Top 5 Ice-Powered Comic Book Characters

Published on December 21, 2024November 25, 2024 by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. For those of us in the northern hemisphere, today is the first day of winter. Let’s celebrate by listing the Top 5 Ice-Powered Characters in comic books.

5: Ice (DC)

The first of several DC Comics characters on this list, Ice is the successor to the Ice Maiden. Tora Olafsdotter is the product of Norwegian experiments with Ice Maiden, hoping to replicate her powers. Tora’s arrival in the human world led the original Ice Maiden feeling superfluous. Ice Maiden returned to Norway, while Tora took up the name Ice and joined the Justice League International. She’s had an off-again, on-again relationship with Guy Gardner and developed a friendship with a heroine named Fire.

4: Captain Cold (DC)

Leonard Snart, Captain Cold, started life as a gag villain, but over time, Cold has become an impressive DC Universe villain. Snart grew up in an abusive household and turned to a life of crime. He developed a cold gun. The gun has extraordinary power. It can create temperatures to absolute zero. He can freeze objects (and people), create ice patches and icicles, and create a “cold zones” which can slow down anyone, including the Flash.

Snart is one of the founding members of the Rogues. He’s joined the Ice Pack (a group of cold-powered supervillains) and the Secret Society of Super Villains.

3: Killer Frost (DC)

There have been two women who bore the Killer Frost moniker. Crystal Frost was a scientist working in the Arctic when an accident gave her the ability to generate extreme cold. She became a supervillain, but her powers were slowly killing her. In an attempt to save herself, she consumed the heat of Firestorm and died.

Following Crystal’s death, her friend Dr. Louise Lincoln became Killer Frost. She recreated the accident that gave Crystal her powers and sought revenge on Firestorm. Able to transmute heat to cold and create gusts of wind and structures made of ice, Killer Frost has teamed up with villains like Captain Cold (who we saw in our previous entry) and Mr. Freeze, who happens to be our next entry.

2: Mr. Freeze (DC)

Dr. Victor Fries (originally a mad scientist Mr. Zero) is another DC villain who began life as a joke villain. The 1990’s Batman: The Animated Series recreated him as a sympathetic villain in its Emmy-winning episode “Heart of Ice.” Mr. Freeze has a sad story behind his frozen smile. His wife Nora fell terminally ill. Dr. Fries dedicated himself to cryogenic research to save her. The head of the corporation funding Fries’s work shuts down his project, and Victor fights them to save his wife. A fight ensues, which results in Victor turning into Mr. Freeze.

Freeze can only survive in sub-zero temperatures. To survive, Victor built himself a cryo-suit. He also developed an ice gun (powered by diamonds) and pursued a life of crime. Freeze’s gun can freeze objects and people, while his suit gives him increased strength and durability. Combined with his intellect, Mr. Freeze is a formidable foe.

1: Iceman (Marvel)

Iceman Bobby Drake started as the youngest member of the original X-Men. Most fans ignored him; he was the Spider-Man of that early X-Men team, cracking jokes and acting as the conduit for younger X-Men readers to view the team through.

Fast forward a couple of decades, and Bobby made his weekend appearance on Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends. I know it’s hokey, but I still enjoy watching this Saturday Morning cartoon on Disney+. Little did I, or any of those early readers of X-Men, know that Bobby may be one of the most powerful mutants. Iceman is an Omega-level mutant. As a frame of reference, Magneto is also an Omega-level mutant. Yikes!

Iceman can become ice in an organic form. By doing this, he can change his size and size, becoming an enormous ice man. He can also add spikes of ice on his knuckles or other body part, becoming a living weapon.

Hello, Winter! Let us know who you would add or remove in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Underrated DC Villains

Published on December 9, 2024March 16, 2025 by JimLeave a comment

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re doing something very different this week and posting a much older post by our resident Star Trek Geek, Jim Plath. He shared his Top 5 Underrated DC Villains years ago, and I just found the copy. Sorry about that, Jim. Without further ado, here is the Top 5 Underrated DC Villains.

This one ended up being trickier than I expected. When you start digging, you can make a case for just about any villain of Batman’s not named Joker, Ra’s, Deathstroke, or Superman’s not named Lex, Doomsday, Darkseid, or Brainiac. Here’s my list though.

5) Cheetah:

You could make a case for just about any DC female villain not named Harley Quinn these days, but given that she’s really an anti-hero now, she might not make the list anyway. Cheetah’s history with Wonder Woman is pretty front-and-center in Wonder Woman’s current arc, and it’s doing wonders for drawing attention to her sympathetic qualities. As a character, she’s tragic, and as a villain, she’s got Wonder Woman’s durability and the speed of, well, a cheetah. That makes her a worthy adversary for a good portion of the Justice League.

4) Brother Eye

The OMACs/Brother MK1/Brother Eye have been used similarly to Marvel’s Sentinels. They’ve been involved in some great Justice League stories over the years, played a pivotal role in Infinite Crisis and Final Crisis, and always generate hefty stakes.

3) Mongul

Mongul is something of an ersatz Darkseid. In fact, that’s most likely why he’s underrated. Like a lot of characters, his backstory changes slightly here and there, but he’s proven himself a threat to each member of the Justice League individually, and given them a run for their money as a group. He even once destroyed Hal Jordan’s hometown of Coast City.

2) Psycho Pirate

With the power to affect people’s states of mind, he probably gets passed over too often for villains like Scarecrow, but Psycho Pirate’s powers are broader. He’s been shown to mollify hostile characters, even pacify Bruce Wayne and Jim Gordon. It isn’t always about fear with the Psycho Pirate.

1) Vandal Savage

When it comes to men made untouchable to father time, the bulk of the spotlight goes to Ra’s al Ghul these days. Some of that is the influence of the Arkham video game franchise, and the Christopher Nolan Dark Knight trilogy, but another factor is Savage is far more powerful. There just aren’t many DC heroes who can make a match for him, so he doesn’t get as many shots at the bigtime.

Do you agree with Jim’s list? Who would you add or remove? Let us know in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Superman Villains

Published on November 16, 2024November 23, 2024 by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re back with another Top 5 Villains List. This time we’re covering Superman’s rogues gallery. We mentioned Supe’s rogues in a previous Top 5, the Top 5 Most Powerful Rogues Gallery. But Superman’s villains are getting their list today. Let’s see who made the list.

5: Darkseid

You may think that Darkseid is way too low on this list, but I view him more as a Justice League villain if not a DC universe-wide villain. But Darkseid needs to make the list. I struggled with that. I wanted to include Parasite or Cyborg Superman or even Toy Man or Mister Mxyzptlk. Consider them the honorable mentions. Oh. Spoiler alert: those villains didn’t quite make the list. Getting back to Darkseid, he inspired Marvel’s Thanos. So, Darkseid is a heavy hitter. Unless the writer powers down the villain, Superman often needs help when dealing with Darkseid.

4: Doomsday

What more can be said of the villain who killed Superman? He belongs on the list; he may even be too low like Darkseid. Next.

Just kidding. We’ll discuss Doomsday a bit more. Doomsday is an engineered being from the depths of prehistoric Krypton. Is everyone still on board with genetic experiments? Doomsday’s creator imbued him with few feelings, mostly hate and a desire for destruction, which led to him destroying worlds and eventually finding Earth. Doomsday can’t die. He adapts every time he gets defeated. He can’t be reasoned with. Of Superman’s mindless foes (or his foes who are forces of nature), Doomsday tops them all and makes this list.

3: General Zod

Since he’s a Kryptonian, General Zod has powers comparable to Superman. And as his name suggests, he’s a general. So, he has military training. That makes General Zod a Superman-powered general who desires to subjugate humanity and turn Earth into a New Krypton. Yep. He’s terrifying.

General Zod may even be my choice for Superman’s first major villain if I were to reboot the character. He ties in perfectly with Supe’s past. General Zod knew Kal-El’s birth parents after all. And he hated them. It made sense that Man of Steel featured General Zod as its main antagonist. Too bad the movie wasn’t better.

2: Brainiac

There have been many Brainiacs and with that several origins for the character. No matter the origins or version, Brainiac is often considered Superman’s second-greatest villain. You can probably guess who takes the top spot. Usually, writers depict Brainiac as a superintelligent android or cyborg from the planet Colu who is obsessed with collecting all knowledge in the known universe. He even goes so far as to shrink cities like Kandor, the capital of Superman’s home planet Krypton, and Brainiac has destroyed countless civilizations.

If his body ever gets destroyed, Brainiac uploads his artificial consciousness into a new body and begins anew. This makes Brainiac pseudo-immortal and a major threat to Superman. One of my favorite versions of Brainiac comes from the Superman Animated Series. Brainiac was an AI present when Krypton exploded. We learn that Brainiac destroyed Krypton so he and he alone would have the knowledge that Krypton ever existed. This put him at odds immediately with Superman. And the reveal was fantastic. Sorry. Spoilers for an almost thirty-year-old cartoon series.

1: Lex Luthor

What more can I say about the man who would be Superman? Most people know Lex Luthor. He’s one of Comicbook’s greatest villains, let alone Superman’s greatest villain. CEO of LexCorp, Lex Luthor as I mentioned in the Most Powerful Rogues Gallery Top 5 is DC Comics’s version of Tony Stark if Iron Man decided to go a different path. Lex hates how much the world loves Superman. He doesn’t trust all that power belonging to an alien. While I could mention several large-scale, DC Comics affecting schemes, my favorite Lex Luthor story, the one that shows how evil he can be, comes from a much smaller story.

Lex visits a diner outside Metropolis. He offers a waitress at the diner a large sum of money to sleep with him. The waitress knows who Lex is, everyone knows him and what he’s done, and she’d rather not sleep with the devil. But the money Lex offered was too good to pass. As soon as she decides to sleep with Lex, he leaves the diner. Lex’s chauffeur asks why he left before completing the “transaction,” and Lex said—and I’m paraphrasing—She will always know that she would’ve slept with me. Now she hasn’t a penny to show for it.

Like Outkast once said, what’s cooler than being cool? Ice cold. That sums up Lex Luthor.

Did we get the list right? Let us know who you would add or remove in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Top 5 Hulk Villains

Published on October 14, 2024December 21, 2024 by KyraLeave a comment

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. We’re sticking with the Spooky Season theme or at least Spooky Season adjacent with the Top 5 Hulk Villains. Hulk has an odd array of villains because he spends a large portion of his time as a monster.

But the Green Goliath has his fair share of villains. Let’s see who made the list.

5: Absorbing Man

Absorbing Man could’ve been higher on this list. He has one of the most intriguing powers in Hulk’s rogue’s gallery; he can absorb any material he touches. Think of it like a physical version of the X-Men’s Rogue’s power. But Absorbing Man functions just as much as a Marvel Universe villain as he does a Hulk villain. His origins come from a classic Thor comic and has a link with Loki. And his most notable partner Titiania has a connection with She-Hulk, so Absorbing Man could be just as much of a She-Hulk villain.

Even so, he deserves a mention on this list. After fighting Thor for several rounds, Absorbing Man gets banished into outer space. Upon his return on a comet, Absorbing Man battles the Hulk. And the two became on again, off again rivals ever since.

4: Abomination

The Abomination is a classic Hulk villain. Had this been a decade or two ago, the Abomination could’ve landed much higher on this list, maybe even number one. But a few villains have taken his spot as the Hulk’s big bad. Emil Blonsky’s villainous origin plays out similarly to his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) counterpart. He started as a KGB agent and spy; he was switched to a British Royal Marine for the MCU. Blonsky subjected himself to a ton of gamma radiation and turned into scaly and larger version of the Hulk.

The Abomination is the oldest evil Hulk, but there have been other “evil Hulks” who have taken over higher spots.

3: Maestro

Okay. Maestro is just a future version of the Hulk. But he’s one evil son of a gun. This version of the Hulk comes from the Future Imperfect timeline where the world has been rocked by nuclear weapons. Hulk is uniquely qualified to survive such a future and the horrors he’s seen have driven him mad. Maestro may no longer be as strong as his younger counterpart, but his healing factor makes him virtually immortal.

It also doesn’t hurt that the legendary comic book writer Peter David and equally legendary artist George Perez co-created Maestro and gave the character a phenomenal run in the early 1990s.

2: Red Hulk

Red Hulk is yet another evil version of the Hulk, but he’s more than that. Red Hulk started as General Thaddeus E. “Thunderbolt” Ross. Red Hulk may have debuted in 2008, making him the “newest” character on this list. But Thunderbolt Ross has been around since the very beginning. He was the father of Hulk’s long-time love interest and eventual wife Betty Ross. Thunderbolt hated the Hulk and led the military’s charge to subdue him.

Thunderbolt Ross turned himself into the Red Hulk to go toe-to-toe with the Green Giant. The Red Hulk retained Ross’s intellect and more importantly his military training, making him a force. Ross has yet to become the Red Hulk in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. William Hurt played the character until his passing. Harrison Ford will portray the character in the upcoming Captain America: Brave New World. It should be a matter of time before Red Hulk makes his MCU debut.

1: Leader

I may be biased, but the Leader remains the ultimate foil for the Hulk. Janitor Samuel Sterns gets turned into the ultra-intelligent Leader after exposure to gamma radiation. He develops telekinesis, telepathy, gamma ray manipulation, and can self-resurrect. He’s been a part of several major Hulk storylines, including the creation of the Red Hulk, our number two villain on this list.

The Leader is also one of the founding members of Intelligencia, a group of the greatest criminal minds on Earth. This group can affect the Marvel Universe as a whole. But the Leader works best when he squares off against the Hulk. He is the yin to the Hulk’s yang. The only villain who comes close to besting the Leader as the Hulk’s greatest enemy may be the Hulk himself.

Did we get the list right? Let us know who you would add or remove in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

X-Men Marvel Cinematic Universe Theories

MCU X-Men Theories

Published on October 5, 2024October 2, 2024 by Kyra27 Comments

Hey, hey! Kyra Kyle here. I have some thoughts and theories on what the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) should do with the X-Men. I already shared a few thoughts in a previous post for Deadpool & Wolverine, but let’s dive deeper into what the MCU’s first X-Men movie should look like. There may be some spoilers. Consider yourself warned.

I’ll break this down into two parts: heroes and villains. The stories the first movie could pursue will depend on the characters. I’ll mention some of these potential stories. Hopefully, I don’t ramble too much.

Heroes

The easiest road the MCU could take is using the original X-Men: Professor X, Jean Grey, Cyclops, Beast, Iceman, and Angel. Some comic book fans will rejoice. But I don’t know if casual X-Men fans or fans of the 90s cartoon will get as much out of the original X-Men. And Disney/Marvel promised that the MCU’s X-Men will resemble the X-Men 97 cartoon.

Just because the MCU uses the original X-Men doesn’t mean that they must tell a team origin story. They could, but the story structure that helps most non-comic book X-Men projects revolves around an established X-Men team with a new member joining the group. And that’s what I propose.

And that premise leads me to lump certain members into specific groups: senior members, established members, and the potential conduit character. Senior members are the leaders. Established members have seniority but don’t lead the team. And the conduit character is the new member (not necessarily young) who also functions as the audience’s point of view. The X-Men have a huge roster to pull from. I kept the movie’s cast to nine with one possible inclusion/honorable mention.

So, there are a lot of big names that didn’t make the cut, let’s look at some notable exclusions.

Notable Excluded X-Men

Wolverine

Rip off the Band-Aid. Wolverine sucks the oxygen from every room. The Fox movies depended on Wolverine’s box office draw. Wolverine’s importance to the Fox X-Men movie franchise was even the inciting incident for Deadpool & Wolverine. Wolverine can’t show up in the first X-Men; no one will care about any of the other characters. Wolverine should get a brief, and I mean super brief, cameo or even a teaser. Perhaps in the mid or post credits scene.

Beast

This one hurts. I like Beast a lot, but in the context of the team I’d like to see first, he’s best suited with staying in the lab and getting a cameo.

Colossus

Another fave. Colossus, like Beast and Wolverine, could receive a cameo, but shouldn’t appear in the film for very long.

Senior Members

Professor X

Charles Xavier began the X-Men. The only way he doesn’t make the MCU film is if the writers explain his absence. Too much work. Just include him.

Cyclops

Scott Summers got a raw deal in Fox’s X-Men film franchise. He unceremoniously died at the beginning of X-Men: The Last Stand and had a limited role in the previous two films. James Marsden could’ve made a great Cyclops; he looked the part. He just didn’t have enough to do. Omitting Wolverine and some other fan favorites could give Cyclops some much needed attention. And the new X-Men film should have plenty of romance.

Jean Grey

Speaking of romance, Jean and Scott’s relationship can have the space to take off with a reduced cast (or at least a focused cast). Complications to this relationship can and should occur, but the 90s cartoon leaned too heavily on the Scott-Jean-Wolverine love triangle. Jean!!! Let’s see some different bumps in the road.

Storm

Ororo Monroe is badass. She also has a link to Marvel’s Black Panther. Canonically, she’s married to T’Challa. Shuri taking her brother’s place could put a wrinkle in that, but Storm has had lesbian lovers in the past (specifically Yukio—yes, the same Yukio Deadpool says hi to in the movies). But the romantic options don’t stop there. Storm has been linked with Doctor Doom, Cyclops, Wolverine, and Forge. There are plenty of options for Storm’s love life to reach soap opera levels.

Established Members

Gambit

I liked Channing Tatum as Gambit; he gave a fun, memetastic performance. But if Gambit intends to romance Rogue, Rogue shouldn’t be in her early to mid-twenties. And if you don’t have Gambit putting the moves on Rogue, why include him? Fans have waited for a proper Gambit to make the big screen, and Tatum didn’t disappoint. If he’s our Gambit, who’s our Rogue.

Rogue

Fans have also wanted a more comically accurate Rogue. Anna Paquin gave a good performance in the Fox films, but Rogue as the conduit character was both good and bad. It was good because Rogue’s power can seem like a curse. But Fox aged her down to the point where she could only have high school love interests.

Oddly enough, Anna Paquin could reprise her role as Rogue. Paquin is more appropriate age for the character now than when she was originally cast. While Tatum’s age could be an issue (for a younger Rogue), Magneto would be an even greater one. A Gambit-Rogue-Magneto love triangle often occurs. We gotta see an ill-fated Rogue-Magneto romance on the big screen at least once.

Possible Conduit Characters

Kitty Pryde

Kitty is the classic X-Men conduit character. Readers saw the futuristic world through her eyes in “Days of Future Past.” She was also the point-of-view character during the 80s cartoon pilot, Pryde of the X-Men. Even if Kitty isn’t the conduit character, she should be included. The same will be true of the other characters in this group.

Elliot Page, like James Marsden, gave a good performance in the Fox movies but had little to do. This version of Kitty should explore her infatuation with Colossus, and Kitty should show her disgust when first meeting Nightcrawler. It takes time, but Kitty discovers that she has more in common with Nightcrawler than Colossus, and the two of them form a deep connection.

Nightcrawler

Kurt Wagner makes this list, too. Nightcrawler is one of the few mainstream X-Men who can’t hide his mutation. As such, humans’ hatred of mutants could play a huge role in any story where Nightcrawler is the conduit character. Non-comic book X-Men project have never done this before (to the best of my knowledge). Nightcrawler also tends to skew toward the religious and that opens the door for so many interesting storylines.

Iceman

If the MCU wanted to make the original X-Men their first X-Men team, Bobby Drake would serve as the conduit character. Iceman represents something else that no other non-comic book X-Men project has done to date: make a member of the LGBT community the conduit character. Iceman is bisexual.

Bobby has had plenty of love interests. Emma Frost could be interesting, likewise with Mystique but in a very different way. But the two that make the most sense are Romeo and Pyro. Romeo is an inhuman. The Inhumans had a short-lived TV series and if the MCU wanted to reintroduce the Inhumans, Romeo could be a good choice. Pyro’s fire abilities could pair well visually and narratively with Bobby’s ice, and it’d be a great way to introduce the Brotherhood.

Honorable Mention

Changeling/Morph

Morph could replace one of the other X-Men or perhaps squeeze in as a tenth member. Professor X may need to be in the movie, but he can have a smaller presence. Morph is another potential conduit character and another member of the LGBT community (nonbinary). Morph can shapeshift, so they give X-Men plenty of chances for cameos.

Villains

Just like the heroes, I have a few notable X-Villains who should probably not show up in the first MCU X-Men Film.

Notable Excluded X-Villains

Magneto

Magneto may be best served as a mention or cameo. Like Wolverine, Magneto can steal focus.

Apocalypse

It’s too soon to include him. Apocalypse makes for a poor first X-villain; he’s someone the MCU should build toward.

Mister Sinister

Likewise for Mister Sinister. Fox teased Mr. Sinister for years. The group running the facility in the New Mutants was named Essex, as in Nathan Essex (Mr. Sinister’s given name). But I’d like Mr. Sinister to get a real build before we see him on the big screen. I do like the idea of Mr. Sinister working behind the scenes. We could, and probably should, catch glimpses of him. Better yet, an Easter egg like the New Mutants.

X-Villains

Humans/Sentinels

So many of these stories and the villains within these stories hinge on who is the movie’s conduit character, but humans can be present with any conduit character. Nightcrawler has the strongest case for humans, but bigotry is something that always plays a role in X-Men stories. But which specific humans should make the list? Let’s talk about a few.

Boliver Trask invented the sentinels. If you include the sentinels, include Trask. Friends of Humanity founder Graydon Creed makes another good starting point. Creed also has a connection with Sabretooth and Wolverine. Religious zealot William Stryker works as a good sounding board for Nightcrawler’s beliefs; it could lead to some great philosophical discourse. And Henry Peter Gyrich has served several government agencies. Gyrich has had connections with SHIELD and could introduce something like a Mutant Registry.

Brotherhood of Evil Mutants

If Bobby Drake dates Pyro, include the Brotherhood. But any other conduit character could work with the Brotherhood as the main villain. The Brotherhood serves as an ethical alternative to the X-Men. Don’t agree with Professor X’s mission statement? Join the Brotherhood. Many characters have been a part of the Brotherhood. Even Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver got their start here.

I’d keep the group small with characters who haven’t been used much in recent years: Pyro, Blob, Avalanche, and Toad. The team must have a leader. Mystique could work; she has connections with Nightcrawler and Rogue, but Mystique has also shown up a ton. If Morph does make the X-Men’s first movie, don’t include Mystique at first. Emma Frost hasn’t seen the screen as much and would be my preference. As a telepath, she can give Professor X and Jean a run for their money. And Frost also has ties with the Hellfire Club.

The Hellfire Club

Sebastian Shaw and Emma Frost made a great one-two punch in X-Men: First Class. That’s a positive and a negative. The MCU could recapture the magic with the next X-Men film. Or it might be too soon, and they should wait to introduce the Hellfire Club. That said, the MCU can’t introduce the full group. We’re talking an entire chess set of characters. White and black kings and queens and bishops and the like.

Still, the MCU could introduce one or two key members of the Hellfire Club in the first movie and wait to introduce the full roster in a future movie. If the MCU does that and waits to introduce Wolverine, Wolverine could be available in that future movie, and fans could see a big screen adaptation of one of the X-Men’s greatest fight sequences.

This early battle cemented Wolverine’s reputation as “The Best There Is At What I Do.”

Full disclosure: Jean Grey premieres as Dark Phoenix in the story arc that includes this combat sequence, and I don’t think the MCU should touch the Dark Phoenix Saga yet. But the MCU also doesn’t follow the comics beat for beat, so we could see the fight sequence accompany a different story.

If Kitty Pryde is the first movie’s conduit character, the Hellfire Club could make a lot of sense, too. An alternate Kitty (from Astonishing X-Men) strikes Wolverine’s pose before she takes on Emma Frost.

Juggernaut

Keep it simple. If the goal of the first movie is to introduce the X-Men, Juggernaut ties into Professor X’s past and he’s a classic villain. He also has more going on than most casual viewers know. But the reason why I say to keep it simple is that casual viewers know Juggernaut and the story doesn’t have to venture too far beyond the X-Mansion. Juggernaut has a knack of seeking out the X-Men.

Closing Thoughts

The next leg of the MCU is titled The Mutant Saga. A lot rides on the MCU’s first X-Men movie succeeding. And Marvel could do with a little going back to basics. That could mean the Original X-Men team or using the formula that’s worked in several previous X-Men projects. But those are my thoughts on the X-Men. Feel free to share yours in the comments. And wherever you are, I hope you’re having a great day.

Getting Into Spider-Man: Spider-Man Starter Stories

Published on April 22, 2019September 8, 2024 by KyraLeave a comment

Spider-Man has so many great stories in his history. There are a lot of eras to Spider-Man too, s this can be a hard character for new readers to get into. Do you want to read Spidey as a teenager (as in Spider-Man: Homecoming) or do you prefer a more adult Spidey (one seldom depicted in movies but just as interesting at times)? Your uncle Geekly doesn’t really know. What he does know is that he can narrow this search to at least Peter Parker as Spider-Man.

Yeah, so we’re not covering Miles Morales (Ultimate Spider-Man), Ben Reilly (Spider Clone), Doctor Octavius (Doc Ock in Spidey’s spandex), or Spider-Girl or Gerry Drew (son of Spider-Woman Jessica Drew) or countless others—and there are several others. We’re talking Peter—not Uncle—Benjamin Parker. Yeah!

Let’s see if I can find a middle ground of teen and adult Spidey with a leaning toward young Spidey. Clear as mud? Good. Here we go.

Ultimate Spider-Man #1-7, “Power and Responsibility” (written by Brian Michael Bendis/art by Mark Bagley; 2000-2001)

I know I said that I wouldn’t include Ultimate Spider-Man Miles Morales, but the original Ultimate Spider-Man series featured Peter Parker and the first seven issues titled “Power and Responsibility” retold Spider-Man’s origin in an accessible way. It also happens to be one of the main source materials for Spider-Man: Homecoming, so if you want to learn about this Peter Parker from the ground up, there’s no better place to start.

Spider-Man: Blue (written by Jeph Loeb/art by Tim Sale; 2002)

Anytime Loeb and Sale team up there’s usually an origin tale or “before they were stars” story, and Spider-Man: Blue is no exception. Sale’s art takes a nice middle ground to slick, modern comic book style and retro Spidey. Loeb’ writing adds the right kind of depth for retelling the early days of Peter and his love affair with Gwen. Gwen Stacy is the one who was portrayed by Emma Stone in The Amazing Spider-Man film series, not Peter’s better-known love interest Mary Jane.

While one could read the original appearance of Spider-Man, Spider-Man: Blue adds more depth to the character that wasn’t there in the 60s.

Amazing Spider-Man #31-33, “If This Be My Destiny” (written by Stan Lee/art by Steve Ditko; 1965-1966)

The plot for “If This Be My Destiny” is standard Spider-Man fare. It’s a well-executed Doc Ock story, but most stories of this time by Ditko and Lee were. Where “If This Be My Destiny” shines is when Spidey gets caught beneath some heavy machinery. In this classic scene, which has been duplicated in numerous Spider-Man movies, Peter musters all his willpower to free himself from the heavy load. This act shows what makes Spider-Man the endearing character he is, while his inner monologue brings his demons to light. “If This Be My Destiny” cements Spidey as the everyman hero.

Amazing Spider-Man #39-40, “How Green Was My Goblin” (written by Stan Lee/art by John Romita Sr.; 1966)

As you might be able to tell with my books I seldom go with the original telling of stories, opting to go with contemporary retellings, but the great Stan Lee does an awesome job of setting up Peter’s nemesis. And I say Peter’s nemesis because Norman Osborne’s Green Goblin has personal attachments to The Wallcrawler.

The first movie version of the Green Goblin showed him as Harry Osborne’s dad, but this reveal was a shock at the time, and this story gets to the essence of these two’s relationship. Batman needs his Joker. Spidey needs his Green Goblin.

Amazing Spider-Man #121-122, “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” (written by Gerry Conway/art by Gil Kane; 1973)

This one had to make the list. One of the pivotal moments of Spidey’s life as a hero came in the form of when Gwen Stacy died. It’s a tale that shows that even superheroes can fail.

Failure is a part of life and it’s definitely a part of Spidey’s life. This is one of the things that makes Spidey relatable as a character.

The death of Gwen Stacy also defined Green Goblin as a villain. As the previous entry attests, Green Goblin is Peter Parker’s enemy, not just Spider-Man’s, and “The Night Gwen Stacy Died” does the most to bring home this fact. It’s a must read.

Web of Spider-Man #31-32; The Amazing Spider-Man #293-294; The Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132, “Kraven’s Last Hunt” (written by J. M. DeMatteis/art by Mike Zeck; 1987)

Kraven had been one of Spider-Man’s greatest enemies early in the Wallcrawler’s career, but time had passed him by. “Kraven’s Last Hunt” mirrored this decline, showcased Kraven’s ultimate revenge, and delved into Peter and Mary-Jane’s early marriage. There’s so much going on in this storyline that has defined and will continue to define the character.

It’s a story that asks what makes a hero, and one of the better Spider-Man stories ever written.

Secret Wars #8; Amazing Spider-Man #252-259; #298-300; #315-317, “Spider-Man: Birth of Venom” (written by various/art by various; 1984-1989)

There’s a lot of time gaps with this story, but “Spider-Man: Birth of Venom” has been collected in various graphic novels—maybe not all these stories, but a great many of them—and to get a good idea of Spider-Man and his relationship with the various symbiotes one should read this story first.

So much of Spider-Man in the 1990s and even in the 2000s revolved around Spidey and the various symbiotes that one should know a little something about them. “Birth of Venom” provides that background knowledge.

That’s my list for readers who are new to Spider-Man comics. There are so many to choose from—decades in fact—and I’m sure I missed more than one, two, or five hundred. Be sure to list some in comments. I’m sure Jim would prefer your picks to mine.

Shazam! Starter Stories

Published on March 26, 2019September 8, 2024 by KyraLeave a comment

Solomon, Hercules, Atlas, Zeus, Achilles and Mercury: Shazam!. Billy Batson, or rather his alter ego Captain Marvel, donned the famous—or not so famous—red, gold and white costume. Shazam! wasn’t always a DC Comics property and the history of his rites and identity is a strange one. Uncle Geekly will take a hot minute to recap it for those of you who care to know.

Captain Marvel got his start with Fawcett Comics in the late 1930s and ironically, Fawcett had to stop publishing Captain Marvel and his Marvel family of comics (there were other superheroes in the Marvel line like Captain Marvel Jr. and Mary Marvel) due to a 1953 lawsuit won by DC Comics that claimed he was too similar to Superman. Hmm.

So, Captain Marvel faded into obscurity for a couple of decades until DC licensed the characters from Fawcett (in 1972)—Why bother with just licensing the characters from a defunct publishing house?—and eventually bought them outright in 1991—I guess it takes two more decades for a buyout. DC Comics wanted to reboot the character as Captain Marvel, but by that time another Captain Marvel (Mar-Vell, Marvel Comics rendition of Captain Marvel) already existed and Captain Marvel had to change his name to Shazam. You know, the acronym of the six “immortal elders” who grant Billy his powers.

Wow. I could go on with more domino copyright infringement cases that led to other famous comic book characters changing their name (as a result of the Captain Marvel ruling for Marvel Comics) like Marvelman to Miracleman, but this starter story writeup is for the 14-year-old boy with the body of a jacked Zachary Levi. That’s another odd phrase I never thought I’d say: a jacked Zachary Levi. Shazam! indeed.

The Power of Shazam! Vol. 1 (written by Jerry Ordway/art by Jerry Ordway; 1994)

I’ll skip the Fawcett years because DC Comics retconned (changed the origin and details) of the character so many times after Shazam became a DC Comics property and I’ll hop over some of those other abandoned versions of the character(s) to get to a version of Shazam that had a little more staying power, so I’m landing on The Power of Shazam!. While you could pick up the second volume of this series (which was an ongoing title that introduced the rest of the Marvel Family members), the first volume includes an updated retelling of Shazam’s origin with a minor tweak that gives Black Adam and Billy Batson a personal tie. Honestly, it makes them more natural enemies.

Ordway’s story is the closest to the original Fawcett origin story; it also happens to be easy to understand, straightforward and if I was to bet on a story that the upcoming Shazam! movie will pull the most inspiration from, it’d be The Power of Shazam!. All the major players are here.

Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil (written by Jeff Smith/art by Jeff Smith; 2007)

I’m not sticking with one Shazam origin story, you can’t make me. Jeff Smith (of Bone fame) retold the story again about a decade later. In this telling, Smith used far less space to show Batson’s origin and focused more on the character dealing with the repercussions of magic on the unsuspecting people of Fawcett City (DC tipping their hat to the original creators). There’re also aspects of government untrustworthiness; it’s subtle, but Dr. Sivana (mad scientist and archnemesis of Shazam) is the Attorney General of the United States. Of course Sivana is secretly behind the horrors of Fawcett City, but it’s a nice twist for the character and Shazam! The Monster Society of Evil does more to develop Billy’s sister Mary (as in Mary Marvel) as a character.

Shazam! Power of Hope (written by Paul Dini and Alex Ross/art by Alex Ross; 2005)

I included Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth in my “Wonder Woman Starter Stories” write-up a few weeks ago and here’s another selection from the DC oversized graphic novel series that featured Alex Ross’s artwork. Like most of the other stories in this line, Dini and Ross focus more on real world and human issues.

In Shazam! Power of Hope, Billy visits children in a hospital. He gets the impression that one kid in a wheelchair is being beaten by his father and being a kid and knowing how children can feel powerless around adults, Billy attempts to the threaten the kid’s father. By the end, Billy realizes that he’s part of the cycle and learns that he can help just by visiting these children and giving them hope.

Yes. It’s sappy, but Shazam! Power of Hope has some nice character moments. It also reminds readers that Billy is still a kid, even if he looks like Superman. It also shows the character as the inspiring superhero he is.

Superman/Shazam: First Thunder (written by Judd Winick/art by Joshua Middleton; 2006)

There’s only one thing to take away from Superman/Shazam: First Thunder and it’s an important one: how Superman and Shazam interact. DC Comics likes to show how these two iconic and most powerful men in their universe differ and this retelling of Superman and Shazam’s first encounter shows what makes these two characters unique and why DC would pay to have two characters with similar—and yet dissimilar—superpowers.

Shazam! The New 52 (written by Geoff Johns/art by Gary Frank; 2012-2014)

Okay. This is yet another telling of Shazam’s origin story; this character changes origins more frequently than I change underwear. But of course, he’d have another origin story, Uncle Geekly, what would you expect from the alternate Earth of the New 52?

In this tale, Billy Batson is more obnoxious and angsty than his previous incarnations as this is a more reality-based take on a 15-year-old orphan who was stuck in the foster care system for many years and lacks the trust of the adults in his life that the other versions of Billy share. This is also a more modern version of Billy. Don’t expect any “aw shucks” moments.

Shazam! The New 52 delivers on an epic showdown between Shazam and his archnemesis Black Adam (who will be played by The Rock in upcoming DCEU films), and if the DCEU continues its line of edgier superhero films, this may be the film version of Billy Batson.

I thought I’d add a few more stories to this list, but there are too many interpretations of Billy Batson/Captain Marvel/Shazam!/The Other Superman that it could muddy the waters further than I believe is necessary.

Judd Winick’s The Trials of Shazam! is another excellent story, but it casts Billy as the wizard who gave him his powers and Captain Marvel Jr. must assume the role as the new Shazam. There are the original stories and those other DC versions of the character throughout the 70s and 80s and there were some good stories there too, but I think the above stories do the most to ground readers in who this character is.

I’m sure I may have missed a story or two. Let me know of any ones you’d add to this list in the comments.

Wonder Woman Starter Stories

Published on March 5, 2019September 8, 2024 by KyraLeave a comment

The first lady of comic books Wonder Woman has had an odd history, both in terms of how she came to be and with the path, or more exactly, the paths she’s taken. Hi. Uncle Geekly here and while I could address Wonder Woman’s creation story, we’ll spend today covering some of the greatest Wonder Woman stories for readers new to comic books.

Believe me. There are so many origin stories for Wonder Woman that Greg Rucka in his latest Wonder Woman run addressed them in DC Rebirth (2016-2017). That story just missed the cut, but it’d be a great honorable mention for this list, and I recommend reading that one too if you have the time. Let’s get to the ones that did make the list.

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Wonder Woman Chronicles Vol 1. (written by Dr. William Martson/art by Harry G. Peter; 1941-1942)

The writing is dated but Wonder Woman Chronicles Vol. 1 collects the original appearances of Wonder Woman in chronological order, so Steve Trevor makes an appearance–perhaps too much of one. Despite a shaky beginning, this volume shows how Wonder Woman promoted female empowerment long before it became commonplace. Heck. Wonder Woman was the first female superhero and while her origins may be humble (Diana takes on the name Wonder Woman because her mother gives it to her and she does a lot of what she does for Steve, a man she just met), these stories laid the ground work for an icon.

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Wonder Woman ‘77 (written by various/art by various; 2015-2016)

Following the success of the Batman ’66 series that chronicled the continuing story of the 1966-68 television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, DC Comics did the same for the 1975-79 Wonder Woman television series that starred Lynda Carter with Wonder Woman ’77.

Initial writer Marc Andreyko wanted to use “under-appreciated” Wonder Woman rogues and include them in the series, since the television series’ limited budget didn’t allow from them. As a result, classic Wonder Woman villains like Cheetah, Silver Swan, and Doctor Psycho received the Wonder Woman TV treatment they never had and Andreyko does such a great job including them that folks won’t remember that they were never in the original series—or maybe they will.

Anyway, Wonder Woman ’77 is a great series for fans of the Lynda Carter TV show or for people who may have missed the original show and don’t want to sit through the dated special effects and again, dated writing. This series does a great job of cleaning up some of the television show’s shortcomings.

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Gods and Mortals (written by George Perez and Len Wien/art by George Perez; 1987)

Gods and Mortals is a quintessential Wonder Woman story. After Marston’s Golden Age run and Crisis on Infinite Earths, the quality of Wonder Woman was—how to do I put this kindly—a mixed bag. George Perez relaunched the Wonder Woman title and he abandoned Diana as a marginalized member of the JLA’s boy’s club. He took Diana back to her feminist roots and made Steve Trevor and Etta Candy (one of Wonder Woman’s closest friends) rich and layered characters. Perez deployed a sense of fatalistic realism as the Amazons put themselves in a self-imposed exile after Queen Hippolyta (Diana’s mother) was put into bondage and raped by Hercules.

As you can see, Gods and Mortals took risks that many in the comics world would’ve taken at the time, but the end result was Diana standing on her own, apart from the Justice Society and Justice League. She didn’t need the male pantheon for support, and it was Gods and Mortals that made Greek gods regular characters in Wonder Woman stories.

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Wonder Woman: Spirit of Truth (written by Paul Dini/art by Alex Ross; 2001)

Paul Dini of Batman: The Animated Series fame crafts an understated moment between Diana and Clark Kent having coffee and swapping tales. Artist Alex Ross does a great job rendering these moments of Clark and Diana enjoying each other’s company one instant and the Amazonian Warrior lifting tanks, taking on armies, and fighting for women’s rights the next. Spirit of Truth may only come in at 64 pages, but it captures what makes Wonder Woman an endearing character.

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Wonder Woman: The Hiketeia (written by Greg Rucka/art by Drew Johnson, Eric Shanower, and Brian Stelfreeze; 2003)

The Hiketeia takes an intriguing look at the ancient idea of justice in the modern world. When Diana meets Danielle Wellys, Danielle evokes the ancient rite of Hiketeia and bonds herself to Diana as Diana’s supplicant. In return, Diana must ensure Danielle’s protection, but little does Diana know that Danielle has been on a murder spree to avenge her slain sister. Danielle’s actions attract the attention of the Furies of Greek myth, seeking vengeance for the victims, and Batman.

Batman and Wonder Woman’s views on justice differ as Diana marries fairness with justice. The Hiketeia does a great job showing how two thirds of DC’s trinity interact as they have a respectful but adversarial relationship.

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Wonder Woman: Down to Earth (written by Greg Rucka/art by Drew Johnson, Eric Shanower, and Brian Stelfreeze; 2004)

Down to Earth is an unconventional superhero story as Wonder Woman doesn’t stop villains or save the world; she shares her ideals in a book of essays and others try to tear down her philosophies. A lot of this backlash originates with the mysterious Veronica Cale—who functions like a female Lex Luthor—and she pulls all kinds of strings that make Diana’s life difficult. The book even creates tension in Mount Olympus with the gods, which doesn’t end well for Wonder Woman in the long run.

Down to Earth is another great story by Greg Rucka, and it does a lot to set up many of the events in his excellent four year run of Wonder Woman.

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Wonder Woman: The New 52 (written by Brian Azzarello/art by Cliff Chiang; 2012-2015)

Brian Azzarello’s run on Wonder Woman: The New 52 was amazing. It embraces Diana’s Greek mythological roots and bends these same classic Greek myths, turning them into something new and exciting. Every step of the way you’ll stop and think that’s so Hades or that’s so Poseidon and Diana the daughter of Hippolyta and Zeus fits right in. The ending doesn’t disappoint. I won’t ruin it here, but Azzarello does a great job of pacing and taking what makes these characters who they are—both Greek myth and comic book characters—and blends them together seamlessly.

That’s my list for readers who are new to Wonder Woman comics. There are so many to choose from—decades after decades in fact—and I’m sure I missed more than one, two, or five hundred. Be sure to list some in comments. I’m sure Jim will prefer your picks to mine.

3 Lists of 3 Faithful and Unfaithful Comic Book and Manga Movies

Published on February 18, 2019September 8, 2024 by KyraLeave a comment

Cause it takes a strong man, baby, but I’m showing you the door. Cause I gotta have faith. I gotta have faith. Or do you?

Your uncle Geekly is back with more comic book movie magic and a three list of three. This week we’ll concentrate on comic book movies that are the most and least faithful adaptations to their source material and throw in a third, fun list for kicks.

Usually, a faithful adaptation is better than one that isn’t, but that’s not always the case. 2011’s Green Lantern made the short list for faithful adaptations, and it stunk. Regardless, the following lists will let you know which ones have geek cred, and which ones don’t.

Most Faithful Comic Book or Manga Movies (so far)

Iron Man (2008)

All the main points for Tony’s character are present in 2008’s Iron Man, except that he’s more of a social drinker than an alcoholic. That may be the one part that I’ve never liked about the movie version, but I get it. Marvel/Disney wants to make Iron Man more accessible for a greater audience. But alcoholism is a common problem and that’s one of the things that makes Tony accessible for people.

Oh well, like I said, the main character points are there: billionaire playboy, womanizer, purveyor of the best weapons, regrets the creation of such weapons, and needs a suit to stay alive. One must take the omission of alcoholism with stride. The cinematic Iron Man deals with his alcoholism as much as cinematic versions of Batman deal with the loss of his parents. It’s a peripheral thing.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)

Yes. This is the second Marvel movie in a row, but it’s a good one that’s very faithful to its source material. The only things the movie Winter Soldier changes are plot points that wouldn’t fit within the confines of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (Sharon Carter wasn’t introduced until this movie, so Black Widow is part of Cap’s team) and some of the more fantastic or mystical elements (sorry, no Cosmic Cube, this version is more grounded).

Again, the main points are there. Cap’s team investigate the mysterious Winter Soldier, who turns out to be Cap’s former sidekick Bucky. At the end, Bucky sneaks away to find himself. The few deviations make sense and don’t detract from the movie capturing the characters and the feel of the comics.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)

Some source material was cut or condensed to fit a two-hour runtime, but Scott Pilgrim vs. The World captures the original story perfectly. Over-the-top video game battles? Check. A frenetic pace? Check. Extremely expressive characters? Have you seen Michael Cera’s face? He may have eyes as large as the title character in the manga. The supporting characters are equally over-the-top and animated—but in the best possible way.

Edgar Wright did a fantastic job translating the Canadian manga into a cult classic. Unfortunately, cult classic means that it didn’t do as well as it should have in theaters.

Least Faithful Comic Book or Manga Movies (so far)

Catwoman (2004)

Catwoman. Ugh, Catwoman! It’s so different from the source material that I wouldn’t be surprised if a film distributor other than Warner Brothers released this one. The anti-hero’s moniker and character appearance (sort of) are the only commonalities between the two entities.

Patience Philips is Catwoman’s real name instead of Selina Kyle. Patience drowns and comes back to life with the help of a magical cat instead of being a world-class cat burglar. There’s an Egyptian goddess Bastet angle that’s just awful. Who wrote this? How could the actors read the script and think this would be a good movie? Who allowed this to exist?

The Spirit (2008)

The Spirit comic may have had some issues with Ebony White (it’s a product of its age), but the story is a great blend of crime and humor with strong characterization. I like how Will Eisner portrayed The Spirit as an everyman. It made him relatable and accessible.

The movie strips the characters of their personality and clothes. Comic book fans have known for years that Frank Miller (the movie’s director) doesn’t have the most enlightened opinion of women, and it shows here. I would say that 2008’s The Spirit should only be aired on Skinamax, but soft-core porn has more story and does more with their characters. Also, The Spirit can heal like Wolverine, so that everyman quality is lost.

Death Note (2017)

Fans didn’t like the announcement that Netflix would release a live action Death Note and set it in the United States. While I agree that changing the setting and other cosmetic alterations damaged the movie, Death Note’s biggest sin is that the characters are dumb. It’s not that they’re dumb as in they make little sense or have limited characterization, which they do make little sense and have limited characterization, but the main characters have a collected IQ of 30. That’s not ideal for a series that’s main draw is that it plays out like a high-stakes Chess match.

Instead of schemes becoming more complex throughout the movie, they get dumb and dumber and dumberer and dumberest. This movie is so stupid that I’m making up words.

Awesome Animated Comic Book Movies

All-Star Superman (2011)

It helps when the source material is excellent, but 2011’s All-Star Superman is amazing. It captures the essence of the character in a way other Superman films haven’t been able to. It shows what Superman would do if he knew he didn’t have much time left on this planet. He continues to protect the Earth and his loved ones because that’s who he is. There’s even a great Lex Luthor character moment when he sees the world as Superman does, ever the optimist. All-Star Superman is a must watch.

Batman: Under the Red Hood (2010)

Batman: Under the Red Hood was released early in DC’s animated line, but it may be the best animated Batman film ever. Jensen Ackles (Supernatural) is Jason Todd and he may own the role for some time to come. Bruce Greenwood’s Dark Knight and John DiMaggio’s Joker are almost as good as Kevin Conroy and Mark Hamill, and that’s saying a lot.

This film explores the complex relationship Batman has with killing and with the Robins who have joined him in his crusade. Yes. Under the Red Hood has the prerequisite action and crime fighting, but it’s a surprisingly deep movie.

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm (1993)

I could’ve gone with a lot of other DC animated films with this final move—DC Animated movies are far better than most Marvel ones, they’re the inverse of the live action films—but I had to go with one of the first Batman: Mask of the Phantasm. To me, Kevin Conroy is Batman. Mark Hamill has given one of the most memorable performances as The Joker. There’s a reason the pair have been playing these characters for over two decades.

The original characters in this film are well done too, and Batman: Mask of the Phantasm holds the distinction of being the first Batman: The Animated Series film. Any Batman newbie should watch at least the first season of Batman: The Animated Series, followed by Mask of the Phantasm.

I can only list 9 movies in this 3 lists of 3, so I’m sure some readers will differ in their opinions. Turn on the Geek Signal and I may come running if you leave within a fifty-mile radius or leave a comment.

Fantastic Four Starter Stories

Published on January 29, 2019September 8, 2024 by KyraLeave a comment

Fantastic Four began the Marvel Age of Comics, but that doesn’t mean that it’s had as much luck with its movies as other Marvel properties. The ugliness brought on by less-than-stellar films and the fallout from contract disputes led to the comic book getting cancelled before 2015’s Fant4stic. The FF’s omission spread to other projects like Marvel: Dice Masters. I’m still waiting for the Fantastic Four set we were supposed to get shortly after launch.

Anyway. With Disney buying out Fox that should all change. Heck, the Fantastic Four comic book was relaunched in August 2018, so positive things have already happened. This is only the beginning.

Your uncle Geekly’s sure Marvel’s first family will make its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in the not-so-distant future, and it may be a good time to catch up with some of the stories new fans will want to read to get to know Reed, Sue, Ben, and Johnny better. These are good stories for new fans.

The Galactus Trilogy Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #48-50 (written by Stan Lee/art by Jack Kirby; 1966)

Uncle Geekly could’ve started with the Fantastic Four’s origin story, and that would be a good enough place to begin, but it’s been covered in film and cartoon a lot. Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #1 is as good as any of the reboots and relaunches, but I talk about origins all the time with these starter stories. Let’s start with something different. Let’s begin with the ultimate in Fantastic Four required reading: Galactus.

First, the Galactus story came out in the middle of Lee and Kirby’s collaboration, so they’re at the height of their storytelling powers. You’ll see more of this in the next entry.

Second, the peerless pair didn’t hit the brakes once after this story got started. Silver Surfer arrives. Uatu warns the family. Galactus looms large above Earth, preparing to eat it. It was loud and bombastic. This story was one of the longest comic book stories at the time. The pacing worked, and it led to comic books adopting longer story arcs.

Finally, the legend of how this story came about is telling of the pair’s storytelling technique and of Galactus. Kirby asked Lee “What if the Fantastic Four met God?” I’m not sure if this conversation ever happened, but presumably Lee responded with a “yes, and.” One would get the ball rolling and the other would always add to original idea, and the original idea of Galactus was an enemy that was above good and evil: a force of nature.

The idea of a villain that was neither good or evil was novel, and “The Galactus Trilogy” remains one of the best Fantastic Four stories.

This Man, This Monster! Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #51 (written by Stan Lee/art by Jack Kirby; June 1966)

Just in case you missed the details of the last entry and this one, you’ll notice that Galactus was followed up immediately with “This Man, This Monster!.” Like the story it followed, “This Man, This Monster!” introduced more elements to superhero storytelling: focusing on a character’s humanity and interpersonal relationships.

The Thing’s powers are a blessing and a curse and no story by Lee and Kirby does a better job of illustrating that than this one. It’s a single-issue story that explores what happens when Ben Grimm loses his powers and culminates with him making a tragic personal sacrifice. It’s one of Lee and Kirby’s best and shows the pair’s range.

The Trial of Reed Richards Fantastic Four Vol. 1 #262 (story and art by John Byrne; June 1984)

I’m not going to sugar coat this. The 1970s weren’t a good decade for Fantastic Four stories. John Byrne did a lot to reinvent and reinvigorate the team. “The Trial of Reed Richards” represents the best Byrne had to offer.

Reed must stand trial for allowing Galactus to live and devour more planets. This single-issue tale does a great job of exploring morality, catches readers up on what Galactus was doing for the past decade, and questions what the universe would be like without a force of nature that can eat entire planets. Byrne does a great job of defending Galactus’s right to exist.

Fantastic Four: Unthinkable (written by Mark Waid/art by Mike Wieringo; 1998)

I’ve gone long enough without a Doctor Doom story, and that’s because I wanted to wait for the best Doctor Doom story “Unthinkable.”

Waid and Wieringo’s run on Fantastic Four captured the boundary pushing adventures of the FF’s past and is considered one of the best runs on the series. “Unthinkable” does a lot to solidify that claim. Unable to beat Reed as a scientist, Doom turns to the one “science” Reed was never able to comprehend: magic.

“Unthinkable” forced the Fantastic Four, and especially Reed, to stretch their capabilities. Doom reached new levels of villainy here that included dark arcane powers, a suit made of flesh. Despite Reed’s efforts, Doom still magically disfigured Reed and set him on a path that would lead to Ben’s death.

If a reader wants to know the depth of Doom’s hatred for Reed and the rest of the FF, look no further than “Unthinkable.”

Fantastic Four: Hereafter (written by Mark Waid/art by Mike Wieringo; 2004)

I did it with Lee and Kirby and here I go again—sort of—with Waid and Wieringo. “Hereafter” follows “Authoritative Action” which happened because of “Unthinkable.” Let’s just say that Reed didn’t handle Ben’s death well, and it led to some ugliness in Latvaria. Reed decides to put his trust in something greater than himself in “Hereafter.” The surviving members of the Fantastic Four storm the gates of Heaven to rescue Ben. This story doesn’t question existence as much as exploring one’s consequences.

Reed, Sue, Johnny, and Ben don’t save the world in “Hereafter.” They don’t battle a huge villain or overcome a cosmic threat. This story focuses on love, friendship, and hope.

Fantastic Four: Three (written by Jonathan Hickman/art by Steve Epting; 2010-2011)

What is with the Fantastic Four and wanting to be a trio? Hickman had a great run with Fantastic Four in the 2000s, and “Three” might be the best of his stories. Annihilus—an often-overlooked FF villain—poses the threat here, but the crux of the story comes in the form of Ben losing his powers and not being able to help his best friend Johnny during an invasion from the Negative Zone.

Johnny gets overrun by the Annihilation Wave as Ben seals the portal from the outside. Ben gets his wish of being normal, but he struggles with losing Johnny. If readers want to learn more about Johnny and Ben’s unique bond, give “Three” a read.

Fantastic Four: 1234 (written by Grant Morrison/art by Jae Lee; 2011)

Grant Morrison likes to bend reality with his stories, so a Fantastic Four mini-series was inevitable. “1234” splits the family with four individual stories. Each member must suffer through a series of personal misfortunes and many of the team’s greatest enemies make appearances.

All the madness in “1234” leads to the team’s greatest adversary Doctor Doom. “1234” is a great showdown between two of the smartest men in the Marvel Universe. This is a battle of will, wits, and intelligence.

Fantastic Faux (written by Matt Fraction/art by Mike Allred; 2012-2014)

It may not look like it, but many heroes have donned the Fantastic Four uniform. The oddest group to wear Fantastic Four tights must be the team of Fantastic Faux.

Following Jonathan Hickman’s great run on Fantastic Four, Fraction took over both Fantastic Four and its sister title FF. The results were the team being sent through space and time, which left a vacancy in the Baxter Building for a substitute team to fill.

Ant-Man, Medusa, She-Hulk, and the newly introduced Ms. Thing (Johnny’s pop-star girlfriend Darla Deering who wore a mechanical Thing suit) were left in charge of the Future Foundation’s group of advanced science students. As Allred and Fraction are wont to do, they dial the sci-fi bizzarroness up to 50. A Voltron-style Doc Doom/Annihilus/Kang mash-up villain named Kang the Annihilating Conqueror, a one-eyed future Johnny, and the odd alien Foundation’s students graced this 16-issue run.

But like most great FF runs, “Fantastic Faux” challenges the idea of family. Not only are we born into a family, we have family that we choose.

That’s my list for readers who are new to Fantastic Four comics. If I didn’t get the list right, I’m sure it’s right in some alternate reality. I’ll have to ask Reed which one or you could let me know in comments.