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My young friend Babs asked me a couple of weeks back who my favorite comic book couples were. You'd think since I have read and still read a lot of comics it'd be easy to name some, but when I really sat down and thought about it, I found that it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. Oh, there are plenty of characters I like, or love even - but we're talking about individual characters. So what about couples? I promised Babs I would think on it some more and get back to her later.
Maybe it's tricky because of how things work in comics. Couples in comic books have a tough time; a lot of them have to face seemingly insurmountable difficulties. "There's always been a shortage of happy, functional couples in comics. Especially superhero stories." my friend Namorita says. "I mean, I loved the Dibny's. And look what happened to them." Even Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, one of comics' most well-known and well-received couples, aren't married anymore. And here, if you please indulge me, a moment of silence for the Vision and the Scarlet Witch.
You could argue, however, that maybe 'happy' and 'functional' may not always be the kind of couple people enjoy reading about. When I went around asking people who their favorite couples were, names like Daredevil and Elektra, Bruce Wayne and Talia, the Joker and Harley Quinn, were mentioned. All fascinating couples - precisely because of the self-destructive potential behind them.
Here's something else that's kind of interesting: when I went around asking, I got all sorts of answers (some people even named the likes of Superman/Batman and Blue Beetle/Booster Gold) but so far, no one has named Superman/Clark and Lois Lane.
"What if we put it this way," Zombiegwenstacy suggests, "a comic book couple is good when there is something about their relationship that shows us another dimension of each character. You know, if we see another layer or side we haven't seen before." It's a pretty good, workable standard - except couldn't you say the same thing about the dynamic of a villain and a superhero?
So, what makes a good comic book couple for you? Who are your favorites?
Maybe it's tricky because of how things work in comics. Couples in comic books have a tough time; a lot of them have to face seemingly insurmountable difficulties. "There's always been a shortage of happy, functional couples in comics. Especially superhero stories." my friend Namorita says. "I mean, I loved the Dibny's. And look what happened to them." Even Peter Parker and Mary Jane Watson, one of comics' most well-known and well-received couples, aren't married anymore. And here, if you please indulge me, a moment of silence for the Vision and the Scarlet Witch.
You could argue, however, that maybe 'happy' and 'functional' may not always be the kind of couple people enjoy reading about. When I went around asking people who their favorite couples were, names like Daredevil and Elektra, Bruce Wayne and Talia, the Joker and Harley Quinn, were mentioned. All fascinating couples - precisely because of the self-destructive potential behind them.
Here's something else that's kind of interesting: when I went around asking, I got all sorts of answers (some people even named the likes of Superman/Batman and Blue Beetle/Booster Gold) but so far, no one has named Superman/Clark and Lois Lane.
"What if we put it this way," Zombiegwenstacy suggests, "a comic book couple is good when there is something about their relationship that shows us another dimension of each character. You know, if we see another layer or side we haven't seen before." It's a pretty good, workable standard - except couldn't you say the same thing about the dynamic of a villain and a superhero?
So, what makes a good comic book couple for you? Who are your favorites?
my heart: curious
my song: I Love You by The Pipettes
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