The Beginning of Tops...Top 15 Comic Protagonists

There is certain beauty to having a blog that no one reads. It means you don't have to feel bad about posting stuff that no one cares about. So I decided I'm going to to some Top (integer) (something) posts over the next few days, just for the fun of it and for whoever is bored enough to look them over. First up will be my Top 15 Comic Book Protagonists. I picked the number 15 because that's pretty much the number of characters that I care enough about to put on a list. I picked the word "protagonist" instead of hero because the Punisher is on the list. Argue with me about who is a cooler or better character in the comments. HERE WE GO!

15. Miguel O'Hara (Spider-Man 2099)

 Okay...I pretty much put him on the list because I only really cared about 14 and that wasn't a multiple of 5. Seriously though, Miguel is a fairly interesting character who deserves to be recognized for more than just his awesome costume design. He represents an alternate Spider-Man who is more mature and morally ambiguous. I haven't read any of his original series because I actively avoid comics written in the late 80s and early 90s, but the current run is probably better than current ASM, imo. Can't wait to see where it goes next.



14. Steve Rodgers (Captain America)

True story: if I were making this list a year ago, he probably would have been in my top 5, but Cap has slipped significantly in my ranks for reasons I can't entirely explain. Cap is cool for his unwavering righteousness, and I have been super happy with Chris Evans' portrayal in recent years. But the fact is, I have been unimpressed with Captain America comics outside of Ed Brubaker's run (Winter Soldier, Death of Captain America, etc.) and there are way more compelling characters farther down the list. 

13. Marc Spector (Moon Knight)

Probably the most obscure character on this list, Moon Knight is a true pleasure to read, and he has absolutely been moving the right direction in recent years. Originally Marvel's attempt to make a Batman-esque character, Spector has since been diagnosed with Disassociative Identity Disorder by writers. His multiple personalities have never prompted great writing, until recently with the newest Marvel NOW! series (where the above picture is taken from). This has been one of Marvel's best sellers since its debut, and Moon Knight is seeing his highest popularity yet. He's an easy character to write for, as his complete insanity makes any action seem in-character. This guy might be pretty big in a few years.

12. Susan Storm Richards (Invisible Woman)

The first FF member to make the list (SPOILER ALERT: she's not the last either!) Much to my dismay, this is the only female character on this list (if I make it again in a few years, expect Spider-Woman). Sue has had her fair share of comic book sexualization in the past, but really was one of the first characters to move out of that stereotype. It is commonly accepted that she is the most powerful member of the team as well as the glue that holds it together. The lasting marriage of Sue to Reed Richards is inspiring and unheard of in comicdom. Throw in the fact that she's the mother of the most powerful being on planet earth and the most intelligent being on planet earth, and you have a beautiful combination of down-to-earth relatibility with fantastic fantasy. 

11. Daniel Rand (Iron Fist)

Who doesn't love Kung Fu? This guy is Marvel's Bruce Lee and his books are excellent if you are craving something with an Eastern flair. Not much more I can say about this guy, other than you should absolutely read The Immortal Iron Fist 25-issue series. Oh, and I can't wait to watch his Netflix series eventually, too. 

10. Thor (Thor)

The sexiest demigod alive! I am absolutely going through a Thor phase right now, and the recent God of Thunder series is hugely responsible for that. This series, along with the fact that he's my fiance's favorite hero (I pretend that it has nothing to do with Chris Hemsworth) has helped him become my favorite Avenger. But let's look at the movie Avengers team. Every Avenger is either a scientist or secret agent. Thor is a god-king. This gives him a unique perspective and sense of responsibility that none of the other Avengers can even imagine. Plus he boxed with the Hulk. 

9. Kal-El (Superman)

What? Caleb's not a complete Marvel fanboy?? No, not a COMPLETE one. But pretty close. Superman has also been one of my recent phases, and its no coincidence that he and Thor are next to each other on this list. They are similar characters in terms of powers and origin (blurred line between alien and god). Thor is somewhat more complex, but the influence of Superman on every other entry on this list gives him the edge over the above character. Superman is a tough character to write for, so there are relatively few good works starring the Man of Steel. Many of the good ones draw heavily from historically complex characters like Spider-Man, but they are great reads nonetheless. A role model for all humanity will definitely land a top ten spot in my book.

8. Barry Allen (The Flash)

There are two thick lines in this Top 15 where there is a big gap between how much I like characters. The line between Flash and Supes is one of them. Barry Allen has everything you want in a comic book hero. He's sciency, morally sound, and a fairly mature human being. He also has the most ridiculous powers ever. Original Flash writers didn't seem to take into consideration that Superman is theoretically as fast as the Flash, so subsequent writers tried to come up with bizzare things he could do, which got real crazy real fast. This dude made a crashing airplane go through a suspension bridge unharmed...by making it....vibrate...the right...way? I love it. 

7. Stephen Strange (Dr. Strange)

 I relate to the Sorcerer Supreme in a fairly unique way: He was a medical doctor, and I am trying to become one. This moves him higher on my list than most people's, but even without this relation, I friggin love Dr. Strange. Similar to the Flash, Dr. Strange's magical abilities have no rules. He can do whatever without readers really questioning it. He can trap people in nightmares, make them see things that do not exist, go toe-to-toe with demons, and even make the entire universe forget that Peter Parker is Spider-Man. I really would like to put him higher on this list, but the fact is there are scarce good modern Dr. Strange stories. I am absolutely stoked for the upcoming movie, and this is the one scenario where I am glad that the movies influence the comics: here's to hoping a plethora of great Dr. Strange comics are in our future! 

6. Benjamin Grimm (The Thing)

Me: IT"S....

The masses: Don't say it! PLEASE NO!

Me: CLOBBERIN' TIME!!!

All my friends hate on the ever-lovin' blue-eyed Thing, basically for the above reason. But that's just because they don't know any better. Ben also has a laundry list of things that make a great character. He hates himself, but he's still a good enough person to not take himself so seriously, and he's funny as heck. His...simple (and when I say simple I mean stupid) nature is a great contrast to his best friend, Reed Richards, and helps both of them to be more appealing as characters. And although nothing incredibly complex,, his power set makes him able to hold his own with some of the most powerful in the Marvel U. When you take all that into consideration, you see his catch phrase as lovable, not stupid. Still disagree? Read some Ultimate FF and tell me you don't understand my point.

5. Bruce Wayne (Batman)

The upcoming Batman v. Superman movie combined with my newfound affinity for Superman has me really wishing that I liked Superman more than Batman. But if I'm honest with myself, I don't, and probably never will. Batman is simply the epitome of cool. The original billionaire genius playboy philanthropist could live his life any other way, but he gets his kicks kicking the crap out of Gotham's grimy underbelly. I really can't say anything that hasn't been said a bajillion times about the Caped Crusader. But when you read Batman books, you understand quickly that he is not just a comic book character; he is a straight-up legend.

4. Frank Castle (The Punisher)

  

The space between Batman and the Punisher also represents another thick line. I love my top 4 characters waaay more than any of the others on this list. The Punisher is a better concept than he is character. As the latter, he is a vengeance-driven killing machine, who doesn't believe in "the system" or second chances. As the former, he is the reader's intolerance for evil. The Punisher hates evil so much that he is willing to become evil in order to rid the world of other evil. Confused yet? Well so are the more righteous characters of the Marvel U, who have always been at a loss for how to view or handle ol' Frank. And if none of what I have just written interests you, Punisher books always provide a great showcase for satisfying comic book violence. Tell me you don't need a little of that in your literovisual diet!

3. Matt Murdock (Daredevil)

Daredevil has the worst luck on the planet. Life always takes a crap all over him. Just look at that picture. It's raining! What could be worse!? Daredevil is interesting because writers always feel the need to put him through the ringer, just to see how he'll react. His women get killed or they go crazy, his secret identity gets revealed to the world, he gets possessed by a demon, you know, all the usual bad day kinda stuff. And you never know how ol' hornhead is going to handle it. Sometimes he can shrug it off like a champ, and sometimes he goes absolutely crazy and declares himself the new kingpin of Hell's Kitchen. Like other characters that I've mentioned before, he's easy to relate to. Sometimes we as human beings react to adversity very poorly, and sometimes we can be proud of how we handle unfortunate situations. Daredevil is as human a character that exists in comics, so we never know how he's gonna work through his sucky life. As a closing remark, I also appreciate "street level" crime fighters, which Daredevil represents better than anyone. He doesn't have a charismatic rogues gallery; his main nemesis is organized crime, with which DD seems to be a in never-ending battle. Whew. Sorry, I had a lot to say about this guy!

2. Reed Richards (Mister Fantastic)

Reed Richards is the ultimate nerd, and those of us who were more bookish than athletic growing up can easily relate to him. His powers are probably the worst out of all the mainstream characters in the Marvel Universe. I haven't read a lot of early Fantastic Four, but I'm guessing that it didn't take writers long to kind of forget about emphasizing the stretchy-stretchy and focus more on his mind being his super power, because it is way more remarkable and useful (in fact, they went so far as to actually make his mind his super power in Ultimate FF, which was super cool). To this end though, I would argue that Reed Richards is the MVP of the Marvel U, because everybody comes running to him when something crazy happens. An unbeatable artificial intelligence gets loose on planet earth. Reed knows how to stop it. A hyper-advanced alien race invades planet earth. Reed knows how to stop it. A celestial being that snacks on planets wants to take a bite out of planet earth....you get the idea. Reed always has to figure out how to solve unsolvable problems, and under such immense pressure time and time again, he always finds ways to succeed. As if this wasn't compelling enough material for a good character, his writers consistently point out that his intelligence and tendency to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders provides problems with his family and social life, which makes him even more relatable. I could go on and on, but you all get my point. I love reading Fantastic Four almost as much as I love reading about the last guy on the list, and it is mostly because of the group's namesake character.



1. Peter Parker (Spider-Man)

Spidey isn't the strongest guy on this list, though he is strong. He's not the fastest guy, though he is pretty fast. He's not the smartest, or the most righteous, although he is both of these things to an impressive extent. What is Spider-Man, then? What makes him special? Spider-Man is my number one because he is me. I'm not trying to be an a-hole and say that I am the exact same person as Peter Parker. I would argue that Spider-Man is you too. Reading Spider-Man is like looking in the mirror (for most people, anyway...sociopaths see #s 4 and 5). He knows he's not the best, but he tries to be anyway. He has made many heavy mistakes, but he doesn't his failures stop him from following his convictions. I talked about the influence of Superman, but I think that Spider-Man is more influential to modern comics than any other character. Read any comic, and the obvious goal of a decent writer is to make the character relatable and down to earth. Spidey did that before any character out there, and he continues to do so, but in his own unique way. The modern Spider-Man is the average geeky twenty-something (which is likely the demographic of most Spider-Man readers). He tries to do the right thing, but is often brought down by the "Parker Luck." The fact is, if you don't understand why Spidey is one of the most iconic characters in the Western world, you need to go pick up "Brand New Day" or Ultimate Spider-Man and start reading. You won't be disappointed at all.

There you have it, for those of you who read this much (probs no one!). Make your own Top whatever, complete with descriptions, and send me a link! We'll talk about what we love and hate about characters, and I'm sure it will be fun. Stay tuned for the next Top something list, which will likely be Pokemon- or music-themed!

Why Coal is NOT Green Energy

I passed a billboard today that made me mad. Actually, a lot of billboards do that, but this one made me particularly angry. It said something along the lines of "Coal saves you 30% on your energy bill...now that's Green Energy!" There are so many things wrong with this statement.

First, coal is not green...it is black. See?

I'm hilarious.

More to the point of this entry, coal is not "green" in the modern day figurative sense. Rather than tell you why coal is bad for the environment, it would be more helpful for  me to just link to a credible source. http://www.epa.gov/cleanenergy/energy-and-you/affect/coal.html.

Just to elaborate on some of those points, many of the gasses in the "Air Emissions" section are known greenhouse gasses, which obviously contribute to Global Climate Change. Many of you reading this may not believe in Global Climate Change (previously known as Global Warming). For the sake of argument, let's just pretend that GCC is not a real thing. I can still convince you coal isn't green. The sulfur-containing gasses that are released have been shown to lead to the formation of acid rain. If you think acid rain is good, I have no hope for you.

Additionally, coal is not typically mined like it is in the books or movies, with men wandering through deep mine shafts that frequently explode. Most of the time, a process called strip mining is used. When a coal source is strip mined, the land covering the source is completely excavated so the coal can be easily collected. For anyone who has ever experienced the natural beauty present in the three states listed on the above page (okay, maybe not Kentucky), it is sad to picture that land being ripped apart for fuel that isn't even reusable.

You might say, "Do you have any idea how important coal is to our society?" I would reply with a resounding yes! Coal is the most abundant fossil fuel in the United States, and can sustain the electric needs of this ecological nightmare of a country (I love the USA by the way, we just have a massive ecological footprint) for several years into the future. I am by no means suggesting that we stop mining or using coal, as this is incredibly unrealistic. My problem is with the attitude of complacency. It is okay to use coal, so long as we realize that it is (1) not a sustainable source of energy, and (2) it is indeed harmful for the environment in many ways. The billboard I saw today suggests "It's okay that we depend on such a fuel source, we should make ourselves feel good about doing so and not think about any of the problems it creates!" Is that the attitude we want to inspire, particularly in the younger generations who will inherit the problems associated with fossil fuel dependence? Yes, we need coal for now. But billboards should be influencing the common man by piquing his interest toward advancements in alternative energy sources that will be both renewable and have little-to-no toxic effects on this planet. Let's not pat ourselves on the back for our mediocrity, America. Let's do what made this country great in the first place: Push the boundaries of science, ingenuity, and technology. This all starts with the acknowledgement of a problem, and this particular problem is that coal is NOT green energy.

Comic Characters as Symbols

The most popular comic book characters have very clear and recognizable symbols, usually displayed across their chest. While these symbols certainly add to (or in some cases, detract from) the visual design of the characters, they are also a gateway into how these characters affect us as readers.

The characters themselves are symbols of certain parts of out humanity. I do not mean that all characters are one-dimensional and only represent one part of us, but usually a given character has a particular quality that they showcase, and are therefore symbols of that quality. If we simplify that by one level, their individual symbol is just an extension of whatever the character him/herself symbolizes. I hope that makes sense. Let's look at some examples and play a little game. As you see the symbols, what is the first thing that comes to your mind that the symbol represents? See if it agrees with my interpretation.

I started off with an easy one. The Punisher is an interesting character, as he represents both good and evil aspects of humanity. The Punisher represents our limits as reasonable human beings, and reminds us of what good people can become if pushed too far. He also represents the side of humanity that makes our blood boil whenever we hear about a particularly heinous crime. I think all of us (at one time or another) have had that thought where we wish that someone would just shoot that rapist or child molester we hear about on the news. The Punisher is a literal representation of this part of us, and his grave symbol reminds us of that darker side of humanity that is even present in good people.

I'M BATMAN!!! That statement is simultaneously hardcore and hilarious like no other statement I know. To me, Batman symbolizes fear. This whole concept is basically what makes Batman tick, and is incredibly well-fleshed-out in Batman Begins (Best Batman movie IMO). Obviously, Bruce is terrified of bats, but imputes that fear on the criminals of Gotham and uses that to his advantage against the "cowardly and superstitious lot." Batman and his symbol remind us all of the crippling power of fear. Not much more to say about that, honestly. 

I'm going to try not  to get too carried away with this one, since it is not the focus of this entry (surprisingly). Spidey represents the one word found in every issue of his books (okay maybe not): Responsibility. But before all the Spider-haters gawk at how lame this is, let me defend my guy. Peter hates beings Spider-man. He's given it up multiple times, but always comes back for one reason: he has to. He has been given a great gift that many others (including THIS guy) would die for, but he realizes that his incredible abilities can be used to help others in countless ways. Not doing so would be...well...irresponsible. I'm not doing this concept any justice with my poor writing skills, but I hope I'm getting my point across. If it's not obvious to you how this relates to humanity, you have a problem. This concept punches me in the figurative face, and aligns deeply with my faith. I have been given way too much in my young life. I have been given a loving and supporting family, health that has allowed me to make more than enough money to support myself, and intellectual abilities that have allowed me to pursue my dreams. Sometimes I wonder why I was given such things when some people can only dream about them. But then I think of Luke 12:48, which says "...For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required...". Sound familiar? Yep, "With Great Power comes Great Responsibility" came straight from the Bible! Spidey realizes that his gifts are meant to  be used for the benefit of the people who were not blessed with such gifts, and his embodiment of this concept inspires me to do the same with my own gifts. In recent adaptations (aka ASM 2 movie), Spider-man is apparently a symbol of hope, but I think that misses the mark, and actually is stealing the thunder of another character (see below).

Every time I see this logo, John Williams' Superman theme immediately starts playing inside my melon (that's my head, by the way...). This is THE (pronounced THEE) superhero symbol, and pretty much my inspiration for this blog entry. The Man of Steel represents the potential of humanity, the very symbol of us being the best we can be. Sadly, I think that this symbol has been incredibly tainted in modern times, no thanks to people like Muhammad Ali, who famously referenced himself by saying (on a plane) "Superman don't need no seat belt." This is exactly the kind of thing that Superman would NEVER say. I don't think I have ever even seen or read Superman referring to the fact that he is, indeed a "super man". Much like Spider-man, his upbringing and personal sense of justice motivate him not only to use his gifts to help others, but to be an example for others as well. Superman knows that he cannot save everyone or fix all of humanity's problems himself, but by showing everyone how to be upright, honest, and good, he shows us that by improving ourselves as individuals, we can improve humanity as a hole. I don't really see that in popular culture. I see people using Superman to describe how awesome they are at whatever they do (usually running into people, professionally). The symbol now seems to represent individual superiority, whether that be in strength, speed, or something else unimportant in the whole scheme of things. Superman has become a symbol of pride, and if Superman were with us in this universe, he would be devastated about this. That beloved and iconic symbol above this text should represent Clark's immeasurably amazing intangible qualities, not his immeasurably amazing physical qualities. What can be done about this unfortunate paradigm is beyond me. 

Do you agree with my interpretations of the symbolism of these characters? Feel free to discuss in the comments section!

Welcome!

A few years ago, I created a Twitter account in order to share the musings that found their way into my noggin on a day-to-day basis. However, since I have started living on my own, I have found much more time to flesh out these thoughts, and have a hard time confining them to 140 characters. Hence this blog was born. I don't really want to limit the content of this blog, as I can see myself writing on many topics in the future. Most of them, I imagine, will be related to my interests, as the title suggests. I hope that I will get several consistent readers, but I am doing this as much for myself as I am for others. By putting my thoughts into writing, it is my hope that I will be able to wrestle even more with them, and learn something more from them. If you're reading, I hope that you also are able to learn more about yourself and the world. Happy reading!