A Dark Legacy

Venom: A name notorious to draw the attention of anyone with even minor comic book prowess. A face of an era, a shadow to the comic book legend that is Spider-Man. Today for Favorite's Week, I'll be covering my favorite anti-hero, Venom.

The Alien Suit that created the Venom persona was actually first worn by Spider-Man himself. After he saw how the alien suit was making him more aggressive, Spider-Man ditched the suit only to find out it found a new host. Photographer Eddie Brock was an slimy, greedy, egotistical man bent on taking Peter Parker's job as The Daily Bugle's photographer, but his boss J. Jonah Jameson found out that Brock's photos of Spider-Man were fabricated. Eddie and the alien suit met in a church and when fused they discovered they had a common enemy, Spider-Man/Peter Parker. As Venom, Brock became one of Spidey's deadliest foes, but for a time he tried to be a hero like Spider-Man and defend the city of San Francisco. Even after Brock was separated from the alien suit, he tried to continue an anti-hero career by using a Venom suit created from his own white blood cells and calling himself Anti-Venom. Currently, Eddie is bonded to another alien suit and calling himself Toxin.

The next man to use the Venom suit was another Spider-Man villain known as Mac Gargan/The Scorpion. Seeing his potential as a host, the suit chose Mac and gave him incredible abilities that he would use to rack in more respect from the villain community. As Venom, Mac joined teams like The Thunderbolts and The Sinister Twelve. Norman Osborn-formally the Green Goblin-would even hire Mac to use the suit as a Spider-Man disguise among Osborn's Dark Avengers. While bonded with the suit, Mac was just as homicidal as Brock with the darker edge of becoming a cannibal. After the alien suit was removed from Mac, he started dying from a mix of separation from the suit and his own genetic mutation breaking down. The evil scientist Alistair Smythe broke Mac out of prison and gave him a new Scorpion suit providing life support.

The latest and my preferred Venom was Peter Parker's high school bully, Eugene "Flash" Thompson. After high school, Flash decided to join the US Army and serve in Iraq. He did this so he could be a hero just like his idol Spider-Man. After making a sacrifice in the line of duty and losing his legs in the process, Flash volunteered to be the military's host for the alien suit (which also could replace his missing legs). Hoping to use this new Venom as their super-soldier, the US Army would allow Flash 24-hours as Venom to complete his mission before the suit took over. Flash's career as Agent Venom proved successful as he's been part of groups like The Thunderbolts, The Secret Avengers, and The Guardians of the Galaxy. Speaking of the Guardians, while with them Flash visited the alien suit's home planet. There he discovers the Klyntar-the actual name of the alien suits-are benevolent creatures who only wish to help others. The reason Venom appeared evil was because most of it's hosts were driven by negative emotions.

I've said before that Venom scares me by appearance, but that doesn't make him any less of a villain or a hero. Flash Thompson is my favorite Venom because of the irony of his creation. Peter's high school bully becoming inspired by Peter's alter ego to make a self sacrifice and earn himself the power held by monsters. Maybe it isn't irony, maybe I just love a good redemption story. More so, Venom's story is one of evolution, from a homicidal nightmare to a hard-edged defender of the innocent. Plus his design is awesome! Thanks for reading.

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From Mugger to Rubber

Although today's entree into Favorites Week isn't what I'd label as a Z-Lister, I still find him to be partially unknown to the general public. Odd considering he's both tragically built and off-the-wall goofy. So let me introduce my favorite stretchy superhero (a bit specific, but you'd surprised how many superheroes can stretch) DC Comic's Plastic Man!

First appearing in 1941's "Police Comics #1", Patrick O'Brien was a criminal who's profession was cracking safes. His reputation for slick robberies earned him the nickname, Eel. One night, he and a band of crooks attempted to rob a chemical plant, but they were ambushed by the security guard. Eel was shot in the shoulder by the guard as his associates left him behind. Eel wandering towards a drum of mysterious chemicals which poured into his wound. He then fled from the factory and passed out at the foot of a mountain, he awoke under the protection of a lone monk who hid him from the police. The monk saw potential within Eel which became stronger after the realization that the chemicals doused into Eel's body gave him elasticity powers. With the monk's help, Eel honed his new abilities and swore to fight for the side of good as Plastic Man!

Other versions paint the story differently, but every story features Plastic Man's bumbling sidekick Woozy Winks as a comedic klutz who's clumsy antics would both aid Plastic Man and cause trouble for him. Plastic Man has been a prevalent member of the Justice League, often clashing with more serious heroes like Batman and, ironically, Elongated Man. Plastic Man's love interests span from a government agent named Peggy to a suburban ball-and-chain named Ramona. In 2002's "JLA #65" it was revealed that Plastic Man had a son named Luke McDonough, child of Eel's former girlfriend Angel McDonough. Eel had apparently left Angel because he felt he-as a former criminal-wouldn't be a suitable father. Luckily, Batman was able to help Eel get Luke to quit his street gang. Luke later used his elasticity powers to join The Teen Titans as Offspring.

Plastic Man is unbelievably powerful. His body can stretch to vast, yet unknown, lengths and he can even manipulate his own weight. He can make himself as small as a pocket or as tall as a skyscraper, but more impressively he can completely control the shape of his body, allowing him to shape-shift into any structure he desires. Machinery, clothing, people, weapons, the only limit is his imagination. His rubber body makes him nearly invulnerable, immortal, and able to regenerate any amount/portion of his body at will. Because of his unique physiology, Plastic Man's rubber organs can't be infected and his brain can't be read by any telepath. Aside from his god-tier powers, Eel is still a professional thief with the criminal mindset necessary to act as a trained detective. He has various weaknesses, but none guarantee death. In one story though, Eel's body was frozen solid and then shattered into pieces. He still reassembled, but because his mind was still active during this breakage, Eel was psychologically damaged to the point of quitting the Justice League.

It's not the pure zaniness of the character that really intrigues me, it's not his redemption shtick either. The thing that appeals to me about Plastic Man is his incomplete dedication to reforming, that even when he is acting as a superhero he has criminal urges. Plastic Man can't stop a bank robbery without hesitating next to the bank vault. He knows that with his powers he could take whatever he wants and nobody-not even The Justice League-could stop him. But he isn't that man anymore, he's a superhero with friends, fans, and family. Plastic Man is a character of comedy, but that doesn't mean the detail of this character's situation should go unnoticed. And it's for his redeeming quirks that Plastic Man is one of my favorite superheroes. Thanks for reading!

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The Batman's Keeper

It must be hard being Batman, fighting dangerously insane criminals, walking among gods and aliens, raising troubled youths into vigilantes, but you know what's harder than being Batman? Being his butler. Today in Favorite's Week I'm introducing my favorite supporting character, Alfred Pennyworth.

In most versions of this character, Alfred is a former military doctor and professional actor who started working for the Wayne Family after his father Jarvis died. Originally he felt this job wasn't fit for him, but after bonding with the Wayne's son Bruce, Alfred decided to stay. After Bruce's parents were murdered, Alfred became his legal guardian and did all he could to raise Bruce properly. Alfred's first reaction to Bruce beginning his career as Batman was met with fear and failure as a guardian, even when he accepted Bruce's vigilante activities he attempted to sway Bruce's attention towards social and business settings. Ultimately though, Alfred joined Bruce's cause and became his right-hand man in protecting Gotham City from the Batcave.

Alfred's abilities span far beyond making sandwiches and serving lemonade. Alfred may not be as young or spry as any of the Batgirls or Robins, but he is still trained in military self-defense. Because of his age, Bruce allows Alfred to use firearms in case of emergency. Alfred has even saved himself from twenty-seven kidnapping attempts. With a background in acting, Alfred has often crafted disguises to help Batman on the field as a civilian, he has also portrayed both Bruce Wayne and Batman in an attempt to protect Bruce's secret. He's also an expert in fields such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, computer programming & engineering, nanotechnology, biotechnology, tactical support, and rose breeding. With these skills, he helps produce many of Batman's tools including the infamous Bat-Computer. His real talents are his medical expertise, acting as the Bat-Family's personal medical professional, removing bullets and sewing wounds and such. However, Alfred's medical talents have their limits as he can't repair something like a skull fracture or a back injury. Also, although he has no superpowers, I believe Alfred may have superhuman patience. Imagine how long it must take to clean The Batcave!

The reason why I think Alfred is the perfect supporting character is because of his dedication to the main character. In the Batman animated series, a sort of dream sequence shows that Alfred is willing to get himself arrested to protect Bruce. In the Injustice comic book, Alfred actually beats down an evil and weakened Superman in order to get Batman out of harm's way. After Bruce had "died" Alfred was tasked with serving the replacement Batman, Dick Grayson. When you consider just how emotionally broken and cynically paranoid Batman must be, you have to imagine how difficult it must be from Alfred's perspective to watch Bruce constantly risk his life. It's like watching your own child attempt to fly over and over when all they do is fall. For his dedication and commitment in helping Bruce fight an endless war on crime, Alfred Pennyworth is truly the greatest ally any superhero can hope to have. Thanks for reading!

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The Original BAMF

The Panel Biter is still riding that 100th post hype train, so lets kick it into overdrive with Favorites Week! This week I'll be talking about some of my favorite comic book characters and exactly why they're so special to me. It may seem lazy, but I think a week commending some inspiring fictional characters could be fun! So to start Favorites Week off right, I'll be introducing you to my favorite mutant, Nightcrawler of The X-Men!

Debuting in "Giant-Sized X-Men #1, 1975), Kurt Wagner was a German mutant who was taken in by a gypsy and raised in the Bavarian circus. There he mastered his acrobatic abilities and became known as the stage performer, Nightcrawler. Kurt was held captive with others mutants at another circus for a short time, but after gaining control of his powers he helped these hostages escape the enslaving freak show. When he returned home, he found his adopted brother had gone mad and slaughtered several children. Forced to kill his own brother for these acts, Kurt became the target of the parents who's children were killed, as the villagers assumed Kurt to be a demon. These villagers would've continued to hunt Kurt if he were not rescued by Professor Charles Xavier and recruited into the X-Men.

Ironically, Kurt is a devout Catholic. Not only does his appearance make him struggle with being Catholic, but the circumstances of his birth also haunt him. Kurt's mother is the shapeshifting mutant named Mystique. Kurt's father is Azazel, a member of an ancient mutant group called The Neyaphem who were banished to another dimension by angelic mutants back in biblical times. The problem Kurt has with his parents doesn't so much come from his demonic heritage, but rather it comes from both his parents being enemies of the X-Men, his adoptive family. As for his appearance, Kurt used to use a hologram device to appear human. But after losing a bet with Wolverine, Kurt agreed to take a walk in public without his human disguise. After seeing that most people weren't much afraid of how he looked, in fact being more interested in him, Kurt decided not use his disguise anymore.
Kurt's signature ability is his power of teleportation, which is usually shown as him disappearing in a cloud of smoke with a "bamf" sound. His limit is usually two miles, but Kurt's learned how to teleport repeatedly across vast distances without any fatigue. If he's given exact coordinates, Kurt can also instantly travel to the specified location as well. When he teleports, Kurt is briefly brought into the dimension in which The Neyaphem were sealed in, meaning he and whoever he teleports with him may feel strain after each trip. There was a time when Kurt was dead and sent to Heaven, during that time in the afterlife Kurt had met a legion of imp-like creatures resembling his father known as Bamfs (clever naming, I know). These creatures were the many spawn of Azazel and a Hell maggot, after feeding the Bamfs his blood Azazel forged them into his army. Luckily, Kurt convinced a large sum of the Bamfs to join him in fighting Azazel, changing there appearances to look like Kurt.
The reason why I put Nightcrawler above all other mutants is because of his resilience. While mutants like Wolverine and Cyclops look mostly human, Nightcrawler looks like he crawled right out of Hell. Despite his looks, his parentage, and his heritage, Kurt is not only a religious man, but often a friendly man. He is often the jokester of any X-Men team, but is also very empathetic. Plus, with guys like Thor flying around, I imagine it must be hard to be strictly Catholic in the Marvel Universe. Despite the cards he was dealt, Nightcrawler has kept his noble humanity close to him. Danke furs lesen!

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In a Hellblaze of Glory (Part 2)

This is the continuation of The Panel Biter's Top 5 Greatest Things About Constantine. If you wish to fully enjoy this List, I'd suggest you check out Part 1. Now, on with The Panel Biter's Top 5 Greatest Things About Constantine!

#2. The Potential

In a show that deals with the paranormal side of the DC Universe, the possibilities of what characters could've appeared on this show are almost endless. I've already mentioned The Spectre and Dr. Fate, but what about the death-defying phantom known as Deadman? Swamp Thing, protector of the Earth's life-force? Zatanna Zatara the magician, Amethyst of Gemworld, Etrigan the Demon, The Phantom Stranger, DC's version of Frankenstein, heck even Detective Chimp could've worked on this show! In the comics, John would eventually lead a team of magical characters called Justice League Dark, a formation like that on TV would defiantly call for a made-for-TV movie of something.

#1. The Loyalty

The complaint I give a lot of comic book shows/movies is their lack of respect for the source material they are based off. Not only does the Constantine show do justice to the Hellblazer comics, but it downright uses it's issues like first drafts! Many episodes of Constantine have plots based right off of early Hellblazer stories, with only minor tweaks. Plus, just look at John Constantine on the cover above and tell me Matt Ryan (the actor who portrays John in the show) doesn't look like Constantine ripped straight off the comic. This show matches up so well with the comic that after seeing the first few episodes I went out and bought the first volume of the book and felt no confusion. It's best quality of sticking to it's roots went sadly overlooked while shows like Gotham-which bastardizes it's established characters-continue to live on. Bloody hell.

Constantine ran for thirteen episodes, so if this list peaked your curiosity it's easy to just marathon the whole show. It's unknown as to whether this show is truly dead or if it will live on somewhere else, but what's certain is that this show is a diamond in a coal mine. Sticking to it's source, showing off great effects and bringing life to the characters of Hellblazer, Constantine is easily one of the greatest comic book shows there is. Thanks for reading, RIP Johnny boy.

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In a Hellblaze of Glory (Part 1)

Recently the NBC television show Constantine (based off the Hellblazer comic books) has been cancelled because of it's failure in viewings. This lack of viewers was not a result of the show's quality, but rather because the show broadcasted on Friday nights, a notoriously poor time slot for television programs. I can say without a doubt Constantine is one of my favorite comic book shows despite its early cancellation. In honor of this underrated program, I present The Panel Biter's Top 5 Greatest Things About Constantine!

#5. The Visuals

A show based around a paranormal detective/master of the dark arts needs to heavily present both traditional magic and demonic tones if it wishes to live up to it's source material. The show often delves into horror-genre moments and does great at expressing the unnatural elements of the story. One of my favorite effects of the show are the wings of Manny, an angel who watches John Constantine push back the dark forces. If the effects aren't what sell this show's visuals, it's the atmosphere of horrific settings and mystical locations that bring John's world to life.

#4. The Foreshadowing

This show not only has years of history from the Hellblazer comics, but because it is a DC Comics property the show also delves into the supernatural subjects of the DC Universe. References to Dr. Fate, The Nightmaster, and most prevalent, The Spectre. From the first episode he appears in, we see Detective Jim Corrigan's ultimate fate of dying and becoming the Spirit of Vengeance slowly approaching. If the show would have continued I'd imagined The Spectre's appearance would've been an easy plot for a season finale.

#3. The Characterization

The characters of this show feel so tangible and yet so complex that you really want to see where they go. John is an easy example of this, everyone John loves eventually dies, leaves him, or something worse. Because of this, John is driven by desperation, fear, and overall guilt in his quest to protect Earth from the forces of Hell. His demeanor comes off as arrogant and untrustworthy, but only because he doesn't want to involve people into his profession. Supporting characters also have layers to them as well. Zed is a psychic who hides her past, but desires answers about her powers. Chaz seems to be an immortal cabby, but is actually a divorced father with a limit of how many times he can die. One-off characters are even given lush personalities despite them dying or sticking around.

Please Continue on to Part 2, mates.
http://panelbiter.blogspot.com/2015/02/in-hellblaze-of-glory-part-2.html

Secret Origins: The Panel Biter

For The Panel Biter's 100th post, I wanted to something special. A look into why I, Raffi your gracious host, first got into comic books and why they hold a special place in my life. Please excuse the size of the picture below, and also the headless little girl in the background. Don't worry, my younger cousin is not actually headless. I had to pull some technical gymnastics to frame this picture right. Regardless, onto The Secret Origin of The Panel Biter.

The man you see being lifted is my father, Big Raf (yeah, I got his name), and the guy lifting him is me minus a few years (I didn't get his skin tone). See, I grew up with divorced parents, but it wasn't as awful as other people's childhoods might of been. Both my father and my mother are amazing people and having two families was never really a burden on me, I enjoyed both of them equally. But this isn't a psychosis, it's a comic book-related post on a comic book-related blog. As a child whenever I'd spend time with my father I'd usually be surrounded with the kind of things kids liked. Video games, toys, movies, and superhero memorabilia. I remember my father had collected Batman toys, Batman movies, I'm pretty sure I had a child-sized Batmobile. Yeah, I was spoiled. But having all that Batman stuff and being around my father, as a kid I couldn't help but imagine things were different. As a kid I imagined my father was Batman and I was his sidekick Robin.

Picturing yourself as a child superhero seems like something that would wear off, but the thing about the first Robin-Dick Grayson-is that he actually grew up. By the time he was young adult he had ditched the Robin gig and became his own solo superhero, Nightwing. So even as a teenager I could see myself as an independent young man and still see my father as my mentor. I know it sounds silly, but this comparison became even more clear throughout the years. After Dick Grayson, three more young men would take the mantle of Robin, and after myself, my father would receive three step-sons who I treated as brothers. Many of the Robins were quite different from each other, and I still hold that true for myself and my brothers. Dick Grayson would eventually be given the mantle of Batman by his mentor and he'd even team up with a new Robin. Come next October I'll be twenty-one years old, a legal adult. I would assume in the years to come I'd feel the same responsibility my father felt around this age, even now I have a ten year old brother who feels like my sidekick (or archenemy at times). Despite how old I get or how things change, I can never shake the feeling my father and I were meant to follow this path and grow into who we are today.

For the credit I give him, my father is only half the reason I am who I am today. I still hold my mother Jessica on the same pedestal and owe her just as much as I owe my father for all the work she did raising me. Long time fans of The Panel Biter might remember the first post I ever did was about the Halloween I dressed as Cyclops. You know who put me in that costume? Dear Mum. Comic Books aren't important to me because they're rising in popularity or because they provide escape from this cruel world, comic books are important to me because they all carry a purpose. The Batman and Robin stories were conceived to connect adults and children, and to this day comic books have done the same. Anytime a superhero movie comes out, I see it with my Dad. Anytime a superhero TV show is on, I watch it with my brother. Comic Books are an important part of my life because beyond all the characters and stories, they remind me of how lucky I am to have an amazing family. Thank you all for reading The Panel Biter, I hope to bring this blog further up the ladder in the future! Have a great day!

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You Have The Right To Remain Marvel

Behind all the costumes and powers, it's important to remember that comic books are an industry. These comics become toy lines, cartoons, video games, feature length films and other merchandise, not to mention products that spin off these cartoons, video games, and movies. Like any industry, calculating moves have to be made to reach success, some tactics even including buying out the competition. Marvel has a few examples of this.

You may remember Howard the Duck from his horrid 1989 film or from his cameo in The Guardians of the Galaxy movie, but Howard's career spans further from Marvel than you may think. The truth behind Howard's career actually stems from a legal dispute between Marvel Comics and Howard's creator Steve Gerber. Marvel Comics-after publishing Howard the Duck-clashed with Gerber over creative control of the character. Gerber was removed from the series and Howard would go on to be written by other Marvel talents. In retaliation, Gerber went over to the independently-owned Image Comics and created a parody of Howard named Destroyer Duck. Marvel would go to Gerber years later and ask him if he'd like to write a Howard the Duck/Spider-Man crossover. At the same time, Gerber was planning a crossover between Destroyer Duck and Image's Savage Dragon. Gerber had decided to write both of these books, but secretly allude to them crossing over with each other. While the Howard the Duck/Spider-Man crossover simply ended with the heroes defeating the villain and leaving, the Destroyer Duck/Savage Dragon crossover ended with the exact same villain creating multiple clones of Howard the Duck. Destroyer Duck and Savage Dragon grab the original Howard, enter a portal back into the Image universe, and claim the Howard who walked off with Spider-Man was a clone. Essentially, Gerber had swiped "the real Howard" back from Marvel. From then on, Image's version of Howard dyed his feather green and became Leonard the Duck. To many fans of the character, Marvel's Howard the Duck isn't the real deal.

While that instance was partly on Marvel's behalf, this rights of this next character were an issue between creators. The character Angela was originally a Spawn character partly owned by Todd McFarlane. Angela was a angel (duh) introduced in "Spawn #9" but because this issue was written by Neil Gaiman the character is also the creation of Gaiman. McFarlane claimed to have complete ownership of Angela years after the two men stop working together on the comic which led to Gaiman taking McFarlane to court in 2002 and legally establish joined ownership of the character. In 2012, McFarlane threw in the towel and Gaiman was given full ownership of the character. Marvel Comics had then bought the character from Gaiman in 2013 and introduced Angela into the Marvel Universe. In order to further promote their new character, Marvel put Angela on The Guardians of the Galaxy, The All-New Avengers, and had even given her a solo series and new origin which established her as Thor's long-lost sister. Sounds like a soup-opera.

I imagine these kinds of incidents are common in the comic book business, to create a character from scratch with only personal care put into them, only to have a man in a suit tell you someone else will be writing them. It's kind of like when you were a kid and you got a new toy, then when your friends came over you'd have to share it. It's not uncommon for Marvel to sink their teeth into successful talent, even these days Marvel is planning to buy Korean webcomic character White Fox and produce an Avengers/Attack on Titan crossover. So if these stories tell us anything, nothing belongs only to you unless you create it yourself, otherwise be ready to play ball with whoever wants to use your property. Or just write fan fiction, nobody wants to buy fan fiction. Thanks for reading!

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52 First Dates: A Valentine's Day Special (Part 2)

Oh, look! You came back to read the rest of my very special list! If I've been sounding more chipper lately, it's because of all the chocolate my beloved got me! Did I say beloved? I meant to say, "friend in the mirror"! Anyway, on with The Panel Biter's Top 5 Comic Book Couples!

#2 Superman & Lois Lane

Call me old fashioned, but I believe marriage should be between brassy, no nonsense female reporters and godlike, solar-powered aliens posing as mild-mannered reporters! Convenient that Kryptonians look exactly like humans, right? What can say about these two besides them being the classic comic book couple? With Superman being widely known around the world, their relationship is defiantly the most supported of any comic couple. "Why is Superman kissing Wonder Woman, he's Lois Lane's man", I feel the old timers ranting with their fists a-shakin'. Their official marriage took place in 1996, but because of reboots and new timelines their marriage would be either redone or erased from history. The funny thing about these two is that their relationship started as a love triangle: Clark Kent loved Lois Lane, Lois Lane loved Superman, and Superman only wanted to be with Lois Lane if he could be his alter ego Clark Kent. The stories where this conundrum is non-existant and these two can be together are often the most heartfelt, making Clark and Lois a classic American couple.

#1 Mr. Fantastic & The Invisible Woman

Come on now, The Fantastic Four are the first family of comic books! And as we know, families expand! Reed Richards and Susan Storm had an unconventional first meeting, with Reed being 19 and Susan being 13. Nothing happened of course, Sue simply had a crush on Reed. When Reed reached his mid-20's, he had met Susan yet again as an adult and the two quickly got engaged. With the help of Sue, her brother Johnny and Reed's best friend Ben Grimm, Reed was able to pierce the heavens and travel into space with his assistants. Sadly the ship crashed, but the four survived and walked away with fantastic powers. After these four partook in adventures as The Fantastic Four, Reed and Sue got married and had two children shortly after, Franklin Richards and Valeria Richards. Their marriage lasted years, withstanding world-shaking events like Civil War, World War Hulk, Secret Invasion and Dark Reign. After the not-so-lasting death of Sue's brother Johnny Storm/The Human Torch, Reed established The Future Foundation, a successor team to The Fantastic Four that would aim to use science and technology to benefit mankind. Aspiring minds like Alex Power, intelligent mole people, the Amazing Spider-Man and even Doctor Doom (for a short time) joined this new family of superheroes. Even now, as The Fantastic Four are on the verge of dying, Reed and Sue remain together in love for each other and the family they have started.

So there it is, the most important couples in comic books. If that doesn't warm your heart don't worry, I have plenty more ideas of what will. Quick, picture a kitten in a Batman costume! There, happy thoughts. Thanks for reading and Happy Valentine's Day!

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52 First Dates: A Valentine's Day Special (Part 1)

Happy Valentine's Day, loyal readers! Hope your special someone-or Netflix-is enjoying your company! But how about you take a break from cuddling and check out a very special Top 5 list!? No this isn't a "hot or not" list, pinhead. This list features the most significant couples in comic books! So let's get started with The Panel Biter's Top 5 Comic Book Couples!

#5 Black Panther & Storm

Officially wed in "Black Panther #18, 2006" King T'Challa made Orono Monroe of the X-Men his Queen of Wakanda. This relationship is special because it represents the union between mankind and mutant-kind. Their love may feel very Romeo and Juliet, but it wasn't all flowers and chocolates. As King and Queen of Wakanda, these two ventured around the world trying to form unions with other countries. The United States, Latvaria, Attilan, and even Atlantis had trouble shaking hands with these two. Their marriage may not have lasted forever, but they still remain cooperative heroes and good friends.

#4 Luke Cage & Jessica Jones

Luke Cage is a character who's been progressing in morals since his debut. He's gone from criminal to detective to Avenger to husband, and the lucky lady he settled down with happened to be another hero, Jessica Jones. Their relationship actually started with a one night fling, but they emotionally connected soon after. Fortunate for them both, because that fling led to Jessica becoming pregnant. After their daughter Danielle was born, Luke and Jessica got married and balanced their lives as heroes and parents. There's a lot of reasons I like this couple, mainly their commitment to their family. Most heroes worry about what the big-bad villain will do next, these two worry about the baby's teething.

#3 Apollo & The Midnighter

At first glance these two may look like blatant rip-offs of Superman and Batman, but there is more them than you think. Apollo and Midnighter were the only surviving members of a government black ops team. They were experimented on and enhanced with government technology, having only each other after they escaped. It was during their time fighting crime around the US that Apollo and Midnighter developed feelings for each other. After these two joined an organization called The Authority, their new team was swiftly attacked and replaced by body-doubles. Midnighter was the only Authority member to avoid capture and successfully save his team. Shortly after these events, Midnighter proposed to Apollo. They went on to get married and adopt a young orphaned hero named Jenny Quantum. Aside from being a homosexual couple, these two are drastically different in personally and overall tone. Showing that within any context of people, opposites can attract.

Please continue on to Part 2 (if your stomach can take it)!
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Mista Steal Yo' Shadow

Have you ever felt like you're being watched? By people? By cameras? By the invisible espionage hamsters sent by the government to shut down your Japanese candy smuggling operation!? Uh, ignore that last example. Truth is, there may be someone watching you. Right now, from beneath your shadow. Or, inside your shadow! Introducing this week's Z-Lister: The Shadow Thief!

For every obscure superhero, there's an even more obscure villain. Created in 1961, Shadow Thief was once a criminal named Carl Sands. Sands was a decent criminal until one night a police officer was able to find and arrest him by spotting his shadow. In prison, Carl began experimenting with shadow projection hoping he could make his shadow more into an asset than a weakness. These shadow experiments led to Sands accidentally opening a portal to another world called Xarapion. In this world he met an alien explorer named Thar Dan, Sands had saved Thar Dan's life and was rewarded a device called the Dimensionmeter. This alien tool gave Sands the ability to transform into a two-dimensional shadow. Using this new tool, Carl Sands became The Shadow Thief.

After a few defeats from Hawkman, Sands' eventually was stripped of the Dimensionmeter by The Phantom Stranger. However, the alien criminal Byth hires Sands to steal Hawkman's spaceship and gives Sands a new tool to use for this job. This new "Shadow Vest" was a combination on alien technology and energy residue from the Dimensionmeter. In a reintroduction to the character, it was revealed Sands had grown up in Japan, mastered ninjitsu, and used his shadow powers to sabotage industrial businesses in exchange for their rival's payment. Shadow Thief would continue to fight Hawkman, Hawkgirl, and even The Justice League after he joined The Injustice Gang. His greatest triumph was the time he killed Firestorm with another hero's sword. Also, Sands sold his soul to a demon, but who hasn't? Am I right?

The Shadow Thief mantle would be taken by two other people after Sands' eventually went mad with power. The first successor was a billionaire named Carl Hammer, who had spent a million dollars to have his "Shadow Suit" made. His criminal career didn't last long seeing as how he only appeared in one issue of "Vigilante". The final Shadow Thief was an agent of Mossad and was given the "Shadow Skin" to eliminate alien life on Earth. She remains the current Shadow Thief. 

Hawkman has always been a character just outside my radar, his aesthetics are unique, but his origins are as twisted as a pretzel. I like the concept of Shadow Thief, his powers are really what set him apart from most villains. Odd for Hawkman's big enemy to be a shadow, but then again you don't see clowns chasing bats around. I can only hope that when Hawkman is eventually retooled again, that The Shadow Thief can reappear, too. After all, a hero's only as good as his villains. Thanks for reading!

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Fly Together or Die Together

In comic book history, there exist characters who make a lasting mark on the industry and future of fiction. Superman was the forefather of superheroes, Batman was the first superhero without superpowers, and Spider-Man was the first costumed teenager who wasn't subjugated to being a sidekick. Wait now, we missed a step. Sidekicks, an important part of comic books that was kicked off (sidekicked off?) by one colorfully-clad crime stopper, Robin: The Boy Wonder. Today I'll be giving you a tour of each young hero to take this mantle.

Now I've already done posts about the first two Robins, but I'll give a quick summery. The first Robin was an acrobat named Dick Grayson who's parents were killed when their trapeze act was sabotaged by gangsters. Fearing the criminals would come for Grayson next, billionaire Bruce Wayne adopted Dick Grayson to keep him safe. He also did this because he too had witnessed his parents death when he was a child. When Dick Grayson discovered Bruce was secretly the vigilante Batman, Grayson joined his side as Robin the Boy Wonder to stop crime and avenge his parents. Grayson eventually outgrew his role as Robin and became the vigilante Nightwing, leaving the Robin position open. Batman gave the role of Robin to a street punk named Jason Todd, believing the angry youth could benefit from having an outlet for his rage. Jason turned out to be far too violent and arrogant for the job, even killing a criminal while out on patrol. After kicking him out of the Wayne Family, Bruce attempted to rescue Jason Todd who had been captured by The Joker. Batman was too late as The Joker had killed Jason Todd by triggering explosives in the complex Jason was being held in. Jason would return back to life as the villain/anti-hero, The Red Hood.

Now on to the third Robin, Tim Drake. First created in 1989, Tim Drake was a young prodigy who had a high society upbringing, as a kid he met the circus group known as The Flying Graysons and befriended Dick Grayson. By age nine Tim had already deducted the identities of both Batman and Robin, years later after Grayson would retire the role and Jason Todd would be killed Tim saw how brutal Batman was becoming out of his remorse. Knowing this, Tim came to Batman offering to be the new Robin. Despite his first arguments, Batman was convinced of Tim's potential and physically trained him. Batman saw no use in intellectually training Tim as the boy had already acceded the mental prowess Batman had when was a teenager. Most people these days recognize Tim as the quintessential Robin because he was more pro-active and experienced than his predecessors, he led teams like Young Justice and The Teen Titans, and even had his own sixteen year long solo series. Out of all the Robins, Tim is regarded as the heaviest thinker and most superb detective, even rivaling Batman. Tim would also migrate away from his Robin role and upgrade to Red Robin. Not the restaurant!

Finally we come to the most recent Robin, Damian Wayne. Damian's first appearance was in 2006, he is the illegitimate son of Batman and Talia al Ghul, daughter of villain Ra's al Ghul and member of The League of Assassins. Batman had slept with Talia, but was not aware of Damian's birth or the ten years Damian would live being raised as an assassin. When Damian finally learned about his father, he was sent to aid Batman as his new Robin by Talia. Because Damian grew up both pampered and disciplined, his arrogance gave a rough impression on readers as Damian was bratty, egotistical, and downright disobedient. He even believed the only way to be worthy of the Robin mantle was to kill it's last holder, Tim Drake. Batman would eventually teach Damian how to be less violent and more compassionate. Out of all the Robins, Damian had the most different origin and steepest climb to redemption. He continues to fight crime alongside his father to this day.

Other Robins like Carrey Kelly, Stephanie Brown and Duke Thomas would come and go, but these four characters have carried my interest in the Robin mantle for years. For as similar as they may look, these four sort-of-brothers are all different. Grayson is the light-hearted acrobat, Todd is the furious brute, Drake is the tactical detective, and Damian is a home-brewed weapon. But despite how different they might be, they represent the same idea: that anyone of any age is capable of any good. No matter what happens to any of them, they're committed to upholding what is right. They are all worthy to stand next to Batman, but as the first legacy of sidekicks they are important enough to stand on their own. Thanks for reading!

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Netflix Pix or "Picks" if You're Picky (Part Two)

This post will continue The Panel Biter's Top 5 Wanted Marvel Netflix Series. So if you feel out-of-place, you might benefit from reading Part One. And now, we'll be proceeding with The Panel Biter's Top 5 Wanted Marvel Netflix Series.

#2: Damage Control

Marvel has their Fantasy movies, their sci-fi movies, their spy movies, but what don't they have? Well, Sitcoms of course! In the Marvel Comics Universe, Damage Patrol is a construction agency employed to clean-up collateral damage caused by superhero/super villain battles. It features a diverse cast of everyday people usually running into famous Marvel characters, sometimes getting in disputes or working together Damage Control is funded by both Tony Stark and Wilson Fisk, two characters who have appeared in the MCU. I imagine the show would be a cross between "The Office" and one of those home-makeover shows. Episodes could revolve around Damage Control cleaning up messes left after the Marvel movies. For example: Remember those whale-like aliens in "The Avengers"? Where did they go after that movie? Maybe Damage Control blew them up with dynamite and mopped up the guts? Maybe Damage Control used a set of carrier helicopters to lift the aliens out of New York and dump them in the ocean? A show about these guys would just be a nice little expansion of the Marvel Universe that'd make it feel more lived-in and cohesive.

#1: The Punisher

The basic appeal of Marvel's upcoming Daredevil show seems to the show's grittier attitude and darker view of the MCU. It shows the kind of crime and evil Captain America and Iron Man are too busy to fix, so citizens like Matt Murdock have to risk their lives protecting the little people. Daredevil will represent the dark settings of the MCU, but The Punisher could represent the dark psychology of the MCU. I've mentioned The Punisher is unlike any other Marvel character, being almost as morally unhinged as the villains he fights. The reason why The Punisher would work on Netflix is because Netflix programs aren't limited to the kind of censorship television is, bolder violence, stronger vulgarity, and mature themes would separate The Punisher from everything else. He'd be like Marvel's heroic "Dexter". The Punisher's origins, stories, and crossovers are loaded with entertainment that could be targeted towards hardcore viewers. More so, with the kind of guy Frank Castle is, one could see him appearing in "Agents of Shield" or "Daredevil" as an enemy before spinning off into his own series. Just please, please, don't turn him into Frankenstein again. Seriously, what is Marvel's obsession with weird Punisher stories!?

I hope you liked this list, there's no doubt Marvel has some neat ideas up their sleeves so I'm sure we'll see these characters at some point. If you have a Marvel character you want to see on Netflix, leave a comment! Between Marvel's planned shows and that rumored "Legend of Zelda" show, I'll defiantly be investing some cash into this television program. And with that shameless plug, thanks for reading!

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Netflix Pix Or "Picks" if You're Picky (Part One)

Marvel Studios has me pumped for it's coming Netflix shows! Daredevil, Iron Fist, Luke Cage and Jessica Drew are all lesser-known Marvel characters who's stories will be presented in limited episode series, and when their shows are done we'll be getting their own team show called The Defenders. But like the movies, Marvel has to have a second slate of projects ready for Netflix. Considering that, which Marvel characters should get Netflix shows next? Well, I happen to have some ideas. Here we go, The Panel Biter's Top 5 Wanted Marvel Netflix Series.

#5: Ghost Rider

I'll admit the Nick Cage "Ghost Rider" movies are a guilty pleasure, but how smart would it be for Marvel to introduce the concept of magic and demons with Ghost Rider (along with Dr. Strange)? The budget wouldn't be crazy, the pool of Marvel demons is deep, and the character would be visually different from any other character we've seen out of Marvel. Rather than Johnny Blaze, I'd rather see the Danny Ketch version of Ghost Rider. Characters like Johnny Blaze and the original Phantom Rider could serve mentor/rival roles, while the story would surround Ketch using the Ghost Rider's demonic powers to avenge the death of his sister. Oh, and there's a new Ghost Rider who drives a hotrod, so Marvel could cash in on that Fast & Furious market if they want.

#4: She-Hulk

Any Marvel fanboy will tell you that She-Hulk is an awesome character, and seeing as how we won't be getting a solo Hulk movie anytime soon, now is a good time to introduce a less-expensive Hulk character. There's the appeal of having lesser known Hulk villains show up obviously, but the real appeal comes from She-Hulk also being a lawyer. Think Daredevil, but more comedic. Super strength isn't a hard effect, and the duality of Jennifer Walters and She-Hulk could either be one actress who's She-Hulk form would be done with make-up and CGI or-and I like idea better-you get one actress for Walters and another actress for She-Hulk. Walter's actress could be a bit more reserved, while She-Hulk's actress would be outgoing. And if She-Hulk's actress is built like an Amazon, replicating She-Hulk's appearance would be easier. Also, She-Hulk constantly broke the 4th Wall in her 90's series, so Marvel could have a character funny enough to compete with Fox's upcoming Deadpool.

#3: Blade

You know what the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't have? Vampires. You know what the general viewing audience likes? Vampires. Guess what Blade is. A Vampire! Seriously, Blade is a character who just oozes cool, if Marvel wants to dip their toes into different pools then roping in the vampire/horror fans would be a smart move. Blade has a long history too, so they could either go with his globe-trotting paranormal adventures or, like Daredevil, show his early days fighting vampires in New York. I wouldn't mind a mix of both, setting it in Blade's early days, but working in modern horror. Blade is a character I would like to see put in a certain time period, like setting it in 70's. That way you explore a time in the MCU that hasn't been explored, set up future paranormal events, and utilize Blade's heavily outdated outfit (see here: http://www.comicbookmovie.com/images/users/uploads/10959/342911-48536-blade_super.jpg).

Please continue to Part 2!

Lightning in a Bottle

It has recently been announced that DC Comic's New 52 is coming to an end. It's all very confusing from a comic outsider's prospective, but to put it simply: DC Comics took their universe of characters and recreated in 2011, now in 2015 they are recreating them once again with pieces from both Pre-New 52 and Post-New 52. But we aren't here to point fingers at a sloppy continuity. We're here today to compare what DC had, to what they've given. Since the comics are just rebooting again, I wanted to take this chance to explore certain characters and see which versions are the best. I'll be starting with Billy Batson, also known as Shazam! Or Captain Marvel, for you retro fans.

In 1939, Fawcett Comics writers C.C. Beck and Bill Parker created a superhero who could compete with the ever popular Superman. However, this character would be both a god-like man and a mild-mannered child. The character was named Billy Batson/Captain Marvel and starred in Whiz Comics. Captain Marvel's adventures in the 1940's gave the character more popularity than even Superman. Like Superman, Captain Marvel fought evil scientists, had family of heroes and was a good role model for young readers. Seeing the notoriety collected by Captain Marvel, DC Comics decided to sue Fawcett Comics for copyright infringement in 1953, claiming Captain Marvel was a Superman rip-off. DC's next move was licensing all of the Captain Marvel characters and integrating them into the DC Comics Universe in 1972. At this time, Marvel Comics had introduced a totally different character with the same name, forcing DC to rename the book "Shazam!". This would make up for the copyright incident in some regard as Captain Marvel was able to continue publication and now be able to team up with characters in the DC Universe.

In the 1980's run of the book, writers Roy Thomas and Dann Thomas created the concept of Billy Batson being the personality of both forms, as before the personalities of Billy Batson and Captain Marvel were completely separate. This concept proved successful as Captain Marvel has the unique quality of being a grown man with the perspective of a child. While more characters grew darker, Captain Marvel remained old-fashioned and chipper because of Billy's lasting outlook. The basic premise to Billy Batson's origin is that he was a homeless boy who's parents died in a car accident, but despite that tragedy Billy continued to show compassion. Billy was summoned to a magical haven called The Rock of Eternity where he meets a wizard named Shazam who has used his powers to protect mankind for centuries. Grown old and weak, Shazam deems Billy worthy of being his successor. In his dying moments, Shazam tells Billy that by shouting "SHAZAM!", Billy could become Captain Marvel.

Now comes the comparison, Captain Marvel's original stories were goofy and fun, but also showed some level of depth. His villain Black Adam had roots to ancient Egypt and would become a redemption-seeking hero for a short time, Cap's sidekick-Captian Marvel Jr.-was Billy's crippled best friend Freddy Freeman, and after Billy would became the new wizard Shazam, Freddy would become the next Captain Marvel. Now in the New 52 retelling of the character, Billy Batson was an orphaned teen who was ignorant, selfish, and immature, even faking manners in order to get adopted. He ran away from his new family and was summoned to The Rock of Eternity. The simply named "Wizard" appears and tells Billy of his wish to give his powers to someone of perfect good before his death. But Billy argues there is no such thing as a completely good person. Seeing Billy's potential to become a better person, The Wizard settles on Billy and gives him the power to become the magical hero Shazam (renamed to avoid legal issues). At first, Billy uses his new powers for profit, but shows signs of humility after defeating Black Adam with the help of his family.

Don't get me wrong, the New 52 introduced an interesting idea and I see how it makes sense, in the modern era the idea of a completely good person doesn't really exist as everyone is capable of evil. I simply wish this idea integrated into a successor to Billy Batson because the prior version of the character was so inspiring. Billy/Cap M wasn't the character readers related to, he was the character readers aspired to be. Matter of fact, Captain Marvel is one of my favorite superheroes even above Superman or Batman and if you check out his on-screen roles in Justice League Unlimited's episode "Clash" and the DC's animated short "Superman/Shazam!: The Return of Black Adam" you'll see why I admire him. In conclusion, both versions of Billy Batson send a good message to readers, but while one message is blatant the other is consistent. Anyone can want redemption, but everyone should want to be a good enough person not to need it. That's my opinion, thanks for reading!

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Some Good Old Father/Son Bouncing

It always seemed to me that after the creation of Batman, comic book writers could easily find inspiration for characters by looking at animals. Spider-Man, Ant-Man, Wolverine, Catwoman, the list goes on. The duo of Z-Listers I've brought here today follow this idea to visually ludicrous heights. Here they are, Leap-Frog and Frog-Man!

Vinnie Patilio was an inventor who's novelty machines were regarded as nothing more than children's toys. Resenting his less than glamorous career, Vinnie builds himself electrically powered coils to attach below his feet and grant him enhanced leaping capabilities. He then designs a frog-like exoskeleton to provide him with strength, durability, and a targeting-system to properly guide his 6-story jumps. As the criminal Leap-Frog, Vinnie was still unsuccessful. One of his first crimes was kidnapping lawyer Matt Murdock (AKA Daredevil) and receiving a massive beating by the blind man. He'd have repeated beatings by Daredevil, even failing with the aid of other villains, and would eventually be sent to jail after his less-than-impressive battle with Iron Man.
When Vinnie returned home from prison, he discovered his wife had died of cancer and it was up to him to support himself and his son, Eugene. With Vinnie wrapped in despair over his failures as an inventor, criminal, and family man, his son Eugene stumbled upon his father's frog-suit. Eugene made some modifications and used the suit to become the hero Frog-Man, taking inspiration from his father and the Amazing Spider-Man. Vinnie was proud of his son's heroic actions at first, but grew disapproving of this double-life and forbid his son from being a hero.
Vinnie agreed to go undercover into The White Rabbit's gang for the police, but it became difficult when Eugene attacked White Rabbit's gang as Frog-Man. Although the father and son ended up working together to take down this gang of lower-class criminals, White Rabbit would reappear with the villain Walrus and cause mayhem around New York. Vinnie ordered Eugene to stay home while he-donning an updated frog suit-went out to stop the villains. Despite his father's request, Eugene joined Leap-Frog and Spider-Man as Frog-Man to defeat The White Rabbit. As of now, Vinnie has retired from the costumed life and Eugene continues his career as a crime fighter.
While these characters are underrated, I feel the theming between the both of them is very thick. Vinnie was the type of man destined to never measure up to inventors like Tony Stark or Reed Richards, it took his son's desire to use the frog-suit for a greater good that allowed Vinnie to rise above his insecurity. While I don't expect to see these two in action any time soon, I like to think somewhere in Marvel's New York, The Fabulous Frog-Man is still bouncing around. Thanks for reading!

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Deadmen Walkin'

Today I'll be pitching a series for one of DC's more underrated heroes, Deadman. While he's had a solo series recently and is featured in the Justice League Dark comic, I feel the range of adventures for this character could entertain many fans of horror and mystery. So that's why for this Pitch-It, I present a comic book called The Deadman Corpse (word play).

First of all let me give you a quick history lesson on Deadman. Formally a circus performer named Boston Brand, he'd use the stage persona Deadman to invoke danger into his life-risking stunts. One of Brand's performances was sabotaged by an assassin who was trying to prove his skills as a killer to a group of assassins. Boston Brand was reborn as a ghost by the Hindu god Rama Kushna to avenge his death and the deaths of others as The Deadman.

For this book, Deadman would find himself followed by four spirits who have become Deadmen like himself: Terri Henshaw, an astronaut who was melted by cosmic radiation despite Superman's attempt to save her. Simon Darke, a Gotham citizen who was murdered by The Joker. Lorena Marquez, a teenager who drowned during Ocean Master's attack on Metropolis in the "Throne of Atlantis" event. And Cyrus Gold, Coast City's underground crime lord who was murdered by his own men and dumped in a swamp. Deadman decides to teach these wandering spirits how to use their ghostly powers and join him in keeping the balance between life and death.
The plot of this book would develop into Deadman's attempt at helping the fellow spirits come to rest by finding each of their respective bodies. A task difficult for mortals comes as even more of a challenge to the Deadmen as Terri's body was thrown through space with the rest of her space shuttle, Lorena's body is at the bottom of the ocean and Simon's body is in the possession of The Joker's insane admirer The Joker's Daughter. Upon finding their bodies, each spirit would gain Rama Kushna's blessing to move on, but as a team they would wish to stick together until all of them-Deadman included-are ready to move on into the afterlife. However, their adventure become difficult when going up against characters like The Spectre, Gentleman Ghost, and Solomon Grundy who is revealed to be Cyrus Gold possessing his dead corpse and betraying the Deadmen.
Lined with horror, suspense and surreal imagery, The Deadman Corpse would offer a diverse cast and thought-provoking stories. The backstories of these characters would show the grim reality of living in a superhero-filled world and how not everyone gets saved by people in costumes. It would present the flip-side of walking among gods and monsters, forces man cannot control nor avoid. At any rate, Deadman himself is a character filled with potential stories and a book like this could expand his responsibility to the lives of the living and the dead. Thanks for reading!

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Unusual Punishment

No character in comic books should be taken more seriously than Frank Castle, The Punisher. This psychopathic vigilante proudly partakes in torture, kidnapping, extortion, and even murder if it means wiping out crime. But oddly enough, there have been a lot of weird moments in The Punisher's history. Let's take a closer gaze through the looking glass. Or looking scope, in this case.

The Punisher's origin is simple enough: a war veteran who's entire family is gunned down by the mob, sparking his insane dedication to eradicate organized crime so that nobody has to suffer the same loss. But now we're going to get into some stuff, some not-vengence related stuff. In the 1992 Punisher comic book, Frank had suffered major damage after a battle with the criminal Jigsaw. In order to recover from his damages, Frank asks a drug addicted prostitute to perform plastic surgery on him. Don't worry though, this drugged-up hooker happens to have a medical degree. The surgery works, but Doc Stripper takes Frank's "nobody can recognize me" request too far and Frank Castle wakes up as a black man. This change was only temporary of course, but the writers had been teaming Frank up with black hero Luke Cage for that time, so you can imagine how awkward that must have been for everyone. Also-and this in bad taste-while black, Frank gets beaten by a group of cops.

It's not only racial debaucheries this character has endured, why The Punisher has had some off-putting team-ups as well, like the time he teamed up with Archie. That's right readers, The Punisher visits Riverdale and it's all-American icon, Archie Andrews. See, the U.S. government discovered the notorious drug dealer named Red was hiding out in Riverdale and hired The Punisher to apprehend him. Problem is though, Red looks very similar to Archie, meaning The Punisher mistakes one for the other. Worse yet, many of Red's associates want him dead simply to keep the government from taking any of them, putting Archie further in harm's way. A few shootouts later, and The Punisher and Archie end up working together to save Archie's girlfriend Veronica from Red and capture the drug dealer. Sadly, Archie was never given one of The Punisher's pistols to use against criminals, in fact Archie actually ended up the wrong side of the pistol once, but that's a story for another day.

This is just the tip of the oddity iceberg for the Punisher. I haven't even mentioned how there exists a possible future of Punisher admirers, or how Frank Castle was turned into Frankenstein's Monster, or how The Punisher teamed up with rapper Eminem! For me, seeing characters often written in only one way comes off as stale. That's why experimenting unexpected ideas like these don't come off as uncomfortable or unnecessary, they're simply different ways to interpret a character and test how they'd deal with certain situations. One of the reasons I love a character like Batman is because he can fit into different themes and genres, as can a character like The Punisher who proves the war on crime spans both race and region. Don't believe me? Check out the Marvel Manga version of The Punisher. Spoilers: He's a japanese woman in a dress. Thanks for reading!

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