Board 8 > Scarlet Ranks User-Created Superhero Teams

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#33 - WELCOME TO THE 90S NERDADORKS Created by: IHateThisCPU

BADROCK
AZRAEL
JACK T CHANCE
PENANCE
Shotgun Mary Delacroix.
NEMESIS THE WARLOCK
JACK HAWKSMOOR
BLOODSHOT

I like the chemistry of this roster a lot. On the surface, this appears to be a glorification of 90s excess, but when you dig a little deeper into this team, you see that there are a lot of characters with some substance. Azrael, Hawksmoor, and even Bloodshot are great examples of characters who can take a real star turn here. I don't like Shotgun Mary as a female rep for this team, and I'm not a big fan of the more obscure characters included here, but from an objective point of view, this team has variety, potential and a couple characters that can sell a title.

However, I don't see the point of the team. I can't figure out what will make the series tick. And maybe that's my own problem and I need to shut the hell up. But the reason for this team being just isn't there for me. And I think that's important. When the Avengers sells well, it feels like it matters. They need to exist because of specific circumstances that bind them together. When the Avengers suck, they sort of float around between threats and ponder their own navels. That's kind of what this group looks like to me.

Simply put, I don't need a membership drive here, I need a motivation drive. I can't even come up with an idea on my own. I don't really have a vision for this group, and that's why, despite the huge amount of potential here, I have to drop this group.
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Probably no write-ups today; had a pipe burst in the store above us, and I'm dealing with the fallout.
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Oh no. Hopefully it hasn't ruined any books from leakage through the ceiling?
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https://s15.postimg.cc/s1jwxkbfv/15355655173951568132668.jpg

Damaged books, table 1 of 2.

That's why I have insurance on the store!
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Damn, and two tables of that.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

https://s15.postimg.cc/s1jwxkbfv/15355655173951568132668.jpg

Damaged books, table 1 of 2.

That's why I have insurance on the store!

No, anything but the Moon Knight!
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Snake5555555555 posted...

scarletspeed7 posted...

https://s15.postimg.cc/s1jwxkbfv/15355655173951568132668.jpg

Damaged books, table 1 of 2.

That's why I have insurance on the store!

No, anything but the Moon Knight!

There's a Punisher one underneath the Moon Knight one.
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WickIebee posted...

Snake5555555555 posted...

scarletspeed7 posted...

https://s15.postimg.cc/s1jwxkbfv/15355655173951568132668.jpg

Damaged books, table 1 of 2.

That's why I have insurance on the store!

No, anything but the Moon Knight!

There's a Punisher one underneath the Moon Knight one.

:(
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Not sure if I will get to write-ups today. I really want to, but I still have to work on the damages. Today I go through my massive boxes of things like Futures End and Convergence back issues to determine the "value" of those comics.

I say "value" because if you know anything about those events, they were pretty valueless.
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Freakin pipes, man. Good luck with that hopefully the insurance isn't too much of a headache to work out.
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No, it's actually really great because Diamond is going to have to send the paperwork (which is just them literally sending my list with prices), and the previous times I've had a damaged out comic, the insurance just sent me a check. This time it's just going to be a huge check. Not to mention they do comics off of cover prices and not my initial cost, so that's a massive profit I'm making. Not to mention all of these comics were going to effectively be a loss since they were back issue bin comics.
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So you're saying if I ever open a comic book store try to set up shop in a poorly maintained building and hope for the best.
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Lopen posted...

So you're saying if I ever open a comic book store try to set up shop in a poorly maintained building and hope for the best.

No but actually yes

I'm in a mall, and this is far from the norm. The mall itself is well maintained. A new store moved in upstairs and the resulting maintenance caused an accident, so it's sort of a borderline "freak" situation. The premiums I pay are really low because it's a mall store, so there is a significant amount of preventative maintenance and built-in safety measures provided that drive the cost down for me. So, really, this is a great deal for me.
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I have so many terrible Convergence issues taking up valuable box space in my closet.

Man, that event was a waste of time and money.
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Yeah I was making space in my boxes and just threw away nearly 150 comics from that period.
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Futures End, in a vacuum, is better as a self-contained whole. It's like a show that's best binged.

Convergence had the potential to be amazing and it was just the biggest missed opportunity. Luckily we went into Rebirth after that and the overall comic quality skyrocketed from the Convergence year.
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Convergence did such a shitty job resetting things they literally had to reset them again.

I realize that this was a clever way to not skip any publication months during DCs big move but still.
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I kind of want to get a book graded at my upcoming comic con this weekend just to have one, but I don't really own anything of value.

I'm debating between Darth Vader #3 (first appearance of Aphra), just because it's one of the only books I have that seems to sell for more than $5-$10, or the Batman/Elmer Fudd special that I plan on getting signed by Tom King because he always does a dumb drawing on the entire cover and it'd be cool to preserve it.

I also have a bunch of signed books from Snyder/Capullo but none of them are inherently valuable and I didn't realize until recently that there was a difference between a raw signature and a graded signature.

I don't have any plans to sell them, I just like the look of graded stuff and the case they put the book in.

Any thoughts?
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davidponte posted...

I kind of want to get a book graded at my upcoming comic con this weekend just to have one, but I don't really own anything of value.

I'm debating between Darth Vader #3 (first appearance of Aphra), just because it's one of the only books I have that seems to sell for more than $5-$10, or the Batman/Elmer Fudd special that I plan on getting signed by Tom King because he always does a dumb drawing on the entire cover and it'd be cool to preserve it.

I also have a bunch of signed books from Snyder/Capullo but none of them are inherently valuable and I didn't realize until recently that there was a difference between a raw signature and a graded signature.

I don't have any plans to sell them, I just like the look of graded stuff and the case they put the book in.

Any thoughts?

Based off what I've heard and seen. I would pick a book that you have a personal attachment to. No sense in getting one graded if you don't have anything super valuable and getting the signed ones graded is always tricky because different companies count them differently.
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I got a few comics graded. My highest value issue is the first appearance of Deadman (Strange Adventures #205), which is graded at a 7.0 and valued at close to $400. I bought it for a buck in Chambersburg, PA at an antique store.

I also got my copy of Countdown to Infinite Crisis #1 graded because it was the first single-issue comic I ever purchased. It would only be like $5 but it has personal value to me.
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Actually there was something I could use some advice on regarding grading my ASM 300. I'm not sure if it's worth grading, I'm thinking it might be a 7 maybe a 7.5, but idk if itll be worth grading value wise. I dont want to drop the money on getting it graded if it won't jump in value.
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According to my guide, ASM 300 is worth $220 at 7.0. It has gone up several times over the past couple of years with only one decrease in 2009.

I would be careful around the release of Venom though because a lot of issues like that tend to emerge during movie periods and that decreases the value a lot I've discovered.
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Yeah that's what I'm worried about. Saw that happen with my NM98. Probably just best to keep it a raw issue for now then I guess
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I am gonna get my first appearances of Jessica Cruz and Simon Baz appraised.

Maybe nothing comes of them but I think both have the potential to get truly popular
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Batman #51, with a raw signature from Snyder/Capullo, is probably the comic that means the most to me, with it being the end of one of my favourite runs and also my favourite Batman cover, so that could be a good choice in terms of grading for the sake of preservation.

The Batman/Elmer Fudd with a Tom King drawing is a cool thing to bring out down the line and say "hey look what Tom King did to my book", though.

It's definitely between those two then, since the Darth Vader doesn't have any personal meaning to me.
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#32 - Animal Tech Created by: WickIe

Who needs humans to fire the big guns?

Rocket Raccoon
Bucky O'Hare
Bandit
Tinker
Pirate

I think there's great potential for chemistry here, I think there's a vision for the team to some extent, but I don't really LOVE this group. I can't quite put my finger on why. It might just be that the entire We3 team is here, and I wouldn't want to sully the power of We3 by reusing those characters. We3 is one of those rare comics that really put a lump in my throat and a tear in my eye. It's this pristine little story that means so much because of its ending. Carrying it forward just seems... disrespectful? I'm not sure why, but it certainly provides mixed emotions.

I also don't particularly care for Bucky O'Hare as a character, but he certainly fits the bill for this concept. I'm sorry I don't have too much to say here. This team would click together pretty well, but for me personally, I don't want to read it. Objectively, however, good work.

Membership Drive: I think Tigorr is a big miss for this group. He's got a great, unique personality in comics, and he easily fits the bill for what Wickle is going.
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Too bad it's not Ermine rating that team.
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It would be amusing to see Ermine rating the We3 characters before actually reading We3 given what We3 is actually like. I also don't think Ermine would hold a story in such high esteem that it shouldn't be sullied by further production of content.
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Surprised no Sonic comic characters were used in that team.

Rotor or Bunnie could totally fit in there. Decent subs to flesh it out if the entire We3 team doesn't want to be carried over.

Maybe cause I'm the only one who actually read Sonic comics. Whatever!
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It's just my opinion but Sonic comics are drivel and schlock and absolutely should never been mentioned in the same breath as the works of such great writers as Warren Ellis, Grant Morrison and Garth Ennis.

Also, the membership isn't a problem except to me personally. I'm not holding that against Wickle.
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did any Archie characters get put in a team?
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Johnbobb posted...

did any Archie characters get put in a team?

No.
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I don't entirely disagree with that assessment but the characters work for that concept!
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#31 - The Tick And The Crusaders of JUSTICE Created by: Lopen

The Tick
Red Skull
Sabretooth
The Shredder
The Joker

The strengths of this title are also the drawbacks. The concept is simple but exceptional; the Tick, likely inured into a false sense of security thanks to his oblivious misconceptions of villains from another reality, charges into the fray with the teeth-baring baddies at his back with knives always drawn. And the only things that protect the Tick from being gutted like the insignificant insect he is are his own oblivious missteps and the natural predatory in-fighting happening behind him when he's not looking. I love the idea of everyone pushing each other down in an attempt to secure prime footing to kill the Tick, only to learn that the Tick's own cartoonish goofiness protects him much like Bink's magical talent in A Spell for Chameleon.

The drawback here is that, ultimately, this is a miniseries. This isn't a full-blown title. Joker is going to, eventually, murder somebody. The villains are all such big names that you can't reasonably house all of them in an ongoing team book for too long. Sabretooth is your biggest team player here, but even he will yearn for the solitary lifestyle at some point. But the concept, the gimmick of the book, is just too delicious to pass up for at least a miniseries. And if you can get 6 great issues out of something, that's no small feet. This oblivious crusade of the Tick with evil nipping at his heels is SUCH a great visual, and the dysfunction of the team itself is so perfect for its concept, that I have to give a definite thumbs up.

Membership Drive: Go further. Doctor Sivana would be a great addition to this group; imagine massive death rays and elaborate traps being set up to kill the Tick only for the Tick to stumble past them and get his target of vigilante justice ensnared instead. Sivana would be fuming but forced to act as if all was going to plan. I just love that potential on this team.
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That was probably my favorite of my submissions so I'm kinda disappointed to see it drop 3rd, but top 30 (or 31 as it were!) is good and ultimately I think my lack of broad comic knowledge maybe held me back on this one. So I'm going to on a rambling tirade explaining what I was trying to do in the slots (you seem to get the overall vision for the team well enough) and see if you have better alternatives-- particularly in the Shredder/Joker slots.

Basically had 3 concepts for the membership
- Use guys that look super evil to the point where it's absurd that Tick could think they're actually crusaders of JUSTICE
- Use guys that aren't so powerful that they can just wreck Tick (or just bail because they can teleport or whatever), even if working together
- Use guys that have worked with teams before and could potentially have their arms twisted into working either with Tick to achieve his goal temporarily, or with each other to deal with Tick, depending on what you want to do in the issue

Beyond that you have each of the guys achieving something unique in how they interact with Tick.

Red Skull - The Mastermind who is always scheming, trying to make PLOTZ to deal with Tick, often pretending to go along with what he's doing to further his plan
Sabretooth - The Heavy who throws the subtlety out the window and just fights Tick head on-- is the best match for Tick in a fight, but can't actually beat him. Eventually he gets it out of his system and begrudingly works with him or whatever you need to do.
Shredder - Proud warrior who is thoroughly offended that Tick would try to claim to be leading him. Even more outmatched by Tick than Sabretooth, but doesn't stop him from trying to fight him head on as well. Often played as kind of a comic relief character more akin to the 80s cartoon here-- not sure if he's EVER been portrayed like that in comics and I know well you hate Shredder but he fits the main criteria well enough.
Joker - Wild card that can straight up work with Tick to screw his partners over or even for no particular end. Emphasis on the crazy end of him more than the evil as I think that helps the team gel better. Thing with Joker is he's a bit DARK when he's working properly so I'm not sure that's what I actually ideally wanted (like you said he will eventually murder someone which I don't really want here) but I couldn't think of a better alternative to fill this role that fits the initial team membership criteria. Part of me just wanted to slot Harley Quinn in here and be done with it but she's maybe not quite blatantly evil enough.

Dr Sivana is a very good add though. Gets the idea very well. I feel like adding him or just replacing Red Skull with him would be an improvement.

Totally get the "this can only be a miniseries" thing though I do think there are a lot of things you could do with the concept I have in my head
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Did we skip 31?

I should've used The Tick somewhere.
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Lopen posted...

see if you have better alternatives-- particularly in the Shredder/Joker slots.

I don't like the Joker on this team if you want it to go more than a miniseries, but I vastly prefer the Joker on this team than the alternatives.

The same kind of applies to Shredder. He's good because he has name recognition.

This is best a miniseries because this schtick would get old very quickly. That's not to say you can't do another miniseries a year or so later; I think the monthly grind of this makes it procedural and therefore it loses its flare. The reason you can do the X-Men forever is the broad subject matter and the massive potential roster. The roster here needs to be limited to iconic villains, and you have to keep the title unique so that this gathering matters.
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Hm yeah fair I guess. I think it's a gimmick that has a lot of things you can do with it, but it is ultimately a gimmick and wouldn't want to be anything beyond that, so in that sense I can see why you'd want to not make it a monthly thing.
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#30 - The League of Villains for Higher Pay Created by: Tangy

Tired of being defeated and laughed atBatroc the Leaper formed a group of c list villains and anti heroes to gain some recognition for themselves. Their stories could detail their struggles to become well respected either as villains or heroes of need be

Batroc the Leaper
Hydra Bob
The Matador
Kite-Man
Stilt-Man

This is another phenomenal concept. Tonally, this reminds me a lot of Superior Foes of Spider-Man, and the only issue I have with this group is that I think there's a bit of ceiling to this concept, and the fact that this really, really skirted the rules of the ranking project. This is definitely a villain team first and foremost. Much like the last list, I had to weigh my better judgment against the list to determine just how much the membership would penalize the the list. I think the fact that there's no legitimate hero here is what ultimately drops this list at this point.

I enjoy teams with whimsy and the immediate promise of dynamic character development. The concept provides that. I can see a rise from street level thug to B-plus player in the superhuman community for everyone in this group, rife with a mix of antics from Animal House and The Office to buttress the burgeoning capes-and-cowling progress the title presents. There's a lot to like here.

What I don't like is the lack of diversity. Everyone here plays like a 60s Marvel villain. There's not an exception to that rule. I'm not even worried about the lack of a female character; in fact, a boys club is exactly what this title should be. They need to be pigeonholed into one mode of thinking; it makes the comedy that much better. These are some dumb motherfuckers, and there's a reason none of them have achieved anything in their decades-long careers. But the fact that we have no darker character, no overpowered underachiever, no career sidelined by drunken carousing, no D-List superhero who has fallen onto hard times... everyone here is a small-time career villain with roughly the same career trajectory, and that's a little dull.

Membership Drive: I'd love to see the introduction of someone like Morbius, who sits at a bar in the corner of the room downing Blood... y Marys constantly while bemoaning his failures over the years. He's got a magic edge, a really dark backstory and aura about him, and giving him a gimmick of drunkeness would be extremely amusing. Another character who would fit this group would be a good AI like Roxy from JSA All-Stars. Sort of blurring the line between computer and true artificial intelligence, you could subtly build the conspiracy for fans that Roxy is the one who put this team together, keeps it together, and strategically provides opportunities for them to succeed. She could be the den mother that no one realizes is pulling all the strings - but in a beneficial way. All of these buffoons would believe in their own success but, in reality, they owe a debt of thanks to Roxy for fixing their many, many mistakes.
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scarletspeed7 posted...

I'm sorry I don't have too much to say here. This team would click together pretty well, but for me personally, I don't want to read it.

I knew this would eventually be the thing. It's like, a fair balance, but not the most interesting concept.

scarletspeed7 posted...

Membership Drive: I think Tigorr is a big miss for this group. He's got a great, unique personality in comics, and he easily fits the bill for what Wickle is going.

I think I missed him as I was looking for animal heroes alone.

Either way, there's a few things I could have tried to do to open it up, but I feel I could either break the concept completely, or end up making a team that just doesn't work in concept. I'm just not complacent with what I made, but my comics knowledge will always leave me with team concepts that can hold a lot to desire.
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#29 - Chain Reaction Created by: Raetsel Lapin

Vandal Savage
Savage Dragon
Dragon Man
Man of War (Clay Carter)
War Machine

Membership Drive: Machine Man
Manchester Black
Black Spider
Spider Gwen
Gwen Stacy
Stacy X
X-O Commando
Commando Yank
Yankee Poodle
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What a write-up!
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Gwen Stacy is spider gwen i call bullshit
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Gwen Stacy is not Spider-Gwen. They are from different realities. You of all people should know better.
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...I haven't seen the name X-O Commando in so, so long. o-o'
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Hey scarlet, what superhero has the most confusing backstory due to retcons other than Hawkman?
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Anagram posted...

Hey scarlet, what superhero has the most confusing backstory due to retcons other than Hawkman?

Donna Troy, followed by Power Girl.
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#28 - Nature's Wrath Created by: GavsEvans

This team of eco-warriors will make you wish you were facing Captain Planet instead.

Swamp Thing
Poison Ivy
Groot
Aquaman
Storm
Human Torch
Iceman

There were two teams that pitched Captain Planet in some form or fashion. This is the lesser of the two.

What I like here is the potential for interplay. Aside from the inscrutably dull Storm, everyone in this group has a personality and a unique voice. You can really play around with the interactions because, aside from Iceman/Human Torch, there isn't a lot of exploration between relationships pertaining to any two of these characters. I think you balanced the powers with good variety and range here, and even the duplicate powers have their own unique subsets and attitudes that would make everyone stand out as unique.

Except Aquaman. And this was the big thing for me on this particular team; it's a super-huge nitpick, but it's MY nitpick, so you must learn to live with it. Either Aquaman is here because he represents water as a force of nature, or he's here because he represents the sealife within the ocean. If it's the first option, Aquaman has no actual water powers, so I dislike it. If it's the latter, he should be immediately replaced with Animal Man. Either way, it just pisses me off for no reason. And that - combined with slightly less detail in your pitch than the other Captain Planet concept - dropped you here.
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My Captain Planet team was inspired by the tagline for that team. I was just like "oh hell I can do this fun joke."

And then you saw my squad. Still can't wait to see Membership Drive for it. I submitted it way too quickly, when I could have thought about it more.
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I know you thought it was bad, but it really wasn't.
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