Ask Chris #56: The Best Supporting Cast In Comics

 

 

This week in Ask Chris, I shock the world — without crashing through a wall — by declaring that something about Batman is not better than everyone else with a look at who’s got the best supporting cast in comics!

I’ll give you a hint: It involves moustaches, cigars and yelling, and I don’t think it’s coincidence that a bunch of comics writers have created an editor who is little more than an animate collection of angers.

7 thoughts on “Ask Chris #56: The Best Supporting Cast In Comics

  1. Can you imagine how angry he was as a younger man? I would love to see a J. Jonah Jameson story set in the Civil Rights era. Sort of like the Punisher with a pen, and you’d see why the Marvel Universe respects him so much.

  2. …which just points up the sliding timescale of Marvel comics, since his first several years _were_ during the Civil Rights era. Apart from hiring Robby, do we have any good lines from JJJ, either from that era or from the retro-con-spective?

  3. Well obviously, the answer is the new Blue Beetle. Jaime Reyes has the best supporting cast bar none! In my humble opinion anyway.

  4. I think this is one of the best questions you’ve ever featured in your column.

    However, I was surprised that you pretty much limited this to the headliners — Superman, Batman, Spider-Man. With you encyclopedic comics knowledge, I thought you’d pull out some names from smaller series with absolutely phenomenal supporting casts.

    E.g., Hitman, Scott Pilgrim, Chase and Manhunter, … and the new Blue Beetle.

    No arguments that Spider-Man has a great cast (as evidenced by all those TPBs on my shelves.) But me, I’d throw some applause out for the more modest titles.

  5. @bookrats

    Yeah, but how did Spider-Man, Batman, and Superman BECOME those heavy-hitters? by being the best damn comics out there, largely due to the supporting cast members.

  6. I have to admit, though: Batman, Incorporated #6 is the cat’s ass. Helluva argument for that series’ cast of characters.

  7. When supporting characters in a comic are appealing and readers want to know about them, the same way as they would want to know about the main character, then you have a great comic, it doesn’t matter if it’s a best seller or a modest title, imo.

    Btw Chris, your blog is super awesome, if you would be interested in a link exchange, let me know please.

    Cathy