Pollard's Picks - THE DEFENDERS #2

[Dino Pollard]

Ed's made no secret of the fact that he's a massive Defenders fan and an even bigger fan of Doctor Strange. And anyone who's read his work knows that Ed on THE DEFENDERS is a massive no-brainer. He's one of the few writers who thinks outside the box and you need that for a book like this.

With that being said, the first issue wasn't up to snuff. Don't get me wrong, it was a great issue by most standards, but it wasn't up to the standard I've come to expect from Ed. And I think part of that is because Ed was nervous. Being a massive fan of a property is both a blessing and a curse because while it means you know a lot about the characters and the history, it also makes writing that book more daunting.

But fortunately with the second issue, Ed's hit his stride and I'm thankful that it only took him one issue to find his comfort zone with this book. Ed does a great job of mixing humor, supernatural and second-stringers bickering with each other, which is really what a good Defenders book needs.

If I had one complaint about this issue, it's the banter that came from the Surfer. The dialogue was great but the problem was it didn't sound like the Surfer, it sounded more like something Namor would say.

[bkole]

Taken me ages to reply to this, I think I've spoken to Dino about this on IM, but this is more for everyone else on the board.

Basically, Dinos right. I was nervous. Very nervous about this issue. When you love characters a lot it's difficult to write them, I was extremely nervous with Animal Man as well, and Defenders really, was my marvel equivalent. Namor and Strange are two of my favorites, so I wanted to do them Justice, and sadly, I suffered from the "setting stuff up first issue" syndrome.

Also, Silver Surfer is really hard to inject Humour into. God, the guy is just so whiney. The others it's a bit easier, Strange is just sort of old-schooly sarcastic. Namor's just a bit of a harsh bastard, and Bruce, I imagine, to have a sort of a cutting, biting whit. It's all about the banter and the back chatter and everything, but Surfer doesn't really...have much in the way of Pizzaz. I can't really imagine him to have a goofy sense of humor, or anything else, so It's taking me a little while to get into his...humor set really.

Probably why in Defenders by Giffen and DeMattis, they left Surfer off the screen and concentrated on the big three, instead of Surfer as well. Anyway, Issue 3 is out, issue 4 is being written. I hope you like the series, because there are some BIIIIG things being set in motion, and hopefully, some interesting little personal developments for the characters themselves, as well as their powers and their own personal plottage.

[Dino Pollard]

Something you might want to try is just have the Surfer play it straight. Sometimes having a straight man can contribute a lot more humor than having someone banter. Especially when they don't get the jokes.

[Derrick]

I'm still trying to get a handle on Ed's DEFENDERS myself. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy Ed's writing but I get the impression that Ed himself isn't quite sure where he wants to go with the series or found the right tone. But it's interesting enough for me to hang around for a bit. Usually after three issues I know if I'm going to continue with a fan fiction series or not. And being a Defenders fan myself I'd like to see exactly what develops as the series progresses.

And I'm not surprised you're having problems with The Silver Surfer. I don't think he's whiny. But his moral/philosophical introspections can get on my nerves and at his core he's not a proactive character so he's really got to be pushed into conflict.

That's why when somebody says to me 'Defenders' I think of Doctor Strange, Namor and The Hulk. Let's face it, the three of them outclass just about anybody in terms of sheer power that if you add The Silver Surfer to the mix they're you've got to have Galactus level threats in every issue to justify all that raw power being on the same team. I mean, who else are they gonna fight? The Serpent Society?

[Erik]

I think Derrick and Dino have something here. Dr. Strange, Hulk and Namor are all very powerful personalities and they are all very distinct and Alpha Male. The three of them make their presence very much know. Where the Silver Surfer works best, IMO, is as that straight man. Not just in humor, but also in personality. He's the calm one. The collected one. He's the balance that has the power to tell Namor to shut the Hell up, and the balance to just cool the book out. He doesn't raise his voice, he's the more logical member of the team. Also, the Surfer IS an Alien who's been around Alien's more than anybody on Earth. I would imagine his humor is vastly different than Banner's, Stephen's or even Namor's. He could find something that they find hysterical as funny, but not laugh out loud...where the Surfer is the type of cat who would watch a movie and find the funniest part of the movie a 3 second part that others just don't get. Like, in FAST TIMES, Surfer's favorite part could be when Hamilton gets fired and on his way out slams his fist against the bathroom door and yells "Hope you had a Hell of a piss, Arnold!!".

I'm not saying to turn him into a Spock-like character, but he doesn't have to be the same Alpha Male and as righteous as the others of the team. It could be a great opportunity to explore how and why these 3 in Hulk, Namor and Strange love the Silver Surfer as they do, because he's the one you'd almost think wouldn't fit. And likewise, how the Surfer tolerates a man like Namor who would just as soon get angry, yell and smash a dude in the face when the Surfer would find a more diplomatic/back door solution to the problem. The Surfer is the finese to the Hulk and Namor's raw brutality.

[mick]

I don't know. A straight man has to come off not too bland, other wise he brings down the act.

I've always seen Surfer as Spock, and I think the Spock analogy works best. He's very difficult to get riled up because he's so logical, and aloof. But, when he does get riled up; watch out because nothing short of Galactus level threats, or advanced power dampening technology can stop him.

-Mick

[Erik]

I think the only real difference is is that Spock actively supresses his emotions. The Surfer's emotions aren't supressed he's just a little more logical and it takes a lot to get him going.

...I guess the long and short of it is: you don't have to do anything special with Surfer to make him special. Let the other guys around him make him special.

[Derrick]

Couple'a bones I'd like to throw out there and see who bites...

The Silver Surfer is most certainly not an Alpha Male. His way is to diffuse aggression and maintain peace. In fact, most of the Surfer's behavior is submissive and he tends to seek approval rather than step up and provide leadership. Not that this is a bad thing. As Erik points out, this can provide a much needed balance to the overblown aggressive pattern of behavior demonstrated by The Hulk and Namor (who is the poster boy for Alpha Males everywhere) but it also makes him a difficult character to write. As I said earlier and I still maintain, The Silver Surfer almost has to be forced into a situation where he will fight. Let innocents be put at jeopardy or one of his friends be threatened and he's in the middle of the fight. Otherwise he'll just jump on his board and fly away. Which really is The Silver Surfer's main way of dealing with anything he doesn't want to deal with.

On the subject of his sense of humor. I can see The Surfer and Dr. Strange sitting down together and watching British sitcoms, especially ones that deal with surrealism and the absurd. I imagine that The Surfer simply wouldn't get a show like "Blackadder" which depends almost entirely on sarcasm or shows dealing with the British class system. Namor and the Surfer don't share the same sense of humor at all and I'm not even sure that Namor does have a sense of humor. The Hulk is happy with cartoons which probably doesn't interest The Surfer at all.

As for the Spock analogy...well, I see The Surfer as never having been conflicted with his emotional balance as Spock has been and in fact, a major part of The Silver Surfer's problem is that he's so open emotionally. It's almost as if he walks around asking for his feelings to get hurt whereas Spock learned at a early age how to carefully and closely guard his emotions. Some of you guys have talked about how logical The Surfer is and I don't see it. Most of, if not all of his decisions are based on emotionalism, not logic. His whole motivation for offering himself up to Galactus was based on two emotions: love and curiosity. Remember when he turned against Galactus? What was his motivation there? Empathy. Remember when he gave Quasimodo the gift of mobility? What was his motivation there? Compassion. The Silver Surfer is an incredibly emotional individual and that's what gets him into trouble most of the time.

[Erik]

Dec 23, 2009 11:06:18 GMT -5 Derrick said:

Couple'a bones I'd like to throw out there and see who bites...

The Silver Surfer is most certainly not an Alpha Male. His way is to diffuse aggression and maintain peace. In fact, most of the Surfer's behavior is submissive and he tends to seek approval rather than step up and provide leadership. Not that this is a bad thing. As Erik points out, this can provide a much needed balance to the overblown aggressive pattern of behavior demonstrated by The Hulk and Namor (who is the poster boy for Alpha Males everywhere) but it also makes him a difficult character to write. As I said earlier and I still maintain, The Silver Surfer almost has to be forced into a situation where he will fight. Let innocents be put at jeopardy or one of his friends be threatened and he's in the middle of the fight. Otherwise he'll just jump on his board and fly away. Which really is The Silver Surfer's main way of dealing with anything he doesn't want to deal with.

Absolutely. I think that what helps make the Surfer's role in The Defenders almost essential. And I think Derrick has a point then to explore what it takes to push the Surfer's buttons as opposed to the others. What does it take for each member to fly off the handle where the others don't get as riled up. Namor would act out of an obligation to saving lives, but may not feel as emotionally invested in it as the Surfer would and it could be interesting to see Namor being the one who has the calm the Surfer down.

Dec 23, 2009 11:06:18 GMT -5 Derrick said:

On the subject of his sense of humor. I can see The Surfer and Dr. Strange sitting down together and watching British sitcoms, especially ones that deal with surrealism and the absurd. I imagine that The Surfer simply wouldn't get a show like "Blackadder" which depends almost entirely on sarcasm or shows dealing with the British class system. Namor and the Surfer don't share the same sense of humor at all and I'm not even sure that Namor does have a sense of humor. The Hulk is happy with cartoons which probably doesn't interest The Surfer at all.

That's a good observation. Which is why I don't see the Surfer having a sense of humor the others get. The Surfer has seen horrors like thousands of worlds getting ripped apart and whole civilizations lost. And beauties like the birth of a world or a star. The creation of a Nebula after the dying screams of a sun gone supernova. He's seen parts of space where physics may work in a completely different fashion, possibly even a fluidic space like in ST: Voyager and parts of space so remote they've been forgotten and parts of space along the edge of creation to see the whole of existance there created. Talked with beings so impossibly large that I'd imagine it's a lot like the movie DOGMA where if we heard their voices our heads would explode from the sheer fact that our primitive minds couldn't comprehend the voice of God...but the Surfer could talk with them just fine.

He's a being who's likely very aware of his existance in the universe and understands how fleeting it is, even with the possibility of immortality he has. A person like that wouldn't see humor like we do.

Dec 23, 2009 11:06:18 GMT -5 Derrick said:

As for the Spock analogy...well, I see The Surfer as never having been conflicted with his emotional balance as Spock has been and in fact, a major part of The Silver Surfer's problem is that he's so open emotionally. It's almost as if he walks around asking for his feelings to get hurt whereas Spock learned at a early age how to carefully and closely guard his emotions. Some of you guys have talked about how logical The Surfer is and I don't see it. Most of, if not all of his decisions are based on emotionalism, not logic. His whole motivation for offering himself up to Galactus was based on two emotions: love and curiosity. Remember when he turned against Galactus? What was his motivation there? Empathy. Remember when he gave Quasimodo the gift of mobility? What was his motivation there? Compassion. The Silver Surfer is an incredibly emotional individual and that's what gets him into trouble most of the time.

Yeah. I think I mispoke with logic. The Surfer isn't given to overly sporadic emotional bursts that I could confuse that with just being even and calm. But he's absolutely a very empathic and sympathic character, which are traits not shared by Namor and The Hulk.