I thought I’d do something different today: list my ten favorite superheroes. Despite reading comic books for most of my life, this was much tougher than I thought it would be. But eventually I managed to narrow it down to ten.

Admittedly I’m almost a little disappointed in myself that there are all either DC or Marvel superheroes, but that’s just the way it is. I’ve read a ton of independent comics but I can honestly rank any of those superheroes higher than the ones I listed here.

So here we go:

1/SUPERMAN

Again I almost feel disappointed in myself as this seems like such a cliche answer but, what can I say? Superman is the greatest superhero of all time! I’m sure I was a fan of his before I even could read comic books, as I watched Superman in cartoons, TV shows, and movies first.

2/ SPIDER-MAN

First of all, Spidey just seems cool, who wouldn’t want to swing through the air like that? Plus there’s the purity of his motivations for being a superhero. It’s like he can’t help himself, he’s got those powers and so he has to use them for good. With great power comes great responsibility. 

3/BATMAN

Batman is badass. I think the earliest appeal of this character is that theoretically, you could actually become him. You know, if you study and work out long enough…and inherit a fortune from your parents.

4/ BLACK PANTHER

This is not a character I grew up reading, unlike the first three. I was mostly a DC fan, so I wasn’t exposed to him as a kid. It wasn’t until the Marvel Knights series by Christopher Priest that I became a fan of Black Panther, but he’s definitely one of the best.

5/ CAPTAIN MARVEL

I discovered this character from his early cartoon, and I think I was instantly attracted to the wish-fulfillment aspect of him. Billy Batson was a kid like me, and who wouldn’t want to be able to say a magic word and turn into an adult superhero?

6/ WONDER WOMAN

Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman was probably one of my earliest TV celebrity crushes. And George Perez’ post-Crisis comic book run cemented her as one of my favorite superheroes.

7/ NIGHTWING

For a long time, I wanted Dick Grayson to officially take over as Batman. I liked the idea of the original Robin being promoted to the top role. But now I really think he works best as Nightwing, his own identity.

8/ GREEN LANTERN

Who wouldn’t want a power ring that can create anything you think of it? I like the concept in general, but I do have favorites in the franchise. Starting with John Stewart, then Kyle Raynor, Guy Gardner, and Hal Jordan.

And, of course, G’nort.

9/ CAPTAIN AMERICA

Here’s another character I became a fan of later in life. It was Mark Waid’s first run on the title in the late 1990s that really made me enjoy him.

10/ THE PUNISHER

I guess we can debate whether or not The Punisher counts as a “superhero, but whatever. There’s a certain purity to this character and his mission that I guess I like. He hates bad guys, so he hunts them down and kills them. Simple as that. I became a fan during the 1990s when Chuck Dixon was writing him, but I think the character works best outside of mainstream Marvel continuity, like the Max imprint, where they don’t have to tone down the violence and there are no actual superheroes to stand in his way. Because, let’s face it, it doesn’t make sense that one of the big heroes hasn’t taken him down for good in the Marvel universe.