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Eric Sofer
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 31 January 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 4789
Posted: 19 April 2018 at 4:55pm | IP Logged | 1 post reply

A question for all, and especially Mr. Byrne. Who are the heroes that really resonate with you, and why? If you do comics, are they your creations or others?

Not just characters you really like, not just characters you love. The one who you don't miss if at all possible; the ones who make you excited when you see them; the ones who resonate with you.

I'd prefer to see the character rather than one era in the character's history (e.g., Superman or Spider-Man more than Swan's Spider-Man or Ditko's Spider-Man), but if you have to pick an era - go for it.

As a creator, Mr Byrne has some who are his heart and soul, I'm certain, so that's part of what I hoped to learn (although if you don't prefer to identify such, Mr. Byrne, then of course that's fine.) Who are y'all's heartfelt heroes?
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Don Berner
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 06 July 2010
Location: Canada
Posts: 75
Posted: 19 April 2018 at 8:42pm | IP Logged | 2 post reply

Superman
Captain America
Spider-man
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Brian Hague
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 14 November 2006
Posts: 8515
Posted: 19 April 2018 at 10:56pm | IP Logged | 3 post reply

The early Superman who fought for the common man against the forces that sought to profit from his various miseries; miseries those in power readily assisted in spreading; That Superman speaks to me. The game he played keeping Lois in the shadows as to his identity was only a small part of his role as Clark Kent. As Kent, he worked just as hard if not harder than Superman did to bring injustices and bad policies to light. He wasn't taking time off from doing good as Kent. Kent was an essential part of what he hoped to accomplish, as was Lois and the Planet. Journalism was a tenet he fought for and a weapon to be used in rooting out evil. 

I still find much to appreciate in the character as he moved from social reformer to science fiction hero. His fundamental decency and insistence upon thinking problems through were a source of constant inspiration for me as a kid. I read all that exposition and found it compelling. A Superman for whom things come easily didn't show up until the mid-80's and I had no use for him when he did. Blather on about sneezing suns out and all of those others fallacies you never read but know exist because, well, Stan and the other Marvel writers said they did. For every unfortunate instance of Superman threading a system of planets together to move them out of harm's way, there are many more where having super powers isn't the answer to the problem or finding the correct means of fine-tuning them is what's required. By the way, how did Thanos kill half of everything that lived again...? Oh, right, I remember now... Marvelites don't really dislike omnipotence. They just want it under the correct corporate umbrella. 

I read enough stories of Superman dying alone on a baseball field, being run to ground by telepathic hounds, or nearly perishing under a red sun to tell you that omnipotence wasn't the constant story element your corporate masters and their Bull**** Bulletins tell you it was.

The Batman of the 70's and early 80's was a favorite of mine, but mostly in stories in which he worked alongside others. The team-up Batman was a constant source of admirable character exchanges and cleverness. Despite whatever differences may have separated him from his partners, together they worked to overcome them, usually in stories with a far broader and more worldly range than the disaster porn and sadism suppliers are capable of today. Both humane and human, Batman nevertheless worked at the top of his game all the time to see that right was done, and his companions did no less as they worked alongside, or sometimes against him. His confident, assured, and driven nature brought out the best in everyone and made him a constant pleasure to read.

There used to be a point to Wonder Woman. There hasn't been for decades, unfortunately, but long, long ago, the character stood for something. There was just enough of a hint of it in the 70's for me to want to go back and read those earliest stories and I was constantly surprised by what I found in them. If all you want to do is count the number of times she's tied up and roll your eyes knowingly, wink, wink, nudge, nudge, say no more, say no more, you can do so, but the consistency of the message she's sending with her dialogue and the differences in her demeanor when she's in no danger and when she knows she is, inevitably through her own overconfidence, is striking. She's a far more human super-being than many others, yet a more effective exemplar for being so. She represents escape and progressive thought through the turning of those who would cruelly impose their will upon others for the sake of it and destruction of their means of imprisoning us, which are often our own insecurity and the lack of belief we have in ourselves. The target of her message wasn't just little girls, although they certainly had the most to gain from embracing its power and asserting themselves, peacefully, into society. It was also to educate the bullies and assure the boys who felt everything was out of balance in the current system somehow. Things don't just have to change. They will change. It's up to us to make certain those changes occur for the better. 

Or, y'know, she could just hack and slice, kill and maim, snap people's necks, show comfort women how to butcher their attackers, spit in the faces of the walking sperm banks, and make out all the time with super hot guys who pointlessly dress in form-fitting ceremonial armor. (Shrug.) Either way.

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Adam Schulman
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 22 July 2017
Posts: 1717
Posted: 19 April 2018 at 10:59pm | IP Logged | 4 post reply

Superman

The Incredible Hulk

Daredevil 
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Michael Hogan
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 16 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2052
Posted: 20 April 2018 at 6:19am | IP Logged | 5 post reply

The Lone Ranger.

Google "Lone Ranger Creed" and read it. That explains why I find it heartfelt better than I can explain.
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Steve Ogden
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 29 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 1263
Posted: 20 April 2018 at 6:44am | IP Logged | 6 post reply

Doc Savage

"Let me strive every moment of my life, to make myself better and better,
to the best of my ability, that all may profit by it.
Let me think of the right and lend all my assistance to those who need it,
with no regard for anything but justice.
Let me take what comes with a smile, without loss of courage.
Let me be considerate of my country, of my fellow citizens and my associates in everything I say and do.
Let me do right to all, and wrong no man".-Doc Savage
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Ted Downum
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 21 April 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 2371
Posted: 20 April 2018 at 7:26am | IP Logged | 7 post reply

Superman, Spider-Man, Captain James T. Kirk, and the Doctor ("never cruel nor cowardly").

Steve, good call on Doc Savage.


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John Byrne

Grumpy Old Guy

Joined: 11 May 2005
Posts: 132137
Posted: 20 April 2018 at 8:41am | IP Logged | 8 post reply

This question runs in close parallel with "who is your favorite superhero," and it presents the same problem.

Let's say the answer is Superman. In the last thirty years or so, the next question has been "Which Superman?" The one from the movies? (Again, which?) From TV? (Which?) From comics....

The same is true of virtually any superhero. There has been so much turmoil in the past few decades, it is almost impossible to name a character without piling on qualifications.

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Wallace Sellars
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 01 May 2004
Location: United States
Posts: 17659
Posted: 20 April 2018 at 9:12am | IP Logged | 9 post reply

Ben Grimm
Captain Marvel (Billy Batson)
Spider-Man
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John Cole
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 02 March 2008
Location: United States
Posts: 504
Posted: 20 April 2018 at 10:38am | IP Logged | 10 post reply

Spider-Man pre one more day/brand new day nonsense.
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Sergio Saavedra
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 13 August 2007
Location: Spain
Posts: 451
Posted: 20 April 2018 at 11:07am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

Superman
Batman
Spider-man

BTW, thanks Brian for your pitch. ;-) 
Very nice to read.
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Eric Sofer
Byrne Robotics Member


Joined: 31 January 2014
Location: United States
Posts: 4789
Posted: 20 April 2018 at 3:17pm | IP Logged | 12 post reply

Mr. Byrne, sorry if I put you on the spot. I know that you put a lot of passion into your characters, but one or two seem to feel as if you have a special passion for them. I feel that Jasmine, Puck, the Thing, maybe Michael Swann, and certainly Superman and Captain America have that "resonance" with you.

But I certainly see that you could say which era of, say, Spider-Man or Batman worked, and have some interpret it as "John Byrne doesn't even LIKE Iron Man or Green Lantern!" My apologies.
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