Comic Book Resources

for the cover homage, is it Byrnes Superman: Man of Steel # 1?

"They have all these Olympic medalists who no one ever recognizes"

I couldn't tell you what a gold medalist looked like a week after the Olympics, unless their one of the one's the media decides to make a deal about (Ian Thorpe, Cathy Freeman etc).

My guess was also The Man of Steel #1 (collectors edition), but I'm pretty sure that image has been used dozens of times before that - including the posters for one of the Christopher Reeve Superman films.

I like that X-Men cover thing

The cover, I believe, is an homage of Supemrna: Man of Steel #1.

As for the Hidden Years covers:
84 - Under Iceman's armpit.
85 - Between Beast's laft hand & right leg.
86 - Under Beast's right arm.
87 - Jean's left glove.

Marvel's detectives? The closest ones are Spider-Man and Daredevil. Other than them, there are only non-powered characters like Dakota North, but none stand as a great detective like Batman, Elongated Man etc.

ARGGHHH...
Of Course I meant "Superman".
("Supemrna"??? What the heck?)

"Who is the greatest detective in the Marvel Universe?"

Black Panther.
Well, from what I hear of his current series, if the writer was to have him do it, he'd be the best at it.

Maybe Ben Urich?

"Why do you think being a detective is such a big deal in the DC Universe, but not a big deal at all in the Marvel Universe?"

I'm tempted to say because the original characters were created much earlier, and draw strongly from the pulp's of the time which had lots of detective characters, but I'm not sure how true that is for characters such as Ralph Dibney.

Maybe it's because a lot of the writers at DC like Pulp's more, and when they became editors encouraged the ideas they always liked.
(seems to me a lot more of DC's good writers became editors than over at Marvel.)

“Why do you think being a detective is such a big deal in the DC Universe, but not a big deal at all in the Marvel Universe?”

I wonder - besides the pulp origins - if it's a question of relatability with the characters as well.

For example, Marvel's focus in the 60s was on "heroes with problems" - the Fantastic Four's bickering, Spider-Man worrying about Aunt May, etc. Readers might not necessarily get super-powers, but they could easily relate to characters who had problems of their own. So Marvel provided relatability on an emotional level.

DC's use of detectives, I think, is more a relatability of skill. Batman is a prime example - anyone could, with enough training and discipline, become an excellent detective. Take away any hero's powers - like the Barry Allen Flash - and you still have a person who can be easily emulated. (Or, like the Atom, have scientific skills).

Either way, it's kind of two sides of the same coin - even though I'm more of a DC fan than a Marvel fan, I think there's room for *both* kinds of characters.

Kirby & Lee didn't have time for detectives- they were too busy throwing their characters from Melodrama! to Action!!! and back.

Rex Volcanno is the best detective in the MU.

"7. After Clark forgot to take his wedding ring off, that started a whole “Mrs. Superman” craze that died down when the rest of the JLA revealed that THEY were wedding bands, which was a symbol of their “marriage to justice” or something like that."

Really? I missed that one. It's nice that he has friends who would lie for him like that, but you have to wonder what the average "man on the street" thinks of the Justice League -- sometimes they seem like a bunch of Freemasons with superpowers, with their secret headquarters, weird rituals, and strict membership policies. Then other times they seem like a bunch of weirdos living in the sewers of Detroit fighting no-name criminals, then an enforcement branch of the United Nations, and then back to a superpowered version of the Elks. It must be damn strange to live in the DCU.

Jessica (I am not Spiderwoman) Jones is a private investigator.

The correct answer to the question "Who is the best detective in the Marvel Universe" is, of course, Dakota North.

Gordon: That was a damn good explanation.

Let's pretend I said what he said, but first.

Also, I am shamed by the subtle, yet-all pervasive anti-Byrne bias in this post. (That joke NEVER gets old.)

"Who is the greatest detective in the Marvel Universe? Why do you think being a detective is such a big deal in the DC Universe, but not a big deal at all in the Marvel Universe?"

Good question. I'd say it was because detective stories are by their nature plot-driven, like Golden & Silver Age DC stories, and Silver Age Marvel had more of an emphasis on character-driven conflict. Hence, no detectives.

"After Clark forgot to take his wedding ring off, that started a whole “Mrs. Superman” craze that died down when the rest of the JLA revealed that THEY were wedding bands, which was a symbol of their “marriage to justice” or something like that."

Wow. THAT was how they resolved that plotline? Superman forgetting to take off his wedding ring is a great story premise, but the resolution sounds really goofy, in the Silver Age sense.

"Isn’t it weird how anonymous the Olympics is in the DC Universe? They have all these Olympic medalists who no one ever recognizes, nor is it ever made into a big deal by any character. Are the Olympics just not as big of a deal in a world filled with superheroes?"

What Olympians do they have besides Jefferson (Black Lightning) Pierce?

I think the All Star Squadron version of Amazing Man was an Olympian. I know that Arrowette, who's one of my all-time favorite DC comics characters, was. And Merlyn the evil Green Arrow was on the other team.

I sort of vaguely remember a Bob Haney Teen Titans story where the Titans were Olympians... or helping Olympians... or something.

The only other DC Olympian I can think of is Michael Holt, Mr Terrifc. Although looking at wikipedia, apparently the original Mr Terrific was also an Olympian. I can't remember them ever saying what Michael Holt competed in, so for all we know, he could be a Gold Metal Ballroom Dancer.

Arrowette from Young Justice was another DC Olympian. She quit being a vigilante archer and instead competed in the summer Olympics and won the gold medal, as I recall from my high school-attending, Young Justice-reading days.

(Ha, somehow missed that detail of MarkAndrew's post saying the same!)

Technically, Cissie won in the Australia Games, not the Olympics. Then again, which Olympaid had a country come in comprised entirely of supervillains? Ah, Zandia...

Bah! I'm 30 and I'm STILL a Young Justice fan.

Anonymous said :
"Jessica (I am not Spiderwoman) Jones is a private investigator."

Actually, Jessica (the first spiderwoman) Drew was a private investigator too in the 80s.

For awhile, Bishop was the best detective in the MU.

Finding those hidden #'s wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.
(Although, the inability to "embiggen" the pic was a bit of an eye strain.)

As for Greatest Detective in the Marvel U...?

It's cheating, but...

DOCTOR STRANGE.

He has, on several occasions, been able to replay past events by having the Eye of Agamotto "see" the past and superimpose it over the present.

He has tracked down Mordo (who had kidnapped the Ancient One) and some thieves in that manner.

Also, with his ability to manipulate time, he was able to witness many such occurrences (firsthand).

The Eye can force people to speak the truth (and even if they don't speak - it SHOWS the truth).

He's also been able to go inside the minds & memories of people to see what they are thinking/hiding.

Not quite "sleuthing" (piecing together bits and pieces of info to form a conclusion), but still "detection" nevertheless.

~P~
P-TOR

Hey, I still fondly remember Young Justice, though I haven't read the series in some time. It was a lighthearted, fun, entertaining romp of a comic book, only to be replaced by Teen (Angst) Titans. It had a good run, at least.

Robin, Impulse and Superboy were my favourite superhero characters, back then. And now Kon-El's dead, and Bart Allen might as well be (what with being turned into a 20-something emo boy)... Well, I miss the fun, is all.

The Way-Back Machine recalls Captain Stacy (father to Gwen Stacy) as a heckuva detective. He puzzled out that Peter Parker and Spider-Man were one and the same on his lunch hour. Of course, he's dead.

Daredevil is the closest nomination I can think of. At least, the Daredevil I last read years ago. There was an element of the hero and the lawyer identities both assembling a case of clues.

Mostly the lack of Marvel detectives stems from the lack of subtle villains. Very few Marvel criminals commit elegant crimes. 90% of Marvel bad guys are only happy ripping up skyscrapers by the roots. Don't need a forensics degree to find them.

I can't believe nobody's mentioned my pre-1986 fave Marvel detective, Hannibal King: Vampire P.I.! Nobody beats Dakota North though. (and maybe DC likes detectives so much because, oh I don't know, that's what the "D" stands for?)

How about Hannibal King? He managed to be a fairly successful PI while suppressing his vampire instincts.

How about Hannibal King? He would be a good choice.

Did anyone think to mention Hannibal King yet ?

Now that I've been thinking about it, the Marvel hero that seems to spend the most time doing detective work like tailing suspects, studying evidence, talking to snitches, slipping into offices after dark, etc... is Spider-Man.

Thank god no one's brought up Hannibal King.