Poll: Solo Superhero or Superhero Teams?

[Samtemdo8_v1legacy]

Personally I like Teams better than Solo, because its far more interesting to see how these characters inteact with each other and go through challanges together. I mean even I think say Superman is much more interesting when he is among his peers.

Which makes me upset that why can't they just make say Justice League and Avengers the ONLY standalone universe?

 

[happyninja42]

I prefer a team of heroes, though they do have a few common problems, in that they frequently stereotype the members into specific roles. The X-Men for example, are really bad about this. All of the X-Men are 1 Trick Ponies. Which individually, aren't that interesting (I think). Put them together though, and they have more dynamic story possibilities. But, when it's time to use their powers, it's still always the same people doing the same things. Cyclops will shoot things, Collosus will tank damage and punch things. Wolverine will stab things, etc.

It's hard to give a full team a full set of diverse options, and try and tell a story in a concise timeframe. Now I'm not saying it can't be done, but it does seem to be tricky for most writers to not fall into those common traps.

 

[Silentpony_v1legacy]

Team, as long as they're comparable in power and ability. Like Batman and Robin, or the Wonder Twins. Like Ezekiel said, having a superhuman like Superman or the Flash just makes Batman look cheap and lame. I mean OH NO, a major drug deal is going on down at the docks. I hope Batman gets there in ti-Oh, never mind. The Flash captured all of them, delivered them and all their drugs to the police, ordered a pizza, had sex with his girlfriend 30 times, and saved the world from a robot uprising. In 3 seconds.

Oh no, Mr. Freeze is robbing a grocery store! Whatever shall we d-Oh, Superman captured him, tied him up with streetlight posts, saved the world from a dozen meteors, negotiated a peace conference with North Korea, proposed to Lois, fathered a child, stopped a solar flare, and used his laser vision to destroy Darkseid and his army of space weasels. In 2 seconds.

And Batman still hasn't managed to put on his pants.

 

[PapaGreg096]

It depends on the Hero, if its Spiderman then solo if it is the Runaways then team

 

[Saelune]

Teams. I like expanded universes. I like cross-overs. Most potential MCU movies I want to happen are team-ups.

The exception is Batman and The Justice League, but thats more because Im not too into DC. But I do like Batman and Robin/Batgirl/Catwoman more than just Batman.

 

[LostCrusader]

It depends on the hero, but generally teams. Heroes like Superman, Flash, Thor, Captain America are better with teams. Batman is the main one that I don't really like in a teams. He feels balanced with his own villains, but seems out of place with team villains.

 

[JohnnyDelRay]

I prefer solo unless the team ups kinda match in theme. When they clash, it can get kinda stupid. X-Men are kinda simple with their powers and traits, so they are built to be a team from the ground up. Their enemies also tend to be powerful enough that need teamwork to bring down, and that works. But guys intended to be solo don't make good team stories, in my opinion.

I don't like teams with:
Punisher (although with Spidey it gets kinda funny /awkward)
Batman
Nomad
Deathstroke

But some guys/girls work really well both ways, such as:
Wovlerine
Night Thrasher
Wonder Woman

 

[Zhukov]

Teams.

Even boring or one-note characters can be fun when they have others to bounce off or clash with.

 

[King Billi]

I general I would say solo heroes, though it does depend.

The major superhero teams made up of top tier heroes such as the Avengers or Justice League aren't very interesting to me as there are too many dominant personalities vying for prominence, Pretty much all those characters are more interesting to read about in their own solo titles.

On the other hand teams comprised of second string heroes or more obscure characters that often don't have their own books such as the Teen Titans or the Secret Six are more interesting as they can give lesser known characters a new perspective and create more unique interactions and stories as their is often more freedom for creators than their ever would be with such iconic characters like Superman or Batman.

 

[bastardofmelbourne]

Teams are more popular mainly because they let the characters bounce off of one another, which is an easy way to write snappy dialogue, explain plot points, and develop characters.

It's actually quite hard to move the plot forward elegantly if the main character has no-one to talk to. This is why Batman has Commissioner Gordon.

 

[Hawki]

Usually solo for a few reasons.

-If there's more than one, it takes away from the uniqueness of the individual in question. Peter Parker gaining spider powers seems a lot less miraculous in a world where mutants run rampant and whatnot. Superman seems less like a...well, 'super man' in a world where Amazons and demons exist.

-It makes some heroes feel redundant. Why is Oliver Queen even needed in a world where The Flash can handle pretty much anything? Why does Gotham need Batman when Superman could take out any of his enemies almost instantly? And so on, and so forth.

If there's a group of heroes that are conceptualized from the outset as a group, I can get down with that, but otherwise? Nup. Solo or nothing.

 

[Guffe]

I don't know.
Sometimes the solostuff is better, sometimes the teamups.
Can't decide :/

 

[FalloutJack]

I AM THE INDIVIDUAL ELEVEN, A GROUP OF LIKEMINDED INDIVIDUALS OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY FOR-

*Shuts down*

Batou: Public Security Section 9. Nothing to see here.

(THE TEAM!)

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I find it difficult to chose one side or another...both have their merits after all. I loved The Avengers and it absolutely wouldn't have worked as a single-hero show. Then there's The Punisher: Warzone which I consider to be the best Marvel movie to have been released. It wouldn't have been improved if Daredevil or Luke Cage showed up to tell Frank about the whereabouts of Kingpin. They both have their own traps, tropes, strengths, and issues. I do really like to watch established characters interact with one another (the one good part of the animated New 52 Justice League movies). Then again, I like when one character and their supporting cast can get more focus in their own movie. I'm really torn on this...I take movies on a case-by-case basis especially considering how often things get rebooted, soft or not.

 

[Remus]

Can't I have both? I like Marvel's balance of character and team movies. Captain America, regardless of time period, has always been about how someone so strong yet so nieve can work together with others, so a large part of his movies is that dynamic. There's always that guy who idolizes him and then they go have beers. Except Parker because he's in high school.

Meanwhile Thor can go on solo adventures for any number of reasons. Asgard isn't exactly an easy place to get to if you don't know Heimdall. After the Avengers movie, it can be explained that Iron Man would've been useless during the alignment since he was suffering some serious portal-related PTSD. But when a big threat comes along, usually involving a non-portal related infinity stone, they'll all come together to face it. None of the members really overshadow the others unlike the Distinguished Competition. Thor and Hulk together occupy the space that Superman might in DC movies so they'll have a teamup movie in Ragnarok.

Spider-Man has always been a versatile character. Glad he's officially part of the MCU. He's strong enough to toss cars but he's small and can be surprised by larger enemies. Being in the mid-range power bracket, metahuman but not SUPER human, he's capable enough to deal with his own villains but he's an awkward kid, kinda how DC's playing the new Flash, so he's more than willing to join a team of his idols. So again, why not both? WB and Disney obviously have the budget.

 

[MeatMachine]

Teams can be interesting and implement entirely new concepts for conflict. One of the reasons why I absolutely loved the animated Justice League cartoon is because there are several unique problems that come from having heroes who are both weak and strong working together. Many of Superman's character arcs, for example, reveal that his most terrifying nightmare is that he is too strong... so much so, that he fears corruption and collateral damage so much that he restrains himself in every situation (and also why Batman is seen carrying Kryptonite around at all times, "just in case.")

On the flip side, a team of heroes also means that individual character development is not usually as available or in-depth, and frequently needs to be addressed by the other team members as a result. Internal conflicts which are done so well in individual comics are always resolved with "hey buddy, how'ya doin'? Can I get you a beer, or do you want to argue a little bit about it?"

I guess I'll just vote "team"; not because hero teams are better or more interesting, but because I think that they expand more than they restrict.

 

[Bobular]

I like teams if they're designed to work as teams. I don't like Batman or Spiderman working permanently with others as I think they work best alone, though I can see them working temporally with others. I personally don't like Batman having an extended background of bat-characters.

I like the Avengers because other than the first Iron Man they were working towards making them all a team and X-Men would be boring if we had a Cyclops movie or something.

 

[hermes]

I like solo better, although I don't mind some other character making a cameo from time to time as some sort of wink to the audience. But the truth is that teams are harder to pull off successfully, because they tend to mess around with the tone of each character. They also have to make the team ups interesting, not just make them about guys that like punching stuff. Because, at the end of the day, fighting elemental evils is not the same as punching crooks in alleyways so, if you are going to make the case these people would connect on some level, you better have some pretty compelling reasons...

Which is why going against an supreme tyrant with god like powers with a Jesus surrogate with the strength to move planets, a man that can literally create anything he can think of, a woman with Greek mythology levels of badassery and... a rich guy with a lot of dark and angsty fixations seems unbalanced. Also, it feels unearned when something supposedly "impossible" happens when last week you were hanging out with the last alien survivor of a dying planet, the literally manifestation of the wrath of god, and a demon from the Arthurian era.