So it was probably remiss of me to report that Spiderman was ranked third in IGN’s 2011 list of the top 100 comic book heroes without naming the top two, or for that matter, for not revealing how IGN came to their conclusions or indeed who the boody hell IGN are anyway. Well…
IGN (Imagine Games Network) is a news and reviews website that focuses on video games, music, film and other new media. They listed their superheroes based on ”their cultural impact, character development, social relevance, general cool factor, and importance of storylines”.
Number One on their list comes Superman…”He’s arguably the single most important creation in the history of superhero comics. Superman is a hero that reflects the potential in all of us for greatness; a beacon of light in times that are grim and a glimmer of hope for the hopeless.” High praise. He has been around since 1939.
At Number Two comes Batman (AKA Bruce Wayne) is “the only human being to stand amongst the Justice League – alongside gods like Superman and Wonder Woman – without superpowers.” He too has been in existence since 1939 – (what was remiss that year to have people dreaming of superhero rescue?)
Then comes Spidey, who is a 1962 spring chicken. His alter-ego, Peter Parker, is a relatable Everyman, of middle class with middle class issues. “Spider-Man remains one of the most snarky and fun heroes in existence. His cheesy banter during combat is always appreciated, and he’s able to make light of even the most dire of situations. There’s never a dull moment when ol’ webhead is around, and there’s something to be said for an icon that doesn’t take himself too seriously.”
Hey, I’m liking the fact that my boy chose Spiderman as his personal favourite. Next time, maybe I’ll find book week loop holes and get him accepted into the ranks of suitability. But given that Superman and Batman came about over twenty years before Spiderman, I think they deserve their top rankings.
For interest’s sake, IGN rank Wolverine as number 4, Wonder Woman as number 5, Catwoman as number 20 and Some snoozer called Groo the Wanderer as number 100.
