I think of the way superheroes move as an integral part of the characterization, maybe because I see comics as a visual medium first, and I think most great superheroes have "signature movements and postures" to represent their identities as much as they have costumes.
I mean, typical for Superman are those very static iconographic poses, both when he stands as well as when he flies, he's always as visible and imposing as possible. The prototypical pose for Batman when he surveys his city however is this crouching posture on top of a gargoyle somewhere in the shadows, and when he jumps into action he does this typical thing with grabbing his cape so that he looks even more like a bat. Nightwing does these elaborate jumps and somersaults, and where Batman uses his cape to confuse his enemies and hides his exact location, Nightwing just moves a lot more. Or -- in a short excursion to the Marvel side -- Spider-man, he also has very typical poses, when I imagine him, I see him either hanging upside downs from some of his webbing or clinging to a wall with these crawling movements...
I think to be really memorable in a comic medium a superhero needs a typical way of moving to reflect his identity. And in a way it also shows the degree to which the superhero and the "normal" personas are split. Superman's movements are very distinct from Clark Kent's, and in a way (together with the garish colors) designed to make people only notice the "icon" not the face, Batman doesn't move like Bruce, however Dick doesn't move all that differently from Nightwing, there it's more a matter of degree and equipment.
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I think of the way superheroes move as an integral part of the characterization, maybe because I see comics as a visual medium first, and I think most great superheroes have "signature movements and postures" to represent their identities as much as they have costumes.
I mean, typical for Superman are those very static iconographic poses, both when he stands as well as when he flies, he's always as visible and imposing as possible. The prototypical pose for Batman when he surveys his city however is this crouching posture on top of a gargoyle somewhere in the shadows, and when he jumps into action he does this typical thing with grabbing his cape so that he looks even more like a bat. Nightwing does these elaborate jumps and somersaults, and where Batman uses his cape to confuse his enemies and hides his exact location, Nightwing just moves a lot more. Or -- in a short excursion to the Marvel side -- Spider-man, he also has very typical poses, when I imagine him, I see him either hanging upside downs from some of his webbing or clinging to a wall with these crawling movements...
I think to be really memorable in a comic medium a superhero needs a typical way of moving to reflect his identity. And in a way it also shows the degree to which the superhero and the "normal" personas are split. Superman's movements are very distinct from Clark Kent's, and in a way (together with the garish colors) designed to make people only notice the "icon" not the face, Batman doesn't move like Bruce, however Dick doesn't move all that differently from Nightwing, there it's more a matter of degree and equipment.