Top 20 Marvel and DC Characters Created in the 90's

People are pretty hard on comics from the 1990's... and with good reason. The 90's became this desperate battle between Marvel and DC for a new generation of readers that seemed to crave darker, more violent "extreme" characters. This lead to Marvel and DC both overhauling their classic creations to reflect what they thought readers wanted. In other words 'These aren't your parents' comic book characters!' Before long, you had a mess of bad muscular proportions, claws, over-sized guns, size quadruple D breasts and, of course, pouches.

But the 90's weren't all bad. You had the rise of major writers like Grant Morison, Warren Ellis, Kurt Busiek and artists like Jim Lee and Alex Ross. The 90's brought us books like Preacher, Transmetropolitan, Busiek's run on Thunderbolts, Marvels, Kingdom Come, Young Justice and Morrison's run on JLA. The 90's also saw the creation of lots of new characters. A lot of them were bad... really bad... but some were really good. A few even changed the world of comics. Here are Jonny and my Top 20 Marvel and DC comic book characters created in the 90's!

The greatness of these characters are being gauged by three categories: Relevance (is the character still a part of the comics scene?), Impact (did this character help change the comics industry?) and Success (is the character popular enough to warrant solo books, action figures or even movies?)

Apollo & Midnighter - I am sort of lumping these two together for the twenty slot, both because they are a bit of a package deal and that they didn't technically start out with DC Comics. They were created in 1998 when Wildstorm had been bought by DC (or just before, I couldn't find confirmation on that) but while they were still technically published by Image Comics. Honestly, that appearance was almost more like a cameo. Their real introductions came with The Authority, which debuted in 1999 with the new Wildstorm Universe under the DC umbrella.

So imagine if Superman and Batman were more violent, had no problem with killing villains and were in love with each other. That's Apollo and Midnighter in a nutshell. Part of why they are on this list is that I really love the characters as well as The Authority book. However, they have had an impact on the comic book industry. They were openly gay characters before it became a cool "minority" thing in comics, but more importantly, their sexuality wasn't what defined them. They were badasses that just happened to be gay. Even today that's surprisingly rare.

Think about it, nearly every character that had been gay before Apollo and Midnighter were never that tough and in many ways it seemed like being a homosexual was one of their super powers. Northstar is a groundbreaking gay character for Marvel Comics, but I feel like his sexual orientation means more than anything he does as a superhero. I can't even remember the last time he was in action!

Apollo and Midnighter are great in that they are not stereotypes. They aren't paraded around to prove anything. They are who they are. I think that's a big part of the reason that they were brought into the New 52 reboot, not just so DC could boast of having gay characters, but unique ones. I just wish DC knew what to do with them. 

Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) - What often happens when I find out about a great comic is that the book is either over or about to end. By the time I really discovered how cool of a character the Cassandra Cain Batgirl was, it was, unbeknownst to me, only a few issues away from ending. Since then she has been renamed the Black Bat and has fallen into some level of obscurity, but not before leaving her mark.

What's notable about Cassandra Cain's stint as Batgirl was that she was the first Batgirl to have her own ongoing series since The Killing Joke, where Barbara Gordon was paralyzed by the Joker. Now I was never a huge fan of Batgirl, or any female version of an established male superhero... it just seems cheap and unoriginal.

However, right off the bat (no pun intended), Cassandra Cain was different. She was raised to be the ultimate assassin by her father and the League of Assassins, to the extent that her learning to speak and read was considered unnecessary and counterintuitive. Her journey saw Cassandra abandon that life for a more noble one inspired by Batman, where she would learn to speak, read, write and learn to interact with people, especially by kindling a friendship with Barbara Gordon.

She could have easily been just another "extreme 90's" character, but her tenure as Batgirl was very character driven. Cassandra Cain's story was unique and her training made her an unmitigated badass. She was part of a late 90's surge in strong, ass-kicking women that included Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Chyna in the WWF. I also suspect that she helped pave the way for X-23, the female clone of Wolverine that currently uses her father's mantle in her own comic book series.

Wondergirl (Cassie Sandsmark) - Another Cassandra edges out the previous one simply because she has current relevancy in DC Comics. At some point in the 90's, the character of Wondergirl was revamped with a new character replacing the continuity nightmare that was Donna Troy. Cassie Sandsmark helped rekindle the popularity of the DC teenager comics, first with Young Justice followed by Teen Titans.

I'm not super familiar with her character, but I know that her powers and origins have been altered from time to time, especially after the New 52 reboot. However, Cassie Sandsmark remains a major member of the Teen Titans and as such a relevant fixture in DC Comics almost twenty years after her debut.

Starman (Jack Knight) - In a sea of bad 90's creations and uninspired books full of flexing, muscles and violence, James Robinson's Starman was one of the shining beacons of great storytelling and complex characters... or so I'm told. I have never actually read the book. I have read about it and it seems great, but I just never got around to it. Jonny thinks it was the best regular ongoing series of the 90's (since Kingdom Come was a mini-series and Astro City came out very sporatically).

At some point Jack Knight retired from crime-fighting and gave his cosmic rod to Courtney Whitmore, who became Stargirl... a character that has found a following even into the New 52 reboot. It's the legacy of how great the book was that really places Jack on this list.

Blink - For a time, Blink had a huge following in Marvel Comics. I think a part of that is due to her being killed off soon after she debuted in the Phalanx Covenant storyline, before she even had a chance to join the team Generation X. Well, that's only part true. Blink played a major role in the Age of Apocalypse storyline shortly after, an alternate reality where Charles Xavier had died before founding the X-men, Apocalypse took over North America and Blink was never killed. Her appearance in the AoA was what really solidified her popularity as she had a cool look and was freakin' awsesome!

Her popularity was so great that she ended up starring in the mutant Quantum Leap book called Exiles. Eventually that book ended and she hasn't been seen that much since, that is until she appeared in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Who knows, since her character was resurrected by the Black Queen Selene, maybe she will pop up more often. Blink is still popular enough that just a few years ago she won a Heroclix fan poll to get a new version of her made, so that says something!

Impulse - So at some point in the 90's a new speedster from the future named Bart Allen entered the world of The Flash. I think he was inspired by the rise of the ADHD issue of the 90's as he was reckless, out of control, a little dumb and possibly crazy. He was named Impulse.

I'm not really that familiar with Impulse except that he was a very fun character, extreme comic relief especially in the Young Justice book that came out in the late 90's. Then at some point Geoff Johns changed his name to Kid Flash and made him boring. Usually Johns has a good to great track record, but maybe he should have left Impulse alone.

That said, he did become The Flash for a while... but then he was killed and through time bullshit was resurrected and then came the New 52 where we learn their version of Bart Allen is somebody else completely and a terrorist murderer and then I stopped caring. Ugh. But anyway, the Bart Allen character has persisted for a while and as such, he makes this list.

Static - Easily the most popular character from the Milestone Universe (under the DC Comics umbrella), Static was like a black Spider-man before Miles Morales was a twinkle in Brian Michael Bendis' eye. In fact, he was designed to be Milestone's contemporary answer to Spider-man. He was popular enough to get his own animated series and the only Milestone character to get his own book when DC merged characters from Milestone, Wildstorm and Vertigo into their New 52 reboot. Unfortunately that comic sucked and was soon cancelled... something that probably wouldn't have happened if co-creator Dwayne McDuffie were still alive. With both DC and Marvel's massive shifts to promoting minority characters to major players, I really don't get why Static doesn't have another book or isn't even an active member of their Teen Titans.

Bishop - I remember when Bishop was introduced, he helped usher in the new age of the X-men... the post Claremont era that would bring about some very memorable yet dark times for the mutant universe. It didn't help that Bishop a mullet headed gun weilding character, a prerequisite for the "extreme 90's" archetype, but he also brought with him something I like to call "time baggage."

Time Baggage is when a character's continuity is closely tied to time travel and either knowing about some foreboding future event, being on a mission to stop said event, or both. Bishop was both. His power was weird, as he could absorb energy attacks to redirect them. I guess the gun was there for when he didn't have energy to redirect? I don't know. I do know that a friend of mine has stated that any mutant that needs a gun has shitty powers. I tried to defend Bishop on that, but I really couldn't come up with much.

Bishop has been a major factor in Marvel's mutant-verse since his debut, playing a major role in the Age of Apocalypse storyline, The Messiah Complex storyline and even appearing in the movie X-men: Days of Future Past. So, he definitely has to make this list... regardless of Time Baggage and mutant with a gun issues.

Carnage - What happens when you push the envelope on an "extreme 90's" concept? You get Carnage. Take everything about the Venom character and amplify it. Carnage could do everything Venom could do, plus make weapons out of his symbiotic body to aid in his murdering people. Oh, did I mention that Carnage is a serial killer? Yeah, that's important. It helped lead to his most renown storyline Maximum Carnage. 

At least Carnage was never intended to be a hero. I think his creation was to help make Venom into more on an anti-hero... something that never really worked with the Eddie Brock character. It's hard to make a murderous, bloodthirsty monster into a hero and to Carnage's benefit, he never had that problem.

Carnage is a little like Doomsday in that he pops up every now and then and everyone knows he's a huge threat. He still pops up, most recently in the pages of Nova. He has a lasting legacy and a bit of a following, making him memorable, relevant and a part of this list.

Doomsday - While I have to include Doomsday on this list, I just can't justify putting him very high on it. He only really had one memorable story, but boy was it a doozy! Doomsday will forever be known as the monster that killed Superman... sort of. Through the magic of retconning, I guess Superman was in a Kryptonian coma or some crap... whatever. The bastard died, we all know it.

The thing is that since then, it's been hard to really use Doomsday effectively. For a character that powerful, you really only have two options. Either keep him as powerful and have him plow through more heroes, making them look useless, or weaken Doomsday enough to make him manageable. For the most part, DC went with the latter.

Sure, there was the sequel story where Doomsday messed up Darkseid, but since then he has been relegated to being the "used to be a massive threat but now gets owned by whatever new character needs to be established as a bad ass" treatment. (That was certainly the case against Imperiex.) However, Doomsday has a lasting legacy and was the catalyst of bringing change to the DC universe in the 90's and beyond, and for that alone he would make the list. In addition to that some variation of Doomsday has appeared on Smallville and will be in the upcoming Batman Vs Superman movie.

Steel - I guess DC needed their own Iron Man, because that's basically what Steel is. Brilliant scientist, feels guilty about his role in creating weapons used by bad people, builds a super suit of metal, fights crime. That's both Iron Man and Steel in two nutshells.

I will defend Steel in a few ways. First, his introduction in the Reign of the Supermen storyline was pretty cool and left a lasting impact. Second, DC had tried before to make their own Iron Man... both with Technocrat and Booster Gold when he decided to be 'extreme!' after Doomsday kicked his ass. Third, even after adding the former Milestone character and Iron Man archetype Hardware to the New 52, DC still goes with Steel as their resident "guy in a robot suit."

War Machine - So while the character of James Rhodes was created in the 1980's, he didn't actually get his own set of armor and become his own unique character of War Machine until the 90's. Let's be honest, he started as a very 90's character, using massive guns and basically being a more extreme version of Iron Man. However, his popularity has endured over the years to make him a major part of Iron Man's world as well as an Avenger in his own right.

I would argue that his recent surge in appearances can be attributed to Rhodes being African American, one of the rare already established non-white heroes in Marvel. Also, his appearances in the Iron Man films (or I guess film as "War Machine" was only in the second one) helps as well. Now he seems to mostly go by Iron Patriot, wearing an armor similar to the one Norman Osborn used during the Dark Avengers storyline. However, he wouldn't have gotten there without having been War Machine first. 

Gambit - There was a time when Gambit was massively popular in the comics. There was a time when he only followed Wolverine on the list of favorite X-Men. Today, not so much. I don't know why he is no longer big, maybe writers didn't know what to do with him. His solo books never did that well, meaning he probably works better as part of a team. Regardless, in the prime of his popularity, Gambit was awesome. He looked cool, had awesome exploding energy cards and those dark eyes. Subtracting claws, blades, guns and pouches, Gambit was a prime example of the "extreme 90's" character... especially fitting well with the X-men prerequisite of being dark, brooding and a mysterious background.

Why is he so high on this list? Because he was so popular he had numerous toys made, appeared in all the X-men cartoons since his debut, has appeared on film and is also getting a film of his own! That screams out Top 10 characters of the 90's to me!

Green Lantern (Kyle Rayner)  - Jonny Prophet doesn't want to admit to it, but Kyle Rayner was a major piece of the DC Comics puzzle in the 90's and beyond. I get why many Hal Jordan fans dislike Rayner, but he was created for a purpose and served that purpose well... to breathe new life into an aging franchise. Not only that, but he also helped bring more relatable youth into the Justice League books. DC replaced an old character with graying hair from the silver age, with a young struggling artist turned inexperienced hero (that by the way, is half Hispanic, making him a major minority character before it was cool).

Due to the events of Emerald Twilight, where Hal Jordan went insane and slaughtered the Green Lantern Corps (a further slap in the face to Jordan fans... until DC decided to absolve Hal's sins through retcons), Kyle Rayner became the last Green Lantern and as such a guardian of the universe. He became a cornerstone of the JLA book, which totally revamped DC Comics by turning the Justice League into an all-star book. Eventually, he was instrumental in resurrecting the Green Lantern Corps through his ring's power.

Since Hal Jordan was brought back to life and made a Green Lantern again, Kyle Rayner has lost a lot of his relevance in the books. They've made him a White Lantern to help give him a new direction, but he's essentially one of many humans with a power ring. Regardless, Rayner was a major part to the changing face of DC Comics in the 90's and certainly deserving of a spot in the Top 10. 

Bane - Superman had Doomsday, Batman had Bane. Yes, Bane was designed to be a near unstoppable threat to Batman and help shake up his books the way Doomsday did to Superman's. As such, Bane became huge and like Doomsday, legendary for his role in beating Batman. Unlike Doomsday, however, Bane has proven to be useful beyond the Knightfall storyline.

He has appeared twice in feature length films, though ironically neither were accurate to the comic book version. Batman & Robin relegated Bane to being a grunting mindless powerhouse (completely disregarding his brilliant criminal mind... he did, after all, put together and execute a plan that defeated Batman!). In The Dark Knight Rises, Bane was closer to being the criminal mastermind he was in the comics, though his League of Shadows origin and lack of reliance on the super steroid "venom" also made him less authentic. That said, Bane continues to have a lasting effect on Batman and was the second most influential 90's addition to his rogues gallery.

Superboy (Conner Kent) - The Death of Superman set the ball in motion for change in the DC universe during the 90's, but it was the Reign of the Superman that really jumpstarted things with new characters and turning points. I already mentioned one of these new characters (Steel) but the one that made an even bigger impact was Superboy. Back in the Silver Age, DC ran a Superboy comic illustrating the adventures of young Clark Kent. In the 90's, DC found a way to have a young Superman without having to go the "prequel" route.

Conner Kent, as he would come to be known, was a clone of Superman and (it would later be revealed) Lex Luthor. Superboy would become instrumental in reviving the teenage superhero side of the DC universe first with Young Justice and then with Teen Titans. Even in the dreaded New 52 he not only had his own title but became a fixture on that incarnation of the Teen Titans.

While I wasn't huge on Superboy at the start, mainly because he was an obnoxious brat, DC helped his character settle into a role that helped set him apart from Superman and still kept him relevant enough to make it plausible that he might one day take up that mantle for himself. His powers are unique, a "tactile telekinesis" that allows him to fly and provides a different level of imperviousness. He's powerful but not powerful enough to usurp DC's golden boy.

Given his various solo titles, his action figures, his starring role in the underrated cartoon Young Justice and his continuing impact on the DC universe, Superboy deserves his place among the greatest of the 90's.

Cable - I would rank Cable even higher, but since the 90's, he has had a declining impact in a comic book environment less obsessed with huge guns and cybernetic enhancements. That said, he is still a major part to the mythology of the X-men and the mutant part of the Marvel universe. Cable pretty much exemplified the archetype of the "extreme 90's" character with his aforementioned cybernetic parts, comically oversized guns, oddly glowing cyber eye, tough attitude and SO MANY POUCHES! (Everyone knows pouches are the key to extreme... their could be anything in those pouches... ANYTHING!)

I always liked the Cable character. He has an interesting, if convoluted origin. While he looks like the prototypical extreme character, there were good reasons for much of his appearance. The cybernetics are the result of the techno-organic virus that his eternal nemesis Apocalypse infected him with as a child. He has very strong telekinetic abilities, but had to use most of that power keeping the virus at pay, necessitating his need to fight with those huge futuristic guns. He is forever a soldier, fighting numerous wars throughout time and helping the mutant cause in the process.

In recent years, Cable has been a part of many storylines, including all that stuff involving Hope Summers. He has had his own solo comic many times, shared one with a certain Merc with a Mouth (who is on this list) and has been with the X-Men and X-Force, so Nathaniel Summers is clearly of some importance still to the Marvel Universe. In fact, a certain Regenerating Degenerate revealed that his sequel will in fact feature Cable... so maybe he will see a resurgence in popularity.

 

Venom - You could make a strong argument that the dark 90's characters began with the introduction of Venom, a villain that would create a huge ripple effect in Spider-Man comics and beyond. He was in instant fan favorite, a reverse Spider-Man that was stronger, more vicious, could attack without setting off the Web-Head's "Spider-Senses" and Venom knew that Peter Parker was Spider-Man's secret identity! You could say Venom was a game changer, a villain on caliber with (at the time) the late Norman Osborn's Green Goblin,.

Over time, though, it became harder to keep Venom a true bad guy. Fans wanted more of him, but you can't have Venom in every issue of Spider-Man. This led to the aforementioned Carnage, but more importantly put Venom on the path to becoming the anti-hero with the nickname of the "Lethal Protector." The only problem is that Venom couldn't be a true superhero and still kill his opponents, but it was his viciousness that gained him his following. Overtime, the character of Venom got stale.

Attempts were made to rejuvenate the character by having Eddie Brock (the possessor of the symbiotic Venom suit) to sell it, eventually landing it into the hands of Mac Gargan, formerly known as the Spider-Man villain the Scorpion. (By the way, Eddie Brock went on to get a weird new symbiote named Anti-Venom, which I think was created from his cancer? I don't know, it's weird.) Gargan, being a true homicidal criminal, used the Venom suit to monstrous ends, from slaughtering a roomful of cops at once to eating Skrulls! He even impersonated Spider-Man in Norman Osborn's Dark Avengers.

After Gargan was apprehended, the Venom symbiote was taken by the government and used to create a form of super soldier with Peter Parker's old friend "Flash" Thompson. Thompson, who had lost his legs fighting in Iraq, was granted new legs by the symbiote when it was attached to him. This new direction reinvigorated the character and made Venom popular again. He not only is the Avenger's liaison to the Guardians of the Galaxy, but Venom has his own book called Venom: Space Knight.

Venom has had a lasting effect on Marvel and the comic business. He's appeared in Spider-Man 3 and had countless toys, statues, shirts... you name it. That's why he's the third greatest 90's comic book character in my book.

 

Harley Quinn - It's amazing how a character created solely for Batman the Animated Series as the Joker's sidekick took off and became a phenomenon unto herself. Truth be told, she is a fantastic character. She is a lost soul that can be compete with Joker's sadistic nature while showing glimpses of the good person she was before the Joker corrupted her. Harley Quinn is the perfect love interest for the Joker, something that sounds outlandish but works on a comedic level.

It was in the comics that Harley began to evolve beyond Joke's sidekick with benefits. She got her own books, teamed with other characters such as Poison Ivy (with whom it was implied that she had a romantic involvement) and eventually wound up a member of the Suicide Squad... a member that will likely NOT be killed.  I mean, come on, that would be stupid.

Within a couple of years of her cartoon debut, Harley was introduced into the comics themselves. Since then you could say she's been a runaway success. She has starred in several series, had lots of statues and action figures made of her and inspired countless cosplays at comic book and pop culture conventions around the world. Oh, and she will be making her big screen debut this summer in Suicide Squad. Harley Quinn is truly DC's greatest creation of the 1990's.

 

Deadpool - Yeah, it was probably pretty obvious who number one is on this list. Deadpool started out humbly as both a parody rip-off of DC's Deathstroke the Terminator and as something of a cliche, a smart ass mercenary for Cable and the New Mutants (later X-Force) to fight. Somewhere along the way, though, Deadpool lost his frickin' mind! I'm honestly not sure when it happened, but as he gradually gained a following certain writers decided to have fun with him. Deadpool began making pop culture references, "riffing" his own books and even breaking the fourth wall. Before long Deadpool became a morally devoid and heavily armed Bugs Bunny.

Now, Deadpool has never been more popular. His comic sells so well that Marvel puts out constant miniseries of old Wade Wilson, often teaming up with other heroes and driving them insane. He's about to get his second monthly book Deadpool's Mercs for Money. He was recently made an Avenger and a centerpiece to the Uncanny Avengers book. His figures, statues and Heroclix sell out consistently. His image appears on everything from t-shirts to keychains. Oh, and there was that movie of his that made copious amounts of money at the box office (as was both hilarious and awesome... or hilsome... or awlarious... I like that one better. It was awlarious!) So while you might argue whether or not Deadpool is truly the greatest 90's comic book character, you'll have a tough time disputing that he is the most successful!

 

So there you have it. Anyone you think we missed anyone or dont agree with the rankings, feel free to eviscerate us in the comments. Until next time Stay Strange.

 

Toaster's Ramblings - New Year's Edition Part 2

Welcome back to part 2 of my new years ramblings! (I can't believe it's February already.) In this part I want to touch upon some of my anticipations for 2016 as well as some plans I have for future posts. So let's start with the year in film... or what may come to be known as The Year Movie-Goers Drowned in Superhero Films!

Yes, 2016 could be the year that people finally get sick of superhero movies. Why? Because this year will see the release of Deadpool, Batman Vs Superman: Dawn of Justice, Captain America: Civil War, X-men Apocalypse, Suicide Squad, and Doctor Strange! Also, to the best of my knowledge the Gambit movie is still tentatively scheduled to be released this fall, but I am guessing it will be moved to 2017 because I don't think the project has progressed very far.

Clearly this is a huge year for Warner Bros. and DC Comics. If their Batman Vs Superman movie doesn't impress, their plans to push out a Justice League movie as well as establish their movie universe could be over before it begins. Personally, I think the movie has a steep uphill climb to succeed with several factors working against it.  For one thing, Man of Steel was not nearly as well received as DC and Warner Bros. would have liked.

Second, some of their casting is questionable. I still have reservations about Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor (I am still predicting that Ultron from last year's Avengers movie will turn out to be a better Luthor than Eisenberg!). Some people also don't like the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman, citing that the movie Daredevil was bad. In my opinion, Affleck will be fine, but what do I know? I actually liked Daredevil... though the Netflix series makes the movie look like a turd with frosted tips.

Third, the plot seems kind of weird. The premise itself of Batman fighting Supeman is interesting in of itself, but the recent trailer showed they will be facing Doomsday as well... a Doomsday with CGI from the early 2000's. There's also a rumor about Bizarro showing up too. Again, it's a little weird.

This leads to the fourth reason, one that I think may kill this movie... it's too damn crowded! I was reading off the various celebrities and characters set to be in Batman Vs. Superman to TivoGirl and she was shocked! We already have Batman, Superman, Lois Lane, Percy White, Martha Kent, Lex Luthor, Mercy, Alfred, Doomsday, Wonder Woman, Aquaman and we are rumored to also have Victor "Cyborg" Stone, and Bizarro. But wait, that's not all! We also have Jena Malone (possibly as Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon), Ezra Miller as The Flash, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as Thomas Wayne as well as Holly Hunter and Scoot McNairy. That's pretty damn packed. Now also consider that out of that long list, only Superman, Lois Lane, Perry White and Martha Kent were already established in Man of Steel. That is a hell of a lot of characters to introduce!

Now I will concede that likely a lot of these appearances will just be cameos (Cyborg, Flash and probably Aquaman and Wonder Woman) but that is still way too many big characters to establish and devote time to. Perhaps the fact that it is a two-part movie will help with this, but as Han Solo would say... OUCH! Um... I mean "I have a bad feeling about this."

Consider this, whenever a comic book movie tries to introduce too many new characters at once, it always becomes a jumbled mess. Think about it... Spider-man 3, Amazing Spider-man 2, Batman & Robin, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine... even Avengers: Age of Ultron bit off more than it could chew. To tell a proper story, you need time invested into the characters to understand their struggles and goals. When a studio tries to turn a movie into a jumping off point to create new spin-off franchises, it always comes at the sacrifice of story and character development, the end result being a dissatisfying movie experience for the fans.

Now I want to be clear... I do not want to hate Batman Vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice... man, that is a really stupid title when you write it out like that. Anyways, I am not walking into the theater with my opinion already set. I want to like this movie. A film where Batman fights Superman is new and interesting. Plus, I want new superhero films for characters that have never had one before.

So after that long, rambling diatribe, what are my opinions of other major upcoming movies for this year? Here's a rundown:

Deadpool - This movie seems to be the real deal, a Deadpool movie that feels authentic and is everything fans like myself wanted from that stupid Wolverine Origins movie. The trailers show an irreverent anti-hero prone to smart ass comments and extreme violence. In other words, everything looks freakin' awesome! I am very excited for this one.

Captain America: Civil War - Less excited for this one. I have a lot of the same fears for this that I have with Batman Vs. Superman... too many characters, a convoluted plot and an unsatisfying movie. However, most of these characters are already established and the directors made the awesome Winter Soldier movie, so Civil War has that going for it. My bigger problem is that I am not the biggest fan of the source material. Marvel's Civil War started out good and then degenerated into a series of weird directions and a very disappointing ending. Also, the comics event had lots of characters on both sides, involving virtually every Marvel hero (and some villains) except the X-Men and the space characters like Nova and Solver Surfer (who subsequently were involved in a way better major storyline called Annihilation). This movie has five on each side (not including Spider-man... not sure where he fits into the film yet). Five versus five seems more like a 50's gang "rumble" than a civil war.

One thing that I do like about Civil War is that it continues Steve Rogers' story concerning his world. The first film had his origin back in his world of the 1940's and led to his awakening in the present. The next movie (as well as Avengers) saw Steve's world turned upside-down as the government that he trusted and represented turned out to be corrupted and his best friend, seemingly killed in World War II, survived as a Soviet super assassin with no memory of the person he was. This movie appears to show Steve Rogers abandon his loyalties to help save his assassin friend, the last remnant of his former life back when his world made sense. That does make for compelling story-telling and I hope that story doesn't get buried under cameos, explosions and "universe building."

Hopefully Civil War will be good. Either way, they already have my money.

X-Men: Apocalypse - I'm weary of this movie... though to be fair I was weary of the last two X-Men films and both of those turned out great. However, I have high expectations for this one. It's supposed to be massive global damage, end of days kind of stuff. But the villain looks like Ivan Ooze! Why is Apocalypse look rubbery and purple? He doesn't look menacing!

I am interested to see what Apocalypse does to augment Magneto, Storm and Psylocke as his Horsemen. It looks like they are going with the comic version of Archangel so I just assume I know what he does... big metal wings that help him fly and throw metal blade "feathers" at his opponents.

I also want to see Sophie Turner use an American accent to play Jean Grey. She may be a good choice to play that character. It looks like Jubilee may be combined with Dazzler to some extent. I did notice in the picture of her with Turner that Lana Condor was wearing a "Light Brigade" shirt. It will be cool seeing more of Quicksilver too.

I have been waiting a long time for this X-men film. I hope Fox and Bryan Singer don't mess it up!

Suicide Squad - I am way more excited for this one than I am Superman Vs. Batman. The recent trailer looks great. I love it when we can get movies about lesser known comic book characters. There's less pressure to make a certain kind of film and allows the writers, directors and actors a level of freedom to make something unique. (Case in point: Guardians of the Galaxy.)

I am still not sold on "Jokallo." I realize that the filmmakers wanted to separate this version of Joker from Heath Ledger's and others, but I'm not sure that covering him in stupid tattoos and giving him a dental "grill." is the right direction. That said, I am intrigued with what Jared Leto may do with the character. I joked when he got the part that the only way Warner Bros. could find a way to one-up Heath Ledger's Oscar winning Joker from The Dark Knight was to hire someone who already won for Best Supporting Actor! Leto's backstage antics make me think he gets the character and won't just be redoing Ledger or Nicholson's Jokers.

Jonny and I have running bets on who will die in the movie. Generally, if we haven't really heard of the character, consider them dead. Deadshot and Harley Quinn? They're safe. I hope Will Smith will do Deadshot justice. Margot Robbie seems to have been a good choice for Harley Quinn. Killer Croc? Maybe. Diablo and Slipknot? Oh, they're dead. One of them might be killed before the mission even starts (like that one obstinate kid in Battle Royale).

I think Captain Boomerang is safe given that they hired up and comer Jai Courtney for the role and that having an established Flash villain may be good for the upcoming Flash movie. Jon, however, dislikes Jai Courtney and thinks he will die. Clearly it's just wishful thinking on his part.

Doctor Strange - Not very much is known about this movie. An image of Benedict Cumberbatch all decked out as Doctor Strange looked fantastic. That guy with the unpronounceable name from 12 Years a Slave was cast as arch-nemesis Baron Mordo and 'suspected robot due to never aging' Tilda Swinton will play the Ancient One. That's about all we have. Hopefully it will be good. I've never been a huge Doctor Strange fan, but before 2008 I didn't give a crap about Iron Man either, so who knows. I just hope we see Dormammu... maybe even Shuma "totally not Cthulhu" Gorath. That would be cool.

Moving on to the next year for this blog. I am thinking of reviving a few things I either stopped doing or just haven't had time for... such as Live Action Casting, Guilty Pleasures, The Underrated and Running Commentary. I have topics in mind for all of those. It comes down to motivation and time, but I will try to post a bit more than I did last year.

So until that next post,

Stay Strange

Toaster's Ramblings - The Convergance of the Secret Wars (or How Marvel and DC Had the Same Summer Event)

It seems that Marvel and DC both have pretty much run the same storyline event for the summer. Both Secret Wars and Convergence deal with time and reality getting smashed together into a jumbled mess of different characters from different worlds, where they all fight and eventually everything gets (sort of but not really) rebooted. I do find it amusing that DC has had the New 52 around less than five years and already needs to do a "soft" reboot. (A soft reboot, by the way, is when some parts of a universe get a fresh start while others continue on as normal.) Now maybe it was just a coincidence that both comic companies ran similar events, but I doubt it. Marvel has apparently been working on Secret Wars for five years, while reviews suggest that Convergence felt rushed in many ways. DC probably got wind of what Marvel was planning and set out to do their own version and release it a few months early (Convergence started this past Spring and is already over. Secret Wars is currently ongoing.)

Honestly, I haven't been following either event. Five dollars an issue for Secret Wars is too much, I would rather wait for a trade edition. As for DC, I'm pretty much done with them. Not only have I grown to hate the New 52, but DC decided to implement a new way of placing advertising into their comic books...

DC You? More like DC... You Suck!

Yeah, so as long as that ridiculous shit is going on, I'm out. If Marvel does it too, I'll be done with them as well. I don't mind a page add, or even a two-page add, but I will not share comic book art and storyline on the same page as an advertisement. That's bullshit. Not only does it take you out of the story, but it is disrespectful to the very medium of comic book art. Imagine if instead of specific commercial breaks on television, commercials randomly play in the middle of your show. Let's say you're watching CW's Arrow and Ollie is about to fight Deathstroke and just as the first punch is thrown, we cut to a Clearasil commercial, then go back to the punch in mid-swing. It would kind of piss you off, now wouldn't it? Well, split-page ads piss me off just the same way.

I don't really know what the post-Convergence DC universe looks like, but the Marvel one is interesting. First of all, much of the pre-Secret Wars developments remain intact. Falcon is still the new Captain America and Steve Rogers is still old. Thor is still a woman (Jane Foster). Wolverine is still dead. The Fantastic Four, as a team, is also dead with Human Torch hanging out with the Inhumans and Thing the new pilot for the Guardians of the Galaxy. I'm not really sure where Mr. Fantastic and Invisible Woman will end up, though the latter was an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. before the event.

The list of the post-Secret Wars title launches has been released and while some really don't interest me at all, others are quite intriguing. Here are my thoughts on the upcoming books:

A-Force #1 - AKA the "female Avengers." Seems a little on the nose to me. "You want more gender diversity? Have an entire book of woman Avengers!" It almost borderlines on gimmicky to me. I will say that there seem to be far more women Avengers than their were in the 90's when most seemed to be female versions of popular male heroes (She-Hulk, Spider-woman), but that may just be due to the fact that in the last 10 years, EVERYONE seems to be an Avenger. I also wonder, who will a team of female Avengers fight? Will they face female villains? How many female villains does Marvel have that are an Avengers level threat? I might thumb through the first issue to see what this book is like, but I don't expect much.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 - I don't watch the show, why would I read the comic?

All-New All-Different Avengers #1 - I might actually get a subscription to this one. I like the younger line-up of Nova (Sam Alexander), Ms. Marvel and Spider-man (Miles Morales) contrasted with veterans like "Falcon America," Jane Foster Thor, Iron Man and Vision. It has a Young Justice vibe to it.

All-New Wolverine #1 - While it's interesting that X-23 is the new Wolverine, I doubt I will buy the book.

All-New X-Men #1-  So are they still the original X-men from the 60's (or whenever they're supposed to come from, something tells me the present Cyclops isn't in his mid-50's)? I don't know. I didn't read the book before and I'm pretty sure I won't read it now. It seems like the novelty of young versions running around with their older counterparts would have worn off by now.

Amazing Spider-Man #1 - I'm guessing this is the Peter Parker Spider-man since Miles Morales has the non-adjective Spider-man book. I don't know... I might look at it. Maybe it will be unique. I doubt I will buy it, though.

Angela: Asgard’s Assassin #1 - I liked when Angela was time-displaced and hung out with the Guardians of the Galaxy, having a friendly rivalry with Gamora. Then for some reason it was revealed she was Asgardian... which is weird. I guess Marvel wanted to start over with her back-story, but I would have preferred that she is the same character from Spawn that now is stuck in the 616 universe... and occasionally alludes to her former life. I'm just not sure I care about her as Asgard's assassin... the Asgardians already have Sif and the Jane Foster Thor... I might flip through the book, but I doubt I will be impressed.

Ant-Man #1 - Never been much of an Ant-man fan. The whole shrinking thing never seemed that useful unless you are evil (like Atomica in Forever Evil). Then you can scramble people's brains or enter their body and grow to normal size so your victim pops like a balloon. But commanding an army of ants? Um... I guess you could get them to bring you all the loose change on the ground for miles around. I guess there are actual uses in espionage, but I never really cared. I doubt I will pick up this book.

Captain Marvel #1 - I'm glad that Carol Danvers is getting her due as Marvel's elite super heroine. However, I haven't read any of her books so far. Not sure if I will start here, either.

Carnage #1 - I don't get the point of this one. Is Carnage still a serial killing monster or are they trying to make him a hero now? Either way, I'm not sure it will work as an ongoing series.

Contest of Champions #1 - Place your bets now about how long this book will last! If the writer's are smart, there will be an end point, like with Avengers Arena. This is not a premise that will last long.

Daredevil #1 - I might flip through this book. I loved the Netflix series (who didn't?) and am curious if Marvel will try to make the comic more like the show. I think Daredevil is in serious need of new villains, good new villains. Most of his villains are lame. They can't just keep going back to Kingpin and Bullseye. Like I said, I will give it a once over, but I'm not expecting much.

Deadpool #1 - I like Deadpool and as such will probably get this book. The writers, however, have big shoes to fill. The previous volume's writing team, including comedian Brian Posehn, made a really good run full of hilarity, some genius moments (the various "lost" throwback issues of Daredevil from decades past), and a great supporting crew including ghost Ben Franklin.

Doctor Strange #1 - Maybe the film will give me new appreciation for the Sorceror Supreme, but it won't be in time for me to start reading this book.

Drax #1 - I will check this book out for one reason... former WWE star CM Punk is co-writing. It doesn't guarantee that the book will be any good, but like with any celebrity writer, it's worth a look.

Extraordinary X-Men #1 - Good news... in addition to being Uncanny, All-New, All-Different, Extreme and Astonishing, the X-men are also Extraordinary. It has an interesting line-up with Colossus, Iceman, Jean Grey (from the past), Nightcrawler (whom I thought was dead), Magik, Storm and Old Man Logan... because Marvel is really serious about Wolverine staying dead. Will Jean Grey discuss with the Iceman of the present about how his past version is gay? Only time will tell. I might glance at this book, but I'm not expecting anything "extraordinary." (see what I did there? I'm clever.)

Guardians of the Galaxy #1 - I was reading the previous run and loved the Abnett/Lanning run that has inspired a new age for Marvel's space universe and renewed love for many forgotten characters. (Ten years ago, did you think you would see a movie starring Star-Lord? Did you even know who the hell Star-Lord was? My point exactly.) Brian Michael Bendis is still writing this new volume, but I guess now Rocket Raccoon is the leader and Thing is the new pilot. And Star-Lord is a woman. I'm game, why not?

Hawkeye #1 - The only time I ever read a Hawkeye book was when he led The Thunderbolts way back when. I'm okay with leaving it that way. If I need my bow and arrow fix, CW's got me covered.

Howard the Duck #1 - Um... no.

Howling Commandos of S.H.I.E.L.D. #1 - This one will be among the first wave of cancellations, mark my words. Unless they go back in time to fight Nazis with the real Howling Commandos... that I would check out.

Illuminati #1 - What is the purpose of a book about the elitist secret club of Marvel? Do they fight as a team? Are they a team? Do I care? I can answer one of those questions.

Invincible Iron Man #1 - I might glance at this book. Here's the thing, I love the movie version of Tony Stark, because Robert Downey Jr. gives the character a great deal of wit and fast comedic timing, because if not for those, let's be honest, we would all think Tony Stark was a self-righteous prick. Well, the Tony Stark of the comics, even after the debut of the first Iron Man movie, is a self-righteous prick. However, I did enjoy Tony Stark during his brief tenure with the Guardians of the Galaxy. Why? Because Brian Michael Bendis writes Tony as witty and fun. So, since he's writing this book, I will give it a look.

Karnak #1 - The only reason I'm going to check out this book is because Warren Ellis is the writer. I expect I'm not the only one who shares that sentiment.

The Mighty Thor #1 - Is this still Jane Foster Thor? That's cool. I didn't read her book before Secret Wars, why mess with success?

Ms. Marvel #1 - I missed the boat on this book. I've heard great things and will probably check out trades of the previous volume. As such, I might thumb through this new volume.

New Avengers #1 - Not sure why they didn't just call this A.I.M.: Avengers Idea Mechanics. This line-up is crazy. The team is led by Sunspot and features Wiccan, Hulkling, Squirrel-girl, Hawkeye, Power Man, White Tiger and Songbird. I may have to check this book out based on the line-up alone. However, I am not confident on this book's success.

Nova #1 - I love Nova. I was a fan of Richard Ryder. I came to love Sam Alexander was well. The cover of this new book shows Sam in his Black Nova get-up with an adult dressed in classic Nova Corp attire. My question is... is that adult Sam's dad or Ryder back from the dead? (Really hoping for the latter.) This is one book I will be picking up.

Old Man Logan #1 - So what, is Old Man Logan now in the 616 Marvel universe? Do I care? Not really.

Sam Wilson, Captain America #1 - I'll be honest, the only time I ever gave a shit about Falcon was in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. I don't really get why he is Captain America. Does he have the Super Soldier Serum? Otherwise he's Falcon with a shield. I'm still not really giving a shit.

Silk #1 - I know nothing about this character except she is somehow connected to the "Spider-verse" which I guess is a thing now. Is their also a Hawkeye-verse and a Paste-Pot Pete-verse?

Scarlet Witch #1 - I've never been a big Scarlet Witch fan, so... yeah.

Spider-Gwen #1 - She's got a following, but I've never read anything about the alternate reality Gwen that got powers. It's still part of the Spider-verse. I want to read a book about the Groot-verse!

Spider-Man #1 - I think it's cool that Miles Morales will be the main Spider-man after Secret Wars. He's a great character that allows Marvel to explore Spider-man in high school again without resorting to deals with Mephisto or de-aging Peter Parker. Best of all, Miles' creator, Brain Michael Bendis, is writing the book. I might check this book out... partly to know how Miles came to be in the 616 universe when Parker is still alive (unless he's the same from the Ultimate universe and just "displaced"). I'm not always on board with Bendis, but he does to Spider-man really well.

Spider-Man 2099 #1 - Way back in the day I actually had a subscription of Spider-man 2099 mailed to my house (the town I was raised in was without a comic shop of it's own). The book was only okay, primarily for a lack of great, memorable villains. I mean, Spider-man has the best rogues gallery of any hero in the Marvel universe, yet his counter-part from a hundred years in the future really didn't have many to speak of. I'm actually having a tough time remembering any beyond 2099 versions of Vulture and Venom. There was a cyborg bounty hunter whose name escapes me and some guy named Thanatos that looked like a Roman gladiator (no, his skin wasn't purple, I don't think he had anything to do with that Thanos). I think the new book takes place in the 616 universe, so I guess he can borrow current Spider-man villains. I doubt I'll read the book... I might flip through it out of curiosity. I like his costume at least.

Spider-Woman #1 - Never cared for Spider-woman. I'll pass.

Squadron Supreme #1 - I might check this one out. It could be interesting... or it could be a waste of time. It's a real toss-up.

Star-Lord #1 - Why is Star-Lord a woman? I thought I saw cover art that showed the character with a feminine body. But then I saw another where he was wearing his trademark mask while wearing an astronaut outfit and a "Quill" name badge... so I have no idea what is going on. I might flip through the book to see if they answer it, but I doubt I'll care enough to buy the comic.

The Totally Awesome Hulk #1 - Is the Hulk "totally awesome" now? He has been Incredible and Invincible and... red. Why is he awesome? I guess he may be someone other than Bruce Banner. After Red Hulk, Skaar, A-Bomb, She-Hulk and Red She-Hulk, that's just what we needed. As long as he's "totally awesome."

Web Warriors #1 - So it's another book based on the Spider-verse, but this time loosely affiliated with a cartoon? I don't get it.

Ultimates #1 - So it's a book with nothing to do with the Ultimate universe. It's just an Avengers book under a different name. It has Black Panther, the current Captain Marvel, the past Captain Marvel (Monica Rambeau) as Spectrum, and Blue Marvel... a character that a month ago I had never heard of. Might glance at it, but I am doubtful I'll buy it. 

Uncanny Avengers #1 - So this book is kind of odd for me. Initially, I loved the book. It fulfilled that craving I had for super teams fighting massive threats, first with the Red Skull, then against the Apocalypse Twins. Then, the book got weird. Havok, one of my favorite X-men, got disfigured... like on a Two-Face level. Wolverine lost his healing factor and would soon be dead, Steve Rogers was old, Rogue had absorbed Wonder Man... then after the Red Onslaught storyline, the entire line-up changed (save for Scarlet Witch and Rogue). I wanted to like the new line-up. It had Quicksilver, whom I haven't read in a book since X-Factor and there was Sabretooth, seeking redemption. However, the team focused all of it's time fighting the High Evolutionary... a character I've never really cared for. Plus, we were treated to the old Avengers soap opera from back in the day that led to my hating the book and team... the bizarre love triangle (obligatory New Order reference) of Scarlet Witch, Vision and Wonder Man. Ugh... so stupid. This new book once again has a new line-up adding Spider-man, Human Torch, some new chick named Synapse and Deadpool. I will give the book another shot.

Uncanny Inhumans #1 - I've never been huge on the Inhumans. I like them as part of the overall Marvel universe, but not for their own stories and drama. I doubt I will get this book.

Uncanny X-Men #1- This is a book that intrigues me. It has Magneto leading a team with Psylocke, Mystique, Fantomex and Sabretooth... with some other as yet to be revealed mutants. It's like a Brotherhood of Mutants team under the X-men banner. I will definitely check this one out.

Venom: Spaceknight #1 - I doubt this book will last. Despite the popularity of the character, a Venom-centric book has never been a big hit. I do like the reinvention of the character with host Flash Thompson. Instead of a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, this is apparently continuing his space adventures since joining the Guardians of the Galaxy. But what's this "spacknight" thing? Is that like Rom the Spaceknight? It might be interesting, but I have my doubts about the book's future. I will give it a once-over however.

The Vision #1 - Remember how I said I was never a Scarlet Witch fan? The same applies to Vision. The two of them made an awful soap opera storyline for so long... I hated the Avengers for years because of them. 

So yeah. I will have some new Marvel comics to check out and will avoid DC like the plague.  Time will tell whether this will improve the Marvel Universe, or make it more convoluted, or have no effect at all. I'm just glad they haven't gone the New 52 route and rebooted everything. I think at that point I just would have been done with comics... except indies. Come to think of it, I should check out indie books more often. Valiant's been looking pretty good lately. 

Until next time, Stay Strange!