Obscure superheroes can be regrettable but their opposing supervillains are forgettable. I liked the superhero version of this book much better than this one. Superheroes are much more complete characters than villains are. A superhero, even a regrettable one, often has a back story, a reason to keep going and an ongoing mission. Most superheroes have story lines that span years of comic book runs. In those run, they face hundreds of supervillains, and with the exception of some stand outs like the Joker, Dr Doom, Magneto and Lex Luthor, most last only an episode or two. Because of that comics churn through the bad guys like popcorn being gobbled up by moviegoers, just a means to further the superhero's legacy. With that in mind, anything is to be expected. With a few exceptions, there was little that made the villains stand out. Even in picking the best of the worst, the author admits that many are all the same. Most of the villains are the same character with just a new outfit, usually an animal themed one. There are maybe half a dozen that stood out, but in a book of hundreds of characters, those weren't enough to keep me interested.

Aldrig hört talas om dessa skurkar, och det är väl det som är poängen. Konstiga, roliga, uppenbart rasistiska, take your pick.

Fun read! Thanks LootCrate!

Legion of Regrettable Super Villains
Author: Jon Morris
Publisher: Quirk Books
Publishing Date:2016
Pgs: 253
Dewey: 741.5973 MOR
Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX
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REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Summary:
A collection of some regrettable, some ridiculous, some bizarre, many cringe worthy bad guys and gals. From odd origin stories to weird super weapons to outlandish modus operandi, this has a bit of it all. While DC and Marvel are well represented, other companies get their share of the ribbing too.
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Genre:
Comics
Graphic Novels
Comic Strips
Humor & Entertainment
Pop Culture
Art
Supervillains


Why this book:
Comics...supervillains...and a longtime love for the Legion of the Lame Ass Supervillain.
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Favorite Character:
The Crow, foe of the Black Hood, is a classic archetype. A revenge motivated murderer is a well tread trope of Golden Age comics. Crow imagery. Stage props. The elements are all there.

All that would have to happen to rehabilitate Black Talon would be to take him out of the damned chicken suit. Put him in a three piece suit. Say the rooster outfit was his trying to live a past idiom that history has passed by. The character’s power set is impressive, just toss aside the chicken motif. Maybe even have the heroes laugh at him until they realize that the comical motif that held his potential has been shattered. Have him be a behind the scenes power broker brining characters through the veil of life and death for a price. A price always paid in blood and power.

Hmm Moments:
Think we have different ideas about what constitutes a regrettable villain. A Nazi with telescoping steel arms who pilots a robot Tyrannosaurus Rex against Boy King and his giant living statue. Regrettable? You mean awesome, right?

Uncle Sam foe, King Killer is just waiting for rehabilitation in the hands of the right writer and artist. Surprised that Roy Thomas didn’t take a run at him in the All Star Squadron.

Mary Marvel villain, Mr. Night could have easitly been revamped by Alan Moore. Sentient colors, a Rainbow King, and the evil of Night out to destroy all other colors and plunge the world into darkness. Hell a Mary Marvel-Green Lantern Corps team-up.

The Sigh:
Power Nelson on arriving on Bloor, the Dictator of Uranus...I know, everytime his name is mentioned they call him by his full title, thinks “There’s something disgusting on Uranus.” Yeah, BEavis, it’s enslaved humans traded to Bloor by the Emperor of Earth. It’s sorta why you’re here.

Brickbat is wearing a Batman cowl over a green suit. Did they even try? I can imagine, “Editorial would like to see you concerning Brickbat. Immediately!!!”

Refer King...law abiding citizens become hardened murder happy gunslingers overnight, all in the name of feeding a ravenous habit. Reefer madness. Having met a Reefer King or two in my day, this begs the question, “What in the hell were these guys smoking?”

Wisdom:
I usually take the position that any villain can be rehabilitated in the right story with the right author and right artist. Some of these...I’m not so sure. But I’d like to see it tried.

Juxtaposition:
The first of the Big 2 villains to appear is a Golden Age Green Arrow nemesis named Bull’s Eye. If you put aside the clown costume and take into consideration that he had superspeed reflexes and heightened senses explaining his dodgeball like abilities, he could be rehabilitated into a pretty good bad guy.

The Bulletman villain, The Dude, would fit right in modern comics. His weapons and gimmicks would be right at home in Batman and Green Arrow.

Many of the heroic nemesi of these regrettable villains are regrettable in their own right.

The Unexpected:
Boo! Hiss! Animal-Vegetable-Mineral Man and Batroc don’t belong here.

No, I’m sorry. The Headmen are awesome in their quirkiness. Same with Turner D. Century.

Missed Opportunity:
While some deserve the regrettable title, Bloor, Colossus, et al, there are many who are ripe for reimagining into a modern villain.
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Last Page Sound:
Loved the walk down memory lane with the occasional detour through WTFtown.

Author Assessment:
Good stuff. Well written profiles.

Editorial Assessment:
Editorial could have take a bit more of a look at who got included. But, all in all, well done.

Knee Jerk Reaction:
Liked it.
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Solid bathroom read.

This is the companion volume to "The Legion of Regrettable Superheroes" and is every bit as entertaining. Jon Morris traces the history of comics through such misbegotten villains as The Horrible Hand, Dr. Cesspoole, and Reefer King, among many others. Morris' wry commentary makes these absurd characters even more hilarious, and it's interesting to see how fine a line there is between the super villains we all know and love to hate (the Joker, Dr. Doom, Bane, Poison Ivy) and those that just aren't quite right (Doctor VooDoo, Lord Lazee, Smokescreen). If you enjoy classic comics and the absurdity they often encompass, you'll love this book.

Fun if you have ten or twenty minutes to kill. My first problem comes from the tinier print. Thanks for reminding me how old I am. And honestly, just barely amusing and eventually, just a waste of time.

Like the previous The Legion of Regrettable Superheroes this book was a fun romp thru the history of oddball comic book villains that just didn't make the grade. And every single one of them belongs in the legion! Read it for fun.

My only regret is that Black Hole was not included. Starting a life of crime after a miniature black hole became embedded in his chest young Morton Kribbee possessed the power to suck anything into himself. How lame a power is that?