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Comics-Vs-Animated Continuity |
Gothamite
Posts: 476
Location: Gotham City
Joined: 29.07.05
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| Posted on 24-02-2006 14:58 |
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In your opinion, what is the better universe? The traditional comics universe or the animated continuity? I believe both have their flaws while both have things that are better than the other. For example, I love the idea of Batman Beyond (even if the suit could be cooler) and I think it's better and more sensible than having Robin grow up to be a darker Batman (with exactly the same suit as the present day Batman) that kills people. However, I don't really like what they did to Tim Drake in ROTJ. Turning him into a mini-Joker isn't very original or dramatic and it's actually a bit silly, compared to when the Joker just beat Jason Todd to death, which had far more effect. Overall, though, I think the animated continuity is better for Batman.
With Superman, I think the comics continuity is better by leaps and bounds (no pun intended!). Clark Kent is explored as the true identity while Superman is merely the disguise. In the animated continuity, this is the reverse and unlike the Chris Reeve movies where the Clark 'disguise' was a lovable nerd whom nobody would guess as Superman, in the cartoons, he has no personality and the few dialogues he had with Lois in the early episodes of STAS make him out to be obnoxious and frankly quite rude. Also, in the cartoons, Superman's powers are toned down to the point of him being vulnerable to electric blasts. That ain't right. The Superman I know can pick up damaged wiring and connect it to himself so that the circuit continues. Overall, I think the Superman in the comics is better.
With the Green Lanterns, I think comics continuity wins again. Hal Jordan was never properly in the cartoons and they just skipped right ahead to Kyle Rayner (who was never as cool as Jordan). Bit of a scam. However, it must be said that John Stewart is far more interesting in JLU than he ever was in the comics.
I'm not too aware of the Wonder Woman comics, but she seems to be largely similar in both continuities, so there really isn't any matter for debate.
With the Flash, I think the comics will win, because they had Barry Allen and Jay Garrick and the Crisis, and they properly explain what the Speed Force is, and they truly make the Flash out to be a wonderful, fascinating, even magical character. Nonetheless, the Flash of the cartoons is a joy to watch, with his quick-witted one-liners and happy-go-lucky attitude, voiced by WB cartoon veteran and Lex Luthor, Michael Rosenbaum.
The format and origin of the Justice League is better in the cartoons in my opinion. In the cartoons, it's about the world's most powerful heroes coming together in a time of crisis and putting their differences aside to save the world. In the comics, it was about a load of comedy no-name heroes coming together to stop crime, before being replaced by big-shots who came and left as they pleased. I also think 'Justice League Unlimited' is a great name. It doesn't restrict the league to America, or even Planet Earth.
In terms of villains, I think the Joker got a better deal in the comics. His origin is better, because it's about a normal guy that has one bad day that drives him over the edge. In the cartoons, it's just the same as the Burton movie, where an already creepy mobster just gets pushed a little bit and goes wacky. The problem with the animated Joker IMO is that he is actually funny 90% of the time. That's not right for the character. The character should be sick, twisted and tasteless. Mark Hamill does a great job, though, it must be said.
I definitely think Luthor is better in the animated universe. His story is far more structured than in the comics. Ever since John Byrne's revamp, Lex has gone through so many redesigns, including when he cloned himself into his 'son' and had a head of full red hair, to when he went insane and donned the silver age suit again. In the animated universe, his characters flows naturally and you can truly understand why he hates Superman so much.
In the shadows I saw my destiny...
I would seek justice...
I would have my revenge...
Edited by Gothamite on 25-02-2006 05:28 |
 
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RE: Comics-Vs-Animated Continuity |
elvis
Posts: 65
Location: Greece
Joined: 04.08.05
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| Posted on 24-02-2006 16:58 |
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I agrre with you 100%!!!Couldnt said better!!!
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| Author |
RE: Comics-Vs-Animated Continuity |
Gothamite
Posts: 476
Location: Gotham City
Joined: 29.07.05
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| Posted on 25-02-2006 05:25 |
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Thanks, man! I hope we can get this thread moving.
In the shadows I saw my destiny...
I would seek justice...
I would have my revenge... |
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| Author |
RE: Comics-Vs-Animated Continuity |
FlaBat
Posts: 1526
Location: Miami
Joined: 24.06.05
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| Posted on 25-02-2006 11:33 |
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Well, I like both Comic and Animated Continuities. They each offer something a bit different. One thing that sets them apart is the Animated Series never had a Crisis On Infinite Earths or Zero Hour to reset it. It just seemed to evolve on it?s own taking parts of the comics continuity and adding a little of their own.
The Animated Batman
BTAS was a timeless classic and had the dark moody film noir look like the films Batman and Batman Returns. It?s the standard by which many judge not only Batman animation, but animation in general. It seem to stay fairly consistent with the comics continuity, although not always. TAOBAR, which added Robin to the mix, continued much along the same path.
TNBA seemed to stay along the same lines of BTAS, but was a lot different in look and feel. It?s like it was the same, but yet different enough to stand apart on it?s own. They had a lower budget so some designs were not as rich as before. TNBA is set a few years after BTAS with a new Robin, Nightwing and Batgirl added to the mix.
Batman Beyond I thought was really more of an Elseworlds story, set far into the BTAS/TNBA future. It did have an older Bruce Wayne as Batman in the pilot movie, but a new different Batman takes over. I liked the fresh approach and I think it was better received than the current The Batman series because it did not reinvent all the old characters too much.
In Batman Beyond, Barbara Gordon is the GCPD Commissioner, she was Batgirl before and there was more than a hint of a relationship with Bruce Wayne at one point, but that was never really explored. I always wondered what happened to Barbara between TNBA and BB. Did The Joker gun her down? Did she ever become Oracle? It does not look that way.
The Batman is set in Batman?s third year, so I guess it?s just before BTAS because Batman is already established when it first aired. The Batman has a quirky anime look that not everybody likes. It?s also re-imaging a lot of Batman?s most familiar foes. Sometimes change is good, sometimes it?s not. In any case, it?s almost like an Elseworlds story too.
The Comic Book Batman
After Crisis On Infinite Earths or Zero Hour the comics seem to settle down. Batman was back to his darker roots. Frank Millers? The Dark Knight Returns showed us a possible future Batman (and Robin) while leading the way for a new Comic Book Renaissance.
Batman is for the most part solo and we get to see Nightwing evolve more on his own and Tim Drake enters as a new Robin to even out a brooding Batman a bit. Then Bane does the unthinkable and breaks Batman?s back. This leads to a Jean Paul Valley as a new Batman (Az-Bats) who is very unstable and becomes almost a villain rather than the hero he?s known to be. Bruce does get better and retrained and comes back in another classic battle between himself as Batman and Jean Paul Valley?s Batman. Then Nightwing takes over as Batman for a bit, before Bruce comes back later.
Barbara Gordon crippled by The Joker has become Oracle, and later a new Batgirl, Cassandra Cain comes along. A former mute from a violent upbringing, she?s a darker image of Batgirl compared to Barbara.
I never liked how they had to mess around with Tim Drake. He was a normal, super bright kid who figured out who Batman was on his and only wanted to help out. He was not the tortured soul that Bruce Wanye and Dick Grayson were. Tim had no family tragedy to propel him along like Batman and Robin before. That was until the Drake airplane goes down and then Tim?s family has to suffer. Tim eventually steps down as Robin, because of pressure from his Dad, only to have his Dad killed and see his girlfriend Stephanie take over as Robin. She barely has time to adjust to being Robin before she gets killed too.
The comics seem to be scattered about all over the place with so many changes over so many titles that they decide to have another Crisis just to adjust things a bit more. They need to streamline things a bit and get things back in order.
Edited by FlaBat on 25-02-2006 16:12 |
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RE: Comics-Vs-Animated Continuity |
Phil
Posts: 2061
Location: Gotham City
Joined: 30.07.05
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| Posted on 25-02-2006 12:32 |
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one thing i know is that i liek JLU better than the comics. JLU is crazy cool!!
http://batmanytb.com/pictures/thumbnails.php?album=4 |
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RE: Comics-Vs-Animated Continuity |
Gothamite
Posts: 476
Location: Gotham City
Joined: 29.07.05
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| Posted on 25-02-2006 14:14 |
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To water down on my original post, I'll say this: I prefer the comic's Superman and the cartoon's Batman. I also think JL/JLU is cooler than JLA/JLI/JLE.
In the shadows I saw my destiny...
I would seek justice...
I would have my revenge... |
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| Author |
RE: Comics-Vs-Animated Continuity |
crisis
Posts: 392
Location: The Batcave... duh!
Joined: 13.12.05
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| Posted on 25-02-2006 15:36 |
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it depends who's writing jla...
What? |
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| Author |
RE: Comics-Vs-Animated Continuity |
Phil
Posts: 2061
Location: Gotham City
Joined: 30.07.05
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| Posted on 25-02-2006 16:13 |
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i like cartoon's batman and his future(batman beyond), but i like comic's robin, nightwing, and every other character that is batman-related. if only we cud mix and match, lol.
http://batmanytb.com/pictures/thumbnails.php?album=4 |
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| Author |
RE: Comics-Vs-Animated Continuity |
batboy99
Posts: 1550
Location: Toronto,Ontario Canada
Joined: 20.10.05
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| Posted on 25-02-2006 19:36 |
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nope i like jlu aaallllllllllll the way
Batman YTB is the best site on the net!
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| Author |
RE: Comics-Vs-Animated Continuity |
Gothamite
Posts: 476
Location: Gotham City
Joined: 29.07.05
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| Posted on 27-02-2006 10:46 |
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Yeah, me too.
In the shadows I saw my destiny...
I would seek justice...
I would have my revenge... |
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