Throwback Thursday – Batman: Under the Red Hood

On August 20, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Animation, Comics/Manga, Five-Star Books, Superhero, Throwback Thursday1 Comment

Studio: Warner Bros. Animation and DC Entertainment

Series: DC Universe Animated Original Movies – Film Eight

Director: Brandon Vietti

Writer: Judd Winick

Producers: Bruce Timm and Bobbie Page

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Welcome back to my Throwback Thursday series, where I republish old reviews, review content I have enjoyed before or review older books I have only just had a chance to read. For this latest Throwback Thursday, I am going to keep following a recent trend of looking at animated movies and review Batman: Under the Red Hood.

Ever since I reviewed Justice League Dark: Apokolips War last year, I have been focusing a little more on one of my favourite forms of entertainment, animated films based on comic books. Not only did I have a great time listing my favourite comic book based animated films and television shows, but I have also done some cool reviews for Batman: Soul of the Dragon and Batman: Assault on Arkham. After I got some positive responses to my review for Assault on Arkham last week, I thought I would use this Throwback Thursday to highlight the incredibly awesome Batman: Under the Red Hood, which is probably my absolute favourite DC Comics inspired animated film.

Released in 2010, Under the Red Hood was an early entry in the DC Animated Originals Movies range, and it remains one of the best that they have ever done. Directed by Brandon Vietti and written by Judd Winick, this film is an adaptation of the iconic Batman comics storyline Under the Hood, which was also written by Winick. Not only does this film contain an excellent story that does an amazing job capturing the original comic but it also features an all-star voice cast and some excellent animation, resulting in a dark and exciting film that is also rich in emotion and tragedy.

Years ago, Batman suffered the greatest defeat in his entire crime-fighting career when the Joker did the unthinkable by brutally killing his sidekick, Jason Todd, the second Robin. Despite this terrible loss, Batman left the Joker alive and continued his non-lethal mission for justice, fighting from the shadows to save Gotham City from its criminal element.

In the present, Gotham is controlled by the ruthless crime boss, Black Mask, who has managed to take over the entire criminal underworld. But a new player in town, the mysterious Red Hood, is making moves to disrupt Black Mask’s interests and take control of the city. With some incredible skills, brilliant manoeuvring and intense violence, Red Hood soon becomes a major thorn in Black Mask’s side, taking parts of the city from him. At the same time, Red Hood has placed himself right in the path of Batman and his former sidekick, Nightwing, determined to test his abilities against those of the Dark Knight.

As Batman attempts to stop the latest wave of violence sweeping the city, he notices something disturbingly familiar about the Red Hood. His skills and training are too familiar, and even more shocking, he knows that Batman is Bruce Wayne. With Black Mask on the warpath, the mysterious Ra’s al Ghul watching from the shadows, and the Joker always a menacing presence in Arkham, Batman gets closer to finding out the terrible truth about who Red Hood truly is. But is he prepared for the darkness and tragedy he will find under the hood, or will the ghosts of his past finally push Batman over the edge?

Under the Red Hood is a dramatic, exciting, and overall tragic animated feature, which is brought together beautifully to produce an epic and powerful film, anchored by an exceptional narrative. The film starts in a very dark place, with a malicious and hilarious Joker brutally killing Robin just before Batman can save him. This perfectly sets the tone for the entire film, as the story advances to modern times and shows a new brutal crime war between the Black Mask and newcomer the Red Hood. At the same time, Batman becomes embroiled in their war, when he interrupts a ploy by the Red Hood to steal an Amazo superweapon. This leads to an action-packed middle section of the film, as Batman and Nightwing attempt to capture Red Hood, who is also dealing with assassins sent by Black Mask. After several impressive fight sequences, Batman learns the shocking truth about Red Hood’s identity (which is as a tad obvious, even for those unfamiliar with the comics), resulting in some extreme drama, as Batman is forced to confront the dangerous ghosts of his past. As Batman attempts to come to terms with his discovery, Red Hood forces his opponents to make some dramatic moves, which work into his plans. What follows is a fantastically powerful and intense final act, as Batman confronts Red Hood and finds out the tragic and touching reasons behind his motivations. What follows is emotional blow after emotional blow, as Batman, Red Hood and the Joker have their final confrontation. The aftermath of this is absolutely heartbreaking and will leave you breathless and utterly moved: “This doesn’t change anything; this doesn’t change anything at all!” This is an epic and exceptional narrative that I have so much love for.

Under the Red Hood serves as an exceptional adaptation of the Under the Hood Batman comic storyline, although as the film and the comic share the same writer, that’s pretty understandable. This film does a great job fitting all the key points of the comic into its 75-minute runtime, and you get the full enjoyable story, as well as some useful backstory, especially around Jason Todd’s death. This is mostly a pretty straight adaption, although there are a few noticeable changes designed to make the movie flow a little better. I think these changes work extremely well, and Winick adds several great new scenes into this film that make for a different and, in some ways, better experience than the comic source material. This is mainly because the Under the Hood comic was set amid several other ongoing Batman storylines, as well as the major crossover event, Infinite Crisis, which impacted Under the Hood’s overall narrative. As it would have been too confusing to include some of these elements in the film, their removal resulted in a few notable changes. While this did result in a few fun parts from the comics being removed, such as having the opponents in the Batman/Red Hood team-up fight change from members of the Secret Society of Supervillains, such as Captain Nazi and Count Vertigo, to a group of mechanised martial artists (it’s still a great fight though), some of the other changes worked really well. I loved the alterations to the Joker’s story, as it was clever to have the Red Hood orchestrate Joker’s release to kidnap him. It also results in some amazing scenes, including that great cell scene with Black Mask, and the fantastic scene with the truck on the bridge.

One disadvantage that I felt the film version had was that the big reveal over Red Hood’s identity is a lot less impactful. When the Under the Hood comic first came out, it was a major revelation and there were some great surprise elements to it. However, by the time the film came out, every comic fan knew who Red Hood really was, so that really cut down on the surprise factor of the reveal. In addition, even if you were unfamiliar with the Under the Hood comic, the Jason Todd death scene at the start of the film ensured that most viewers would be easily able to figure out this twist as soon as the mysterious Red Hood appeared. This was kind of unavoidable though, as the rest of the film wouldn’t have made sense without the establishing scene. I did think that the reason behind Robin’s resurrection was handled a lot better in the film. The original story, in which he is brought back to life due to Superboy-Prime punching a dimensional barrier, never really worked for me, so having it purely be the result of a Lazarus Pit resurrection was a lot neater and simpler (well, as simple as a magical resurrection pit can be). Overall, I think that Under the Red Hood proved to be a really good adaption of the original comic, and in many ways I felt that in enhanced the source material while also compensating for the changed canons.

I am always deeply impressed by the fantastic and well-crafted animation of Under the Red Hood. This entire film features a constant stream of beautiful and amazing sequences that are an absolute joy to behold. The action is seamless throughout, and the creative team make sure to feature several sequences that show off the various skills of the main characters, while also bringing some iconic scenes from the comics to life. I really must call out the two excellent extended chase sequences, as Red Hood flees from Batman and Nightwing. These scenes are full of excitement and major moments, and the fantastic running sequences, equipped with all the players using their various gadgets and tricks, are so cool, and they are just animated perfectly. However, these chase scenes pale in comparison to some of the epic fight sequences featured throughout the film. While I do deeply enjoy the Amazo fight sequences at the start of the film, which expertly highlights the way Batman and Nightwing work together as a team, the best ones are the two fights involving Batman and Red Hood. The first of these, which sees the two former partners team up against the anime-inspired team of assassins, the Fearsome Hand of Four, is so deeply cool, especially as the amazingly drawn martial arts techniques are beautifully paired with the over-the-top gadgets (one guy gets thrown through the air with explosives several times). The animators save the best for last, with a brutal brawl between Batman and Red Hood near the end of the film. This impressive and dramatic fight sequence is teased throughout the entire film, and when it goes down it does not disappoint. The two heroes go to war with each other, each of them bringing lethal fighting abilities and an entire arsenal of toys and gadgets against each other for some incredible action. The fight goes from the alley where the two first met, to the rooftops, all the way to a dilapidated apartment bathroom, where bodies are brutally thrown through fixtures and walls. There is so much intensity in this sequence, and the animators outdid themselves bringing this major and spectacular fight to the screen. You will be so impressed by this terrific animation.

You cannot talk about Under the Red Hood without out mentioning the incredible collection of characters and the outstanding voice cast that perfectly portrayed each of them. Unsurprisingly for a Batman film, the cast is anchored by the Dark Knight himself, who is voiced by the talented Bruce Greenwood. This is a great portrayal of Batman and the writer really captured the complexities of the veteran version of this superhero. This Batman has been fighting crime for a very long time, and has been struck by tragedy after tragedy, especially the death of Jason Todd. This comes into play throughout the film, and there are some major emotional moments, especially in the final climatic scene with the Red Hood. Watching this film, it is impossible not to see Batman as a tragic figure, always destined to experience heartbreak and trauma as the result of his relentless crusade. I did love the amazing animation featured around Batman’s various fight scenes, and it contrasts nicely with some of the other characters, such as Red Hood, with more of a focus on his experience and placing the right move at the right time. I also really enjoyed Bruce Greenwood’s portrayal of Batman, who brings a gruff and determined depiction of the character which really works. Greenwood delivers several great dialogue sequences which show the depth and complexity of this iconic character, and I had a fantastic time following him in this film.

Another major character is the character of Jason Todd/Red Hood (I would add a spoiler alert, but after all these years it’s kind of redundant), voiced by Jensen Ackles. The Red Hood featured in this film is an amazing and outstanding version of the character, and you run the entire emotional gambit with him. I loved the fantastic and clever introduction of the character, where he manages to take over a large criminal organisation with just a bag and a machine gun. This evolves into a very fun game of cat and mouse between Red Hood and Batman, while he also works to take over from Black Mask. The eventual reveal about Red Hood works extremely well: “You haven’t lost your touch, Bruce,” and I loved the various chase scenes between the two, as well as their joint fight sequence against the Fearsome Hand of Four. All this perfectly leads up to the great final confrontation with Batman, with a big elaborate fight scene and that extremely dramatic sequence opposite Batman. Ackles adds some real cockiness to the character, and his various interactions with the supporting characters are pretty funny and really fun. However, it is his sequences with Batman that are the best, as Ackles adds all the appropriate drama of a murdered child when encountering his former mentor. The revelation of Red Hood’s motive is deeply captivating, and the entire scene where he, Batman and the Joker are reunited is so very tense and powerful. You also have to love how the final scene in the film features the younger version of Robin on his first night of crime-fighting, as his innocence and childlike joy at being a hero stands in such contrast to his eventual fate: “This is the best day of my life.” This is an outstanding portrayal of one of the most complex characters in the DC canon.

I also really must highlight the incredible version of the Joker that is featured in this film, who is voiced by the always entertaining John DiMaggio. This is a great interpretation of the Joker, and you get to see just how vicious and ruthless he can be. I love how the writers and actor did a great job capturing his insane mentality when it comes to the Batman, especially as his greatest ambition is to drive Batman insane enough to kill him. I was honestly surprised at how awesome John DiMaggio was in this role, especially as the purely evil Joker is very different from the comedic characters he is best known for portraying. However, he brings some very excellent menace to this character, and while there are a lot of humorous undertones to his actions, the sheer insanity and joy he has at other people’s suffering is more than evident. Joker has some incredible scenes throughout this movie, which DiMaggio really enhances with his unique take on the character. The opening sequence in which he beats Jason Todd half to death with a crowbar is pretty dark, despite the constant jokes, and his later confrontation with Batman in Arkham really captures his overall insanity. However, his best sequences occur later in the film. The first of these is the cell scene with Black Mask, where he accepts a job offer in the most boss way possible (never hand the Joker a cup of any variety). The follow sequence on the bridge, where he attempts to draw the Red Hood out with a truck, some guys and some gasoline is really great, especially when it is revealed that the Black Mask is also amongst his hostages. However, DiMaggio shines best in the final sequence where Batman and Red Hood finally have their dramatic showdown with the Joker in the middle. The Joker revels in all the drama and emotion in the room, especially when Red Hood attempts to force Batman to kill Joker: “This is turning out even better than I hoped!” The final bit of the confrontation where Joker, realising that Red Hood’s bomb will kill them all, joyfully attempts stop Batman, “This is perfect…. I’m the only one who’s going to get what they want tonight,” really captures the character’s chaotic mentality and is a great conclusion to his story arc.

The other major character in the film is Nightwing, former Robin Dick Grayson, who is portrayed by the legendary Neil Patrick Harris. Mostly featured in the first half of the film, Nightwing serves as the traditional sidekick role, bringing a lighter comedic role to the dynamic duo and playing off the ultra-serious Batman perfectly. I loved the fantastic coordination in the action sequences between these two, and the animators do an outstanding job showing how their fighting styles complement each other and they instantly know what the other one is doing. Harris’s voice work is great, hyping up the characters comedic, banter-laden fight style, and while it didn’t fit as well as some other versions of Nightwing I have seen, this was still a pretty epic bit of casting.

Aside from these above four main characters, I deeply appreciated Jason Issacs and Wade Williams as Ra’s al Ghul and Black Mask respectfully. Issacs does an outstanding job bringing the enigmatic and ruthless al Ghul to life, and it was great to see the respect and personal code this version of the character has, especially once his actions result in Jason Todd’s death. Williams’s unhinged version of Black Mask is also incredibly good, and I loved the ultra-anger he brings to the role, especially as he slowly becomes more and more targeted by Red Hood and Batman. His reactions to the crazy antics of the other characters is pretty fun, and you’ve got to love the look on his face when he sees Red Hood targeting him with a giant rocket launcher. I also want to call out Kelly Hu as Black Mask’s assistant, Ms Li, a gender-swapped version of the assistant character in the comic. Ms Li serves a pretty cool counterpart to Black Mask and is a constant calm presence in his chaotic administration, barely batting an eye at any of his angry or violent outbursts. These great supporting characters compliment the main cast perfectly, and I felt the film’s entire collection of characters and actors helped to turn Under the Red Hood into something incredibly special.

While there have been some incredible DC animated movies out there, none have eclipsed the exceptional and awesome Batman: Under the Red Hood. Featuring an impressive adaption of an iconic and cool comic story arc, this amazing film contains a fantastic narrative loaded with action, excitement, and intensity, as the characters engage in a dramatic and tragic battle. With a perfect voice cast and some outstanding animation, Under the Red Hood is a must-watch animated film that I have seen and deeply enjoyed so many times. An easy five-star watch that is highly recommended; if you love Batman, you need to see this film.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Underappreciated Comic Series

On June 22, 2021June 23, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, List3 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. The official topic for this week was Bookish Wishes, but I am choosing to do something a little different and instead I will be highlighting some of my favourite underappreciated comic series.

Each year, there are a ton of new and exciting comic series released. Some of these series are outstanding, some are a little less enjoyable, but most get a lot of attention, whether good or bad, from the comic community. However, ever since I have started collecting comics, I have come across several amazing titles which do not seem to get as much attention, interest, or recognition as they deserve. This is a real shame, because some of these comics are actually extremely impressive, containing some incredible stories and complex characters, all of which are really worth checking out.

Due to how much I enjoyed some of these lesser-known comics, I thought I would take the opportunity to look at the ten best comics I consider to be somewhat underappreciated or unfairly ignored by the general comic community. In order to complete this list, I have gone through my collection of favourite comics and pulled out several great titles, which don’t always get the attention that their excellent stories merit. I ended up pulling together an intriguing list of comics, and while I did debate about just how underappreciated some of these titles are, I think I ended up with a fantastic list that I am rather happy with. So, let us get to it.

Honourable Mentions:

Fables

A comic beloved by those who have read it, I am only saying this one is underappreciated because a future adaption is very unlikely, especially after the market was saturated by the similar Once Upon a Time.

Booster Gold (Vol.2)

A fun, time-travel filled romp that follows perennial DC Comics loser, Booster Gold, and shows why he is the greatest hero you have never heard of.

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra (2016)

Only underappreciated by those who do not read Star Wars comics.

Top Ten List:

Gotham Central

The first comic on this list is the incredible Gotham Central, a fantastic series that focused on the members of the Gotham City Police Department. Essentially a police procedural in the world inhabited by Batman, this remarkable comic, created by Ed Brubaker, Greg Rucka and Michael Lark, is pretty damn amazing, and does a lot with some of the fantastic police characters featured in the Batman comics. Containing some very impressive storylines, including its most famous arc where Renee Montoya is outed as a lesbian, this series did win several awards, however, it is routinely overlooked by fans due to the focus on other non-Batman characters. With a decent 40 issue run, this was a very memorable and clever comic, which provided some inspiration for the Gotham television series. With another potential adaption in the future, this comic may finally be about to get the love it is due, and it will be well deserved when it does.

Scarlet Spider (Vol. 2)

Next up we have a very fun series from Marvel comics, the second Scarlet Spider series. This series, which spun-off from the Spider-Island crossover event, follows newly resurrected villain and Spider-Man clone, Kaine, as he accidently becomes a vigilante anti-hero in Houston. Taking the mantle Scarlet Spider, Kaine attempts to fight crime his own way, often with violent and deadly results. Written by Christopher Yost, this series was a somewhat darker Spider-Man tale that had some excellent humour to it, as the usually serious and murderous Kaine, is forced into some ridiculous heroics. Surprisingly addictive and entertaining, this was an outstanding series that unfortunately undersold and was cancelled after only 25 issues.

Chew

The third entry on this list is the zany and hilarious Chew comic, created by John Layman and Rob Guillory. Chew is an interesting and unique comic that does have a dedicated fan base, although it is overlooked, mainly because it is a bit of a niche read. Frankly, anyone who has not read this comic may be justified in thinking that a series about a federal agent who receives psychic impressions by eating food as he faces off against a group of superpowered cannibals, might be a bit much. However, if you have read Chew, you will know just how awesome this comic is and how cleverly they bring the story together. This series honestly has the potential to be the next The Boys or Invincible if someone manages to adapt it, so its status as an underappreciated comic might be only fleeting. If that is the case, I would strongly suggest reading this series now to be ahead of the rest of the pack.

Secret Six (Vol. 3)

A comic that I recently mentioned on my recent Top Ten Favourite Comics list, Secret Six is an outstanding series by Gail Simone that focuses on an unusual team of supervillains. This is an incredible and entertaining comic, that often gets overlooked due to its apparently similarities to Suicide Squad. This is a real shame as Secret Six is a uniquely different comic with some clever stories, memorable characters, and some real heart to it.

Avengers Academy

One Marvel series that I have a lot of love for is the great Avengers Academy series. Set after the events of Dark Reign, this comic initially follows six damaged teens who are recruited by Hank Pym to become the next generation of Avengers. However, it is eventually revealed that the entire program is a lie, as all six are considered future supervillains due to their backgrounds and tortured pasts. Created by Christos Gage and Mike McKone, this was a very compelling and powerful comic that featured some deep character moments and intriguing stories. Lasting 39 issues, this series was very well received and was even worked into some major Marvel crossover events. However, it got a little lost amongst all the other Avengers comics written at the same time, resulting in a shorter run than it needed. While several key characters were eventually featured in the fun Avengers Arena (Hunger Games with teen superheroes) and Avengers Undercover series, most of the members of the Avengers Academy have only been marginally featured in recent years, which is a real shame after all the fantastic development that went into them.

Blue Beetle (Vol. 7)

Back in the mid 2000’s there was a fantastic and compelling new era in the iconic Blue Beetle comic with the introduction of the third Blue Beetle Jamie Reyes. Spinning off from Infinite Crisis, this series followed the teenage Jamie as he deals with the massive power of his alien scarab and the true past of his predecessors. This is an excellent series that perfectly showcased a complex teenage hero and contained some fantastic character development and big moments. While this version of the Blue Beetle character has gone on to do some big things, the series he originated in is often overlooked. Some elements of these comics were utilised in the second season of Young Justice and fans of this show will get a lot out of reading it.

Batgirl (Vol. 3)

While Batgirl is a fairly prominent comic series, there is one great incarnation that is often lost due to its timing, short run and main character. Written by Bryan Q. Miller, this Batgirl series saw everyone’s favourite Spoiler, Stephanie Brown, take on the cowl after Cassandra Cain gave up her costume. With a different mentality to her predecessors, as well as her own unique strengths, this a different Batgirl than readers were familiar with, but it has a fun feel to it. Featuring some great storylines, this proved to be an excellent comic, and it is one I have read several times. Thanks to the onset of Flashpoint and the New 52, this series ended way too soon and was never given the chance to get the following and appreciation it deserved.

All-New Wolverine

Another comic that I previously featured on my favourite comic list; the All-New Wolverine follows X-23 as she takes on the mantle of her father after his death. Bold, funny and featuring an awesome group of supporting characters, this is an excellent and captivating comic series. Despite being an amazing period in this character’s history, this comic is often overshadowed by the vast number of Wolverine comics out there, which is a real shame.

Red Robin

Fans of Batman always have their favourite Robin and mine is easily the third Robin, Tim Drake, who served in the role for over 20 years. While his main Robin series got a lot of attention during its run, rather less attention was given to the follow up Red Robin series by Chris Yost and Ramon Bachs. Set after the death of Bruce Wayne and the introduction of the Damien Wayne Robin, Red Robin follows Tim as he fights crime his own way and attempts to prove that Bruce was still alive. Despite serving as a great continuation of the previous Robin series and containing some fantastic comics (I am a particular fan of the Collision arc), this series was overlooked at the time and then eventually cancelled thanks to Flashpoint and the New 52. Despite that, it remains a firm favourite of mine and I loved what the creators did with this awesome character.

Outsiders (Vol. 3)

While the Outsiders comics are generally overlooked in the grand scheme of the DC universe, their was one run of the comic several years ago which I personally feel does not get the credit it should. Written by Judd Winick, this series spun out of the Graduation Day crossover event and showed former Titan’s members Nightwing and Arsenal forming their own version of the Outsiders with several new heroes. I was a major fan of this series during its initial run, mainly because of the awesome first volume which focused on their formation. With an intriguing group of characters, some fantastic storylines and surprising emotional depth, this is an excellent series which went to some incredible places. Despite that, this run on the series is often forgotten, especially as the team featured none of the original Outsiders, but it ends up being a great series that comes highly recommended.

Well that’s the end of this latest Top Ten List. I think that it turned out pretty well and I believe that I successfully highlighted a number of awesome comic series that surprisingly underrated. Each of the above series are really worth reading and are especially good for DC and Marvel fans who want to explore some of the more obscure comics the franchise has produced. I look forward to reading some more obscure and underappreciated comics in the future, but in the mean-time, make sure to let me know in the comments what your favourite underrated comic is.

Top Ten Tuesday – My Favourite Comic Series

On June 1, 2021 By The Unseen LibraryIn Comics/Manga, List18 Comments

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme that currently resides at The Artsy Reader Girl and features bloggers sharing lists on various book topics. For this week’s Top Ten Tuesday participants get a freebie when they get to do any topic of their choice. While there were a few interesting topics that I was tempted to write about, I decided to write a list about my favourite comic book series.

We are currently in a golden age of comics and creativity and there are some truly amazing comics coming from all the various publishers. Over the years I have had the great pleasure of reading or collecting quite a few different series, including quite a few superhero comics. While I tend to easily enjoy most comics that I come across, there are several great series that I would consider my absolute favourites, either because they are exceptionally written and drawn, or because something about that series draws me back in time and time again for a reread. So I thought that this freebie week would be a good opportunity to highlight these epic and addictive comics, especially as there are some real gems that all comic fans should really try out.

To pull this list together, I went through some of the best of most entertaining series that I have read and picked out my 10 absolute favourite comics, with a generous honourable mentions section. For this list, I chose to focus purely on ongoing series rather than one-offs or limited series, although I will probably feature a different list for them in the future. I also avoided several great long-running series, mainly because I have not read all the entries in them. I think that I came up with a rather good list in the end, containing an interesting collection of comics from several different publishers and universes. I quite like how this list turned out and I think it encapsulates what my favourite comic series are.

Honourable Mentions:

Batman (Volume 3)

One of the series I have most recently gotten into was this recent Batman series. Starting in 2016, this great comic follows Batman as he faces off against some of his most iconic foes, while really getting to the heart of the Dark Knight and his relationship with his rogues’ gallery. I have not finished this series off yet, but I have deeply enjoyed several key storylines within it, including the exceptional The War of Jokes and Riddles, and it will be interesting to see where this series lies once I finish all the main volumes in it.

Star Wars: Doctor Aphra

I had to include the excellent and amazing Doctor Aphra series in this article somewhere as it is one of the most impressive Star Wars comics in recent years. Featuring the outstanding adventures of original character, Doctor Aphra, this series contains a huge number of heists, betrayals, and deep introspection from the titular character as she spreads chaos across the galaxy. I loved this outstanding series, and it has some amazing volumes in it, such as Unspeakable Rebel Superweapon and A Rogue’s End.

Y: The Last Man

Anyone who has read this iconic series from Brian K. Vaughan will appreciate why I had to feature it in this article. Following the last man left alive after a disease kills every male on the planet, Y: The Last Man is an intense and powerful comic with an amazing story to it. This was one of the first non-DC or Marvel comics I ever read and it has definitely stuck with me over the years as one of the best comics out there. If they ever manage to get around to adapting this series into a television show, it is going to be the next big hit.

All-New Wolverine

A brilliant and self-contained series that follows one of my favourite comic characters, X-23, as she claims her place as the new Wolverine after her father’s death. This was an amazing series with a unique feel, fantastic emotional edge and outrageous humour, which I loved it so much I kind of wished that Wolverine would stay dead for just a little bit longer.

Top Ten List:

Usagi Yojimbo

So I very much doubt that anyone is going to be surprised that the first entry on my list is Stan Sakai’s masterpiece series, Usagi Yojimbo. Following a rabbit samurai as he adventures through an alternate version of Feudal Japan, the Usagi Yojimbo series is easily one of the best comics I have ever read, and I am currently reviewing every single volume of it (for example check out my reviews of the 11^th volume Seasons or the 34^th volume, Bunraku and Other Stories). I absolutely love this simple but powerful and exciting comic, especially as Sakai pours all his love for Japan and Japanese culture into it and produces some epic adventures.

Teen Titans (Volume 3)

There is no way I could do a list about my favourite series without talking about one of the earliest comics I ever got into, the third volume of the outstanding Teen Titans series. Staring in 2003 and helmed by Geoff Johns, this series featured former members of Young Justice, Robin, Superboy, Wonder Girl and Impulse, as they step up and join long-term members Starfire, Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven in a whole new incarnation of the team. This was an exceptional series which revitalised a lot of interest in the team, especially as they ended up playing key roles in the Infinite Crisis crossover. While the series did dip a bit in quality after Geoff Johns left, this was an overall epic series, and it is one that I have read an insane number of times.

The Punisher (2004)

While there are many great Punisher series out there, the best one in my opinion is the dark and violent 2004 series, also known as The Punisher MAX. Primarily helmed by Garth Ennis, of Preacher and The Boys fame, this was an epic series that followed a grizzled Frank Castle as he pursues his bloody, never-ending war on crime. Released under the adult MAX imprint, this Punisher series was particularly over-the-top and gruesome in places, but it is so much fun to read, especially as Ennis comes up with some insane and utterly compelling storylines. This is the definitive series for all fans of The Punisher, and you will not regret checking this comic out.

Green Arrow (Volume 3)

Another incredible DC comic that I really love is this Green Arrow series. Starting back in 2001 with Quiver, this series resurrected classic comic character Green Arrow, taking him back to his roots and providing him with an epic and captivating series. Featuring an array of great writers, including Kevin Smith, Brad Meltzer and Judd Winick, this was an outstanding series that really revitalised the Oliver Queen Green Arrow, brought in some great new characters and contained some impressive and powerful storylines. I have so much love for this series and one of the storylines, The Archer’s Quest by Meltzer, is one of the best comics I have ever read.

X-Factor (Volume 3)

X-Factor is a long-running X-Men title that has had many incarnations with varying success. However, one run on the comic ended up becoming an amazing and powerful series that I was lucky enough to stumble across some years ago. Running between 2005 and 2013, this X-Factor series followed X-Factor Investigations, a combined mutant superhero team and private investigation firm, as they become embroiled in some weird conflicts and adventures around New York. Primarily written by Peter David, this was a very unusual and clever series that was overshadowed by the major Marvel titles but ended up lasting longer than most and producing some exceptional storylines. Featuring fantastic, if underused mutant characters, including Multiple Man, Strong Guy, Wolfsbane, M, Rictor, Siryn and the mysterious Layla Miller, this was a great, character driven comic that really dived into the hearts of its diverse and unique cast. I loved this comic so much, and it is one of the best X-Men comics that has ever been written.

Darth Vader (2015)

I had no choice but to feature the outstanding Darth Vader series by Kieron Gillen and Salvador Larroca on this list due to how impressive and amazing it is. This series follows one of the greatest villains of all-time right after the events of A New Hope as he fights against rivals and old enemies to secure his place within the Empire. This was easily one of the most consistent and epic Star Wars series out there, especially as it also includes the spectacular Vader Down crossover. There are so many cool elements to this series, such as the introduction of Doctor Aphra or the intense scene where Vader finds out Luke’s true identity and realises that the Emperor has been lying to him for years. I love this great series and it is the reason I am currently so in to Star Wars comics.

Runaways

I have long been a major fan of the iconic Runaways series by Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona. Following a group of teens who find out their parents are supervillains, this series, which mostly avoids the main events and characters of the Marvel universe, is a fantastic and powerful comic with some real heart to it. Introducing a colourful team of teenage heroes with some great powers, this is one of the most distinctive comics to come out of Marvel and is always going to remain a huge favourite of mine.

Robin (Volume 4)

One of my favourite Batman associated comics is the long-running fourth series of Robin comics that followed my favourite version of the character, Tim Drake. Set shortly after the death of Jason Todd in the infamous A Death in the Family, this comic introduced a whole new Robin, who swiftly won fans over. Tim Drake, who relied more on his intelligence than his fighting ability, was an outstanding hero, and the creative team came up with some great stories for him which ensured he kept his spot at Batman’s primary sidekick for 20 years. This entire comic is pretty epic, and while I deeply enjoy the post-Infinite Crisis Robin comics (all the way up to the really good Red Robin sequel series), his earlier stories are also pretty good and are very much worth checking out. A great series that will appeal to comic fans young and old, I love this take on the classic sidekick.

New Avengers

Over the years there have been an immense and wide-reaching collection of Avengers comics, from the classic storylines to weird and short-lived spin-offs, all of which I have tended to buy and read. So for an Avengers comic to really stick out to me, it would have to be pretty damn exceptional, and that is exactly what the New Avengers was. Created by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch, this series brought back a cooler and more modern version of the iconic team after the Avengers Disassembled storyline. Bringing in beloved characters such as Spiderman, Wolverine and Luke Cage, this series helped to redefine the Avengers. There are several amazing phases to this comic over the years, especially as it ran through some of the key crossovers like Civil War, Secret Invasion and Dark Reign, and it was an absolute joy to read from start to finish.

Secret Six (Volume 3)

The final comic on my list is the often overlooked but incredibly fun Secret Six series. Following on from the Villains United limited series, Secret Six follows a dysfunctional team of supervillains, including Deadshot, Bane, Scandal Savage, Ragdoll and Catman, as they engage in several morally grey mercenary jobs around the world. Helmed by Gail Simone and featuring some rather insane, if touching, storylines, this was an amazing series that is near and dear to my heart, especially as Simon manages to turn eternal joke character, Catman, into the biggest badass ever.

Well, that is the end of my latest Top Ten List. I think that I came up with an interesting list of comics, especially as it features such a wide range of titles. I will admit that I did stick heavily to the Marvel and DC titles, and I also seemed to have primarily featured comics from the early 2000s. Despite this obvious preference form me, I think this turned out to be a great and diverse list, and it definitely represents the comics I enjoy the most. I think this might be a list I come back to in the future, especially as I will read some additional comics in the next year, and it will be interesting to see how this list changes. In the meantime, let me know what your favourite series are in the comments below.