My 50 Best...
So, the Great Curve's got their 50 Best DC Characters thing going, and I've finished casting my vote.
I'm going to post my choices here, with a bit about why, feel free to ridicule them. :-)
It's not like any should be a particular shock. :-P
--
1. Guy Gardner/Green Lantern/Warrior
(He's gone through hell and back, figuratively and literally, but will never stay down for long. Besides, he called the most powerful teenager in the world a crybaby.)
2. Sanderson Hawkins/Sand
(Best reconception of a forgotten Golden Age character ever and he's mouthy!)
3. Tim Drake/Robin
(The Quintessential Robin)
4. Barbara Gordon/Batgirl/Oracle
(The DCU's MVP)
5. Karen Starr/Power Girl
(her attitude takes down jerks while her breasts stop bullets)
6. John Constantine
(A man with style's a man who can smile.)
7. Kyle Rayner/Green Lantern/Ion
(He's a little dim, but awfully sweet. And it's fun to watch him grow.)
8. Jay Garrick/Flash
(his very presence is like a big warm hug. Or a bunch of little ones that happen really fast)
9. Hippolyta of Themyscira/Wonder Woman
(Warrior, Mother, Queen.)
10. Ted Grant/Wildcat
(He's an old-school boxer in a catsuit, what's not to love).
11. Kate Spencer/Manhunter
(She's a woman in a man's world, in every sense of the word. And *what* a woman.)
12. Jason Blood
("Gone O Little Man So Tame...Arise the Demon Whatsizname."*)
13. Diana of Themyscira/Wonder Woman
(She is the hidden potential within every woman)
14. Hal Jordan/Green Lantern/Parallax
(He's a self-centered jerk, a control freak and a klutz who always hits his head on random shit. And that's why I like him.)
15. Dinah Lance/Black Canary
(She's beautiful, funny and classy. Ollie never deserved her.)
16. Bruce Wayne/Batman
(He's never needed superpowers to be the scariest man in the DCU)
17. Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man
(He's going through a rough patch right now, but he's always been funny, smart, and interesting. I'm glad to see him starting to come alive again in 52)
18. Lois Lane
(First Lady of DC Comics for damn good reason)
19. Pieter Cross/Dr. Mid-Nite
(Only a little less-confident than God, and he's got an Owl!)
20. Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific
(Batman copied the T-sphere design, he's that good.)
21. Courtney Whitmore/Star-Spangled Kid/Stargirl
(Probably the most realistic portrayal of a normal teenager in extraordinary situations I've seen in a long time)
22. Clark Kent/Superman
(The icon of DC, symbol of the American spirit, and all around just a nice guy. I can't in good conscience leave him off of this list.)
23. Lex Luthor
(Scientist, Businessman, President. The living embodiment of "Power Corrupts")
24. Todd Rice/Obsidian
(Best turn-around of a character ever. From annoying loser to charming and likeable hero. He's proof that characters can be redeemed.)
25. Selina Kyle/Catwoman
(The only woman to ever be a match for Bruce Wayne, in my opinion)
26. Garfield Logan/Beast Boy/Changeling
(The heart of the Titans, even if he's not one anymore. Plus, over the OYL gap, he became hot)
27. Vic Stone/Cyborg
(The backbone of the Titans, though I hope he stops being a jerk soon)
28. Wesley Dodds/Sandman
(He was the first Golden Age hero I saw who actually considered and cared about the fact that he was putting his sidekick in incredible danger. And he swung headfirst into Thor. Which never stops being funny.)
29. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy
(Her schemes always have interesting results.)
30. Zinda Blake/Lady Blackhawk
(She is a time-lost token female of a fighter squad. Not that there's anything really "token" about her now.)
31. Sandra Woosan/Lady Shiva
(No man or woman is deadlier in the DCU)
32. Ted Kord/Blue Beetle
(often Comic Relief, but NEVER a joke)
33. Grace Choi
(I appreciate tough, fun women, there never seems to be enough of them)
34. Mary Marvel
(By *far* the smartest of the Marvel Clan. And so sweet and nice too!)
35. Snapper Carr
(His storyarc in Hourman made me cry. Shut up. *snap snap*)
36. Linda Danvers/Supergirl
(Flawed, funny and even a little tragic, Linda's always going to be *my* Supergirl. Fuck Kara Zor-El.)
37. Vic Sage/the Question
("That man has no face!!!")
38. Sue Dibny
(She was entertaining and interesting. And whatever else anyone says about Identity Crisis, the retelling of her first meeting with Ralph will never not make me smile)
39. Jack Knight
(Starman turned nostalgia into an artform and Jack was the perfect center for it all, I always wished he had more to do in JSA)
40. the Shade
(Because he was saving the statue and the woman was just in the way.)
41. Alan Scott
(He's the Elder Statesman of the DCU. And really fucking hot in an eyepatch.)
42. John Stewart
(Because Mosaic shows that he's so much more than Hal's messenger.)
43. Tora Olafsdotter
(She showed that being more traditionally feminine doesn't mean being weak)
44. J'onn J'onzz
(I don't care what anyone says, it's not the Justice League without J'onn J'onzz)
45. Kon-El/Conner Kent
(Yeah, he dwelled on the parentage thing a bit too much, but he was a good kid and a work in progress. He has so much growing left to do)
46. Johnny Sorrow
(My favorite villain. He's just creepy. And an ex-silent film star, which makes him even creepier.)
47. the Joker
(He's overused now, but once upon a time, he killed a Robin. I've never quite gotten over that...even if Jason has.)
48. Alfred Pennyworth
(I don't really need to explain this one, do I?)
49. Katma Tui
(Because she was confident, competent and unmistakably female.)
50. Soranik Natu
(The most promising newcomer to the Corps, and a Doctor to boot!)
* quoted from the Demon vol 3, 54
I'm going to post my choices here, with a bit about why, feel free to ridicule them. :-)
It's not like any should be a particular shock. :-P
--
1. Guy Gardner/Green Lantern/Warrior
(He's gone through hell and back, figuratively and literally, but will never stay down for long. Besides, he called the most powerful teenager in the world a crybaby.)
2. Sanderson Hawkins/Sand
(Best reconception of a forgotten Golden Age character ever and he's mouthy!)
3. Tim Drake/Robin
(The Quintessential Robin)
4. Barbara Gordon/Batgirl/Oracle
(The DCU's MVP)
5. Karen Starr/Power Girl
(her attitude takes down jerks while her breasts stop bullets)
6. John Constantine
(A man with style's a man who can smile.)
7. Kyle Rayner/Green Lantern/Ion
(He's a little dim, but awfully sweet. And it's fun to watch him grow.)
8. Jay Garrick/Flash
(his very presence is like a big warm hug. Or a bunch of little ones that happen really fast)
9. Hippolyta of Themyscira/Wonder Woman
(Warrior, Mother, Queen.)
10. Ted Grant/Wildcat
(He's an old-school boxer in a catsuit, what's not to love).
11. Kate Spencer/Manhunter
(She's a woman in a man's world, in every sense of the word. And *what* a woman.)
12. Jason Blood
("Gone O Little Man So Tame...Arise the Demon Whatsizname."*)
13. Diana of Themyscira/Wonder Woman
(She is the hidden potential within every woman)
14. Hal Jordan/Green Lantern/Parallax
(He's a self-centered jerk, a control freak and a klutz who always hits his head on random shit. And that's why I like him.)
15. Dinah Lance/Black Canary
(She's beautiful, funny and classy. Ollie never deserved her.)
16. Bruce Wayne/Batman
(He's never needed superpowers to be the scariest man in the DCU)
17. Ralph Dibny/Elongated Man
(He's going through a rough patch right now, but he's always been funny, smart, and interesting. I'm glad to see him starting to come alive again in 52)
18. Lois Lane
(First Lady of DC Comics for damn good reason)
19. Pieter Cross/Dr. Mid-Nite
(Only a little less-confident than God, and he's got an Owl!)
20. Michael Holt/Mr. Terrific
(Batman copied the T-sphere design, he's that good.)
21. Courtney Whitmore/Star-Spangled Kid/Stargirl
(Probably the most realistic portrayal of a normal teenager in extraordinary situations I've seen in a long time)
22. Clark Kent/Superman
(The icon of DC, symbol of the American spirit, and all around just a nice guy. I can't in good conscience leave him off of this list.)
23. Lex Luthor
(Scientist, Businessman, President. The living embodiment of "Power Corrupts")
24. Todd Rice/Obsidian
(Best turn-around of a character ever. From annoying loser to charming and likeable hero. He's proof that characters can be redeemed.)
25. Selina Kyle/Catwoman
(The only woman to ever be a match for Bruce Wayne, in my opinion)
26. Garfield Logan/Beast Boy/Changeling
(The heart of the Titans, even if he's not one anymore. Plus, over the OYL gap, he became hot)
27. Vic Stone/Cyborg
(The backbone of the Titans, though I hope he stops being a jerk soon)
28. Wesley Dodds/Sandman
(He was the first Golden Age hero I saw who actually considered and cared about the fact that he was putting his sidekick in incredible danger. And he swung headfirst into Thor. Which never stops being funny.)
29. Pamela Isley/Poison Ivy
(Her schemes always have interesting results.)
30. Zinda Blake/Lady Blackhawk
(She is a time-lost token female of a fighter squad. Not that there's anything really "token" about her now.)
31. Sandra Woosan/Lady Shiva
(No man or woman is deadlier in the DCU)
32. Ted Kord/Blue Beetle
(often Comic Relief, but NEVER a joke)
33. Grace Choi
(I appreciate tough, fun women, there never seems to be enough of them)
34. Mary Marvel
(By *far* the smartest of the Marvel Clan. And so sweet and nice too!)
35. Snapper Carr
(His storyarc in Hourman made me cry. Shut up. *snap snap*)
36. Linda Danvers/Supergirl
(Flawed, funny and even a little tragic, Linda's always going to be *my* Supergirl. Fuck Kara Zor-El.)
37. Vic Sage/the Question
("That man has no face!!!")
38. Sue Dibny
(She was entertaining and interesting. And whatever else anyone says about Identity Crisis, the retelling of her first meeting with Ralph will never not make me smile)
39. Jack Knight
(Starman turned nostalgia into an artform and Jack was the perfect center for it all, I always wished he had more to do in JSA)
40. the Shade
(Because he was saving the statue and the woman was just in the way.)
41. Alan Scott
(He's the Elder Statesman of the DCU. And really fucking hot in an eyepatch.)
42. John Stewart
(Because Mosaic shows that he's so much more than Hal's messenger.)
43. Tora Olafsdotter
(She showed that being more traditionally feminine doesn't mean being weak)
44. J'onn J'onzz
(I don't care what anyone says, it's not the Justice League without J'onn J'onzz)
45. Kon-El/Conner Kent
(Yeah, he dwelled on the parentage thing a bit too much, but he was a good kid and a work in progress. He has so much growing left to do)
46. Johnny Sorrow
(My favorite villain. He's just creepy. And an ex-silent film star, which makes him even creepier.)
47. the Joker
(He's overused now, but once upon a time, he killed a Robin. I've never quite gotten over that...even if Jason has.)
48. Alfred Pennyworth
(I don't really need to explain this one, do I?)
49. Katma Tui
(Because she was confident, competent and unmistakably female.)
50. Soranik Natu
(The most promising newcomer to the Corps, and a Doctor to boot!)
* quoted from the Demon vol 3, 54
posted by kalinara @ 2:21 AM
8 Comments:
At May 23, 2006 8:11 AM,
frinklin said…
30. Zinda Blake/Lady Blackhawk
(She is a time-lost token female of a fighter squad. Not that there's anything really "token" about her now.)
Ehh... Zinda's okay, but I really thought retconning away Natalie Reed, the other Lady Blackhawk, was a huge mistake. Zinda always seems like a caricature, while Natalie, red-diaper baby Jewish girl from Brookline turned possible Soviet spy, might be Howard Chaykin's best creation since American Flagg.
Also refused to wear the skirt, which is a bit more realistic.
At May 23, 2006 1:32 PM,
padgett said…
Wha? No Cosmic Boy? I thought for sure he'd make an appearance on your list.
For what it's worth, we had a 15 character overlap on our lists. Clearly, I should read more Birds of Prey/GLC books...
At May 23, 2006 1:58 PM,
kalinara said…
frinklin: I admit, I've never read her. Maybe if I had, she'd be on the list too.
dr flem: He was on my original list, but I wasn't sure about time travel characters with regards to the rules. So I left the Legionnaires out. Reluctantly. As I do so love Cosmic Boy.
15 character overlap's a lot for a 50 character list! :-)
At May 23, 2006 2:47 PM,
padgett said…
I think the rules stated that anyone who could have/did appear in Crisis on Infinite Earths or Infinite Crisis was fair game - I'm pretty sure the Legion showed up in CoIE, so I made use of them. Now, the bigger question is whether Atari Force was off-limits...
At May 23, 2006 3:45 PM,
Marc Burkhardt said…
Gak. I thought my list was fairly balanced but now I feel like a 'roided out testosterone freak :)
I do like your list though!
At May 23, 2006 3:59 PM,
kalinara said…
dr. flem: Hmm, good point. Oh well. Next time.
keeper: Aww, well, don't feel bad. Look! I've got Guy Gardner at the top of mine! :-)
At May 23, 2006 7:28 PM,
Anonymous said…
Nice list, I think #50 is too new for me to like. I think ours would overlap if I wasn't so lazy to make one. Linda Danvers <3
I really wanna read your reasoning of Selina/Bruce someday, or did you already post it?
At May 23, 2006 7:52 PM,
kalinara said…
me: I haven't posted it yet. One day I will though.
It's mostly just in their little interactions. She's never, ever been subordinate to him, even when a hero.
Where every other member of the Batclan tends to bow down to follow his orders (except Oracle and her group, but their actual assertion of independence was more recent), she never did. Good, bad, she did what *she* wanted.
Sasha started subordinate. Barbara isn't the same "generation" (and would be incestuous after dating Dick)...Diana...well, frankly Diana's beyond him, I think. Aside from the JLA, they're from different worlds. I can't see her settling in Gotham or him in a Themiscyran embassy.
And I think he's Helena's father. The way he showed in Catwoman, stuffed toy in hand, awkwardly talking about scholarships to college...
That was so "very new adolescent father trying to do right by his kid but not knowing how" to me.
And as much as I'm not a multiverse fan, the tiny romantic part of me, likes the idea of destiny there. :-)
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