Scarlet Witch is a problem. I, a filthy millennial, started reading comics in the heyday of House of M and Young Avengers, which means Wanda Maximoff was introduced to me as an unstable reality-warping monster who could – and did – commit genocide with three little words. In the 16 years since Brian Bendis and Olivier Coipel, Mavel has tragically done very little to shake off this stigma. The 21st century has not been kind to the resident hex-wielding sorceress of the Avengers, as Wanda’s had her mutant heritage erased in favor of a High Evolutionary retcon no one liked, been the spark that caused the MCU’s Civil War, and raised an army of zombies in an attempt to undo her past crimes. With WandaVision currently airing on Disney+ and casting her, once again, as an apparent villain whose inability to control herself has harmed others and broken reality, I am left with one question: How the hell do you fix Wanda Maximoff? [Read more…] about The Great Pretenders: The Three-Wanda Problem
The Greatest Aquaman Stories of All Time!
Aquaman is great. Well, okay, he actually kind of sucks, but that is why he is great. In a universe full of noble heroes, tortured vigilantes, and paragons of justice, Arthur Curry is an angry dude with a crown. He’s a hero, of course, and does the best he can, but the King of Atlantis is, at his heart, a man thrust between two worlds he will never fully belong to and can barely keep it together most of the time. Lord of the Seven Seas, off-and-on monarch over 70% of the world’s surface, and hopeless romantic. Arthur Curry ain’t a normal, charming superheroic lead, and that has led to a lot of confusion over who the hell Aquaman is and why you should care. That’s where I come in. So, here’s the 10 Best Aquaman Stories of All Time to clear things up!
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The Greatest Suicide Squad Stories of All Time!
The Suicide Squad! One of the most obnoxiously brilliant ideas in comics, supervillains forced to do heroic missions under threat of death, is a beloved classic within the DC Universe. Well. Sort of. While the original run in the 1980s, courtesy of John Ostrander and many artistic partners, is considered one of the all-time greats of superhero comics, the team’s track record outside of Ostrander’s care is…hit or miss. With James Gunn’s revamped The Suicide Squad on the way next year, it seems like the perfect time to point out the most remarkable stories in the team’s history for you to check out ahead of the movie. At the very least, they won’t be as bad as that first flick. [Read more…] about The Greatest Suicide Squad Stories of All Time!
The Best Kieron Gillen Stories of All Time!
Kieron Gillen’s a really good writer. I don’t feel like that’s a particularly brave or controversial statement. From his early days creating Phonogram with Jamie McKelvie to his current status as one of comics’ most reliably fantastic Big Names about to relaunch The Eternals, the Brit has carved out a truly impressive career in the past 15 or so years. Which made this piece an exciting challenge.
Full disclosure: I usually have to cut my way through a lot of chaff to get to stories I consider worth being The Best Ever. This time, though, it has been the opposite, struggling to find what wonderful tales I have to cut. So, please enjoy the Best Kieron Gillen Stories of All Time (so far), because boy was this tricky. [Read more…] about The Best Kieron Gillen Stories of All Time!
The Best Moon Knight Comics Of All Time!
Moon Knight! He’s Batman in a white suit! He’s Daredevil but SUPER CRAZY! He’s Oscar Isaac, in the near future. The Fist of Khonshu isn’t one of Marvel’s most famous characters, nor one that has really ever broke through to the upper echelons of the Marvel Pantheon. He’s been an Avenger and a Hero for Hire, had solo ongoings and minis for decades, and is the proud owner of some of the greatest outfits in comics. But…is he any good?
The answer is: Yeah, kind of! While Moon Knight doesn’t share the same deep well of classic stories as many other Marvel standouts, he has absolutely had several well worth reading. Which is why you’re here, probably, so, without further preamble: Here are the 10 Best Moon Knight Stories! [Read more…] about The Best Moon Knight Comics Of All Time!