Comic books have always been a tale of good versus evil, but some of the most interesting comics tell the story from the villain’s point of view. In Marvel Comics, characters like Doctor Doom offer a lot of potential for storylines based on their adventures, and in DC Comics, Lex Luthor and Joker offer equally intriguing tales. These stories sometimes come in the pages of their enemy’s own comic book, but other times, the comic companies create anti-series specifically for them to show why they are so great. There are even some great moments where lesser-known or even unknown villains get a chance to shine.
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From the biggest villains in comics getting a story from their point of view to some obscure villains proving their worth, here are the best comic book stories told from the villain’s point of view.
10) Books of Doom (2005)
Written by Ed Brubaker, Books of Doom is a Doctor Doom miniseries that sees Doom narrating his life story during an interview, claiming he remembers every single thing that ever happened in his life. This includes the time in his mother’s womb, thanks possibly to her dabbling in the dark arts. This is a six-issue miniseries from 2005, which tells the story of Doom’s rise to power in Latveria from the dictator’s perspective. However, it also has a wicked twist at the end that makes it very much a Doctor Doom story, and it helps this rise above the rest. The entire series provided a fascinating glimpse into how even a villain can be the hero in their own story. Despite the twist at the end, it offered a revealing look behind the mask of the Latverian dictator.
9) Blue Beetle Vol. 6 #8
In one of the most creative and interesting stories in DC Comics history, Blue Beetle Vol. 6 #8 told the story of a small-time criminal from that man’s point of view. Ed Buckley was a regular guy headed to a job interview at Kord Industries, but Ted Kord rejected him for the job, saying they were overstaffed. When he left, he reunited with the criminal known as the Calculator, and he threatened to kill Ed if he didn’t help them. The entire story was told from Ed’s point of view as this group of criminals set out, and they ended up being stopped by the Blue Beetle. This was a fascinating story because it showed that not all henchmen in supervillain crimes are inherently bad people, and in this case, Ted even went out of his way to help Ed in the end when he realized what was happening.
8) The Superior Foes of Spider-Man
The Superior Foes of Spider-Man is one of the best supervillain comics ever made because it is so incredibly clever and funny. Boomerang, Shocker, Beetle, Overdrive, and Speed Demon consider themselves Spider-Man’s greatest enemies and want to restart the Sinister Six, but they can’t find a sixth villain who wants to join them. This series follows these five minor Spider-Man villains as they plan a major heist, and the best part is that Spider-Man is hardly in the series at all. It runs for 17 issues and is easily one of the funniest comics Marvel has put out in ages. Seeing these C-level heroes not being able to get along with each other, while thinking they are more important than they really are, was a masterful bit of writing by Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber.
7) Arkham Asylum: Living Hell
Arkham Asylum: Living Hell is a Gotham City story by Dan Slott that sees a small-time criminal named Warren White on trial for fraud, and he thinks that he is smart by pleading insanity. He wasn’t smart because he ended up in Arkham Asylum, and his nightmare had just begun. When people think of Arkham, they think of Joker, Mr. Freeze, and more. However, when a normal criminal ends up there, things don’t go well for him. When he was taken on the prison bus with Riddler, Scarecrow, and more, he was only getting started. The story then switched to a different villain and followed their story before Batman showed up at the end to save the day. However, as a story following a criminal sent to the worst possible destination, it was a brilliantly told tale. In the end, Arkham turned White into the Great White Shark, proving that the asylum makes more villains than it cures.
6) Fantastic Four #51
One of the earliest comic books told from the villain’s point of view came in Fantastic Four #51, and it remains known as one of the best single-issue comic books of all time. The best thing is that this villain was never even given a name in this book. A scientist believes that Reed Richards doesn’t deserve the success he has achieved, so he creates a device that allows him to switch places with Ben Grimm and become The Thing. When he goes to the Baxter Building to kill Reed, he ends up in the Negative Zone with Mr. Fantastic, and suddenly his preconceptions are turned on their head. The issue is called “This Man… This Monster!” and while it followed the introduction of the Inhumans and the Galactus Trilogy, it stands on its own as one of the most important Fantastic Four stories ever told.
5) Batman: Vengeance of Bane
Batman: Vengeance of Bane is the first appearance of Bane and is the setup for Knightfall. Told from Bane’s point of view, this reveals the villain’s origin, from his time being born and sentenced to life for his father’s crimes, and the death of his mother as she was imprisoned with him to help raise him. From his childhood, Bane learned he had to fight to stay alive, and this story offers a look at how Bane became one of Batman’s most powerful villains. This was a great story because it was an origin story that showed that, no matter how evil Bane is, he never had a chance to be a good person from the start. It also showed how dangerous he is, which made Knightfall even more frightening when he set his eyes on Batman.
4) Loki (2004)
In 2004, years before the Marvel Cinematic Universe turned Loki into a fan-favorite antihero, Marvel Comics released the series Loki by Robert Rodi and Esad Ribić. This series opens with Loki taking leadership of Asgard. However, even with the powerful Marvel gods Thor and Sif as his prisoners, Loki finds that ruling Asgard was not what he had envisioned, and he finds many people gunning for him and his spot on the throne. This was a fascinating look at the world through the eyes of the villain, as Loki realizes he has to make the toughest decision of his life, only to have his own fate taken out of his hands. It is easy to see why Loki would become as popular in the comics as he was in the movies, and it all started with this four-issue miniseries.
3) Daredevil #181
Daredevil fans know that Daredevil #181 is one of the most important issues of the comic book in the character’s run. That is because this was the Frank Miller-written issue that saw Bullseye kill Elektra before Daredevil could do anything to save her. As one of Daredevil’s most tragic moments, and one big reason he hates Bullseye above most others, this is an issue that stands the test of time. What some people might not remember is that the story, including Elektra’s murder, is told from Bullseye’s point of view. It starts with him in prison and then shows his breakout before he finally tracks down Elektra and murders her. Even when Daredevil and Matt Murdock are shown, it has Bullseye’s thought bubbles, and this was a rare look into the mind of a sociopath.
2) Batman Annual #11
One of the most bizarre, yet brilliant comic books from the villain’s point of view came in Batman Annual #11, which starred Clayface. The story was called “Mortal Clay” and featured the third Clayface, Preston Payne. What is disturbing is that this Clayface is living in a department store to keep watch and protect the love of his life, a mannequin named Helena. When Clayface starts to murder people he believes Helena is having an affair with, Batman is called in and deduces what is going on before he offers to help the criminal, who he realizes has lost his grip on his sanity. This was a story about a man who had lost everything and held on to the one thing that he believed he had left in life, even if it wasn’t even real.
1) Kraven’s Last Hunt
Kraven’s Last Hunt might be the best comic book storyline ever told from a villain’s point of view. That is because it was the last Kraven storyline (at least with the original Kraven). The title explains everything about the story, as this is the tale of Kraven trying to finally capture the one prey that has evaded him his entire life — Spider-Man. This is all told from his POV, as he lays out his trap, and for the first time, he beats Spider-Man. After Kraven takes the costume and tries to become Spider-Man, he realizes he has nothing left to conquer and ends his own life. The entire story was about one man’s obsession and his willingness to do anything he could to achieve his greatest dream, only to realize he had no idea what was supposed to happen next. While a villain, it was one of Marvel Comics’ most tragic storylines.
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Image courtesy of Focus Features.
