A Simple Question: Who is the Most Influential 50s Rocker?

Karen: Which 50s  rocker has proven to be the most influential? And why? (Don't feel limited to the candidates below.)

A Simple Question Concerning Characterization

Doug: Who are those characters that you think should be easy to write "in character"?

And, as a follow-up, where are those examples of gross mischaracterization you can recall?

A Simple Question: Who is more essential: Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four?

Karen: I was thinking about how Marvel has basically removed the Fantastic Four from comics right now, as part of their movie studio's feud with Fox, which seems completely ridiculous to me. But it got me wondering about the role of different characters, and that brings us to today's question:

Who is more essential to the Marvel Universe: Spider-Man or the Fantastic Four?

You can approach this from any time frame you like, or as a broadly applicable question. But one way to think about it is, if you removed either one, which absence would cause more problems? What do they each bring to the Marvel universe? It seems to me that both are cornerstones: Spider-Man being the down-to-Earth, Everyman character whose stories revolve around his personal issues as much as they do super-villains, whereas the FF represent the 'Big Ideas', amazing adventures in outer space, other dimensions, and beyond, with plot-driven stories that expanded the boundaries of the Marvel universe. Marvel Comics would be hard to imagine without either one! But can an argument be made for which one is more essential to Marvel?

Karen: Personally, I would say both are essential throughout the sixties and early seventies, but by the mid-to-late seventies the FF book had become rather mediocre, and despite Byrne's run, I don't know that the book ever really recovered. In many ways, the Avengers have taken over that central role the FF once occupied. Spider-Man has had his ups and downs, but has remained an important, influential  character  in the MU. 

Karen: Thoughts?

A Simple Question About "Essential" Films

Doug: Back on February 20, we asked you to discuss comic books you might assume "everyone" has read. As our conversations often do, we meandered around some side topics. Movies came up briefly, but what really got me to thinking about today's topic was the revelation from my wife last week that she has never seen the Cecil B. DeMille-directed The Ten Commandments film starring Charlton Heston. I mean, who hasn't seen that? Her. OK, go...

A Simple Question About "Essential" Comic Books

Doug: Back on Monday, I fell into a bit of a trap in a remark I made in our first installment of our review of The Dark Knight. I suggested that in the succeeding 30 years since its publication, who hadn't read that story? Well, somewhat to my surprise, a few of our loyal commenters raised their hands. Which of course got me to thinking...

What are those comic books or comics stories that you have personally assumed that "everyone" has read?

A Simple Question About Old Comics

Doug: When did you become enamored with "old" comics? When was your realization that something had come before? For example, in the 25c era, I about wet my pants the first time I laid eyes on a "12-center". The Holy Grail had been published monthly ten years earlier!

A Simple Question About Comic Book Covers

Doug: You have to pick an overall preference: Clean, Worded Up, or Captions Only? The Silver and Bronze Ages are your parameters for reference.

 

A Simple Question About Comic Books

Doug: What is the best thing about comic books? Stick to one response at a time, with rationale. It may be interesting to see how the conversation grows. Thanks!

A Simple Question about Rock and Roll Front Men

Karen: Who is/was the best front man (or woman) in all of rock and roll? And what qualities set him/her above the rest?

 

A Simple Question About Comics and Time

Doug: When we say a comic book story or its art "doesn't hold up", what does that mean?

A Simple Question About the Batman

Doug: In all your readings, television and movie viewings, and video gaming on the Batman, would you say he is motivated more by securing the public's safety or by personal revenge?

A Simple Question About the Beatles

Doug:  When you think of the Beatles, which era do you "see"?

A Simple Question Concerning Marvel Comics

Doug:  What is the most important property owned by Marvel Comics?  (and you can interpret "important" any way you'd like)

A Simple Question Concerning Reprints

Doug:  What was your entry point to comics that were published before you began as a regular reader (you'll see three of mine below)?

Doug:  Let's make this a two-for-one today, friends.  I'd like anyone who saw the PBS broadcast of Superheroes: A Neverending Battle to sound off on what you liked, didn't like, or felt was flat-out awesome about the program.  And not to steer the comments, but I'd suggest to all that if you didn't get to see it that you check your local On-Demand schedule or rent the DVD/Blu-Ray (I've also pictured the cover to the companion book, below).