Having already addressed the pressing issue of defunct comics I’d like to bring back earlier this week, I’m now turning my greedy eyes towards the individual characters I’d like to see receive their own titles, for each to enjoy at least 15 minutes of geek fame.

In no special order, I’d grant the following their share of the spotlight.

Nite Owl & Rorschach: The adventures of this potentially dynamic duo were alluded to in The Watchmen, but never materialized in the form of a separate book. And since Alan Moore turned down DC’s offer of the rights to The Watchmen in return for prequel and sequel work, we’re not likely to see their prior lives without divine intervention. Still, there are bound to be tales in their complicated pasts that I’d enjoy reading, and for that reason alone, I’m willing Alan Moore to work it out.

Jeffrey Garrett: AKA the dead kid from Academy X. Although he was present as early as X-Treme X-Men #20, he played his most memorable role in X-Men history as a student killed when Magneto destroyed the school. As a result his ghost haunted the rebuilt academy. Discovered and tamed by the New Mutants, Jeffrey went on to be a spectral student until Scarlet Witch’s reversal of mutant powers basically erased him from print. I feel there’s a lot that can be done with a ghost whose ability to affect reality is still so strong that he could, as we see in David’s dream, destroy an entire continent. And a ghost who remains a child with childlike impulses, as well. Jeffrey’s tale is really one of melancholy, and a limited run series exploring his time at Professor Xavier’s school would be one I’d surely collect.

Edwin Jarvis: AKA the consummate butler, originally in Tony Stark’s employment but now an important member of the supporting cast for the Avengers. The stories of the unsung always interest me, particularly when it comes to those who’ve put up with years of back story we can only imagine (even on top of decades of stories we already know). What kinds of beans does Jarvis have to spill? Inquiring minds want to know. Even if it’s only a one-shot, Jarvis has more than earned the spotlight for his years of faithful service to an often unmanageable cast of characters. (And let’s face it. Doesn’t being torn apart and eaten by your employers [Marvel Zombies] earn you a big break?)

Michonne: This unpredictable heroine of The Walking Dead is at times so twisted I look forward to seeing her part in the tale unfold from month to month just about more than any other character. While she’s not the main protagonist in the series, she’s become a massive force to be reckoned with, and I’d like to see how she got that way. Like, from the very beginning. A Michonne origins title would be exceptionally well received not just by me, but by the countless other geeks who hang on Robert Kirkman’s every word. We get a glimpse of Michonne’s past in the series, but a glimpse simply isn’t enough. This katana-wielding ass-kicking lawyer has far more to tell.

Evey Hammond: Let’s face it. Judging not only from my previous mention of V for Vendetta as a title I’d like to bring back from the dead, but also from the fact that the creators left the door wide open for any such spin-off material, Evey Hammond as V simply had to make this list. She emerged a pretty tough cookie in the end. Would she hold under pressure? Could she get away with the role? Does the world even need a V anymore, with the wheels of anarchy already in motion? There are plenty of questions. It’s high time we discovered the answers.

Stay tuned for part 3, wherein I deftly arrange superheroes into dream teams with more panache than a world-class interior decorator with Donald Trump’s budget!

Are you a bona fide comics geek, like me? You should check out Why I gave up comic books and its rebuttal Why I haven’t given up on comics here on ForeverGeek, too!

So the War Of Kings is finally over. Black Bolt and Vulcan may be dead, Gladiator may well be declared Majestor of the Shi’Ar and peace across the galaxy seems to have been aquired, merely for the price of a giant tear in space time, parsecs across.

Just what we had been warned about in the excellent Guardians of the Galaxy series.

Now as part of the cosmic uber-story, War Of Kings is an excellent instalment. However, as a final issue of a six issue mini, well, I for one was disappointed. Too much action, not enough exposition, and I could tell how it was going to end a few pages in. This seems to have been a bad habit of Marvel with their crossovers nowadays, they don’t end. The Infinity Trilogy ended. However Civil War seemed to have sacrificed an ending for the ramifications.

Admittedly, the Infinity Trilogy had few ramifications, but they were self contained. War Of Kings left me unsatisfied. I would have wanted more anyway, I’m a sucker for this stuff, but I feel like there was no conclusion whatsoever. Yeah, Black Bolt beat Vulcan, sort of, though I imagine it won’t be long before either of them are seen again. But so far there are no Inhuman series or Starjammers series advertised that I have seen, so where do we get our conclusion?

On another level, this morning I was reading about Image United, a 6-issue series written by Kirkman and featuring the art and characters of Image founders Erik Larsen, Rob Liefeld, Todd McFarlane, Whilce Portacio, Marc Silvestri and Jim Valentino. Where each artist will draw not entire pages or issues, but simply their own characters in an artistic jam.

While a nice idea, it may be jarring to the eye, but I am looking forward to this. The Image universe has long resisted any semblance of unity. Hell, that was what the whole Shattered Image mini was about all those years ago. (Well worth digging out of the back issue bins by the way.)

I hope the story will be compelling though, else I think I would very quickly lose patience with it. I never thought I would say this, but I could soon be suffering from crossover fatigue.