We all know how popular Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, Spider-man, Wolverine, and the rest of their A-list superhero ilk are. These are the household names, the merchandising giants, and the characters who get their own shows, cartoons, and spin-offs.
Then there are the characters that aren't quite as popular, but they're still big deals. Green Lantern may not make bank like Batman, but he's still a huge character. Same with The Flash, or Thor, or Batgirl, etc.
And then there are the D-listers. The heroes that never spring to mind and that the vast majority of general audiences have almost zero exposure to. There the ones beneath the C-listers, like Kick-Ass or the WILDC.A.T.S. - at least they had some prominence and were a big deal once upon a time.
For every Spider-man, there's a Speedball. For every Hulk, there's a Maxx. For every Batman, there's a Midnighter or Nightwatch. For every Superman, there's a Magnus: Robot Fighter.
I admit, I've always had a strange infatuation with many "lesser known or loved" heroes growing up. While I loved Wolverine and Batman, there were plenty that grabbed my attention and often transcended the popular choices.
These are a few of the ones that just remained locked in my psyche that I unabashedly adored.
AZRAEL
If you look at my avatar, not really a surprise.
In the realm of Batman support characters, Azrael is at least somewhat recognizable these days, but he's pretty far down the list. While most might know him from his Michael Lane incarnation in the Akrham series, it was the Jean-Paul Valley version that I fell in love with. Best known by Batman fans as the guy who took up Batman's mantle after Bane broke Bruce's back, and then failing so hard at being Batman that Bruce had to come back and take the title back from him, Azrael was created almost exclusively as a stunt character meant to refute all the fan demands that Batman be "darker" and kill his enemies like Wolverine or the Punisher. He was created to be hated, and fans hated him.
... Except for me. While the Knightfall series wasn't exactly great, the first 50 issues of his solo series was a phenomenal redemption arc for a man humbled by his failures and doing everything he can to prove to Bruce and the others that he could become a better hero, all while pitting him in direct confrontation with the Order of St. Dumas that created him. His design is pure 90's cheese of blades and fire - courtesy of an in-his-prime Joe Quesda - and the stories penned for him by legendary Batman writer Denny O'Neil were far better than any sub-standard Batman spin-off character deserved. I think the lingering hatred for him following Knightfall stunted any chances he might have gotten, but he's got a small but extremely loyal fanbase for the few that stuck with his solo series through its many ups and many more plentiful downs (those costume changes... yeesh).
AZTEK
Created by certifiably insane Grant Morrison and Mark Millar, Aztek is the champion of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl to battle their enemy, the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca, bestowed by the secretive Q Society upon their member, Uno, who sneaks into the United States under a deceased physician's identity and promptly joins the Justice League. So... you know, TYPICAL superhero backstory and all.
As is customary for every hero I ever grow to like, that tends to doom their chances. Aztek had a critically acclaimed - but seldom read - short series of comics, lasted four years, was killed off in the Justice League comic, and has only popped up since as a cameo in the Justice League cartoon every now and then. But, damn, if I didn't like what I read for that short period of time.
MOON KNIGHT
Of all my favorite characters, Moon Knight probably has the most prestige and comic book recognition, if only because of Marvel's doggedness in ensuring he sticks around. To my knowledge, he's never had much commercial success and the vast majority of comic fans immediately dismiss him outright as just a Batman knock-off, which is pretty far from the truth.
Perhaps I just gravitate towards the "hooded vigilante" design, but Moon Knight is arguably the most fascinating, insane, and complex character in comics. He started off in HORROR comics as a VILLAIN, but was recast as a hero due to fan interest. So who is he?
Marc Spector is a rabbi's son who became a boxer, U.S. marine, and then mercenary-for-hire. He is hired for a job in Egypt which uncovers a temple of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu, where his mercenary partner betrays him and leaves him for dead. Khonshu comes to him in a vision and he is restored to life, wraps himself up in the silver shroud that covered Khonshu's statue, and seeks vengeance on the wicked as the Egyptian god's avatar.
He then promptly goes insane in all the most interesting of ways. For starters, he suffers from dissociative identity disorder and has multiple personalities he uses to fight crime: Marc Spector is the "normal" identity, Steven Grant is a rich millionaire persona used to fund his crimefighting, and Jake Lockley is a shady taxi cab driver that keeps his ears to the street and his pulse on the criminal element. These identities don't always get alone or know what the other is planning. Altogether, he's just so mentally unhinged and unpredictable that you have no idea which personality is in control at times, whether events you see happen are real or only in his imagination, and you never know how Moon Knight will reconcile the murders he committed in the past with the heroism and vengeance he pursues in the present. He's far more than a Batman knock-off, and I'm happy Marvel has stuck with him, often against reason and business sense. Now let's see if we can't get him his own Netflix series, eh, Marvel?
SPECTRE
... Okay, so I probably just like hooded cloaks.
"Both the embodied Avenging Wrath of the Murdered Dead and a brutal 1930s policeman named Jim Corrigan." That pretty much sums up what you're in for.
I haven't read as much of Spectre over the years, but I grew up with a very controversial comic character that was noted at the time for being relentlessly aggressive in avenging wrongful death, often having the villains meet terrifying and gruesome fates. As one of the creations of Superman-co-creator Jerry Siegel, with design by Bernard Baily, Specre has been a figure that haunted me (pun intended) throughout the 70s comic strips my uncle lent me growing up. He was like if EC comics had decided to create a horror hero in their line-up. He's often been one of DC's most powerful and supernatural heroes - right along with Doctor Fate, Deadman, and Constantine - but he's rarely singled out as anyone's personal favorite. Well, screw it, he was one of mine.
...
Didn't mean to turn into a history lesson, but I'm incredibly curious what alternative and off-brand heroes other people liked growing up or continue to cherish today, ones that to you eclipse the more popular and recognizable faces in comics and media currently out there.
Whether it's Manhunter, or Prime, or Devil Dinosaur, etc., I'm curious to know what surprising heroes or heroines stuck in your mind both then and now.
Then there are the characters that aren't quite as popular, but they're still big deals. Green Lantern may not make bank like Batman, but he's still a huge character. Same with The Flash, or Thor, or Batgirl, etc.
And then there are the D-listers. The heroes that never spring to mind and that the vast majority of general audiences have almost zero exposure to. There the ones beneath the C-listers, like Kick-Ass or the WILDC.A.T.S. - at least they had some prominence and were a big deal once upon a time.
For every Spider-man, there's a Speedball. For every Hulk, there's a Maxx. For every Batman, there's a Midnighter or Nightwatch. For every Superman, there's a Magnus: Robot Fighter.
I admit, I've always had a strange infatuation with many "lesser known or loved" heroes growing up. While I loved Wolverine and Batman, there were plenty that grabbed my attention and often transcended the popular choices.
These are a few of the ones that just remained locked in my psyche that I unabashedly adored.
AZRAEL
If you look at my avatar, not really a surprise.
In the realm of Batman support characters, Azrael is at least somewhat recognizable these days, but he's pretty far down the list. While most might know him from his Michael Lane incarnation in the Akrham series, it was the Jean-Paul Valley version that I fell in love with. Best known by Batman fans as the guy who took up Batman's mantle after Bane broke Bruce's back, and then failing so hard at being Batman that Bruce had to come back and take the title back from him, Azrael was created almost exclusively as a stunt character meant to refute all the fan demands that Batman be "darker" and kill his enemies like Wolverine or the Punisher. He was created to be hated, and fans hated him.
... Except for me. While the Knightfall series wasn't exactly great, the first 50 issues of his solo series was a phenomenal redemption arc for a man humbled by his failures and doing everything he can to prove to Bruce and the others that he could become a better hero, all while pitting him in direct confrontation with the Order of St. Dumas that created him. His design is pure 90's cheese of blades and fire - courtesy of an in-his-prime Joe Quesda - and the stories penned for him by legendary Batman writer Denny O'Neil were far better than any sub-standard Batman spin-off character deserved. I think the lingering hatred for him following Knightfall stunted any chances he might have gotten, but he's got a small but extremely loyal fanbase for the few that stuck with his solo series through its many ups and many more plentiful downs (those costume changes... yeesh).
AZTEK
Created by certifiably insane Grant Morrison and Mark Millar, Aztek is the champion of the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl to battle their enemy, the Aztec god Tezcatlipoca, bestowed by the secretive Q Society upon their member, Uno, who sneaks into the United States under a deceased physician's identity and promptly joins the Justice League. So... you know, TYPICAL superhero backstory and all.
As is customary for every hero I ever grow to like, that tends to doom their chances. Aztek had a critically acclaimed - but seldom read - short series of comics, lasted four years, was killed off in the Justice League comic, and has only popped up since as a cameo in the Justice League cartoon every now and then. But, damn, if I didn't like what I read for that short period of time.
MOON KNIGHT
Of all my favorite characters, Moon Knight probably has the most prestige and comic book recognition, if only because of Marvel's doggedness in ensuring he sticks around. To my knowledge, he's never had much commercial success and the vast majority of comic fans immediately dismiss him outright as just a Batman knock-off, which is pretty far from the truth.
Perhaps I just gravitate towards the "hooded vigilante" design, but Moon Knight is arguably the most fascinating, insane, and complex character in comics. He started off in HORROR comics as a VILLAIN, but was recast as a hero due to fan interest. So who is he?
Marc Spector is a rabbi's son who became a boxer, U.S. marine, and then mercenary-for-hire. He is hired for a job in Egypt which uncovers a temple of the Egyptian moon god Khonshu, where his mercenary partner betrays him and leaves him for dead. Khonshu comes to him in a vision and he is restored to life, wraps himself up in the silver shroud that covered Khonshu's statue, and seeks vengeance on the wicked as the Egyptian god's avatar.
He then promptly goes insane in all the most interesting of ways. For starters, he suffers from dissociative identity disorder and has multiple personalities he uses to fight crime: Marc Spector is the "normal" identity, Steven Grant is a rich millionaire persona used to fund his crimefighting, and Jake Lockley is a shady taxi cab driver that keeps his ears to the street and his pulse on the criminal element. These identities don't always get alone or know what the other is planning. Altogether, he's just so mentally unhinged and unpredictable that you have no idea which personality is in control at times, whether events you see happen are real or only in his imagination, and you never know how Moon Knight will reconcile the murders he committed in the past with the heroism and vengeance he pursues in the present. He's far more than a Batman knock-off, and I'm happy Marvel has stuck with him, often against reason and business sense. Now let's see if we can't get him his own Netflix series, eh, Marvel?
SPECTRE
... Okay, so I probably just like hooded cloaks.
"Both the embodied Avenging Wrath of the Murdered Dead and a brutal 1930s policeman named Jim Corrigan." That pretty much sums up what you're in for.
I haven't read as much of Spectre over the years, but I grew up with a very controversial comic character that was noted at the time for being relentlessly aggressive in avenging wrongful death, often having the villains meet terrifying and gruesome fates. As one of the creations of Superman-co-creator Jerry Siegel, with design by Bernard Baily, Specre has been a figure that haunted me (pun intended) throughout the 70s comic strips my uncle lent me growing up. He was like if EC comics had decided to create a horror hero in their line-up. He's often been one of DC's most powerful and supernatural heroes - right along with Doctor Fate, Deadman, and Constantine - but he's rarely singled out as anyone's personal favorite. Well, screw it, he was one of mine.
...
Didn't mean to turn into a history lesson, but I'm incredibly curious what alternative and off-brand heroes other people liked growing up or continue to cherish today, ones that to you eclipse the more popular and recognizable faces in comics and media currently out there.
Whether it's Manhunter, or Prime, or Devil Dinosaur, etc., I'm curious to know what surprising heroes or heroines stuck in your mind both then and now.
