The Top Ten Sexiest Comic Book Crushes and Romances

A Very Vigilant Valentine's Day: 
The Top Ten Sexiest Comic Book Crushes and Romances

                Love is in the air my fellow comic book geeks!! Personally, I love Valentine's Day, but most of us nerds don't usually get the opportunity to celebrate this day of passion to the fullest extent. (ie. It isn't easy to find a date when your nose is always stuck in a graphic novel.) However, here at THE VIGILANT GEEK, we can all rejoice as both true love for our sexual preferences, and true love for comic books converge to help us all smile wide and love life!!!! (Well, at the very least, I hope this cheers up some of you lonely, single geeks.) Brace yourselves, (and try not to get too excited please), as we celebrate this holiday by exploring my own "Top 10 Sexiest Comic Book Crushes," as well as the "Top 10 Comic Book Romances." Enjoy, and have a happy Valentine's Day!!

The Top 10 Comic Book Relationships 

  

10.) Daredevil and Elektra

One is a master assassin. The other is a blind lawyer turned outlaw vigilante. Though their romance usually leads to a nasty street fight, when they are getting along, these two are red hot!

 9.) Green Arrow and Black Canary 

 

The Arrow trained the Canary. The Canary has led the Arrow to victory on the mean streets of Starling City countless times. These two are the perfect match, in battle, and in the bedroom!

 8.) Wolverine and Storm 

 

As one of the only women in Wolverine's long list of lovers that hasn't tried to kill him post-break-up, Storm helps keep Logan from losing control of his animalistic side and going beserker on the world. In return, he vows to protect her in battle until the bitter end. How much more romantic can a comic book couple be?

 7.) Spider-Man and Gwen Stacy 

Spider-Man may not have been able to save Gwen's life at the hands of the Green Goblin, but he'll spend the rest of his days working to avenge her. As an intellectual equal to Peter Parker, Gwen always kept Peter on his toes and even did as much as humanly possible to assist him in some of his "Spider duties."

6.) Batman and Catwoman 

 

If it wasn't for the Bat's extreme moral compass, these two would be a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, due to Selina Kyle's constant extracurricular activities in high-end theft, Bruce Wayne will never take her seriously as a love interest. However, despite all of this, when these two meet on the rooftops of Gotham, it is always sure to be a steamy, seductive encounter.

 5.) Cyclops and Jean Grey 

 

As one of the flagship couples of the Marvel Universe, Scott Summers and Jean Grey have sure seen their share of victories and hardships especially  the hardships. In fact, most of their years together have been riddled with one crisis after another, leading to the Phoenix's possession of Jean and eventually her death. Once Jean died, Cyclops turned into one of the most badass heels in the MU, taking more of a radical approach to mutant rights and forming his own "Brotherhood of Mutants" with those of his peers that sympathized with his cause.

4.) Aquaman and Mera 

 

She vowed to fight for him before he became the king of Atlantis. Now that Arthur Curry reigns over everything below sea level, Mera stands by his side as his strong, gorgeous warrior queen. Together, they've fought many battles both under the sea and on land, alongside the Justice League. 

3.) Superman and Lois Lane 

The love of Lois and Clark was so strong that they actually made a sitcom in the 90's based strictly on their relationship. (Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman), or something like that. Either way, the show was a complete turd. Still, if Superman and Lois Lane's relationship never gained the kind of popularity that it did, we would never have, Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman, so how about that? 

2.) Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson 

"Face it tiger, you hit the jackpot!" Mary Jane Watson tells him that frequently. I don't really understand why though. I mean, what's so great about MJ? She just stands around looking pretty. I mean, I guess she's good at getting herself captured, but that's about it. Either way, they're a really popular comic book couple, especially since the first Spider-Man movies with Tobey McGuire, so I felt like they deserved the number two spot. 

1.) Superman and Wonder Woman

Talk about a power couple! As two of the most powerful beings in the DC Universe, Kal-El and Diana Prince hold down this title like no other couple in or out of the comic book world. Together, their power could bring the end to a whole planet, but thankfully, they're the good guys.

My Top 10 Sexiest Comic Book Crushes 

10.) Spiderwoman 

Jessica Drew was the original Spiderwoman.  Marvel gave her the boot in the late 1980's, but guess what? She's back, and she's never looked better in the red spandex, despite how controversial this cover became when it hit the shelves a few months ago. 

9.) Harley Quinn 

Girls just wanna have fun, and that's exactly what Harley Quinn strives for in life. As the Joker's "Clown Princess of Crime," this sexy, giggly bombshell is perhaps one of the most crucial assets to Joker's criminal operations in Gotham. Once Mister J's psychiatrist in Arkham Asylum, Dr. Harleen Quinzel fell in love with her maniacal, murderous patient, and has suffered her own unique psychosis because of it. Though she may be almost as criminally insane as her bloodthirsty beau, one still cannot deny how damn sexy she is.

8.) Black Cat 

Master jewel thief Felicia Hardy is more or less Marvel's answer to DC's Catwoman. However, that doesn't mean she loses any points in the hottie department. As a long time love interest to Spider-Man, Felicia may be a criminal, but she often aids him in his adventures by both providing intel and fighting right alongside the wallcrawler. Oh, and she always looks dead sexy doing it!

7.) Batgirl 

Smart is always sexy. Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's daughter, is far more than just a sexy redhead in a skin-tight batsuit. As one of the smartest characters in the DC Universe, Barbara has utilized her photographic memory and her amazing plethora of knowledge in numerous subjects to be an asset on and off the streets, both as Batgirl, and in the Batcave as Oracle, when she was wheelchair-bound due to a nasty run-in with the Joker. (Batman: The Killing Joke)

6.) Jean Grey (Marvel Girl) 

Cyclops, Wolverine and even Beast in his early years have obsessed over this woman like crazy. This makes her a tall, gorgeous redhead, one of the most powerful mutant telepaths in existence and the object of every X-Man's affection. Everyone loves Jean.

5.) Wonder Woman 

Power and dominance are incredibly sexy qualities to have as well. What female in the DC Universe could possibly be more powerful and dominant than amazon warrior princess Diana Prince of Themyscara? She's strong, she's assertive and she doesn't take any malarkey from the boys. (Don't believe me, just check out the Justice League animated feature, The Flashpoint Paradox.) 

4.) Rogue 

Rogue is the only mutant that can get away with having skunk hair and still be incredibly sexy. What's makes her even sexier is her mutant power of sucking the life force out of any living thing she touches. You might strongly disagree with me on this one, but the way I see it, people always want what they cannot have; and since no one can have Rogue, (at least no one can touch her), everyone wants her.. bad.








 3.) Poison Ivy 

Dr. Pamela Isley is the living embodiment of seduction. In fact, her whole claim to fame is that no man can resist her. Well, since the men can't resist her, she is able to manipulate them into doing her bidding and then give them the kiss of death when they've outlived their usefulness. This also makes her a pretty serious femme fatale, which is always sexy. If that's not enough, the woman is completely  nuts and walks around butt naked in public, which actually rules. Due to these factors, Poison Ivy is and always will be a very sexy fan favorite.

2.) Black Widow 

Red Hair + Black Jumpsuit + Cute Little Wristie Guns + Scarlet Johanssen = Hotter than Hell!

Let's be logical for a moment. Black Widow may be a drop dead gorgeous master spy and assassin, but standing next to Iron Man, Thor and The Hulk she doesn't bring a lot to the table. That's ok though, because what she does bring to the table..........     IS BOOBS. For this crucial reason alone, Black Widow holds down the number two spot. Nuff said!

1.) Catwoman 

This sex kitten has been making nerds weak at the knees for decades. Just look at her in the picture above, barefoot and fancy free atop a skyscraper pouring diamonds all over her cleavage without a care in the world. Yes, Gotham may be Batman's city, but it's definitely also Catwoman's playground. What makes Selina Kyle so sexy, besides her looks and her seductive nature, is her attitude. We often forget that even though Selina teams up with Batman quite a bit, she's is first and foremost a criminal. This dark side of her makes her mysterious, and even more sexy because of it. It is something  I would equate to the classic stereotype of the girl next door falling for the token bad boy. This edginess Selina brings to the table stimulates readers and often raises the question, "Will Catwoman kiss me or steal my watch and saunter away to another Gotham rooftop?" 

The 2014 Vigilant Geek Awards

**The Inaugural 2014 Vigilant Geek Awards**

Welcome back graphic novel geeks and gurus of all ages!! 2015 is rapidly approaching, and the time has come to present due credit, props and accolades to those creators and artists who have achieved greatness in the graphic novel medium during 2014. Here are my picks!!!!! 

Best Mainstream Comic Book Title:   Green Arrow

This was a huge year for Green Arrow, regarding both the comic book title and the television series. The transformations Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino were able to make with this character over the past year were astounding. Jeff Lemire was able to essentially take one of the worst, lukewarm titles in the New 52 and make it one of absolute best in less than a year's time. I don't know of many other writers, other than maybe Geoff Johns that have the power to change a title like that so drastically and promptly. With The Outsider's War concluding Lemire and Sorrentino's run on the book a few months back, we were able to see Oliver square off against a long list of heavy hitters including Komodo, Count Vertigo and even his own father Robert Queen!! Never a dull moment with this title now, the torch has been passed to Arrow producer Andrew Kreisberg, who has been killing it in the first two issues he's put out. This is a title I'll be looking forward to reading every month for the indefinite future and comes very highly recommended!

Best Mainstream Story Arc:   Batman: Zero Year

The Riddler has created a city-wide blackout in Gotham and has seized control of the whole city during one of the worst storms in decades! Batman, Luscius Fox, Commissioner Jim Gordon and scattered members of the family must put their heads together to solve The Riddler's intricate puzzle before all of Gotham is washed out to sea! Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo hit it out of the park yet again with their fourth big story arc since they were issued the keys to Gotham City at the start of the New 52. The Snyder / Capullo freight train is scheduled to be taken out of service at the end of their latest arc, Endgame, but I really hope that changes because I could see these two, who are already going down in history as two of the best to ever work on the title, do wonders with the Dark Knight for years to come.

Best Comics-Based Motion Picture: Guardians of the Galaxy

Marvel's strengths really seem prevalent on the silver screen, and they keep on proving that point year after year. This year was so damn difficult to choose "Best Comics-Based Motion Picture," due mainly to the fact that Marvel put out four incredible blockbusters this year!! 2014's Marvel movies included Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, X-Men: Days of Future Past and Guardians of the Galaxy. I almost chose Cap 2, because its crystal-clear portrayal of Steve Rogers and the supporting cast stayed so true to the source material that it should make every true comic fan shed happy tears of joy. However, then I was going to choose X-Men: DOFP, because its portrayal of the dystopian future that was originally created in 1984 by Chris Claremont was spot on! This choice was altered as well though when I saw Guardians of the Galaxy. Guardians was the most fun I had at the movie theater this year by far. Not only are the special effects and cgi incredible, but the story, once again staying true to the source material, was one of the best space operas I have seen in a long, long time. Like I've said before, keep em' coming Marvel!

Best Comics-Based Television Series: Arrow

This out-of-control, action-packed crime thriller based on outlaw vigilante Oliver Queen, (aka "The Arrow," (aka "Green Arrow")), hit network television on the CW for the first time in 2013 and has gained a cult following of extraordinary magnitude ever since. As I mentioned this past summer in a previous article, DC Comics has really taken over network television in a big way. Other DC contenders would include Gotham, The Flash and Constantine, but none of those three other shows have completed a full season as of yet. Marvel contended as usual with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but it seems like America just has a tough time getting excited over "Agent Phil Coulson" and his band of Abercrombie models and angsty teenage brats. As far as Marvel's contributions to television are concerned, I for one am gearing up for the Netflix series, Daredevil, set to air next year!

Best Comics-Based Animated Feature: Justice League War

Do you remember how great the first Justice League story arc was at the start of DC's New 52? Imagine it now as a fully animated feature! Marvel contended this year with Punisher / Black Widow: Avengers Confidential, but in the end, nothing out there was able to top Justice League: War. Join the likes of Superman, Batman, Cyborg, Wonder Woman, Shazam, The Flash and Green Lantern as they all meet each other for the first time, form alliances and battle evil parademons sent by Darkseid to destroy Earth!

Best Independent Graphic Novel: Roadhouse Sons :  Dangerous Gambles

            Those that have been following my trail of rants, raves and reviews this year have already heard me talk a blue streak about this brilliant three-volume mash-up of rock-and-roll and international espionage. The brainchild of novelist and former professional wrestler J.H. Sanderson, this thrilling spy caper follows the trials and tribulations of a rock-and-roll band that was manipulated into actually becoming trained government operatives for the F.B.I. during a time when the Cold War went hotter than hell!
            The first thing that struck me when obtaining this amazing publication is the incredible quality of the soft covers themselves!  Illustrated by Allison Barrows, Romas Kukalis and Alexandra Kukalis, and produced by Mia Moravis, the quality of artwork and coloring that went into this series was unmatched by anything I laid eyes on at any of the cons this year. A big congrats to Mr. Sanderson and his creative team on this outstanding achievement! Stay tuned for my reviews on the next Roadhouse Sons story arc when the next publication is released later in 2015.

Best Independent Story Arc: Return to Rander :  The Lone Savior

         This fresh, new, epic adventure written and drawn by Tony Sedanis is far too intricate and original to be tied down to any one comic book genre. However, I will say that the book had very strong influences from both the wild west and eastern asian, (dare I say samurai?), archetypes. The first scene of the first issue of The Lone Savior kicks off in a classic western saloon with a shady character buying a beer for a man about to meet his doom. I immediately felt like I was in the middle of an opening scene to one of Serio Leone's classic "Spaghetti Westerns," except instead of the dastardly Lee Van Cleef sending the beer over to the man in peril, it was the cold, calculated Matador!
          This story arc, which is the complete brainchild of Sedani, really blew me away. It is by far the most original idea I have seen in a long time. Also, Sedani's art and writing styles have a certain ability of taking the reader out of reality and into the realm Sedani created. Will our hero find Rander some day? I am itching all over to find out in the next story arc!

Best Independent Anthology: Hellbound V: End of Comics

The FULL review for HELLBOUND V: END OF COMICS is on its way!!

Even though I am still reviewing this one, having at least read it cover-to-cover, I can say that it the best horror anthology I have laid eyes upon in years. Created, written and illustrated by the BOSTON COMICS ROUNDTABLE and published by RIVERBIRD COMICS, this is a no-nonsense literary journey through some of the darkest, trippiest, creepiest, eeriest nightmares one could possibly conjure up! Stay tuned for the FULL REVIEW very very soon!

Best Independent Web Comic:  Newopolis City

              I just recently started exploring the world of web comics this past fall and fell upon this absolute gem created by the BOSTON CARTOON COMPANY. Join Puck, the superhero of NEWOPOLIS CITY as he battles giant tentacle monsters, were-elks, mad cactus and all sorts of other creatures and cretins! This highly entertaining and witty online read created by Michael James Meara and colored by Chris Watson will leave you frothing at the mouth, just waiting for next week's issue!

Have a safe and HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Join me here at THE VIGILANT GEEK in 2015 for tons more comic book-related articles and reviews!!