YOU know their movies, you know their characters, but how well do you know Marvel’s comics?
As one of the Big Two comic houses, Marvel gets some bad shtick sometimes for being too formulaic and mainstream compared to edgier creator-owned heavy publishers. But wait! Although casual glance at their current lineup might just lead you to believe otherwise, there really is more to Marvel’s superhero comics than the X-Men, Avengers and Spider-Man, and superheroes pummeling one another. There are also some extremely well-written, wonderfully told stories out there that not only help redefine the characters they revolve around, but will also restore your faith in Marvel’s comics.
From solo Avenger adventures to debuts by brand new characters, here are six titles by the House Of Ideas that may help redefine the way you think about superhero comics.
1. Hawkeye
Creators: Matt Fraction and David Aja, and featuring Anne Wu
What it’s about: Clint Barton is better known as Hawkeye, a member of the Avengers. This book is about what he does when he is not being an Avenger.
Why it’s great: The genius of Fraction and Aja’s critically acclaimed Hawkeye series lies in the fact that they are thoroughly aware that he is probably the most average Avenger out there. While all the other Avengers have super soldier serums, magic hammers, mechanical suits of power, or gamma ray monster powers, he runs around with a “stick and a string from the Palaeolithic Era’. But still, there’s got to be a reason that the Avengers still consider him one of their own.
The story of Hawkeye’s private life may seem boring at first, but Fraction has crafted one of the funniest, most creative, and most re-readable superhero comics available right now. There’s a story that explores Hawkeye’s trick arrows (that boomerang arrow is a real doozy), one in sign language, and even one that is told entirely from the perspective of Lucky the Pizza Dog, Hawkeye’s pet (that issue, Hawkeye #11, won the 2014 Eisner award for best single issue comic.)
Sadly, Fraction is ending his run on the book soon, but that shouldn’t stop you from picking up the remaining issues or the trade paperback of the comic. Trust me, it’s that good.
