RYAN NORTH'S UNBEATABLE PICKS
The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl writer unpacks his Marvel favorites with you! For more of Ryan’s off-the-cuff witticisms, check out his and Erica Henderson’s The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl (2015)!
Ryan's Reads
Here Comes the Spider-Man!
In Amazing Fantasy (1962) #15
First appearance of Spider-Man. I had the privilege of seeing the original pages at the Library of Congress in D.C. a few months back (and anyone can! You just have to make an appointment!) and they're amazing. Co-creator Steve Ditko drew the spider on his back as a negative space circle and added the legs with whiteout!
Forged in Iron
In Tales of Suspense (1959) #39
It's the first appearance of Iron Man, and also one of the craziest! When he first puts on the suit he marvels at how powerful it makes him, then he just falls over. The end suggests a different approach for Tony not taken: one of Thing-like body horror, where he's trapped inside his suit forever. It's neat!
Of a Variant Cover Born…
In The Unbelievable Gwenpool (2016) #1
By all rights a character based on a variant cover should be bad. Chris Hastings not only makes this not bad, he makes it funny, fascinating, and inventive. Chris is a pal but I'd like this book even if he was a complete stranger who stole a cab from me – it's THAT GOOD.
Hawkeye By Fraction, Aja, Hollingsworth & Wu
In Hawkeye (2012) #1
This series proved that you can do a super hero book that's not just about punching criminals until they stop doing crimes. Inventive, impressive, and beautiful, you owe it to yourself to see the breadth of what super hero comics can do!
Love for Mole Man
In Fantastic Four (1961) #1
It's the first appearance of the Fantastic Four, and not only does it feature Reed Richards naming HIMSELF "Mister Fantastic" (you can tell he was just waiting for the excuse) it also features the Mole Man, who is one of my new favorite villains.
Runaways, Vol. 1
In Runaways (2003) #1
Start at the beginning and just read. This series was given to me by my friend Priya who said "maybe you'll like it" and guess what? I DID. It's got a great hook, lots of twists, AND A DINOSAUR. And with a new series by Rainbow Rowell and Kris Anka starting soon, there's no better time!
Young Avengers: Style > Substance
In Young Avengers (2013) #1
Another inventive and creative series that took the Young Avengers and made them characters people really, really care about. There's not another super hero book like this one.
Black Panther by Coates, Stelfreeze & Martin
In Black Panther (2016) #1
You get a literal genius (if you win "Genius Grants" you get to be called a literal genius) to write a comic book and this is what you get. Compelling!