Pretty, Fizzy Paradise

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Friday, January 13, 2006

Love is in the Air:

My last post made me realize that I'd like to post on some of my favorite couples and relationships in comics. Guy and Ice is pretty much done, down there, and in my why-I-love-Guy post. But there are other couples that appeal a lot as well.

I'm not much for romance in general, stereotypes of my gender, and jokingly slashing characters aside, so if a couple interests me, there's got to be something that particularly amuses/interests me about it. So I guess I'll share!

Reed Richards/Sue Storm (F4): In everything but the movie, they're awesome. A great match. I actually fell in love with the Ultimate version of the couple first, as 616's Sue always seemed a bit long-sufferingly passive aggressive to my taste. Always complaining about Reed being in the lab. Whereas Ultimate-Sue would go down there and friggin' tackle him. But then I read that issue where Franklin made the living program obsessed with Reed, and he had to put himself into computer code. And her fond smile when defending herself and others, when he asks quickly "Can I carry a tune?" "Not really, dear." And then I stopped, because for all the ridiculousness about the situation...that set of dialogue right there felt *real* to me. At that moment, I felt like I could see that she loved him so much, knew all of his flaws and loved him even more for them. And him too, he's more closed off, distracted about it, but the fact that he knew immediately that she knew him better than he knew himself, that the most brilliant mind in the Marvel Universe trusted his wife to answer the questions that he could not. That feels like love to me.

After that, I reread everything I had and I could see/feel it. It's quiet, not as melodramatic as Scott Summers and Jean Grey, but all the more pure for it.

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Snow White/Bigby Wolf (Fables): Now they were fun. From their first interactions in the Rose Red Murder Case, I knew I wanted them to get together. The best male and the best female of an entire cast of breathtakingly awesome characters. From the beginning, they seemed to balance perfectly, and he's the exact opposite of her ex-husband. Attractive in a Bogart-esque way, gruff, uncivilized, unflinchingly honest and loyal. And on her part, she's as strong and forceful as he is and will never be afraid of them. When he told her how she was the only person he could never ignore, I melted. Every bit of dialogue between them sparked like electricity. Please, Mr. Willingham, let them come back to each other soon!
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Ted Grant/Hippolyta (WW): Best couple I never would have *ever* thought of. Seriously. Hippolyta and Wildcat. That's really all I need to say. Wildcat was totally whipped. And loved every minute. Sucks that she's dead.
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Helena Sandsmark/Jason Blood (WW): Just the idea is mindbogglingly awesome, but it actually happened. It didn't work out of course, and that doesn't bother me, because it really doesn't make sense long term. But still. It's awesome. Helena went to Hell, essentially, to save his life. Helena's underrated and Blood's always awesome.
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Jay and Joan Garrick (Flash/JSA): Of all the old timer relationships, this one really feels like forever. Yeah, he looks a lot younger than she does, and they can't always talk about *everything*. But whenever they're in the scene together, all that love, all that *history* just pours off the page. It's the sort of timeless love that deep down, everyone hopes to find someday, I think. The kind where you're 80, sitting in rockers side-by-side, bitching about the neighbor kids tossing baseballs in your lawn and fighting over the remote control...or maybe that's just me.
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Apollo/Midnighter (The Authority): I'm not a huge fan of the Authority and Wildstorm (though I've always liked WildCATS...Spartan's nifty), it always seems like they're trying too hard to be edgy and risk-taking and shocking. But I did like these guys. The relationship is wonderfully low key, never emasculating either man in the process. The "revelation" of their relationship was very well done (though I'm not sure why it was necessary, considering that their first ever appearance in Stormwatch had them sheltering in a warehouse, both unclothed...though I guess, fanboy denial can be an amazing thing: "They're not gay! They're just hiding out...naked...")
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And some runner ups:

Ted Kord/Barbara Gordon (Birds of Prey): Even without ever crossing over into actual romance, they were perfect in my opinion. From their first meeting, and figuring out of each other's identities (I loved that he was only a little slower to figure it out than she was, with a lot less to go on), to the date on the Bug where they simultaneously ask to be just friends, to the heart condition, and everything else...

Clearly Barbara has a type: acrobatic, attractive, with horrid fashion sense. I think Ted would have suited her more (less needy, when she needs space she could just send him to invent something bizarre or go play with Booster or something. And they've common interests). Regardless, I loved the parallels of Dick being jealous of Ted in BoP, and Ted being jealous of Dick in Countdown. (Especially since I think both guys would be incredibly shocked by it). Damn I miss Ted. *sighs wistfully*
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Dinah Lance/Pieter Cross (JSA): Their relationship started out so interestingly. He's quietly very attractive and attentive and not half the jerk Ollie is. Ollie's return made it impossible, (damnit. I like Ollie, but damnit). Missed opportunities...
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Grace Choi/Anissa (I can't recall her last name just now) from Outsiders. Yeah they're not a couple. But they seem to have a bit of flirting going on to *me*. And it'd be hot. :-) (I'm an equal opportunity perv. :-))

12 Comments:

  • At January 13, 2006 9:25 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    erm.. um.. Lois and Clark?

    I mean, if you watch even Smallville, where they are explicitly NOT together, you can see the chemistry between the brainy, brassy, neurotic Lois and the quiet, grounded farmboy who's both stronger and smarter than he seems. I think, in a few lines arguing about the coffee, Ellis (in JLA Classified) captured their loving antagonistic relationship perfectly.

     
  • At January 13, 2006 9:26 AM, Blogger kalinara said…

    Lois and Clark are of course awesome too. :-) I just felt like they were a little too...obvious I guess. :-) Went with some of the less prominent DC ones instead.

    But yes, the arguing about coffee was a great scene. :-)

     
  • At January 13, 2006 9:41 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Gotta go with Nightwing and Starfire: a relationship built up over many years that always worked for me.

    I also liked the Robin/Batgirl sorta relationship in the 70s: Dick always trying to get Babs to go out with him, despite the age difference.

    Not as fond of the retcons that made Babs and Dick the same age, and that had Dick running off to be with Barbara while being serious with Starfire. Dixon should be ashamed.

     
  • At January 13, 2006 10:05 AM, Blogger Elayne said…

    Hands-down my favorite was always Scott Free and Big Barda, especially during the "quiet life" period (forget the writer). I also quite like Wally West and Linda Park-West (particularly when Mark Waid was writing them), and am disappointed that one of the twins isn't named Central, but I suppose that's just me. And of course I'm heartbroken over the death of Sue Dibny - she and Ralph, when the writers were at their best, were the Nick and Nora Charles of the comics-character set. Runners-up for me include Hawkman and Hawkgirl, pre-whatever's currently going on, and the couples involved in creating Dr. Fate when Marc DeMatteis was writing it.

     
  • At January 13, 2006 10:11 AM, Blogger kalinara said…

    Those are all great choices too. :-) This is making me want to dig up old issues and go hunting through bargain bins and all that fun stuff to appreciate them all again. (And in some cases for the first time. :-))

     
  • At January 13, 2006 9:12 PM, Blogger kalinara said…

    *thank you*! I couldn't for the life of me remember her name. Which sucks because I really like both her and her father. Oh well, my brain is a sieve at the best of time.

    And God-willing, Mr. Winick will do that. Because it'd be great. And hot.

     
  • At January 14, 2006 12:14 AM, Blogger CalvinPitt said…

    Re: The Apollo/Midnighter pairing, you're probably right about fanboy denial, although it could be obliviousness. Like I had no clue Ultimate Colossus was gay until some quiz in Wizard said he had a crush on Wolverine.

    Me: "Wolverine? He's a guy. Then that would mean. . . Huh." Of course, Colussus and Wolverine hadn't had a 'naked together' moment that I can recall, but I guess I just totally missed subtext.

     
  • At January 14, 2006 12:50 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I just don't read Ultimate X-men or Authority.

    I have the perfect excuse for not knowing!

     
  • At January 14, 2006 2:09 PM, Blogger thekelvingreen said…

    How about Sue and Namor? ;)

     
  • At January 14, 2006 7:01 PM, Blogger kalinara said…

    calvin: I think it's understandable to miss Colossus at first. But a naked together moment in an empty warehouse, with sleeping places very close to one another are a bit harder to deny.

    mallet: heh, excuses, excuses.

    kelvin: they're hot, but no long term substance, IMO. :-)

     
  • At January 15, 2006 12:49 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I totally read that as Helena Sandsmark/Jason TODD at first. And now I'm trying to figure out how that would happen. *shudder* You never know, the DCU's a crazy place.

    You've gotta check out Ann Larimer's webcomic on the subject of family in DC and Marvel. The one about death and dying is also great - funny, snarky, cute, and true.

    WORD on Grace and Anissa. It could so happen. Judd is like the Ambassador to Gay, and he's been flirting with hooking them up since they first appeared on-panel together. I love the idea of Anissa bringing home this 7' tall, female nightclub bouncer; it's the only thing that could freak her father out more than the whole superhero thing.

     
  • At January 15, 2006 1:13 AM, Blogger kalinara said…

    So says Etrigan:

    When pairings mad bring the white coats callin',

    Place blame squarely upon that ghastly sex pollen.

    (Meh, I was never very good at rhyme. :-))

    And those links are completely hilarious!

    Weirdly, I think Jefferson would be oddly okay with it. Getting past the superhero thing, it'll be like "My daughter's a superhero! And a lesbian sleeping with a very tall bouncer." I just think it'll be anticlimactic for him

     

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