Aquaman may not have the Rogues Gallery of some of his Justice League teammates like Batman, Superman, or the Flash. His baddies aren’t even on the level of Green Lantern’s or Wonder Woman’s, if we’re being honest. But that’s not to say they are all bargain basement baddies. The King of Atlantis has a few truly lethal and memorable villains who have plagued him over the decades, and these are the best of the best. Or should we say the worst of the worst?

7. The Scavenger (Peter Mortimer)

The villain known as the Scavenger was just as his name suggests—an underwater scavenger. First appearing in 1968’s Aquaman #37, Peter Mortimer wore a high-tech underwater diving suit, which he used to rummage through the ocean floor for lost treasure and powerful weapons. All of this, of course, brought him into conflict with Aquaman. Scavenger made a handful of appearances in the Silver and Bronze Age of comics. Eventually, he gained mystical powers, which made him a bigger threat. The New 52 reboot of the DC Universe brought him back to basics. Once again, he was a scavenger looting the ocean for ancient Atlantean artifacts. Only this time, he had a much cooler suit.

That much cooler suit helps him land a spot as one of Aquaman’s best baddies.

6. The Shark (Karshan)

The Shark is not to be confused with the Suicide Squad’s King Shark; that’s a totally different guy. No, the villain called the Shark actually originated as an antagonist for Green Lantern Hal Jordan, way back in Green Lantern #24 in 1963. His backstory was your basic Silver Age origin for a villain. A radioactive explosion went off in the ocean, transforming a basic tiger shark into a humanoid hybrid—one who only wanted to seek out prey and devour them. While he was mostly a Green Lantern adversary at first, as a water-based creature, it was inevitable he would wind up as an Aquaman villain. When he fought Arthur, he took on the Atlantean identity of Karshan. He wasn’t as menacing looking as later, similar villains like King Shark. At least not at first. But for some time there, he was a big thorn in Aquaman’s side.

5. The Fisherman

The Fisherman is one of those Silver Age Aquaman villains that just had that extra something creators and fans liked, so he kept coming back. His real name has never been revealed. He’s one of DC’s many pirates who use oceanic motifs as part of his schtick. Still, his look is slightly more memorable than the others. This is mainly because he literally used a giant titanium steel fishing rod as his main weapon. All while wearing a yellow fisherman’s cowl too. Oh, and with thigh-high boots. Because why not? He’s one of the few comic villains who made it into the ’60s Aquaman cartoon, which probably helped him, recognition-wise. DC eventually revealed his goofy fisherman’s hat was actually a parasitic entity that controlled his victims! That fact alone is so bizarre and off-the-wall, that it earns The Fisherman a place on this list.

4. Kordax

When writer Peter David created a whole history and lore for ancient Atlantis in his 1990 series The Atlantis Chronicles, one of the best additions was the villainous Kordax. He was born to an ancient Atlantean queen, but then abandoned after his birth because of his green-scaled body and (unusual for Atlanteans) blonde hair. But Kordax didn’t die when abandoned on the reef, because he had the power to telepathically communicate with sea life. And he learned to control them, and later, use them to do his bidding.

Kordax returned as an adult and tried to claim the Atlantean throne, but failed in his coup. Because of his unique hair color, blonde hair became a sign of evil to Atlanteans. And this was also why the Atlantean people abandoned his descendant Orin to die. Centuries later, he returned, and became a lethal enemy for his descendant Orin, now Aquaman, in the Sea King’s ’90s solo series written by his creator, Peter David. Aquaman ultimately killed him, but he made his mark in his short time as an Aquaman adversary. He will at least be referenced in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

3. Charybdis

Charybdis didn’t make a ton of appearances in many Aquaman comics. However, he inflicted the most pain on Arthur Curry than anyone other than Black Manta. Created by Peter David and Martin Egeland and first appearing in 1994’s Aquaman #1, Charybdis and his wife, Scylla were named for ancient monsters from Greek mythology. Both were high-profile terrorists who attempted to kill Aquaman for fame and money. But when Scylla was herself instead killed, Charybdis lost his mind with grief.

Similar to Marvel’s Rogue, Charybdis could absorb powers from others. He attempted to absorb Aquaman’s power, and then controlled a school of piranha to eat Aquaman’s hand, leaving nothing but bones. (He’d later replace that lost hand with a giant hook, which was pretty badass, we can’t lie). Charybdis couldn’t control Aquaman’s power, and he himself fell into a pool of piranha. But since this is comics, he didn’t really die. Instead, he melded with the creatures and absorbed their traits, and became Piranha Man. The name Piranha Man might sell more action figures, but we still like the name Charybdis better.

2. Ocean Master (Orm Marius)

Aquaman’s second most important villain is his own half-brother Orm, also known as Ocean Master. Orm has had several backstories over the years, but he’s always been Arthur Curry’s bitter sibling. First appearing in 1966’s Aquaman #29, he was originally a high-tech pirate. In the post-Crisis era, DC reinvented him as a sorcerer who wielded Atlantean magic, and the half-brother of Aquaman via his human father, Tom Curry. Peter David’s version was Aquaman’s half-brother via sharing the same father, this time the ancient Atlantean sorcerer Atlan.

In Geoff Johns’ New 52 era take on the character in 2011, he was an Atlantean royal, the other son of Queen Atlanna, who had a vendetta against the surface world for their pollution of the oceans, and who sought to destroy them. This was the version Patrick Wilson played that made it to live-action in the Aquaman film. Regardless of how he was related to Aquaman and by which parent, his role as the wildly jealous half-sibling was always constant. It always made the stakes between himself and his arch-enemy truly personal. Add to that a memorable design (that helmet is both goofy and cool), and he’ll always be one of Aquaman’s most famous bad guys.

1. Black Manta (David Hyde)

Over the decades, Aquaman faced off against many air-breathing undersea criminal types in diving suits. Many of which remain forgotten today. So why did Black Manta, who debuted in Aquaman #35 in 1967, rise to the top? And why is David Hyde the greatest of all Aquaman villains, even over his jealous half-brother Orm? Three reasons: His costume design is cool as hell. Never underestimate the power of a killer look in superhero comics. Second, he appeared in the Aquaman animated series, and later, on the Challenge of the Super-Friends. And finally, he committed the worst act ever done by a supervillain to their arch-enemy—he murdered Aquaman’s young son.

Ever since that seminal story back in the ‘70s, Black Manta became Arthur Curry’s most famous foe. The Joker to his Batman. Modern comics have given Black Manta more layers and backstory, including revealing his motivations against the King of Atlantis. One of those reasons is that he blamed Aquaman for the death of his father. Because of all of these things, Black Manta was not only a villain in the first Aquaman film, played by Yayah Abdul-Mateen II, but also in the upcoming Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom as well. For all of these reasons, we highly doubt anyone will ever replace Black Manta as Aquaman’s most notorious enemy.

The post Aquaman’s Greatest Villains, Ranked appeared first on Nerdist.

2023 is already at a close, and it’s time to look back on this momentous year for comic books. This year, fan-favorite heroes were killed off, horror comics continued to thrive, and DSTLRY launched a new approach to creator-owned comics. Without further ado, here are the very best comics that came out this year. 

MARVEL

The Incredible Hulk

The Hulk has been around since 1962, and it’s about time he starred in his own Southern Gothic body horror story. This year, The Incredible Hulk quite literally exploded his way to becoming one of Marvel’s strongest books. Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson and artist Nic Klein delivered a haunting and lyrical tale of Bruce Banner and a spunky teenager named Charlie traveling through the American South. There’s creepy church songs, creatures exploding out of bodies, abandoned mining towns, and a brand new Ghost Rider – what more could you want? Horror comics are popular right now, but The Incredible Hulk has its own corner of the market because of its Southern Gothic specificity. Johnson and Klein are one of the finest creative teams at Marvel today, so don’t miss out. 

Immortal Thor

One of the most powerful things that can happen while reading a superhero book is being reminded of why you love, or loved, a character so much. Immortal Thor by Al Ewing and Martín Cóccolo presents this type of awakening. Al Ewing has stated that his favorite kind of Thor is a smiling Thor. And seeing the god of thunder smile in Immortal Thor #1 breaks down any sense of separation we might feel from this arguably unrelatable character. Thor is at his best when you can feel chummy with him, even if you don’t quite understand the life he lives. Under Ewing and Cóccolo’s stewardship, Thor feels like your best friend who also happens to be a god. He sparks enough joy to pass the Marie Kondo test. How lucky we are to have him. 

Star Wars: Dark Droids

If you are anything of a Star Wars fan yourself, run – don’t walk – to Marvel’s Star Wars comics. The ongoing Dark Droids event highlights the strength of the Star Wars line in its entirety, between the title series by Charles Soule and Madibek Musabekov, Bounty Hunters by Ethan Sacks and Davide Tinto, Doctor Aphra by Alyssa Wong and Mingkyu Jung, and Darth Vader by Greg Pak and Raffaele Ienco. Dark Droids poses the simple question of what would happen if all of the droids and cyborgs in the galaxy were corrupted by an evil virus. Considering how widespread droids are, it’s a genius question. Not even Vader is safe. 

The X-Cellent

As algorithms continue to sway the course of popular culture, the X-Statix have never felt more relevant. The X-Statix are an X-Men team created by Peter Milligan, Michael Allred, and Laura Allred. Unlike other X-Men teams, the X-Statix have always had a strong satirical bent, as they are reality stars more than honest superheroes. The X-Cellent by Milligan and the Allreds is their latest adventure, where Mr. Sensitive’s team battles their vomiting foe, Zeitgeist, once again (yes, you read that right). The X-Statix are just about the most dysfunctional superhero team around, and The X-Cellent highlights everything that makes them so refreshing.  

She-Hulk/The Sensational She-Hulk

The world is a better place when She-Hulk has an ongoing series. The Sensational She-Hulk is a continuation of Rainbow Rowell and Andrés Genolet’s She-Hulk series that wrapped up earlier this year. Rowell and Genolet’s love for the character shines through with their work, as it has more of a slice-of-life feel than most superhero stories. In a genre overcrowded by insanely high, universe-shattering stakes, The Sensational She-Hulk provides the rare opportunity to sit down on a comfortable couch and listen to characters have conversations with each other. She-Hulk is such a wonderful character that she makes every issue a gift. 

DC

Green Lantern

Jeremy Adams and Xermánico’s Green Lantern is the Top Gun: Maverick of Hal Jordan stories. It’s effortless, impeccably executed, heavy on “hang-out” time with the characters, and there’s a motorcycle or two. This isn’t your typical Hal Jordan story, as he’s living out of a trailer and his old flame, Carol Ferris, has moved on. Regardless of what your feelings about Hal Jordan are, Green Lantern will give you a reason to root for this guy. Additionally, Xermánico continues to prove that he is one of the most versatile artists working in comics today. He nails soft, bright, emotional scenes alongside pulse-pounding, gritty action sequences. The sky is the limit in Green Lantern.

Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville

Fire & Ice: Welcome to Smallville is the female-led buddy comedy we’ve always needed. For those who aren’t familiar, Fire and Ice were on the Justice League back in the late 1980s and 1990s. Despite being one of DC’s best friendships, the two superheroines haven’t gotten their due. But now, thanks to Joanne Starer and Natacha Bustos, Fire and Ice shine as they set up their own hair salon in Smallville, Kansas. Each issue will make you fall in love with this dynamic duo even more, and there’s some hilarious cameos sprinkled throughout.

The Vigil

If you’re a fan of morally-grey superheroes, look no further than The Vigil by Ram V and Lalit Kumar Sharma. A brand new team composed of metahumans from India, The Vigil are built in a similar vein to the WildC.A.T.S. from the 1990s, except they’re even cooler. There’s a kid on the team named Castle who is so terrifyingly smart that The Vigil would rather have him on their team than risk the chance of someone else scooping him up. The evocative character designs by Sharma hint at the interesting backstories for each character, with Saya’s mask being an instantly iconic look. V and Sharma’s miniseries proves that The Vigil have immense potential in the DC Universe, so now is a good time to jump aboard! 

Peacemaker Tries Hard! 

If you’ve haven’t cried from laughter while reading a comic, you haven’t lived. Peacemaker Tries Hard! by Kyle Starks and Steve Pugh is one of the funniest books of the year. Kyle Starks launches one-liners like a potato gun, executed with precision by Steve Pugh’s gorgeous and expressive artwork. What makes Peacemaker such a delight is that he is not very good at being a superhero, and he lacks any sense of self-awareness. Coupled with the fact that he has an adorable puppy named Bruce Wayne, it doesn’t get much funnier than Peacemaker Tries Hard! 

Action Comics

2023 was the year that Action Comics became a book celebrating the entire Superman Family. With new costumes designed by artist Dan Mora, the Super-Family has never felt more central to the evolving DC mythos. Writer Phillip Kennedy Johnson has consistently transformed a different Superman villain with every arc on Action Comics. Under the pen of artist Rafa Sandoval, Metallo reached new heights as a villain, with the story focusing on his chances for redemption. It’s the perfect model for Superman’s values in restorative justice, while also providing a counter to Action’s more clear-cut evildoers, like Mongul and Lex Luthor. 

INDIE PUBLISHERS

Phantom Road

Image Comics’ Phantom Road is written by one of the most distinctive voices in horror comics today, Jeff Lemire. Together with artist Gabriel H. Walta and colorist Jordie Bellaire, Lemire takes us on a highway to hell with haunting images we can never unsee. The story follows a trucker named Dom who stumbles across a stretch of highway where desiccated zombie-like creatures roam. What ensues is like if Resident Evil 2 met Kentucky Route Zero. Walta’s grimy artwork is not to be missed. 

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees

Every once and a while, we are lucky enough to find a series that has us screaming, “WHAT IN TARNATION?!” at the end of the first issue. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees from IDW Publishing is one of those series. Written and drawn by Patrick Horvath, Beneath the Trees has an adorable aesthetic that doesn’t hide the grisly habits of its protagonist, a serial killer named Samantha. However, Samantha is a very cuddly-looking bear, living in a quaint town with other animals, not unlike your own island in Animal Crossing. Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees has a gleefully macabre sense of humor and eye-popping visuals. Don’t miss it. 

Killadelphia 

If you haven’t read even a bit of Image Comics’ Killadelphia, you’re missing out on one of the greatest horror books of the past decade. Written by Rodney Barnes with art by Jason Shawn Alexander, Killadelphia explores the sins of America’s past and present through vampires. Only, these aren’t your typical vampires, they’re figures like Former President George Washington. Killadelphia continues to be a thought-provoking look at American history. Alexander’s art captures the violence at the center of it all with gritty excellence. Come for the vampire former Presidents, stay for the heartfelt meditations on family. 

Carmilla: The First Vampire 

Between Killadelphia and Carmilla: The First Vampire, vampires have never felt more fresh in comics. Amy Chu and Soo Lee’s graphic novel is set in 1996 in Manhattan’s Chinatown. Social worker Athena Loo is pulled into a web of mystery after a number of her clients are murdered. Chu’s writing beautifully captures the everyday culture of Manhattan Chinatown, seamlessly weaving the dangers of gentrification with the vampire metaphor. The title of the graphic novel comes from Sheridan Le Fanu’s novella of the same name, and it stays true to the original as a lesbian vampire story. But make no mistake, Carmilla: The First Vampire has its own unique story to tell. 

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Marvel Comics has finally made good on an idea that’s over 40 years old. In the recent X-Men Blue: Origins one shot, the true origin story of longtime X-Man Nightcrawler was revealed. And it’s what Uncanny X-Men writer Chris Claremont intended decades ago, but Marvel Comics forbade him to do so. In X-Men Blue: Origins, writer Si Spurrier revealed Raven Darkholme, the shapeshifting mutant called Mystique, had morphed into a man and become Nightcrawler’s father. Her longtime lover Irene Adler, better known as the precognitive mutant Destiny, was the mother. This was always the plan. It just took four decades to get there.

Marvel Teased the Nightcrawler/Mystique Connection Since 1981

From his very first appearance in 1975’s Giant Size X-Men #1, there’s been an air of mystery surrounding the origins of Kurt Wagner, a.k.a. Nightcrawler. When the blue-skinned Nightcrawler first met the mutant villain Mystique in 1981’s Uncanny X-Men #142, he immediately noticed the similarities between the two of them. From that first meeting, Mystique teased Kurt with the knowledge that there was a deeper connection between them. Yet, Marvel kept that connection a mystery for decades.

Chris Claremont toyed with the idea of making the Doctor Strange villain Nightmare into Kurt’s dad. But he preferred his second option for Nightcrawler’s origin. His idea was that Mystique had shapeshifted into a man, and impregnated her longtime lover Destiny, making her Kurt’s mother. Although in the ’80s he was not allowed to explicitly say Mystique and Destiny were romantic partners, it was all but obvious to anyone who could read between the lines. Marvel editorial feared the still active Comics Code Authority censors would never allow it, so they scrapped the plan. Not wanting to replace the story he had in mind, Chris Claremont never touched the question of the Nightcrawler/Mystique connection again for the rest of his run on the title.

Mystique Revealed She Was Nightcrawler’s Mother in the ’90s

After Chris Claremont left the X-Men world in 1991, writer Scott Lobdell took over. In 1994’s X-Men Unlimited #4, by Scott Lobdell and Richard Bennett, Marvel finally had Mystique explain to Kurt that she was his mother. She told him the story of his birth. Mystique told Kurt she was once married to a German aristocrat, Baron Christian Wagner. He had no clue about her mutant powers, or that she married him for wealth and safety, not love. When she became pregnant, she gave birth to a blue infant with pointed ears and a tail.

This freaked out her husband, who accused her of having an affair. He could not have possibly imagined fathering a demonic baby. Later, the local townspeople found out Mystique was a mutant and chased her and her infant son out of the village with pitchforks, Frankenstein-style. Telling Kurt she was too weak to fight and run, she chose herself over her newborn child, coldly throwing the infant down a raging waterfall. She imitated a villager and escaped, and the child activated his teleporting powers for the first time and survived, eventually getting adopted.

Marvel Introduced Nightcrawler’s Demonic “Father” in the 2000s

Later, in the 2000s, writer Chuck Austen revealed Nightcrawler’s father was not the German Baron, but the demon Azazel, a being Mystique had an affair with. Azazel looked just like Nightcrawler, except he was red instead of blue. Nightcrawler had always been called a “demon,” thanks to his pointed ears and tail. Now we learned at least one parent of his was indeed just that. Later, Azazel’s demonic nature would come into question. Some writers have suggested he was a mutant posing as a demon lord. Up until recently, that’s been Nightcrawler’s in-canon origin story.

Nightcrawler’s True Origins Revealed at Last

But with the Comics Code Authority no longer being an issue, in X-Men Blue: Origins #1, writer Si Spurrier, artists Wilton Santos, Oren Junior, Marcus To, and Ceci De La Cruz actually made Claremont’s intended origin story for Kurt canon. They took into account all the reveals and changes over the years. Mystique tells Kurt she used her shapeshifting powers not to just change appearance, but also her sex, allowing her to impregnate Destiny. It was Destiny, posing as the German Baron’s maid, who gave birth to Nightcrawler nine months later. During Destiny’s pregnancy, Mystique used her shapeshifting abilities to fake her own pregnancy. This explains all the previous flashbacks of Mystique pregnant with Kurt.

So why does Azazel look so much like Kurt if he’s not the father? Well, it turns out Mystique can absorb some of the genetic code of those she touches when mimicking them. She used Azazel’s genetic code as the basis for her male form when impregnating Destiny—not only Azazel’s, but also some of Baron Christian Wagner’s as well. So why assume the form of Azazel at all when attempting to have a child with Destiny? Because the precognitive mutant had a vision of Azazel conquering the world. A vision showing that only his son could stop him (or someone he believed to be his son). So they concocted this elaborate ruse. But soon after, Destiny left Mystique, leaving her heartbroken.

Mystique and Destiny Are Officially Nightcrawler’s Parents

When they eventually reunited, Destiny asked Professor Charles Xavier to psychically remove the memories of giving birth to Kurt. This was so she and Mystique could move on and properly raise their adopted daughter Rogue. Meanwhile, Mystique refused to allow Xavier to remove the knowledge that she was Kurt’s parent. She said she did not want to forget the boy was her own. However, Xavier warned Mystique that tampering with her memories could alter her own perception of the past and it could lead to false memories—ones that were uglier than the truth. One of those false memories involved Mystique throwing her child over the waterfall, something she never truly did. In reality, she was heartbroken over the loss of her son. Xavier then deleted the memories of both women from his own mind as well, saying this was all a “private matter.”

With recent events in the X-Men line of comics removing Charles Xavier’s psychic tampering with Mystique’s mind, it revealed the truth to her. This knowledge caused a mental breakdown, but she eventually bonded with her son Kurt, whom she now acknowledges she never tried to kill to protect herself. Will these two characters finally form a parental bond that has always eluded them? And what will happen when Destiny inevitably comes back to life? The X-Men is an endless soap opera, and we can’t wait to see what happens to the Wagner/Darkholme family in the years ahead.

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Aquaman is one of the comic book medium’s most iconic characters, and is the only non-Batman DC superhero to headline a film that made a billion dollars. (Having Jason Momoa play him didn’t hurt.) Yet, his comic book history has been hit and miss. He debuted in 1941, as a back-up feature in More Fun Comics. He wasn’t even popular enough to get his own series, or even join the Justice Society of America.

But the tenacious undersea hero clung on when many other superheroes faded, and thanks to the boost of Justice League membership, he became popular enough to finally get his own comic in 1962, a full two decades after his debut. Since then, he’s more or less been a DC Comics mainstay, with a few years off here and there. Some comic book runs were forgettable, but some were truly great. Here are our choices for the best Aquaman comic book runs of all time.

7. Sword of Aquaman by Kurt Busiek, Tad Williams

with Jackson Guice, Shawn McManus

In 2006, after the big Infinite Crisis event, DC took a gamble on this oddball Aquaman title. This came after recent interpretations of the character were not really clicking with readers. DC went for a bold new take from writer Kurt Busiek, famous for his work on Avengers. Busiek’s Aquaman, was not the ruler of Atlantis as we’d known him for years. Instead, he was the similarly named Arthur Joseph Curry, a younger man who gained water-breathing powers thanks to experiments performed by his scientist father. This series renamed Aquaman vol. 6 as Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis.

This was all a callback to the 1940s Aquaman, who, costume and powers aside, was an almost totally different hero than the one we know today. Arthur’s adventures were more fantasy-oriented in nature, hence the “sword” in the title, and beautifully illustrated by Jackson Guice. Writer Tad Williams and artist Shawn McManus continued the Busiek/Guice story until the end of this run. This weird version of Aquaman only lasted for 18 issues, after which the original Arthur Curry returned from the dead. But it’s one of the more interesting takes on a hero named “Aquaman” that’s out there.

Issues in Kurt Busiek and Tad Williams’ Aquaman run:

Aquaman: Sword of Atlantis #40-57 (2006-2007)

6. Aquaman (Vol.3) by Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming

with Curt Swan, Al Vey

After the more radical reinvention of Aquaman in 1986 didn’t make a big enough splash sales-wise, the King of the Seas lay low for several more years, only appearing as a guest star in various series. Then in 1989, DC brought in Justice League International writer Keith Giffen and classic Superman artist Curt Swan. Writer Robert Loren Fleming helped with the writing duties as well. They first teamed up for the Legend of Aquaman special. This one-shot was more retro in style, mainly thanks to Swan’s art. However, it did add some new elements to the Aquaman lore.

One of those new elements was that Arthur Curry was now abandoned as an infant on the reef by his own people for his “cursed” blonde hair, later adopted by the human lighthouse keeper. This replaced the origin where he was the product of a human/Atlantean union. The same creative team reunited for a five-part mini-series that same year. This story focuses on an invasion of Atlantis from sentient squid, while Aquaman must deal with his deteriorating marriage to Mera. After this run, we got a new ongoing series by another creative team, although that book only lasted one year. Nothing breaks the mold here, but it’s still a fun read.

Issues in Keith Giffen’s Aquaman run:

Aquaman, Vol.3, #1-5, The Legend of Aquaman Special #1, (1989)

5. Aquaman (Vol.2) by Neal Pozner and Craig Hamilton

Despite consistently appearing in Justice League, and on Super Friends on TV, by 1986, Aquaman had not headlined his own series in eight years. Then, after the events of Crisis on Infinite Earths, DC Comics gave Arthur a bit of a modern facelift. This took place in an exciting four-part mini-series by writer (and former DC production designer) Neal Pozner, that updated his costume into something quite stylish, and gave the Sea King a unique adventure. This series really tied in with ancient Atlantean history, as seen in DC’s fantasy series Arion. It was an Aquaman we’d never really seen before.

This mid-’80s mini-series also elevated Aquaman’s sibling Ocean Master into a real menace for our hero at last. One who wields sorcery and isn’t just another water-themed techno-pirate. Artist Craig Hamilton’s art is simply incredible for this series, and remains underrated. DC hoped this series might boost the character in the way John Byrne and Frank Miller gave Superman and Batman a boost, respectively, that same year. But Clark and Bruce overshadowed him again (jerks). But it’s still a truly memorable run, and DC should collect it in some form. And that cool, new Aquaman costume? Arthur never wore it again. Years later, artist Phil Jimenez repurposed it for Aquaman’s former sidekick Aqualad, now Tempest. So its legacy lived on.

Issues in Neal Pozner’s Aquaman run:

Aquaman, Vol.2, #1-4 (1986)

4. Adventure Comics and Aquaman (Vol.1) by David Michelinie

with Jim Aparo, Don Newton

In the early ‘70s, DC canceled Aquaman’s solo series after a decade. But a few years later, new solo stories appeared in the pages of the anthology Adventure Comics. Starting in 1977, future Spider-Man writer David Michelinie and longtime Aquaman artist Jim Aparo began a multi-part epic that wound up as one of Aquaman’s defining storylines. In Adventure #450, Michelinie began a storyline that explored Aqualad’s mysterious past, but also saw the return of Black Manta on a mission of vengeance. Retribution that saw Manta do the unthinkable, and murder Aquaman’s baby son, Arthur Jr.

This storyline so shocked and enraptured readers, DC revived Aquaman’s solo comic thanks to Adventure Comics’ high sales. The revived Aquaman series, continued the story of Arthur Curry’s revenge quest against Black Manta, and its emotional fallout. David Michelinie and Jim Aparo continued to work together, with Don Newton ultimately taking over for Aparo. The revived Aquaman series then ended again with issue #63 in 1978, but DC has since collected the “Death of a Prince” story, marking this run as a very significant chapter in the Sea King’s career.

Issues in David Michelinie’s Aquaman run:

Adventure Comics #441, 443, 445, 450–452, Aquaman, Vol.1, #57–61 (1977–1978)

3. Aquaman (Vol.1) by Bob Haney with Nick Cardy

In 1962, thanks to years as a back-up feature for more popular superheroes and a slot on the Justice League of America, Aquaman finally got his own series as a headliner. The first issue of Aquaman hit in 1962, with stories largely written by Jack Miller and drawn by artist Nick Cardy. Most of these one-off stories had Aquaman and his kid sidekick Aqualad fight off random aliens and undersea despots. Silly fun, but unmemorable. Towards the end of the Miller run, DC had Aquaman marry Mera, and take the throne of Atlantis. However, all this provided excellent opportunities for the new series writer.

In 1965, writer Bob Haney, co-creator of the Teen Titans and the Doom Patrol, took over Aquaman with issue #25. He expanded the lore of the newly crowned King of Atlantis, adding in elements like Aquagirl, Arthur’s son Aquababy, and Aquaman’s two most iconic villains, Ocean Master and Black Manta. Unlike the perpetually single Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman, Haney had a blast exploring what it would be like to be a “married with children” superhero, while also juggling ruling a kingdom. By today’s standards, these stories remain quite dated, but they lay the foundation for so much future Aquaman lore, it is hard to deny its importance.

Issues in Bob Haney and Nick Cardy’s Aquaman run:

Aquaman, Vol.1, #25-39 (1965-1968)

2. Aquaman (Vol.7) by Geoff Johns

with Ivan Reis, Paul Pelletier

After a very celebrated run in the ‘90s, DC sidelined the character of Aquaman again. Despite some interesting takes on the King of the Seven Seas, nothing really clicked with comics fans in a big way. That is, until the 2011 New 52 reboot, when writer Geoff Johns reinvigorated the character in a new ongoing series which made him cool again. Although this time, he’d be cool while retaining his classic costume and Silver Age origin story. Illustrated by Ivan Reis and Paul Pelletier, during two years and 25 issues on the book, Johns was quick to shatter the “my power is just talking to fish” perception Aquaman had with the mainstream. In Johns’ view, Arthur Curry was a true force of nature, not a Super Friends punchline.

In Geoff Johns’ Aquaman run, he introduced many new concepts. There were the Others, new heroes who wielded ancient Atlantean weapons, and the Lovecraftian horrors of the Trench. He also reimagined Atlantis as a more multifaceted kingdom, with many different undersea tribes. Ocean Master and Black Manta received major upgrades. Their new personalities and backstories became a big influence on their big-screen interpretations. And after decades where DC treated Mera like a hysterical ex-wife, Geoff Johns made her a hero in her own right. Something that has stuck to this day. Aquaman was so popular at this time, that he even received a spin-off series, Aquaman and the Others. For only a 25-issue run, Geoff Johns really left his mark on the hero of Amnesty Bay.

Issues in Geoff Johns’ Aquaman run

Aquaman, Vol.7, #1-25 (2011-2013)

1. Aquaman (Vol.5) by Peter David

with Brad Vancata, Kirk Jarvinen, Marty Egeland, Jim Calafiore

When writer Peter David took over Aquaman in 1994, he was already a comics superstar. This was in large part to Marvel work on The Incredible Hulk and Spider-Man 2099. He actually began the seeds of his Aquaman run years before, in his seven-part series The Atlantis Chronicles. That series chronicled thousands of years of Atlantean history. It provided the foundation for what David would do with Arthur Curry for a nearly five-year run on the character.

David began with the mini-series Aquaman: Time and Tide, which updated Aquaman’s origins for the modern age. David made a big change to the mythology, making Aquaman the product of the Atlantean Queen Atlanna, and the ancient sorcerer Atlan. By issue three of the new Aquaman ongoing series, David “went there,” by having a villain amputate Arthur’s hand via Piranha. But instead of being sidelined by the injury, he replaced his hand with a giant hook. He also took on a long-haired, almost barbarian look. A complete 180 from his classic. Silver Age appearance. Fans ate it all up.

David’s Aquaman stories revealed that Arthur was just his adopted human name, his Atlantean name was Orin. This run also reunited him with his long-lost son Koryak, enter into a new romantic relationship with seafaring heroine Dolphin, and transformed into a warrior badass. Although DC produced this during the grim n’ gritty era of the ‘90s, David always brought humor to his comics. Aquaman was no different, often being quite funny. A lot of David retcons to Aquaman’s origins were undone by subsequent runs. However, the attitude and overall feel of Peter David’s Aquaman remains, seen most evidently in Jason Momoa’s big screen version.

Issues in Peter David’s Aquaman run:

The Atlantis Chronicles #1-7 (1990), Aquaman: Time and Tide #1-4 (1994), Aquaman Vol. 5 #0-46 (1994-1998)

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Daredevil is one of the most prestigious titles in Marvel Comics. However, when you look back at the Man Without Fear’s earliest issues, you wouldn’t expect a character in a gaudy red and yellow costume to someday hold this title. In fact, Daredevil has never been a pop culture superstar quite like his Marvel contemporaries like the Hulk, Spider-Man, or Thor. Even so, what’s unique about Daredevil is that his series presents a chronicle of contemporary social issues. That’s because Daredevil can’t ignore social inequality—it’s a part of everyday life as a blind lawyer Matt Murdock from working-class Hell’s Kitchen. With this in mind, let’s look at the 10 best Daredevil stories ever published. 

10. Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark

Crime is a key ingredient of Daredevil stories from the last couple decades. Writer Ed Brubaker has excelled in this genre across his career. Brubaker and Michael Lark’s Daredevil had the difficult task of continuing on from a bombshell moment at the end of Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev’s run, where Daredevil was imprisoned. While in jail, Matt Murdock was tormented by the Kingpin himself, Wilson Fisk. The audacious opening to Brubaker and Lark’s run put Matt up against his fiercest foes without any of his usual advantages. If you loved the pulse-pounding prison escape scene in season three of the Netflix Daredevil show, then Brubaker and Lark are a perfect match for your sensibilities. 

Ed Brubaker’s run spans Daredevil (1998) #82-119, plus Daredevil #500.

9. Charles Soule

Writer Charles Soule also works as an attorney. Part of his run on Daredevil highlights the ins and outs of being a lawyer. But beyond Soule’s legal training, he and artist Phil Noto pulled off one of the funniest gags in Daredevil’s history: bringing Matt Murdock’s fake twin brother, Mike, to life. In the earliest issues of Daredevil in the 1960s, Matt created the persona of “Mike Murdock” to fool Karen Page and Foggy Nelson into thinking Daredevil was actually his identical twin brother, Mike. But after a mishap with an Inhuman called the Reader, Mike Murdock accidentally came to life as his own person. Bringing Mike to life had lasting consequences for Daredevil (see: the Devil’s Reign event), and Soule and Noto’s arc merged both the comedic and dramatic sides of Daredevil’s publication history in one story. 

Charles Soule’s Daredevil run spans Daredevil (2015) #1-28, Daredevil #595-612.

8. Frank Miller

Frank Miller is often credited with reinventing Daredevil as a gritty crime story. Miller introduced longstanding characters in Daredevil such as the assassin Elektra Natchios, the ninja organization known as The Hand, and Daredevil’s former mentor, Stick. Together with artist David Mazzucchelli, Miller’s finest work on Daredevil was the “Born Again” storyline, which still remains influential today. Perhaps Frank Miller’s greatest legacy for Daredevil is that he paved the way for future creators to explore the Man Without Fear in a variety of modes. For some, that meant a heavy crime approach, and for others, a more humanistic perspective. When evaluated within the whole of Daredevil’s publication history, Frank Miller’s run may not be the character’s finest, but it is a watershed moment in superhero comics. 

Frank Miller’s run on Daredevil begins as the penciler on Daredevil #158-167, then as writer on Daredevil #168-191, #219, #226-233. Miller wrote Daredevil: The Man Without Fear #1-5 with art by John Romita Jr. 

7. Denny O’Neil

Dennis “Denny” O’Neil doesn’t get enough credit for his role in shaping Daredevil into one of Marvel’s finest characters. O’Neil ushered in a more mature era for superhero comics at large with his and Neal Adams’ sociopolitically-minded run on Green Lantern in the early 1970s. Later, O’Neil was Frank Miller’s editor on Daredevil. After Miller’s run concluded, O’Neil filled in as writer until Ann Nocenti took over the title. O’Neil’s Daredevil reflects his seasoned mastery of the comic book form, telling thoughtful, self-contained stories. Through his writing, O’Neil imbued Hell’s Kitchen with a certain journalistic texture of humanity, making his run deeply refreshing to read. While Frank Miller is often attributed with writing Daredevil with a “mature” outlook, the same should also be said for O’Neil’s run.

Dennis O’Neil’s run as writer on Daredevil spans Daredevil #18, #194-202, #204-#207, #210-218, #220-223, #225-226. 

6. David Lapham and Lee Weeks

Daredevil: Dark Nights by David Lapham and Lee Weeks is the rare story where Matt Murdock’s antagonist isn’t a corrupt human, but Mother Nature herself. This arc takes place during a blizzard that’s left New York City at a standstill. A little girl waits for a heart transplant at a hospital. But the helicopter transporting the heart goes down due to the weather. Matt suits up to trudge across New York City in the snow to retrieve the heart from the site of the crash.

Anyone who’s ever lived in New York City knows that this city is no stranger to horrific weather events. Lee Weeks’ gorgeous art captures the epic scale of this battle of man versus nature, and the limits of the human body. Daredevil’s passionate disregard for his own wellbeing in Dark Nights is incredibly moving. If you’ve ever needed three issues to remind you why Daredevil is so heroic, then Daredevil: Dark Nights #1-3 is a must read. 

David Lapham and Lee Weeks’ story spans Daredevil: Dark Nights #1-3.

5. Kevin Smith, Joe Quesada, and Jimmy Palmiotti

The 1990s were a rough time for Daredevil. It wasn’t until Kevin Smith, Joe Quesada, and Jimmy Palmiotti assembled in 1998 that the Man Without Fear hit his stride again. Under the new Marvel Knights imprint, Daredevil began anew. With Smith’s lyrical narration and Quesada and Palmiotti’s lush art, Daredevil came out swinging and never let up. Smith, Quesada, and Palmiotti kicked off a new era of Daredevil marked by creative experimentation that continued through the early 2000s. In just eight issues, Smith, Quesada, and Palmiotti reminded comics fans why Daredevil is a top-tier Marvel character. And yes, this is the same Kevin Smith who made Clerks! 

Daredevil (1998) #1-8

4. Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Chris Samnee

Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Chris Samnee’s Daredevil departed from the dark and crime-heavy tone that the character had become synonymous with. Instead, Waid’s Daredevil had no private identity. He lived publicly as Matt Murdock, vigilante and lawyer, in San Francisco. Waid and Rivera introduced a fan-favorite girlfriend of Matt Murdock’s, Kirsten McDuffie, a fellow lawyer. Rivera and Samnee’s playful artwork combined with Waid’s adventurous tone reestablished Daredevil as a character who made you smile as much as he made you think. In this sense, this run was a better version of Daredevil’s earliest comics by Bill Everett, Stan Lee, Wallace Wood, John Romita Sr., and Gene Colan. Waid, Rivera, and Samnee proved just how versatile Daredevil is as a character.

Daredevil (2011) #1-36, Daredevil (2014) #0.1, #1-18

3. Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto

If Waid, Rivera, and Samnee’s Daredevil was the Beach Boys’ Surfer Girl album, Chip Zdarsky and Marco Checchetto’s Daredevil was Rage Against the Machine’s debut. Zdarsky wrote Daredevil with righteous fury and emotional complexity, brought to life by Marco Checchetto’s art. Matt Murdock became more and more disillusioned with the justice system as well as his Catholic beliefs. This culminated in him going to prison after killing a man early on in the run. The focus on Daredevil’s rage brought out a terrifying but relatable dimension to his character. With Zdarsky’s attention to both the failings of the justice system and Catholic schools of thought, Daredevil never felt more salient to today’s world. If you’ve ever experienced even a smidge of Catholic guilt, you’ll find yourself at home in Zdarsky and Checchetto’s Daredevil. 

Daredevil (2019) #1-36, Daredevil (2019) Annual #1, Daredevil (2022) #1-14

2. Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr.

Ann Nocenti and John Romita Jr.’s Daredevil is criminally overlooked. Romita Jr.’s art and Nocenti’s emphasis on Daredevil’s place in his community captured late 1980s Hell’s Kitchen like a photograph—no sensationalism necessary. Thanks to Ann Nocenti’s whip-smart critical eye, Daredevil tackled social issues like misogyny (through the iconic villain Typhoid Mary), environmental racism, corrupt landlords, ableism, and more. Furthermore, Nocenti and Romita Jr. unpacked violence in the superhero genre and its effects on ordinary people. Daredevil and the Punisher’s fight in Daredevil #257 is a testament to this. Nocenti and Romita Jr. skirt the typical preachiness of the two characters in favor of narrating the scene from the perspective of the criminal whose fate hangs in the balance. From scenes like this, it’s clear that both creators loved Daredevil, but they weren’t afraid to give him tough love. In addition, his fight with Mephisto is not to be missed. 

Ann Nocenti’s run is Daredevil #236, #238-245, #247-#257, #259-291.

Romita Jr was artist on Daredevil #250-#257, #259-263, #265-276, #278-282.

1. Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, and Alex Maleev

Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis, David Mack, and Alex Maleev is a rare book that fearlessly rewrites what a superhero story can do. The run begins with a story about a child obsessed with Daredevil. David Mack’s gorgeous watercolors defy conventional page layouts. It elevated existing Daredevil characters like journalist Ben Urich in a wholly original way. Bendis brought a sense of soulfulness to Daredevil’s familiar crime dramas, bringing readers into the dizzying sights, smells, and sounds of New York City. Daredevil has a tendency to wall himself off when he feels vulnerable, but Bendis brought us into his headspace like never before. Likewise, Alex Maleev’s vision of New York City is arguably the blueprint for the city moving forward, bringing a palpable sense of grit to the page. Bendis, Mack, and Maleev made a whole new generation of comics readers fall in love with Daredevil.

Daredevil (1998) #16-19, Daredevil (1998) #26-50, Daredevil (1998) #56-81

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The Joker occupies an almost mythological place in popular culture. With his green hair and clown makeup, the Joker has transformed from one of Batman’s campy villains to a figure of terror. The Joker’s darker turn has only increased his popularity, thanks to live-action DC films. Every new actor to take on the Joker role faces the challenge of adding their own disturbing dimension to the character. It seems like every version is trying to be the scariest one.

But as menacing as actors like Heath Ledger and Barry Keoghan are as the Clown Prince of Crime, there is a uniquely haunting effect to the character on the page. In the comic book format, the only limits on the Joker are the imaginations of the creative team producing his story. Considering that chaos motivates his character, this limitlessness adds another layer to his actions. As such, his most terrifying form—seen in Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, and Jonathan Glapion’s “Death of the Family” arc—feels too visceral to ever become a live-action film.

The Joker in “Death of the Family,” spanning Batman (2011) #13-17, brings a tailored sense of terror to Gotham City. For those who aren’t familiar, Batman’s network of adopted children and allies, known colloquially as the Bat-Family, play a significant role in his comics. The Bat-Family makes Batman strong, but it can also make him vulnerable to villains like the Joker. “Death of the Family” is a story that plays on that vulnerability. The title inverts the famous Batman: A Death in the Family storyline from the late 1980s. There, the Joker murdered Jason Todd, the second Robin.

As the title suggests, the Joker in “Death of the Family” acts as a disruptive force. He removes the sense of safety that Batman has in Gotham and within his own family. To start, the Joker sports a dramatically different look. He wears a mask of his own detached face skin, stretched over the raw flesh underneath. Writer Scott Snyder deploys the Joker like a slasher movie villain. The Joker lurks in the shadows, strategically revealing himself for dramatic effect. In one scene during a power outage, he murders an entire unit of Gotham City police officers Michael Myers-style: through brute force. 

What makes “Death of the Family” Joker so terrifying is his pursuit of maximum psychological damage for Batman and his children. He doesn’t want to directly kill anyone in the main cast, because that would spoil the fun for him. It’s the same reason why he kills those GCPD officers in front of Jim Gordon, leaving him the only survivor. The Joker’s cruelty thrives on letting a select few witnesses live. Then they can be disturbed for the rest of their lives. 

Furthermore, because of the comic book format, a certain level of abstraction applies to the Joker that film and television will simply never measure up to. Even if Hollywood adapted this story, the Joker’s actions would lose some of their impact. This is because audiences would be watching an actor embody the role. Regardless of how excellent Jack Nicholson, Heath Ledger, or Barry Keoghan are as the Joker, we are ultimately watching a familiar face briefly slip into a costume.

In a comic book, the Joker is a drawing. He is no one but himself—an idea that “Death of the Family” touches upon. Artist Greg Capullo and inker Jonathan Glapion conjure this haunting appearance of the Joker onto the page from nothing. Together with Scott Snyder’s scripts, this vision of terror is born, not in our world, but in the world of the story. Because “Death of the Family”‘s Joker is so divorced from our reality, we fear the unknown. 

The Joker’s detached face, one of the primary vessels of fear in the story, contributes to this abstraction. That rotting skin held taut by staples and wires reminds us the familiar can be easily cut away to tease the horror of the unknown lying beneath. If the Joker’s face, a sight we’re accustomed to and maybe even desensitized by, can be warped into a new nightmarish vision with one change, then couldn’t the same be done for Batman?

“Death of the Family” answers this question when the Bat-Family awakens with their faces bandaged and bloody while seated at a dinner table. The Joker taunts them and Batman before revealing the horrific main course on the table. It appears to be the skinned faces of the Bat-Family. Fear is a subjective and personal experience. The Joker in “Death of the Family“ leans into fear’s individualized nature, recalling another standout appearance of his in Grant Morrison and Dave McKean’s Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on Serious Earth. In order for the Joker to be scary, a story must understand what Batman himself fears.

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In the world of Marvel Comics, they say the tail wags the dog. By that, we mean that a popular iteration of a character on TV or film will usually inform that character’s comic book portrayal. And it seems we have a great example of that coming soon. After their success as a mentor and student duo in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Marvel Comics is teaming up Peter Parker and Miles Morales for an ongoing comic book series from an all-star creative team. Spectacular Spider-Men—written by Spectacular Spider-Man and Gargoyles animated series creator Greg Weisman along with Amazing Spider-Man artist Humberto Ramos—is coming in March 2024. You can see the cover for issue #1 as well as a special trailer for the long-awaited series right here:

In a statement, Weisman said “I’m so thrilled to be writing Spidey again. And the fact that I get to write both Spideys, together, makes the gig doubly sweet. It’s fun for me, because in this book, I see the younger Miles trying really hard to show his maturity to his mentor Peter, while the older Pete feels free to let out his inner 16-year-old with Miles. So there’s a bit of role reversal to the normal mentor-protégé relationship than one might expect to see. But I think both Pete and Miles still feel very true to character. And when things get serious, so do our boys (quippage notwithstanding). What we’re seeing here is the evolution from mentor and protegee, to them simply being good friends. And that change of status (in process, as it is) really interests me as a writer. Oh, and Humberto’s art is so damn gorgeous.”

Both arachnid heroes previously teamed up before in their own title, although that was a mini-series, simply called Spider-Men. Originally, Miles Morales crossed over from the Ultimate Universe, where he’d taken over for a dead Peter Parker. Once in the 616, he teamed up with our adult Peter Parker. Although the mini was successful, this is the first time Peter Parker and Miles Morales have had a team-up comic book series since then.

Artist Humberto Ramos had this to say about working on both Spideys: “From a very young age, my goal was to draw Spider-Man for Marvel Comics, and now that it has become a recurring reality in my life, I enjoy every occasion in which I am called to do so, or as I like to say ‘come back home,’ and I could not ask for a better way to do that than alongside Greg Weisman who gave us the greatest Spider-Man TV series! Not only that, but in this book I not only have the joy of drawing not one but two Spider-Mans. Drawing Peter’s adventures was exciting enough, I can only imagine how it will be drawing both Peter and Miles’ adventures! I love my job!”

Spectacular Spider-Men #1 hits comic book shops and digital in March, 2024.

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The Avengers is the biggest name when it comes to superhero media, thanks to the MCU. But those Marvel Studios stories are all based, in some way or another, on stories from over 60 years of Marvel Comics. Some of those Avengers comics were unmemorable, but some creative teams produced runs for the ages. Stories that deserve to be recognized today. Here are our choices for the ten best Avengers comic book runs of all time.

10. All-New, All-Different Avengers and Avengers by Mark Waid

Mark Waid was already a comics legend by the time he came on board the Avengers franchise, thanks to series like Kingdom Come and The Flash. but the Avengers he got to write were not the all usual suspects. In 2016’s All-New, All-Different Avengers, Waid kept stalwart members like Tony Stark, but added Ms. Marvel Kamala Khan, Miles Morales Spider-Man, Jane Foster’s Thor, and the teenage Nova, Sam Alexander, as a new generation of Avengers. And Sam Wilson was finally on the team as Captain America and not as the Falcon.

Waid excelled at writing this mix of heroic generations, giving the Avengers a multi-generational perspective it never had before. To make Waid’s run even better, he was joined by artists like Adam Kubert and Mahmud Asrar. Eventually, the younger generation would form their own team, the Champions, but Waid would continue with the older members in a new volume of Avengers. He’d close out his run in 2018 with the epic No Surrender arc, one of the best and most epic Avengers sagas of the 21st century. It was a brief run overall, but one that made a mark. No pun intended.

Issues in Mark Waid’s Avengers Run

All-New, All-Different Avengers #1-16, Avengers (vol.6) #1-11, Avengers (vol.1) #675-690 (2016-2018)

9. Uncanny Avengers by Rick Remender, w/John Cassaday, Adam Kubert, Daniel Acuña, and Steve McNiven (2012-2014)

The Avengers and the X-Men, two teams who debuted on the same day in 1963, were enemies as often as they were friends. But they’d never really united to become one team before, until 2012’s Uncanny Avengers series. Written by Rick Remender, with incredible art by John Cassaday, Adam Kubert, and others, arrived in the fallout of the Avengers vs. X-Men. Captain America decided that he and other human heroes had not done enough for the mutant race. So he proposed a joint team of Avengers and X-Men, called the Avengers Unity Squad.

Several iconic Avengers like Wonder Man and Scarlet Witch were members, but so were important X-Men like Rogue and Havok. The stories were consistently great and explored the tension between human heroes and the mutant community, all while the Avengers faced epic villains like the Red Skull and his S-Men. Rick Remender’s run was relatively brief, only lasting two years in total. Later, other writers did their own run of the Avengers Unity Squad, to varying results. If it were longer, Remender’s Uncanny Avengers might have gone up a notch in the ranking, because this is some darn great superhero storytelling.

Issues in Rick Remender’s Uncanny Avengers Run:

Uncanny Avengers (vol.1) #1-24, 2012-2014

8. Avengers and West Coast Avengers by John Byrne with Paul Ryan (1988-1990)

Writer/artist John Byrne was the comic book industry’s biggest superstar by the time he took on the Avengers franchise in 1988. He had drawn issues here and there previously. However, this run was the first time he was the creator in charge of both writing and drawing. Actually, he took on both the monthly West Coast Avengers and Avengers at the same time, with help on the art of Avengers from Paul Ryan. His opening storyline involves the Scarlet Witch and Vision discovering the truth about their children. Not to mention, the Vision being dismantled and rebuilt as “White Vision.” Both stories had a huge influence on WandaVision.

Byrne’s run also saw Spider-Man join the team for an extended space adventure. Another significant addition was the Eternal named Sersi. The original ’40s Human Torch also made a comeback after 50 years during his tenure. Byrne’s run was big, pulpy, and just plain fun. He even took dated concepts like the Lava Men and made them a credible threat. And we can’t forget to mention that he introduced the comedic Great Lakes Avengers during his run. That alone makes this a run for the history books.

Issues in John Byrne’s Avengers Run:

West Coast Avengers (vol.1) #42-57 Annual #4, Avengers (vol.1) #305-317, Annual #19, 1988-1990

7. The Avengers by Stan Lee, with Jack Kirby, Don Heck (1963-1966)

When Marvel publisher Martin Goodman asked Stan Lee to copy DC’s success with the Justice League of America, he did his own thing instead, creating the Fantastic Four. But by 1963, Marvel had enough solo characters to create their own “all-star” team, and The Avengers was born. The first two issues, by Lee and Jack Kirby, featured a lineup that included Iron Man, Thor, Ant-Man, the Wasp, and the Hulk. Issue one also introduced the idea of Loki as a primary villain for the team.

But by issue #4, the Avengers really came into their own when Lee thought of having Captain America join the team. As leader, Cap proved to be the missing ingredient the Avengers needed. From that point on, Stan Lee was off to the races. Kirby left fairly early on, and capable artist Don Heck replaced him. Stan Lee’s run only lasted 35 issues and three years. Yet he introduced so many key concepts to what the Avengers are to this very day. Rotating memberships, major villains like Kang, and so much more were birthed in Lee’s run.

Issues in Stan Lee’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.1) #1-35, 1963-1966

6. The Ultimates by Mark Millar and Bryan Hitch (2002-2005)

Forget what the title of this comic says; the Ultimates are the Avengers in all but name. When Marvel launched the streamlined and modern Ultimate Universe in 2000, it focused on Spider-Man and the X-Men. But when it came time to do the Avengers, Marvel editorial believed the name was too associated with a property that was no longer popular. So Marvel dubbed this series The Ultimates. Even though the lineup featured Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Giant-Man, the Wasp, and the Hulk. So, basically, the Avengers.

Mark Millar, who became a name at DC writing the fascistic hero team series The Authority, brought some of his trademark grit and satirical take on heroes to Marvel. He and artist Bryan Hitch made Ultimates feel like you were watching a blockbuster movie. So it’s no surprise that Marvel Studios’ Avengers borrowed heavily from this run. If there’s one thing that makes this book cringe today, it’s that Millar’s take on the heroes is that they’re all slightly sociopathic at worst, self-centered jerks at best. And the modern twists to Black Widow, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver are icky. But the big screen scale and imagination on display in The Ultimates make up for those shortcomings.

Issues in Mark Millar’s The Ultimates Run:

The Ultimates #1-13, Annual #1, The Ultimates 2 #1-13, 2002-2007

5. The Avengers by Roy Thomas, with John Buscema, Sal Buscema, Neal Adams, (1966-1971)

Roy Thomas took over writing duties on Avengers from Stan Lee in 1966, with issue #36. But more than any other writer, Thomas solidified who we think of as the most important and iconic Avengers. Taking over from Stan Lee must have been daunting, but Thomas somehow surpassed his mentor. During his run, Thor and Iron Man returned after a long absence, and he introduced the first hero created specifically for the team, the Vision. He increased the importance of the non-powered Hawkeye, and solidified ex-villains Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver as crucial members of the team.

Roy Thomas also added in Black Panther as a mainstay of the team, and created one of the Avengers’ primary antagonists, the sentient A.I. Ultron. During his tenure, Thomas dialed up the soap opera aspects of the Avengers, setting the standard for future writers. He also scripted the first true Avengers epic, the intergalactic Kree/Skrull war. He also worked with a genius young artist named Neal Adams, who took the book to a whole new level in a visual sense. Although his collaborators like John and Sal Buscema were no slouches either. So much of what everyone loves about the Avengers, and who we even think of as the Avengers, is rooted in Roy Thomas’ five-year run.

Issues in Roy Thomas’ Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.1) #35–104, 132; Annual #1–2

4. The Avengers by Roger Stern, with John Buscema and Tom Palmer, (1982-1988)

The Avengers had featured a steady lineup of characters ever since the late ‘60s, until writer Roger Stern took over in 1982. He changed up the team roster in a way that hadn’t been seen since early in Stan Lee’s run. During the Stern era, a new character he created, Monica Rambeau, joined as Captain Marvel. Also joining was the Prince of Atlantis, Namor. Often neglected members like Hercules and Black Knight got a chance to shine in Stern’s run. And the Wasp (Janet Van Dyne) went from writers relegating her to merely “Ant-Man’s wife” to team leader.

The Wasp was quickly succeeded by Captain Marvel as chairwoman. She-Hulk also became a cornerstone of the team during Stern’s run. These elements made Roger Stern’s time on Avengers a strong showcase for female heroes. Sure, some new recruits like Starfox and Dr. Druid were among the least popular Avengers ever. But hey, points for trying something new. Stern’s run saw one of the greatest Avengers stories ever in “Under Siege,” when Baron Zemo attacks Avengers Mansion, using their HQ’s own defenses against the team. Stern lasted five years on Avengers, primarily with the duo of John Buscema and Tom Palmer on artistic duties. Their run remains one of the best Earth’s Mightiest Heroes has ever had.

Issues in Roger Stern’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.1) 227–279, 281–287, Annual #13–14 (1982-1988)

3. New Avengers, Mighty Avengers, Avengers (Vol. 3), and Dark Avengers by Brian Michael Bendis (2004-2013)

In the mid-2000s, Marvel realized the “main universe” Avengers needed a massive overhaul, and so Marvel’s editors pulled out the big guns. Not just on the creative team, with superstar writer Brian Michael Bendis, but also on the team roster. Bendis added two of Marvel’s most famous heroes, Spider-Man and Wolverine, who had never been Avengers before. After Bendis closed out the old Avengers era with Disassembled, which saw Scarlet Witch go mad and Hawkeye die, he launched New Avengers with artist David Finch, and later Leinil Francis Yu, Alex Maleev, Mike Deodato, John Romita Jr., and several others.

This run was an instant sales success, and New Avengers overtook X-Men in sales for the first time in over two decades. From the get-go, the conflict between Iron Man and Captain America was at the heart of this series. A conflict that would boil over into Mark Millar’s Civil War event. Bendis would continue his run for almost a decade, extending it to books like Mighty Avengers, Dark Avengers, and just plain Avengers. Although this run ties into way too many big events, like Secret Invasion, Dark Reign, and others, the characterization was always top-notch under Bendis’ watch.  

Issues in Brian Michael Bendis’ Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.1) #500-503, Avengers Finale, New Avengers (vol.1) #1-62, (vol.2) #1-34, New Avengers: Illuminati #1-5, The Mighty Avengers #1-36, Dark Avengers (vol.1) #1-16, Avengers Assemble #1-8, Avengers (vol.4) #1-34, 2004-2013

2. Avengers by Jonathan Hickman (2012-2015)

Writer Jonathan Hickman has already made a name for himself thanks to his run on Fantastic Four and creator-owned titles like East of West. But on the heels of the Avengers film, he took over the franchise with a take on the team that used the MCU roster from the film, but also heroes from the previous New Avengers run like Spider-Man, Wolverine, and Spider-Woman. Not to mention, there were several new characters, and even former X-Men Sunspot and Cannonball. Hickman worked with several artists at the top of their game during this run, including Jerome Opena, Stefano Caselli, Steve Epting, and many more.

Hickman’s run was a game changer due to the sheer breadth of its imagination, introducing concepts like Avengers World, and the threat of Multiversal incursions. All of which would culminate in Hickman’s Secret Wars event in 2015. Hickman found a role for each member of this superhero army to play, somehow balancing so many characters together in a way that just worked. No Avengers run has ever gone as big and outside the box in its scope as Hickman’s. Somehow, he found a way to push the very concept of what the Avengers were meant to be within the Marvel Universe. And readers everywhere had their minds blown.

Issues in Jonathan Hickman’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.5) #1-44, New Avengers (vol.3) #1-33, Avengers World #1-5

1. Avengers by Kurt Busiek, with George Perez, Alan Davis, Carlos Pacheco (1997-2002)

When veteran writer Kurt Busiek took over Avengers with a new #1 issue in 1997, the team had just come back from a year away with the Image Comics creators doing their own spin on the concept. He went “back to basics” doing classic storytelling with a modern sensibility, as part of Marvel’s “Heroes Return” publishing initiative. Together with superstar artists George Perez, and later Alan Davis and Carlos Pacheco, this creative team remembered how to balance the melodrama with world-ending threats. In this regard, no one did it better than Busiek and his creative partners.

This run featured just about every iconic Avenger in a significant role. All while graduating teen heroes like Firestar and Justice into Avengers themselves. Busiek rescued Carol Danvers from obscurity and gave her a rightful place at the forefront of the Marvel pantheon again, as well as expanding on often-neglected heroes like Wonder Man. And the versions of longtime arch-foes like Ultron and Kang were never better than under Busiek’s direction. For five years and 56 issues, Kurt Busiek gave fans the quintessential Avengers run, and it still hasn’t been topped.

Issues in Kurt Busiek’s Avengers Run:

Avengers (vol.3) #1-56, Avengers Forever #1-12, Avengers: The Ultron Imperative #1, 1997-2002

The post The 10 Greatest Avengers Comic Book Runs of All Time, Ranked appeared first on Nerdist.

Giving presents is fun, but picking them out can be really stressful. So because we like our readers to feel relaxed, we’re here to make the end of your year as easy as possible. We put together another holiday gift guide for you, our fellow pop culture lovers. This list celebrates some of our favorite properties with everything from ideal stocking stuffers and perfect Secret Snowflake options, to must-have collectibles and impressive big ticket items. There’s something here for everyone in your life.

We’ve highlighted a few, but you’ll find plenty of gift ideas under each entry. Make sure to check them out to find the right present for the special people in your life. And, let’s be honest, to probably also pick out a couple for yourself.

Star Trek: Picard – Delta Magnet ($29.95)

This year saw us say farewell to Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Again. But we can always keep the iconic Starfleet commander close by with this Picard elegant Delta Magnet. Based on the insignia seen on the spinoff series, it measures 2 ¾-inches tall and has a bright silver delta over a matte finish black nickel.

Looking for more Star Trek gift options?

• Star Trek Tridimensional Chess Set ($174.95) – Whether you want to play the legendary game or simply add a stunning Star Trek collectible to your home, you can do both with this gorgeous set.
• Star Trek: The Next Generation Replicator Color-Changing Mug ($19.99) – This mug is the best way to know your tea, Earl Grey, is still hot.

Ted Lasso – Roy Kent Funko Pop! Vinyl Figure ($14.95)

Sometimes we all need a little motivation to be our best. Other times we need someone to yell knock off the f***ing bull****. (We tend to really need both during the holiday season.) That’s why we could all use a little Coach Roy Kent in our lives, and you can get just that with this Funko Pop! of the breakout Ted Lasso star.

Looking for more Ted Lasso gift options?

• Mackenzie Limited Ted Lasso Biscuits with the Boss Shortbread Cookies ($29.95/$49.95/$69.95) – Live every day like Rebecca by having your very own Coach Lasso-style shortbread cookies.
• Ted Lasso Believe Dartboard ($99) – We believe in two things—believe and barbecue sauce—so this dart board is perfect for those who feel the same way.

Batman – McFarlane 1989 Batmobile Set ($74.99)

There’s never a shortage of great Batman memorabilia, but we’re partial to anything that celebrates the greatest live-action Batmobile ever. That’s what this special McFarlane set does, with a replica of Tim Burton’s 1989 car. It also comes with a figure of Michael Keaton’s Batman.

Looking for more Warner Bros. icons gift options?

• Little People Collector Barbie: The Movie Special Edition Set of Four ($24.99) – We love Fisher Price’s Little People line, and this four figure set is an ideal gift for anyone of any age who loved Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie. It’s more than Kenough.
• Funko Pop! Rides Deluxe Aquaman And Storm ($30) – Know how Aquaman riding a giant seahorse is the best part of the Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom trailer? Well it’s just as amazing in giant Funko Pop! form.

Star Wars – Chatter Back Chopper Animatronic ($79.99)

Ahsoka introduced a whole new audience to Star Wars‘ sassiest, prank-loving droid. Now you (or, you know, your kids) can also get the full Chopper experience with Hasbro’s interactive Chatter Back Chopper droid. With more than 40 different sound and movement combos it will beep your ear off. We wouldn’t want it any other way with old Chop.

Looking for more Star Wars gift options?

• Star Wars: The Deck-Building Game ($37.99) – Baylan Skoll would love this. This new head-to-head tabletop game will let you fight for the Rebel Alliance or the Empire, bu without worrying any Jedi or Sith will get involved in the outcome.
• Obi-Wan Kenobi Legacy Lightsaber Collectible Set ($249.99) – Sometimes you just need a super fancy replica of your favorite Jedi’s lightsaber. That’s just how it goes sometimes. Santa gets it.

Super Mario Bros. – Fire Breathing Bowser ($29.99)

Jakks Pacific’s Super Mario Bros. collection was already one of the best in the toy business before the franchise’s animated film hit theaters. Since that blockbuster premiered Jakks’ Super Mario. Bros. collectibles have only gotten better, like with this fantastic fire-breathing figure of Jack Black’s Bowser. It’s so good even Peach would love unwrapping one.

Looking for more kids’ pop culture toy gift options?

• Sonic the Hedgehog Death Egg Playset ($44.99) – This clever set is basically a final battle come to life. Fair warning: your kids will be angry how much you play with it.
• Jurassic Park and Jurassic World Dinosaur Toys and LEGO Sets ($50-80) – It might be 30 years since Steven Spielberg brought moviegoers back to prehistoric times, but there’s never been a better time for Jurassic Park merchandise. There are almost too many, especially when it comes to fun toy dinos and iconic scenes recreated in LEGO.

The Lord of the Rings – Horn Of Gondor ($184.99)

You don’t need to be in the kingdom of Gondor to hear its legendary horn. You can let anyone anywhere blow it with United Cutlery’s screen-accurate replica of the one Boromir used in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings. This is more than just a collectible, though. It can be buried with you when you die. It’s like a double gift! (Maybe don’t mention that during the holidays.)

Looking for more fantasy world gift options?

• Dungeons & Dragons Young Adventurer’s Guides Series ($13/14 per book) – Longtime D&D fans who nab a copy of the incredible new upcoming special edition Lores & Legends box set should remember every . For them pick up Dungeons & Dragons Young Adventurer’s Guide books, which help them learn all about the role-playing world.
• Game Of Thrones: Paper Models ($24.99) – Let Game of Thrones‘ fans bring the the world of A Song of Ice and Fire to life without needing a loan from the Iron Bank of Braavos.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory – Bluetooth Train Set ($449.99)

The priciest item on our list is a big item for big fans of an all-time classic. Lionel’s new bluetooth-enabled Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Train set celebrates the beloved 1971 movie. Not only can you control this five-piece locomotive with your voice, you don’t even need to be a train person to run it. It includes it’s own track, making it the perfect present to chugga chugga chugga chugga choo-choose.

Looking for more food-inspired gift options?

• Thames and Kosmos Rainbow Gummy Candy Lab ($19.95) Any kid (or adult) who watches Willy Wonka wants candy, but why not play with your food and create your own with this set?
• Heroes of Barcadia ($60) – “Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker,” and this clever tabletop game from Rollacrit turns a board game into a drinking game.

Marvel – The Folio Society’s The Avengers Collection ($135)

This massive new 328-page collection from The Folio Society combines some of the most famous, most important Marvel Comics’ stories of Earth’s mightiest heroes. Whether a comic book newcomer or longtime fan this set is a beautiful addition to any library. Plus it also comes with a replica issue of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s 1963 The Avengers #1. Excelsior!

Looking for more MCU gift options?

• Guardians of the Galaxy Groot Alarm Clock ($31.99) – A loud little machine waking you up? The worst thing ever. Baby Groot waking you up? I am Groot.* (*The best.)
• Marvel Studios The Marvel Cinematic Universe An Official Timeline ($50.00) – We’d have included the new official timeline of the MCU anyway, but this one is extra special to us because our very own Editor-in-Chief Amy Ratcliffe is one of the authors.

Salute Your Shorts – Camp Anawanna Sherpa Blanket ($59.95)

Being a kid is obviously way better than being an adult, with one major exception. Adults can buy themselves stuff, including stuff they would have loved to have as kids. So why not do that for your fellow ’90s kids by getting them a blanket that celebrates Salute Your Shorts‘ Camp Anawanna. It will literally warm you with notalgia.

Looking for more nostalgic Nickelodeon gift options?

• Retro Rugrats 12-Inch Reptar Plush (20.99) If you haven’t noticed we’ve tried to find lots of gift ideas that work for both adults and children, that way grownups can justify buying them. Thus…REPTAR!
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Shell Backpack With Character Masks ($79.99) – Is this the greatest backpack ever made? That’s an impossible question to answer, but yeah, probably.

Parks and Recreation – Swanson Pyramid of Greatness Poster ($26.95)

Don’t settle for just buying a great gift for someone. Strive to climb the Ron Swanson Pyramid of Greatness introduced on Parks and Recreation. This 18×24 premium print comes on satin photo paper. It’s one of our favorite options for an office swap, especially because there’s a chance your colleague will hang it up at your place of work. Then you’ll get to see Nick Offerman’s face and remember the importance of “Cabins.”

Looking for more beloved NBC show gift options?

• Law & Order: SVU “Dun Dun” Fleece Hooded Sweatshirt ($44.95) – Never before has a piece of clothing made an audible sound without actually making any noise.
• The Office Metal Sign ($34.95) – Simple, clean, and absolutely perfect for both fans of The Office and for any situation where you might have to give a gift blind.

Cinema Science – DIY Retro Film Projector ($79.99 $32 Black Friday Special)

If you want to help inspire the next generation of filmmakers this DIY Retro Film Projector from Cinema Science is a great way to get them excited about how stories get on screen. This 86-piece STEM set designed for kids eight and up will let youngsters safely build their own camera to learn how they work. It also comes a shark-themed film strip to watch. Our only complaint is this didn’t exist 30 years ago so an adult could have given it to us.

Looking for more interactive story-telling gift options?

• Create-A-Story Paper Center ($59.99) Even the youngest kids can learn how to tell a story with nothing but pictures thanks to this adorable set.
• Zu3D Complete Stop-Motion Animation Software Kit and Set ($72) Once your favorite child is ready to go a little more high tech they can not only learn about stop-motion animation they can shoot their own films. We really love this set and would have guessed it costs way more.

The post Holiday Gift Guide for Pop Culture Lovers – 2023 appeared first on Nerdist.

Superman & Lois’ upcoming fourth season will officially be its last, according to news we saw at The Hollywood Reporter. The series, which premiered in 2021, has been one of the best iterations of the Man of Steel mythos ever. Tyler Hoechlin as Clark Kent and Elizabeth Tulloch as Lois Lane instantly won over the hearts of DC Comics fandom. But with The CW changing ownership, their programming is undergoing an overhaul as well, with fewer scripted shows. In a statement, The CW’s Brad Schwartz said the following:

“Over the last three seasons, Superman & Lois redefined both the superhero genre and family drama as Tyler, Elizabeth and the entire cast effortlessly portrayed these classic characters with new layers of depth and complexity that had never before been explored in the Superman universe. We are grateful for the years of hard work and graceful storytelling from the show’s writers, producers, actors, and crew, as well as our terrific partners at Warner Bros. Television and Berlanti Productions. As Superman embarks on his final flight, the team is leaving us with an absolutely epic 10-episode must-watch-every-minute farewell to one of the most legendary CW families ever.”

The end of Superman & Lois shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone, for many reasons. With James Gunn launching a new DCU and Superman: Legacy in 2025, he probably wants only one iteration of Superman in live-action. He also wants one consistent DC Universe across film and TV. This means the old Arrowverse (of which Superman & Lois is technically a spinoff) must come to an end.

The cancelation of Superman & Lois marks the true end of an era. Since 2012, after the debut of Arrow, producer Greg Berlanti launched a staggering 11 DC Comics-based shows. These include The Flash, Supergirl, Legends of Tomorrow, Black Lightning, Batwoman, and for Max, Stargirl, Doom Patrol, and Titans. The last two were Gotham Knights and Superman & Lois. We just hope that knowing the show has an endpoint in advance will allow the writers to craft a fitting finale for the Kent family.

The post SUPERMAN & LOIS to End With Season 4 appeared first on Nerdist.

For over 60 years, the pages of The Amazing Spider-Man and its various other Marvel spinoffs have been home to some of the best superhero storytelling of all time. From the days of Stan Lee in the ’60s to today’s creators like Dan Slott, here are our picks for the 10 greatest creative team runs of the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man of all time.

10. J.M. DeMatteis with Sal Buscema, Spectacular Spider-Man #178-203 (1991-1993)

Writer J.M. DeMatteis is perhaps most famous for his comedic take on DC’s Justice League, but he also wrote a relatively brief but fantastic run on The Spectacular Spider-Man, from issues #178-200. This was after he wrote the epic Kraven’s Last Hunt storyline in 1987. During his 26-issue run, which lasted from 1991 to 1993, he and artist Sal Buscema told one of the best stories ever involving Harry Osborn and his descent into becoming the Green Goblin, which culminated in issue #200 of Spectacular Spider-Man. It was one of the very few gimmick covers of the ‘90s that actually had a good story behind it. Add in the introduction of the villain Vermin, some X-Men, and this run deserves its status as one of the best.

9. Peter David with Rick Leonardi, Spider-Man 2099 #1-44 (1992-1997)

Peter David has defining runs on several iconic comic book characters, including the Hulk, X-Factor, and for DC, Aquaman. But he also had a pretty defining run for Spider-Man. It’s just the Spider-Man that wasn’t Peter Parker. In 1992, Marvel tasked David with creating a new, futuristic Spider-Man with Spider-Man 2099. This wall-crawler was Miguel O’Hara, the half-Mexican/half-Irish hero who was the first not Peter Parker ongoing character to be called Spider-Man in 30 years.

Together with artist Rick Leonardi, David inverted almost everything about Peter Parker’s Spidey. Miguel was wisecracking out of costume, totally mute as Spider-Man, and so on. His web shooters were organic and not mechanical (something Sam Raimi would later use). The run only lasted 46 issues and four years, but judging from the character’s renewed popularity thanks to Across the Spider-Verse, it’s fair to say David’s run had a long-lasting impact.

8. Todd McFarlane, Spider-Man #1-16, (1990-1991)

Todd McFarlane became an instant superstar in the comics world when he illustrated David Michelinie’s Amazing Spider-Man run in the late ‘80s. His versions of Spidey and Venom became iconic, so much so that Marvel gave him his own Spider-Man title to both draw and write—despite his inexperience as a writer at the time. So in 1990, McFarlane launched Spider-Man #1, which sold an incredible 2.5 million copies. Marvel would break that record a year later with a certain team of mutants.

McFarlane’s writing was a bit over the top, especially by modern standards, but his overall storytelling was undeniably entertaining. It was exactly what the audience craved at the time. His darker take on villains like the Lizard, Kraven, and Hobgoblin redefined the look of those characters. The crossovers with Wolverine and Ghost Rider were very ‘90s, but also very fun. This is one of the shorter runs on this list, but also one of the most iconic. McFarlane’s run only lasted 16 issues as he left Marvel in 1992 to form Image Comics, yet its impact was huge.

7. Dan Slott, with Humberto Ramos and Ryan Stegman, The Superior Spider-Man #1–33 (2013-2014)

Dan Slott has been one of the most prolific Spider-Man writers of the 21st century. But although he’s written plenty of iconic Peter Parker stories, his best Spider-Man run was actually about Otto Octavious, a.k.a Doctor Octopus. In Slott’s Superior Spider-Man series, Peter Parker’s body is taken over by the consciousness of Doc Ock, who takes over Peter’s life and decides he can be a better Spider-Man than his old enemy ever was. Although he does try to do the right thing as Spider-Man, more or less, he’s still arrogant and insufferable. Nevertheless, it was all fun as heck to read. The art by folks like Humberto Ramos, and Ryan Stegman was also always top-notch. Otto was Spidey for less than two years, but it was a memorable two years.

6. Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale, Spider-Man: Blue #1-6, (2002-2003)

In the late ‘90s, the creative team of Jeph Loeb and the late Tim Sale produced one of the greatest Batman stories of all time, The Long Halloween. A few years later, from 2002 to 2003, they re-teamed to tell a story about Peter Parker and his great lost love, Gwen Stacy. In the mini-series Spider-Man: Blue, Peter Parker recounts the events of Amazing Spider-Man #40-48. This modern retelling includes Sale’s incredible renditions of characters like Kraven, the Lizard, the Rhino, and the Green Goblin. And, of course, Gwen Stacy and Mary Jane Watson. Blue is only six issues long, but it still stands as one of the most heartfelt and beautifully written and illustrated Spider-Man stories of all time.

5. Gerry Conway with Gil Kane and John Romita, The Amazing Spider-Man #111-149 (1972-1975)

Following up the legendary run of Stan Lee, which lasted a decade, would have been an unenviable task for any writer. But Gerry Conway took big swings in his Amazing Spider-Man run, which lasted from 1972 to 1975. Conway’s stories were enhanced by some gorgeous art by Gil Kane and Spidey veteran John Romita. It was during Conway’s run that fans met the villainous Jackal and his cloning operation (this would matter a lot 20 years later).

Conway’s MJ became a more fully fleshed-out character. She wasn’t just the “out of his league” supermodel anymore. Oh, and Conway’s run also introduced the world to the Punisher. You may have heard of him. Most importantly though, Gerry Conway bucked all known comic book conventions at the time with one shocking act. He did this by killing off Peter Parker’s longtime girlfriend Gwen Stacy. The repercussions of this are still being felt in the Spider-Man titles today.

4. David Michelinie with Todd McFarlane, Erik Larsen, and Mark Bagley, Amazing Spider-Man 296-352, #359-388 (1987-1994)

In the late ‘80s, Spider-Man was still Marvel’s best-selling solo character, but some excitement had fallen away from Peter Parker. Then, writer David Michelinie took over writing duties in 1987. This was shortly after Peter Parker married MJ, and he focused on the high-stakes soap opera of their lives. During his seven-year run on Amazing Spider-Man (second longest-run after Stan Lee) he worked with some of Spidey’s best-ever artists. Names that became iconic, like Erik Larsen, Mark Bagley, and Todd MacFarlane. And together, they made comics magic. Highlights of his run include the introduction of villains Venom and Carnage. Luckily, he bailed from writing duties right before the infamous Clone Saga, so his run remains untainted.

3. J. Michael Straczynski with John Romita Jr., Mike Deodato, and Ron Garney, Amazing Spider-Man Vol. 1 #500-545, Vol. 2 #30-58 (2001-2006)

At the same time Marvel was injecting new life into teenage Peter Parker in the Ultimate Spider-Man titles, the comics publisher had to figure out what to do with the adult Peter in the 616 universe. They brought in Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski, who made Peter a school teacher. He teaches at the very same place others bullied him as a kid, Midtown High School. Straczynski wrote adult Peter and MJ better than anyone in years and did so by adding a level of sophistication largely absent in the late ‘90s stories.

He also introduced lasting elements to the mythology like Morlun, a villain who hunts spider-totems across dimensions. That’s a huge influence on the Spider-Verse mythology in the animated films. Sadly, his run also revealed a sordid retcon of Gwen Stacy and Norman Osborn, but nobody’s perfect. The main artists for this run were Mike Deodato and John Romita Jr. The latter’s work on this run made him stand with his father as one of the definitive Spidey artists of all time. Straczynski’s run ended with the much-hated undoing of the Peter Parker and MJ marriage. However, that was an event Marvel editorial forced on him. We don’t hold it against him.

2. Brian Michael Bendis, with Mark Bagley, Stuart Immonen, Sara Pichelli, Chris Samnee, David Marquez, and Pepe Larraz, Ultimate Spider-Man #1-160, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1-27 (2000-2011)

During the late ‘90s, Marvel was in trouble creatively and financially. The company emerged out of bankruptcy in the early 2000s, knowing it had to take drastic measures to gain new readers. Marvel conceived the Ultimate line, which involved fresh modern takes on classic characters. Writer Brian Michael Bendis reintroduced Peter Parker and his supporting cast as 21st century teens in Ultimate Spider-Man. And from issue one, the dialogue and characterization were absolutely top-notch. The kids felt real in a way mainstream comics characters hadn’t in a long time.

The reinvented versions of Spidey’s villains often surpassed the originals as well, particularly Norman Osborn. Bendis and artist Mark Bagley did over 100 issues together. Actually surpassing Stan Lee’s run, Bendis continued the title with artists Stuart Immonen, David Lafuente, and Sara Pichelli, with whom he co-created Miles Morales, one of the biggest contributions to come from the Ultimate Spider-Man line. Between Peter Parker and then Miles, this run heavily influenced Spider-Man’s portrayal in other media. This run was an absolute game-changer, surpassed by only one other.

#1. Stan Lee with Steve Ditko, John Romita, John Buscema, and Gil Kane, Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #1-100 (1962-1971)

“With great power, comes great responsibility.” This was the only run that could have ever taken the top spot. While Stan Lee co-created almost all the most iconic Marvel Comics heroes, without a doubt his 100-issue run of The Amazing Spider-Man was his best work. With artists like Steve Ditko (Spidey’s co-creator) and later, John Romita, Lee introduced everything that forms the core of what Peter Parker is to this very day. Name a classic Peter Parker personality trait or trope, and chances are it came from Lee.

Lee’s stories introduced 90% of the most iconic Spider-Man villains, like Green Goblin, Doc Ock, Sandman, Mysterio, Kraven, and so many more, not to mention most of the most well-known members of Spidey’s supporting cast. Stan Lee’s run on Amazing Spider-Man lasted a full decade, and it remains the bible from which all following Spider-Man runs on this list pulled from. Simply put, no other Spider-Man run could likely ever take the top spot. Stan Lee and his collaborators broke the mold.

The post The 10 Greatest Spider-Man Comic Book Runs of All Time appeared first on Nerdist.

In 2018, James Wan did the unexpected in delivering an all-around delightful Aquaman. In addition to subverting expectations, Aquaman also delivered at the box office, earning over $1 billion and a place as the top-grossing DC Comics film to date. So it’s no surprise whatsoever that DC Comics and Warner Bros. greenlit a sequel. Here’s everything we know about the DCEU’s Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Warner Bros.

Title

The title for the Aquaman sequel is Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s Plot

For a while, plot details for this Aquaman sequel were scarce, but we had some thoughts about where Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom could pick up after the very fun first film. In an interview with Total Film, Wan revealed that the story will be largely inspired by the 1960s cult horror film Planet of the Vampires. He also hints at leaning into his horror DNA with the new film.

An official synopsis for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom reveals more. It notes:

Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.

Behind the Scenes

James Wan is returning to direct; he’ll also produce alongside Peter Safran. David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, who co-wrote the first film, is also back and will be writing the sequel’s script.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom‘s Cast

Naturally, Jason Momoa will reprise his role as Aquaman/Arthur Curry in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Other cast members returning include Amber Heard as Mera, and Patrick Wilson as Arthur’s half-brother Orm Marius. Yahya Abdul-Matteen II has also confirmed he’s appearing in the sequel as David Kane/Black Manta. In the mid-credit scene, Dr. Stephen Shin (Randall Park) rescued Kane, confirming his survival and teasing his return. Additionally, Nicole Kidman returns as Atlanna, “a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior.” And Dolph Lundgren will reprise his role as King Nereus.

Jani Zhao, Indya Moore, and Vincent Regan have also joined the cast. Zhao will be playing a character named Stingray, whose background is unknown. Stingray is an original character created for the movie. Moore, meanwhile, is set to appear as Karshon. This character comes from the DC comics. According to the report, Karshon first appeared as a villain in 1963’s Green Lantern #24. Karshon began life as a shark but gained intelligence and powers after an encounter with radiation. Finally, Regan will appear as Atlan. Atlan was the ruler who caused Atlantis to sink into the ocean. Aquaman searched for Atlan’s trident in the first film.

Meanwhile, Game of Thrones alum Pilou Asbæk has reportedly joined the cast in a currently unknown role.

On July 28, 2022, Jason Momoa revealed that Ben Affleck would also appear in the film, reprising his role as Bruce Wayne/Batman from the previous DCEU films. Affleck, of course, took part in the upcoming Flash movie. Evidently, the intention was to keep it a secret but, of all things, the Warner Bros. Studio Tour happened to catch both actors coming out of the soundstage. Awhoops. Ultimately, though, according to The Hollywood Reporter, although Affleck, as well as fellow Batman Michael Keaton, were meant to appear in the movie at different points, no Batman will appear in Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom’s Release Date

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom releases on December 20, 2023.

Originally published on April 27, 2021.

The post Everything We Know About AQUAMAN AND THE LOST KINGDOM appeared first on Nerdist.

Blue Beetle was a highlight of Warner Bros.’ recent output of DC Comics films, showcasing the first Latino superhero with his own feature film. A fun mix of Iron Man, Spider-Man, with a dash of Venom, both critics and fans enjoyed the film. We recently got the chance to chat with Blue Beetle’s director, the Puerto Rican-born Ángel Manuel Soto. He talked to us about bringing the fan-favorite character to life ahead of Blue Beetle‘s Blu-ray debut.

Nerdist: The Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle, compared to other DC heroes at least, hasn’t been around that long. Only since 2006. When it came to crafting the movie, was that more of a blessing or an obstacle, to not have as many years to draw from story-wise?

Ángel Manuel Soto. No, it was a benefit to some extent. Especially the writer [Gareth Dunnet-Alcocer], I have to give him credit for, one, being a diehard fan of Blue Beetle, and two, being open to having fun and picking the “greatest hits” of the things that we like so that we could form a story that is also based on our collective experience as much as we can. We have the opportunity to finally show the story of a Latino hero from the ground up. Often, our stories are told from the middle of the sentence or the middle of the paragraph. We never get the opportunity to show us come into anything. If it’s a villain, we never get a chance to ask “How did he become a villain?” There’s this whole mentality that you’re bad because you’re born bad, and you’re Latino, so Latinos are bad.

And the same thing that we did with Carapax and showing the history of violence that led him to be the villain that he is. We wanted our hero also to show that his heroism doesn’t come from his just getting powers. It comes from the whole history and legacy that his family comes with once they cross the border. So that part might not have been the biggest element of the comic, but we wanted to use that as our own starting point. Even the animated iterations.

The aspect of the Reyes family is so important to why this movie works as well as it does. They’re not even supporting cast, they’re fellow heroes in the end. What made you decide to include them all in the adventure in the way you did?

Soto: Well, right off the bat, one of the things the writer wanted to do is a throwback. The movie has this throwback energy to the origin stories of heroes that we love. But one of the tropes that is very common within superhero movies is that they keep their identity a secret from the people they love, and rightfully so. They’re trying to protect them. It does make total sense. But good luck trying to keep a secret from a Latina mom. So how can we take that reality and apply it to the superhero trope and how that ripples into the film?

So if we know that it’s not a secret, and our families always stick their noses in everything that we do, why not bring them into the adventure? Usually, they’re left in the back. They’re backdrop, they’re props, or they’re one dimensional. And they’re only there to kill one of them, or just to protect them. And for us, we said, “No, what if it’s the other way around?” Sure, exploring the lowest of lows is interesting. But what if instead of the villain using the family as bait, the villain captures our hero, and the family does the rescue mission? That is something new we haven’t seen before. And it’s through that community, family, the community, that extension that you call family, that makes you a superhero.

Xolo Maridueña really owns this role. It feels like it was made just for him. He manages to be funny and light, but really brings the drama in the heavy scenes. Was there a favorite scene you directed him in?

Soto: That’s all him. And that fierceness that he has, and then the transformation to vulnerability and empathy, it’s not easy. Those are big emotions, they have a big gap between them. And that’s where I saw this kid is the real deal. I was moved by that because I saw him go from Cobra Kai to this. Then seeing that manifest when we were shooting was like, “Oh my gosh, we made the right choice.”

I saw the film at an early screening, and you could tell who was Latino in the audience by the laughter erupting from just seeing the Vicks VapoRub. My friend who isn’t Latino has to ask me what was funny about that, but I’m Cuban-American so I totally got it. I know our grandmas use it as a cure-all for everything. Did you get any pushback about gags like that which would only land with the Latino audience?

Soto: Yeah, of course you get pushback, sadly. There is a legacy of fear of the unknown. And by conforming to the status quo, you lose authenticity. And then it’s just fake, it’s a cookie-cutter version of what the US expects a Latino should be. We had to fight a lot of those battles. And some didn’t make it. But the ones that stayed, they paid off. And the thing is, if you don’t know it, just ask. Ask and we’ll tell you. Or just open your minds to other cultures. The whole Vicks idea wasn’t in the script. It was because one of the actresses, Belissa Escobedo, was trying to find out what would wake him up. She said, “Well, my mom used to wake me up with Vicks.” And Nana had Vicks with her, so she brought it in and we just did it.

In the special features for the Blu-ray, the screenwriter talks about how you really drew from the previous versions of Blue Beetle, even if Dan Garrett and Ted Kord weren’t in the movie. Did you ever consider ignoring the legacy hero concept and streamlining it? Or was the legacy angle something you felt you had to do?

Soto: Yeah, we wanted to honor them. In the same spirit of the movie celebrating our family and our ancestors and those who came before us, we didn’t want to brush away the first two Blue Beetles. Although Dan Garrett might not have had a direct relationship with Jaime, he had one with Ted Kord. In the title sequence, we do the montage of the legacy of Blue Beetle. But also, we had his suit in the lair. Jaime does a nod to Dan Garrett when he summons Khaji Da. So we wanted to keep that legacy in it, but also open the doors towards the end so that if and when Ted Kord shows up, we can see what can happen with him.

Blue Beetle hits 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray, standard Blu-ray, and DVD on October 31.

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The original Green Lantern, Alan Scott, first appeared in All-American Comics #16 in 1940. Armed with a magic ring and a multi-colored costume, he was a far cry from later sci-fi Green Lanterns like Hal Jordan and John Stewart. But as the first bearer of the name, he still has iconic status. In recent years, DC has reinvented Alan as a hero who struggled to keep his gay identity a secret. Now, writer Tim Sheridan (Teen Titans Academy, Masters of the Universe: Revelation) is exploring the original Lantern’s secret past, in the new mini-series Alan Scott: Green Lantern.

Nerdist: Many write most LGBTQ characters these days from a very 21st-century perspective. But in your new series, you’re approaching it from a mid-20th-century POV, where things were completely different. Being discovered as gay could literally cause you to lose everything, even your life. How different was it writing a queer character from this perspective over say, a Gen Z gay in 2023?

Tim Sheridan: Well, there’s no way around the fact that I am reporting from 2023. So some of my sensibilities, are going to find their way into it. It’s not a historical document, right? It’s a comic book, and there are some slight liberties we take in trying to keep within as honest a historical framework. But I think that this period we’re dealing with wasn’t just a difficult period to be a closeted queer person. I think if you weren’t a straight white man during that period, there was a lot of adversity. There were a lot of things that you came up against.

In some ways, Alan is a lot like I was when I was growing up. Where you’re able to hide in the light, and people look at you and they don’t necessarily know that you have a secret identity. And so that’s something that Alan is grappling with, and I think a lot of people in that period would’ve grappled with. I wish I could say that that wasn’t the case today, but I think today people are still dealing with coming out of the closet, and being honest about who they are. If it’s not something that you wear on your skin or with the way you outwardly present to the world, you have a choice. And it can be a very tragic choice. Certainly, the consequences in the 1930s and 1940s were dire for someone like Alan Scott.

But the other side of that coin is Alan Scott’s a hero, and he’s a born hero. So what does that mean for someone like him in that period of time? Those are the things that I was thinking about. And like I said, there’s no way to completely divorce ourselves. We know that we’re looking back through a window in time with all of the advantages of living in the present.

Alan Scott had a circuitous route to becoming an LGBTQ character. First, his son Obsidian came out as gay in the ‘90s. And then an alternate Earth version of him was a gay man in the New 52 era. Now, the original version of Alan is a gay man. Before his very late in life coming out, did you perceive Alan as a queer hero who was basically closeted? Or did it come as a surprise when DC made the decision to make him a queer hero?

Sheridan: I think I was surprised that they were willing to do it. Surprised in a good way. I never considered it. I’m a big Obsidian fan and a big Infinity Inc. fan, and I love that character and I love what they introduced with that character. I think in a lot of ways, I hunger for more stories about Obsidian and what his life’s been like. I didn’t expect it, and it was a delight for me because I think it makes a lot of sense.

On the Watchmen TV series, they dealt with and touched on the idea of being closeted gay heroes during the golden age. And so the idea of taking a character like that and introducing this new layer of information about everything that they were dealing with during all of those adventures and all of that time and all the things we saw play out for them? I just think it opens up an incredible new level of storytelling that we can reach with this character. And a new audience that we can really talk to about this character.

So, like I said, I was surprised and delighted. I never dreamed that I would get a chance to add my voice to Alan’s and to the canon. And it was only because Geoff Johns, when we worked on Flashpoint Beyond, started setting up this concept for the new Golden Age. And he called me and said, “I think you should write a story about Alan Scott as a closeted gay superhero in the 1940s. I think you’re the one to do it.” Honestly, I was completely terrified. Because I’ve never written a story with a lead character who was gay first of all, but also who was like me in any way, really. And so I said, “Okay, let’s do it. Let’s see what we can do.”

In the old ‘40s Green Lantern comics, Alan had a sidekick named Derby “Doiby” Dickles. He was a taxi driver with an ultra-thick New York accent. Not to give away a big spoiler, but in this mini-series, you reveal that he’s fully aware of Alan’s sexuality. Even though he’s a ‘40s street tough kinda guy, he accepts him. What made you decide Derby knew, and that Derby would be ok with it despite the times?

Sheridan: Well, for me, knowing how Derby, aka Doiby, knowing the way he worships the Green Lantern, as an inseparable sidekick, I wanted Alan to have some kind of confidant. Somebody who knew more about him than everyone else, the way that Doiby always did. They were tight. So for me, it made sense to have Doiby be a sort of sounding board and a confidant for Alan Scott.

He’s outside the world of superheroes. He’s outside the world of the JSA. These are things that remain complicated for Alan at this point in the story. The JSA has just formed. He is terrified that he is endangering the Justice Society by being, as he sees it, by the laws of the day, a criminal. He’s a criminal in his own bedroom. And he knows he stands for the law, and here he is, someone who is breaking it and knows that he’s breaking it. So to have somebody like Doiby outside of that circle as a sounding board for him was important for me in terms of how to tell the story.

Doiby represents that. A glimmer of hope for a world that could eventually accept someone like Alan. He’s a rarity, certainly in 1941, Doiby Dickles. But this book is about a beacon of hope. And the Green Lantern himself should be a beacon of hope. And I think his inextricable partner, Doiby Dickel, should also represent that hope for a better future

Cian Tormey’s art is incredible in this. It has a throwback flavor while still looking modern. His illustrations of Alan and his boyfriend really convey how these two characters really love each other.

Sheridan: I don’t think I’m overselling it when I say that he’s doing the best work of his career on this book. And he’s somebody who even from issue to issue, or from the six-page DC Pride story that we did, and then to issue one and issue two, his work just gets richer, and better. And more emotional. The storytelling gets better. He really has locked into something, and I’m very happy for that for him. I’m very happy to see that for him. But I’m thrilled and relieved that it’s happening in our book.

I’m very grateful that he signed on, and our relationship has been amazing. We didn’t know each other before and we just kind of threw ourselves in and we started having four-hour conversations, just talking about the character, talking about the world. He’s a huge history buff, and specifically US history. Cian was born in Ireland and he lives in Spain, but he’s a huge of US history and is well-read, so it’s been a joy to get to say things to him and have him bounce some ideas back.

As the first superhero named Green Lantern, Alan Scott retains a kind of prestige at DC. But he’s also often cast aside, or thought of as a footnote to the overall Green Lantern mythology. What do you plan to do to fight people’s notions of Alan as just the “rough draft“ of Green Lantern?

Sheridan: I’ve seen people say that before, the “rough draft Green Lantern,” oh my gosh. I don’t think about Alan that way, and I’ve never thought of Alan Scott that way. I believe there’s so much great work done over decades to connect and flesh out the connection to the mythology. But I think that work has been done, and I think he’s an integral part of Green Lantern history. He is an inspiration to the ones who come after him. And I think that’s the exciting thing about doing a story about a golden age hero that we know is going to be someone who inspires other heroes, not just the public.

There has always been room to expand upon the lore and mythology surrounding Alan’s Green Lantern. And that’s where Geoff Johns’ creation of the Golden Age Red Lantern character, Alan’s arch nemesis, the Soviet answer to the Green Lantern, comes in. Vladimir Sokov is his name, and that’s where that gets really exciting. Geoff created a dynamic where this character, this important figure in Alan’s life became removed from time. And then in a very sort of huge Geoff Johnsy way, reinserted back into the timeline. This book takes place in and around the origins of Alan, and also the origin of the arch nemesis relationship between the Red Lantern and the Green Lantern. And so it’s incredibly exciting to add to the lore and the mythology like this.

Alan Scott: Green Lantern #1, the first of a six-issue mini-series by Tim Sheridan and Cian Tormey, is on sale now.

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Writer and artist Keith Giffen, prolific for decades of groundbreaking comic book work at both DC Comics, Marvel Comics, and other publishers, has passed away at the age of 70 from a stroke on October 10. He was perhaps most famous as the co-creator of Lobo and the Jaime Reyes Blue Beetle for DC, Rocket Raccoon for Marvel, and his legendary runs on Justice League International and Legion of Super-Heroes for DC. Known especially for his comedic takes on superheroes, his final message to his fans on social media exhibited the legendary creator’s signature humor even up to the end.

Giffen got his start as a professional artist in comics at both Marvel and DC in 1976. At Marvel, he co-created the character Rocket Raccoon with writer Bill Mantlo. Of course, Rocket is character who decades later would gain pop culture icon status thanks to the MCU. At DC that same year, he started to do layout pages for artist Wally Wood in All-Star Comics. This title showcased the adventures of the Justice Society of America. He’d continue to lend his talents to a ton of other titles in the ‘70s, like Marvel Comics’ The Defenders.

However, it was in the ‘80s when Keith Giffen became a true force in the comics industry. He began to co-plot many of the comics he illustrated and transitioned into a full-on writer. With writer Paul Levitz, he illustrated DC’s teen heroes of the far future in Legion of Super-Heroes. Together, they worked on the book for four years, from 1982 to 1986. Under their tenure, Legion became DC’s second biggest title, far outselling books like Superman and even Batman. In 1982, he drew the Legion’s “Great Darkness Saga,” which elevated Darkseid into one of the DC Universe’s biggest villains.

After producing two characters for DC that showcased Giffen’s wry sense of humor — the parody hero Ambush Bug, and the Legion spin-off Legion of Substitute Heroes — DC hired him to co-plot their revival of Justice League with writer J. M. DeMatteis. Instead of using an all-star lineup of heroes, the Giffen/DeMatteis League largely consisted of DC’s second-stringers. Heroes like Blue Beetle and Booster Gold. Instead of Hal Jordan, their League’s Green Lantern was the obnoxious Guy Gardner. He was a G.L. who Batman took out with one punch in a single panel in the hilarious Justice League issue #5.

Justice League was a runaway hit for DC and quickly rebranded as Justice League International. Giffen and J. M. DeMatteis turned JLI into a franchise that gave Avengers a run for its money, spinning off Justice League Europe, Justice League America, Justice League Quarterly, and Dr. Fate. Together, Giffen and DeMatteis worked on the franchise for five years, from 1987 to 1992, producing over 100 issues together. They somehow turned the formerly deadly serious League’s catchphrase into characters bursting out in “Bwah-ha-ha-ha-ha!” laughter.

In 1990, Giffen would revive a character he co-created for the series Omega Men in 1983, the cosmic bounty hunter Lobo. Only now, Lobo became a hilarious parody of tough biker characters, and “badass” heroes like Punisher and Wolverine. It was another instant hit for Giffen, and Lobo became a comics icon. That same year, he returned to the Legion as a plotter and artist. He showcased the former teen heroes as washed-up middle-aged characters, who have to get the band back together. Controversial in its day, his “5 Years Later” Legion of Super-Heroes is now beloved by fans.

Giffen took a break from comics in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. He became a storyboard artist for animated shows like Ed, Edd, ‘n Eddy and Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi. In the ‘80s, he’d even written an episode of The Real Ghostbusters. But he returned to comics where he teamed up with his old Justice League partner J. M. DeMatteis once more, producing several comics featuring their comedic League again. Most importantly, during this time, Giffen co-created the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle, and wrote the first ten issues of his series in 2006-2007. He also returned to Marvel as the writer of their cosmic Annihilation event series. This series eventually led to the modern version of the Guardians of the Galaxy. He also co-created several independent comics such as 10, Tag and Hero Squared for Boom! Studios, Zapt! and I Luv Halloween for Tokyopop.

In an era when comics were desperate to show how grim and adult they were, Giffen created stories that showed that yes, grown adults in silly costumes beating up bad guys is actually pretty funny. But he never forgot to give the characters actual personalities and pathos, and infuse drama into the usually comedic stories when needed. In many ways, Giffen’s superhero comics were precursors to things like Buffy the Vampire Slayer and the MCU’s Guardians of the Galaxy. His contributions to the comics medium were vast, as there’s almost no major character he didn’t leave a mark on. Everyone who loves the medium of comic books shall miss him.

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The unexpected comic book movie blockbuster of 2019 was Todd Phillips’ Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix in the title role of Batman’s #1 nemesis. The movie earned a billion dollars at the box office and won Phoenix an Academy Award for his role as Arthur Fleck. No one saw all that coming for the relatively smaller budget and very adult-skewing R-rated film. But when you make that much money, a sequel is inevitable.

Here’s everything we know about the Joker sequel.

Title

Isn’t it beautiful?

Todd Phillips reminding us to rewatch Joker and get ready for #JokerFolieADeux pic.twitter.com/loJjviyiLI

— DC (@DCOfficial) October 3, 2023

The official title for Todd Phillips’ sequel to his 2019 blockbuster hit is officially Joker: Folie à Deux. Which means, in French, “Joker: Shared Madness.”

Joker: Folie à Deux‘s Plot

Right now, we know little of the plot for the Joker follow-up. Other than the fact that it will feature the Joker and Harley Quinn together. Considering how loosely the first film played with DC Comics’ mythos, don’t expect this one to be any different. They explored the origin of the Joker/Harley relationship in the classic Batman: The Animated Series episode “Mad Love,” and then translated (more or less faithfully) in the first Suicide Squad movie. We expect something a little more out of the box this time for Joker and Harley.

For those concerned, Peter Safran and James Gunn have assured fans the movie will remain in the DC Universe, though it will carry an Elseworlds project tag. That means it will live on, but it won’t work into the main timeline of the DC Universe.

Joker: Folie à Deux‘s Cast

Aside from the returning Joaquin Phoenix as Joker/Arthur Fleck, and Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn, only a handful of other actors have been confirmed thus far. Brendan Gleeson has also joined the cast, as has Catherine Keener in a “major” but still unknown role. Jacob Lofland has also joined up, as someone associated with Arkham Asylum.Also officially joining the cast is Industry‘s Harry Lawtey.

Behind the Scenes

Director Todd Phillips is reuniting with his original Joker co-writer Scott Silver for this new continuation.

Joker: Folie à Deux‘s Release Date

The Joker sequel is set to premiere on October 4, 2024.

Originally published on December 12, 2022.

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There has been much speculation about which characters from the old DCEU would make the transition to James Gunn’s new DCU. No one, including Gal Gadot, seems to know if she is coming back as Wonder Woman or not. Well, now we know three actors who are definitely coming back in this new DC Universe. They are John Cena as Peacemaker, Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, and Xolo Maridueña as Jaime Reyes, the Blue Beetle. This was all confirmed by Gunn on social media, via The Hollywood Reporter.

So does that make the previous Peacemaker series, or Gunn’s own Suicide Squad canon? What about the very recently released Blue Beetle? After all, the actor playing him is officially returning. Here’s what Gunn said in a post on Threads when a fan asked about the new DCU canon.

“Nothing is canon until Creature Commandos next year — a sort of apéritif to the DCU — & then a deeper dive into the universe with Superman: Legacy after that. It’s a very human drive to want to understand everything all the time, but I think its okay to be confused on what’s happening in the DCU since no one has seen anything from the DCU yet. And, yes, some actors will be playing characters they’ve played in other stories & some plot points might be consistent with plot points from the dozens of films, shows & animated projects that have come from DC in the past. But nothing is canon until Creature Comandos and Legacy.”

It will be fascinating to see if any other characters from the old canon make the transition. Margot Robbie is very liked as Harley, and is personal friends with Gunn, she seems like a sure thing. But what about Jason Momoa as Aquaman? That one seems very up in the air. Hopefully, as Superman: Legacy approaches, we start to see a clearer picture of who is, and who is not, making the transition to Gunn’s new DC Universe.

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For over 80 years, DC Comics has been continuously publishing Batman and Detective Comics. And in that time, they have produced some of the best, most creative runs on any superhero comic book series ever. So many, in fact, it was hard to narrow them down to a “10 best.” But for our money, the following are the greatest creator runs by a specific comic writer or writer/artists combo in the history of Batman.

10. Doug Moench and Kelley Jones

Writer Doug Moench and artist Kelley Jones were a dream comics team on the Batman titles, producing a 42-issue run from 1995 to 1998. These issues leaned heavily on supernatural stories and good old-fashioned detective yarns. This writer/artist duo picked up from where the Knightfall Saga left off. That 1993 story saw Batman seriously injured and replaced for a time. Their mid-’90s run was a back-to-basics approach, after two years of different characters under the cowl, like Azrael and Dick Grayson.

Moench’s propensity for the spookier side of Batman lore was perfect with Jones’ art style, which often made Batman’s villains look more grotesque than ever. Although the two had a lengthy run on the ongoing title, we can’t forget to mention their Batman and Dracula DC Comics trilogy. These were a series of out-of-continuity stories that told what-if style tales about Batman as a vampire. When you combine these three Elseworlds stories with their regular run in the ongoing Batman title, it all makes for a truly memorable run on the character.

Issues in Doug Moench and Kelley Jones‘ Batman Comic Run:

Batman 516-552 (1995-1998) Batman and Dracula: Red Rain (1991), Batman: Bloodstorm (1994), Batman: Crimson Mist (1998)

9. Paul Dini

Writer Paul Dini became a Batman legend in another medium outside of comics before tackling the Dark Knight’s adventures in print. As a producer and writer on Batman: The Animated Series, Dini wrote several iconic episodes, including redefining Mr. Freeze in “Heart of Ice,” and co-created Harley Quinn. Not to mention he wrote both the Arkham Asylum and Arkham City video games. But years after the show ended, Dini did a significant run of Batman stories in Detective Comics and Batman: Streets of Gotham.

Working together primarily with artists Dustin Nguyen and Don Kramer, Dini wrote stories that expanded and gave depth to newer villains like Hush. He also wrote several one-and-done mysteries stories, once that reflected some of his best work on the animated shows. While his non-comics Batman stories might have had a greater impact on popular culture, his run on the character in the pages of the Dark Knight’s birth medium of comic books shouldn’t be forgotten.

Issues in Paul Dini’s Batman Comic Run:

Batman: Streets of Gotham #1-4, #7, #10-14, #16-21, DCU Holiday Special #1, Detective Comics #821-824, #826-828, #831, #833-834, #837-841, #843-850, #852, (2006-2009)

8. “New Look” Batman

When most people talk about the best Batman and Detective Comics runs, most people begin in the ‘70s. But a very important Batman comics run happened in 1964 -1968, which literally saved the character from irrelevance. For much of the ‘50s/early ’60s, the restrictive Comics Code censors neutered Batman as a character. Instead of fighting criminals, he fought aliens and wacky monsters in stories mainly aimed at 6-year-olds. And Bob Kane’s art (and those of his copycat ghost artists) was hopelessly dated in an era of Marvel heroes. Sales slipped badly, and something needed to be done. Legend has it that if DC couldn’t raise sales on the Batman comic books, they would cancel one or both of them.

So DC editor Julius Schwartz hired veteran writers John Broome, Gardner Fox, and artist Carmine Infantino to revamp Batman, just as they had for the Flash. Infantino illustrated every other issue of Detective, with longtime penciler Sheldon Moldoff now instructed to mimic Infantino’s art, not Bob Kane’s. The stories featured a lot of one-off bad guys and dynamic artwork. And saw Batman actually being a detective for the first time in years. This era also gave us the iconic yellow oval Bat emblem and introduced Batgirl and Poison Ivy. This 1964-68 comics run of Batman revitalized the character for younger readers. Many saw Batman as their dad’s hero in previous. The success of this Batman run led directly to the ABC creating the TV series. Which, of course, mercilessly spoofed the comics, but the comics themselves remain a retro blast to read.

Issues in the “New Look” Batman Comic Run:

Detective Comics #327-371, Batman #164-200 (1964-1968)

7. Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers

Though it’s one of the best, this Batman comic run often gets forgotten, thanks to the long shadow of game-changing work from Denny O’Neill. And, it was only eight issues long, running in the late ‘70s. But writer Steve Englehart, famous for work on Marvel titles like Avengers, wrote several character-defining issues of Detective Comics that were some of the best Batman work ever published until that time. Englehart, together with artist Marshall Rogers, really doubled down on Bruce Wayne as a suave, James Bond-style ladies’ man, giving him a femme fatale love interest named Silver St. Cloud.

Together, Englehart and Rogers gave new life to discarded Golden Age villain Dr. Hugo Strange and introduced the definitive version of the assassin Deadshot. Both characters would become mainstays of Batman’s rogues gallery from then on. One of his Joker stories, “The Laughing Fish,” even found new life as a fantastic episode of Batman: The Animated Series years later. He even made a once-cheesy villain like Doctor Phosphorus cool. Steve Englehart would return years later for a Batman tale here and there. But nothing beats the original Englehart and Rogers combo. Their Batman run was brief, but the impact on Batman and his comic legacy was big.

Issues in Steve Englehart and Marshall Rogers Batman Comic Run:

Detective Comics #469-476, 1977-1978

6. Tom King (with various artists)

Writer Tom King had the unenviable task of following up Scott Snyder’s celebrated Batman run back in 2016. Yet King’s Batman introduced lots of new concepts in innovative stories, some of which worked like gangbusters, and a few that landed with a thud (killing off Alfred Pennyworth counts as the latter). But during King’s nearly 100-issue run, he finally deepened the Batman/Catwoman relationship, even if fans were (wrongly) denied their wedding. However, the abruptly ended nuptials of Bruce and Selina were part of a pretty amazing story involving the oft-misused Bane.

King’s Batman comic run also included the Joker vs. Riddler crime saga “The War of Jokes and Riddles,” a story that stands as one of the great modern Gotham City stories. They paired King with incredible artists during his run—David Finch, Mitch Gerads, Clay Mann, Lee Weeks, Jason Fabok. But especially Mikal Janin, who illustrated Batman the most. But everyone brought their A-game. We eagerly await our first Tom King Batman omnibus, DC Comics. This run one was one of the greats, flaws and all. And yes, one big flaw was killing Alfred. That keeps this entry down one whole notch on our list of the best Batman comic runs.

Issues in Tom King’s (with various artists) Batman Comic Run:

Batman: Rebirth #1, Batman (Vol.3) #1-85, Annuals #1-3, Batman/Catwoman #1-12 (2016-2022)

5. Frank Miller

You thought this run would be way higher on the list, didn’t you? We wouldn’t blame you if you did. The footprint that writer/artist Frank Miller left on the character of Batman is, quite frankly, enormous. Both his Batman: Year One, which he produced with artist David Mazzucchelli, and The Dark Knight Returns, are the most iconic versions of Batman’s “first” and “final” stories ever put to print. And everyone who has adapted Batman in every medium since has found influence in them. And they’re both really, really good.

So why this mid-level placement in the best Batman comic runs list? Well, both Year One and Dark Knight Returns are just eight issues long, all together. And his other, later runs on Batman? Well, Miller’s All-Star Batman was so terrible even Jim Lee’s art couldn’t save it. His 2001 Dark Knight Strikes Again is one of the most disappointing sequels ever made in any medium. The third chapter, which had a co-writer and different artist, was just ok. So, in the end, it’s a draw. If we were judging individual Batman comic stories, then Miller’s Dark Knight Returns and Year One would be at the top. But in terms of extended runs on the Caped Crusader, collectively, it’s all about as great as it is awful.

Issues in Frank Miller‘s Batman Comic Run:

The Dark Knight Returns, Batman: Year One, 1986-1987, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, 2001-2002, All-Star Batman 2005-2008, DKIII: The Master Race (2017)

4. Jeph Loeb, with Tim Sale and Jim Lee

Most of writer Jeph Loeb’s run on Batman was in mini-series format, with one notable run in the regular ongoing Batman title. But man, what a way to leave a stamp on a character. Loeb and artist Tim Sale first worked together on a series of Halloween specials in the mid-90s. However, their pièce de résistance remains the 13-part mini-series The Long Halloween. This intense murder mystery involved almost the entire rouges gallery in key ways, and it had a payoff worthy of the year-long build-up. Every panel of Tim Sale’s artwork is a stunning composition.

This creative team reunited for the underrated sequel, Dark Victory, a few years later, which introduced Robin into the story. But Loeb wasn’t done quite yet. In 2002, he teamed with superstar artist Jim Lee (now DC president) for a 12-part story called Hush. It’s another long-form mystery, but Loeb played to Lee’s strengths and gave him big action in addition to mystery. All of these comic runs stand out as some of the best Batman stories of all time to this day. One can see the fingerprints of these modern classics all over modern Batman films, including the recent The Batman.

Issues in Jeph Loeb, Tim Sale, and Jim Lee‘s Batman Comic Run:

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special, Batman: Madness – A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special, Batman: Ghosts -A Legends of the Dark Knight Halloween Special, Batman: The Long Halloween #1-13, Batman: Dark Victory #0-13, Catwoman: When in Rome #1-6, Batman #608-619 (1994-2004)

3. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo

The 2011 New 52 reboot of DC was hastily put together and is largely disliked today. But there was at least one big exception to the quality dip of that reboot everyone agrees on, however. And that is writer Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo’s run on the series. This run introduced one of the coolest concepts to the mythology in years, the mysterious Court of Owls, a secret society controlling Gotham for decades. Snyder and Capullo also gave us one of the best Jokers storylines in decades in The Death of the Family. After decades of Frank Miller’s Year One as being the definitive “early years” Batman, Snyder and Capullo unleashed Zero Year. This was an arguably more epic take on Batman’s first twelve months on the job.

Scott Snyder found a way to combine a psychological take with big superhero action, and it always works. We should add, even before the New 52 reboot, Snyder wrote one of the best Batman stories ever, The Black Mirror. Only that time it was with Dick Grayson as the Dark Knight and not Bruce Wayne. The Snyder/Capullo run officially ended with the two-part Last Knight on Earth. But they unofficially continued their Batman partnership in the event series Dark Nights: Metal and Dark Nights: Death Metal. Both of which featured Batman in a central role. This one is the most recent of the truly great runs of Batman’s ongoing comic titles.

Issues in Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo‘s Batman Comic Run:

Batman (Vol.2) #0-52, #23.2 and Annual #1-4 Batman: Futures End #1; Detective Comics #1000 and Batman: Last Knight on Earth #1-3, Dark Nights- Metal #1-6, and Dark Nights – Death Metal #17 (2011-2018)

2. Grant Morrison (with various artists)

By the time they took on the regular ongoing Batman title in 2006, writer Grant Morrison was already a comics legend. Specifically, Morrison was known for Batman, having written the graphic novel Arkham Asylum and given the character a significant part in their JLA run. But their take on the Dark Knight’s ongoing series successfully combined elements of every era of the character before, from the ‘50s sci-fi goofiness to ‘70s high adventure, in one wonderful almost surreal run that even saw Batman dead and his former protégé Nightwing replacing him in the role.

Morrison’s run also introduced Bruce’s son Damian Wayne as Robin, now an iconic part of Batman’s lore. Their extended storyline Batman: R.I.P. remains one of the greatest and trippiest Batman stories of all time. They also created new villains that are now legit parts of the rogues gallery, like the Flamingo and Professor Pyg. Combined, it was an epic seven-year run on the character, playing across multiple series and even the event Final Crisis. The art by Adam Kubert, Frank Quitely, Tony S. Daniel, and others also raises this run into the stratosphere.

Issues in Grant Morrison’s Batman Comic Run:

Batman #655-658, #663-683, Batman & Robin #1-16, Batman #700-702, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-6, Batman Incorporated #1-8, Batman: The Return #1, Batman Incorporated #0-13, Batman Incorporated: Leviathan Strikes #1, Batman Incorporated Special #1, Final Crisis (2006-2013)

1. Dennis O’Neil (with Neal Adams, various artists) Has the Best Batman Comic Run

After the end of the Batman ’66 TV series, the character’s reputation as a joke was cemented in popular culture. So DC did something drastic and doubled down on returning Batman to his 1939 status as an avenging creature of the night. Writer Dennis “Denny” O’Neil and artist Neal Adams produced 11 issues from 1970 to 73. These stories restored Batman to his role as Gotham’s Dark Knight Detective. They separated Batman from Robin (mostly), making him a brooding loner again. In their Batman comic run, they introduced major villains like Ra’s al Ghul and Talia. They made the Joker a homicidal maniac again, and brought back Two-Face after decades.

O’Neil also introduced the concept of Batman as a sexy globetrotting adventurer, in the style of James Bond. While the O’Neil/Adams collaboration only lasted three years. Later, O’Neil wrote dozens of other Batman stories with collaborators like Irv Novick and Dick Giordano. One of those stories, “Appointment in Crime Alley,” is widely considered one of the best Batman stories ever. O’Neil became group editor of the Batman line by the ‘90s, guiding what other writers did. But his own Batman run is the most influential run on the Dark Knight of any creator to date. Bob Kane and Bill Finger might have created the architecture of Batman, but Denny O’Neil and his artistic collaborators did the rest.

Issues in Dennis O’Neil’s (with Neal Adams, various artists) Batman Comic Run

Detective Comics 395,397,404,410, 480-491, Batman 232, 234, 235, 237, 243-248, 251-266, (1970-1980) Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight (1989)

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This year marks the 60th anniversary of the classic X-Men. Long before characters like Wolverine joined the team, the X-Men were five teenage mutants at Xavier’s School for Gifted Youngsters. These X-Men were never as popular as later incarnations, but whenever they regroup, it’s still a big deal. Now the ol’ gang is back together again, with a twist. Announced via AIPTComics, Original X-Men #1 hits in December. This new one-shot spotlights the “O5,” from writer Christos Gage (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and artist Greg Land (Phoenix: undersong).

So what’s the twist? In this story, the Phoenix Force, who can’t seem to ever leave poor Jean Grey alone, plucks from time the original five X-Men—Cyclops, Marvel Girl, Beast, Iceman, and Angel. All for a sacred mission across the Multiverse After the cosmic entity restores the team’s lost memories, this story will explore themes introduced by Brian Michael Bendis when he brought the original five to the present day in 2012’s All-New X-Men series. More importantly, it will set up a brand-new X-Men series launching next year.

The first-ever mutant heroes to call themselves X-Men name once traveled into their own futures to bring back the adult Cyclops from going down a dark path. Now another multiversal mystery calls them forth. When the dust settles, one hero will remain, trapped in the world as we know it. How this ties into the current Fall of X era in Marvel’s mutant comics is a mystery. But we can’t wait to find out the answer.

The original X-Men team broke up after the iconic Giant Size X-Men #1 in 1975. The same issue introduced the All-New, All-Different X-Men. A decade later, they reformed as X-Factor, before finally rejoining the X-Men proper in 1991. Then their teenage selves traveled into the future in the previously mentioned All-New X-Men series, before finally returning to their proper timelines in 2017. But in the world of Marvel’s mutants, nothing is ever that simple. And when the multiverse is involved? Even less so.

Original X-Men #1, written by Christos Gage, with art by Greg Land and a cover by Ryan Stegman, goes on sale on December 20.

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The world’s most notorious giant monsters, Godzilla and Kong, are pretty much unstoppable. And woe to any major urban area that’s in their way. So who does one call when the world’s greatest kaiju need to be stopped from rampaging? Why, the world’s greatest superheroes of course. Coming this fall from DC Comics and Legendary Comics is Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong, a new limited series that finds Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the rest duking it out with the King of the Monsters and the Lord of Skull Island.

The upcoming seven-issue series, made in partnership with Toho International, comes to us from the creative team of writer Brian Buccellato (Detective Comics), artist Christian Duce (Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point), and colorist Luis Guerrero. It kicks off next month, but we’re looking further into the future. We have a synopsis of December’s Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #3, as well as an exclusive look at the variant covers for that issue, in our gallery below.

Click To View Gallery

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #3 

Written by Brian Buccellato/art by Christian Duce/cover by Drew Johnson/variant cover by Jonboy Meyers/variant cover by Mike Deodato Jr./1:25 variant cover by Simone Di Meo/1:50 variant cover by Arist Deyn   

$4.99 US/40 pages/3 of 7/Variant $5.99 US (card stock)/On Sale on 12/19/23 

Superman and Godzilla have gone head-to-head with devastating consequences in Metropolis as the Justice League scrambles to protect their homes from the monsters—Supergirl encounters Kong on Skull Island and Wonder Woman takes on Behemoth on Themyscira! Lost in the monster mayhem, though, are Lex Luthor and his Legion of Doom… what nefarious connection do they have to everything?

In the first issue, Clark Kent is enjoying a night off with a very important dinner with Lois Lane. Then, the entire city shudders under the weight of the monstrous Godzilla, who emerges from the bay. Soon, the wall between worlds is breached… with Godzilla, Kong, and the Monsterverse emerging on DC’s Earth. In the second issue, the giant beasts threaten cities all over the globe, from Metropolis to Gotham City to Themyscira. So the Justice League scrambles to protect the citizens. We’re not sure what Green Arrow is going to do with a bow and arrow against giant monsters, but we can’t wait to find out!

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1, written by Brian Buccellato with art by Christian Duce and Luis Guerrero, will arrive at comic shops on October 17.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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It was five long years ago that we received the colorful action explosion of Aquaman. Still the highest grossing movie starring a DC character who isn’t Batman, James Wan’s first film was a gloriously goofy exploration of Arthur Curry’s (Jason Momoa) journey to Atlantis and fight against his half-brother Orm (Patrick Wilson). A lot has changed in both the real world and in the DC movie landscape since then, and after a number of false-starts and pushed releases, the sequel Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom is finally happening. Check out the full trailer now!

The story picks up a few years into Aquaman’s reign as king of Atlantis. He defends his people, the half-billion underwater dwellers, but he lives at his dad’s lighthouse still. Now, however, he has a child. Truly, how can he balance work and family? Unfortunately, it doesn’t get any easier. His old foe Black Manta (Yahya Abdul-Mateen II) is back for revenge, but this time he has the Black Trident. James Wan told Nerdist along with other outlets at a trailer preview event that his “plan was always in the first movie to set up [Aquaman’s] relationship with [Black Manta]. He was kind of a glorified side character in the first one. But that was okay because we knew the second movie was going to have him in a much bigger role.”

Wan explained that elements of this movie came from the now-defunct Trench movie that was to be a spinoff of the first Aquaman. “We didn’t want that project to potentially step on the Aquaman films. But we came up with a lot of interesting ideas and a lot of really cool stuff that I felt we could use in this one. The Trench movie was going to be a secret Black Manta movie. Initially, we announced it as a Trench movie but we wanted to surprise people with a Black Manta movie. Some of those ideas found their way into this.”

Black Manta has tapped into the power of the fabled “Lost Kingdom,” a long-buried race of Lovecraftian nightmares, and in order to battle them, Arthur will need some help. Who better, it seems, than Orm? Well, like anyone else would probably be the more obvious choice. But Aquaman gets his estranged brother out of the pokey and enlists his help to save their home. Naturally it won’t be an easy alliance, but the Orm and Arthur relationship will be the major one in the movie. Wan said if the first movie is Romancing the Stone, the sequel is Tango & Cash.

The film, as you probably guessed, has been in a bit of upheaval as the state of DC Films has changed. Wan says he has mostly tried to focus on his own film, but likens the whole thing to “living in a house that’s being renovated.” That said, he is quick to point out how, at least from his perspective, the first movie is as standalone as any of the movies in the DCEU has been, without connective tissue to any other specific film or outside character. That will hold true for the sequel. So even if Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom doesn’t officially connect to the future DCU, they’ll exist on their own as a one-two punch.

Fans of Wan’s wackiness will hopefully find much to enjoy. “I’ve never shied away from weird,” he told us. “If you guys have seen Malignant you know what I mean.” He said he’s turned to Jules Verne and Ray Harryhausen for inspiration, and obviously his horror roots are coming through again. We don’t have too long to wait now, as Aquaman: The Lost Kingdom will hit theaters December 20, 2023.

Kyle Anderson is the Senior Editor for Nerdist. You can find his film and TV reviews here. Follow him on Instagram and Letterboxd.

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If you’ve watched the epic series Avatar: The Last Airbender, then you love Uncle Iroh. I don’t make the rules. This is a simple truth of existence. In the television series, the complex character offers great love, wisdom, cunning, and patience—all of which make him a fan favorite. It’s hard not to feel like Uncle Iroh is your grandfather when you watch Avatar. And so it’s no surprise that fans wish to see more of his story. And they’re in luck because a brand new Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novel from Dark Horse will offer a focused tale of Uncle Iroh and the bounty hunter June. While, we have known about this new graphic novel for a bit, we’re happy to share that Avatar: The Last Airbender–The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer now has an official release date and plot details.

Here’s what we know about the new Avatar: the Last Airbender story.

Avatar: The Last Airbender–The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer‘s Plot

As mentioned, the new Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novel will tell a fresh tale starring Uncle Iroh. And joining him will be another Avatar favorite, the bounty hunter June. Like Zuko, and Iroh himself, June begins her life on the wrong side of good but comes around to help Team Avatar with time. Of the unlikely pair, June has had less of an overall presence in the franchise, and so it will be exciting to see more of her in Avatar: The Last Airbender–The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer.

The official plot synopsis shares:

Deliveries to Uncle Iroh’s tea house, the Jasmine Dragon, have dried up! Further complicating Iroh’s life, a familiar face – the bounty hunter June – has captured him in hopes of a payday large enough to set her and Nyla up for life. Who hired June, and what do they want with the former Dragon of the West? In an epic trek across the Earth Kingdom, Iroh must confront a part of his past while June considers her future, but however things go…someone’s got to free the tea!

Free the tea! Now that’s a cause Uncle Iroh can get behind. And so can we. We can’t wait to see another tough cookie fall victim to Uncle Iroh’s dad jokes and sage advice.

Avatar: The Last Airbender–The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer Release Date and Price

This upcoming Avatar: The Last Airbender graphic novel will release in bookstores on May 14, 2024 and in comic book stores on May 15, 2024. It can now be pre-ordered on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and at local comic book shops and bookstores. The The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer will cost $12.99 at retail locations.

Other Details About This New Avatar Graphic Novel

Dark Horse’s Avatar: The Last Airbender–The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer has an award-winning creative team behind it. Faith Erin Hicks, Peter Wartman, and Adele Matera return to the illustrated world of Avatar for this graphic novel as writer, illustrator, and colorist, respectively. The book will be 80 pages long.

A release shares that “the graphic novel is written in consultation with Avatar Studios’ Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko.” Additionally, The Bounty Hunter and the Tea Brewer is a one-shot story adventure.

We guess all that’s left to do now is put on the tea and wait for this epic journey to arrive.

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The MCU loves a yellow super suit. First, it gave Charlie Cox’s Daredevil his red and yellow outfit when he appeared on the Disney+ series, She-Hulk. And now, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have officially revealed what costume Wolverine will wear for his MCU debut. And no surprise, Deadpool 3 has opted to give Wolverine his bright yellow (and blue) suit, a costume pulled straight from the pages of Marvel Comics. Although Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine has appeared on our movie screens many times, his yellow comics-accurate suit has not made the live-action jump… Until now. But a bright yellow suit on this extra grumpy version of Wolverine in Deadpool 3 seems exactly appropriate.

You can check out the first-look image of Wolverine’s MCU costume from Deadpool 3 below. Then, take a minute to fully appreciate the incredible yellow-ness of this suit.

We bet we’re going to hear Ryan Reynolds’ Deadpool refer to Jackman’s Wolverine as “Sunshine” at least once in the movie, thanks to this costume. And, the yellow and red suits for these heroes might lead to some ketchup and mustard jokes in Deadpool 3, much to Wolverine’s annoyance. But Wolverine had to eventually suit up in the comics’ yellow and blue X-Men costume in a Marvel movie.

The Marvel Comics Origins of Wolverine’s Classic Costume, the Yellow and Blue Suit

So how did we arrive at this Deadpool 3 look for Wolverine? Wolverine made his debut in The Incredible Hulk #181 in 1974, wearing his classic yellow and blue costume. The mask was slightly different at first. But by the time the Canadian mutant became a part of the X-Men in Giant Size-X-Men #1 the following year, the classic yellow and blue suit as we know it was introduced, with the larger Wolverine mask. That look stuck until 1980, when Logan received his brown and tan suit. The second Wolverine costume lasted a decade, but he went back to his yellow and blue for the X-Men: The Animated Series era in 1992. This is likely why Wolverine’s yellow suit is seen as THE costume for a generation.

If there’s a true direct from the comic books inspiration here, the Deadpool 3 costume looks the most like Wolverine’s in Astonishing X-Men, which ran from 2004-2008. The great John Cassaday designed that outfit. The biggest detail that doesn’t match up to the Astonishing X-Men look is that Wolverine now has sleeves instead of bare arms. Oh, and no mask that we can see yet. But we expect that’s coming. You simply can’t have a complete classic yellow Wolverine costume without the mask, right?

Deadpool 3 Brings Us This Iconic Look in Hugh Jackman’s Potentially Final Turn as Wolverine

Fans have long-clamored to see this classic-colored costume on the hero. And the MCU loves to deliver an Easter egg if it can. As mentioned, yellow might seem an odd color for the hero known for being a bit of a grump. But, although Wolverine has worn many different costumes in his long Marvel Comics’ career, his suits have more often than not included yellow in them. It seems like Hugh Jackman had to don the color as Wolverine at least once before he hung up his claws.

Deadpool 3 director Shawn Levy shared more about Wolverine’s potential final turn on screen and bringing the yellow suit to life. He noted, “Like the rest of the world, I’ve waited two decades to see Wolverine in a whole movie with Deadpool, and I don’t know if this is our last shot at Wolverine on screen, so I was going to make goddamned sure we get the old yellow and blue just once, and that we get it right.”

And, in order to do that, Wolverine’s yellow costume went through “multiple, multiple, multiple iterations and fittings.” But Levy adds, “It also helps that I’m making this movie within the MCU, so I have access to an army of the nerdiest nerds available to a Marvel project.”

Could This Be Hugh Jackman’s Final Outing as Wolverine?

Before Deadpool 3 became a reality, Hugh Jackman said his Wolverine days had ended, and he would not play the character again. Of course, we can never say never, but those previous pronouncements make it likely the actor will be done with the role of Wolverine, yellow suit or otherwise, after the Deadpool movie. If this is indeed Hugh Jackman’s last time as the hero, then it’s fitting to end it on this classic note. Finally, we will see Wolverine, as we’ve come to know him, in the costume we most associate with the role.

Marvel Studios had slated Deadpool 3 to release on May 3, 2024. But we may see a shift in that release date depending on when the studios agree to fair compensation and support for their writers and actors.

Originally published on July 10, 2023.

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The seas are angry, my friend! Black Manta is, too. He wants more than just revenge against Arthur Curry. That much is clear in the first teaser trailer for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is back to destroy Jason Momoa’s hero and everything he cares about. That will lead to all out underwater war, in a battle that will see two brothers forced to work together to save their world.

Don’t worry, though, Aquaman has some more help—like a giant translucent war seahorse.

We now have our first real look at director James Wan’s long-awaited sequel to his 2018 smash hit. This Aquaman follow-up looks much darker in tone and story than the first, but with the same kind of vibrant energy.

Alongside its teaser, DC Studios also shared an official synopsis for Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom that provides the best idea yet of what we’ll see when we return to the waves. From an unlikely family reunion to powerful artifacts, this movie will bring us all out undersea chaos.

Having failed to defeat Aquaman the first time, Black Manta, still driven by the need to avenge his father’s death, will stop at nothing to take Aquaman down once and for all. This time Black Manta is more formidable than ever before, wielding the power of the mythic Black Trident, which unleashes an ancient and malevolent force. To defeat him, Aquaman will turn to his imprisoned brother Orm, the former King of Atlantis, to forge an unlikely alliance. Together, they must set aside their differences in order to protect their kingdom and save Aquaman’s family, and the world, from irreversible destruction.

DC also provided updates for its many returning characters. They offer even more clues about the Aquaman sequel’s plot. Turns out Arthur Curry and his Queen are new parents. (Aww.) We hope that burning house in the teaser doesn’t mean Aquaman’s own dad won’t be around to babysit his grandson. (Oh no!) From DC:

All returning to the roles they originated, Jason Momoa plays Arthur Curry/Aquaman, now balancing his duties as both the King of Atlantis and a new father; Patrick Wilson is Orm, Aquaman’s half-brother and his nemesis, who must now step into a new role as his brother’s reluctant ally; Amber Heard is Mera, Atlantis’ Queen and mother of the heir to the throne; Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is Black Manta, committed more than ever to avenge his father’s death by destroying Aquaman, his family and Atlantis; and Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, a fierce leader and mother with the heart of a warrior. Also reprising their roles are Dolph Lundgren as King Nereus and Randall Park as Dr. Stephen Shin.

Plus, look at all the pretty sea creatures in the Aquaman teaser! And, we guess, even the not-so-pretty ones. They’re pretty cool, too. Maybe that’s why they’re so angry. We can’t wait to find out why when Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom dives into theaters on December 20.

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With James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe on the horizon, one Blue Beetle character could provide the connective tissue between the previous studio regime and the future that’s to come: OMAC. The film introduced OMAC—an acronym for “One Man Army Corps”—as a technological enhancement for the villain Carapax (Raoul Trujillo). It was featured as an armored exoskeleton that could be implanted into the spines of ordinary humans. It then turns them into bulky weapons of war. Blue Beetle (Xolo Maridueña) and his family and friends destroyed the OMACs at Kord Industries. However, the OMAC mythos is too big and too promising to be contained in one film. A film about DC’s Authority is in development and OMAC could tie the emergent threads of the DC Universe together. 

The Origin Story and Purpose of the First OMAC, Explained

The original OMAC first appeared in Jack Kirby and Mike Royer’s OMAC #1 (1974). We meet Buddy Blank, a mild-mannered office-worker chosen by an omnipotent peace-keeping agency to become OMAC. Using an enormous eye-shaped satellite called Brother Eye, the peace-keeping agency imbued Blank with superhuman strength, speed, and durability. He also got a costume reminiscent of the Greek god of war, Ares, complete with a decorative fin. 

From the very beginning of OMAC’s history, the character focused on the relationship between technology and the human body. In the beginning pages of his first issue, OMAC muses, “Where does humanity stop and technology begin? We no longer know…”

Seeing how much Blue Beetle explores the connections between Jaime Reyes and the Scarab, OMAC is a natural point of comparison for the protagonist. 

OMAC, Superman, and the Authority’s DC Comics Relationship

OMAC could be an essential part of the DCU because of a relationship with a team on the horizon: the Authority. The Authority is traditionally made up of members like Apollo, Midnighter, and Jack Hawksmoor. In the nineties, The Authority was the edgy alternative to the Justice League. Their members were flawed and disinterested in being the model of heroism for anyone. 

But recently, The Authority’s lineup and purpose got a new reimagining in print form. Grant Morrison and Mikel Janín’s 2021 series, Superman and the Authority, debuted a new OMAC as a team member. This OMAC, nicknamed “Mac,” is distinct from Buddy Blank’s iteration of the character as well as the militaristic vision of OMAC presented in Blue Beetle.

Blank’s OMAC suit includes a warlike fin and eye insignia. Conversely, Mac dons a pink mohawk hairstyle and pink facial marking shaped like an eye on his forehead. When Mac introduces himself to Superman and the rest of the new Authority team, he mentions that he uses he/him and they/them pronouns. Mac’s OMAC suit includes heavy armor. It works by him verbally commanding how much power he wants to use on a scale of one to ten. Mac is from Earth 9, and is in love with Earth 9’s version of Lightray. This makes him a character from DC’s multiverse.  

Because of Mac’s uniqueness, as well as his comic book ties to the characters in future film projects involving the Authority and Superman, he presents a striking opportunity to strengthen this emergent lore in the DC Universe. This new OMAC has shaped the course of Superman’s mythology over the past two years in DC Comics.

We see their journey in the Warworld Saga arc, spanning principally Action Comics #1029-1036 and Superman: Warworld Apocalypse by Phillip Kennedy Johnson, Daniel Sampere, Riccardo Federici, David Lapham, and more. Along with the rest of Superman’s new Authority team, Mac went to Warworld, a desolate gladiatorial planet ruled by the tyrant, Mongul, in order to liberate the people trapped there. The Warworld Saga laid the foundation for a new era for Superman and redefined the Authority within DC’s status quo. 

The Future of OMAC in James Gunn’s DCU

James Gunn said the comic book influences for the new DC Universe includes stories written by Grant Morrison. These include stories such as All-Star Superman and their Batman run. Morrison’s Superman and Batman work is setting the stage for two pillars of the DC Universe. Therefore, it isn’t a stretch to wonder if Superman and the Authority’s OMAC will make an appearance in Superman: Legacy or The Authority as a member of the team. There is no way of knowing if another OMAC was already operating outside of Palmera City in Blue Beetle. And we also don’t know if there is one like Mac existing someplace else within the multiverse.

Grant Morrison explored the multiverse heavily in works like The Multiversity. So fans will have to wait and see if this element is adapted into the DC Universe. Featuring OMAC in the Authority’s team would cultivate a greater sense of cohesion between Blue Beetle and the future DCU. Mac’s version of OMAC in The Authority would be relatively accessible to newcomers, even if they don’t know much about this collective.

OMAC’s thematic focus on the hybridity between technology and the human body is relevant to today’s world and era of superheroes. It would be a huge missed opportunity if OMAC is just a one-off character. From everything that James Gunn and Peter Safran have revealed about the new DCU, it’s clear that the franchise will pull from the lore from DC Comics. OMAC is a powerful example of the creativity in DC’s superhero comics and it’s time to bring it into full focus.  

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DC Studios co-head James Gunn previously mentioned how he was already mapping out his DCU geography and realizing it to the same degree as Game of Thrones’ Westeros. Unlike Marvel, which mostly takes place in real-world locations, DC’s main locales are totally fictional cities, each with its own flavor. Gunn mentioned the obvious examples, like Metropolis and Gotham, but also Green Arrow’s Star City and Nightwing’s Bludhaven. But DC Comics has a metric ton of other cool fictional cities, ones we’d love to see on the big (and small) screens. Here are the fictional DC Comics cities that we’d love to see in the DCU.

Gateway City (First Appearance – Wonder Woman #101 (1995))

Superman famously has Metropolis. Batman has Gotham. And so on and so on. But the third member of the DC Trinity, Wonder Woman, didn’t get a cool fictional city of her own till the ‘90s. Sure, she had Themyscira, but she didn’t hang her lasso there Monday through Friday. Originally, she lived in Washington, D.C., and then post-Crisis reboot, in Boston. Yes, somehow DC Comics America has room for all these fictional cities and the real ones. It’s crowded. But in 1995, John Byrne moved Diana Prince to the fictional Gateway City. Intended as a stand-in for San Francisco, it was there Diana worked at an ancient history museum. Later, heroes like the Spectre and Mister Terrific would operate out of Gateway. When Diana finally appears, whoever she may be, we’d love to see her live in Gateway.

Opal City (First Appearance – Starman #0 (1994))

Opal City didn’t appear until the 1994 series Starman, written by James Robinson and illustrated by Tony Harris. It was the home of the Justice Society’s Starman of World War II, Ted Knight. He protected the city with the use of his stellar-powered cosmic rod. As he got older, he passed on his heroic mantle to his son David. But when he died, his other son, a slacker type named Jack, had to pick up the legacy. Opal was a city with much history in Starman, and home to supernatural beings like the immortal Shade. The history of Opal was a huge springboard for stories in this series. Artist Tony Harris designed Opal within an inch of its life, giving every building an Art déco flair. This is one of the most well-planned fictional cities in the DC universe, and it deserves to appear on screen at some point.

Gorilla City (First Appearance – The Flash #106 (1959))

You know what’s cooler than a talking gorilla? A whole city full of talking gorillas. Gorilla City, found in a secret location in the jungles of Equatorial Africa, is home to a highly advanced race of gorillas who were given artificially enhanced intelligence centuries ago. These apes were wise and benevolent. Their sovereign King Solovar ruled them. But one of their own, a gorilla named Grodd, went rogue. He eventually became a primary Flash villain. Like Atlantis and Themyscira, Gorilla City is one of the cooler high-tech hidden megalopolis from the comics. We saw a version of it in the Flash TV show, but we want something a little more like the comics. Basically, we want apes living in a Jetsons world. We believe James Gunn can deliver that.

Keystone and Central Cities (First Appearance – Flash Comics #1 (1940)Showcase #4 (1956))

We’ve already seen Central City, home of the second Flash Barry Allen, in both The Flash movies and TV shows. But in the comics, it is one of two twin cities in the Midwest along with Keystone City. Central City was supposed to be in Missouri with Keystone in Kansas. Both towns have a long history with speedster heroes. Keystone was home to the original Flash, Jay Garrick, during the 1940s and 1950s. Later, Barry Allen made its sister city Central his home. Fun fact: Both cities existed on different Earths, but when Earth-One and Earth-Two merged into one after Crisis on Infinite Earths, they became adjacent to each other. The third Flash, Wally West, then became the protector of both. Seeing twin cities with one hero protector would be a fun approach for the DCU.

Dakota City (First Appearance – Hardware #1 (1993))

The Milestone Comics heroes arrived in the early ‘90s to add some much-needed African-American representation to DC’s heroic ranks. And like any good DC heroes, they reside in their own fictional American city. Much like Metropolis is a fictional version of New York City, they designed Dakota to be a fictional variation of Detroit, Michigan. It’s home to heroes like Static, Icon, Hardware, the Blood Syndicate, and more. Originally, the Milestone heroes were part of their own separate continuity, but it then merged into the mainline DC Earth in 2008. If we ever see the Milestone heroes come to life, like in the long-rumored Static Shock live-action project, then Dakota is a must.

Coast City (First Appearance – Showcase #22 (1959))

In many ways, Coast City has had the wildest publishing history of any DC Comics city. DC introduced it as a stand-in for a Southern California city like L.A. or San Diego in the early ‘60s Green Lantern comics. This was at the height of the period when California was the number one location for the aviation industry. And since Green Lantern Hal Jordan was a test pilot, it made sense to have Coast City as his home base. Hal Jordan worked out of Coast City for years, until the Reign of the Superman story in the ‘90s, when the alien Mongul destroyed it, killing millions. Later, they rebuilt the city in record time, because comics. Still, it’s a fun idealized version of mid-century California, and we’d love to see it on screen.

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Blue Beetle came in at a record-low weekend box office opening for DC, despite wonderful critic and user reviews. And it just cemented something we’ve all known for a long time. As far as films are concerned, to the general audience, the DC cinematic brand is broken. Yes, Marvel can get comic C-list titles like Ant-Man and Guardians of the Galaxy and turn them into box office gold. But Warner Brothers has struggled for a decade to make anything click that’s not Batman, or Batman-related like Joker. Sure, Wonder Woman and Aquaman made a lot of money, but those are the exceptions and not the rule.

The DC Movie Stigma Is a Hard One to Overcome

We can get into the why of it all, but the “why” is a matter of opinion. Some folks believe the initial Synder tone of Man of Steel, BvS, and Justice League was too much of a turn-off to many in the general audience. Certainly, a vocal bunch of folks think turning away from Snyder was the problem. Whatever you think it is, the box office numbers don’t lie. The audience is just not here for the DCEU as we know it in large numbers. As for as this iteration of a cinematic DC universe goes, it was long past time to put a fork in it. DCEU, R.I.P., 2013-2023.

So what do DC Studios co-heads James Gunn and Peter Safran do? They’ve already laid out their initial slate of films and streaming series. They’ve titled DCU Chapter 1 as “Gods and Monsters.” Some say their announcement of the new DCU killed any enthusiasm for whatever DC films were left after the fact. While they might already have their approach in mind, at this critical moment, when the DC brand in movies has the stink of failed promise and struggles to lure in moviegoers, it’s time to look towards the past. Because DC has been in this exact place before. DC Comics, that is.

In the Early ’80s, DC Comics’ Biggest Challenge Was Marvel

From the ‘40s all the way through to the ‘60s, DC Comics was the brand to beat in terms of comic book sales. Nothing could touch them. Then, in the ‘60s, upstart publisher Marvel Comics changed the game, and by the end of that decade, DC seemed like your grandpa’s comics. Marvel continued to grow and grow in popularity. By the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, Marvel left DC in the dust, sales-wise. By 1984, Marvel titles like Hercules and Dazzler and even ROM were easily outselling DC’s pop culture icons like Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, and the Justice League. Only DC’s New Teen Titans, and to a lesser extent, Legion of Super-Heroes, sold in numbers comparable to Marvel. And in many ways, they were the most Marvel-esque books, focusing on the interpersonal melodrama of attractive young heroes.

DC Comics Rebooted Their Entire Universe with Crisis on Infinite Earths

So DC Comics did what they had to do, and took drastic measures. They blew it all up. With Crisis on Infinite Earths, they destroyed their previous multiverse, and five decades of continuity, and started fresh with their biggest icons in a newly rebooted world. In 1986, Superman got a massive reimagining, jettisoning years of clutter around the Superman mythos, under the guidance of former X-Men creator John Byrne. Wonder Woman received an even bigger transformation, under the guidance of writer/artist George Perez. The stalwart Justice League of America became the action-sitcom Justice League International. And Flash became the first true legacy hero series, about a young ex-sidekick taking on a huge heroic legacy.

And then, of course, there was Batman. Frank Miller reinvigorated the Dark Knight’s mythos and brought him back to his 1939 roots with Batman: Year One. From there, it was off to the races. The fog that surrounded Bruce Wayne’s reputation ever since the Batman ’66 series suddenly lifted, and he was a big player again. And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention DC taking a gamble on old forgotten titles like Animal Man and Sandman, titles that changed how the mainstream perceived comics. All of these things happened within a span of just a couple of years. But DC’s gambit worked. Their newly rebooted universe didn’t dethrone Marvel, but gone were the days of DC doing time at the bottom of the top 100. DC was finally a contender again.

The Rebooted DC Universe Led to a Sales Renaissance

According to the comic book sales history website Comichron, the difference between where DC Comics were selling pre-Crisis and post-Crisis is significant. Superman, which in 1984 was in the #76 and #80 positions in the Top 100, was the #1 monthly comic from June-October of 1986, and sold well in the years after that. Justice League, which was in the bottom 50 in 1984, was a consistently top 10/top 20 series by 1987. Flash and Wonder Woman were also selling in numbers they hadn’t in decades. And Batman? Well, by early 1989, Batman was neck-and-neck with Marvel’s X-Men. All of these things would have been unheard of just a few years before.

James Gunn needs to look at this era, especially for inspiration. Although DC rebooted its universe, giving tweaked updates to the hero’s origins, it was a universe with some history behind it. And a history that was more or less familiar. Superman, Batman and the Justice League had been around, we just learned that their histories became altered. Only Wonder Woman was presented as a fresh new heroine on the scene. A version of the DC history as we’d known it played out. However, DC writers were allowed to pick and choose what aspects to use. Sometimes this created big continuity messes. But mostly, it worked and truly gave these long-running characters a new lease on life.

It seems that already Gunn might be taking this approach. He’s said that his Superman: Legacy won’t be an origin story. And clearly, with the addition of many well-known DC heroes to that film, this will be a universe with history behind it. An older Dark Knight in Batman: The Brave and the Bold suggests the same thing. But while retaining a sense of history is important, much like DC Comics did, Gunn and Safran can’t be afraid to go nuts. Post-Crisis Superman changed many aspects of Kal-El’s lore for a new generation. Things like how Krypton was presented, and Lex Luthor’s role in his life. DC wasn’t afraid to jettison key parts of Wonder Woman’s mythos, either. Gone were things like her secret identity or her invisible plane, in order to update the concept. DC Comics was not afraid to take big swings. And DC Studios shouldn’t either.

Always Look to the Comics

We should note, that while DC Comics really re-jiggered their biggest icons, the successful series that pre-dated the reboot did continue intact. So, a big seller like New Teen Titans could go on as is, and it mostly worked. Gunn also seems to use this approach with Peacemaker, which existed, albeit tangentially at best, in the old DCEU. With something as successful, and as off to the side from DC’s “Big Guns” as Peacemaker and Blue Beetle, there’s no reason not to include them. The signal to the general audience that this will be a “new universe” will be in recasting their biggest most iconic characters. Not removing ones like Peacemaker or Blue Beetle.

Without a doubt, Gunn and Safran have their work cut out for them. The DC brand on film lies shattered on the movie theater floor. And they’re going to have to do a lot of work behind the scenes in front of the public to convince people that this new DCU is something different. But as history proves, DC Comics did it all before. DC Comics turned it all around, so here’s hoping DC Studios pulls the same trick. Really, in the end, the comics should be the source of inspiration for every live-action superhero movie property. No matter which studio it’s coming from.

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In the film Blue Beetle, we learn that industrialist and CEO of Kord Industries, Ted Kord, was once the superhero of Palmera City. Named, of course, the Blue Beetle. For years, he had access to the mysterious alien Scarab. However, unlike Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), the Scarab did not choose him to bond with. Instead, he studied it, and Ted Kord used the information he gleaned from it to create many gadgets and weapons. Many are similar to those of Batman. But the Blue Beetle mid-credits didn’t just tease the arrival of Ted Kord, but possibly also his BFF, Booster Gold.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Angel Manuel Soto addressed the possibility presented in Blue Beetle‘s mid-credits scene. He said, “Ted Kord is still alive, he’s somewhere out there in the universe, and whatever the future holds for our hero is open to interpretation. So, whether that is Booster Gold or Ted Kord or if it is both of them [together], the possibility exists, and it is something that we want to entertain.”

Blue Beetle Ted Kord’s Mysterious Message

At some point, around two decades prior to the events of the film, Ted Kord vanished. He left an 8-year-old daughter named Jennifer (Bruna Marquezine), and his company in the hands of his corrupt sister, Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon). In the mid-credits scene of Blue Beetle, we learn that Ted Kord is not dead. We witness a heavily fragmented video message from him come through on his computer. We don’t see his face clearly, and his voice sounds muffled. But he definitely wants his daughter Jennifer to know he’s still alive out there, and to find him. But where is he?

However, maybe the question isn’t where is he, but when is he. Ted Kord would have probably been in his 30s when he vanished. Maybe 40s at most, especially if he had a young daughter. And although altered by static, you can tell in the film it’s not an “old man voice” we hear. Whoever sent that message isn’t the age Ted Kord should be now. This makes us think that maybe Ted Kord did not just find himself lost somewhere in the world. Maybe he is lost in time.

Could Blue Beetle Ted Kord Be Lost in Time with Booster Gold?

And certainly, judging by the comics, there would be a plausible reason for this. In DC Comics, Ted Kord’s best friend in the world is Booster Gold. A hero from the 25th century, Booster famously time-travels. Booster was a nobody in his time, but with common technology from his era, he figured he could become a wealthy celebrity and superhero in the past. He eventually joined the Justice League International, where he and Blue Beetle Ted Kord became best friends. The two got into many wacky adventures together, and became known as “Blue and Gold.”

In the lead-up to the event series Identity Crisis, Ted Kord uncovered the plans of the villainous Maxwell Lord. And Max later murdered by Ted in cold blood. Booster used his time-traveling abilities to try to save his best friend, which led to a lot of wild time-travel paradoxes and scenarios. Ultimately, Ted Kord realized he must fulfill his fate and die when he was meant to, allowing time to flow properly. Lucky for him, they rebooted the DC Universe a couple of times more, and Ted Kord is now alive and well, and a mentor to Jaime Reyes. So there is a precedent for Ted Kord and time-travel adventures.

Who Could Play Blue Beetle Ted Kord in James Gunn’s DCU?

The mid-credits Blue Beetle scene does a lot of teasing when it comes to Ted Kord and Booster Gold, but not a lot of revealing. Recently though, director Angel Manuel Soto shared his dream casting for Ted Kord should the Blue Beetle appear again. He shared with The Digital Fix, “My dream cast for Ted Kord has always been Jason Sudeikis… But at the end of the day, it’s about who’s best for the character, who loves what we’re trying to do. And who’s willing to see Jaime Reyes’ story continue.”

For now, of course, no casting has been determined. But it does feel like there will be a place for Ted Kord in the future of the DCU.

Blue Beetle and Booster Gold in the DCU Could Lead to Justice League International

James Gunn has stated that Blue Beetle will have a role going forward in his new DCU. Even if the mid-credits tease never finds resolution in a Blue Beetle sequel, there is a Booster Gold series coming in Chapter 1 of the DCU, “Gods and Monsters.” What if Ted Kord was sucked into another timeline thanks to Booster, perhaps the new one that will be established in Superman: Legacy? This would allow the Blue Beetle characters to make the transition into the new DCU, without negating anything that happened in the film.

A Blue Beetle/Booster Gold connection already would make for a perfect setup for an eventual Justice League International project. Because with Ted Kord confirmed alive, and Booster Gold and Green Lantern Guy Gardner confirmed for the DCU, not to mention a new Batman, we have half the JLI core membership right there. And here’s where we’re really putting on our tin foil hats. Jenny Kord said her mother, who was Brazilian, died under undisclosed circumstances when she was six. What If she didn’t die, but also became lost in time, and Ted went looking for her? And what if she’s core JLI member Fire, a Brazilian heroine who controls powerful green flame? There’s a lot of room for Gunn’s DCU to take threads dropped in Blue Beetle and run with them. Here’s hoping we get to see these all play out.

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The DCU is coming our way, and many fans wonder how it will compare to the all-mighty MCU. Well, according to James Gunn, there will be some significant differences between the DCU and its Marvel counterpart. The co-CEO of DC Studios dove into the topic with Inside of You podcast to give fans more insight. (Thanks to IGN for putting this on our radar.) On the podcast, Gunn shares the DCU will lean heavily on secret identities and fantasy settings, which is certainly not like the MCU.

“If you look at the MCU, there are very few traditional superheroes,” Gunn affirms. “There was never a guy with a secret identity until Spider-Man in the MCU. Their Cap was turned into a soldier even though he wears a mask. Iron Man outed himself at the end of the first Iron Man because they don’t want to deal with the whole secret identity stuff.”

He goes on to explain that the DCU is also more fantasy based than the MCU because many of its heroes, like Superman, are larger than life. To him, Clark Kent and Superman are very much two different characters. And the DCU will find a way to deal with both of them in its world. Speaking of its world, Gunn is excited to explore fictional places like Gotham City. DC’s settings create a much different feeling than putting heroes in our real-life cities as the MCU tends to do. 

“One of the things that I love about DC, that excites me about DC, is that in a way it’s another alternate history,” he notes. “It is Gotham City and Metropolis and Star City and Bludhaven, and all these different places in this other reality, and it makes it a little bit like Westeros in some ways.” And, in fact, Gunn even noted on Threads that he is even planning “an incredibly detailed world map” for his DCU that we can’t wait to see take shape.

The ways that the DCU will be different from the MCU make a lot of sense and will give fans a fresh approach to DC’s roster. In the meantime, we will be (not so) patiently waiting for Superman: Legacy to fly our way in 2025.

Originally published on June 14, 2023.

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The Jaime Reyes version of the Blue Beetle has only been around in the pages of DC Comics since 2006. But since then, he’s made quite an impact. A legacy hero, Jaime Reyes is the third to wear the heroic mantle of Blue Beetle. Jaime Reyes, nevertheless, has appeared in several of his own comic series, and team books like Teen Titans, and appeared as Blue Beetle in both animated series (Young Justice, Batman: Brave and the Bold) and live-action shows (Smallville). Now, he’s starring in his own live-action film, Blue Beetle, starring Cobra Kai’s Xolo Maridueña. But just who is Jaime Reyes? Here’s the lowdown on Blue Beetle, the Texas teen who is the new DCU’s first superhero.

Jaime Reyes’ DC Comics Origins as Blue Beetle

In DC Comics’ 2005-2006 event series Infinite Crisis‘ third issue, readers met Texas teenager Jaime Reyes. Months after the tragic death of Ted Kord (the second Blue Beetle), Jaime Reyes finds the ancient and powerful Beetle Scarab. It was in the keeping of the Wizard Shazam in the Rock of Eternity, and when that was destroyed, it crashed to Earth. Not long after, teenage Jaimie found it in El Paso, Texas totally by chance. The alien scarab bonded with Jaime Reyes in his sleep, and he was able to activate its powers, his first step toward becoming Blue Beetle. Even though, at first, Jaime had a tough time controlling his new abilities.

Thanks to Booster Gold, his predecessor Ted Kord’s best friend, Jaime was recruited to help Batman and others save the Multiverse. During this time, the Dark Knight saw much potential in Jaime Reyes, and took him under his wing helping him to become the Blue Beetle. But this isn’t Jaime Reyes’ only DC Comics Blue Beetle origin story. No, Jaime had quite a few.

In the 2011 New 52 reboot continuity, Jaime finds the scarab in a backpack he managed to steal away from some criminals, instead of just by sheer luck. And in the 2016 Rebirth re-reboot (DC does these a lot), the comics tweaked Jaime Reyes’ origin yet again, and this time DC revealed the scarab to be magical in nature and not just an alien artifact.

Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle has been around less than 20 years, and DC Comics has already altered his origin story three times! But the core facts about his backstory tend to remain the same throughout the different iterations.

Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle Comics Highlights

The previously mentioned event series Infinite Crisis, by Geoff Johns and Phil Jimenez, was the introduction of Blue Beetle, and even though largely retconned away now, serves as a great jumping-on point for the character. Following Infinite Crisis, Jaime got his own ongoing Blue Beetle series from creators Keith Giffen, John Rodgers, and artist Cully Hamner. That Blue Beetle series ran for 36 issues from 2006 to 2009. Following the New 52 line-wide reboot of 2011, Jaime got yet another new ongoing book from the creative team of Tony Bedard and Ig Guara, which lasted 17 issues in total.

Jaime Reyes’ most recent ongoing series, from returning writer Keith Giffen and artist Scott Kolins, came in 2016, and that third Blue Beetle volume lasted 18 issues. it ended in 2018. Since then, Jaime has appeared in the recent mini-series Blue Beetle: Graduation Day. That book came from the creative team of Josh Trujillo and Adrián Gutiérrez. In this story, Jaime graduated high school at last and moved from El Paso to Palmera City. The fictional town of Palmera City also appears in the upcoming live-action Blue Beetle movie.

What Are Blue Beetles’ Powers and Abilities?

All of the Blue Beetle’s powers emerge from the Scarab, which grafted itself to Jaime Reyes’ spine. Whenever Jaime is in any kind of peril, the Scarab activates and protects him by covering his body in the form of armor. This armor is strong enough to withstand energy blasts and even re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere from outer space. The Blue Beetle armor also has the power to transform into a wide variety of weapons, including an energy plasma blaster arm, as well as blades and shields. The armor’s wings allow for the power of flight, and they enhance Jaime’s strength and durability while he’s wearing it. However, Jaime Reyes’ enhancements are nothing quite approaching the levels of Superman or Wonder Woman. Unfortunately, when the Scarab’s armor retracts back into his spine, it’s quite a painful experience for poor Jaime despite his Blue Beetle abilities.

Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle Suit, Explained

The powers of Blue Beetle’s suit are tied to the Scarab attached to his body. The Scarab is a form of technology that originated from an alien civilization known as the Reach. Centuries ago, the Reach conquered worlds with their advanced tech. The idea behind the Scarab was that it would take over the mind of the person it attached itself to. Thus, allowing the Reach to conquer primitive worlds remotely. The Infiltrator Scarab Jaime has is known as Kahji Dha. But once left behind on Earth, ancient sorcerers used magic to alter its ability to control the person who wore it. The Blue Beetle scarab became the property of a Pharoah, who locked it with him in his tomb until archeologists discovered it in the 20th century.

The suit worn by actor Xolo Maridueña in the Blue Beetle movie is very accurate to the DC Comics suit designed by Jim Lee. it also has the name Kahji Dha. In fact, Jaime Reyes’ live-action Blue Beetle suit is one of the most comic-accurate costumes we’ve seen in any comic book movie so far. It is far closer to the original comics than the first live-action Blue Beetle, seen back in Smallville. Jaime Reyes’ live-action Blue Beetle costume functions the same as the one in the comics. Jaime can create many similar weapons for himself, just like his comics counterpart.

Who Is Blue Beetle’s Main Villain?

In the pages of the comics, Jaime Reyes’ main adversaries include local crime boss La Dama, who made Blue Beetle’s life miserable in El Paso. And of course, the alien Reach themselves. In the Blue Beetle movie, the big bads are Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), sister of Blue Beetle II, Ted Kord.

Although created for the Blue Beetle movie, Victoria Kord, the CEO of Kord Industries, actually made her debut in the comics—very recently, in fact. Victoria Kord first appeared in DC Comics as a part of the Blue Beetle: Graduation Day series. This is a callback to how DC created Batgirl for the Batman ’66 TV show, but she actually made her comic book debut months earlier. The other villain Jaime fights in the Blue Beetle movie is the cyborg known as Carapax. Carapax was the first villain Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle fought in his first DC Comics issue in 1986.

Will Jaime Reyes’ Blue Beetle Be in the DCU?

Although The Flash rebooted the DCEU into what will be James Gunn’s new DCU, and Blue Beetle came out after, the movie is not technically the first film of the DCU. However, James Gunn has confirmed that the Jaime Reyes we see in Blue Beetle, portrayed by Xolo Maridueña, will transfer over to his DCU. What that means is a mystery. A sequel film if the first is successful? A part in a team movie? We really have no idea. But expect to see this Blue Beetle flying next to Superman and the Batplane at some point in the future of the DCU.

Blue Beetle is now in theaters everywhere.

Originally published July 28, 2023.

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The Blue Beetle film, starring Xolo Maridueña as our titular hero Jaime Reyes, draws from DC Comics lore to give us the villainous Carapax, a.k.a. the Indestructible Man. Carapax is the comic baddie who can truly call himself the Blue Beetle’s arch nemesis …at least the Ted Kord version of Blue Beetle, anyway. In the Blue Beetle movie, Raoul Max Trujillo brings this robotic bruiser to life and there’s so much to explore with the character. So, let’s dig into the DC Comics history of Blue Beetle‘s Carapax, and how his story comes to life on the big screen.

The ’80s Origin Story of Carapax, the Second Blue Beetle’s Archenemy

Conrad Carapax first appeared in 1986’s Blue Beetle #1, thanks to writer Len Wein and artist Paris Cullins. He fought the Ted Kord version of Blue Beetle, in what was his first DC Comics ongoing series. Conrad Carapax was an archaeologist who often competed with Dan Garrett, the original Blue Beetle. Naturally, he had no clue that Garrett was secretly the costumed adventurer. So when Garrett died in a remote location called Pago Island, Carapax assumed it was due to something archeology related. Traveling to the mysterious island, he hoped to unearth what Garrett was trying to find at the time of his death.

On Pago Island, Conrad Carapax found what remained of a secret laboratory once belonging to Jarvis Kord, the evil genius who hid a secret lab there. There, among Kord’s belongings, was a fully functional (and maybe indestructible) robot. It was meant to be part of an army of robots to help facilitate his villainous global takeover. Every villain needs one of those, right? When Dan Garrett (disguised as the Blue Beetle) tried to stop him, Jarvis Kord activated the robot army’s self-destruct, killing them both. Later, Carapax tried to activate the remaining robot he found, but it malfunctioned, electrocuting him to death. Carapax’s physical body died; however, his mind lived on, now merged with the robot’s computer brain. He became Carapax, the Indestructible Man.

Carapax in his new metal form became a literal killing machine. Eventually, a Chicago cop and a crew of people on a ship to Pago Island to investigate Daniel Garrett’s death. Carapax subsequently went a killing spree. During this time, he ended up battling the second Blue Beetle (and Jarvis Kord’s nephew), Ted Kord. Along with the ship, Carapax sank into the Atlantic Ocean. Obviously, Carapax didn’t die during this encounter and became the number one enemy of Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle throughout his ongoing series.

Conrad Carapax Gets an Alien Upgrade and Fights Superman

Eventually, aliens transferred Carapax’s consciousness into a new mechanical body. After several battles with Blue Beetle, he even fought Superman and the Suicide Squad! (The Man of Steel, of course, soundly defeated him.) Conrad Carapax managed to avoid serious prison time when the company Hakke-Bruton paid him in order to replicate his robot form, making an army of Carapaxes. Eventually, in the modern-day comics, the third Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes, battled one of the Carapaxes and defeated him by using his own weapons against him.

The Cinematic Version of Carapax in Blue Beetle, Explained

In Blue Beetle, the backstory for Carapax is very different, even though his overall design silhouette is similar to the comics. The film version of Carapax isn’t Conrad, but Ignacio Carapax. He grew up in war-torn Guatemala, during a civil war or local revolution. Kord Industries bombed his village and killed his mother right in front of him. Upon reaching adulthood, he became a freedom fighter and mercenary. However, he stepped on a landmine, losing both a leg and an arm. He’s essentially kidnapped from his home by Victoria Kord. Later, Kord rebuilt him with OMAC (One Man Army Corps) tech, developed and then abandoned by her brother.

Victoria brainwashed him to forget his family and origins, and kept him as her muscle. So, the movie Carapax isn’t exactly a human mind inside a robot body, but he is still a blending of man and machine. Kord used her technology to control Carapax, and wipe his memories of what she did to him. He ultimately turned on her, after Jaime Reyes let him live in an act of mercy after they fought. We love seeing such an obscure DC Comics villain like Carapax get the big-screen treatment. Brainiac, Superman’s iconic villain, has yet to make it into a film. But somehow the Indestructible Man has, and it’s very cool to see.

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In the film Blue Beetle, one of the major plot points has Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon), CEO of Kord Industries, attempting to make a highly sophisticated army that integrates man and machine. They were called OMAC, short for “One Man Army Corps.” The project was conceived of by her missing brother Ted Kord, who was once the Blue Beetle himself. But he abandoned it, realizing the danger it posed. Later, Victoria revived it, for her own nefarious ends. But the OMAC has a long history at DC Comics, both as a hero, and also as many, many villains.

Buddy Blank, the Original ’70s OMAC

As with many important pieces of comics lore, it all began with Jack Kirby. In the early ‘70s, Jack Kirby famously left Marvel Comics to work for rival DC, where he created iconic characters like Darkseid and the New Gods. But he also created a lesser-known character that would blossom into a prominent DC fixture. This character was OMAC—the One Man Army Corps. His adventures took place in the near future of the DC Universe. Kirby conceived OMAC as a Captain America type for DC. OMAC was originally Buddy Black, a nobody employee who worked for the Global Peace Agency. He volunteered for the OMAC Project to be their soldier. An A.I. satellite with the name Brother Eye conducted a “computer-hormonal operation via remote control” transforming Buddy into the OMAC.

Buddy would interface with the Brother Eye satellite, through an invisible beam to his receiver belt. When this happened, he’d get several super powers via this unique method of molecular rearrangement. He had superhuman strength, as well as flight and super speed. He could repair his own injuries, having a healing factor of a sort. OMAC also had a degree of energy projection powers. And he had one fierce mohawk. The GPA would send OMAC as its primary response agent during a crisis. Sadly, OMAC only fought a few battles. His series only lasted eight issues, and they canceled it when Jack Kirby left DC to go back to Marvel. (This version of OMAC also looks just like Gladiator from Marvel’s Shi’ar Empire. Fun fact.)

The OMAC Project in the 2000s Changes the Original Concept

For the next several decades, OMAC made very sporadic appearances in the DC Universe. He had backup stories in the science-fantasy Warlord series, and then in 1991, writer/artist John Byrne did a four-part OMAC limited series. Other than that, OMAC was more or less a footnote in DC Comics’ history. Then, in the 2000s, DC reinvented OMAC in a big way for the modern DCU. During the 2005/2006 event Infinite Crisis, OMAC went from “One Man Army Corps” to “Observational Meta-human Activity Construct,” and later, “Omni Mind And Community.” Long gone were the days of the heroic OMAC. These OMACS and Brother Eye became genuine threats to the DC Universe.

During the lead-up to Infinite Crisis, they reinvented OMACs as the brainchild of the secret organization known as Checkmate. They created an OMAC virus under the leadership of their Black King, former Justice League International financier Maxwell Lord. Using Checkmate’s vast resources, he hijacked Batman’s Brother Eye satellite, which Bruce Wayne used as a surveillance system across the globe to spy on metahumans. With Brother Eye under Lord’s control, they use infected human drones to neutralize metahuman threats everywhere on Earth. And ultimately, not just metahuman threats, but just metahumans in general. This virus was something the US Government gained from alien Brainiac technology.

OMAC Goes from One Hero to Many Villains

This legion of OMACs were cyborgs, humans with bodies altered by the nano-virus. As a nod to Jack Kirby’s original OMAC, Buddy Blank, these new OMACs kept the mohawk and Brother Eye symbol on their chests. The Brother Eye AI became sentient, thanks to the manipulations of Alexander Luthor, the son of the Lex Luthor of Earth-3. Now technically alive, it took the combined efforts of Batman and several heroes, including the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle, to destroy it. One OMAC drone survived, a man named Michael Costner. He retained his individuality and actually became a hero, bringing OMAC full circle.

Blue Beetle Reinvents the OMAC for the Big Screen

In Blue Beetle, the OMACs retain their original acronym—the One Man Army Corps. They were a program of highly advanced robotic armor, originally created by Ted Kord, the second Blue Beetle. He ultimately abandoned the program, realizing how easily others might use it for evil. But when he disappeared, his sister Victoria Kord (Susan Sarandon) revived the OMAC Project. She was hoping to use the alien Scarab to perfect the OMACs, creating a functioning high-tech world police force that she could control.

In the film, Victoria Kord’s agent, Ignacio Carapax, had his robot armor explained as being the final form of an OMAC suit, combining his mythology from the comics together with the OMACs from the 2000s era comics. On Pago Island, Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes and his family destroy the OMAC tech, destroying any chance they could ever be used again. But in the comics, the OMAC tech is notoriously hard to destroy for good. Who knows, it might pop up in James Gunn’s new DCU. And if it does, this time, we want some mohawks.

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Blue Beetle, starring Xolo Maridueña as the titular character, is a delightful adaptation of the DC Comics legacy superhero. But much like the Jaime Reyes version of Blue Beetle from the comics drew inspiration from many previous superheroes in print, so does that cinematic version find its inspiration in some great superhero media. Mostly films, but also some television. Here are some key superhero films and one TV series which likely influenced Blue Beetle director Angel Manuel Soto in one way or another.

Iron Man (2008)

When one thinks of superheroes who wear high-tech suits of armor, the first character anyone thinks of is usually Iron Man. And while Jaime Reyes’ suit isn’t metal per se, it’s definitely a form of armor. The scenes in the film where he’s learning how to fly under the Scarab’s power, and making plenty of mistakes along the way, recall similar scenes from the first Iron Man film. Not to mention the scenes of sheer joy and wonder at what the suit can do. Obviously, it’s not a one-for-one. Unlike Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark, Jaime Reyes didn’t create his own suit. But the scenes in Blue Beetle evoke many of the same feels as Iron Man.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

It’s hard to think of any teenage or college-age young superhero and not think of Spider-Man. Every costumed teen with an ordinary family and struggling with ordinary problems, like getting a job and paying bills? In some way, they are all descendants of Peter Parker. But of all the Peter Parkers in film and over the years, it seems Jaime is most influenced by the MCU’s Spidey (Tom Holland). Simply because that Spidey is unique, in that he has a high-tech suit he doesn’t quite understand. All thanks to Tony Stark. Scenes in Blue Beetle where Jaime is talking to Kahji Dha, the Scarab’s sentient AI, recall similar scenes in Homecoming where Peter is carrying on conversations with the suit’s AI named Karen. And just trying to figure out how the darn thing works.

Shazam! (2019)

When Jaime Reyes can’t get the Scarab to obey his commands by asking nicely, he literally jumps off the roof of a building. Knowing full well the Scarab will protect him and give him the Blue Beetle armor. Sound familiar? It’s similar to the first Shazam!, when Billy Batson (Asher Angel) jumps off a roof, transforming into a hero mid-air. But of course, there are more similarities to Shazam than just that. After all, Billy and Jaime are two young men who out of nowhere have incredible ancient power thrust on them. And both have to step up to become the latest in a long line of heroes. No magic word for Jaime to say, but the similarities are there.

Venom (2018)

On the surface, Marvel’s antihero Venom and DC’s Blue Beetle don’t have a lot in common. But of course, Venom is an alien lifeform that attached itself to reporter Eddie Brock (Tom Hardy) and forms a symbiotic relationship with him. Eventually, the symbiote and Eddie begin to share their thoughts becoming interdependent on the other. With the Scarab Kahji Dha, Jaime Reyes forms a symbiotic relationship of his own with a mysterious alien presence. While we wouldn’t describe the Scarab as “alien goo” like Venom, when the suit overtakes Jaime is more like some kind of living liquid than just armor plating going up like Iron Man. That is definitely some Venom influence.

Batman Beyond (1999-2001)

Not all the influences on Blue Beetle are live-action movies. There’s a healthy dose of the animated series Batman Beyond in there too. In the 1999-2001 animated series, ordinary teenager Terry McGinnis stumbles upon the Batcave of the now-retired Bruce Wayne. It’s a cobwebbed, dusty place filled with relics of Batman’s crime-fighting days. He ultimately takes on the mantle of Batman—whether he’s trained and ready or not. When Jaime Reyes steps into the dusty old secret bunker of Ted Kord under his mansion, it instantly recalls Terry McGinnis finding the Batcave and all its wonders in Wayne Manor. That both Terry and Jaime are inheritors of a heroic legacy with cool flying suits is just the cherry on top.

Blue Beetle is currently playing in theaters everywhere.

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The sentiment of “family” is a bit of a meme these days. This is partially thanks to a certain series about cars being fast and people being furious and an overall lack of sincerity in relation to superhero affairs. We’ve gotten all the world-ending threats, all the multiverses, and all the interconnecting stories. But, it feels as though some of these basics have been missing lately. Blue Beetle, in many ways, is a film that seems to heed those very concerns. While many DC—and, as of late, Marvel—projects seem to be mucking things up, Blue Beetle is a heartfelt romp that sets itself apart. It focuses on a lovable Mexican family while deftly handling many classic superhero story beats.

The film follows Jaime Reyes (Xolo Maridueña), a recent college graduate who returns to his hometown in Palmera City. This fictional locale serves as a cross between a futuristic Metropolis-esque hub with the cultural feel of places like Miami and El Paso. (The latter is where the character originated in the comic books.) In spite of the many technological advancements seen in the city, Jamie’s family and neighbors don’t see this type of growth where they live.

As a result, Jaime puts his graduation celebrations on hold in order to help provide in any way he can. This leads to him meeting Jenny Kord (Bruna Marquezine). In desperation, she hands off a mysterious Scarab device to Jaime for safe-keeping. As it turns out, the Scarab is an advanced piece of alien technology that attaches itself to Jaime, giving him access to a host of superpowers. He also has the ability to manifest, well, anything when it comes to weapons and gadgets. 

It’s been a little while since we got one of these types of films. No, not a superhero movie because they are everywhere, for better or worse. I mean a specifically a standalone origin story for a relatively unknown character. My oversaturated brain wants to argue that this simple premise is Blue Beetle’s greatest strength. No prior DC film knowledge is necessary to enjoy it and there are hardly allusions or set-ups for a cinematic universe. (There is one small instance with Jaime rocking a “Gotham Law” hoodie.)

Blue Beetle focuses on what the genre is often best at. Jaime is a young man that acts his age with wide-eyed optimism about the future and his role in it. He understandably shows reluctance to hold such power in the first place. And, as young bucks often are, he is lovestruck. The moments when Jaime is truly aware of his newfound powerful gifts is an element of superhero movies I will never tire of. (Remember when Peter Parker began climbing the walls in 2002’s Spider-Man?) These scenes are what helps it flourish. 

But while the standalone and attention-to-fundamentals aspect is greatly appreciated, Blue Beetle soars when it comes to the sentiment of family alluded to earlier. Xolo Maridueña is incredibly endearing in the lead role. But it’s his family—from his concerned parents, to audacious sister and paranoid uncle (played brilliantly by the always hysterical George Lopez)—that make up the film’s best moments. Everything from the family’s initial reaction to Jaime returning home to their …flavorful Spanish language usage when the Scarab first takes over Jaime is as charming as it is representative. 

They’re messy but divinely loyal. They’re overbearing but equally understanding. In many ways, they remind me of my own Latino family and upbringings. I’d be lying if I said their aggressively-Hispanic attitude didn’t gleam a smile out of me on more than one occasion. Plus, the family members are raucously funny in the most unapologetic way.  

However, once the film reaches a certain point, it moves at a blistering pace. This leaves the development of many supporting characters in the rearview. The film’s antagonist, Susan Sarandon’s Victoria Kord, isn’t given much to do outside of being a big ole’ meanie. While she doesn’t have much of a background, what she represents with glancing nod to ideas of gentrification, imperialism, and entitlement (i.e. “The scarab chose you, but it belongs to me.”) works decently enough, especially given the Latino family and culture at the film’s center. 

Jenny Kord, on the other hand, gets left a bit in the background. She works fine enough as the film’s love interest, and Marquezine has a fine performance. There’s nothing egregiously wrong here. It just would’ve been nice to see her get a little bit more to do and say. 

Of course, this superhero flick has plenty of bonkers heroics and action. And it is mostly decent. Occasionally, it dazzles the same way the absurdity of action anime draws you in with the sheer ludicrousness of seeing people yell and throw mountains at each other. There’s some sick tech that creates sweet swords and blasters instantaneously. 

Unfortunately, Blue Beetle becomes a bit of a CGI-fest, especially towards the end which gets bloated and difficult to follow. It’s not Transformers level chaotic in that way but still. The onslaught of action and frenetic pace result in some serious moments not hitting as hard as they could have. In fact, the film loses itself a bit in its own orbit near the end.

There’s a cheesiness in Blue Beetle throughout with its family-centric theme. Not every swing makes quality contact with your heartstrings, but rather some uneventful fouls that you quickly move past. Still, it’s admirable how much it commits to being sincere. Blue Beetle will feel overly trite at times, but it (mostly) has the fortitude to step up to the plate. 

Sometimes, you just need a reminder of why you like all this geeky superhero nerd stuff in the first place. Blue Beetle does that and, in a way, serves as a painful reminder of how much better DC’s characters could be when they aren’t tied down by the endless promise of more. And, for me, it’s just as cool to see a character share my last name and Hispanic culture as it is to meet a new hero with his own lore to explore. Maybe, just maybe, a back-to-basics approach is what the genre sorely needs.

Blue Beetle ⭐ (3 of 5)

Blue Beetle hits theaters on August 18.

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Last December, director Patty Jenkins revealed she was no longer developing a third Wonder Woman movie for DC Studios. That was just one of the many big changes to take place under new co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran. They’re overseeing the franchise’s transition from the DCEU to the DCU. That switch will include new actors in some major roles, including for both Superman and Batman. But in news that will delight fans of the previous Diana Prince, it looks like they might be keeping her around. Gal Gadot says Gunn and Safran informed her they’re developing a Wonder Woman 3 movie starring her as Themyscira’s greatest hero.

Gadot shared the news while speaking to ComicBook.com‘s Chris Killian about her new Netflix film Heart of Stone. (The interview took place prior to the SAG-AFTRA strike.) Gadot’s announcement could have huge ramifications for the DCU. She said, “I love portraying Wonder Woman. It’s so close to and dear to my heart.” That’s not news, but what came next certainly is. Gadot added, “From what I heard from James and from Peter is that we’re gonna develop a Wonder Woman 3 together.”

Obviously “hearing” something about a possible Wonder Woman 3 movie is far from a guarantee the film will happen. Still, Gadot went into a little more detail in an interview with Flaunt. She said, “I was invited to a meeting with James Gunn and Peter Safran [co-chairperson and CEO of DC alongside Gunn] and what they told me, and I’m quoting: ‘You’re in the best hands. We’re going to develop Wonder Woman 3 with you. [We] love you as Wonder Woman— you’ve got nothing to worry about.’ So time will tell.”

However, sources with knowledge of the situation have told both Collider and Variety that Wonder Woman 3 is not in development. Sources said Gunn and Safran don’t have any plans for any kind of Wonder Woman project in the new DCU aside from already announced Paradise Lost series.

Will Gadot’s Wonder Woman ultimately join him in the DCU? We don’t know and she probably doesn’t either. Gunn and Safran themselves might not either. As Gadot said, time will tell.

Originally published on August 2, 2023.

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When you hear the word “scarab,” there’s a good chance you think of scary little buggers. Perhaps you grew up watching the Brendan Fraser masterpiece The Mummy and can only think about the grotesque ways they can eat people. Thankfully, when it comes to Blue Beetle, this scarab is not one of those terrifying creatures. We all know that the Scarab is vital to Jamie Reyes’ live-action origin story in Blue Beetle; however, those who aren’t comic fans may not fully understand the details about it.

What makes Blue Beetle’s particular Scarab different? How is the Scarab connected to this hero? Put on your fandom cap and gown; it’s time for an exploration into the realm of comic book lore!

Where Did Blue Beetle’s Scarab Come From and Who Created it in the DC Comics?

Unlike the aforementioned Mummy flick, the Scarab is actually a piece of alien technology. It is used by an alien race known as The Reach, and their name certainly matches with their tradition of conquering planets for the sake of profit. First appearing in 2007’s Blue Beetle #7, The Reach are kind of like the Borg in Star Trek, having conquered around 10,000 planets. 

They’re a hive-mind with technology far surpassing anything of Earth or most other planets, and all of their ships have warp-drive capabilities. The Reach have Negotiators, who make the decisions on whichever planets they have conquer, and commanders who lead sieges. In the comics, the legendary Green Lantern Corps—a group of green, will-powered lads dedicated to protecting the universe—were able to halt The Reach from, excuse the pun, expanding their reach. This came after a massive war nearly 40,000 years ago, and eventually resulted in a peace treaty that barred The Reach from invading planets. 

Instead of direct takeovers, The Reach created Scarabs as weapons to send to other planets.

Blue Beetle’s Scarab Khaji Da and Other Scarabs’ Powers, Explained

The Reach’s Scarabs are genetically modified living weapons used as parasitic technology. The scarabs would find a host, and control them as part of a hive-mind. Basically, The Reach developed their own way of ensuring a sort of Manchurian Candidate situation to sneakily aid their conquering efforts. After a civilization achieved a certain level or technological advancement, the Scarab’s programming takeover the host fully and then, in effect, the planet.

Blue Beetle’s particular Scarab is Khaji Da. (We will touch on their history in a moment.) It gives its user an array of special abilities to handle nearly any situation. The user essentially has a weapon wheel, like in a video game, and can use different tools/enhancements to become superpowered. Khaji Da allows Blue Beetle to increase his strength and speed to superhuman levels. This Scarab can create many materials like swords, wings for flying/shielding, energy blasts, and pyrotechnic weapons. It can also generally shifting into objects that the user projects. 

A Scarab acts as an assistive artificial intelligence for the user to handle nearly any scenario, including interpreting different languages, tracking systems, and uh …other things. It can even resist some level of telepathic manipulation, which was shown at the early stages in 2007’s Blue Beetle #2. It is, in a word, quite powerful.

The History of the Khaji Da Scarab and Its Hosts in the Comics

Jamie Reyes will become Blue Beetle in the Blue Beetle film. However, he was not the Scarab’s first host in the comics. Thousands of years ago, Pharaoh Kha-Ef-Re—who first appeared in Secret Origins #2 (1986)—used the Scarab’s power to rule his kingdom and protect it from enemy nations. After the Pharaoh’s death, the Scarab remained buried with him for many years. Eventually, archaeologist Dan Garrett (who debuted at the same time as the Pharaoh) discovered it and became the second host. He is known as the first Blue Beetle.  

Interestingly, some magical energies affected the Scarab during that long burial, preventing the new user (Dan) from The Reach’s corruption. Dan went on to use its power to fight villains and monsters, as one does. Despite his good intentions, Dan Garrett died just a year later in Blue Beetle #18. 

As a result, the Khaji Da Scarab was passed to his student, Ted Kord, who actually got his first introduction in Captain Atom #33 (1966). He made a resurgence in the DC canon around the same time as Dan Garrett became the Scarab’s host. Ted Kord took over the mantle in his own solo Blue Beetle series from 1986 to 1988. 

Ted wanted to continue Dan’s legacy, but found that he lacked the same chemistry with the Scarab. He had to find his own ways to be a superhero. Instead of the Scarab giving him powers, Ted replicated some of its gadgets thanks to his scientific background. Ted eventually hung up his cape (rather, blue costume) but it seemed that the Scarab couldn’t be passed on. Instead it would have to choose its next host.

The Scarab went missing for a time due to the Crisis on Infinite Earths event, until eventually landing with its next and most recent host, Jaime Reyes. (He made his first official debut in Infinite Crisis #3.) Unlike the Pharaoh or Dan, Jaime was a high school kid who discovered the scarab in an abandoned lot. It permanently grafted itself onto his spine, officially making his debut as the Blue Beetle in Infinite Crisis #5. 

Gross? Certainly. Undeniably cool in a comic-booky way? Absolutely.

The Scarab on TV, Blue Beetle, and the DCU Future

Blue Beetle prominently appeared in the animated series Young Justice and the Injustice video game series (with the latter having a few semi-viral lines). Much of his origin remained in tact except Jaime discovers the Scarab after an explosion at Kord Industries. This event is what causes Ted’s death. In both incarnations, he appears alongside the Teen Titans.

On top of that, Jaime’s big-screen debut will mark the first time there has been a Hispanic superhero lead for a live-action (winks at Spider-Verse) film. It was originally set to be a straight-to-streamer project for Max. So there’s reason to believe the character will play a significant role going forward.

James Gunn, the newly-anointed architect of the DCU, has stated that Blue Beetle will be part of this new plan as the first character. Interestingly, however, Gunn said that the upcoming Superman movie—Superman: Legacy, which he is set to direct himself—is the first film, which is an interesting distinction. 

We’ll have to see if Blue Beetle makes any sort of nods/set-up for the future of the DCU, if any at all. Could we be in store for a prequel to the new universe? Is there some sort of timeline-reset planned for the film we aren’t aware of? Will there be a good ole-fashioned post-credits teaser? Most importantly, how will Jamie Reyes and the Scarab cross paths in the Blue Beetle movie?

We’ll just have to wait and see when the film blasts its way into theaters on August 18th.

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Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are among DC Comics’ myriad of iconic duos. But in contrast to character pairings like Green Lantern and Green Arrow, Hawk and Dove, Icon and Rocket, Batman and Robin, The Flash and Kid Flash, Big Barda and Mister Miracle, and Midnighter and Apollo, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are two best friends whose DC Comics’ relationship is deeply comedic at its core. As much as they would love for others to take them seriously, this pair is charming because of how little self-awareness they possess. Let’s dig into the friendship story of Blue Beetle and Booster Gold and look at its place in the DC universe.

The Origin Stories of Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle and Michael Jon Carter’s Booster Gold

The particular Blue Beetle in the iconic DC Comics friendship with Booster Gold is not Jaime Reyes, who will make his movie debut in the upcoming Blue Beetle movie. Instead, it is actually the second Blue Beetle, Ted Kord, who is friends with Booster Gold in the comics. (The first Blue Beetle was Dan Garret.) Steve Ditko created Ted Kord as a Charlton Comics character in 1966. After he joined the DC Universe in the wake of Crisis on Infinite Earths in 1986, he developed into a squishier version of Marvel’s Iron Man. Like Tony Stark, Ted Kord is the head of a tech company, Kord Industries. He uses the company’s technology to build his own gadgets and superhero gear. But while Tony Stark is a confident womanizer, Blue Beetle Ted Kord is a nervous wallflower.

In contrast, Michael Jon Carter, a.k.a. Booster Gold, is from the 25th century and uses his futuristic tech to be a superhero in the present. While he has a good heart, Booster Gold is incredibly vain and overconfident. Created in 1986 by Dan Jurgens, Carter/Booster Gold is a satirical look at superheroism under capitalism. 

When Did Booster Gold and Blue Beetle Become Friends in DC’s Comics?

Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle and Michael Jon Carter’s Booster Gold became friends after Carter joined the newly formed Justice League in its “Justice League International” era in the late 1980s. The team got its name from the fact that they were not based out of the Hall of Justice anymore, but out of an embassy in New York City. The Justice League had satellite teams based around the world, including Justice League Europe and even the Justice League Antarctica. 

Justice League International reimagined DC’s flagship superhero team as a workplace comedy. It was about ordinary people caught in the trap of late-stage capitalism under Ronald Reagan. Blue Beetle and Booster Gold’s friendship was emblematic of this idea. Writer J.M. DeMatteis and artists Kevin Maguire and Keith Giffen were a dynamite creative team, capable of hitting comedic beats in the throes of action sequences. Even though its members included an alien (Martian Manhunter), two New Gods (Mister Miracle and his wife Big Barda), and an ever-grumpy Batman, the JLI’s problems were refreshingly down to Earth. This team worried about filing their taxes, argued over the merits of Sylvester Stallone’s filmography, and expressed their disdain for yuppies. 

Why Booster Gold and Blue Beetle’s Friendship Works

Within the events of Justice League International, it was logical for Blue Beetle and Booster Gold to become fast friends. Booster was good-looking and a former a college football player. However, neither he nor Beetle fit the bill for perfect superhero men. Ted startled easily, was reluctant to get his hands dirty in combat, cracked jokes at inopportune times, and would awkwardly try to ask out his crush, Wonder Woman. Booster, on the other hand, loved the spotlight of being a superhero. But he was ill-equipped to thrive as a normal person in the 20th century.

Where Booster Gold was assertive, Blue Beetle was timid, and where Beetle was prudent, Booster was impulsive. Under DeMatteis’ pen, Booster Gold and Blue Beetle’s friendship blossomed organically, as the two tried to make being a superhero a financially viable career. Later on, Justice League International got a new title, Justice League America, and Booster Gold and Blue Beetle were active members into the 1990s. 

The Death of Ted Kord, Booster Gold’s Guilt, and the Rise of Jamie Reyes, a New Blue Beetle

In the 2000s, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold’s friendship took a much darker turn. Blue Beetle was murdered by his former Justice League International teammate, Maxwell Lord, in the lead-up to DC’s Infinite Crisis event in 2005. Later on, Booster blamed himself for failing to protect Beetle. The DC Universe was not without a Blue Beetle for long, though, as Jaime Reyes debuted during Infinite Crisis. 

Jaime Reyes signaled a different direction for the Blue Beetle mantle. Reyes was a teenager and not a CEO like Ted Kord. Likewise, Booster Gold went his own path, taking on a much more significant role in the DC Universe’s time stream. His 2007 solo series by Geoff Johns and Jeff Katz would eventually lead into the 2011 Flashpoint storyline. This came after the revelation that Booster was the father of the time traveler, Rip Hunter. 

Ted Kord Returns and Their Friendship Goes to a New Level

Fortunately, with the relaunch of the DC Universe in 2016, Ted Kord’s Blue Beetle came back to life after making sparse appearances during DC’s New 52 era. The series Heroes in Crisis by Tom King and Clay Mann revealed the extent to which Booster helped Beetle with his trauma as a superhero. Issue four of the series had a therapy-focused take on superhero comics. In it, Beetle explained how Booster has always been there for him and the difference that made in his life. Beetle’s character went through dark moments, like dying at the hands of someone he once trusted. But Heroes in Crisis was a rare moment where Ted Kord broke his usual comedic façade to speak candidly. 

Most recently, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold’s friendship was explored at length in the 2021 series, Blue and Gold, by Dan Jurgens and Ryan Sook. The series followed the two buddies as they opened their own small business, Blue and Gold Restoration, after the Justice League turned them down. Booster became a content creator, livestreaming his and Beetle’s superhero activities. He hoped to build an audience that would make them A-list heroes again. The livestream comments peppered throughout the book make it clear that Blue and Gold are still seen as jokes outside of their small but loyal fanbase. 

In Blue and Gold, Booster repeatedly referred to Beetle as his “sidekick,” which became a source of conflict between the two of them. Beetle acknowledged that he lacked self-confidence and that Booster’s over-confident nature was enough for both of them. However, their partnership needed to be equal. By the end of the series, the two friends had reconciled their differences, underscoring what makes them so lovable. 

The Continued Pairing and Possible Future for Booster Gold and Blue Beetle in the DCU

Booster Gold turned Blue Beetle into a bonafide comedic pillar of the DC Universe. Despite Ted’s anxious personality and bouts of angst, his friendship with Booster Gold pushes him to be a braver superhero. Likewise, Booster’s friendship with Beetle has elevated him beyond being a precise observation about a historical moment in time. Booster and Beetle have a unique sense of platonic male intimacy in superhero comics. Their devotion to each other is an inspiring sight for many readers. Now, Blue Beetle and Booster Gold are coming to James Gunn’s DCU. The Blue Beetle movie and Booster Gold TV show will hopefully lead to a live-action friendship in the future.

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Godzilla and Kong have fought the greatest kaiju the world has ever seen, not to mention Mechagodzilla and each other. So naturally, the two legendary titans are now taking on the world’s greatest superheroes. The world of DC Comics’ most iconic heroes will collide with Legendary’s Monsterverse in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong. The upcoming seven-issue series, made in partnership with Toho International, launches in October. The creative team consists of writer Brian Buccellato (Detective Comics), artist Christian Duce (Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point), and colorist Luis Guerrero. You can check out images of this battle of the century in our gallery below:

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Here’s the official synopsis from DC Comics and Legendary Comics:

What starts as a routine clash between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom takes a dangerous turn when the wall between worlds is breached…with Godzilla, Kong, and the Monsterverse emerging on DC’s Earth! What ensues will be a brawl of unprecedented scale and destruction!

DC President Jim Lee said in a statement, “As a comics fan, there’s nothing more fun and exciting than exploring those amazing ‘What If’ situations that come up when fandoms cross streams! In this case, it’s a matchup of the world’s greatest Super Heroes who take on not only the King of the Monsters—Godzilla—but the mighty Kong himself!“

SVP and publisher of Legendary Comics Robert Napton added the following, “There have been a couple of classic crossovers since I started reading comics: Superman vs. The Amazing Spider-Man, The Uncanny X-Men and the New Teen Titans. And we hope Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong joins that list of unforgettable meetings.”

Here’s a fun fact. This crossover will officially make it so Godzilla has battled not only the League, but also the Avengers. No comic book universe is safe from his atomic breath.

The first issue will have a main cover by Drew Johnson and variant covers by Jim Lee and Scott Williams; Rafael Albuquerque, Francesco Mattina, Dan Mora, and Alan Quah will also illustrate variant covers. Among the variants will be a Godzilla and a Kong “Roar Sound FX” gatefold variant cover. Both of these were drawn by Christian Duce, on sale November 14. Sound chips in the covers will have both Godzilla and Kong deliver actual battle roars when readers open them.

Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #1, written by Brian Buccellato with art by Christian Duce and Luis Guerrero, will arrive at comic shops on October 17.

Editor’s Note: Nerdist is a subsidiary of Legendary Digital Networks.

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It’s been a busy time for Marvel’s fan-favorite hero Ms. Marvel. Ms. Marvel joined the world of live-action in her own MCU Disney+ series, Ms. Marvel. Iman Vellani plays Ms. Marvel in the MCU. And Vellani’s Ms. Marvel is also getting ready to make her big-screen MCU debut in The Marvels, the Captain Marvel sequel coming in November. Meanwhile, in the world of Marvel Comics, Ms. Marvel recently died, sacrificing herself for the world in Amazing Spider-Man #26. This Marvel Comics death did not sit well with fans, though, and there was great protest on Ms. Marvel’s behalf. But death is often not permanent in Marvel’s comics, and Kamala Khan will be back.

In a delightful turn of events, the MCU’s Ms. Marvel Iman Vellani will actually be the one to write Kamala Khan’s return to Marvel Comics in Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant. This time Ms. Marvel will join a new team, becoming a member of the X-Men.

The MCU’s Ms. Marvel Iman Vellani Will Write a Ms. Marvel Comic for Marvel Comics

That’s a lot to unpack. First—we absolutely love that Iman Vellani will write this new Ms. Marvel comic for Marvel Comics alongside Sabir Pirzada. Vellani shared with Entertainment Weekly via Marvel’s website, “This was way scarier than joining the MCU for me… Those projects feel like they live in their own dimension, so I guess I can separate myself easier. But you can hold a comic book! I’ve never written anything before in my entire life, but I have read many comics, so I just wrote what I would want to read. I was given a very professional tool to write what is essentially my own fan fiction.”

We feel it’s likely that no one loves the character of Ms. Marvel more than Iman Vellani, so it’s safe to say she and the story are in good hands. Vellani herself is also known to be a huge Marvel fan. Pirzada shares of making the Ms. Marvel comic, “It was actually a very humbling experience to work with Iman [Vellani], because she knows her comics even better than I do, and that is saying something… She was throwing out references to specific comics that came out before either of us were born. She has a very great eye for what makes for a good sequence on the page as drawn by an artist. It was very impressive to me to see her throw out all these references to different artists that she’s been following through the years.”

Ms. Marvel Will Join the X-Men in Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant

Next up, we can’t wait to see Ms. Marvel join the X-Men. Ms. Marvel has been part of many Marvel Comics teams, like the Avengers and the Inhumans. But this marks the first-time Ms. Marvel will join up with the X-Men. We feel that will make for an excellent adventure, guarenteed. This crossover also makes us think more about what might happen in live-action. The X-Men will join the MCU sooner or later—if Wolverine’s yellow Deadpool 3 suit is any indicator. Maybe we’ll see Ms. Marvel as a member of the MCU X-Men team when it arrives; there will be Marvel Comics precedence now, after all.

Vellani shares more about this Ms. Marvel change in the Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant comics, noting. “I want to make it very, very clear that we are not reconning her Inhuman origin. That’s a part of Kamala’s identity that Marvel editorial and myself would very much like to keep and protect… Our book will absolutely reflect all those core themes of identity that the Ms. Marvel comics have consistently explored — only now there’s a whole new label that Kamala has to learn to accept. It’s going to be pretty crazy.”

More About Iman Vellani’s Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant: Synopsis, Release Date, Covers, and X-Men Costume

In addition, Marvel has revealed a synopsis of Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant. It reads:

After being brought back via Krakoan Resurrection Technology, Kamala is shocked to learn she is mutant. But before she has a chance to come to terms with this revelation, the catastrophic FALL OF X will throw her world into chaos…and a secret mission on behalf of the X-Men.

Marvel Comics also shares, “After Kamala’s heroic sacrifice that saved the world in Amazing Spider-Man, Kamala will be brought back thanks to the miracle of mutant resurrection in X-Men: Hellfire Gala 2023 #1! What a way to learn she’s a mutant! The bad news is her debut doesn’t go exactly as planned, and soon all of mutantkind will be hunted worldwide as the catastrophic FALL OF X grips the Marvel Universe!”

You can also take a look at some of the variant covers for the four issues of this new Ms. Marvel series. Drawn by Betsy Cola, Federico Vicentini, and Chris Samnee, these amazing covers highlight Ms. Marvel’s new connection with the X-Men. In all, there will be ten variant covers for Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant. They will reveal “Ms. Marvel in her new X-costume, recreate her most iconic covers and insert herself into some of the most memorable moments in X-Men history!” Sounds exciting to us.

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As mentioned, Ms. Marvel will also receive a brand new X-Men costume in Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant.  This suit comes from “superstar artist Jamie McKelvie, who designed Carol Danvers’ iconic Captain Marvel suit and Kamala’s original Ms. Marvel look in the comics.”

Ms. Marvel: The New Mutant will be a four-issue limited series co-written by Iman Vellani and Sabir Pirzada. The new Ms. Marvel comic will be drawn by artists Carlos Gómez and Adam Gorham. Covers will be drawn by Sara Pichelli. Ms. Marvel: New Mutant #1 will go on sale August 30.

Originally published on July 14, 2023.

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Wolverine first appeared in 1974’s Incredible Hulk #181 and Deadpool didn’t pop up in Marvel Comics until New Mutants #98 in 1991; however, the two characters are inextricably linked. Mostly, because even though their temperaments are polar opposites, Deadpool and Wolverine’s histories are very similar. The Weapon X project experimented on both of them. Wolverine was given his adamantium skeleton by the shadowy group, and Deadpool had Wolverine’s own healing factor grafted onto his DNA while battling cancer by Weapon X. But in most ways, this is where the similarities end. Let’s dive into the strange relationship and history between Wolverine and Deadpool, both in and outside of Marvel comics, before their big Deadpool 3 team-up in the MCU.

Wolverine and Deadpool’s First Comics Together in the Marvel Universe

In the regular Marvel Comics continuity, Wolverine and Deadpool first met in 1994’s Wolverine #88. That issue saw Deadpool trashing an apartment after failing to get his girlfriend back from her new guy, Garrison Kane. This brought Wolverine into the picture, as Kane was his buddy. After trading the usual verbal jabs, then came the actual jabs, with Wade stabbing Logan through the chest with his two swords. And that set the tone for Wolverine and Deadpool’s entire relationship in Marvel Comics—insulting each other, stabbing one another, getting back up again, and doing it all over again. Rinse, wash, and repeat.

But although Wolverine and Deadpool met for the first time in Wolverine #88, it’s also worth noting they briefly shared the comic page a year before the issue was published. In 1993’s Toys R Us X-Men Premium Edition, the X-Men encounter Deadpool for the first time. Logan and Wade don’t actually fight or talk, but they do share a big group panel together. So it kinda, sorta counts as Deadpool and Wolverine’s first comic book meeting.

Despite these temporal truths, years later retcons to Marvel’s universe determined that Wolverine and Deadpool had met much earlier than that, in-universe at least. In 2008, Marvel revealed a new history for Deadpool and Wolverine. The pair’s first fight actually happened when the Winter Soldier, still a brainwashed Hydra agent, hired Wade to take out Logan. This was all in an effort to draw out Daken, Wolverine’s son, who ultimately saved him. This occurred in 2008’s Wolverine Origins story “Deep End.”

The Best Wolverine and Deadpool Comics to Read in Order to Understand the Pair’s History

Deadpool and Wolverine have alternately fought and then teamed up in several comics over the past three decades, which makes for one interesting trip down comics’ history lane. In one infamous fight in 1999’s Deadpool #27, Wade fought Logan as a form of therapy for depression. The Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan mini-series, meanwhile, found Wade Wilson getting into it with the cranky gray-haired version of Logan. In Wolverine/Deadpool: The Decoy, a two-faced killer robot from space wanted to kill Jean Grey for all of her Phoenix shenanigans. Since she was dead (at that time), Wolverine dressed up Deadpool as Jean Grey as a distraction until he defeated the killer robot. In Uncanny X-Force, the pair were true teammates at last. However, even with this new relationship, Wolverine and Deadpool still butt heads constantly.

Friends? Enemies? What Is Wolverine and Deadpool’s Relationship in the Marvel Comics?

Wolverine and Deadpool were what we call “frenemies.” Sometimes they were literally trying to murder each other, and other times they seemed like best buds. Their first meetings were definitely adversarial, as seen in almost all their encounters in the ‘90s. By 1999, the pair fought a group of werewolves together, calling a truce. At the end of that story, Deadpool and Wolverine bonded over their mutual tortures at the hands of the Weapon X program and shared a beer. This was the start of an awkward friendship. Eventually, Logan invited Wade to join X-Force and, for the first time, Deadpool and Wolverine were officially teammates. But sometimes, they still came to blows. We’ll likely see this dynamic come to life between Wolverine and Deadpool in the MCU’s live-action Deadpool 3.

Who Would Win in a Fight, Wolverine or Deadpool?

With over a century and a half of his life and training behind him, Wolverine was likely the better fighter than Deadpool. Although the two have fought numerous times, it almost always ended in a stalemate. Wade Wilson’s healing factor may have been derived from Logan’s DNA, but he had a leg up on the adamantium-clawed mutant. Deadpool literally can’t die. Wade was cursed by Thanos with immortality because the Mad Titan was jealous of Deadpool’s relationship with his beloved entity of Death. So although Logan’s healing factor made it very hard to kill him, Wolverine could actually die. Deadpool, not so much.

Can Deadpool Kill Wolverine in the Marvel Universe?

In the 2012 alternate timeline mini-series Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe, by writer Cullen Bunn and artist Dalibor Talajic, Marvel Comics finally showed a version of Wade Wilson who managed to kill Wolverine. Taking place on an alternate Earth in the multiverse, this comic featured a supervillain brainwashed Deadpool, who killed every known Avenger and X-Man. Only Wolverine was left standing at the end. Not for long though, as Deadpool found a way to kill Wolverine in this Marvel reality. In this story however, he needed a carbonadium sword to do it, as that metal is the only one on Earth that can nullify Logan’s healing factor. So yes, Deadpool could kill Wolverine. He just needs a little carbonadium help.

Who Heals Faster, Wolverine or Deadpool? Their Healing Factors Compared

Although Deadpool got his powers when Department K infused him with Wolverine’s mutant DNA, his healing factor was ultimately superior to Logan’s. Wolverine’s healing factor can’t regrow lost limbs, for example. Deadpool’s healing factor allows him to regrow any limb that is lost or severed. Deadpool’s healing factor will even allow him to regrow his head. Wolverine’s wounds do heal, but his powers stop short of recreating actually lost cells out of thin air. Deadpool has the superior healing factor in this regard, probably much to Wolverine’s annoyance—we bet it’s a sore spot in their relationship.

Deadpool in X-Men Origins: Wolverine

Ryan Reynolds’ first appearance as Deadpool actually came in the much-derided X-Men Origins: Wolverine in 2009. In that continuity, Wade Wilson was a mercenary with a metric ton of confirmed kills. He’s still a wisecracking motormouth, at least, at first. But unlike in Marvel Comics, Deadpool is a mutant who’s fast enough to deflect bullets with swords. In the comics, he was born without the X-gene. But in X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Deadpool was recruited into William Stryker’s mercenary Team X, along with Logan, and was eventually used by the Weapon X program as an experiment. Stryker infused his body with the DNA of several mutants, making him an undefeatable “mutant killer.” But he had his mouth sewn shut, so the famously talkative character became strangely mute. Let’s just say…the fans hated it.

Wolverine and Deadpool fought on Three Mile Island, but Logan defeated him. But we later saw that Deadpool’s severed head was still alive, and he winked at the camera. Luckily, X-Men: Days of Future Past essentially rebooted the X-Men movie universe timeline, allowing for the 2016 Marvel film Deadpool to be closer to the comic book interpretation. At the end of Deadpool 2, using Cable’s time travel device, Wade Wilson actually ventured into the events of X-Men Origins timeline and shot the previous Deadpool in the head. We have a feeling those time-travel shenanigans will play a part in Deadpool 3.

Hugh Jackman Will Play Wolverine in the MCU’s Deadpool 3 Movie

Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds will meet again for the very first time in Deadpool 3. Jackman is set to reprise his role as Wolverine in the Deadpool movie. However, Jackman has stated that his appearance in Deadpool 3 will not negate his character’s death in Logan. This suggests that this MCU version of Wolverine is from a totally different timeline than the previous X-Men films.

All we know for sure is that Jackman’s Wolverine will wear a version of his yellow and blue costume from the comics at last. And that he and Deadpool will slice, stab, kick, and punch each other. Regardless of where Wolverine and Deadpool are in the multiverse, some things remain constant as their ongoing history and relationship continues to unfold. We can’t wait to see Deadpool and Wolverine, confirmed frenemies, take on the MCU.

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Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse did much more than leave us with one of the biggest cliffhangers of all-time. The animated adventure introduced us to more Spider-People than we could possibly count. In fact, a handful of them are now integral to Miles Morales’ story. One of them is Pavitr Prabhakar, an Indian Spider-Man from Earth-50101 who lives in Mumbattan. Who can forget that epic scene of Miles, Gwen, Hobie, and the very dashing Pavitr teaming up to save his home from the Spot? We cannot wait to see what they will all do together in this final fight to save many universes from the Spot’s expansive attack. Thanks to the film’s resounding success, Pavitr is getting his own epic five-issue Marvel comic adventure in Spider-Man: India.

Spider-Man: India is written by Nikesh Shukla with Adam Kuber and Neeraj Menon crafting its artwork and Abhishek Malsuni as the comic’s penciler. Here’s a quick description of what’s going down with Pavitr Prabhakar’s Spidey: 

SPIDER-MAN: INDIA RETURNS! Just in time for his big role on the silver screen, Spider-Man: India returns for his first miniseries in almost twenty years! Pavitr Prabhakar is back, fresh from “The End of the Spider-Verse” in his own universe’s Mumbai. But things aren’t exactly simple. There’s a science professor promising results, activating people’s “lizard brain” along with a ruthless businessman who may be more than he seems… Don’t miss the break-out Spider-Character of 2023!

Sounds like a blast, indeed! It is super exciting to see a crop of new stories featuring diverse Spider-Mans, especially ones that we are now getting to see on the big screen. We cannot resist a wild standalone adventure, especially one involving lizard strangeness. Spider-Man: India’s first issue is already out in the world and quickly sold out. But never fear; this friendly neighborhood Spider-Man’s first issue is getting a reprint just in time for its second issue. In fact, we have some incredible preview panels for Spider-Man: India #2 to share with you.

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Spider-Man: India #2 swings to stands on July 26, so grab your copy (along with the first issue, of course!) and get ready to dive back into Pavitr’s world.

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It’s official! After 23 years, Hugh Jackman will finally wear his comics-accurate costume in Deadpool 3. Although the first X-Men movie made a snarky remark about yellow spandex costumes, fans have waited forever to see Logan in the world-famous outfit on-screen. But with news of Jennifer Garner’s Elektra joining the cast as well, it seems likely that the Marvel Multiverse rumors about Deadpool 3 are true. We can’t confirm anything, but we would not be shocked if several of the Fox-era X-Men appear in this film alongside Logan. And if they do, the X-Men deserve comic book-style costume upgrades too, to properly pay homage to their Marvel Comics origins. But which X-Men comic costumes should appear in the MCU’s world? And just how comics-accurate should these costumes be? Here are the X-Men we’d love to see in the MCU and the suits and costumes we’d love to see them wear.

Cyclops’ Blue and Yellow Costume Should Join Wolverine’s Suit in Deadpool 3

Scott Summers, the X-Men member whom you may know as Cyclops, has had literally dozens of costumes in the comics. While we love Cyclops’ ‘70s/’80s blue costume, with the skullcap and the pirate boots, we believe it would be a hard one to pull off on screen in the MCU. For many, his most iconic costume is his ‘90s Jim Lee-designed one, used in X-Men: The Animated Series. We almost got a version of this costume in a Marvel movie, as it was teased for a moment at the end of X-Men: Apocalypse. Of course, by the time of the next film, Dark Phoenix, Cyclops was wearing yet another suit. If James Marsden shows as up as Cyclops in Deadpool 3 or Secret Wars, we think a proper version of his ‘90s X-Men costume is in order for the MCU. Although with a more accurate color scheme than the X-Men: Apocalypse one that Tye Sheridan wore. That’s a good place to start.

We’d Love for Storm’s Epic Cape to Take Flight in the MCU

For all of the major diversions costume-wise in the first X-Men movie, the costume worn by Halle Berry as Storm is pretty close to what the Marvel Comics presented. (That first wig, though? That’s another story). While we are partial to Ororo Munroe’s original costume designed by Dave Cockrum, we do think it would be hard to justify the headpiece, leather swimwear, and thigh-high boots in live-action. But Storm’s ‘90s look, designed by Jim Lee, is perfect to wear on screen. This costume is very similar to the first X-Men movie costume, only this time, we would want the MCU’s version to have yellow accents and the red X symbol on the shoulders. Sometimes in the comics, this costume looks like black leather, sometimes, it’s all white. We’d happily take either one.

Magneto‘s Purple and Red Costume Needs to Make an On-Screen Appearance

Magneto has one of the best costumes in comics. When Jack Kirby nailed a design, he really nailed it. That’s why Mags had so few costume changes over the interceding decades. But the movies always shied away from going full comics look when it came to the Master of Magnetism’s costume. The closest we ever got in terms of Marvel Comics’ accuracy was the costume at the very end of X-Men: First Class, where Michael Fassbender’s Magneto sported the classic comics helmet and his purple and maroon color scheme. But that was all done away with in the next film, X-Men: Days of Future Past. If Ian McKellen or Michael Fassbender do return in Deadpool 3, then let’s go full Kirby. Okay, maybe without the trunks. But the rest of it? Let’s go. It’s time to give Magneto the costume he deserves in the MCU.

Rogue’s Classic Marvel Comics Yellow and Green Suit Would Make a Splash

Anna Paquin’s Rogue was perhaps the most different characterization from her comic book counterpart. She was very shy and unsure of her powers, a far cry from the version most fans knew from the ‘90s X-Men cartoon series. We’ve heard that version described as “Dolly Parton, with the powers of Superman.” And that’s accurate. Rogue has had many costumes in Marvel Comics, most of them green and white. But If Paquin returns, now all grown up, we’d love to see her in the Jim Lee-designed costume from X-Men #1, later made famous by the animated show. It’s really Rogue’s best costume, the bomber jacket just works so well with the suit. This comics-accurate costume is easily translatable to the screen with very few tweaks, and we’d love to see it add a splash of color to the MCU’s X-Men lineup. We’re ready to see this Rogue costume in live-action, sugah.

Colossus’s Bodysuit Is the X-Men Costume the MCU Deserves

Piotr Rasputin, the X-Men’s Russian metal man Colossus, has been a key figure in the Deadpool movies, and is confirmed to return for the third film. As much as we love Stefan Kapičić in the role, that black and red costume is just not very Colossus to us. In Marvel’s X-Men comics and others, Colossus wore a red and yellow costume for much of the ‘70s and ‘80s, with big shoulder flares and thigh-high boots. That was later streamlined by Jim Lee in the ‘90s. Maybe the best version of the Colossus costume was from the Astonishing X-Men series of the 2000s. Hugh Jackman’s Wolverine costume seems inspired by Astonishing, so why not Colossus’ suit? We just know it’s time for Piotr to wear the red and yellow. We’d probably give the big lug some pants, though.

Phoenix‘s Firebird Emblem Should Rise On-Screen

Jean Grey has been a part of the X-Men since the very first issue in 1963, and has had dozens of costumes since then. Some are iconic, others are fashion nightmares. But while we’ve lobbied hard for the Jim Lee ‘90s costume designs for any possible X-Men returning in the MCU, Jean Grey’s outfit from this era is not a favorite. The shoulder pad armor, the headpiece, the padding on the legs? It’s all too busy. Maybe the MCU could pull off a version of this X-Men costume that works. But we’d prefer something that evokes Jean as Phoenix.

Of course, that means the classic firebird emblem, in yellow and green. We realize the classic Phoenix costume might be hard to pull off in live-action. It would be hard to justify those opera gloves, thigh-high boots, and gold sash. But in the mid-2000s, Jean wore a more practical version of the Phoenix red and green, which could work on screen. With two movies dedicated to Jean Grey not being able to control the Phoenix Force, it would be fun to see Famke Janssen totally in control of her powers in the MCU, and wearing something resembling her New X-Men-era costume.

Mystique’s Comics-Accurate White Dress Is a Costume Long Overdue for Its Debut

Mystique has been an iconic part of the X-Men film franchise since the very first film in 2000. She’s been played by Rebecca Romijn, and later, Jennifer Lawrence. But we think if Magneto returns, then Mystique should be right by his side. And if it’s Ian McKellen’s Magneto, then the original Mystique, Rebecca Romijn, should join him. Rebecca Romijn is currently killing it as Number One on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. And while we think at this point in her career, she probably doesn’t want to spend hours in the makeup chair being painted head-to-toe blue, she doesn’t need to. Because Marvel Comics’ Mystique wore clothes. We’d love to see Mystique’s iconic white costume from the comics appear in the MCU, with the tiny gold skulls. We got a tease of this comics-accurate costume in X-Men: Apocalypse, but the later movies never delivered. This one’s long overdue.

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One of the most prolific and legendary artists to ever work for Marvel Comics has left us. John Romita Sr. has sadly passed away at the age of 93, on June 13. The news arrived via Twitter, in a post from his son John Romita Jr., himself an art legend at Marvel Comics. The elder Romita was especially famous for taking over art duties on The Amazing Spider-Man, redefining Peter Parker’s look. This was after Spidey’s co-creator Steve Ditko left the title. During his time with Spidey, he introduced several of his co-creations to the lore, like the Kingpin and Peter Parker’s future wife, Mary Jane Watson. Stan Lee asked Romita to draw “the most beautiful girl you can imagine” when creating MJ. Romita delivered on that promise in just one iconic panel.

In addition to his five-year run on The Amazing Spider-Man, Romita also co-created the characters of Wolverine, Luke Cage, and the Punisher. Technically Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko co-created the bulk of the classic Marvel heroes and villains. But by the early ’70s, Romita was the chief architect in how Marvel’s characters looked in merchandising. John Romita became the go-to guy when you needed images of Marvel’s pantheon of heroes drawn in heroic poses. In fact, during this period, John Romita Romita would serve the role of Marvel’s art director.

John Romita was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1930, the son of Italian immigrants. By 19, he was already working as a comic book artist. He would then find success drawing romance comics aimed at a female audience. In 1966, he got hired by Marvel, to draw their relatively low-selling series Daredevil. But after eight issues, Stan Lee hired him to take over for Steve Ditko when he left The Amazing Spider-Man.

During Romita’s time, he put his experience with romance comics to good use. He made Peter Parker more handsome, like a soap opera lead. He became a character MJ Watson would believably fall for. During Romita’s Spider-Man tenure, the title would go from Marvel’s second best-selling title to their biggest seller.

If you were a Gen-X kid growing up in the ’70s and ’80s loving Marvel Comics, then the art of John Romita was the way you perceived the Marvel characters. From calendars to plastic cups to posters to lunchboxes, it was Romita’s renditions that were on almost every piece of merchandising during this era. The Marvel “House Style” ultimately wasn’t Jack Kirby or Gil Kane or any other prolific artist, it was Romita’s. The heroic pose of Spidey standing in the center of his web was an image every kid knew back in the day. Most kids didn’t know who drew it, but it was the distinctive touch of John Romita. Although Romita mostly retired for the last several decades, he drew the occasional issue or cover for Marvel, reminding younger readers that he still had it. His contributions to the art form of comic books will not be forgotten.

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Milestone Comics has a well-deserved reputation for its incredible work in bringing diversity to the comic book industry. Its most popular hero, Static, is still a cultural icon 16 years after the Static Shock animated series ended and eight years after the last of said comics. But what isn’t quite as well-known is that the small imprint was also a major innovator in telling the stories of LGBTQ+ characters in the realm of mainstream superhero comics. 

In 1994, Static had a five-issue storyline called “What Are Little Boys Made Of?” revolving around main character Virgil finding out one of his close friends, Rick Stone, is gay. The drama starts when Static is patrolling the town and hears a pained shriek from below. Rick and a friend are in the middle of a brutal attack by a group of skinheads. Static scares away the thugs, and when he asks Rick why they were attacked, Rick drops the bombshell that the skinheads targeted the two boys because they were gay. 

Earlier issues had shown that Rick had long suffered homophobic mockery from his friends. But for Rick to come out as gay to his friend (for context, in the comics Rick does not know that Virgil is Static) is a shock. Even as Static transports Rick and his friend to the hospital while fighting off his wannabe rival Palisade, it’s all the hero can think about. In the following issues, Rick comes out to his entire school and asks for support in organizing a gay pride rally. 

Static got a lot of well-deserved praise for portraying Virgil as an extremely relatable teenager, and his reaction to Rick coming out is a part of that. Think about how many readers in 1994 opened up the comic and saw Virgil acting just like they would in that situation—valuing his “reputation” greater than being a friend to Rick. Being so paranoid about others thinking he was gay too that he has to unnaturally police his affection for not only Rick, but all of his other male friends. Now think about readers’ attitudes shifting as they see Virgil go through a journey to realize how wrong he’s been. Virgil starts out practically kicking Rick out of his life; he actually thinks that he is the victim here.

But through personal reflection and a stern scolding from his friend Frieda, he realizes the errors of his ways. Not only does Static attend Rick’s rally, but he defends it from his nemesis Hotstreak and the white supremacist group Sons of Odin. Virgil apologizes to Rick and saves their friendship.

“What Are Little Boys Made Of?” made the brilliant decision to put both the wrathful homophobia of the Sons of Odin and the casual social homophobia of Virgil and his friends side by side. It tears down the absurd notions of the “I don’t care if they’re gay as long as the keep it to themselves” attitude. While Virgil’s homophobia might be milder than bashing in heads with a flaming hammer, that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Either version is bad. Virgil’s journey in this arc is to realize that. 

Blood Syndicate

LGBTQ+ representation wasn’t just limited to Static. It came up in several other books in the Milestone roster. Blood Syndicate is about a superpowered gang whose members mostly got their abilities from the “Big Bang,” the same event that gave Static his powers. That series was written by Ivan Velez Jr., who also wrote the final two issues of the “What Are Little Boys Made Of?” arc. Prior to writing for Milestone, he created a comic series about the lives of gay teenagers called Tales of the Closet. Members of Blood Syndicate included Fade, a gay man with the powers of flight and intangibility, and Masquerade, a trans man with shapeshifting powers. Introduced in 1993, it’s worth noting that Masquerade is one of the very first trans, and very possibly the first trans male, character in mainstream superhero comics.

Just like Static’s group of friends, the Blood Syndicate isn’t exactly a safe space. And unlike Virgil and Rick’s gaming buddies, the Blood Syndicate members are actual killers. Fade and Masquerade both have to hide who they are. Things get even more tragic during a run-in with a villain, when they learn each other’s secret. Fade is more than willing to respect Masquerade’s privacy; unfortunately, Masquerade decides that Fade’s word isn’t good enough, and threatens to out him as an insurance policy. 

Ivan Velez Jr. is a master at creating compelling and complex characters, and these two are no exception. Fade is a man being pulled apart from all directions. Living with his powers is a constant struggle to not literally fade into nonexistence. He still feels the sting of the death of the Syndicate’s first leader, Tech-9, for whom Fade had romantic feelings. And always hanging over his head are the big questions of what the Blood Syndicate’s purpose on Earth is and how they’ll survive the future. 

Masquerade’s desperation and distrust is what led him to blackmail Fade and eventually betray the Blood Syndicate. His character is a perfect representative of the unique dynamic that exists in the Blood Syndicate. This isn’t the Justice League. The Blood Syndicate consists of gang members, drug addicts, and killers; all of them had secrets. It sprung from a gang war that killed most of its participants. They want to be a family, but learning to trust isn’t always easy. It isn’t always safe.  

If you’re looking for even more Milestone comics featuring LGBTQ+ characters, try to get your hands on their four-issue miniseries Deathwish. It was written by the late Maddie Blaustein, whom you may know as the former English dub voice for Meowth in Pokémon. The story followed trans female police lieutenant Marissa Rahm as she hunts down a serial killer who targets trans female sex workers. You should also keep your eye out for the books Shadow Cabinet and Heroes for the lesbian superduo Donner and Blitzen.

Even decades later Milestone comics are still impressive. They did more for representation and storytelling than many mainstream outfits are doing even today. There’s so much we can learn from reading their work, so hopefully some day soon the catalog will be made widely available in digital form.

Originally published on June 30, 2020.

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It’s time for Hellboy to make yet another cinematic comeback. Although the last Hellboy reboot didn’t go as well as hoped, it’s never too late for the next one to make a big splash. This go around, we’re going to see our favorite red demon appear in Hellboy: The Crooked Man. And this adaptation promises to be a unique cinematic take on the story, one that stays loyal to its comic origins.

Millenium Media will shepherd the production. And Brian Taylor will direct. But most importantly, Mike Mignola, who created the Hellboy comics, will write the script alongside his collaborator Chris Golden. According to Deadline, Hellboy: The Crooked Man will “expand Hellboy’s world through one of the most beloved issues of the comic series.” In addition, the movie has found its Hellboy. Deadpool 2‘s Jack Kesy will play this younger version of the character, per The Hollywood Reporter. In other casting news, Yellowstone‘s Jefferson White will star as Tom Ferrell and Resident Evil‘s Adeline Rudolph will act as Bobbie Jo Song. Hellboy: The Crooked Man has also officially wrapped principal photography, and Mignola assures us this adaptation does his work justice.

The Hollywood Reporter noted further details of the plot, sharing: “The new film will see Hellboy and a rookie BPRD agent stranded in 1950s rural Appalachia. There, they discover a small community haunted by witches, led by a local devil with a troubling connection to Hellboy’s past: the Crooked Man.”

For those not in the know, the Crooked Man is bad news. In the Hellboy comics, the Crooked Man was named Jeremiah Witkins. Witkins was an evil man who profited from war and the troubles of others, which he sought to create for his own benefit. Eventually, he was hung for his dark deeds. But he returned to the land of the living as a demonic soul collector.

Millennium Media’s President Jeffrey Greenstein shared, “The Crooked Man is a departure from all previous Hellboy films where Mike Mignola and the creator of the comics will finally shepherd an authentic version of his stories and characters in film form. This is the first in the series of films that will captivate audiences in familiar (and new) ways. Brian Taylor is an expert across the board, and I couldn’t think of a better person to bring this story to life to show our audience this different and original Hellboy slate of films.”

Speaking with Collider, Taylor himself added more about the Hellboy reboot, promising to lean into the horror of it all. He offered:

So, first of all, I love the character of Hellboy, and my favorite run of the character is this particular era. The Guillermo del Toro movies were massive-scale space operas and just pure del Toro through and through.

But some of the comics Mike (Mignola) was doing at the time had a very different feeling. More lean and mean creepy folk horror. A younger Hellboy, wandering the dark corners of the world… Paranormal investigator, night stalker… The Crooked Man, in particular, is just such an iconic book—written by Mike, drawn by Richard Corben, another legend. Set in the late ’50s. For me, it’s my favorite version of the character. So the appeal of this one, to me, is to go back to that and do a real reset and really give us that version of Hellboy, which I just don’t think we’ve seen yet.

Additionally, Taylor teased the movie won’t shy from gore. He says, “I pitched an R-rated folk horror movie, and the team here at Millennium have been nothing but supportive. It’s a great group of people, and they love horror.” He added that his movie will have three leads. Alongside Hellboy, the movie will star Tom Ferrell and a mystery character created for the movie.

It certainly sounds like we’ll see something different coming our way with this Hellboy reboot… Something straight from hell.

Originally published on February 21, 2023.

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Stranger Comics president and writer Sebastian A. Jones is taking us back to the carefully crafted and wonderfully Afrofuturistic world of Asunda with Tales of Asunda #1: Niobe & The Stranger, which will reunite these characters. For those who are unfamiliar, Niobe is half-human, half-elven, and set to be the heir of the thrones of two realms at war. The spirit of Goddess and Devil reside within her, competing to win her over their respective sides. This story is a part of Tales of Asunda, an ongoing anthology series of one-shots and short stories. 

Tales of Asunda #1: Niobe & The Stranger is penned by Jones with Julio Brilha on pencils and inks, Blond crafting its colors, Darrell May on layouts and concept art, Caanan White for the main cover, and Joshua Cozine as its letterer and production designer. In this story, Niobe’s armor of innocence will face a major test as she struggles with her “First Kill.” Here’s a quick synopsis of what to expect: 

Niobe looks upon the aftermath of a gruesome battle. The last of her enemies has surrendered. But these knights had murdered her tribes in the name of righteous war and worship. As they await Niobe’s execution, one asks her when killing became so easy. She is transported back to her youth and her time with the Stranger, a killer who made a deal with the devil, yet was on a path to redemption. If he could change, could the rest of the world? Or would it bleed to death before it found its conscience. This story is about the fading of youthful innocence into the gray areas of hard choices. When Niobe would take that first kill.

“I’m really excited for Tales because not only does it give me the opportunity to get more of my world out of my head and onto the page, but it gives me the chance to work with a diverse and wide variety of other creators,” Jones says about the series. “From a practical standpoint, it allows me to have an ongoing series, which is difficult for an independent publisher. But it also brings in fresh perspectives on a world that’s lived inside of me for most of my life.”

This world does come to life in a brilliant way. Check out our exclusive reveal, a first look into the action of Tales of Asunda #1: Niobe & The Stranger.

If you want to dive into the past to get to know Niobe better, then you’re in luck. Tales of Asunda distributor Diamond Comic Distributors, Inc. will also re-offer the trade paperbacks of The Untamed, which introduces these characters. There are also a variety of book bundles on Stranger Comics’ website to get you up to speed, too.

One thing is for sure: you’ll want to snag all the Tales of Asunda #1: Niobe & The Stranger covers because they are absolutely gorgeous. In addition to Caanan White’s main cover art, fellow artists David Mack, Iga Oliwiak, and Julio Brilha lent their talents to a variety of variant covers.

Click To View Gallery

Tales of Asunda #1: Niobe & The Stranger hits stands on June 7 and is available for pre-order until April 27.

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Get ready to pick up your sword and return to the Hyborian Age. The folks at Titan Comics are teaming up with Heroic Signatures and launching a new Conan the Barbarian series this year, after acquiring the rights to Robert E. Howard’s iconic sword and sorcery hero in 2022. The cover for the first issue by artist Dan Panosian perfectly captures the character’s valiant yet rather menacing persona.

And, here’s a quick Conan the Barbarian synopsis for issue one—written by Jim Zub with artwork by Roberto De La Torre and José Villarrubia—of this exciting adventure:

Robert E. Howard’s legendary Conan is back in a new tale of bravery and heroism! Conan the Barbarian FCBD Edition leads into the debut issue! Years after the battle of Venarium, a weary Conan returns to his homeland to seek rest and solitude. However, a mysterious scout rides in to warn the Cimmerians of an imminent threat on the march from the Pictish wilderness. Will Conan and his new ally be able to hold off this new horde of invaders?

Robert E. Howard’s Conan first appeared in pulp novels over 91 years ago. He has since appeared in some fifty novels over the following decades. But it was comics that shot the Cimmerian warrior to new heights of popularity. In the early 1970s, Marvel Comics began publishing an ongoing Conan the Barbarian series. In fact, one series lasted well into the 1990s.

Without the popularity of the comic books, it’s doubtful they would have ever produced the iconic 1982 Conan the Barbarian film starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. After Marvel, Dark Horse Comics published Conan comics for several years. A few years back, Conan returned to Marvel Comics. But as of last year, Titan is the new home for tales of the savage yet noble warrior. And we expect many exciting tales of blood and iron in the coming months.

Conan the Barbarian #1 hits comic shops everywhere on July 26.

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It’s often seemed like the impossible dream for comic book movie fans. An honest to goodness cinematic Marvel/DC crossover event. While it may currently seem like a pipe dream, in a recent interview former Marvel creative and current DC Studios head honcho James Gunn admitted “I’d be lying to say we haven’t discussed it.” Yes, it would be years away. But it’s now at least something we can speculate about it. But what would our dream big-screen MCU/DCU projects even be? These are the ones that would be comic book movie nirvana for us.

Side note: We’re only talking about characters and not the current actors portraying them here. Simply because by the time this happens, if it ever even happens, who the heck knows who will be playing any of these roles. We’ll probably be on our fifth live-action Spider-Man and our hundredth live-action Batman by that point.

Justice League/Avengers

If we could only have one come true, it would be this one. The one that would blow the barn doors off of movie theaters, the Justice League vs. the Avengers. In the comics, this series was literally 20 years in the making. Because the two most iconic teams in their respective universes had to be a bigger-than-life experience and worth the reader’s money. And it was. JLA/Avengers gave us everything; billionaire playboy heroes Iron Man and Batman butting heads, and expert hand-to-hand fighters Captain America and Batman testing each other’s mettle. The God Thor vs. the Goddess Wonder Woman. Hawkeye and Black Widow vs Green Arrow and Black Canary.

The 2004 comic book event series, drawn by the legendary George Perez, was ultimately worth the long wait. And we hope any movie version would be the same. We’re not sure who they would fight, however. It would have to be a villain so big, it takes the biggest powerhouses in two universes to stop them. Maybe they literally take on the Gods of Olympus or something? All we know is that if we don’t get an image of Superman using Thor’s hammer and Cap’s shield to make one last stand against the bad guys, we will demand our money back.

X-Men/Teen Titans

We don’t know what form either the live-action X-Men or the Teen Titans will take in their respective cinematic universes, once they inevitably show up. But we know that sooner or later, both super teams of angsty young heroes will be a part of the action in the DCU and MCU. In the comics, the best Marvel/DC crossover event was easily 1982’s Uncanny X-Men/New Teen Titans. Not only did it feature both team lineups in arguably their most iconic versions, but they fought off Dark Phoenix and Darkseid together. It was the definition of epic in the comics, and would make for one of the most epic comic book movies of all time.

Batman/Spider-Man

On the surface, Batman and Spidey don’t have a ton in common. One has no powers, one does. One lives modestly in Queens, the other in opulence in Gotham City. One barely cracks a smile, the other one cracks jokes constantly. But both heroes were forged in pain and loss. Neither would be who they are if not forged in tragedy, and lost a parental figure (or in Bruce’s case, his actual parents). Because of that loss, their fight will never end. This one thing would form a strong bond between them. Plus, it would be fun to see Batman constantly annoyed at Spider-Man’s constant quipping. Our dream villain team up for this movie? Well, it’s gotta be Joker and the Green Goblin, right? So much villainous cackling, it might be overwhelming.

Batman/Daredevil

Another Batman team-up, and one we wouldn’t see in any Justice League/Avengers crossover. Simply because Matt Murdock isn’t traditionally an Avenger. But both heroes are the kind who prowl their cities at night, stalking criminals and striking terror into their hearts. And they both love to brood. It’s just a natural fit for a crossover. Marvel’s Man Without Fear has actual powers, and DC’s Dark Knight doesn’t, but we’re not sure he’d win in a fight against the Batman. Even if they don’t battle, these two together, fighting mad mob bosses and taking on ninja hordes, would be the moodiest superhero movie ever. But we’d be there on day one.

Superman/Captain America

Although we imagine a Superman/Captain America meeting would happen in some sort of Justice League/Avengers crossover film, we still want something with just the two of them. Because these two are their respective universe’s idealistic boy scouts, whose unwavering morality defines them. Plus, we want a time travel story where the Man of Steel travels back in time to World War II, where he helps Steve Rogers punch some Nazis. Think of how culturally therapeutic a movie like that could be. Hey, maybe the movie ends with them merging into one being, “Super Soldier.” That’s a thing that actually happened once in the ’90s.

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Being a witch in this modern age can come with challenges. That is particularly true for Amelia Aierwood. She’s part of a family of famous witches and the pressure is on. Everyone wants her to step up her game and do some real magic. Then the Aierwood family gets a reality TV deal and things escalate. This charming and very relatable story comes from the mind of Emily Hampshire (Schitt’s Creek). She wrote Amelia Aierwood: Basic Witch with Eliot Rahal; it features art by Kristen Gudsnuk and Ames Liu. Today, Nerdist has an exclusive preview of the Z2 Comics title, and it introduces Amelia and her incredible Jell-O pool.

Amelia Aierwood’s a late bloomer who hasn’t yet found her calling. Magical abilities aside, we get it. Hampshire told Nerdist, “In making this comic book, it’s as if I got the opportunity to go back and tell my younger self, ‘That thing you think is wrong with you, whatever you’re trying to hide and fix and overcompensate for—THAT’S your magic!’ To think that Amelia might inspire some kid to fully be and love themself, not in spite of, but BECAUSE of their differences, is everything to me.”

Amelia Aierwood: Basic Witch tells the story of discovering yourself. The synopsis says:

AMELIA AIERWOOD: Basic Witch follows the least-favorite daughter of L.A.’s most famous family of witches, the Aierwoods. Amelia’s sisters have all followed in the footsteps of their prominent parents but everything Amelia does is just a little… off-brand. A late bloomer who has yet to find her calling, Amelia uses her powers for mostly mundane problems but even those lead to magical misfires. As her family’s fame continues to rise, they have no choice but to exclude their bumbling black-sheep daughter from the next great chapter of the Aierwoods – reality TV! With the help of her adopted brother Spaghetti – who she accidentally turned into a yeti… long story – Amelia must carve her own path outside of her family’s influence.

Now, flip through these preview pages and get a look at that Jell-O pool.

Click To View Gallery

Hampshire said, “I love the limitless canvas of the comic book medium. I’ve imagined swimming in a Jell-O pool since I first saw it jiggle. The way Eliot (Rahal) and the art team of Kristen, Ames, Jarrett, and Fred brought every impossible dream of mine to life on the page was… well, MAGICAL!”

We agree that a pool of Jell-O is magical and also tasty.

Amelia Aierwood: Basic Witch hits shelves on April 11. You can place a preorder now.

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The original Power Rangers are coming back together to face Rita Repulsa once again in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always. Fans are super hype to see the crew back together again; however, it feels bittersweet in several ways. First, there’s the fairly recent passing of Jason David Frank, who played Tommy on the series, as well as the absence of Amy Jo Johnson, a.k.a. the original Pink Ranger. Johnson spoke up recently to clear the air about why she didn’t return for more Power Rangers action, saying that it wasn’t about money and telling people to mind their beeswax. Fair enough. However, Amy Jo Johnson is writing a new Power Rangers comic book series to celebrate the show’s 30th anniversary. So she’s not done with this wacky universe just yet. 

As Variety reports, the Kickstarter campaign “Power Rangers: A 30th Anniversary Comic Book Celebration” hit a whopping $250K in less than 24 hours. (At the time of this post’s publication, it is now at $445K.) Now, Amy Jo Johnson is ready to team up with Boom Studios for this Power Rangers comic book. She actually came up with the idea early in the pandemic and says it will be her version of what happens in this world.

We don’t know any further details at this time but the Kickstarter currently estimates books will go out to supporters in January 2024. There’s also some really cool swag for different donation tiers. It looks like it is indeed Morphin time in more ways than one.

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