The Best Symbol

[Klytus]

Ok. Having been inspired by comments in the "Coolest Weapon" thread, I'd like to see what super-hero symbol people like the best.

[Hermit]

What, no Foxbat option again? :D

[zen_hydra]

...got to go with the Bat Signal. The bat emblem has got to be the most universally recognised of all the symbols listed.

[MisterVimes]

Gotta go with the bat. It strikes terror into the bad guys.

[FlyBoy]

The logo on the back of Starman's Jacket. Ornate, yet still iconic...

Although the big red "S" is a close second...

[lemming]

I've always liked the logo that Zot! had.

See Zot! (http://www.scottmccloud.com/store/books/zot.html), but what I'd really want is the !!! from DESTROY!! (http://www.scottmccloud.com/store/books/destroy.html)

Note the front cover has only two !!, but the back cover is just a glorious explosion with !!! in the middle. sigh. Think I'll go scan it in if it fits on my scanner that is.

[Supreme]

Though I like the Bat a lot, it always struck me as strange and counter-productive for Batman. If he indeed sought to inspire fear by assuming the guise of a giant bat, then why put something on his chest that essentially say, "I'm a guy wearing a bat-themed costume." I guess there's still the totemic value. And sorry, Zen-Hydra, but Superman's "S" is far more widely recognized than any other symbol in popular culture. Heck, there's probably plenty of people who, if you showed them the bat, would think it was the Bacardi logo.;)

So, my favorite? I've always been partial to the silver age Green Lantern logo. There's something about it that's always seemed really cool to me. Of course the silver age Flash logo ain't too bad neither.

[Hermit]

I just reread SuperPheemy's post in the weapon thread, and darn it, that sold me. Maybe it is the Marvel Zombie in me, but whenever the Avengers rallied, or all heroes united, even if Cap wasn't leading them: That shield was the centerpiece, the beckon of hope that spoke for them silently. Doggone it, you half way expect them to hum the super hero anthem or something.

"All those who choose to oppose that shield must yield!" :)

[Jerry A!]

Originally posted by Supreme
Though I like the Bat a lot, it always struck me as strange and counter-productive for Batman. If he indeed sought to inspire fear by assuming the guise of a giant bat, then why put something on his chest that essentially say, "I'm a guy wearing a bat-themed costume." I guess there's still the totemic value.

I kinda like the explanation given in Dark Knight. It makes sense.

For those that don't know, he says something like, "why do you think I wear a big target on my chest," as he gets shot, only to reveal that he wears armor underneath.

[Klytus]

Talk about cool. With the exception of Spiderman, the color-bars the pool assigned to each of the names turned out to highly appropriate.
:cool:

[Lord Liaden]

Originally posted by Klytus
Talk about cool. With the exception of Spiderman, the color-bars the pool assigned to each of the names turned out to highly appropriate.
:cool:

Well, when Spider-Man first appeared, the parts of his costume that are now blue were originally purple. So, we could consider this an homage to the past. ;)

[SuperPheemy]

Lotsa good choices there, but the "S" has to remain my top choice for "best symbol". Which is odd in a way if you just look at the symbol itself. All it is is a diamond with a stylized "S" superimposed on it. On that merit, the symbol has no deeper meaning (funky, revisionist Kryptonian glyphs notwithstanding).

Yet, because Superman is so widely recognized as the premier icon of comic superheros worldwide, his symbol transcends it's own design. Nearly everyone in the western world would recognize the S as Superman's symbol, and thereby relate it to comic book superheroism.

Though Foxbat's symbol comes close. It's all part of his master plan, part of which was ensuring that Bacardi incorporate his symbol in their logo. Next, he'll replace Captain Morgan as the mascot for a well-known Rum company.

[Acroyear]

I gotta go with the S. From a design standpoint, it's great work (especially for the time that one was developed), for recognition there's no doubt what it stands for (a bat or a spider... well, those could just be halloween decorations, for example) even by people non-versed.

[Superskrull]

Superman's S is definitely the way to go. It even looks good when you start tinkering with it as you can streamline it and it still works, like in Kingdom Come.

[Agent X]

I like Green.

I voted for Green Lantern's insignia.

[Hermit]

Hey, how about a big ole X on your uniform?
Just screams angst don't it? :D

[Superskrull]

Originally posted by Hermit
Hey, how about a big ole X on your uniform?
Just screams angst don't it? :D

No. I hear Jingle Bells before I hear the moan of young and beautiful superpowered people bewailing the fact that they're better than other people.

[lemming]

MWA HA HA!!! DESTROY!!!

Well, at least until I get tired of it and swap in a different avatar. :D

[Rage]

Originally posted by Superskrull
No. I hear Jingle Bells before I hear the moan of young and beautiful superpowered people bewailing the fact that they're better than other people.

We can't help it its just the way we are.

[Mutant for Hire]

Originally posted by Superskrull
No. I hear Jingle Bells before I hear the moan of young and beautiful superpowered people bewailing the fact that they're better than other people.

Don't hate me because I'm beautiful. ;)

[keithcurtis]

Originally posted by Mutant for Hire
Don't hate me because I'm beautiful. ;)

Don't sweat it. We've got LOTS of reasons to hate you.

Keith ";)" Curtis

[Chaosliege]

Ok.. I had to go with the 'S'. While I'm not a huge Super-Man fan, I have to say, the symbol is by far the most recognisabe. When you can drive down the street and see the S in the back windows of cars, trucks, and even on the sides of motorcycles, you know it has transended the comic world. Sorry Bat friends, but the S takes the Bat.

[Klytus]

As I started this thread, I guess I should mention my vote.

I went with the S. Supes has been, and most lkely always will be, my favorite. You can tell when I'm going to run Champions, because I'll be wearing a Superman shield t-shirt. :)

[Bazza]

Originally posted by Klytus
As I started this thread, I guess I should mention my vote.

I went with the S. Supes has been, and most lkely always will be, my favorite. You can tell when I'm going to run Champions, because I'll be wearing a Superman shield t-shirt. :)

Hey, what about Thor's hammer, Mjolnir? Do you think that some "S" can transcend a symbol of mythic proportions. Mjolnir has generated it's own myth that has transended generations amd cultures, people know Thor from the Nordic Myths know that he carries Mjolnir. There is a reason that Stan Lee used Thor for comics.

What does Mjolnir stand for? Nobility, valour, honesty, courage, giant-killer, Thor's will, Odin's will, the light against Ragnarok's dark, guarrenteed security for the godly realm Asgard and peace of mind for the the mortals on Midgard.

Mjolnir: Weapon Supreme, Symbol Eternal

[MilkmanDan]

"Best" is obviously subjective. Personally, I'll take Batman in this. The Bat-signal is just, to use the technical term, dang neato.

Always liked the way Superman's "S" was handled in the Dark Knight Returns, where the American flag blends into the S. Was a good effect.

My anti-vote goes to the FF. There's four of them. They're fantastic. They've got a "4".

[Acroyear]

Originally posted by Bazza
Hey, what about Thor's hammer, Mjolnir? Do you think that some "S" can transcend a symbol of mythic proportions. Mjolnir has generated it's own myth that has transended generations amd cultures, people know Thor from the Nordic Myths know that he carries Mjolnir. There is a reason that Stan Lee used Thor for comics.


Not quite. You can mention Thor to many people in the world and they might know who you are referring to, if nothing else about him... Just showing them a hammer?

"It's a hammer" is all they'd say. "What about it?" Partially because Thor's hammer in Marvel looks nothing like the hammer symbol that has been used to represent Thor for all those years.

The S logo, however, is literally recognized worldwide. I think Superman comes in just behind Mickey Mouse and Ultraman as the most recognized characters in the world (Ultraman scoring higher due to the higher asian exposure).

[winterhawk]

A toss up between the Bat and the S...I'll go with the Bat because he's one of my faves.

The yellow bat emblem has been explained as the heaviest armor on Batman's costume. It provides for an easy target for someone shooting at him, so they tend to aim away from his lightly armored head.

[Mentor]

Originally posted by Klytus
Ok. Having been inspired by comments in the "Coolest Weapon" thread, I'd like to see what super-hero symbol people like the best.

This is hands down the toughest poll for me. I went with Cap's shield, but I love the rest. I guess I should be undecided. That rarely happens.

[DocMan]

Actually, it's Spidey's Mask that has become a major Marvel Symbol, not his chest logo. Still it's pretty recognizable.

But I'd have to vote for Excalibur's Sword as best symbol. ;)

Doc

[wcw43921]

Tough choices--I went with the Big Red "S", although I could've easily gone with Captain America's shield.

That's one thing I'd like to see someday--Superman and Captain America meeting for the first time. My feeling is they'd stare at each other awestruck, maybe saying "Wow" under their breath--then they'd embrace each other like long lost brothers.

I get choked up just thinking about it. . . :)

[Blue]

I went with the bat. That Bruce Wayne sure knows his marketing! I could see him at Wayne Enterprises...

BW: "One more thing. I need a logo that will scare the bejeezus out of anyone who sees it."
EMPLOYEE: "What are you marketing?"
BW: "Crook--er, I mean, cockroach repellent."
EMPLOYEE: "Well, roaches are colorblind, so a big red and blue 'S' won't do it."

I also tend to like the Punisher's more 'stylized' skull symbol.

[Crusader108]

I hate to admit it (being a big Captain America fan) but I've gotta go with the Bat-Signal/logo. It just WORKS.

[Kara Zor-El]

I voted for the Superman S, but I prefer to think of it as the Supergirl S. lol Have a tattoo of it, even. :)

[death tribble]

Superman's S is leading ?

Oh the inhumanity of it all !

Is there no justice ?

[BarryB]

All of them are great symbols, but I went with the big red S. That is recognizable everywhere.

I would put the bat second in recognizability, but I think Cap's shield is second in my vote for best symbol. It speaks to a lot more than mere recognizability, encapsulating values as well as a character.