Polite Dissent

11 Responses to “ Doc Samson ”

1. Randy
   November 3rd, 2005 at 5:39 pm
   

   I too found it strange that ad in Previews. Glad I’m not alone! LOL

2. Kurt
   November 3rd, 2005 at 10:57 pm
   

   And us really old fogeys remember that it was Gertrude Stein who made the, “There is no there there,” line famous.

3. James Meeley
   November 4th, 2005 at 12:38 am
   

   Maybe the copy writer meant that it was Doc’s “first” mini-series that is worth a crap. As you noted, the 1996 one was horrid. Maybe Marvel is just trying to promote it as the first WORTHWHILE Doc Samson mini-series.

4. Chris Arndt
   November 4th, 2005 at 2:37 am
   

   As a strong man character Doc Samson is weaker than Hulk and stronger than most Marvel heroes.

   As a super-hero Doc Samson is boring, lethargic and somewhat uninteresting.

   When it comes to fight scenes there aren’t really any villains that can whup on Doc Samson that wouldn’t/couldn’t basically devastate city blocks unless the writer is crapping up.

   The first Doc Samson series took the character and treated him in-character, which is part of why the series blew chunks. The character isn’t fit for a four-issue-long story that’s not quite straightfoward. Ironically the second reason it blew was because all the guest stars sort of distracted from the main character.

   Doc Samson is not an actual super-hero. He does some super-heroic work but a lot of his own deeds are motivated by selfishness when they are not part of his role as a psychiatrist. He wants love, or redemption, or glory, or the feeling of a job well done. He’s a heel.

   Hard to have a good, entertaining series while using the character right.

5. Aine
   November 4th, 2005 at 9:48 am
   

   On a slightly more shallow note, looking at those covers reminded me of why I hate the art style of the 90s. Why did basic human anatomy go on holiday for a whole decade? Was it a conspiracy? Was it a trend? Was it aliens? Who knows. I just hope it never comes back and takes over the way it did back then.

6. Scott
   November 4th, 2005 at 11:55 am
   

   “He wants love, or redemption, or glory, or the feeling of a job well done. He’s a heel.”

   Don’t most superheroes share these very human motivations?

   Love – Both Superman and Spider-man have certainly pursued love, while hopefully not to the detriment of their heroic careers.

   Redemption – This has been the motivation for many heroes, although the example that comes to mind, Angel, is from TV and not comics, but I think is arguably a superhero (or at least a hero).

   Glory – Okay, not the noblest of motivations, but certainly in the back of many heroes’ minds. And of course, there’s always Booster Gold…

   Satisfaction of a job well done – hard to see how this is a negative.

   In short, I have a hard time seeing how any of these motivations, other than glory, would lead to calling somene a heel. They also all potentially provide good story hooks, as does Doc’s psychiatrist career. For one thing, he’s probably the only therapist available for any court-mandated counseling or therapy for super-prison inmates, since he’s likely the only practicing, licensed psychiatrist with his degree of strength or resistance to injury; all the others are too susceptible to being killed by their patients during a moment of catharsis or just impatience.

   Samson’s also a polymath, although not at the Reed Richards or Hank Pym level. Not only did he have to earn an MD and Ph. D. in order to be a psychiatrist, he’s also at least well enough versed in the physical sciences and engineering to have participated in the creation of the gamma ray emitter that gave him his powers.

   But of course, the real reason this mini-series won’t be as bad as the last one is that it looks liek the art won’t suck.

7. M
   November 4th, 2005 at 1:46 pm
   

   Redemption = Spidey

8. Argott
   November 5th, 2005 at 2:56 am
   

   Well, this new “first time ever” mini-series surely won’t be any good if it doesn’t include The Punisher and X-Factor like the original. We’ll probably have to put up with some new-fangled House of M spin. The nerve!

9. Chris Arndt
   November 5th, 2005 at 11:56 am
   

   Most super-heroes may have those motivations but Doc Samson was never a super-hero in the strictest sense. He’s the dude who’d kick sand in your face at the beach and take your girl.

   I’m saying he doesn’t have a motivation that ultimately doesn’t center on his own craptacular self. Unless he’s plying his psychiatric trade. The bad motivations are his only motivations.

   That said, I love Doc Samson.

   and that attack on Booster Gold was uncalled for…. stupid recent writers and their retroactive bent on hating Booster Gold….

10. Chris Arndt
    November 5th, 2005 at 12:11 pm
    

    and to be a Doc Sampson apologist….

11. Scott
    November 7th, 2005 at 3:29 pm
    

    Hey, I love Booster!

    Sure, Doc was a bit of dick at first, what with trying to steal Betty, give himself powers while remaining good-looking, and otherwise one-up Bruce Banner in every way, but he’s mainly displayed more noble motivations since. The only reason he’s a reluctant superhero seems to be that he feels he can usually be of better service as a psychiatrist.

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