Our poll position this week is graphical in nature, since this is, after all, a site that deals with the visuals of the genre:
Discussion after the jump!
A super-hero's logo says a lot about them. It gives them instant recognition, sets the tone for the kind of character they want to be, and in general can induce either terror, admiration, or outright laughter. With that in mind, let's review some of the classics.
- Batman Beyond: A great take on one of the all-time great logos. I love the introduction of the read to the usual black and yellow palette, hinting at blood and mayhem. The straighter lines and harsher angles also give this treatment a lot more movement and dynamism, which fit the younger, sleeker, more acrobatic version of The Batman perfectly. An excelleng blend of design and character development.
- Batman: An absolute classic. Simple, blunt, direct, and -- most importantly -- it looks good projected onto clouds. While the basic black bat without the yellow target is, I think, the best iteration of the design, I grew up with the spotlight and the whole thing looks unfinished to me without it.
- Flash: I have always loved Flash's logo. Let's face it, lightning bolts are cool. They can even make powder-blue football uniforms look decent! I also like how lightning featured in Barry Allen's origin, besides the obvious connotations of speed. I also really like how the bolt pierces the background circle, breaking the confines of the logo space. He cannot be stopped, he cannot even be contained! Somewhere, Keith Olberman and Dan Patrick are having a copyright-infringed heart attack right about now.
- Green Lantern: It's green, and it's a lantern. Get it? What it lacks in subtlety it makes up for in nice, simple, clean lines. The classic explanation of the colors also resonates with me -- green for life, black for space, white for the light of hope. Good stuff.
- Punisher: Speaking of a lack of subtlety, you certainly can't fault The Punisher for leaving you wondering what he's all about. Death, skulls, black and white, long fangs, this one is as unambiguous as it gets.
- Spider-Man: This is the movie remake version of the classic Spidey logo, and I really like it. The increased leg length and angularity up the creepiness factor quite a bit. It looks good in black and white, and is suited to his costume without being too flashy.
- Superman: Arguably the most recognizable logo in history. The strong red and yellow color scheme perfectly fit the character -- bold, decisive, strong, bright. The diamond shape enclosing the red "S" also speaks of toughness and strength within structure. The bold sweeping letter shapes blending into the diamond border are stylish and cool, as well.
- Thundercats: A childhood weakness of mine, I always thought this logo was cool. I like the black and red and the way it reminds me of sports logos. Perhaps, like Daisy Duke shorts, this was better left in childhood memories...
- Transformers: See "Cats, Thunder", immediately preceding this entry.
- Wonder Woman: Someone needs to alert Wonder Man that it is, in fact, possible to nest the initials of your name without looking like a total tool. This isn't the strongest logo out there, but felt it was important to point out that even cliches don't have to suck.
Superman or Batman are the clear favorites, I think, in a national cultural sense. They're the most popular and recognizable characters, with very strong logos, so it makes sense that they would resonate with people. But for me, I'd probably have to go with either Green Lantern or Flash. Both logos are strong and reflect well on their owners. I ultimately decided on Flash, though, because lightning!
Which would you choose, and why? Are there things you like and dislike about each? Sound off!
