The Rise and Fall of a Badass

[Ωmega Man]

Remember within a year after the Sinestro Corps War how we were introduced to somebody even more feared, even more powerful... than even Parallax? I'm talking about the serious threat that was Agent Orange [did that name not stick?] and how much more menacing he was in his debut. Sometime after he became the muppet we see off and on now, always screaming 'Mine!' and doing stupid stuff like picking fights with Santa.

Why on Earth would the big wigs at DC waste such an epic character to turn him into comic relief?

I think DC is under the impression badguys have to be MORE than badguys to be entertaining. Sinestro, Larfleeze, the Red Lanterns, and Deathstroke should NEVER become 'anti-heroes' or be comic relief in anything. I'm disappointed in the character's turn. Had he remained a badass he might still be useful.

~//V\\~

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by -//V\\-

Remember within a year after the Sinestro Corps War how we were introduced to somebody even more feared, even more powerful... than even Parallax? I'm talking about the serious threat that was Agent Orange [did that name not stick?] and how much more menacing he was in his debut. Sometime after he became the muppet we see off and on now, always screaming 'Mine!' and doing stupid stuff like picking fights with Santa.

Why on Earth would the big wigs at DC waste such an epic character to turn him into comic relief?

I think DC is under the impression badguys have to be MORE than badguys to be entertaining. Sinestro, Larfleeze, the Red Lanterns, and Deathstroke should NEVER become 'anti-heroes' or be comic relief in anything. I'm disappointed in the character's turn. Had he remained a badass he might still be useful.

~//V\\~

The "big fearsome threat" was always a ruse. I think. Or probably just being made up on the fly.

[Ωmega Man]

His introductory arc made him so much more badass. I wouldn't think as he is now he'd be as feared as he's supposed to be in the Vega System. The Warlords of Okarra... THOSE badasses feared the muppet version of him? I call bullshit.

~//V\\~

[IonFan]

muppets sell, at least that's what DC thought (back in the day )



sidenote: post #19,900

[W.West]

There's nothing stopping Robert Venditti, Sam Humphries or Tim Seeley from writing a crazy good Larfleeze story. The Larfleeze special certainly didn't help up his fear factor, and his solo series didn't do that deed any more justice. We all saw that coming when they put Keith Giffin and JM DeMatteis on the title. But to be fair, it's incredibly hard to write a book about a villain and not want to dive into the reason why they are so villainous. No one is born evil. Larfleeze wasn't born into a joke of a threat, he simply became one.

This is a character that was sole reason the Vega system was supposedly off-limits and virtually empty. Now, even when teamed with a Brainiac, he's vaguely threatening. It'll take a writer who sees him as soft to want to change that. Right now though, it'd be easier creating a new threat than to undo the damage done with Agent Orange.

[W.West]

Originally Posted by IonFan

muppets sell, at least that's what DC thought (back in the day )

They aren't wrong. Everything they pushed from Green Lantern worked. Those t-shirts still sell like crazy. Larfleeze could have a statue sculpted tomorrow and it'll still sell. The merch market does not give two fucks whether the character is still viable as a threat. Word to Harley Quinn.