50 Things

I've been complaining, lately, so I guess it's time for me to do the whole 50 things I love about superhero comics:

1. The Fantastic (four and otherwise)

2. Specifically, fantastic solutions to ordinary problems, ordinary solutions to fantastic problems

3. Such as Clark Kent beating a super man by doing research and giving a speech

4. Or Ralph dusting Dr. Fate's helmet for prints

5. Team-Ups

6. Random-ass, these nine characters exist in the same universe, let alone the same story?, team-ups

7. Truly evil bad guys

8. Truly evil bad guys, having their asses handed to them

9. Good guys forced to team up with truly evil bad guys to accomplish a larger good

10. Bad guys displaying hidden decency when given half a chance

11. Bad guys displaying their utter depravity, despite being given a chance

12. Spectacle

13. Being given a vision of a world beyond my own

14. Being told that other world is actually a lot closer than one would think

15. Time travel stories

16. Headache inducing time travel stories where cause and effect have completely lost their direction

17. That superheroes can be a metaphor for anything

18. But that they are mostly used to examine the role of authority in a lawful society

19. That Darkseid is the embodiment of Ultimate Order and Mr. Miracle is Ultimate Chaos

20. AND that Batman is Ultimate Order and the Joker is Ultimate Chaos

21. That DC can publish Frank Miller's Batman, Grant Morrison's Batman, Paul Dini's Batman, Paul Pope's Batman, Geoff Johns's Batman, Brad Meltzer's Batman, Matt Wagner's Batman... so on and so forth... and they are all still BATMAN

22. That a caterpillar is a credible Big Bad for two major series

23. That a psychic talking gorilla is a credible threat

24. That there is an entire city of talking gorillas, and some of them are also psychic

25. That superheroes occasionally meet their writers

26. That superheroes occasionally kick their asses

27. Mr. Mxyzptlk (and how to beat him)

28. That most superpowers, even the "scientific" ones, work on a mythic level

29. Like Superman being powered by yellow sun light, and other light or even red sun light doesn't work. Why? Because that's how the spell works

30. That Clark Kent would rather be a reporter than rule the world

31. That somehow he's only the second best reporter for the Daily Planet

32. That he married his greatest rival and best friend

33. Witty Banter

34. Witty banter used to distract and annoy opponents into making a mistake

35. Witty banter used to hide insecurities and cover fears

36. Witty banter used to express the simple idea that "Holy Crap, this is just BIZARRE!"

38. Bizarro, the bigger and dumber the better (which just makes it scarier and more tragic, people)

39. Bizarro Comics

40. That eight year olds can still be superheroes

41. That eighty year olds can still be superheroes

42. That, occasionally, Superman just enjoys flying

43. That Superman's greatest strength is that he believes there is good in everyone

44. That he's not necessarily wrong

45. That no matter WHAT a particular superhero's power or skill is, a superhero uses it to make the world a better place

46. That superheroes don't agree on what makes the world a better place

47. That they team up to save the world anyway

48. That every fan has a different idea of what Superman is like

49. That every fan is right

50. That, every now and then, Superman winks at the reader, letting us know he knows we're reading, that this is just a story, and that we're all in it...

...Together.