Top 5 Comic Book Romances

In honor of my recent engagement I have decided to give a list of the best super hero romances. For the record, I think mine is the best, but let's go on to more familiar stories.

1. Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson

Spider-Man and Mary Jane Watson

One of the best and most popular comic book relationships (mainly because of past movies) is that of Spider-Man and Mary Jane. These two personalities definitely compliment each other. Peter Parker has his mind all over the place and is always messing up with Mary Jane. Mary Jane is very assertive, knows what she wants and knows how to get it.

She does have a hard time dealing with Peter's lack of commitment, but once she finds out that he is Spider-Man she is extremely supportive and understanding. Every super-hero needs a supporting partner. "Go get 'em, tiger" - Mary Jane Watson.

2. Superman and Lois Lane

Courtesy DC comics

While Spider-Man and MJ may be very popular, the most popular couple is definitely Superman and Lois Lane. Another relationship that is at many times on the brink of destruction because of secret identities and secrets in general.

In the above photo, Superman creates a potion that temporarily gives Lois his superpowers for one day. He even custom designs her own superhero outfit. They fly through the skies and he opens up to Lois in ways he could not before. Now that's love.

3. Batman and Talia al Ghul

courtsey DC Comics

Okay, let's face it, Batman's a bit of a man-whore: Batman and Catwoman, Batman and Wonder Woman, Batman and Vicky Vale, Batman and Poison Ivy... you get the idea.

However, in my opinion these are all flirtatious relationships, not real love. He really seems to fall for Talia al Ghul, Ra's al Ghul's daughter (one of his greatest enemies). There is a love-hate relationship between the two, but deep down they really care about each other immensely. Oh and by the way, they have a son together - Damian Wayne.

4. Green Lantern and Hawkgirl

Courtesy Justice League

John Stewart the Green Lantern and Shiera Sanders - Hawkgirl. This one is a complicated relationship. Despite that, they were pre-destined to be together, literally (in their past lives they were also lovers). They are both stubborn as mules which makes this relationship harder at times, but their love is undeniable.

In the above picture, Hawkgirl greets an injured Green Lantern, her friend at the time. She admits to him how afraid she is of losing him after the most recent scare and consequently John confesses what he feels for her. For the first time, he removes her mask to see the woman beneath the fierce exterior...and they share their first real moment of true love. Like I always tell my lady, even comic books can be romantic.

5. Wolverine and Mariko Yashida

Wolverine and Mariko (http://wolverinediaries.blogspot.com/2013/06/wolverine-and-mariko-pictures.html#.UhplCZK1GSo

Only true love could tame a beast like Wolverine. This has always been one of the most classic yet lesser known love stories in comic books - Wolverine and Mariko Yashida. We see a small glimpse of this romance in the most recent Marvel movie, The Wolverine.

Bound by honor Mariko is forced to marry the Silver Samurai, but truly loves Logan (Wolverine). Wolverine willing to fight to the death for this woman, but is secretly poisoned. He extracts his claws to attack and thus dishonorably loses the battle and Mariko. As luck would have it, Wolverrine is always separated from her no matter how hard he tries to make it work (the above image does a great job at portraying this aspect of the relationship).

So what is your favorite comic book romance? Share it in the comments even if it's not on this list.

Omar Sy as Bishop In X-Men: Days of Future Past

I have got to admit, I did not even know who Omar Sy was up until a few weeks ago. When pictures of him as Bishop from X-Men: Days of Future Past surfaced I still did not know who he was and I am sure many American movie-goers do not know him either.

It was not until I saw a French film on Netflix, The Intouchables  that I was introduced to this actor. In this movie (based on a true story) Omar Sy's character is an ex-con that forms an unbreakable relationship with a wealthy paraplegic man when hired as his caregiver.

I know this role is completely different from what he will be playing in the upcoming X-Men movie, but as an actor he demonstrated a wide variety of range and emotion. It was a great overall performance.I am now even more excited for this film than I was before and you should be too.

Usually we are turned off when there is an actor that we have never heard of playing a role in a movie that we are really pumped for. For anyone with any doubts, I promise you that Sy will do a great job in this role (don't let me down, Omar!).

Now on to Bishop. When I was first introduced to Bishop it was in the X-Men animated series. I am talking about the BEST X-Men animated series out there...the 90's version. He was a big brawny guy...with a mullet (I guess the 90's had an influence on him too despite him being from the future).

He often clashed with Wolverine and was not afraid to speak his mind against him. Anyone who is man enough to go toe to toe with Wolverine is a bad ass in my book. So far, Omar Sy fits the mold. For starters he is 6'4, he was styled with some dreads and aside from the physical he has great on-screen presence and can certainly pull off the bad ass attitude (as seen in the Intouchables).

Without giving too much away, Bishop should play a large role in Days of Future Past. With a great cast to go along with him and a great story this calls for a great Marvel movie. Let's just hope this is half as good as X-Men First Class.

So what do you guys think about Bishop or the upcoming X-Men film. Let us know in the comments section!

What The Wolverine Movie Poster Tells Us About The Film

The idea of “social media”, like it or not, has etched itself in our brains and engraved itself in our culture. It affects our everyday actions and even consumption habits. With good reason, social media has been a driving force for marketers as of late like vine, twitter and YouTube, but does that make it the most effective form of communication out there? I think not.

Although there has been some great online marketing like this awesome motion poster, it has not been my absolute favorite.

One of the lost arts in this fast paced world of social is print advertising. In my opinion, minimalism can speak volumes (if you use it the right way).The most effective form of print communication is that with an image so powerful that it requires no copy or vice versa.

This is why I love this specific poster so much for The Wolverine movie. The only copy seen is the release date of the movie in the bottom and what I must assume is the Japanese version of the date to the left. As soon as I see this image I am drawn in. This image alone tells a story of sadness, anger revenge and rebirth.

The subtle choices in text, color and brush strokes imply that this is a story from Japan. The background is meant to look like Hanshi; the paper used for calligraphy. The ink colors, black and red are those primarily used in Japanese calligraphy. Even Wolverine’s stance has a samurai-like appearance.

For those who do not know, Wolverine has a deep history in the country of Japan. His emotions are tied there, his skill derives from there and in this movie we will hopefully find out what other connections Wolverine has to the country.

Be sure to stay tuned for my review of the movie itself. Don’t let that stop you from watching it on your own! 

Metta-X: The Origin

So before I start dropping POWs and KABOOMs left and right on all of you, let me tell you a little bit about myself and how I ended up here. My Super Hero Origin story if you will...

As far back as I can remember, I have always loved Super Heroes. Not only for their extraordinary abilities that one can only dream of having, their awesome gadgets and outfits comparable to their strengths, but especially for their very human qualities that we all strive to obtain. Qualities as cliche as they may sound like honor, truth, selflessness and justice. Without these qualities, they would simply not be heroes.

There is an undeniable shadow of hope that they cast over the minds of aficionados of all ages, backgrounds and locations. Whether it was Superman subliminally fighting for the "American Way" during the World War II era, or The X-Men's relentless message of equality: We should accept ourselves and each other as we are, despite differences in race, ethnicity, religion or sexual orientation.

This is the power of Super Heroes to me. Like music it is a universal language.

Interlude: Who is my favorite Super Hero, you ask? I'll give you my top 3.

Drum Roll 
1.Batman (aka The Dark Night, The Detective, Bruce Wayne)

What is not to like about a man who chooses to defy all odds, fight crime against an entire city and become one of the most respected heroes out there...without any powers?

He relies on nothing but raw martial arts skills, intelligence, research, training, and oh yeah, he's stinking rich. Not even Superman can take this guy on. Too tough and too smart.








2. Spider-Man (aka Web Head, Spidey, Peter Parker)

The guy freakin' swings through the streets of New York City with home made web shooters! I mean, how cool is that?

I am sucker for underdog stories. This guy went from being the biggest nerd in school to having super strength, spider-senses and a super cool costume and despite that...he is still the biggest nerd and a bit of a clown. In many ways, he reminds me of myself which is why I have a soft spot for him.








3. Wolverine: Official X-Men Member (aka Logan, James Howlett)

Wolverine is just a straight up bad ass, but he is still a good guy. Animal like senses, healing abilities, skilled martial artist and he has claws coming out of his knuckles!

The dude is seriously messed up, suffering from post-traumatic stress, being experimented on by the government, anger issues, memory loss and not to mention, something always happens to the woman he loves. Somehow he always finds a way to put that aside and do what is right.

So why The Metta-X Review?
Just a little background: The Metagene according to the DC Universe is a rare human gene which gives humans the ability to potentially become super-powered beings. Similarly, in the Marvel Universe, specifically X-Men, the X-Gene described by Charles Xavier is the result of genetic mutation granting humans the ability to become super powered mutants. 

Essentially they are one in the same. If you have not noticed already, we will be covering both DC and Marvel. The best of both worlds...errr universes.

I would like to give a special thank you to my friend Nick which has always pushed me to do what I love and consequently made me start The Metta-X Review.