Monty's Top 25 Favorite Comic Book Characters Part Two (#1 - #12)

Here is the second part of my top 25 favorite comic book characters. The final 12. Six are male, six are female. And two villains make this portion of the list. So here we go:

12.) DEATHSTROKE - Slade Wilson is one of the craftiest and bad ass villains ever. His constant hatred of The Titans has pretty much fueled his entire career. But he has also managed to tangle with the big boys, the Justice League. His battle with some of their members in the Identity Crisis series is classic.

11.) FLASH - Barry Allen/Wally West. I always thought super-speed was a cool power to have. And Flash is about the best speed character there is. I was devastated when he died in Crisis. But when Wally West (Kid Flash ) took over I liked the character even more. Wally matured into a great hero. And I personally think by bringing Barry back,DC messed up. That's just me.

10.) BLACK CANARY - Dinah Lance. Superb female character that can kick ass with the best of them. Armed with her powerful canary cry, bad guys beware. Her rocky relationship with Green Arrow over the years has been one of the best relationships in comic books. She is a proven team leader and works great with The Birds of Prey.

9.) DONNA TROY - One of my favorite sidekicks that matured into her own heroic self. Growing up in the shadow of Wonder Woman couldn't have been easy but Donna quickly became a fan favorite as Wonder Girl. Her years with the The Teen Titans were great and her very confusing origin was finally explained. She has gone from Wonder Girl to Troia and is now a member of the Justice League.

8.) MAGNETO - My highest ranking villain is Magneto and he is awesome. Regal but can be ruthless. When his character was brought to the silver screen, Sir Ian McKellan nailed it. And was one of the best things about the X-Men films, besides Wolverine. This guy is one of the best characters ever! And I dare you to say anything bad about mutants if front of him. I dare you. He'll turn the iron inside out of your bloodstream.

7.) WONDER WOMAN - Diana Prince. Amazon. Warrior. Hero. Friend. These all describe the first major female hero to grace comic books. Her career has spanned some 60 years and doesn't seem to be slowing down at all.

6.) BATMAN - Bruce Wayne has been around forever. Through the good and bad, he has always come out on top. This character is definitely one of my favorites. And the fact that he has no super-powers, just gadgets and one of the greatest minds ever, just make him even better.

5.) SARA PEZZINI - The New York cop who became the bearer of the powerful weapon called the Witchblade. I have read every single issue of this amazing series since day one. And it started back in 1995. Sara Pezzini is a take charge, no bullshit kind of a character and I love her. I can't believe this series is actually still as good since it first came out some 15 years ago.

4.) MS. MARVEL - What started out as a Marvel version of Wonder Woman has become something more. Carol Danvers has had a life of ups and downs, probably more downs but she is back in form now as a team player on The Avengers. I have loved Ms. Marvel since her early days and love her even more today. Her connection to my next favorite comic book character makes her and said person even more of my favorites.

3.) ROGUE - Not talking about the movie version but the real deal. Rogue started out as a super villain, stealing Ms. Marvel's powers completely, because she wasn't able to control her own power stealing powers. But after coming to the X-Men for aid, she became a true hero. I love Rogue as she is my favorite X-Man. Lately she has lost those original Ms. Marvel powers but she is still one great character.

2.) NIGHTWING - Dick Grayson always known as Robin, sidekick to Batman. Once he became Nightwing and his own man, things really took off for him. He is a natural born leader and his detective skills rival those of Batman. Hell he even stepped in to fill Batman's shoes while Bruce was missing and did one hell of a job. Nightwing is one of the best comic book characters ever created.

1.) SPIDER-MAN - And finally my favorite comic book character of all time...Peter Parker, the Amazing Spider-Man. I could relate to Peter because of his nerdiness, his struggles with the ladies, his lack of money...you know, realistic things. And even while dealing with some of the most dangerous super-villains ever created, he was always ready to dispense with a quip or wisecrack. I love Spider-Man. I enjoyed the TV series from the 70's, the very cool Spider-Man and His Amazing Friends cartoon in the 80's and I was in total bliss when the movies finally came out and Tobey Maguire nailed it as Peter/Spider-Man. So, there you have it Spider-Man is my favorite character ever and that is my complete top 25 list. Hope you enjoyed it. Would love to hear everyone's own list, doesn't have to be 25..top ten is cool.

My Top 10 Favorite Films of 2010

There are several year end releases that I haven't seen yet, so this list is kind of incomplete. The films that I want to see and I think would make my list include Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1; The Fighter; Tangled; Black Swan, and maybe a couple more. But it's mid January now and I wanted to go ahead and post my favorite films of last year before it gets too late. So here we go.

10. TRON:LEGACY - Terrific visual effects and a pulsating score compensate for a somewhat weak story and a Big Lebowksi type of performance from actor Jeff Bridges. Still Tron is an awesome sight to see.

9. THE A-TEAM - This update of the 80's TV series was one of the best tv to film adaptations ever. Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson, and Sharlto Copley were dead on perfect as the team in question. And Patrick Wilson and Brian Bloom make the perfect bad guys. A rousing summer popcorn film if there ever was one.

8. KNIGHT & DAY - Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz rock in this funny and exciting action flick with Cruise doing his superspy thing and Cameron being well Cameron. Lots of car chases, shoot-outs and fun banter between the two stars ensue.

7. SCOTT PILGRIM VS. THE WORLD - A truly fantastic looking movie with Michael Cera as the slacker guitarist who has to battle the 7 evil ex's of Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Based on the popular comic book, Scott Pilgrim is funny, colorful, and exciting. Might not be for everyone's tastes, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

6. HOW TO TRAIN A DRAGON - If not for Toy Story 3, this would be my favorite animated film of the year. Still, I have it ranked in my top six because it is genuinely thrilling and touching. A film the whole family will enjoy.

5. KICK-ASS - Another comic book based movie, but this one is not for the little ones. An awkard teen decides to become a super-hero and fight crime. Trouble is, he has no super powers. But that doesn't stop him, and soon this film goes where few comic book films will..it becomes bloody, graphic, and profane. Did I mention the 11 year girl named Hit Girl who has the best moments in the film. She's a whirlwind dynamo as she shoots, stabs, and messes up anyone who gets in her way. Oh and Nicholas Cage is her wacked out father named Big Daddy. An awesome movie.

4. TOY STORY 3 - The final chapter of the Toy Story series is brilliant. There won't be a dry left once the credits roll. But before that you will have Woody, Buzz and the gang in another fun filled adventure. Pixar at it's best.

3. INCEPTION - A mind-bender of a movie from director Christopher Nolan who can do no wrong. With my main man Leonardo DiCaprio doing his usual fantastic job, Inception is one hell of a movie. And I loved it more than I did The Dark Knight. That's saying a lot.

2. THE TOWN - Tense crime thriller directed by Ben Affleck that will remind you of Heat but will also stand on it's own. A solid cast featuring Affleck, Jeremy Renner, Rebecca Hall, John Hamm, Chris Cooper, Blake Lively and the recently passed Pete Postlethwaite with terrific action scenes and volatile dramatic confrontations make The Town a winner.

1. TRUE GRIT - Even better than the original version which starred John Wayne. The Coen Brothers put their own spin on this classic western and comes out aces. Jeff Bridges is awesome in the Wayne role as the rough Marshal Rooster Cogburn. Matt Damon is good as well. And newcome Hailee Steinfeld is simply amazing.

My Top Ten Favorite Comic Book Series of 2010

2010 was an ok year for comics. I quit buying some of the big guns like Spider-Man and Batman. But started reading some cool new series that maintained my interest over the entire year. I believe 2011 will be much improved. Anyway here is my top ten list of my favorite comic book series of 2010.

10. SPIDER-GIRL - After reading only one issue, Spider-Girl vaults into my top ten with a return to the fun that's been missing from comics. See my earlier post that describes in detail why I loved issue one of this new engaging series.

9. WITCHBLADE - I have read every single issue of Witchblade since it debut 15 years ago and it's still just as good when it first started. The adventures of New York City detective Sara Pezzini, who also is the bearer of the Witchblade, an ancient weapon that she wears on her hand like a gauntlet. It comes in handy when dealing with the scum of NY, but also attracts all kinds of supernatural attention. Co-created by the recently deceased Michael Turner, Witchblade is a great mix of cops and magic and demons and all that stuff. And Sara Pezzini is one of the best female characters ever created. Here's to another great 15 years.

8. THE SECRET SIX - This cool series focuses on a team of ex-villians who take on even worse villians. The team is probably the most dysfunctional bunch you will come across in comics today. There's leader Scandal, the lesbian daughter of DC baddie mainstay Vandal Savage. Scandal recently lost her lover and is constantly dealing with that, but she still kicks ass with the best of them. There's Catman, an old Batman foe that uses to be an overweight laughinstock back in the 60's but after intense training and losing some pounds, he can go toe to toe with Bats now. Also onboard is Deadshot, the ruthless mercenary who is all about the money and women. Ragdoll is a wacked out guy who is like a junior version of The Joker. Another old Batman villian is on the team as well: Bane. And recent addition Jeanette, a powerful sorceress, who can turn on the evil in a second. This is a very underrated series that more people need to be reading.

7. X-MEN - While nowhere as good as their glory days of Claremont/Byrne or Jim Lee, everyone's favorite mutants still deliver some of that old school action. The current team consists of leader Cyclops; his current squeeze- Emma Frost; Colossus; Wolverine; Rogue; and Magneto. Other members are present as well as the team have created their own sanctuary called Utopia, off the San Francisco Bay. Recent battles have included a mutant hating racist group and the son of Dracula. There are several X titles on the market and I read three of them and they are about equal.

6. SECRET WARRIORS - Exciting series that has former SHIELD director Nick Fury leading a clandestine group of young heroes to take down evil groups such as HYDRA. Fury was doing this sort of thing back in the 60's but the current stories have been modernized and the action amped up. Lots of fighting and explosions and political backroom dialogue make this one of my favorite series. And what's cool is that these guys are on their own...so you won't see The Avengers and the Fantastic Four, which makes the book stand on its own.

5. THE NEW AVENGERS - Brian Michael Bendis continues to work his magic with his take on The Avengers. This group operates out of Doctor Strange's mansion and includes Luke Cage, Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, Iron Fist, Mockingbird, The Thing and Wolverine (this guy gets around). They operate independently of the other Avenger team and I like it. They got all the drama and heroics you expect from being an Avenger plus the old witty banter Spider-Man, that's missing in Spidey's regular books.

4. BATGIRL - Surprisingly good book in the Batman canon with Stephanie Brown (Tim Drake's ex) taking over the  mantle of Batgirl from silent but deadly Cassandra Cain. And the charm of this series is watching Stephanie learn the hard way of being a hero. She makes mistakes and she's not perfect but with the help of Oracle, she is getting better and better. Very good book with awesome art by Dustin Nguyen.

3. GREEN LANTERN CORPS - The sister title to Green Lantern that focuses on the entire Green Lantern Corp and specifically on Earth Lanterns Kyle Rayner, John Stewart, and Guy Gardner. Outer space thrills and lots of humor from Guy makes GL Corps a great companion book to Hal Jordan's exploits in Green Lantern.

2. GREEN LANTERN - Writer Geoff Johns and artist Doug Mahnke continue to crank this solid book that is still recovering from the events of Blackest Night as Hal has to team with Sinestro, Larfleeze (the Orange Lantern) and Atrocitus (the Red Lantern) to scour Earth for deities that can help the Lanterns cause. Oh did I also mention Parallax is back as well. Johns continues to be the most consistent writer in comics today as he keeps pushing Hal to his limit and sometimes beyond it.

1.  POWER GIRL - If anyone is not reading this great series, then you should. First off writer Judd Winick has taken the B list heroine Power Girl (Superman's cousin), who was always the butt of sex jokes and such and made her into a real character that readers are really intrigued by. Making her the CEO of a company ala Tony Stark was a brilliant move and it splits the time between boardrooms and throwdowns in metropolitan cities. And the art by Sami Basri is sensational. Fluid and jazzy. I started reading Power Girl with issue #1 and haven't regretted it. I love everything about the book and it is my favorite comic series currently out there. I hope Judd and Sami keep up the pace in 2011.

Top Ten List: For the week ending March 21st

Taking a page from Entertainment Weekly's Hit List, where they rank 10 of the most talked about events in the entertainment world including TV, movies, music, books, etc. My take on it will be similar but focus more on movies and TV. So here we go:

1.  Alice in Wonderland - Still making a killing at the theaters, surpassing $265 million in the US alone. Me and my wife saw it over the weekend and enjoyed it.

2. Tron:Legacy trailer - AWESOME! Can't wait for December 17th.

3. Sandra Bullock & Jesse James - I feel bad for Sandra, coming off that emotional Oscar win and now having to deal with her husband's infidelities.

4. Justified - The cool new show on FX, starring Timonty Olyphant as tough US Marshal bringing justice to his  hometown in Kentucky.

5. March Madness kicks off....as Dick Vitale would say, Awesome, baby with a capital A.

6. Mo'Nique as a Oscar winner of her portrayal of the worst movie mom ever.

7. The search for an actor to play Captain America is in full swing.

8. Sugarland kicking off their concert tour next month. Me and my wife love them and it would be great to see them in concert.

9. Flash Forward returns after a 4 month hiatus and it was um ok, nothing too special. Maybe they shouldn't have taken so long of a break.

10. Ninja Assasin hits DVD and it's super cool.