House Of Almerac: Maxima Appreciation 2020

[Agent Z]

Most people seem to dislike this costume, though I never understood why...

They did? I like it.

[Ascended]

I like the purple costume well enough, even if it *is* a poor man's Jean Gray.

The classic green-gold is....I never understood it, it's a weird aesthetic with some really odd design inconsistencies. I like how weird and unique it is, but some of those art choices boggle the mind. And I'm rarely a fan of costumes that leave a ton of skin exposed anyway. I mean, it's Maxima and that makes sense for her, but it's not something I generally support.

[Celgress]

I've never been a fan of Maxima because, frankly, she's typically portrayed as a big space ho (for lack of a better term) who won't take no for an answer. The only time I ever found her interesting was in the Justice League Animated Series (in which her motivations and character traits were fleshed out beyond simply wanting to get with Sups). I do wonder given the current social/political climate if such a character can survive without major modifications. Sadly, Maxima is very problematic in current year.

I know this is an appreciation thread and I usually wouldn't drag such a thread down with negativity, however, Maxima gets mentioned so little on the forum I feel there is no other place I can say my piece. Anyhow, that's all.

[Ascended]

I do wonder given the current social/political climate if such a character can survive without major modifications. Sadly, Maxima is very problematic in current year.

This is a common misconception, but a hurdle for the character nonetheless because that misconception is so damn common. Even DC seems to feel this way more often than not (of course, what DC forgets/ignores about its own characters tends to outweigh what they actually remember).

The *bad* portrayals of Maxima treat her as nothing more than a "space ho" and unfortunately there's plenty of those out there. But the character actually has a lot of interesting stuff going for her that I think would work just fine in today's socio-political climate. And the appearances that actually get into her head space show that she's got a lot of potential and depth.

The simple solution is to put a tiny bit of *actual* effort into writing her, and focusing on her motivations more than her goals. Yes, her goal is to win Superman over and make him her consort. But her motivation is where the good stuff is at; she's not just trying to get that Super D, she's trying to ensure the stability of her empire and the succession of her throne by providing the strongest heir she can.

Game of Thrones was wildly popular, despite a lot of subject matter that wouldn't fly in normal circumstances. Star Wars is wildly popular despite some movies that straight up suck. Maxima is nothing more than those two concepts smashed together; a space opera about a throne and who gets to sit in it and how far they'll go to keep it. The idea that it wouldn't work today is provably false; it's not Maxima's character that needs an overhaul, it's the people who work at DC and how lazily they approach their IP's.

[SJNeal]

I like the purple costume well enough, even if it *is* a poor man's Jean Gray.

The classic green-gold is....I never understood it, it's a weird aesthetic with some really odd design inconsistencies. I like how weird and unique it is, but some of those art choices boggle the mind. And I'm rarely a fan of costumes that leave a ton of skin exposed anyway. I mean, it's Maxima and that makes sense for her, but it's not something I generally support.

The odd design inconsistencies are what draws me to the classic costume, which I do ultimately prefer to the purple jumpsuit. But don't get me started on that red mess she wore at the tail end of Extreme Justice...

[Ascended]

The classic suit's unique design does put it above the highly generic purple one (which is boring, if solidly put together). But it's still a weird ass, inconsistent piece that doesn't seem to know what it wants to say beyond over sexualizing its wearer.

But I *do* appreciate it's asymmetrical nature.

[Stanlos]

The classic suit's unique design does put it above the highly generic purple one (which is boring, if solidly put together). But it's still a weird ass, inconsistent piece that doesn't seem to know what it wants to say beyond over sexualizing its wearer.

But I *do* appreciate it's asymmetrical nature.

I agree. Interestingly enough the Perez Superman issues show a number of alternative Almeracian looks (I recall one was for sparring). I wonder if the purple could be merged with some of those

[Thor-Ul]

One minute of silence, for the fallen ones.

.....


Ok. Is enough.

[13th Superman]

Game of Thrones was wildly popular, despite a lot of subject matter that wouldn't fly in normal circumstances. Star Wars is wildly popular despite some movies that straight up suck. Maxima is nothing more than those two concepts smashed together; a space opera about a throne and who gets to sit in it and how far they'll go to keep it. The idea that it wouldn't work today is provably false; it's not Maxima's character that needs an overhaul, it's the people who work at DC and how lazily they approach their IP's.

Yeah. You're exactly right!! Holy I wish they'd went with what you've said here. This perfect for the upcoming Cosmic Supes story and the UP.

[Robanker]

One minute of silence, for the fallen ones.

.....


Ok. Is enough.

Add insult to injury, she was drawn like the OG Max in the new Max's costume.

They are so visually (and in character, frankly) distinct that it's almost insulting to imply they're interchangeable.

[SJNeal]

One minute of silence, for the fallen ones.

.....


Ok. Is enough.

Add insult to injury, she was drawn like the OG Max in the new Max's costume.

They are so visually (and in character, frankly) distinct that it's almost insulting to imply they're interchangeable.

Uh oh... did I miss something? :-/

[Robanker]

Uh oh... did I miss something? :-/

Max appears as fodder for the new tie-in. Part of the Lois Lane story where an Dark Multiverse Lois has beheaded Clark and many others.

Hey kids, Comics!

[SJNeal]

Max appears as fodder for the new tie-in. Part of the Lois Lane story where an Dark Multiverse Lois has beheaded Clark and many others.

Hey kids, Comics!

Ah, got it. I decided to skip this round of Dark Multiverse one-shots.