Saturday, July 01, 2006

Reasons to read "Manhunter" #6

Manhunter has some of the sharpest and most efficient characterization in comics today.

Whether it's a series regular, minor characters, or a guest star, writer Marc Andreyko effortlessly and naturally allows the situation to show us what people are like. They're not one-note characters; they are complex and capable of the range of human emotions, while still having consistent personalities.

Finally, someone who can write the Justice Leaguers as well as they were written on JLU.

On the page before this one in Issue 6, both Batman and Superman make a joke. Can you imagine?

Buy Manhunter.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Now, if only Andreyko can write in continuity since Hawkman hasn't been a member of the Justice League since the 90's.

Anonymous said...

Is there the same kind of characterization for the villains? I've seen very few writers pull off a villain we can relate to.

Anonymous said...

I have to agree with the first poster. What passes for good characterization these days is nothing more than smart-aleck remarks.

Hawkman's line was not in Hawkman's character (this or any other incarnation). Hawkman in this panel sounds like every other bit of comic characterization these days--like dialogue from any JLI scene involving Blue Beetle and Booster Gold.

This silly, goofing around might seem amusing and clever, but it's just as stock and cardboard as 50s Superman dialogue when it becomes the ONLY way to convey personality.

Scipio said...

It is sharp and efficient characterization; it is just not a version of the characters you care for.

Am I the only person who finds snarky commentary on characters making snarky comments ironic?

Anonymous said...

Probably. It's good, though, Scip -shows you don't take mimetic rivalry in stride.

Anonymous said...

"It is sharp and efficient characterization; it is just not a version of the characters you care for."

1) If the words don't fit the CURRENT version of the character, then it is out of character.

2) Characterization is more than just a clever interplay of dialogue. The dialogue must match and convey the personality of the character speaking. If you know who's speaking without looking at the balloon pointers, then that's good characterization.

I didn't care for the characterization presented in this blog because it's out of character (for Hawkman, in particular). It sounds like pretty much any scene from Jay and Silent Bob. As does most comics these days.

Anonymous said...

Y'know - it just hit me. If you switch Hawkman and Flash, but keep the dialog, it works. That would've been much better characterization.

Anonymous said...

Now, if only Andreyko can write in continuity since Hawkman hasn't been a member of the Justice League since the 90's.

Andreyko didn't imply that Hawkman was a member of the Justice League. In issue 7 during the trial of the Shadow Thief he's presented as "former JLA and current JSA member Hawkman".