InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "You're Soo Pathetic."

Badficwriter (ashtoreth) wrote in scans_daily,
@ 2009-08-18 21:06:00

Entry tags:

char: aquaman/orin/arthur curry, char: atom/ray palmer, char: batman/bruce wayne, char: black canary/dinah lance, char: elongated man/ralph dibny, char: flash/barry allen, char: green lantern/hal jordan, char: red tornado/ulthoon/john smith, char: superman/clark kent, creator: gerry conway, publisher: dc comics, title: justice league of america

The JLA discusses secret identities versus love
This is an oldie that keeps coming to mind when I see Batman discussed. Ray Palmer, the Atom, wants to marry his girlfriend, Jean, but he's concerned about whether the revelation would cause her another breakdown (she's had two already). He asks his friends for advice.

Continuity: They've just defeated 5 old gods who melded together. Earth 1 and 2 are separate. Black Canary is from Earth 2, having migrated when her civilian husband was killed. Red Tornado has taken in a child. Hal Jordan has been dating Carol forever. Barry Allen tried to keep his identity secret, but Iris found out anyway. The Phantom Stranger is making his exit (for once, without someone saying, "OMG WHERE DID HE GO?").

2 pages from Justice League version 1, issue 156

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aaron_bourque
2009-08-20 12:38 am UTC (link)

Englehart created her. He had Bruce fall head over heels in love with her practically at first sight. Alfred hears wedding bells almost immediately. She figures out Batman's secret identity (something police, trained reporters, and other investigators can't do, and she's an heiress. A socialite. You think Paris Hilton could figure something like that out?) Once she does, she decides she can't be with him because she doesn't want to worry about him every night. She's the instigator of practically everything when she's on the page. It irritates.

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psychop_rex
2009-08-20 01:03 am UTC (link)

OK, so maybe she IS a 'pet' character, if you put it that way. That does not, however, make her a BAD character. The reason that Mary Sues are often so irritating is that they are frequently given more of a spotlight than they actually deserve; they are bad (or mediocre, anyway) characters masquerading as good ones.
Silver, as far as I'm concerned, isn't like that. She's smart, she's engaging - I LIKE Silver St, Cloud. Maybe she is a 'pet' character, but she's a well-written pet character created by a good writer, and that makes a good deal of difference.

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aaron_bourque
2009-08-20 05:54 am UTC (link)

There's no such thing as a bad character. But when a writer creates a character and pretty much forces that character to be ultra-likable and have everything be because of their actions and to revolve around them . . . don't expect me, personally, to like it.

If someone brought Silver back, and treated her with dignity and respect, I'd be fine. But Englehart's pushing of her was annoying. I'd rather make my own judgements about a character's "likability," thank you very much.

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