History Main / WIthFriendsLikeThese

[[quoteright:265:[[ComicBook/{{Batman}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/friend_batman_3712.jpg]]]]

* In the ''ComicBook/ArchieComics'', Archie and Reggie are sometimes described as being friends, but Reggie is very antagonistic towards Archie, verging on bullying. Additionally, Betty and Veronica are close friends, yet are regularly seen fighting, often over Archie himself. Not to mention [[TheBigGuy Big Moose]] going off like a volcano whenever [[CrazyJealousGuy whenever somebody even accidentally looks at his girlfriend Midge]] and pounding them into hamburger. Archie even frequently uses the phrase "with friends like these who needs enemies".
* ''Franchise/{{Batman}}'': [[Characters/BatmanTheJoker The Joker]] and [[Characters/BatmanThePenguin The Penguin]], believe it or not. Between regularly scheduled betrayal, multiple acts of attempted murder, and verbal and physical abuse (both men seem to really enjoy watching each other suffer), they still insist they're friends. Joker even cried when he thought Penguin had died and worked with Batman to catch the culprit. [[spoiler:When he found out Penguin was FakingTheDead he did try to murder him for real, but this being the Joker the Penguin was lucky it was only a token attempt.]] At times, the role of The Joker has been replaced by [[Characters/BatmanTheRiddler The Riddler]] (not the first time this has happened in a Batman franchise) as best frenemies with Penguin.
* The page image shows [[Characters/NightwingDickGrayson Dick Grayson]] (during his Batman days) and Roy Harper at the lowest point in their friendship; Roy was tripping on drugs and attacking civilians, and afterwards Dick abandoned Roy in prison. Not only that, but Dick proceeded to act like he did everything he could to help Roy and couldn't recognize he only made things worse. This isn't the first time these best friends came to blows either. When they were both on the Outsiders an argument concerning how the team was run devolved into petty insults. When Roy [[BerserkButton badmouthed Batman]] Dick responded by badmouthing ComicBook/GreenArrow and brought up Roy's [[OnceDoneNeverForgotten heroin addiction]]. Then they started beating the crap out of each other. Of course they make up like they always do and go back to their HoYay-filled friendship.

* Talia and Brody in ''ComicBook/BrodysGhost''; the former is pushy, snarky, turns Brody's life completely upside down, [[spoiler:lies to him and cruelly manipulates him,]] and the latter is crusty, often unsympathetic, and constantly bemoaning running into the former. Somehow, they remain friends [[spoiler:even at the end of the series. Sort of]].

* Ari the Gorgon and Tess the Succubus have this dynamic in ''ComicBook/TheDemonMages'', according to the CharacterBlog.

* [[Characters/HellblazerJohnConstantine John Constantine]] and Chas Chandler in ''ComicBook/{{Hellblazer}}''. (Arguably, this trope describes nearly all of Constantine's relationships, be they friends, relatives, or lovers, but Chas, being [[spoiler:practically the only person close to John who's still alive]], is the prime example.)
* The main four of ''ComicBook/MonicasGang'' are friends... and yet each one of them screws up the others pretty often. [[HairTriggerTemper Monica]] always forces everyone to do things her way, [[TheFriendNobodyLikes Jimmy Five]] can't go on for a full minute without insulting anyone, [[PingPongNaivete Smudge]] is very frustating to talk to due to him constantly [[ComicallyMissingThePoint missing the point]] of what he's told, and [[BigEater Maggy]] always mooches off snacks from her friends. They seemed to have cleared up their acts in recent years, though.

* ''ComicBook/SubMariner'' - Namor and [[Characters/MarvelComicsDoctorDoom Doctor Doom]] have had this going for ''decades''. Both are leaders of small, isolated nations, and both are considered ruthless by the outside world, so they relate to each other quite well. However, Doom's a true villain and Namor's just determined to protect his people, so they often wind up on the opposite side of conflicts.

* In MediaNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks, Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}}'s friends, especially [[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]], have a strange predilection for trying to discover his secret identity against his obvious wishes. In the [[MediaNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]], the writers get away from that when they presumably realized a true friend would respect his privacy.

Related to VitriolicBestBuds, who are confirmed to actually care about each others and whose bickering is more a case of brutal teasing. Not to be confused with DontShootTheMessage. For the romantic version, see TheMasochismTango and BelligerentSexualTension. Compare/contrast FriendlyEnemy which has enemies acting like friends are used, and when both are used you may end up with PoliteVillainsRudeHeroes. Compare AcquaintanceDenial, and OddFriendship. Contrast WhoNeedsEnemies, where two characters really ''ought'' to be friends given their similar goals, but somehow aren't. May be due to coming from a FriendlessBackground. If one friend in particular gives or gets this treatment, there's a chance they're TheFriendNobodyLikes.

* In UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks, Characters/{{Superman|TheCharacter}}'s friends, especially [[Characters/SupermanLoisLane Lois Lane]], have a strange predilection for trying to discover his secret identity against his obvious wishes. In the [[UsefulNotes/TheBronzeAgeOfComicBooks Bronze Age]], the writers get away from that when they presumably realized a true friend would respect his privacy.

* Unknowingly sharing a name with the Trope is the short story ''With Friends Like These'' by Alan Dean Foster. Several alien races come in search of humanity and Earth after the planet and its inhabitants had been locked away for millennia for being unable to play nice with the rest of the universe. Now they were desperately needed to defeat aggressive aliens known as Yops. [[spoiler:At first the aliens are disappointed because the humans are hospitable and friendly, but appear utterly defenseless and technologically backwards. Until they find out mankind has... evolved. It's pointed out near the end of the story that the problem exists of what to do with the [[SufficientlyAdvancedAlien Humans]] (and the rest of their planet) once the Yops have been defeated. (At this point it's obvious that the question is no longer ''if'' the Yops will be defeated but only how quickly. One character even remarks that the poor Yops won't know what hit them.)]]

* Website/GoAnimate:

* ''Franchise/StarWars'': R2-D2 and C-3P0 were said to have been modeled off of Tahei and Matashichi from ''Film/TheHiddenFortress'' who bicker and fight constantly (when they're not swearing eternal friendship to each other).