When I reviewed/lambasted Superman/Thundercats, I used a bunch of different counters to point out different aspects that made it a bad story. Since it's possible I'll one day be destroying more comics in that way, I figured it might be worthwhile to rundown the list of what I've got right now, and also open the floor to suggestions for other things that may be needed. While most of these are pretty self-explanatory, a few words here and there might help, and the large scale will help with recognition.
Classic Cliche: Say, does this scene look familiar? If we've seen it before, multiple times, it's a cliche. Any of the standard tropes that keep getting thrown back at us time and time again will earn this button --
especially if it's something that's not only a cliche, but is rather stupid besides. Which it often is. Even when it isn't, though, we're usually tired of seeing it.
Continuity Glitch: One of those things that tends to get people howling a lot, it's probably going to be one of the higher-ranked counters in any of these reviews. If something flatly contradicts previous continuity, it gets this counter. If it manages to be inconsistent with previous details from the same story, it gets this counter. And if a character behaves
out of character, that also gets this counter.
Death Toll: A death toll isn't necessarily a bad thing in comics. But bad ones frequently do include a noticeable death toll. Regardless, whether it's bad or not, it's interesting to keep track of in the bigger events. Whenever a known, named character snuffs it, the counter goes up. Innocent bystanders and other "extras" don't raise the counter.
Deus Ex-Machina: Another that we expect to get pretty high in any of these stories. Any time a character displays a hitherto unseen power that saves the day? Deus ex-machina. A new device which enables the plot to move along? Deus ex-machina. Essentially, if it's blatantly changing the rules of the situation, radically and with no reason other than "we need to do this for the plot to resolve how we want it to", it's a deus ex-machina. (Note: Yes, I'm aware this is stretching the classical definition of the term.)
Gratuitous Nudity: Now, I'm not saying there's anything inherently wrong about showing some skin. But it does tend to be used as a substitute for good plot sometimes. In particular, those authors we deride most really tend to go overboard with it. Plus, like Death Toll, it's just interesting to note. Any time a character shows an excess of flesh without a necessary story reason for it, that's Gratuitous Nudity. The existing costumes of existing characters don't count, but new costumes count the first time they're shown.
Lame Layout: Blame the artist for most of these, but occasionally the writer is to blame. Sometimes the way a page is laid out makes it hard to read. A panel is placed in a position that implies it comes before another, but the events really come afterwards. That gets a Lame Layout counter. Sometimes an image is broken into panels when it doesn't need to be and shouldn't be. If that's distracting, it gets a counter. And sometimes a double-page spread is thrown in without any rhyme or reason. If it wastes space
and fails to be interesting to look at, it gets a Lame Layout counter.
Pointless Politics: Now, it's natural and expected for characters in any story to express their philosophies, beliefs and politics. But if they're just being a mouthpiece for the author, that's Pointless Politics. Green Arrow and Hawkman bickering about left and right wing? In character. Superman taking a random shot at Gerald Ford? Pointless Politics. A character explaining their philosophy in such detail that it's clear the author is trying to sell it to the reader? Pointless Politics. Bashing the competition? Pointless Politics.
Stupid Anatomy: Not every problem in a comic is due to the writer. This one's almost always on the artist. If the human (etc.) body just doesn't look like that, or can't move like that, or can't exist like that without breaking... that's Stupid Anatomy.
Stupid Science: This one can be due to the writer, the artist, or both. Any time science is being abused in a way that can't be excused with comic-book logic, that's Stupid Science. Misrepresenting a scientific theory? Stupid Science. Impossible physics in the artwork? Stupid Science. Failure to understand the technology they're representing? Stupid science. And Stupid Science also applies in the classical sense of "science meaning knowledge". Stupid History, Stupid Geography, and so on are also Stupid Science (unless excusable by comic-book differences.)
Stupid Stereotype: Admittedly, the title of this one is a bit redundant, but hey, I needed two words. Anyways, while the comics are getting
better at this, sometimes they still manage to pull out an ethnic, sexist, or religious stereotype. When they do, we affix this sticker and lower the boom on them.
Unneeded Exposition: Sometimes the characters just talk when they have no good reason to do so. In an introductory story, there are certain things we expect. But when we're reading the middle of an arc with a character that's been around for 50 years, we don't need an explanation of their powers unless it's relevant to the story. We don't need to see their origin story yet again unless it's relevant to the story. And even when it is relevant to the story, if we see the same exposition given multiple times throughout a story, that's Unneeded Exposition.
