Deadpool, “the Merc with a Mouth” is one of my very favorite characters. He is annoying, hilarious, and violent – but he has a tendency to curb his antics when it’s time to help other people. His voracious eating of tacos, numerous nerd references, and endless self-sabotaging redefines what to expect from a bloodthirsty maniac with a taste for homicide. There is an uncertainty as to whether he is a hero, antihero, or villain. Perhaps the truth is he cannot be boxed into any of them because he is unpredictable, and his schtick puts him in a position where he can be anything he chooses. For better or worse, whether you love him or hate him, Wade Wilson is here to stay because you CAN’T KILL HIM. [Read more…] about The Best of Deadpool!
Best of Lists
Best of Marvel What If…? Comics!
What If…? comics began all the way back in 1977, and the title has seen two long-running series as well as several one-shots and mini-series in the interim. Generally narrated by our comically useless friend Uatu the Watcher, these stories imagine what might have happened if key moments in the Marvel heroes’ lives had gone differently.
The wild world of What If…?
The Best Ghost Rider Comics!
Ghost Rider has long been one of Marvel’s more offbeat properties, and that’s what makes it great. Who knew a loose analog of Evel Knievel with a flaming skull head and demonic powers that elevate him to the living embodiment of vengeance was going to stick around? Not me! Yet stick around he did, and our Ghost Rider has been hopping about the Marvel Universe and beyond for decades: a skull-head kind of guy doing skull-head kinds of things. [Read more…] about The Best Ghost Rider Comics!
The Best Silver Surfer Comics!
Of the many co-creations of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the Silver Surfer is one that was exceptionally close to Lee’s heart—he referred to the character as his personal philosophical outlet and a mouthpiece for many of his own observations on the human race. Indeed, Surfer’s removed, sensitive condemnation of the foolishness of humankind remains relatable to this day, and it brought out a seldom seen quietly emotional side to Lee’s writing that has continued to inform the character. All these many decades later, the Surfer remains almost completely unchanged from his foundational appearances. [Read more…] about The Best Silver Surfer Comics!
The Best Venom Comics!
I have quite the love affair with the universe’s most complex symbiote. I firmly believe that Venom is an excellent example of the antihero in fiction and the numerous paths that can be taken in order to expand that character type. Formally introduced in Amazing Spider-Man #300, he is a villain, but sometimes he has a moment of reflection that compels him to do something nice for humankind. Under Eddie Brock’s moral compass, Venom becomes his best friend and the antihero needed in order to expose the complexities of the human spirit.
While Venom has the ability to choose hosts (Gwenom, Carnage), the reasons I have picked these particular stories is because I wanted to highlight the relationship between Eddie and Venom. In my own opinion, outside of the mental health allegories, Eddie’s relationship with Venom is one that makes the average reader reconsider the lines of platonic admiration and love. They are sorely dependent on each other in order to navigate this world – and that my friends, is the making of a true friendship of the ages. It’s not all roses, but with each struggle and fight, they soon become accustomed to the fact that they cannot survive without each other. [Read more…] about The Best Venom Comics!