I am a comic book guy. I have loved super heroes my entire life. While Luke was watching GI Joe, my favorite show was Super Friends. I was all in on the Kenner Super Powers line of toys, having nearly every figure and vehicle. I loved the DC characters. Their moral code and clear sense of right and wrong truly appealed to young John.
As the 80s ended and the 90s began, we saw a different type of hero emerge: the anti-hero. The anti-hero does what is right because he has to. He isn’t shaking hands and kissing babies. To me, Marvel really embraced that attitude. Beginning with the 1990s X-Men: The Animated Series, I was hooked. I’ve been a Marvel guy ever since.
I’ve read and collected DC comics, along with Image, IDW, Dark Horse, and others. I am not strictly a Marvel guy. However, today’s Starting Nine is going to be all Marvel. This is my starting nine of my favorite Marvel series of the 21st century. There are plenty of good series, but this is my Starting Nine of recommendations.
1. Uncanny X-Force by Rick Remender
Let’s kick this off with a bang! This series is the perfect, leadoff table setter. Uncanny X-Force is a team made up of some of the most lethal “good guy” assassins in the Marvel Universe. This version of X-Force is led by Wolverine. He rounds out his team with Archangel, Psylocke, Fantomex, and Deadpool. Every single one of these characters has some serious, deep-rooted mental instability, to the point that Deadpool is actually the voice of reason on this team.
Who is Fantomex? Fantomex may not be well known to the average X-Men fan. So if you don’t know who Fantomex is, that is even more reason to pick up the trade paperback. Rick Rememder does an excellent job of developing the character. My advice with this series: feel free to skip the Captain Britain story arc, you aren’t missing much. Uncanny X-Force is the prototypical leadoff hitter, but the Captain Britain story arc would be the “but he still strikes out too much” gripe.
2. Deadpool by Gerry Duggan (to be specific Deadpool vol 3)
Deadpool can be a polarizing character. There are a surprising number of comic fans who detest Deadpool. As much as I enjoy him, there are some valid points. Writers tend to go for cheap laughs with chimichanga jokes and breaking of the fourth wall, rarely erring on the side of moderation. Since the success of the Deadpool movie, newer writers tend to write Deadpool with Ryan Reynolds in mind. Deadpool has become a tricky character to write.
“Deadpool Volume 3” by Gerry Duggan excellently avoids these traps. Deadpool becomes more than a joke, he becomes a deep character we can feel for.
The series starts off with an awesome concept. A necromancer resurrects dead US Presidents and Deadpool is hired to re-kill the dead Presidents. The first six issues are hilarious. The series eventually goes dark. I mean really dark. The jokes are gone, and as we learn more of his past and how truly depraved those who experimented on him were, we see a side of Deadpool we have never seen before. For once, we are out of the kiddie pool and there is some real depth to Deadpool.
Bonus note, the final issue closes strong. We’re talking Mariano Rivera type closer.
3. Secret Avengers by Ales Kot
The three hitter in a line up tends to be the best hitter. In this lineup, that would be Secret Avengers by Ales Kot, which may be the best pound-for-pound series on this list. This series is deep, a great example of that being how the series addresses the effects of PTSD.
The lineup of characters is a good mix. Nick Fury Jr, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, & M.O.D.O.K. are not characters that a casual fan would think twice about. However, after reading this series, each character will have left an imprint on you.
A character will stick with you going forward when truly written well, with that version becoming the eternal baseline for the character in your mind. Ales Kot nails it in this series. I view Nick Fury Jr, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, & M.O.D.O.K. as Ales Kot’s Nick Fury Jr., Black Widow, Hawkeye, Spider-Woman, Maria Hill, Phil Coulson, & M.O.D.O.K.
This is a relatively short series, probably less than 20 issues and absolutely worth the read.
4. X-Factor Investigations by Peter David
The cleanup hitter of the lineup. Beginning with “MadroX #1-5”, continuing with “X-Factor Investigations #1-50”, and closing out with “X-Factor #200-262,” this is the longest series in the lineup. However, every story arc is compelling.
Peter David has the ability to take B- or C-level characters that the casual fan most likely doesn’t care about (or may not even know about) and build them into deep characters, with lovable traits and dislikable flaws. Peter David has a wittiness to him that is unmatched in the comic book world. Characters can be in a dire situation, but a well-timed wise crack can break the tension, giving a real world feel to the characters. We aren’t dealing with Captain America or Superman, we’re dealing with real people who act like real people.
Jaime Madrox, the Multiple Man, leads the team. The roster has its mainstays, but there is a coming-and-going cast of characters as well. The series stays fresh, it never gets stale.
The B- and C-level characters of Guido Carosella (the intentionally horribly named Strong Guy), Monet, Siryn, Rictor, & Layla Miller have all become favorites due to Peter David’s classic storytelling.
Keeping with the baseball theme, Peter David is an avid Mets fan. Mr David, if you read this, I mean this as a true compliment, though it may not be taken as one by a diehard Mets fan.
X-Factor Investigations is a Bernie Williams type of cleanup hitter. A switch hitting, gold glove center fielder. A five-tool player that is vastly underrated and very deserving of a Hall of Fame induction.
5. Hawkeye vs Deadpool by Gerry Duggan
Gerry Duggan’s second series on the list provides traditional number five-hitter protection in the line up. There’s no pitching around the clean up hitter. You don’t want Hawkeye vs Deadpool in the batter’s box with runners on base.
The series is five issues of pure gold. Hawkeye, Deadpool, and Kate Bishop (the other Hawkeye) compliment each other as no other trio can. The success of Hawkeye vs Deadpool spurred a flurry of Deadpool vs “insert character here” follow up mini series, but not a single one of those series ever sniffed the butt of Deadpool, Hawkeye, and Hawkeye’s hijinks.
6. All New X-Factor by Peter David
All New X-Factor is a lefthanded bat slotted in at the sixth spot of the lineup. All New X-Factor isn’t your traditional righthanded bat. It’s a quirky comic that has a different feel to anything you’ve read before. A great example of this if issue #14, where Polaris and Scarlet Witch have a sister day.
The main characters are Gambit and Polaris, with the team being rounded out by Quicksilver, Warlock, Cypher, and Danger. Peter David’s inspiration for Danger was clearly Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory, but it worked and it worked well.
Gambit is one of my all time favorites, and Polaris really won me over in this series. It was an absolute shame the series was canceled so quickly.
7. Thor by Jason Aaron
This is the storyline where Thor loses his worthiness to wield Mjolnir. With Thor unable to wield Mjolnir, Jane Foster steps to the plate, becoming the new, mysterious Thor.
This is the story that the movie Thor: Love and Thunder is adapted from. If you’ve seen the movie, you know the personal struggles Jane Foster faces in her life. This comic hits you right in the feels.
8. Dr. Strange: The Oath by Brian K Vaughan
An interesting and deep Dr. Strange story written years before the MCU and Benedict Cumberbatch rocketed Dr. Strange into mainstream A-List popularity. No one develops their own characters like Brian K. Vaughan, who has really stayed away from writing mainstream characters with their own continuity. This is an exception where Brian K. Vaughan further develops an established character, delving deep into what it takes to be Dr. Strange.
9. A+X – Various Writers
The nine hitter spot is taken up by a different kind of series. A+X really slots in as a second leadoff hitter, because there is something for everyone. Closing out with A+X will have you motivated to find a new character or writer you want to follow. A+X is a series of short stories, two stories per issue, of an X-Man teaming up with an Avenger. It’s a great concept that promotes team-ups we rarely, if ever, see. “The White Queen” Emma Frost and Black Widow have an enjoyable adventure. Gambit and The Thing have an entertaining night of cards. Take a look at this list, you are guaranteed to find a couple of team-ups that intrigue you.