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Ramblin' Man Gallery
No, this isn't the 'greatest heroes of all time', blah, blah, blah, list. Those are a fun way to start a good argument at a comic shop, but they get rather annoying. 'Superman is a wuss!' 'Wolverine is just a punk!' "Usagi is just a rabbit.' Yeah, yeah. And besides, picking comic heroes isn't like picking greatest football teams. There aren't any stats to say 'Well, Superman can bench-press a planet?' 'Oh yeah, well... well, Thor has magic lightening that'll kick Superman's butt!' You get the idea. These are just characters I love after years of collecting and reading comics, purchasing toys, filling my shelves with TPBs and single issues, the works.
1. Batman. Actually, when I was a kid, I loved Superman; the cape, the Fortress of Solitude, and the Supermobile! Hey, I was a kid. And so my reading of assorted comic heroes continued... until 'The Dark Knight Returns'. I imagine a number of folks rediscovered comics when Frank Miller released this incredible story. This wasn't 'The Superfriends' version of Batman and Superman. This was the Dark Knight; Guardian angle/demon of Gotham city. Everyone always felt he was JUST the gadget hero, but he's equal parts Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Bruce Lee.
2. Iron Man. If you wanna talk Gadget Hero, this is the man. I grew up during the Michellini/Romita Jr./Layton era, which was packed with a ton o' high-tech goodies and James Bond type megalomaniacs like Justin Hammer. Ah, but the winner was the armor; electronically augmented, lots of weapons, and more options then a loaded BMW on 'MTV Cribs'. Ok, so some of the gadgets used techno-speak cornier then old 'Trek' episodes. Still, it was fun sci-fi stuff that bordered on science fact! As the years progressed, the armor got better... and better... and changed styles from chunky 'Marshmallow man' to the techno-organic body-suit look. Woohoo!
3. The Justice League. Specifically the version Grant Morrison brought to life. Sure, the Silver Age version was cool, and Giffen's vision was hysterical, but Morrison really LOOKED at the characters and made their interactions and personalities real in a team book. Supes just wants people to get along. Bats just wants to be left alone. Wonder Woman is amazed no one listens to her. Aquaman also want to be left alone since he's BUSY COMMANDING A KINGDOM. GL and the Flash are trying to figure out who's more the 'Junior Partner'. And the Martian Manhunter keeps thinking 'I should have stayed in bed rather then deal with these nuts'. The interactions are all fun and REAL, and you see why these seven icons could gangtsta-slap just about any superhero team around.
4. Usagi Yojimbo. Yes, it's anthropomorphic samurai, but it works! I was raised on samurai stories in Hawaii, and seeing these tales brought to life is priceless. The beauty of Usagi is he's the quintessential samurai; driven by honor, unassuming, and lethal. He's also very human. His unrequited love and coming to terms with the dishonor of having his lord killed in battle still haunt this great samurai. He walks his path, doing what he can, remembering his sword is a great weapon, but his mind and heart are even greater.