We Briefly Interrupt Whack A Lantern Week...

For an important message. Mainly, a meme that Kalinara has going on over at Pretty Fizzy Paradise. I'm a sucker for a meme, what can I say? You get assigned a letter of the alphabet, and have to come up with five fictional characters, whose names begin with that letter, and explain who they are, and why you like them. Kalinara had the letter "B", which is a HECK of a good letter.

I've been assigned the letter "M"

Also a good letter. Alrighty then.

1.....MANHUNTER, also known as Kate Spencer. I'll admit it, I came a little late to the dance, when it originally came to Manhunter. It took me a while to appreciate it. And then it was cancelled, and I was sad. I bought all of the trades, and enjoyed them completely, and then they brought it back! And happiness once again reigned.

Kate is a very complex character. She's an attorney, originally a prosecutor, now a defense attorney, and she just happens to be a mask-wearing vigilante with a super suit. She's a smoker, a drinker, and a divorced mother, and she just happens to have this slightly world-weary air about her, that I find irrisistable. And she has SUCH a wonderful supporting cast. There is Dylan, a former henchman-for-hire, whom she more or less blackmailed into becoming her support person, who is a fabulous character all by himself. There is Damian, her assistant, who is holding hands with Todd, AKA Obsidian...the only cheerful and non-angsty gay couple in comics! Her son Ramsey is adorable and wears Green Lantern pyjamas.

She's well-written and well-drawn, and I love her to death.

2.....Martian Manhunter. Oh J'onn, I DO hope that you'll be back from the dead soon. J'onn J'onnz is of course, the Martian Manhunter, our favorite tall green shape-shifting telepathic, turning invisible, flying hunk of burning love. Well...not BURNING. There was that itsy bitsy little problem of fire. But I love J'onn for his deadpan sense of humor, and his endearing love of Chocos. And the fact that he was the head babysitter for the old JLI.

3.....Mace Gardner. Guy Gardner's older brother was the apple of his parent's eye, a good student, excellent athelete, all-around hero, that Guy worshipped, and could never quite live up to. Everything in life came pretty easy for Mace, so he had a tendancy to take things for granted. He decided to skip college and became a cop. He did help out Guy when Guy was headed in the wrong direction, straightened him out and probably saved his life. Too bad he went to the bad, and became a dirty cop. One who was shot by the very same thugs he was blackmailing. Shot through the spine, and left in a wheelchair, to the undisguised horror of his parents. Couldn't face NOT being the hero, and apparently committed suicide. Was rescued by a shadowy, faceless organization,and given a super-suit that let him fly and walk, and stuff, and called himself Militia. And who incidentally did his best to kill his younger brother because he was jealous. Mace was an excellent character, and it's a shame that they killed him off again.

4....Michael Carter. Better known as Booster Gold. How can ANY one not like Booster Gold? He threw a football game in the future, was exposed in disgrace, and stole a bunch of superhero artifacts in a museum and came to the past to be a superhero. Best buddies with Blue Beetle. Obsessed with wealth, and not too picky about obtaining it. Likes shiny things. Just happened to SAVE THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE, but can't tell anyone about it.

Now he bops around time travelling with his boy Rip Hunter, doing fun things like drinking with Jonah Hex, and dressing up like Elvis and driving around in the Batmobile. Oh Booster...you're such a scamp.


5.....Milagro Reyes. She's Jaime Reyes little sister, and simply wonderful, along with Jaime's entire family and supporting cast. She's spunky, she's funny, and I wouldnt' be at all surprised if she has a serious crush on Guy Gardner due to their utterly hilarious interaction back in Blue Beetle #25. If she doesn't grow up to be in the Teen Titans some day, I'll be quite disappointed.