so....

I suck at blogging. The last time I blogged, school wasn't even a serious matter.
Now, though...
I have to do my summer homework. And I haven't blogged all summer.

End of blog.

If you can't already tell, I'm not a very regular blogger.

Summer's here

Yeah, so I haven't exactly been posting on this blog. Well, now that summer's here and school's out, I can blog (more). Anyways, it's going to change from "COMIC BOOK CHARACTERS" to a normal blog. "Normal".
Summertime has been pretty good so far, aside from the odd weather. It didn't feel like summer, but now it's starting to. More sunshine and hot weather, please.
There's one thing that hasn't changed this summer: NBA Playoffs. Now that the Celtics are out, I'm supporting the Magic. If the Magic beat out the Celtics, they better win it all. Of course, with the Celtics out, I'm not motivated to watch every game played by a specific team just every game of the Finals.
I saw Up and Terminator: Salvation today. They're pretty good movies, but I have to say I liked Terminator more than Up. Maybe it's just because I'm a guy, but it seemed that much more interesting. This summer has so many good movies. Transformers 2, Harry Potter 6, X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Among others, like Drag Me To Hell, which I would rather see on DVD.
I got further in Resident Evil 4, but I'm not so interested in it. The game is a bit too suspenseful for me. You can't strafe left or right, making the corners that much creepier. And of course, there's always that zombie that doesn't make any noise until it's right in front of you. Along with the zombie that won't shut up, of course. Speaking of horror, I watched bits of the A Nightmare on Elm Street films; I didn't much feel like eating afterwards. That's too bad for me, then.
I guess I'll blog once a week. Maybe. But when I go places away from home (if, more like, with the A H1N1 flu scare) I might not blog so often.

Justice League or Avengers?

The Justice League and Avengers question is almost the same as asking "DC or Marvel?". The right answer is Justice League. The Avengers are diverse, but in a very limited way (however that works out). The only extension of the Avengers is the New Avengers, whereas the Justice League has brances of the Teen Titans, and Justice League Unlimited.

The main roster of the Avengers consist of: Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, Hulk, Iron Man, Ant-Man, and Wonder-Man. Most of the time, the Avengers do about the same thing as the Justice League. They fight off the bad guys and do the good thing. Some of them, however, are slightly rogue characters. Wolverine acts roughly, though he knows to do the right thing. Hulk is a very strange character. Sometimes, he is a hero. Other times, he is fighting one or more of the Avengers. Thor is just a strange hero. A Norse god, he seems much like Captain Marvel. Actually, he seems a bit too similar to chalk up the similarities to chance. The New Avengers are pretty much the children of the original Avengers; a "new-generation" type of group to appeal to younger audiences.

The Justice League is my favorite band of superheroes. Ever. The main League members (from the animated series) are Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Hawkgirl, the Flash, Martian Manhunter, and the Green Lantern (John Stewart). The Justice League Unlimited is an expanded version of the Justice League, tying nearly all of the DC Universe heroes together. The Justice League Unlimited brings together heroes from all over the galaxy, and even some from other dimensions. Some of the bigger names in Justice League Unlimited include the Red Tornado, Green Arrow, Black Canary, the Question, and Supergirl. Many of these heroes are acquaintances, and get along with each other very well. There are also some relationships within the League. John Stewart has been romantically linked to both Hawkgirl (Shayera) and Vixen, and Batman has been seen with Wonder Woman. Black Canary and Green Arrow are actually married.

The Avengers would never win against the Justice League. Though both teams appear to get along well, the Justice League works so smoothly and flawlessly because of Batman's plans that the Avengers cannot match up to them in teamwork. Both teams have the one guy who, while harsh and mean, always does the right thing (Batman of the Justice League, Wolverine of the Avengers). Both teams also have the flashy cover-boy that symbolizes America (Superman of the Justice League, Captain America of the Avengers). Also, both teams have the witty, comic relief character (Flash and Spider-Man). The one thing that makes the Avengers so much better is that they span over multiple planets, races and galaxies. The Avengers have no martians, only a Norse God.

The Green Arrow, or Oliver "Ollie" Queen, is a superhero who used to be an executive of his company. He sold his company for a large sum of money in order to be Green Arrow full-time, eventually training Speedy as his protegé just as Batman trained Robin. Green Arrow dresses as Robin Hood and is an expert with the bow and arrow. The Green Arrow is typically shown as a rebel, and a highly skeptical man. He has appeared in comics and television shows.
Ollie Queen sold his company for three billion dollars in order to become a full-time hero. He is a member of the Justice League, but was skeptical of the group at first. Green Arrow does not use only conventional arrows; he invents his own arrows with various functions. Among the stranger arrows he uses is the 'boxing glove arrow'. Some others include a glue arrow, net arrow, bomb arrow, and grappling arrow. He is often seen working with the Green Lantern. The most famous Green Arrow story was one in which Speedy, his red-clad sidekick, was addicted to heroin. The story was in Green Lantern #2. Green Lantern and Green Arrow fight off drug addicts and bust a drug ring.
Green Arrow has appeared in the television series Smallville as a younger man who has not yet sold his company to become a full-time hero. He has a more modern costume both in style and in technology. He becomes a trusted friend of Clark Kent's, and appears in the Justice League of Smallville. Green Arrow also has a regular appearance in the show Justice League Unlimited. His appearance follows the classic comic appearance, with the beard and the clothing. He is shown with his significant other, Black Canary. In this show, Green Arrow often acts as a voice for the public and a brave, loyal friend to all in the Justice League. Green Arrow also has an appearance in The Batman. A movie for Green Arrow/ Ollie Queen has been talked about, and a script has been written. Filming, however, has not started yet.
The Green Arrow is a character who provides comic relief when it is needed, especially in Justice League Unlimited. He does, however have slight mood swings. He is randomly rude to other heroes of the Justice League, but only apologizes after they have turned their back.
The Green Arrow is a very rebellious character. The "cool guy" of the DC Universe, he can be compared to Tony Stark of the Marvel Universe. Queen often uses crude humor, and he doesn't quite seem to care about everyone else's feelings. Queen's character is a stark contrast to Superman, who tries to please everyone. Queen appears very selfish at first, but he has a good heart and he knows he must do the right thing in the end. All in all, a pretty cool guy.

The Joker

The Joker is probably my favorite villain of all. He is Batman's most noted enemy, and he also causes trouble for the Justice League. He has no real history; his origin story is varied according to the writer. The most common origin story is that the Joker was essentially created by Batman. His name in this origin story is usually Jack Napier. Napier was a mobster, doing jobs for a large triad. Eventually, he broke away and tried to form his own gang. Napier and his gang planned to rob the Ace Chemical Plant. Their robbery was stopped by Batman. Either an accident or an attempt to escape led to Napier's fall right into a vat of chemicals. The chemicals were then flushed out into the body of water somewhere around the plant. The chemical bath bleached the Joker's skin, turned his lips red and dyed his hair green; he also became insane. Napier gave himself the name The Joker, and swore to prove his criminal genius.
The Joker has had many, many incarnations between comics, cartoons and the big screen. The most recent incarnation, played by the late Heath Ledger, shows a Joker who is a criminal genius with make-up. The make-up is applied unevenly, but his face is white, the areas around his eyes are black, he has stringy hair with green highlights and a frightening "smile". The smile is red makeup applied from one scar to another; his scars make him seem to be "smiling" all the time. This Joker is from The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan's summer blockbuster and sequel to Batman Begins. In The Dark Knight, the Joker has no real origin story. The only glimpse of an origin is his stories about his scars; however, the stories are conflicting and may both be lies. The two other big screen adaptations of the Joker are played by Jack Nicholson in Batman (1989) and Cesar Romero in Batman (1966). Jack Nicholson's Joker is more faithful to the comics, including his fall into a chemical vat and his crude jokes. Cesar Romero's Joker is not heard of much today; the movie and ensuing television series have been criticized for the excessive camp humor.
The Joker has been in a few television series. The first is the series Batman, which followed the 1966 movie. The Joker was played by Cesar Romero. The next few cartoons are seldom heard of, and follow the campy style of Batman (1966). The most popular television incarnation of the Joker is of Batman: The Animated Series. This Joker is somewhat similar to the Joker picture displayed with the article. The Joker was voiced by Mark Hamill, the actor who brought Luke Skywalker to the silver screen in the Star Wars movies. Hamill's Joker appears in the movie Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, a movie from Batman: The Animated Series, and Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, a direct-to-video movie from the Batman: TAS spinoff Batman Beyond. He also appears in a few episodes of the television shows Batman Beyond, Justice League and Static Shock. Hamill's Joker voice seems to have been permanently linked to the Joker's cartoon adaptations; it is used as a comparison for all of the recent portrayals. The Joker also appears in The Batman, a series from KidsWB!, and is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson. This Joker has been harshly criticized for the drastic difference in appearance; he has long hair (possibly dreadlocks), wears very different clothes, usually walks around barefoot, and has sharply honed combat skills. He seems to use his feet just as well as his hands, giving the impression that he is a monkey. The most recent cartoon adaptation of the Joker is in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. This show has been praised by many for its seeming mix of Batman: The Animated Series and some of the campier elements of Batman. The Brave and Bold Joker is voiced by Jeff Bennett, and has only appeared in two episodes.
In Batman: Mask of the Phantasm as well as Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, the Joker dies. In Mask of the Phantasm, however, his death is not shown, so there is a possibility he lived. In Return of the Joker, he is visibly killed and, in the animated universe created by producer Bruce Timm, finally given closure. Bruce Timm's animated universe follows a timeline, in which Mask of the Phantasm and Return of the Joker are included. Return of the Joker may be the final event. In the 1989 film Batman, the Joker is seen to be killed by dropping from an extraordinary height. His final joke is a sound recording of his laughter, which goes off when he lands and dies. In The Dark Knight, the Joker is not killed off.
The Joker is, for some reason, the classic villain of Batman. He is always going to be associated with Batman, especially after the movie The Dark Knight. The Joker of the Batman animated series and Justice League cartoons is much more lively than the silver screen adaptations. He always has a name for Batman (Guano-Man and Batsy are among the most common), and he always has a trick up his sleeve. The Joker of the 1989 Batman film is a faithful adaptation who usually has a trick up his sleeve, but does not taunt Batman as much. The Joker of The Dark Knight is a very dirty, grimy, intinimidating man. He taunts Batman not with names but with psychological tricks. He wants to prove that even the best of people can be broken, and does so by breaking Harvey Dent. He also tries to "break" Batman in the interrogation room, succeeding in infuriating Batman. This seems to be all he wants, and proceeds to mess with Batman some more in regards to the two hostages he has taken. The Joker is a very abnormal guy who has no sane explanation for his actions. His motives are widely unknown, and he is the only one who knows what he does and why.

The Flash

The Flash is my brother's favorite superhero in the Justice League. Well, him and the Martian Manhunter. There have been many incarnations of the Flash. His first incarnation is Jay Garrick, and the current incarnations are Barry Allen and Wally West. Every Flash starts out as Kid Flash, training with the Flash as his mentor.
The first Flash, Jay Garrick, is the Golden Age incarnation. He wears a tight-fitting red shirt with a lightning bolt on it and jeans. Garrick also wore a silver helmet with golden wings. Jay Garrick gained his speed by inhaling mineral-saturated water. The Flash's only power is super-speed, unlike Superman's vast array of powers. He was the very first super-fast hero, and among the first single-powered heroes.
The next Flash, Barry Allen, is the Silver Age Flash. He gained his powers when lightning-struck chemicals spilled on him. Barry allen was a forensic scientist. Barry Allen donned the sleek red-and-gold Speedster costume symbolic of the Flash.
The modern incarnations of the Flash are Bart Allen and Wally West. They were both introduced as Kid Flash, wearing a costume similar but not a mirror-image of the Flash's. The Kid Flash costume is more child-like, with a simple eye-mask instead of a mask covering the entire face. Wally West is Barry Allen's nephew through marriage, and Bart Allen's grandson. Both are impulsive, childlike Kid Flashes with a simple-minded view on superheroism.
The Flash is often portrayed as the jester of the Justice League. He is constantly bugging Batman, making mistakes at super-speed. The best thing about the Flash is also something about all superheroes: no matter how differently he acts, he will always do the right thing. He may make many mistakes trying to do the right thing, but he still means to do good. This quality is especially visible in his Justice League television show incarnation. He's usually the guy who gets made fun of, but also attracts ladies. Whiel he may not be the cover-boy of the Justice League, he is one of the most well-known. The Flash of the Justice League refers to the Speedster, not the old, Gold Age Flash of the Justice Society.
The Flash is a pretty funny guy. He draws younger audiences to the Justice League and the DC Universe because he's funny and he makes mistakes. The other superheroes seem like they never do anything wrong, especially Batman. Flash kind of blunders his way through the comic or cartoon or story, but is still seen as the hero in the end. He's also not the smartest member of the Justice League. Many people probably pay attention to the League just to see him get made fun of by villains or other members. He is much like Marvel's Spider-Man: people can (kind of) relate to him.

The Amazing Spider-Man!

Spider-Man is one the most popular and well-known comicbook heroes ever, along with Batman and Superman. Spider-Man is the most popular character among Marvel Comics. Many people like Spider-Man because of his seeming normality. Spider-Man also has a sense of humor, making his comicbook appearances more interesting. Spider-Man has appeared in a few television shows as well as a few movies.
Spider-Man is really Peter Parker, a regular teenage boy. He gets bitten by a radioactive spider, giving him superpowers. Among his superpowers are the proportionate strength of a spider and the ability to shoot webs from his wrist. Peter Parker learns his most important lesson as his uncle dies. "With great power comes great responsibility." This quote helps Parker choose to become Spider-Man. He leads a double life; student by day, superhero by night.
Spider-Man faces multiple enemies, most of them unrealistic. One of the only heroes whose story can be realistically told is Batman; most other superheroes have spectacular stories. Spider-Man's most well-known enemy is Venom, a type of "reverse" Spider-Man. Among his other enemies are Doctor Octopus, Sandman, the Lizard and the Green Goblin. My personal favorite is Venom as the anti-Spider-Man. He is everything that Spider-Man isn't, but bigger and stronger. My favorite Spider-Man costume is the black-suit Spider-Man, formed by a symbiotic alien life form's attraction to Peter Parker. The suit makes him stronger, and faster, but also more violent and careless.
Spider-Man is featured in a series of films by Sam Raimi, titled Spider-Man, Spider-Man 2, and Spider-Man 3. Spider-Man, the first in the (thus far) trilogy, was a success. In my opinion, Spider-Man is the best of the films. Spider-Man 2 gets boring after a while, probably because of the lack of an origin story. Spider-Man 3 was much like Batman Forever, in which the director tried to cram too many villains into a story-less plot. Spider-Man was about Peter Parker's transformation into Spider-Man, as well as the Green Goblin. Spider-Man 2 is about the maniacal Doctor Octopus. Spider-Man 3 is about Peter Parker's struggle to find his true self while battling Sandman, Venom and the New Goblin.
Spider-Man's animated series is probably the best portrayal of him in a cartoon. The animated series I'm talking about is the 90's cartoon, the one I grew up watching. Though the voice acting is slightly corny, the overall story-telling is very good. This cartoon, along with X-Men: The Animated Series, seems to follow in the steps of Batman: The Animated Series in that the show is slightly darker than most cartoons. A spin-off series, Spider-Man Unlimited, was created about a future Spider-Man. That show didn't do so well, and the recent Spectacular Spider-Man isn't quite the greatest show on television, either. Spider-Man cartoons generally appeal to children instead of an older crowd, probably because he is funnier than most other heroes. The humor causes children to forget about the complex, over-the-top stories and focus on the action itself. Older crowds then find that the stories eventually get toned down, and they lose interest.
Spider-Man isnt' a bad hero. He just seems a little outdated now. Sure, he's been revived by Sam Raimi (for the first two films, at least), and kids still like him. Spider-Man's generation is just kind of in the past now.