JulianPerez
09-21-2006, 12:19 PM
I for one, always loved the dynamic between Captain America and Hawkeye. Hawkeye starts his arc hating Cap, mostly because he's the kind of guy that doesn't take to orders well, but also because he's a loudmouth that wants to be top dog (mostly to impress Wanda) and resents that Cap, as the most level-headed of the group, had that job. Of course, Hawkeye gradually grew to have so much respect for Captain America and became his staunchest ally and friend. The thing I like best about it is that 1) it shows greater complexity to the two characters, 2) they played off each other (trickster Hawkeye vs. prim and proper Cap), 3) the fact that their relationship was a very "tough love" kind of thing: it was Hawkeye that pushed Captain America to fight crime again in the Englehart stories by telling him to "snap out of it."
I also love the Thor/Hercules dynamic for many reasons. The first is they were both heroes...but rivals, too. The best Thor/Hercules story is in MIGHTY THOR #128 (1967) featuring "God of Thunder/Son of Zeus!" where Hercules is condemned to spend eternity in the Netherworld, UNLESS someone will agree to take his place.
I have never liked the idea of the World's Finest Team, because what happens is a character like Superman, who is very resourceful, who thinks of a new way to use his powers all the time, who has memorized every book ever written and has an Einstein-level IQ, is often reduced to being a muscleman, with Batman being the brains, which is deeply, deeply unfair to Superman. The one thing I do love about the team-ups, though, at least the Sprang-penciled ones, is Robin. The villains always left him out of their plans, but he was a plucky and resourceful little kid that was more than meets the eye that saved the day when Superman and Batman were both neutralized.
Though Green Lantern/Green Arrow was the more famous of the Denny O'Neil Team-Ups, I always thought that HAWKMAN AND THE ATOM had the greater sense of joy and fun, which was absent from the hyper-santimonious afterschool special of GL/GA. Also, I always liked Green Arrow more as he was in the Satellite League, where he was seen as an "endearing crank," the kind of guy that starts talking, you see everybody in the Satellite turn their brains off. As opposed to how he was in GL/GA, where he was ALWAYS RIGHT.
I also love the Thor/Hercules dynamic for many reasons. The first is they were both heroes...but rivals, too. The best Thor/Hercules story is in MIGHTY THOR #128 (1967) featuring "God of Thunder/Son of Zeus!" where Hercules is condemned to spend eternity in the Netherworld, UNLESS someone will agree to take his place.
I have never liked the idea of the World's Finest Team, because what happens is a character like Superman, who is very resourceful, who thinks of a new way to use his powers all the time, who has memorized every book ever written and has an Einstein-level IQ, is often reduced to being a muscleman, with Batman being the brains, which is deeply, deeply unfair to Superman. The one thing I do love about the team-ups, though, at least the Sprang-penciled ones, is Robin. The villains always left him out of their plans, but he was a plucky and resourceful little kid that was more than meets the eye that saved the day when Superman and Batman were both neutralized.
Though Green Lantern/Green Arrow was the more famous of the Denny O'Neil Team-Ups, I always thought that HAWKMAN AND THE ATOM had the greater sense of joy and fun, which was absent from the hyper-santimonious afterschool special of GL/GA. Also, I always liked Green Arrow more as he was in the Satellite League, where he was seen as an "endearing crank," the kind of guy that starts talking, you see everybody in the Satellite turn their brains off. As opposed to how he was in GL/GA, where he was ALWAYS RIGHT.