Should All Marvel Super Heroes Be Cracking Jokes Like They’re Spider-Man?
By Nick Tylwalk
One of the best aspects of Spider-Man’s personality is the way he’s able to joke in the face of danger. I’d suspect it’s to cover up his own securities, but I only took one psychology class in college, so I’m far from an expert in that area.
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In any case, Spidey’s witty one-liners also help him stand out from the crowd a bit, because not every Marvel super hero has his way with words. Or at least they typically don’t, but all of a sudden, everyone is now making with the funny.
Captain America #25 was a great example. After some initial drama involving Jet Black, most of the rest of the issue was devoted to Sam Wilson officially accepting the role of Captain America. His unveiling was surprisingly joke-filled, as it appeared every member of the Avengers was trying to one-up each other with some clever quips. Even the Vision was getting in on the act, and he’s not even a real person, for Pete’s sake.
“So what?” you say. “That was a rare down moment for the Avengers, so let them make jokes about hors d’oeuvres if they want.” And you’re absolutely right. Except they’ve been yukking it up pretty consistently in the first two issues of AXIS too, and all while participating in a life-or-death struggle against a ridiculously powerful Red Skull.
We’re talking about everyone, Avengers and X-Men alike. Our own Matt Conner put it perfectly in his Marvel Pick of the Week column (which you should already be reading!), when he said:
"I happen to love big crossovers, and the plot of AXIS has actually been pretty good, but the characters have generally come across as interchangeable and too jokey."
And that’s it in a nutshell. If Spider-Man makes wisecracks in a big battle, it’s perfectly in character. Tony Stark talking smack even when his armor is out of power? Yep, that fits too, especially since Robert Downey Jr. kind of redefined his personality a bit in the movies.
For everyone else, it’s a bit much, and it takes away what makes Spidey and Tony special. The common denominator here is Rick Remender. who wrote all of the comics we’re discussing. I actually praised Captain America #25 in my review, mostly because it felt like such a fun contrast to the “this is serious, everything’s at stake business” feel of his Uncanny Avengers run. Now though, I wonder if it wouldn’t be more effective if he eased up just a bit.
What say you, readers? Do you like your Marvel heroes cracking wise left and right to give their adventures a more swashbuckling feel, or do you prefer more differentiation between the characters? Hit us with a comment or sound off on our Facebook page.