Name a series/character you like that's not popular

TheHotWindBlowing

let me clarify, what do you GENUINELY like that's NOT: Batman, Joker, Avengers?

Ultraforce - Malibu Comics...discontinued

RickM

Adam Strange and Kamandi

bralinator

They discontinued Ultraforce?

Evening639

Legion. God bless him.

Mr_Cosmic

Quasar
Captain Mar, Genis, and Phy-Vell
Adam Warlock
Cloak and Dagger
The New Warriors
The Guardians of the Galaxy (oops, that used to fit)

TheHotWindBlowing

just because they're popular doesn't mean they are "better"

Cobra Commander, Destro, Zartan, and Shredder are cooler than Joker

kiwijase

Cerebus.

nweathington

TheHotWindBlowing said:

just because they're popular doesn't mean they are "better"

Cobra Commander, Destro, Zartan, and Shredder are cooler than Joker

Soooo... GI Joe and TMNT aren't popular anymore? News to me.

TheHotWindBlowing

nweathington said:

TheHotWindBlowing said:

just because they're popular doesn't mean they are "better"

Cobra Commander, Destro, Zartan, and Shredder are cooler than Joker

Soooo... GI Joe and TMNT aren't popular anymore? News to me.

1.) G.I. Joe has been slow going lately.

2.) No, obviously it's not thought of by the same amount of people that think about Batman, Joker, and Avengers.

But it still blows them out of the water, way cooler.

popestu

The Heckler

nweathington

TheHotWindBlowing said:

nweathington said:

TheHotWindBlowing said:

just because they're popular doesn't mean they are "better"

Cobra Commander, Destro, Zartan, and Shredder are cooler than Joker

Soooo... GI Joe and TMNT aren't popular anymore? News to me.

1.) G.I. Joe has been slow going lately.

2.) No, obviously it's not thought of by the same amount of people that think about Batman, Joker, and Avengers.

But it still blows them out of the water, way cooler.

But the post title says “not popular,” not “not as popular.” If you're saying G.I. Joe and TMNT characters qualify as not popular, then pretty much every character not Batman, Joker, or the Avengers qualifies. You might as well simply ask, “Who's your favorite character?”

I would think “not popular” would mean they can't carry a series or TV show or action figure line. But maybe that's just me.

TheHotWindBlowing

nweathington said:

TheHotWindBlowing said:

nweathington said:

TheHotWindBlowing said:

just because they're popular doesn't mean they are "better"

Cobra Commander, Destro, Zartan, and Shredder are cooler than Joker

Soooo... GI Joe and TMNT aren't popular anymore? News to me.

1.) G.I. Joe has been slow going lately.

2.) No, obviously it's not thought of by the same amount of people that think about Batman, Joker, and Avengers.

But it still blows them out of the water, way cooler.

But the post title says “not popular,” not “not as popular.” If you're saying G.I. Joe and TMNT characters qualify as not popular, then pretty much every character not Batman, Joker, or the Avengers qualifies. You might as well simply ask, “Who's your favorite character?”

I would think “not popular” would mean they can't carry a series or TV show or action figure line. But maybe that's just me.

i know but if you read my beginning post, i tried to clarify as not as popular as Batman, Joker, and Avengers because that is what is popular and we all know it

just saying

popestu

Seriously guys...do we need to quantify the word popular? Is it by market shares? Diamond orders? Amount of issues in the 50 cent box. Granted, Joe and TMNT are more popular than others listed above (I checked their market shares) but they are not all that.

On a sorta related topic...I just picked up Captain America: The Death of Captain America Novel by Larry Hama

nweathington

TheHotWindBlowing said:

nweathington said:

TheHotWindBlowing said:

nweathington said:

TheHotWindBlowing said:

just because they're popular doesn't mean they are "better"

Cobra Commander, Destro, Zartan, and Shredder are cooler than Joker

Soooo... GI Joe and TMNT aren't popular anymore? News to me.

1.) G.I. Joe has been slow going lately.

2.) No, obviously it's not thought of by the same amount of people that think about Batman, Joker, and Avengers.

But it still blows them out of the water, way cooler.

But the post title says “not popular,” not “not as popular.” If you're saying G.I. Joe and TMNT characters qualify as not popular, then pretty much every character not Batman, Joker, or the Avengers qualifies. You might as well simply ask, “Who's your favorite character?”

I would think “not popular” would mean they can't carry a series or TV show or action figure line. But maybe that's just me.

i know but if you read my beginning post, i tried to clarify as not as popular as Batman, Joker, and Avengers because that is what is popular and we all know it

just saying

I'm just trying to figure out what qualifies, or rather what doesn't qualify, as that would seem to be a much shorter list.

For instance, I like Daredevil. Now, on the one hand his Netflix show is all the rage at the moment. My Facebook feed is filled with people talking about it. But on the other hand, I wouldn't say he's as popular as Batman, Joker, or the Avengers. He’s never had a toy line or a cartoon like they have—or like GI Joe and the TMNT have for that matter. So is he a popular character or not? Inquiring minds want to know!





(And for the record, I'm just yanking your chain at this point. I just found the idea that GI Joe and TMNT weren't popular kind of funny.)

TheHotWindBlowing

everywhere I go whether online or offline, it's Batman this and Joker that.

i sense there are fewer GI Joe fans here than there are of Batman and Avengers.

there's so much better content out there

nweathington

popestu said:

Seriously guys...do we need to quantify the word popular? Is it by market shares? Diamond orders? Amount of issues in the 50 cent box. Granted, Joe and TMNT are more popular than others listed above (I checked their market shares) but they are not all that.

On a sorta related topic...I just picked up Captain America: The Death of Captain America Novel by Larry Hama

Believe me, my tongue was planted firmly in cheek. But to answer your question slightly more seriously, I think of popularity in terms of name recognition—not comic book market share. And GI Joe and TMNT have puh-lenty of name recognition thanks to the toys and cartoons.

Let us know how the book is. I normally don't have much interest in superhero novels, but I like Hama.

TheHotWindBlowing

i also like The Shadow

i truly believe people "like" Batman and Joker these days because they're peers do and so on until it's a chain reaction

i didn't fall into that trap though

nweathington

TheHotWindBlowing said:

everywhere I go whether online or offline, it's Batman this and Joker that.

i sense there are fewer GI Joe fans here than there are of Batman and Avengers.

there's so much better content out there

TheHotWindBlowing said:

everywhere I go whether online or offline, it's Batman this and Joker that.

i sense there are fewer GI Joe fans here than there are of Batman and Avengers.

there's so much better content out there

Cartoons don't get much better than Batman: The Animated Series. Batman: Brave and the Bold was pretty darn good too. And I'll go ahead and say it, every GI Joe cartoon I've seen has been pretty freaking terrible. That's not to say that Batman is necessarily a better concept than GI Joe. There have been some terrible Batman cartoons too.

See, for me, one character isn't necessarily better than any other character, it's about what's done with the characters. The majority of the comics I enjoy aren't among the top 100. But to totally dismiss something just because it features a popular character is doing yourself a disservice. Some of the greatest comic book stories ever told have been Batman stories. That's a big part of why he got so popular in the first place.

And you may be happy to know, I go to a lot of conventions, and these days I actually see more Cobra Commander cosplayers than I do Batman. Batman seems to have become a bit passe.

nweathington

TheHotWindBlowing said:

i also like The Shadow

i truly believe people "like" Batman and Joker these days because they're peers do and so on until it's a chain reaction

i didn't fall into that trap though

(Sorry, I couldn't resist.)

popestu

nweathington said:

popestu said:

Seriously guys...do we need to quantify the word popular? Is it by market shares? Diamond orders? Amount of issues in the 50 cent box. Granted, Joe and TMNT are more popular than others listed above (I checked their market shares) but they are not all that.

On a sorta related topic...I just picked up Captain America: The Death of Captain America Novel by Larry Hama

Believe me, my tongue was planted firmly in cheek. But to answer your question slightly more seriously, I think of popularity in terms of name recognition—not comic book market share. And GI Joe and TMNT have puh-lenty of name recognition thanks to the toys and cartoons.

Let us know how the book is. I normally don't have much interest in superhero novels, but I like Hama.

Good point on name recognition. My mom knows GI Joe and maybe the turtles. Community even did a GI Joe episode. However, those are both long running franchises. Of course they have name recognition. Most of Marvel and DC properties are franchises. Does that make them too popular for the list? Most Image comics are not franchises (not counting the walking dead). Are they all on the list? Who has this list? Can I sneak in if I say, "I'm with the band?"

I took the question as titles or character that are canceled or close to being canceled. If a title doesn't sell, it gets canceled. Sales is a quantifiable thing. How much money does it make. Popular books generally make money. Unpopular books generally don't.

Now I will discuss the merits of Batman, Joker, and the Avengers...

Regarding the Cap book. I saw it today with a copy of Extremis. I always check out comic related things in my immediate vicinity. When i saw Hama wrote it, I figured I'd check it out. I'll let you know my impressions when I finish it. I'm not sure when I will start it.

Is Captain America popular? How about Falcon America?

nweathington

TheHotWindBlowing said:

i also like The Shadow

i truly believe people "like" Batman and Joker these days because they're peers do and so on until it's a chain reaction.

But seriously, I like the Shadow, too. I first listened to the Shadow radio show (the Orson Wells run) when I was in 8th grade, and I love the Frank Robbins Shadow comics from the early ’70s and the Helfer/Baker Shadow comics from the ’80s.

But I think the biggest reason for the broader popularity of Batman and the Joker has to do with the strength of their visual identity. They are two of the best designed, most easily recognizable characters in comics (at least the classic versions). All you need with Batman is an outline—just a silhouette—to know who he is. And I think both characters resonate with people on a psychological level as well.

And, of course, there have been some great stories featuring the two of them. That has a little something to do with it.

popestu

nweathington said:

TheHotWindBlowing said:

i also like The Shadow

i truly believe people "like" Batman and Joker these days because they're peers do and so on until it's a chain reaction

i didn't fall into that trap though

popestu

How do I post pictures? I've done it in the past, but now I cannot.

nweathington

popestu said:

How do I post pictures? I've done it in the past, but now I cannot.

Make sure you're linking to the image and not just the page the image is on. Click on the image first, that copy and past that URL.

Matt

TheHotWindBlowing said:

i sense there are fewer GI Joe fans here than there are of Batman and Avengers.

What's your theory based on?

M

Matt

TheHotWindBlowing said:

i also like The Shadow

i truly believe people "like" Batman and Joker these days because they're peers do and so on until it's a chain reaction

i didn't fall into that trap though

What do you base THAT theory on? I understand you don't like the characters, which is fine, but since when is there peer pressure to like them? I know plenty of people who don't like the characters.

If you really think the bulk of their fans only like the characters because of "peer pressure," then you're greatly underrating them. It's not "peer pressure" that has made them global icons. In fact, the Batman title is what comic book sales are based on.

And believing their fanbase is mostly composed of sheep, you're insulting the fanbase.

M

TheHotWindBlowing

Matt said:

TheHotWindBlowing said:

i also like The Shadow

i truly believe people "like" Batman and Joker these days because they're peers do and so on until it's a chain reaction

i didn't fall into that trap though

What do you base THAT theory on? I understand you don't like the characters, which is fine, but since when is there peer pressure to like them? I know plenty of people who don't like the characters.

If you really think the bulk of their fans only like the characters because of "peer pressure," then you're greatly underrating them. It's not "peer pressure" that has made them global icons. In fact, the Batman title is what comic book sales are based on.

And believing their fanbase is mostly composed of sheep, you're insulting the fanbase.

M

Insulting the fanbase?

This is the internet. You could find a lot worse than what I've said.

I'll be honest, yes, I'm NOT a Batman fan and reject the idea that I HAVE to be.

From what I've seen, young minds tend to be into the same things JUST so they have something to socialize about.

I see this when it comes to Pop Culture all of the time with games, music, etc...

It's my observation.

Matt

TheHotWindBlowing said:

Matt said:

TheHotWindBlowing said:

i also like The Shadow

i truly believe people "like" Batman and Joker these days because they're peers do and so on until it's a chain reaction

i didn't fall into that trap though

What do you base THAT theory on? I understand you don't like the characters, which is fine, but since when is there peer pressure to like them? I know plenty of people who don't like the characters.

If you really think the bulk of their fans only like the characters because of "peer pressure," then you're greatly underrating them. It's not "peer pressure" that has made them global icons. In fact, the Batman title is what comic book sales are based on.

And believing their fanbase is mostly composed of sheep, you're insulting the fanbase.

M

LMAO...Dear Lord.

Insulting the fanbase? How?

This is the internet. You could find a lot worse than what I've said.

I'll be honest, I'm NOT a Batman fan and reject the idea that I HAVE to be.

Young minds tend to be into the same things JUST so they have something to socialize about.

It's my observation.

I see this when it comes to Pop Culture all of the time with games, music, etc...

I don't know how to make you see this if you don't already see it.

You didn't have to post you aren't a Batman fan for me to come to that conclusion. Hell, I don't even need to be a detective to conclude that. Though, you bought the Batman Lego 3 game.

Being looked at as a sheep instead of being of a single mind is insulting. My enjoyment of the character first stemmed in 1988; Batman #427 to be exact. Zero to do with anyone else.

I find Kent to be a bland, uninteresting character, but I don't equate his large fanbase to "peer pressure." I equate it to personal preference of enjoyment.

You're right, I can find worse on the Internet, but this is my chunk of its vastness.

Those young people will come to learn social clicks mean dick when they become people.

If you're premise is that not everything popular is universally loved; I know that.

If your premise is that there are fair weather fans in pop culture as well as sports; I know that.

If your premise is that if you (or I) don't agree with a fad, then it's composed of peer pressured sheep; I know that to be false. In which case, you'll never convince of it.

The title of this thread should've been "name your favorite character that I don't find overratedly popular" because that's what it looks like by your "criterion" presented in posts.

M

WetRats

TheHotWindBlowing said:

i sense there are fewer GI Joe fans here than there are of Batman and Avengers.

Could that be related to the general lack of ten-year-olds here?

I find that Batman fans tend to skew a bit older.

Say thirteen.

B-)

Matt

WetRats said:

TheHotWindBlowing said:

i sense there are fewer GI Joe fans here than there are of Batman and Avengers.

Could that be related to the general lack of ten-year-olds here?

I find that Batman fans tend to skew a bit older.

Say thirteen.

B-)

I cannot vouch for the current stuff, but the first half of the Marvel series was mostly solid. The moments & issues clearly focusing on selling a specific toy line or variant uniform of a character; not so much.

I'd say it more what he's using for a comparison. Both Batman & the Avengers books are selling very, very well, GI Joe isn't as much. He might as well stated "I bet there are more people on this forum who get to work via a land mode of transportation then an aerial mode of transportation."

Plus, he uses 2 "characters" he's not a fan of. That's fine, we all don't have to (nor should) like the same things, but this thread feels very agenda driven. As if to say "hey, I'm different because I don't like what's popular." The problem is, there's a large group of those people as well. It's not all that different.

And you can be 13 AND a U.S. Senator?!

M

David_D

Personally, I think people just as often socialize around what they don't like. Or by being contrary to, or railing against, what they see as the most popular things.

I am always more interested in finding out why an individual digs something, rather than telling a group why they do.