Sentry’s conception is fatally flawed. Instead of developing a mega-powerful character on their own, he’s just a really transparent reaction to Superman.
That’s not something you can just get over.
(and thanks for starting the dubject again :D)
I’ve always thought of him as a more human and emotional Dr. Manhattan(not really in terms of what he does, but what he is).
Ridiculous ass power, universe shattering even, and going through a sort of emotional/mental crisis.
I will admit though, Manhattan was done way better, but he did have the advantage of actually being a god in a sense because no one had any powers besides him in that entire universe.
And he was obvious.
Heres hisComicvine page for a summary of how fucking ridiculous he actually is.
Brian Michael Bendis did an amazing job when it came to writing the Sentry and that’s coming from a HUGE Sentry fan, who liked the stories Paul Jenkins wrote far more.
Yeah, Brian Michael Bendis didn’t do real justice to the character and used him only as a tool, but everything around Sentry was explained pretty well for the most part, you just had to think one step further. But when it comes to comic book readers they’re often not willing to do that. They want everything on a silver plate. That’s why many of them don’t like the Sentry, because they didn’t see the entire picture.
Most of them think that Sentry and Void are not the same being and that the feats the Void did can’t count for the Sentry as well, but in the end of the day … there is no Void.
There’s just this ongoing postmodernist theme that I’m not too fond of. It’s almost become the cliche that super-powerful people (forgive the pun) can’t be good people, or sane people. At some point making everything dark edgy subversions quit being terribly exciting to me.
edit: that point being probably around 1996
Well, you have to take a look at who is writing these comics.
DC comics write characters like Superman and Flash, who are incredibly powerful yet … without any actual good reason … heroes and everything they do is to save the world on a daily basis. But they rarely face real problems. They always fight against supernatural threats and stuff like that.
(There is one good Superman novel and that is “Piece on Earth” - everything else sucks).
Marvel always tries to be more realistic with their stories and events. Even the uber-shitty Fear Itself event started off really, really good with people being afraid and doing terrible things. You could feel the tension.
And in such a world a super-powerful being won’t be the big blue boy scout you would expect him to be. He will have flaws, since he is still only a human and humans are the second most evil race on this planet. (Dolphins are more evil.)
The thing is (to risk sounding conceited) I got over my trumped-up cynicism phase at least 10 years ago.
The marvel approach isn’t more realistic, its more *cynical and melodramatic. *Lets leave our overwrought melodrama to the soap operas and the Japanese, if we might.
You think that Civil War and Dark Reign were cynical and melodramatic? On the other hand you have DC with Superboy-Prime (LOL) and the Black Lanterns.
I’m not wanting this to be a publisher-war thing at all. Hell, Between Watchmen and Batman, DC is a world leader in ‘edgy grit’.
Black Lanterns at least had a meta-element I liked, as it was a riff on ‘comic book death’.
I don’t know why, but I’m excited for this game.
Because its going to be rad.
That’s one problem solved!
Actually, Daredevil and the Punisher (both Marvel) where the first two characters who brought the dark, gritty and edgy age into the comics.
Also, this: “Apparently the Punisher’s new editor Steven Wacker has given the Punisher an official kill count of 48,502 people counting from his first appearance all the way to the present.”
It’s all three, dude.
one man with 48 thousand murders?
~~
lets refocus though, I don’t want a marvel vs DC fight, those are lame.
Oh my god, somebody should stop him. Seriously, how he isn’t a supervillain at this point is beyond me.
Because more realistic just means realistic right?
I know its dumb but I wasn’t at the “You ain’t shit Frank Castle” point until he killed Stiltman.
What a dick.
I still mourn Stilt-man’s death. He was reformed when Frank killed him. What a dick
That’s well past realism into ‘wtf territory’, man. That’s a murder a day for 130 years.
It’s 2000 more than the casualty rate at Gettysburg!
That whole “Marvel is more based in realism and more grounded” garbage has been a lie since the Silver Age ended.
Imo both companies do a decent job with most of their characters but the Punisher is one of those characters that is just outdated and needs a reboot.
And yet he crossed over with Archie, and it was good, that still boggles my mind.
There’s nothing outdated about Punisher and he needs no reboot. Give him a universe of his own and he’ll shine. It’s what made Ennis MAX Punisher run one of the best.