The Eleventh Day of Classic Comics Christmas '06

[Cei-U!]

I've loved the little guy since first encountering him in The Brave and the Bold #55. Shy, self-effacing, stuttering Tin may be the humblest Metal Man but he has the proverbial heart of a lion. No situation is so dire that he won't rise to the challenge, sacrificing himself if need be to save lives. And how can you *not* love somebody so direct that he built himself a loving wife and so sincere he persuaded Batman to be best man at their wedding?

Maybe that's why Tin, as "Bob Tinker," played such a central role in my novel.


“We m-m-must seem silly to you,” he said.
“Of course you don't. You're wonderful people.”
He smiled wistfully.
“B-b-but we're not. P-p-people, I m-mean. We're m-m-m-m-m-machines, p-p-p-programmed to simulate p-people.”
I considered that for a moment. Was the Tinkers' artless evocation of domestic bliss nothing but preprogrammed mimicry? I didn't think so. How does a machine acquire a personality? Who works out the binary code for entering baked goods in the county fair? Why program a computer to like Barry Manilow? What engineer is clever enough to duplicate the glow of love that shone from this gentle couple's faces?
I stopped my chair and looked him squarely in the eye.
“Will Magnus may have built your bodies and programmed the rudiments of your minds but there's more at work in you than that, Bob. I've met a lot of flesh and blood people who don't have a fraction of your humanity. You aren't robots any more. You're human beings who just happen to be made of metal.”
“Do you think so?” he asked, his voice hushed with longing.
“I know so. I can't explain how I know. Let's just say I can feel it.”
Bob gingerly wrapped his slender arms around me and gave me a ghost of a hug.
“Thank you,” he whispered. “You can't know what it m-m-means to hear that.”
He flashed a last beatific smile before wishing me a good evening and starting for home. Even at this distance, I could see Naomi silhouetted in the cottage door, patiently waiting for her husband's return.


Or maybe it's because, as I had Dick Grayson say, "he's just so goddamned brave."

Cei-U!
I summon the runty robot!

[Hintermann]

#2 SAD SACK: Giving such a high ranking to a totally negative character like The Sad Sack might seem strange to some. In fact, this anti-hero created by George Baker and loaned to Harvey Comics has been one of my top favourites for over 40 years. It is a bit hard to explain why, since the Sad Sack has practically nothing going for him. He is the lowest ranked soldier in the US army and at his base Camp Browbeat, he is always at the bottom of the pile, often literally so! The Sack usually starts his day by getting kicked out of bed by his perpetual antagonist - the bullying Sergeant Circle (‘The Sarge’) - who then proceeds to assign all the worst jobs to the poor private. This is usually garbage detail but with the occasional ‘relief’ of kitchen patrol; if the Sack survives those without ending up in hospital (or sending someone else there!), there are bound to be some heavy ammo boxes to carry or a quick trench to be dug. And as if The Sarge is not enough, poor Sack is often the victim of unfairly directed humiliations by camp officers like Captain Softseat or General Rockjaw who always pick on him as the scapegoat whenever something goes wrong – which it usually does. But if they need a convenient guinea pig to test out some new weapon or take part in a dangerous experiment designed by the camp Professor (caricature of a former Nazi scientist), the Sad Sack is always ‘volunteered’ by the others. More often than not though, their plans backfire badly as the Sack’s clumsiness results in all sorts of mayhem breaking around and beyond the camp.

Why then, do I like him so much? The same reason for which the Sad Sack was “loved by millions” in his heyday. It might be because there is a bit of Sad Sack in all of us – the desire to goof off while supposed to be working. He is one of the lucky few who can be very happy and at perfect peace with himself while doing absolutely nothing. He is always managing to find a convenient place to fall asleep – the top of the garbage pile, at the bottom of the foxhole he just dug, leaning against the bag of spuds that he is supposed to be peeling and so on. Ask him to test drive a new tank and he’ll come close to starting the Third World War; put him on KP and the cook’s fishing bait ends up in the soup; even sending him away on a furlough can somehow have serious rebound consequences for rest of the camp.

I like the rather simplistic art style; I think it was Fred Rhoads who drew the most popular versions of the various titles. He has this unique way of depicting the camp layout, showing the ground in a slight curve with the distant buildings partially hidden by the horizon. Then there are the great supporting characters like The Sarge, General Rockjaw, Slob Slobinski, Hi-fi Tweeter, Muttsy the talking dog and so on. But I wish that George Baker had never introduced Sadie Sack, the equally clumsy female cousin who makes an occasional appearance; someone like the attractive ‘Sunny Sack,’ who appeared just in one special issue in 1987, might have given greater flexibility and created more story opportunities.

Sad Sack comics are all similarly lightweight and one cannot pick out particular issues standing out above others since they are all instantly forgettable. The plot, if one exists, is wafer thin, the gags predictable and the ridiculously silly, domino-like calamities are blatantly repetitive. But that is precisely what makes Sad Sack comics – and the character – so special; they are a throwback to the classic brainless ‘funnies’ of the old and are always a laughably relaxing read after a stressful day. Therefore, despite all his shortcomings (or maybe because of them), the Sad Sack remains as one of my all time favourite comic book characters and I have no hesitation in giving him the Silver Medal.

[dan bailey]

2 -- Captain America

Not much time to write, alas, as I'm about to hit the road for Xmas at my gf's 102-year-old grandmother's, though I should be back tonight. For now, though:


Looking back, I see this is my first "iconic superhero" entry (the closest I've come is Bizarro No 1 at 8, which of course isn't particularly close at all, since he's the deliberate mirror image of the iconic superhero).. It's not as if I've been deliberately avoiding the Supermans, the Spider-Mans, the Hulks, the Batmans ... Rather, I guess, they're such a part of my personal fundament that I don't really think of them in these terms -- it'd be like choosing oxygen as my favorite element.

Cap, though, is somehow different. Not for nothing is he the only character whose titles take up more than one short box in my collection (though my #1 pick comes awfully close).

Otherwise, y'know, benday dot really summed up the character's appeal for his 6th-day choice that I could ever hope to ...

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c129/arktrav/captainamerica.gif

[Red Oak Kid]

http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q144/redoakkid/asilver1.jpg

2. The Silver Surfer

I think he is one of the most original characters to come out of the Silver Age. He is one of Jack Kirby's biggest contributions to comics. I first saw SS in a Marvel Triple Action FF reprint in the early 70s. I quickly was able to snatch up some of the early issues of his own 25 cent mag at a used book store. I also loved the Lee/Buscema version in these stories. At the time, I thought these were the best comic books I had read. I could never decide which artist's version I liked best, Kirby's bulked up SS or Buscema's slim and graceful version. I like 'em both.

[Kan-Man]

#2 SAD SACK

I could have sworn that he'd be your number one. Boy, I lost a bundle on that bet.

My number 2 and my number 1 will have to wait (no toilet jokes here, please) as I'm off to my in-laws in Pennsylvania. Yee-ha!

[Gingold]

#2 Uncle Scrooge McDuck

Carl Barks's greatest creation, the world's richest duck fills in my #2 spot. What can be said about Scrooge? He's a stout hearted adventurer with nerves of steel, and (secretly, of course) a big heart. His adventures keep me entertained to this day.

[Chris Nowlin]

There are many super-villains I love, but I didn't want them filling my list. I ended up with two. So apologies to Thanos, Galactus, Dr. Octopus, Joker, Kingpin, and many others, but there is only one greatest super-villain of all time:

2. Dr. Doom

http://i116.photobucket.com/albums/o1/CocaC0la99/FF268.jpg


I like the idea of someone being evil. I also like the idea of someone being not so much evil as passionate about something which drives them to evil (i.e. Magneto) or just doing what they must (i.e. Galactus). It's nice when villains have a human side too, a potential for good. And Dr. Doom has a human side. But he IS evil.

His motivations are not particularly selfish. He's pretty sure he's the most qualified person to run the world. Latveria is a virtual paradise so he may have a point. But it's a paradise because Doom wills it so. His one tragic flaw: ego. The same ego that forces him to forever hide his face behind his metal mask, the same ego which constantly forces him to prove himself superior to Reed, the same ego which tells him he was born to rule. For he is Doom. And you can understand this man and the demons that drive him. He has his own sense of honor and cares for his people. But do not forget that he is as evil as they come.

Some suggested Doom reading (though I think I'm forgetting several): FF 56-60, Super-Villain Team-Up #14, Champions #16 (this plot was reprised in the Emperor Doom graphic novel), FF 246-247, FF 258, Secret Wars #1-12,Thor 409-410, Avengers 332-333, Doom 1-3, FF vol. 3 67-70,500 (the numbering there makes sense to someone)

[Aaron King]

2. Hellboy
Hellboy is a rebel for the 21st century. He has a cause, he know what he wants, he’s not stupid, he doesn’t offend people for no reason, but he’s dead-set against leaving things to bureaucracy and fate. Granted, this manifests itself in story form as literally arguing with the devil, but the analogy is there nonetheless.

He’s also an imperfect blue-collar hero. He’s not spitting one-liners; his mid-fight dialogue runs along the lines of “What the —” and “Son of a —.” He doesn’t have all the right moves; his equipment explodes and dumb luck and stupid perseverance play parts in his life.

This might not sound so cool, but place it against a background of pulp fiction, Lovecraftian horror, world folklore, and an impending apocalypse and you end up with a modern epic.

Oh ’Boy: Hellboy vols. 2+

http://hellboyanimated.typepad.com/hellboy_animated/images/corpsepage.jpg

[Hintermann]

I could have sworn that he'd be your number one. Boy, I lost a bundle on that bet.

My number 2 and my number 1 will have to wait (no toilet jokes here, please) as I'm off to my in-laws in Pennsylvania. Yee-ha!

Sorry for the lost bet, but my actual #1 is so far ahead of the rest that you can almost consider the Sad sack as number one of the also rans. Mind you, I like all 11 of them excatly as I have described, but #1 is an institution.

[SamuraiJack]

SUPERGIRL!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/SamuraiJack31/supergirls4vd.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/SamuraiJack31/Supergirl.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/SamuraiJack31/Sup223.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v79/SamuraiJack31/lgsupergirls02aq3.jpg

While not many people like the new incaration of her, Supergirl is and always will be near and dear to my heart. I first started reading about her back in the old Superman Family book, and immediately fell in love. I really enjoyed those old stories, and was elated when she got her own book in 1982. Too bad that series wasn't very good, as it only lasted 23 issues. Then in 1996 Peter David and Gary Frank (one of my all-time favorite artists) revived the franchise, merging the shape-shifting Matrix with a woman named Linda Danvers, who became the new Supergirl.

Under David's steady hand and Frank's incredible art, Supergirl was steadily my favorite title month-to-month. I looked forward to each issue like crack- it was just that good. So instead of just picking an issue or an arc, my suggested reading is any story from the 1996 Supergirl series. Just pick one, and enjoy. It's truly great stuff.

The only reason she's not #1 on my list is the other Kryptonian. You know- the guy who started it all? Yeah, him...

[benday-dot]

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1997/400/1997_4_2.jpg

Bill, Everett, the creator of the Sub-Mariner, was there at the first sunrise of the superhero comic book. If he was inspired by that great ball of flame in the sky, took it as a portend that he and his fellow pioneers were on their way to something great, he certainly kept it to himself. For it was not fire – he left that to Carl Burgos, creator of the Human Torch – but water that seemed to course through Bill Everett’s veins. Indeed, with the first surfacing of the Sub-Mariner in the fall of 1939 the Marvel Universe was born.

Namor, prince of the Atlanteans, started off as a bit of a bad guy. It would take something as appalling as the Nazi threat to convince him to butter his bread on the other side, and take up common cause with long time rival the Human Torch. Still, Subby never really lost that old chip on his shoulder, and he would nurse a temper and a grudge toward the surface world, ranging from uneasy peace to outright hostility, for pretty much the entirety of his storied career. In being an anti-hero it might not be so much of a stretch to suggest that Sub-Mariner set the Marvel mold right at the outset. Conflicted, prone to anger, beset by an existential weight, Sub-Mariner proved long before Spider-Man that in the world of heroism a Lancelot is infinitely more interesting than a Galahad. But never doubt it… Namor was as noble as could be, of regal bearing, and of integrity second to none. He would defend his people to the death. And was he capable? Oh yes, he could mix it up with the heavyweights of the Marvel Universe and ever hold his own.

Another thing about the Sub-Mariner is that not least among his virtues is his simplicity. No overwrought costume. Everett clad his hero in nothing more than a Speedo, and appended a pair of wings, Mercury style, to his ankles. Starting in the 70’s he took to wearing at times that deep vee-cut blue superhero style costume, but to me the plain old bathing suit has always been the true classic. And when Everett drew his creation, always more lithe and nimble looking than, say, the bulkier Sal Buscema version, the character just seemed so much more fun and playful. Sure he was still a real ornery and testy guy, but when he was engaging in battle with a fantastic sea monster the character seemed as fluid as his element. I love a good splash of waves, a great swath of blue sea, a mysterious foray to underwater murk. All of this makes for a setting in which Sub-Mariner was king – with of course an agenda all his own. Ever the great unknown of the Marvel Universe, never to be taken for granted, always possessed of a great purity and power, Sub-Mariner, as far as I’m concerned, is just about the perfect comic book character.

[Budman]

2. Thor

I love messianic superheroes - gods or godlike beings who are on Earth to interact with us and to help us, and who are willing to suffer and to even sacrifice themselves, if need be, for noble causes. So when Thor hurls himself into battle shouting, "For Odin! For Asgard!" I'm in heaven. (Well, not literally, but I like it a whole lot. I needed to clarify that since I'm talking about messiahs and gods.)

I love to stand in awe of gods, so when Thor unleashes the full godly might of the strength that is his birthright, or calls down the fury of the heavens, or performs feats no human could do, I cheer. (Sometimes literally.)

I love it when heroes overcome great, seemingly overwhelming odds and stage a comeback when all appears lost. So when it looks as if evil will triumph but slowly Thor rises from the rubble and swears, "I say thee, 'Nay!' I say thee, 'Never!" I get inspired.

I love it when heroes are true to their codes of honor, and Thor always is. He always keeps the spirit of the law even if he must sometimes break the letter of it. He is always true to himself. Even when he must defy Odin, he does it for a greater good and tries to get his father to see that. Reading about Thor, I am challenged.

I love it when the gods' ways are seen as being mysterious and when we are humbled before him. Many times Thor has questioned Odin, only to find out later that his father was right. And Mimir and the Norns often give Thor answers that only lead to more questions. Reading about Thor, I think about my relationship to my God and how it often entails wrestling with him over truths and answers my puny mind can not fully comprehend.

I love it when a character can unleash his creators' imaginations. Thor does this. He can do some crimebusting on Earth but he can also travel to distant worlds and other galaxies. he can journey through time and into other dimensions. he can explore the world of norse mythology but also the mythologies of the world's other pantheons. He's at home in action/adventure stories, science fiction tales, and sword and sorcery epics. Because he's immortal, his adventures can be set in the past, present, or future. And he really shines in stories where the fate of all that is hangs in the balance. Top creators like Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Vince Coletta, Roy Thomas, John Buscema, Walt Simonson, Dan Jergens and others were at the top of their games when they worked on Thor. Lee and Kirby's best issues are masterpieces of comic book storytelling and Simonson's run on the title are masterpieces of fiction, period, while Jergens offered solid scripting and in his later issues even explored theology, politics, and psychology.

And, finally, I love it when a character has a strong supporting cast and a great rogues gallery. And Thor sure does! The Warriors Three! Odin! Heimdall! Sif! Balder The Brave! Hercules! Silas Grant! The Recorder! Tana Nile! The Colonizers Of Rigel! Firelord! Beta Ray Bill! Roger Willis! The Designate! Karnilla! The High Evolutionary! The Knights Of Wundagore! Loki! The Enchantress! The Executioner! The Destroyer! Pluto! Mangog! Thanos! Ulik! Hela! The Frost Giants! The Midgard Serpent! Galactus! Ego, The Living Planet! The Wrecker! Infinity! The Grey Gargoyle! The Absorbing Man! Surtur! The Dark Gods! Lorelei! The Absorbing Man! Dr. Doom! The Time Twisters! Zarrko, The Tomorrow Man and his Servitor! Malekith, The Dark Elf/Kurse! Mephisto! And more!

I'm tired of typing exclamation points. But exclamation points seem natural when writing about The Mighty Thor.

[Scott Shaw!]

Hintermann, please don't think that this is a slam against your Sad Sack choice. It's really not, I swear!

But if you aren't already aware of this, you might find it interesting to know that, since Sad Sack was originally created by George Baker specifically for a readership of WWII era US soldiers, that "sad sack" is a shortened, more acceptable version of the military reference for any particularly pathetic soldier, "a sad sack of shit".

Obviously, this never seemed to bother the brass at Harvey Comics, and I hope it won't bother you, either!

Aloha,

Scott!

[Scott Shaw!]

No. 2: FAT FREDDY FREEKOWTSKI

http://www.ichthyophilia.com/ffcat/ffcat1.jpg

http://www.friendsofcannabis.com/friends/fat_freddy.htm

I first discovered the work of cartoonist Gilbert Shelton in the pages of Pete Millar's DRAG CARTOONS, with his great "Wonder Wart-Hog" stories. But in 1968, in La Jolla, California, I discovered my first underground comix, which included a first printing of Shelton's FEDS 'N' HEADS, introducing the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. Those early stories were certainly funny, but as time went on and Shelton became more skilled -- in fact, I consider him to the the comic world's foremost master of comedic timing -- the Freak Brothers (who weren't really brothers at all!) evolved into what was, in my opinion, the funniest continuing comic book characters of all time. And if I had to pick the funniest of the three Freak Brothers -- with Freewheelin' Franklin representing reason, Phineas representing intellect or Fat Freddy representing emotion), it'd have to be Fat Freddy Freekowtski, hands down. In many ways, he's the "heart" of the team.

Fat Freddy is all about immediate gratification, no matter what the cost. He's a nitwit, a patsy and a glutton. He's especially inept at making a dope deal without getting burned! In fact, he has no redeeming qualities whatsoever, other than the fact that he's so unrepairably fucked-up that the best thing about him is that he's an overgrown kid with stubble all over his three chins.

And did I mention that he's funny? So funny, in fact, that even though I've read every Freak Brothers story a zillion times, they still make me laugh out loud with every new reading. (The true genius of Shelton's hairy creations is that you don't need to be a druggie to find 'em hilarious; they're equally funny -- if for different reasons -- if you're a straight-arrow type...and that's the way Shelton intended!)

Back in the 1980s, Universal had optioned the Freak Brothers for a live-action movie. (No one realized it at the time, but the studio was trying to tie up the property so no one else could produce a Freak Brothers feature film to compete with Universal's Cheech and Chong franchise. I recently asked Tommy Chong if he was ever aware of this, and not even he had been informed of this corporate plan!) Anyway, when everyone was convinced that this doomed project was a "go", Gilbert Shelton himself asked me if I'd like to audition for the part of Fat Freddy. Why? "Well,", Gilbert told me in his Texas drawl, "You're fat...and you're funny...and you obviously 'get' the Freak Brothers..." I was strangely honored by his suggestion, but I never took it seriously to try. (Oddly enough, there's currently a Claymation-style Freak Brothers movie now in production. Its title? GRASS ROOTS.)

I DID try to convince the brass at Hanna-Barbera that the Freak Brothers (as "the last hippies on Earth") would make a great late-night cartoon, but they thought I was high or something. Of course, this was in the late 1980s, when no one would ever think of "adult" cartoons aired after 11:00 pm. Gee, how times have changed...hippies are back and you can see THE SIMPSONS, FAMILY GUY, SOUTH PARK and all the Adult Swim shows after 11:00 pm...

Anyway, here's to Fat Freddy Freekowtski! Let your freak flag fry...er, fly!

Aloha,

Scott!

[Hintermann]

Hintermann, please don't think that this is a slam against your Sad Sack choice. It's really not, I swear!
But if you aren't already aware of this, you might find it interesting to know that, since Sad Sack was originally created by George Baker specifically for a readership of WWII era US soldiers, that "sad sack" is a shortened, more acceptable version of the military reference for any particularly pathetic soldier, "a sad sack of shit".
Obviously, this never seemed to bother the brass at Harvey Comics, and I hope it won't bother you, either!
Aloha,
Scott!

SS, I am not bothered about it in the slightest. Each one has his or her own opinion about their favourite comic book characters; that's what all this is about. As a non-superhero comic person, I find some of the choices hitherto made quite...well, strange, but at least I have the decency to keep my comments to myself.

[Scott Shaw!]

Hintermann, I think/hope you're misunderstanding me here. In NO WAY do I intend to pass judgment on Sad Sack or your taste in characters. Nor does this represent my opinion of Sad Sack. (I'm not a particular fan of the SAD SACK funnybooks, but I do love the original strips by George Baker.) In fact, if you'll read my other posts here, our tastes have a lot in common, especially in regards to H-B characters in particular and comedy characters in general, especially in light of my having worked on many of those you mentioned.)

All I was trying to do was to share what I consider to be a rather surprising bit of information behind the Oddball origins of Sad Sack's name.

I meant no offense or disrespect, Hintermann. Long live Sad Sack! Long Live Hintermann!

Aloha,

Scott!

[Hintermann]

No offense taken SS. In fact, I read something about Sad Sack's origins myself a while ago. Apparently, the there was a sloppy GI nicknamed 'Sad Slob' somewhere and George Baker based his comic book characters on him. The gen is that Baker split Sad Slob into two different characters - Slob Slobinski & of course the Sad Sack. Now I don't know how authentic this story is and so correct me if I am wrong.

[Simon Garth]

He's a tortured soul, tormented by the dreams of murderers that are inserted into his mind by the alien Merk.

He's got a tremendoes supporting cast of characters (Sundra, Dave and Tyrone, never mind Judah "The Hammer" Macabee).

He's got a pretty daft name - Horatio Hellpop.

He casts fusion power directed by the telekinetic powers of diembodied heads

He is of course, mighty Nexus

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/78/Nexuscomic.jpg

[Scott Shaw!]

Hintermann, I'm delighted to learn that you weren't offended.

Hey, here's an Oddball observation I've made. Have you noticed how many of George Baker's cover-gags for SAD SACK and related Harvey titles feature the themes of fire, smoking and injury-to-the-posterior? I've got a bunch of 'em!

Aloha,

Scott!

[Joe Rice]

2. Ogami Itto.

http://kugi.cocolog-nifty.com/photos/uncategorized/ogami.jpg

My second favorite comic book character of all time is the Lone Wolf himself, Ogami Itto. Lone Wolf and Cub, by Kazuo Koike and the artist Goseki Kojima, is simply one of the most perfect and wonderful masterpieces of comics. What starts out as a series of vignettes of awesomeness end up feeding into an epic story of few rivals in the landscape. Ogami is the disgraced samarai selling his sword as an assassin--for reasons we discover later. He follows the codes of bushido (the honorable warrior) and meifumado (the path of hell) strictly and without question. He is perhaps the most honorable man to ever appear in comics. In times of sadness, I'd have a drink at a bar and read some Lone Wolf and Cub and I'd feel my love for man and life returning. If you haven't read these books, you're missing out on beautiful art and amazing writing.

http://www.8weekly.nl/images/art/lonewolf01.jpg

[zilch]

2. Green Lantern (Hal Jordan)

I think that the Silver Age GL represented all i wanted to be when i was growing up. Not so much a test pilot or dating a hot rich gal, but part of a greater whole. Fantastic aliens weilding near magical rings. Thinking problems through, using their brains and working together.

And more Gil Kane artwork.

Tomorrow... "Flight of the Bumblebee...not quite..."

[MDG]

Just before the holidays I totally overcommitted myself through January, and I'm trying to decide whether to use today to get a head start or rest up. Either way, I'm not going to write much--or even anything--on my last two entries. If I gotta explain, they're not as good as i think.

#2--The Spirit

This says more than I could...
http://www.illustrationartgallery.com/acatalog/info_EisnerSlip.html

MDG

[Slam_Bradley]

Spider-Man

Spidey was the first hero I really branched out to from Batman. And he quickly became a favorite. Great villains, great supporting characters, great alter ego, great powers.

I haven't read a new Spidey book in close to 20 years. But from 1975-1987 Amazing Spider-Man, PPTSS and Marvel Team-Up were nearly monthly buys.

[MWGallaher]

http://home.comcast.net/~vicoscia/images/MrM.jpg
Scott Free, Mr. Miracle
Of all of Jack Kirby's New Gods, Scott's the one I'm always most interested in seeing. He's the more interesting half of Kirby's brilliant twist on the story of Moses, given up as a child on idyllic New Genesis to be raised in the hellhole of Apokolips. Kirby is sometimes accused of having had so many ideas that his work lost coherence, but in Scott Free, the many pieces came together to result in Kirby's most fully-realized character: one half of a twist on the legend of Moses, Scott was willingly traded as a babe into the enemy's arms, where his very upbringing would prove an exercise in his forte, the art of escape. He escapes the Hell that is Apokolips, triggering the renewal of cosmic war, he travels to Earth adopting the unexpected secret identity of a professional escape artist, Mr. Miracle. Scott appears to have no particular genetic superpowers, but has the cool calm to look doom in its face daily, to take on whatever bizarre threats sent against him from Darkseid, and still smile at the end of the day. Scott Free was the first superhero that I got to see fall in love and get married. His friendships with Oberon, Ted, and Shiloh felt authentic and warm, and his audacious costume is one of the most unlikely design successes I've ever seen.

[Rob Allen]

2. Benjamin Jacob Grimm

Although he's the least human-looking of superheroes (even the Hulk is just a big guy with colored skin), he's such a well-developed character that I think of him as "Ben", not as "the Thing". As others have noted, he was the heart of the Fantastic Four. He wasn't the first of the Four to get a solo series, but he was already popular enough that he was added to the Torch's series in its last year as a permanent co-star. I'd want to have someone like Ben around if there was trouble - or even if there wasn't. I'd be happy just to buy him a beer.

[Dr. Hfuhruhurr]

John Gaunt: gladiator, soldier, spy, gun-for-hire and owner of Munden's Bar. The guy to know in the trans-dimensional city of Cynosure. And a guy who gave up heaven to come back and save the life of his friend.

Gaunt's quirky adventures as told by Jon Ostrander and Tim Truman are a joy upon every reading, but the bottom line is, I think what I like most about Grimjack is that he'd be a helluva guy to sit down and have a beer with.

http://www.silverbulletcomicbooks.com/news/images/0410/grimjackpg02.jpg

[Lone Ranger]

2. Spider-Man

No big surprise here. How can you not love Spider-man? I was raised on re-runs of the 60s cartoon and Spidey Super Stories. In fact, I believe the first Spidey book I ever read was the Spidey Super Stories with the Jaws cover.

The reason I love Spidey so much is that he comes across as very ‘human’, which isn’t always the case with superheroes. It is difficult to separate Peter Parker from Spidey, no matter how many times that costume winds up in the trash.

What’s not to love? He’s a nice guy, he has girl trouble, and he feels a strong sense of justice in order to make up for his past failures. His life is my life – with a little more webbing.

As a child, I didn’t realize how lucky I was to have so many Spidey books on the racks. In the late 70s and early 80s I was reading Amazing, Spectacular, Marvel Team-Up, Marvel Tales (the only way to get the good old stuff at low prices) and any treasury edition (love that Astonishing Spider-Man!) or guest appearances (there were lots) that I could lay my hands on. Some of the lowest graded books in the history of comics are in the Spider-Man part of my collection. A couple of years ago, I opened up an old Star Wars Treasury book and out fell a copy of Marvel Tales #111 (reprints Amazing Spidey #134). The fact that this book was still together in one piece defied the laws of Physics. There was no discernable spine. I must have read this one a million times – right down to that last panel featuring the Punisher.

I must admit to falling off the Spidey bandwagon in the late 80s – the whole MacFarlane era did nothing for me. Since then, I’ve focused my attention of accumulating as much of the old stuff as possible. I gave Ultimate Spidey a try, and didn’t mind it – but it’s not the same. The movies, of course, thrilled me – and I felt like a kid again, watching Spidey brought to life. I swear that I could literally feel myself swinging through Manhattan.

Spidey’s supporting cast is as good as any in the comic book world, but it is Mr. Parker himself who holds it all together. We cheer for him, we cry with him and we can’t wait to see what will happen to him next.

That’s what makes a great character.

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[Kan-Man]

#2... Captain Marvel (The Big Red Cheese)

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When I was about 4 or 5, my dad started to take my brother and me to a local luncheonette in Queens, NY to pick out a comic on the spinner rack. My guess is it was a couple of times a month. One of the first comics I can remember choosing (though probably not the first ever) was the issue pictured above. It could have been the costume, it could have been the endorsement of Superman... whatever the reason, I was hooked. I'm pretty sure it was the first title I chose consecutive issues of. I loved these comics and this character. I know this series is considered a low point of Captain Marvel's grand history, but not to a young child. Too often, I think we re-read old issues and lose sight of the fact that we're no longer the audience. (My wife is working on a new show for Disney Channel and sometimes when a piece of dialogue is debated ad nauseum, the host will remind everyone that their audience still craps themselves).

As a sign of my love for this character, years after I stopped collecting I tried to sell off my collection at conventions and through mail order (I'll share those stories some other time). The only title I didn't include was Shazam. And the only golden age comic I've ever purchased was a 1946 issue of Captain Marvel Adventures.

I love Captain Marvel, I love his supporting cast - both heroes and villains - I love the humor and the sense of nostalgia when the character is handled well.

[Graham Vingoe]

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Jack Knight – Starman
This entry whilst being a foregone conclusion on my list was also the most difficult to write up.
I picked up Starman 0 knowing nothing about Ted Knight, or any subsequent Starman (aside from the Prince Gavyn version and Will Peyton, who I hated passionately). It was a great decision. The series is a cracker and Jack is as nice a guy as you could hope to meet.
What sets apart the character (and the series for me) is the fact that Jack takes on his role as Starman reluctantly but grows to love it, then, on the death of Ted Knight and the revelation that he has a illegitimate son by the Mist as well as a future child via his girlfriend decides that he should give up the role of Starman in order to become a parent.
My son was born on New Years Eve 2000, when the series was running down with these revelations and developments. By the final issue, 80, I was settling into a new phase of my life as a father and realising that I too, would do anything for my family, even if it meant giving up some of the things that used to mean so much to me. At the end of the day, Jack Knight realised he was a parent first, her second, and changed his life to that effect. That situation in a comic helped me to realise exactly where I am, and WHO I am today.
So, that is why Jack Knight is my favourite superhero of all time.

[Lone Ranger]

Graham

That was beautiful.

I'm off to buy the final few Starman TPBs.

[Nate C.]

Budman and Aaon- great posts.

Joe Rice- No Fing Way. My #2 is Itto Ogami. What are the chances?


Ogami, Itto. He is a father. An exectutioner. The exectutioner. He is a husband. He is a Samurai. Quite possibly the last Samurai. He has killed the Buddha, walks the path to hell, has made his choice. He has the most unique set of ethics I've ever seen. He has won duels by sheer will alone, whereas other times he's done it by manipulating his enviornment, still others by manipulating the understanding that his opponents have of bushido. Having left the way of the samurai, he is not beholden to the same rules, sometimes he obeys them, othertimes he follows the two demons. And then of course, there is his skill.

Ogami is at his best when he is parenting. Hundreds of times, while reading this epic, I am reminded that Ogami would have been the best father, had none of this happened. Sometimes I tell people that I base my parenting on Itto Ogami and Bill Cosby. I don't know anyone whose ever understood that comment. One of my favorite lines from the series (my favorite line is the line spoken by Yagyu, "the grandson of my heart." My God, if that's not tragedy and irony, nothing is.) is, "You are me. If you fail, I fail. If I fail, you fail." (that one is from memory) Ogami is telling Daigoro that if Daigoro dies, it is over, there is no point. He himself has failed. A better philosophy for parenting one cannot find. A parent fails if the child fails.

I don't want to "be" Ogami in the same way that I'd want to "be Nexus or Spider-Man or Daredevil". I don't want what happened to Ogami to happen to anyone. In that sense, his is a tale of Job. Hell, it's the anti-Job. Had he been Job, he would have accepted his lot in life, and taken the life of his son and himself when the Yagyu came the first time.

No. Ogami will make his own path. Carve out his own destiny. And he'll use a structure of thousands of bodies to make straight the path.

EDITED TO ADD_

I have to add this. I began reading Lone Wolf and Cub in 1987. First Comics put out a beautiful looking comic of it in 45 issues over about four years. When First folded, LW&C was less than a third completed. It wasn't until 2002ish that I finally got to read the end of what had already been one of my favorite stories of all time. I still remember where I was as I held volume 28 of the Dark Horse collection, tears quietly streaming down my face.

For those of you unfamiliar with this story, you really must pick up one of the volumes by Dark Horse and give it a try. Start at the beginning and buy the first two. You won't be disapointed.