My 10 Favorite Superheroes - Part 2

The heroes listed so far on the previous list mean a lot to me. I enjoy reading them, and I enjoy seeing most of them in other forms of media. I suppose that's a part of the reason why I've never been able to accept the popularity of Harry Potter. It's always gonna seem lame to me, when compared with a giant man wearing a black cape and breaking peoples bones in the street. My childhood just seems that much better than the new childhood things. Anyway, this isn't a time to smite that pathetic wizard, this is the time to talk about my TOP 5 FAVORITE superheroes. This list has been a nightmare to make as I've had to short out several really great characters. Please accept my apologies The Darkness, Captain America, The Flash and Robocop. Now let's finish this madness.

5. The Sandman (Wesley Dodds)

I said I wouldn't put Morpheus from Neil Gaiman's Sandman series on my list, and that is no lie, however tying Dream of the Endless into the Golden Age Sandman's story was definitely inspired. The Sandman is a superhero based in the 1930s. It all started when he had a strange dream encounter with an entity calling himself Dream (That's Morpheus from Sandman if you don't know). Afterwards, he gains the ability of premonition in his dreams and witnesses disturbing crimes. Naturally the sleep theme was working for him so he built a sleep gas shooting gun and wore a WWI gas mask to keep it from affecting him, and went out there fighting crime.

What I find really makes him stand out is that his stories aren't just about running out and beating up the bad guys. While Batman claims to be about being a detective, this really is about a detective. Most of the time he is using his gifts to find evidence on the twisted criminals and murderers. The only thing keeping him from just getting his ass kicked are hilariously plain and clever tricks. He actually tied two empty cans together and left them in a dark area near where he was sneaking a look at some documents. The result was him being gone by the time the night security actually got to where he was.

While he was originally a hero from old 30s comics he more recently received a newer DC Vertigo series still based in the 30s, called Sandman Mystery Theatre, and this is where I'm getting my info from. It's a great series, and thanks to it's practicality and realism, I love this for succeeding where Kick Ass failed. 

4. Nightwing (Dick Grayson)

Remember that dorky kid that ran around with Batman in the green speedo back in the day. He was a lame attempt by creators to make Batman more kid friendly, except somehow it worked. He became beloved as Batman's faithful sidekick. The original Robin. He was able to assist the Caped Crusader in defeating The Joker's boner.

However after many years in the overpowering shadow of the bat something changed in Dick. He slowly started to disagree with his surrogate father and eventually decided the time was right to move out. He passed on the mantle of Robin and became Nightwing, named after a legend from Krypton, told to him by another fatherly figure Superman.

Dick went on in the many years that followed to be one of the most, if not the most, loved character in all of the DC Universe. Every hero cared deeply for him as they had known him as he was just a child, and the younger heroes and sidekicks all looked up to him. Eventually him and Bruce Wayne even made peace and came to a point of trust and respect that when the time came that Batman eventually did die, it was made clear that Nightwing was to be his successor to fight the war. The best part of this however was that Batman didn't want Dick to dress up as Batman, but to remain Nightwing, out of respect for his son finding his own path and in some ways being even better than he was. Dick however having the respect he did for Batman insisted that the world needed a Batman and adopted a bat attitude.

It's the evolution that took place with Dick that really makes him special. He doesn't brood like Batman, in fact in some ways he's more like Spiderman, with the wise cracks, however there is no mistaking it, he is arguably as good as The Batman himself but with social skills.

3. Cyclops (Scott Summers)
Let's face it. There are only a handful of writers who can write Cyclops right. Most opt to take the easy and lazy route and just use him as a lame pretty boy that Wolverine can look cool next to. I would dare say all of the X-Men movies are an example of this. It's unfortunate that so many overlook how truly sad his story really is. Cyclops was never allowed to be anything else.  When Professor Xavier picked him up and made him the field leader of the X-Men, I'm sure he didn't realize that it would be something he'd be doing for decades.

As with Beast I saw the best of Cyclops while reading Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men, where we see Cyclops as the leader he is. However we also get the quieter moments where he talks to Beast, the only other founding member still on the team. These are the moments when we stop seeing Cyclops and start seeing Scott come out. It's also an interesting dynamic to see that Scott and Beast are best friends, although it sorta makes sense when you think about it. Emma Frost at one point tries to help Cyclops out using her telepathy and actually uncovers that his optic blasts are not firing nonstop because he hit his head as a child, but rather that he is firing them nonstop as a constant reminder to always control himself. To never let anyone down. This is a layered character with real problems.

Cyclops is most known by the average person for his optic blasts that come from his eyes, but what I find interesting is that whenever he does something noteworthy or interesting, it never has anything to do with his powers. This is best shown in Astonishing X-Men, where Cyclops loses his powers, takes up a pistol and leads the team on a severely dangerous mission, ultimately leading to some really badass moments. He's a true leader and where the story lines have taken him recently, I find it interesting to see that after Magneto and Professor X have gotten tired of fighting one another, the responsibility for all of mutant kind falls on the shoulders of Cyclops.

2. The Goddamn Batman (Bruce Wayne)
Oh boy, it's hard to compete with this guy. Let's face it, he is the best. He's one of the most recognizable and one of the most interesting characters ever. He's constantly aggravated, always in a bad mood, and almost never in the mood to joke around. In fact, from what I've seen, joking around Batman tends to get you put into a wheelchair for a few months. Despite how much he sounds like a dislikable guy, he is genuinely the number one person you want at your side.

My friend over at Canons for Crickets really said it all in his little write up, but I want to talk about Batman too. What I always found coolest about Batman is that he really takes responsibility for everything. What started out as a personal crusade eventually became a fight to protect everyone, and ultimately this sense of duty and self sacrifice makes Batman the best of us. He is the one man who walks among the gods. He is the mortal who can tell Superman and Wonder Woman that they are naive and have it taken seriously.

Like any good character, what makes him great is not how powerful he is, but how vulnerable he is. Unlike characters like Wolverine, Batman's arm doesn't just grow back. He has to make it all count, knowing full well that all it takes is one bad moment to end it all. Batman is the best superhero of them all, because he knows loss better than anyone, and is brave enough never to give up.

...but he isn't my favorite.

1. Iron Man (Tony Stark)
If you say you want to be Batman, you really haven't thought it through. A much more acceptable option would be to be Iron Man. You'll have roughly the same amount of money, and 2000% more women! Iron Man is plain and simply more fun than any other character I've been reading for a while. His superpower is not that he has a badass power suit, so much as he can quite literally charm the pants off of anyone. At least that's what Tony Stark wants you to think.

See, what caught me off guard was how well written his books are. Maybe it's just been a fluke, but since 2005 I've yet to encounter one issue of Iron Man that was less than excellent. Let's face it, the writing talent's have been great as have the artists. I talk enough about Warren Ellis on here already, so I'll skip talking about Iron Man: Extremis and how you really should read it(!!!), to instead talk to you about Matt Fraction the current writer of The Invincible Ironman. What I find to be an interesting trend in Iron Man comics is that it's about Tony Stark, and maybe once an issue, if you're lucky you get to see the suit get used. I just read a whole story arch called Stark Disassembled, where for 5 issues, he never once put the suit on. This could seem less than appealing if it didn't work so darn well. Let's face it Tony Stark is an interesting guy. He is brilliant and has a snarky answer for everything.

When you think of Iron Man you think of Tony Stark having tons of fun and not worrying about anything, but as far back as the classic Demon in the Bottle storyline, we've been seeing Tony stressing to himself about certain guilty feelings he has for being rich off of weapons. Ultimately in that storyline, Tony went on to become a really bad alcoholic and had to find help. This is a flawed hero in the most believable way. It's very easy to connect with the idea of pretending to be invincible, but just being a mortal in a suit.

Though he isn't as iconic as Batman (hell who is), Iron Man is my favorite and every lady's favorite. No woman can resist a billionaire with a bad heart.

So there you have it. Yes, I know Spiderman and Wolverine weren't on my lists. I guess I just don't feel much of a connection to Spiderman anymore, however maybe you could suggest a worthwhile storyline for me to read. I gave the best top ten I could with what I knew at this moment. Please tell me who you're top ten favorite are in the comments below. In fact, if you have a blog of your own, write one of these up and post in my comments! I want to read these!

Superheroes are an amazing thing. Though, personally, I can't say that given the choice, I'd be a superhero. I've always been a villain guy. What do you say Canons for Crickets? Villains next week?