  Whether utilizing fire, heat, ions, sonic waves, or light rays - they have some method of hurling or sending energy forces at their opponent. More often than not technology and science play a role in their powers.
• The Flyers:   These characters rely on their wings, whether feathery or mechanical, to take to the air.  Many characters can fly, but for these flight is their primary power
• The Runners:   This group relies on speed, speed, and more speed.    They can run, hit, and even vibrate faster than the human eye.  
• The Athletes: Not always super-powered, this group consists of the fighters, martial artists, acrobats, gymnasts, and sportsmen.   Typically they are honed to the peak of human perfection.  They work hard to stay in shape but often take a beating.  These are the gold medalists of the spandex set.
• The Brains: This set sometimes has supernatural abilities like telekinesis and telepathy.   They may be manipulators of the mind.   Or they may simply be extraordinarily smart - they are the genius class and the thinkers.   It is the grey matter that matters here.
• The Muscle:  The characters in this group are super-enhanced.   Their strength goes beyond the norm.   They can bench-press a mack-truck if needed.   Typically their brute strength is their primary attribute.
• The Magicians:  Here are the sorcerers, wizards, warlocks, and witches.   They have abilities that don't adhere to the laws of science and physics.   These are the other-worldly, pan-dimensional masters of the weird.
• The Robots: Call them androids, synthezoids, droids, or robots - these artificial creations with human emotions are a science fiction trope.
• The Size-Changers:   Whether enlarging to 30 feet or shrinking to the molecular level, this group of giants and insects have a "growing" population in our comic kingdoms.



The Energy Blasters!

The Brain-trust!

The Winged Warriors!

The Speedsters!

The Mighty and the Muscled!

The Magicians!

The Athletes and Acrobats!

The Size Shifters!

The Artificials!

So is it mind over matter?  Or brawn over brains?   Is it the fleet-footed or those that take flight?  Is it the energy fiends or those that need energy drinks?   Size over substance?  The witches or the whip smart?  From you comic book lovers out there - who's the best in this power struggle?  


Share your own classifications, considerations, examples, thoughts, and opinions,

If I Had A Buck... Comedy Gold!

Martinex1: Sometimes even a Super-Hero needs a little humor in his day.   So this time around, If I Had A Buck... focuses on the various heroic forays into comic book comedy. And I am not talking about battles with jokers, tricksters, and jesters!

Just for fun I threw in a couple non-spandex funny books too.

Some are ironic, some filled with parody, some just have humor on the cover, and some are loaded with jokes on every page. Did you like this type of book or did it turn you off?  Share your thoughts. 

A special thanks to Redartz for his search and contribution to the cover selection.  And of course accolades to the Mike's Amazing World of Comics site for the extensive archives.

Make your selections and let your fellow BABsters in on the joke.   Four comics for a dollar.  It's a small price to pay as we all know laughter makes the world go 'round.

  

  

  

  

If I Had a Buck...The Aluminum Age

Martinex1: Here at the Bronze Age Babies' site, there is an obvious love for all things from the 60's, 70's and 80's, so don't judge me too harshly when our virtual spinner rack carries us unabashedly into 1990's comic book territory for a $1 shopping spree challenge.

While I, perhaps more than others, have an affinity for comics from my adolescent days I did continue reading and collecting until the turn of the century and beyond.  In my opinion, I was still able to find some good and even great superhero stories after the Bronze Age.  The art was changing quickly on the heels of the Image movement, and the writing was becoming more decompressed as titles clogged the racks, big special events seemed to pop up every month, and variant covers started to appear.  But there were still some gems amongst the dreck of the disposable decade.

Below are 15 titles that I found some hope and enjoyment in during those days.   I felt there was some artistic aspect worth recommending in each.   In retrospect, some truly survived the test of time better than others.  They all had a sensibility or heroism that I recognized and liked from previous generations of comic work.  There are definitely comics worthy of a re-read, and others that should find their way to a recycling bin. 



These comics were cover-priced far too expensively for our normal game, so once again they reside in the quarter box (much like in reality).   Four for a dollar.  As always, share your selection and your thoughts; share your cheers and jeers. Thanks again to Mike's Amazing World of Comics site for the extensive cover archives and credits.

So listen to some Nirvana, Eminem, or Guns N Roses; pop in your VHS tape of  Herman's Head or Quantum Leap, enjoy a cold glass of Crystal Pepsi and make your picks and comments from the Aluminum Age.

Kirk Busiek's Astro City #11 (Nov 1997)  The covers, writing, and art in this series were top notch.  I enjoyed to modernist take on archetypes I loved.
Force Works #11 (Mar 1995) An evolution of the West Coast Avengers with writing by the clever team of Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning.   This Spider Woman had some nice moments.
Ghost Rider #15 (July 1991) Danny Ketch was the new Ghost Rider and that had pros and cons to it.   The art by Mark Texeira had some good aspects; this cover is an example. 
Guardians of the Galaxy #8 (Jan 1991)  Can you believe this was 25 years ago?   Not their best outing, but I love the characters and the future history that this book expanded.
Hourman #7 (Oct 1999)  I didn't read it at the time, but I have to give kudos to the robotic Hourman and the writing of Tom Peyer and the art of Rags Morales.  This cover is by Scott McDaniel.
Impulse #20 (Oct 1996) Mark Waid's Impulse had a ton of humor but also a lot of heart.  
Incredible Hulk #387 (Nov 1991)  I only read the Hulk sporadically (sorry HB) until Peter David took a turn writing, and then I explored the massive back catalog.
Journey Into Mystery (Featuring The Lost Gods) #506 (Feb 1997) During the period that Thor was "gone"  Red Norvell and a new group of gods fought the Egyptian god Set.
JSA #2 (July 1999) The old and the new brought together in the great DC tradition; the originals and their legacies fight for justice.  
The New Warriors #4 (Oct 1990) A brand new team for a new generation,The Warriors had some familiar tropes but improved on some lesser known character properties under the guiding hands of Fabian Nicieza and Mark Bagley.
Spider-Man 2099 #4 (Feb 1993) The 2099 brand had some hits and misses, but Peter David crafted some decent tales as Miguel O'Hara took on the identity in the far flung future and a fancy new suit.
Thunderbolts #11 (Feb 1998) Spoiler Alert!  In a bold move the Masters of Evil play hero in a bid for world domination.  Kurt Busiek and Mark Bagley establish a whole new approach for some classic villains.
Ultraforce #6 (March 1995) Gerard Jones and George Perez created a hero team for Malibu's Ultraverse with oddballs like Pixx, the Ghoul, and Prime.   The first arcs are highly underrated in my opinion, and the art is amazing.
X-Factor #71 (Oct 1991) Well, Peter David is at it again.  This time he puts his twist on a mutant team with some great characterization for the likes of Madrox and Quicksilver.  The art by Larry Stroman had some really over-the-top 90's flair.
Quasar #37 (Aug 1992) This series was a fun cosmic romp written by Mark Gruenwald in a very traditional way.

So that is a rundown of the "new" stuff.  Enjoy the covers!