Your DC-Only controversial opinions (part II)...

[Baseman]

What the hell is will power anyway? Ever since I heard this as a little kid, I've always been frustrated by the idea that you will stuff to happen. No you don't. I already knew that as a little kid. You make a decision in your brain to do something and you send that instruction to the muscles in your body and they are either strong and practiced enough to do it or not. It's not some fuzzy concept called will. That's just pure balogna. It seemed like something adults tell kids just to belittle them, so they think there's someting lacking in theirselves on a spiritual level and that's why they can't do something. No. If you want to do something, you find a way to get it done. Will is a useless term.

You've lost me .I always though Will power was in a general the ability the stick to a goal or a difficult task when others will probably give up.

Like getting perfect grades or losing weight. You have some people that constantly put in the work to achieve those goals while others fall off the wagon to enjoy other things.

[Agent Z]

DC's magic characters work best when they're being written by someone who actually knows theology (ex. John Ostrander) or the occult (ex. Alan Moore, Grant Morrison, Rachel Pollack, J.M Dematteis). Otherwise they're too powerful and that means they get jobbed out or conveniently written out of the story so it doesn't end in five panels. I couldn't get into Shadowpact because it just felt like every other team superhero book out there but with magic characters in it which was a shame and kind of a waste. In fact, I think a good chunk of the magic DC characters worked better in Vertigo where they could explore themes like that. John Constantine never recovered from being put back in the DCU. It's said seeing him he's so watered down and bland.


Hal Jordan would work better as an anti-hero with his traits. In the older comics there was this tendency to have him act in questionable ways and the writers would rarely acknowledge it.

Guy Gardner's current origin is terrible. And now he's bland and nonthreatening too. Him being a Red Lantern was good for him because as a Green Lantern he'd done it all. His story was over.

If the DC wants to have a multiverse they should try taking advantage of it. I mean why have the Wildstorm charaters be also rans on Earth-Prime when they could be their own imprint again on their own Earth?

Kon-El was a great character till he was retconned by Geoff Johns. He was never the same after that. It just sucked the life out of his character.

Grant Morrison did his best work when he wasn't writing superheroes. Maybe the upcoming GL book will prove me wrong but I felt he said all he needed to say with All-Star Superman.

Shadowpact seemed pretty unique to me especially given DC didn't have any active magic teams at the moment. I can't agree that they seem like any superhero team (how many teams have a talking monkey that can speak any language?) As for high power levels and jobbing. That's any character magical or no. Also Constantine never did leave the DCU he just crosses over within more now. Which is still a problem of course.

[Agent Z]

??? - Really?

Yes really. Saying they belong to another time is saying they should stopped making stories about them after that time passed.

[DrNewGod]

What the hell is will power anyway? Ever since I heard this as a little kid, I've always been frustrated by the idea that you will stuff to happen. No you don't. I already knew that as a little kid. You make a decision in your brain to do something and you send that instruction to the muscles in your body and they are either strong and practiced enough to do it or not. It's not some fuzzy concept called will. That's just pure balogna. It seemed like something adults tell kids just to belittle them, so they think there's someting lacking in theirselves on a spiritual level and that's why they can't do something. No. If you want to do something, you find a way to get it done. Will is a useless term.

IMO, it's what makes some people excel when others do not, when their potential capabilities are no greater or even less. See it all the time in students.

[Jim Kelly]

In the usage for super-heroes, will is supposed to be an immediate thing--not setting long term goals and then achieving them--rather Hal wills his ring to do something and it does it, right then. However, there's a less fuzzy way to explain that. When I was a little kid, I was already reading science books and encyclopedias in the school library on my spare time--and explanations like he willed something to happen were very unsatisfying to me. I wanted clear answers to my questions. Tell me that synapses fire in the brain and send signals through the nervous system to cause muscles to flex and that's a good answer (even if it raises more questions), but tell me someone lifted a heavy boulder by force of will and I'm frustrated because that's not an answer, it begs the question.

But in terms of will as setting long terms goals and achieving them, that's also something that can be better expressed using concrete language. And if I wanted to do better on my tests in school, telling me that I didn't have enough will was not helpful. Show me how to get in the right psychological and physiological state to accomplish those goals and that's a better answer, something that I can use.

Will power just seems like magical thinking to me. It's the kind of answer people give when they don't know any of the science. But will is a good modal verb--in German it means to want--ich will ACTION COMICS 1000 lesen--and in English it's now used for future verb constructions--I will be down to get you in a taxi, honey, you better be ready about half past eight, now dearie, don't be late. I want to be there when the band starts playing.

I would not throw out the modal verb, but the noun is something I have no use for--except in academic discussions of Thomas Hardy.

[SiegePerilous02]

6 Earth GLs is way to many. It should be reduced to 2, maybe 3. Hal and John should be the two, and I'm leaning towards Jess being the best option for a third.

There are way too many goddamn speedsters, both good and evil. I would prefer it be reduced to Barry and OG Wally and their respective arch enemies, Thawne and Hunter. At least on the main Earth, Jay, Max, etc should be on Earth-2.

Only 2/5 of the original Fab Five Titans are close to being consistently interesting characters, and those are Dick and Wally. I like Pre-Crisis Donna a lot but she was ruined more and more starting with the original Crisis, and even in the NTT stories a lot of her appeal was how she acted as the medium between the two extremes of Starfire and Raven. On her own I don't know if she has a distinguishable enough personality. Roy has coasted along on his drug addiction storylines, having a kid and bouncing from one bland adult identity to another. Garth has always just been sort of there, and doesn't seem to have impacted the Aquaman franchise in any noteworthy way. Cyborg, Starfire, Raven and Gar are all much better characters.

The JSA's importance as a franchise is inflated by fandom somewhat, and the in-story justifications for their importance in post-Crisis stories in relation to the JL (especially the Trinity) always feel artificial and weird. They didn't survive into the period between the Golden and Silver Age like the Trinity did, and their revamped versions in the Silver Age went on to greater success. For a big chunk of DC's publication, they did not predate any of the JL members in-universe. There are plenty of reasons for the JSA's own legacies like Infinity Inc to look up to them and for the Silver Age JL characters to value them as close allies/peers on another Earth, but Superman looking up to them always feels wrong. It seems like a way to prop up the JSA in-universe, but rarely extends in a meaningful way to the rest of the DCU, which can chug along just fine without them.

I'm 2 and half volumes through the new Mark Waid Flash trades, and they are very solid-to-great for the most part. Mostly for the the Return of Barry Allen arc, Wally's development and his interactions with the supporting cast. His villains leave a lot to be desired so far though and it's dragging it down for me; the Combine, Razer and the new Dr. Alchemy were utterly forgettable and the best antagonists are ones he inherited from Barry, Kadabra and Zoom. It's weird that Waid considered the Rogues too lame when his own villainous contributions seem like duds, and I do not think the likes of Savitar, Replicant, Folded Man and (ugh) Cobalt Blue will do much to change my mind. For this reason, I think I'm going to still prefer Johns run with Wally to this, as I love the Rogues, the art (particularly Kolins and Van Sciver), and his new supporting characters like Warden Wolfe, Chyre and Morillo (please bring the latter two back, Williamson!).

Tom King's Batman run has some flaws and doesn't always stick the landing, but it's not nearly as bad as some make it out to be and is the only mainstream Rebirth book aside from Deathstroke to be consistently anything other than workmanlike from the start.

[Caivu]

- while I respect the niché she serves, Batwoman has been consistently written as an obnoxious character. She isn't as bad as Damian at his worse, but the overly militaristic schtick is getting grating.

I'm confused by what "overly militaristic schtick" means. That's not what I see. I mean, she doesn't go around dropping salutes or ten-hutting or roger-rogering or lip-synching to the Team America soundtrack or whatever, y'know? Hardly a "schtick".

[mrbrklyn]

What the hell is will power anyway? Ever since I heard this as a little kid, I've always been frustrated by the idea that you will stuff to happen. No you don't. I already knew that as a little kid. You make a decision in your brain to do something and you send that instruction to the muscles in your body and they are either strong and practiced enough to do it or not. It's not some fuzzy concept called will. That's just pure balogna. It seemed like something adults tell kids just to belittle them, so they think there's someting lacking in theirselves on a spiritual level and that's why they can't do something. No. If you want to do something, you find a way to get it done. Will is a useless term.

not at all. WIll power is why life exists. Biological systems decide they want to do something against the nature order, like put O2 in the atmosphere.

[byrd156]

What the hell is will power anyway? Ever since I heard this as a little kid, I've always been frustrated by the idea that you will stuff to happen. No you don't. I already knew that as a little kid. You make a decision in your brain to do something and you send that instruction to the muscles in your body and they are either strong and practiced enough to do it or not. It's not some fuzzy concept called will. That's just pure balogna. It seemed like something adults tell kids just to belittle them, so they think there's someting lacking in theirselves on a spiritual level and that's why they can't do something. No. If you want to do something, you find a way to get it done. Will is a useless term.

My confusion with the lantern ring is that willpower isn't an emotion. Neither is hope. I always think of the different lantern colors as more of spectrum for the individual ring types within the larger emotion spectrum.

In my mind Willpower is more of like courage, bravery, strength, honor, etc. A mixture of qualities and emotions that bleed into each other rather than just one single thing. One of the reasons Hal was chosen was because he was a "man without fear" to quote his first appearance. In "real life" someone without fear is just a straight up crazy person, hell there's a BTAS episode about Scarecrow curing fear and it made people do insane things. Hal's combined qualities and emotions make up a strong overall will. Thats how I see it anyway.

[WallyWestFlash]

My confusion with the lantern ring is that willpower isn't an emotion. Neither is hope. I always think of the different lantern colors as more of spectrum for the individual ring types within the larger emotion spectrum.

In my mind Willpower is more of like courage, bravery, strength, honor, etc. A mixture of qualities and emotions that bleed into each other rather than just one single thing. One of the reasons Hal was chosen was because he was a "man without fear" to quote his first appearance. In "real life" someone without fear is just a straight up crazy person, hell there's a BTAS episode about Scarecrow curing fear and it made people do insane things. Hal's combined qualities and emotions make up a strong overall will. Thats how I see it anyway.

Ethan Van Sciver once explained that the way that he and Geoff Johns came up with the different color corps was that they were more motivations than emotions. If that helps at all.

[Raijin]

Green Arrow leading the Justice League can be interesting character development/growth for Ollie. I just think it'll be cool to see him lead heroes that aren't usually associated with him.

[Trey Strain]

Ethan Van Sciver once explained that the way that he and Geoff Johns came up with the different color corps was that they were more motivations than emotions. If that helps at all.

Then Johns should have called it the motivational spectrum.

It's been claimed that humans have only two motivations -- fear and desire. That's a very interesting idea. In fact, it's been claimed that people are nothing more than a bundle of various fears and desires.

[phantom1592]

In the usage for super-heroes, will is supposed to be an immediate thing--not setting long term goals and then achieving them--rather Hal wills his ring to do something and it does it, right then. However, there's a less fuzzy way to explain that. When I was a little kid, I was already reading science books and encyclopedias in the school library on my spare time--and explanations like he willed something to happen were very unsatisfying to me. I wanted clear answers to my questions. Tell me that synapses fire in the brain and send signals through the nervous system to cause muscles to flex and that's a good answer (even if it raises more questions), but tell me someone lifted a heavy boulder by force of will and I'm frustrated because that's not an answer, it begs the question.

But in terms of will as setting long terms goals and achieving them, that's also something that can be better expressed using concrete language. And if I wanted to do better on my tests in school, telling me that I didn't have enough will was not helpful. Show me how to get in the right psychological and physiological state to accomplish those goals and that's a better answer, something that I can use.

Will power just seems like magical thinking to me. It's the kind of answer people give when they don't know any of the science. But will is a good modal verb--in German it means to want--ich will ACTION COMICS 1000 lesen--and in English it's now used for future verb constructions--I will be down to get you in a taxi, honey, you better be ready about half past eight, now dearie, don't be late. I want to be there when the band starts playing.

I would not throw out the modal verb, but the noun is something I have no use for--except in academic discussions of Thomas Hardy.

Willpower at it's basic is the internal ability to do something that goes against nature. The ability to force yourself awake while driving down the road after working the last 72 hours... the ability to keep a secret during a torture session... to resist that cigarette when your addiction is screaming for it. Things that an ordinary normal person would give up, a person with a strong will WANTS something bad enough to force it to happen.

Sometimes that pretty much IS magical thinking... but it's also a magical thinking that gets a lot of people through a lot of hard times. It's also something that some people have a lot more of than others.


On a secondary note, since Green Lantern was originally based on the Idea of Aladdin and his magic lamp granting whatever he wished for into being... magical thinking isn't far off from the intent.

[ed2962]

Then Johns should have called it the motivational spectrum.

It's been claimed that humans have only two motivations -- fear and desire. That's a very interesting idea. In fact, it's been claimed that people are nothing more than a bundle of various fears and desires.

The Motivational Spectrum is going to be the title of the next Jordan Peterson book. In it he will explain how there are no actual non-comics fans...just people who think they don't like comics.


Ok, bad joke. I'll see myself out....

[Crazy Diamond]

Hal Jordan would work better as an anti-hero with his traits.<<

What is the oldest GL story you read?

Read all the way back to Showcase #22. I read Broome, O'Neil, Wolfman, Wein, Englehart, the Action Comics Weekly stories, Jones, some one-shots (ex. Ganthet's Tale), Marz's work with Hal, some Elseworlds with Hal in it, Spectre v. 4, parts of Johns run, and some of the New 52 stuff. That was over a span of a decade or so.