Welcome back! Today we get some answers from:

fathernson

fathernson is a 36 year old, who hails from the US and joined HCrealms on 8/21/04.

When did you start reading comic books?

fns: I can't be sure, but it was elementary school, probably 3-5th grade. I quit after a couple of years, and started again in high school. I quit then after 3-4 years, and started again about 4 years ago. Still currently reading.

What or who got you started?

fns: In all three cases, I found a friend that was reading comics, and started picking stuff up myself.

What do you like most about comic books? Least?

fns: Most, heroism. The idea that you can stand against problems and make your own destiny no matter what the odds.

Least: corporate greed. Fancy formats, renumbering series, telling stories that don't matter just for the hype. Bleh.

What is your favorite title? Why?

fns: I'll always love The Avengers. I've read them in all three of my comic periods. Currently the title I can't wait to read is Devi by Virgin Comics. It's new and different, fresh and interesting. I have no idea what's going to happen from issue to issue. It's completely its own thing.

Who is your favorite/least favorite comic character? Why?

fns: Captain America. He never gives up, and he always stays true to his values. He doesn't care what the odds are; if it's the right thing to do, Cap's in.

If your favorite comic book character is a hero, who is your favorite villain? If it’s a villain, who’s your favorite hero? Why?

fns: My favorite villian is The Taskmaster. I had his first appearance as a kid, and still have that copy. Photographic reflexes, coolest power ever. As a child that sounded so totally cool.

What is your favorite/least favorite hero team? Villain team? Why?

fns: Is that four questions?

DS: Why, yes. I suppose it is.

fns Favorite Hero Team - Avengers - Great characters and good development. I grew up with them and I'm a pretty loyal person. Favorite story arc is the Fall of Hank Pym.

Least Favorite Hero Team - X-Men - Everybody always liked the X-Men, and I tend to move away from the crowd. Their stories (when I was a kid) just struck me as too complicated, and I never really got into them. Reading summaries now I understand that a lot of those stories had more depth than I was ready for at the time.

Favorite Villian Team - Masters of Evil - Opposite of the Avengers. Changing rosters and leadership, interesting characters.

Least Favorite Villian Team - can't think of anyone.

Who is your favorite/least favorite comic writer? Why?

fns: Kurt Busiek - He put so much character and humanity into his stories. His stories are grounded and real. I love what he did with the Avengers, and I really like Astro City.

Who is your favorite comic artist? Why?

fns: George Perez. He captures the spirit of heroism that I look for, and his bodies aren't over the top. Some artist draw their figures with too many muscles, or giant breasts, and that takes away from the realism to me.

How many comics do you read on a monthly basis?

fns: Maybe 10-12.

How much do you spend on comics monthly?

fns: Maybe $30-$40.

About how many comic books do you own?

fns: I've sold off a lot of my collection. I'm down to 2 long boxes and maybe 6 short boxes. I don't hold on to everything like I used to.

What is your favorite comic era- the Golden Age (1930’s-1950’s), the Silver Age (1950’s-1980’s), or the Bronze Age (1980’s to present)?

fns: Bronze Age, that covers most of what I've read.

What changes would you like to see in the comic book medium?

fns: Move away from decompressed story-telling as the primary medium. Tell less stories, but better stories. I keep wondering how cool it could be to read everything that a company put out, to see their whole story, but only have to pick up maybe 10-12 titles. I'm a dreamer.

What is more important to you: good stories or continuity? Why?

fns: Good stories, but continuity is important. Characters need to grow, and young readers need to see how choices affect their lives. Stories provide that element, but continuity is needed to retain it.

Do you only read comics from one company? If so which one and why?

fns: I read Marvel, and Virgin, and I pick up trades from a few other companies, including DC.

Pitch 5 comic series, Graphic Novels, or trades to members of HCrealms.

fns:

• Devi - Virgin Comics - Good art, set in a city in India so the backgrounds and scenery are really different. The character is imbued with the spirit of a heavenly champion, and charged with fighting a demonic super-baddy. Only, she's not really interested in that and would just rather leave town. Her plans are disrupted by the bad guy's plots, and this cop that's been hanging around her lately trying to make her do good. This is the title I'm most excited about right now.
  
• Seven Brothers - Virgin Comics - in ancient times, China sent a fleet of ships to navigate the earth and bring back tribute to the emperor. A powerful wizard tried to sieze control of the world, but was foiled. Now the wizard has returned to life, and seven descendants of the wizard's apprentice have been brought together to use their strange powers to stop him. Neat idea, good use of history, fun stories so far. It's got a martial arts movie feel to it.
  
• Ultimate Fantastic Four - I never liked the FF, but I'm really enjoying this series. The stories are told in smaller arcs, so they move pretty quickly, and there are only 6 trades out so far. Not too much to catch up on.
  
• Squadron Supreme - the original series. I got this trade for Christmas this year, and I was really surprised with the depth of storytelling. The art is old school, and there are some hokey aspects to it, but the characters struggle with meaty philosophical and moral issues that make it a great story.
  
• Teen Titans: A Kid's Game - a trade collecting the first six or so issues of the current Titans series. I love the artwork and the stories, it uses a classic team with Cyborg, Raven, Garth, Starfire. Really great stuff, and it hooked my son as well.

What is your favorite comic-related movie to date?

fns: Spider-Man 2.

If you watch comic-related cartoons, which has been your favorite?

fns: The Justice League series from Cartoon Network.

What do you like about the comic forums of HCrealms? What do you dislike?

fns: Hearing synopses of various titles to learn more about what's going on. - - Closemindedness. But I don't see that too often.

How can HCrealms improve the comic forums, to better suit the needs of the comic book readers who used the site?

fns: More subcategories. Keep the talk of actual current comic book stuff away from the historical discussions and the who-would-win stuff.

What would you like HCrealms comic readers to know about you, in regards to you as a comic reader/collector?

fns: That I enjoy reading their opinions, and I appreciate that they take the time to discuss their favorite titles.

Thanks fathernson!

Got to love anyone willing to pimp the Titans, but it's Gar, not Garth

Garfield "Gar" Logan is Beast Boy (a.k.a. Changeling), while Garth is Tempest (a.k.a. Aqualad).

But again, mad props for lovin' the Titans and for sharing it with your son (my kids love the Titans too).

Thanks for the correction Grinner! And thanks to Darth Sabre (or is that Dar ) for this idea, and all his hard work.

Gee, you can tell this was written before I read Civil War #7. Bleh.

Which only goes to show you how out of character Cap's surrender was. Think about it - in the past, he has taken off the uniform during times when he disagreed with what the US government wanted to do - yet he has never stopped fighting the good fight. Cap is a man who embraces his ideals and stands by them. He's no quitter!

Anyhow, excellent read. It's great to see we all have such common interests, and that we are all willing to share them.

No worries, it wasn't expected. That said, it was all for shock value I bet. Joe Q is an idiot.

Yeah, but you said "if it's the right hing to do".

He beieved it was the right thing to do, so he surrendered.

That as well.

He believed it was the right thing to do because the author told him so, not because it was consistent with his values. That's why I didn't like it.

I'm just hoping that Brubaker can continue to write him correctly in his own series and that editorial "suggestions" don't water down the character he's been reviving so well.

Well, the thing there is, it won't be Steve Rogers as Cap anymore, so... it will be different. Specially now, since the new Cap will be none other then Johan Schmidt himself.

Little suspecting that it was FathernSon who killed Captain America.