Comics defined my life.

I was always into super heroes. When I was a kid, I used to dress up as batman, not just for Halloween either, because it was Tuesday, sometimes, because I wanted to beat up some bullies around the corner. (I was a neighborhood scale vigilante.)

Truth be told, I still buy the occasional comic, but most of the time, my money is spent on other hobbies and feeding my movie and TV addiction.

The comic characters I love best.

1. Batman

This is the easiest, and obvious one. I didn't grow up in the Batman is a goofy character phase of his existence. I've always known him as the Batman from Dark Knight Returns. My second favourite Batman book, by the way, my first favourite being The Killing Joke.

Even in kids TV, like Batman the Animated Series, or Justice League, he's always been a bit darker than his counter-parts. Recently "Under the Red Hood" has captured my imagination, much like Doomsday (A Superman movie) stirred up old emotions felt at the "Death in the Family" story line. They took creative licences, since it's a 2 hour movie. I will be a Bat-fan for life, he's the number 1 comic character in my opinion, and I doubt there will ever be a character that comes close to my affection levels as Bats.

2. Nova.

Now, the original Nova was kind of shitty. But his most recent re-envisioning blew me away. While Civil War was going on in the Marvel Universe, The greater Marvel Universe (outside of Earth) was under attack from a much larger threat. The Entire Nova Corps (basically the Green Lanterns, space cops, of the Marvel Universe) was obliterated. Except for Richard Rider. Nova. Earth Sectors officer. And now the FULL power of the Nova Corp is behind him. That makes him close to one of the most powerful beings. He also plays host to the AI mind that aided and controlled the Nova Corps.

The character steps up to his new responsibilities. And creates a fighting force of the MU's most nefarious and somewhat famous beings Including Super Skrull. Bad ass.

But my favourite thing, after sacrificing a lot to buy some breathing room from the Annihilation Wave, he goes back to Earth, home to get his head together. Of course A man-sized being entering the atmosphere of Earth sets off Alarms. So Iron Man approaches him, and tries to recruit him. Nova basically tells Tony Stark to go fuck himself. His petty little differences on the planet as insignificant, and if Earth can't pull it's shit together, they'll all die. Tony, the asshole he is, brushes this off as nothing. But Richard Rider is right. Oh, and he's pissed that Cap is dead, but who wasn't?

3. Deadpool.

Hands down the funniest Character in Super hero books. The Merc with a mouth is best known for talking to the reader. Something about the character being this self aware in a world where we're not supposed to think that way, makes it even funnier.

4. Superman

This seems lame. I don't like that people think it's lame to Like Supes. But after Batman, he's probably the most recognized world-wide character. and For good reason. A hero from the same coin just the other side of Batman. He was born on a planet that was destroyed, sent to earth to be the Last Son of Krypton. He was raised in Americas heartland, with down to earth sensibilities. And all thanks to that, he became the hero the world looks up to, the entire Earth, across hundreds of worlds in the Multiverse, one thing seems constant. Superman defined the role of the heroes.

How can you not like this guy?

5. Blaster

Transformers bitches. In the comics, the Transformers series was much darker, even darker than it's film equivalents. Bots died in droves, and at one point, everyone but Blaster and Ratcher were dead. And Blaster wasn't just a boombox who was an Autobot Soundwave. He was a BAD ASS. He kicked so much ass with his Electroscrambler and cassette buddies. He took on Megatron and won. He and Ratchet rescued and repaired Optimus Prime.