ONTD Original: From the Ashes... It's a Comic Book Post!
On the heels of ever-growing MCU fatigue and most recent DC projects that Joker sequel, the two major players in the comics scene-Marvel and DC-have still managed to captivate audiences recently with Agatha Harkness in Agatha All Along (Disney+) and Oswald Cobblepot in The Penguin (HBO).
If you're a fan of either show, you probably know a good deal about these characters in that context already (and for the sake of this post, I'm assuming you do). But before Kathryn Hahn and Colin Farrell's brilliant portrayals, both villains got their start in comic books! If you're hungry to learn more about your favorite witch or mob boss, check out these titles below:
Agatha Harkness
○ More like "Agatha All Along", please!
Admittedly, there aren't too many comics out there that feature The Salem Witch herself as a headlining character. But if you're looking for that sinister, sexy, "frenemy" vibe that makes the character so great in AAA, you'll want to check out the Contest of Chaos (2024) trade paperback that came out on May 7th this year. Over the course of 9 issues, Agatha pits some of Marvel's greatest heroes against each other in her quest for The Darkhold-and yes, The Scarlet Witch is there!
Speaking of Wanda Maximoff... Agatha is set to make an appearance in Scarlet Witch #6 (2024), out November 20th, where she brings Wanda a mysterious new protégé to look after. Billy and Toby Tommy will also be showing up down, down, down the road as Wiccan and Speed!
○ Let's learn more!
Before she was yassified, Agatha Harkness showed her age; the centuries-old witch looked the part of the crone when she was introduced in Fantastic Four #94 (1969). Prior to the MCU debuting the character, Agatha's storylines largely revolved around being a mentor to The Scarlet Witch and a mother to one all-powerful Nicholas Scratch (you've heard that name before, right?).
Oh, yeah, and there was that time she joined the Midnight Suns-a mysterious, supernatural group full of weirdos like Blade, Wolverine, and Spirit Rider. If any of these topics piqued your interest, you should check out the Agatha Harkness: The Saga of the Salem Witch (2024) trade paperback released on September 7th of this year. It collects her first appearance, every issue of Midnight Suns (2022-2023), and several story issues I mentioned!
Oswald Cobblepot
○ More like "The Penguin", please!
I've always found The Penguin to be a standout amongst the Batman rogue gallery; even though I haven't sunk my beak into the HBO series just yet, I think I can help steer you in the grim and gritty direction you're looking for. If a desperate yet calculated Oswald seeking to get some power (back) is what you want to see, check out Batman: One Bad Day - The Penguin #1 (2022). Stories revolving around The Dark Knight's adversaries are, in my opinion, at their best when they lend a little to the absurd and reveal an almost sympathetic narrative-also, Renee Montoya makes an appearance if you have any questions!
If you'd rather do the Mobster Mash and are looking for some Sopranos-style drama (court dismissed, bring out the bastard children!) with classic comic flair, take a cool dip in the waters of The Penguin Vol. 1: The Prodigal Bird (2024). Released June 25th of this year, this trade paperback collects the first six issues of the ongoing series. There's still time to catch up!
○ Let's learn more!
The Penguin debuted in Detective Comics #58 (1941) as an art thief, beginning his transition to full-fledged crime boss by the end of that same issue. Almost always portrayed as the hideous and/or deformed child of Gotham City aristocrats, he's also generally depicted as the proprietor of The Iceberg Lounge, a venue that ranges from casino to nightclub depending on the writer and doubles as a front for his more shady dealings.
No hero or villain is safe from the dreaded comics Multiverse, of course, and one particularly "out there" issue sees The Penguin we all know and tolerate combating his multiversal variants. If you weren't terrified of leopard seals before, you certainly will be after reading Dark Nights: Death Metal - The Last 52: War of the Multiverses #1 (2020)!
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• Open discussion for any comic book or character (TV/movie adaptations included)!
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This is my first ONTD Original™️ attempt, so feedback is welcome and encouraged!
If people show enough interest, I'd love to keep this up every few weeks by highlighting different comic characters across all media.
sources: my knowledge, marvel (1 | 2), dc (1 | 2)
and comic shop locator