The Spectre Appreciation Thread

[Savage Savant]

Title says it all. I know there's been some discussion on the character (what with the thread I made a year ago & resurrected a few months back) however I figured since I seem to be one of the very few die-hard Spectre fans on this board that the character should have an appreciation thread.

Regardless of whether you believe the character should be a ghost as he was originally intended to be (a viewpoint I strongly hold) or prefer the Post-Crisis recton Spirit of Vengeance interpretation, we can all discuss our love for the character (& what we dislike as well) here. I hope a few more fans of the Ghostly Guardian chime in

[Trey Strain]

I'd like for him to get an ongoing. If I had anything to say about it, that would entail his being powered down to a level where he could fit onto a super-team.

Later for the "host" and "spirit of vengeance" bullsheiss. He's Jim Corrigan. His title should put a lot of focus on his job as a detective. Real-world stuff, not pompous cosmic twaddle.

He needs a supporting cast too. Needless to say, Percival Popp should be in it.

Any of you who read my Green Lantern: Metropolis fanfic while I had it posted probably realized that I was moving toward a Spectre spinoff with it. I really like the character.

[victorxd1999]

I'd like to see more love for him, Corrigan's a great character! I myself, being a HUGE fan of the Ostrander/Mandrake run, love the avatar of vengeance version the most and wish they kept that approach. But then, I'm a real Ostrander fan boy so anything that goes against is magnificent run is questionable for me

[Trey Strain]

I can tell you this. If he gets brought back in a solo title as an absurdly powerful character who is acting vengefully on behalf of God, and with jagged speech balloons and his words printed in a weird green typeface, that comic will flop. And nobody need to reply, "Just put John Ostrander on it."

[Stingo]

Title says it all. I know there's been some discussion on the character (what with the thread I made a year ago & resurrected a few months back) however I figured since I seem to be one of the very few die-hard Spectre fans on this board that the character should have an appreciation thread.

Regardless of whether you believe the character should be a ghost as he was originally intended to be (a viewpoint I strongly hold) or prefer the Post-Crisis recton Spirit of Vengeance interpretation, we can all discuss our love for the character (& what we dislike as well) here. I hope a few more fans of the Ghostly Guardian chime in

This is pretty timely, as I've just recently finished reading the Golden Age Spectre Archive and have had that character on my radar a bit more than normal as a result.

The version that worked the best for me of this wonderful character that's been around for donkey's years? Well, not to upset Mr. Strain - and with all due respect intended - but John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake own the DEFINITIVE version of Spec in my humble opinion. They set the bloody bar so high for the character and concept that DC has not even come remotely close to superseding that version. Ostrander and Mandrake clearly had some major things to say in this long-running title and, right next to James Robinson's STARMAN comic, their run was an example of what comic books could aspire to be.

[Trey Strain]

This is pretty timely, as I've just recently finished reading the Golden Age Spectre Archive and have had that character on my radar a bit more than normal as a result.

The version that worked the best for me of this wonderful character that's been around for donkey's years? Well, not to upset Mr. Strain - and with all due respect intended - but John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake own the DEFINITIVE version of Spec in my humble opinion. They set the bloody bar so high for the character and concept that DC has not even come remotely close to superseding that version. Ostrander and Mandrake clearly had some major things to say in this long-running title and, right next to James Robinson's STARMAN comic, their run was an example of what comic books could aspire to be.

I wasn't criticizing Ostrander's work on the title. But a concept that requires some particular writer is not a valid concept for an ongoing. Figure out what a concept needs, not which writer it needs.

[Outside_85]

In all honesty, I think depowering the Spectre at this stage just so he can be fit onto a team would be a major mistake, especially when the character has always been unbelievably powerful. It would be like depowering Darkseid so he can join the Legion of Doom.
Regarding if it's making it difficult to get a writer for him... honestly thats a price I'd pay twice over if it means I can avoid seeing him in a generic superhero setting. Plus I have to say it doesn't seem to be that difficult to find writers for his kind of stories, Fawkes is doing just fine right now, even Krul managed the same kind with Captain Atom.

What the concept needs is generally not getting jobbed by event-writers. I'd be happy if they'd ignore him entirely for events he really has no buiness taking part in, or save him as the big gun Earth pulls out when all else is lost. And to this end it's actually fine that he takes random orders from voices from above, it restricts him and gives him the only reason he needs to answer with when people ask why he doesnt go and decapitate horrible villain X, Y and Z: "I am doing Gods work as He orders it. Take it up with him."

[lorddominicus85]

I've been in love with the Spectre as a character since I saw the mini movie they made with him where it was like Dirty Harry meets a ghost/horror movie. I loved that concept of him using his powers like that. When Gotham at Midnight was announced I was incredibly excited and very sad that it's ending. I hope Spectre pops up again somewhere down the line. I also enjoy the way they sort of reigned his powers in in GaM.

[Captain Smith]

If you depower him, he just becomes a variant of Superman or Martian Manhunter. Keep him out of the regular superhero rotation. While his usage in COIE was worthy - after that excuses were made for him not just fixing everything.

Ostrander mode - best one.

[Trey Strain]

If you depower him, he just becomes a variant of Superman or Martian Manhunter. Keep him out of the regular superhero rotation. While his usage in COIE was worthy - after that excuses were made for him not just fixing everything.

Ostrander mode - best one.

I don't want to "depower" him. Just bring him down to a level where you can credibly subject him to serious threats.

I had nothing at all like Superman or the Martian Manhunter in mind. A Spectre title needs to be gothic and spooky. A lot of suspense and fear.

[The Darknight Detective]

My Spectre fandom goes all the way back to when Michael Fleisher and Jim Aparo did their magic with the character 40-something years ago. Still my favorite version, too.

[The Darknight Detective]

Guys, this is an appreciation thread, not a debating thread. Keep it to the former and that will make me very happy.

[Outside_85]

I have quite a fondness for the Ostrander/Mandrake run. We got just about everything, Jim's and the spooks origins, mentions of his time with the JSA, why/how he could disappear for some 50 years, really weird adventures and the tying up of a few loose ends before it ends in the only way it could for a character like this: release.

It was an example of why near-omnipotent power doesn't mean a character is boring or difficult to write, especially not when the heart of it all is human.

[colonyofcells]

Humans are no match for the spectre so probably should do more ghost vs ghost stories.

[The Darknight Detective]

Okay, let me try this again...

Unless you're appreciating the Spectre, stay out of this thread. If you like one version of the character, great, but that doesn't mean you can dump on the other versions, either.

I don't feel like dealing out bans, but I will if need be.