tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1998835043850194033.post3235129231233446356..comments2024-03-01T21:22:51.305-08:00Comments on The Literary Mercenary: Are "Tortured Souls" Really Just Stunted Characters?Neal Litherlandhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01307649737269196558noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1998835043850194033.post-70703312566183522492015-12-11T15:55:53.028-08:002015-12-11T15:55:53.028-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05931839019012769432noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1998835043850194033.post-3154224731991811472015-12-11T15:00:42.037-08:002015-12-11T15:00:42.037-08:00I do recall that the author intended for Rorschach...I do recall that the author intended for Rorschach to be the person who horrified the audience, but when Americans read it, we couldn't get enough of him. Which may say something about our culture.Neal Litherlandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01307649737269196558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1998835043850194033.post-79038641435168965892015-12-11T13:35:03.279-08:002015-12-11T13:35:03.279-08:00Good points but bad examples. Neither Spiderman no...Good points but bad examples. Neither Spiderman nor Batman develop past this defining life point. Batman broods and Spidey tells jokes, but both are driven by their tragic past. These characters do not develop because they are comic book heroes so old that their personalities define them. To change their personality is to change the recipe that have kept readers coming for decades. It worked, it was copied.<br />Now, Jessica Jones is a story. And over that story we can see her change and grow. Because she hasn't been used and reused over and over again, her character has been allowed to grow. In fact, her popularity currently depends on her growth rather than an iconic facet of her character.<br />Your mention of Rorchach would have been better as a primary example than Batman. As part of a fully realised story, the characters of Watchmen grow and develop in response to changing events... except Rorchach. Where other characters change, grow, adapt and move on, Rorschach refuses to do so and this is a deliberate and brilliant counterpoint effectively used by the storyteller.David Astleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15027277298852667402noreply@blogger.com