READING LIST: The Essential Ant-Man

[CBR News]

"Ant-Man" is coming to theaters this July, and CBR helps you prepare for the character's Marvel Studios debut with some recommend reading.


Full article here.

[Derek Metaltron]

With Lang gone, there was an ant-shaped void in the Marvel Universe, and no one could ever guess that the hero that filled it would be truly irredeemable. When "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman and artist Phil Hester introduced Eric O'Grady, the legacy of Ant-Man changed forever. Pym might have had a dark side and Scott Lang might have once been a burglar, but here was an Ant-Man that truly was, well, a dick. O'Grady was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent (a bad one) who stole Pym's tech to become the newest Ant-Man but he used his powers not for good, but for things like making money and watching She-Hulk in the shower. Come to think of it, a film version of O'Grady could be a perfect foil for Scott Lang in any potential "Ant-Man" sequel.

Always irritates me how people get this wrong - Eric didn't steal the suit per say so much as make a mistake about whether he and his friend in SHIELD were meant to be keeping people in or out of the lab and knocked out Pym by mistake. Then his friend tried the suit on, accidentally shrunk himself and then got killed during the events of 'Enemy of the State', leading Eric to stick the suit on himself out of desperation. And Eric did many good things during his time as Ant Man - he rescued Nick Fury from the exploding Hellicarrier minutes after donning it, secretly assisted Bucky Cap to escape the other Thunderbolts during Captain America Reborn, saved Mars from destruction as a Secret Avenger and sacrificed his life to save a child from the Descendants (and got an evil LMD double for his pains).

Granted O'Grady did some jerk things like spying on Ms Marvel (not She Hulk) in the shower, initially using his powers for cash purposes - making friends with Black Fox in the process - and making out with his best friend's girlfriend and getting her pregnant... on top of his grave. But Eric was a hero when it counted most, and he clearly had a amount of respect for people like Steve Rogers who let him join the Secret Avengers. So I do hope Eric gets into somewhere in the MCU, probably Agents of SHIELD. He's always going to be my favourite Ant Man.

[notable]

I'm surprised Dan Slott's "Mighty Avengers" run isn't mentioned here. While it isn't particularly well regarded at this point, a big push for that series was rehabbing Hank Pym's reputation. He had taken on the identity of the Wasp to honor the then-thought-dead Jan and was named Scientist Supreme (referenced later in the piece), and was the leader of that Avengers squad. It might not have amounted to much, but it does speak to Marvel's long-running attempts to build up the character after many, many missteps along the way.

On a related note, I have an enormous amount of respect for and faith in Marvel's cinematic output. But I do wonder if "Ant-Man" might be the film that breaks the streak. There's definitely material worth exploring with the many Ant-Men and their legacy (and I think legacy will be the key element of this film, and set it apart from the other MCU flicks). But based on the teaser trailer they released a few weeks ago, I can't say as I was particularly excited about it.

[PaxHouse]

Even though the article focusing more upon the history (both good and bad) on Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym; it's still an excellent article that covers those that worn the Ant-Man costume.

[chamber-music]

I'm surprised they completely skipped Pym's West Coast Avengers years as well.

[NewMutant]

I'm surprised they completely skipped Pym's West Coast Avengers years as well.

Which is where I liked him best. I prefer Lang as Ant Man and Pym as a tech/doctor guy who doesn't go into the field really.

[Mary Jay]

Even though the article focusing more upon the history (both good and bad) on Dr. Henry "Hank" Pym; it's still an excellent article that covers those that worn the Ant-Man costume.

Well, objectively, Pym has a lot more of history to tell than the other two Ant-Men. And as some others have said, they even skipped over a lot of stuff, like the West Coast Avengers years (which were a very important arc in redemption and character rebuild for Pym), Dan Slott's MA run, and the Avengers Academy years. Not to mention the Ultron Unlimited arc from Busiek.

[PaxHouse]

I'm surprised Dan Slott's "Mighty Avengers" run isn't mentioned here. While it isn't particularly well regarded at this point, a big push for that series was rehabbing Hank Pym's reputation. He had taken on the identity of the Wasp to honor the then-thought-dead Jan and was named Scientist Supreme (referenced later in the piece), and was the leader of that Avengers squad. It might not have amounted to much, but it does speak to Marvel's long-running attempts to build up the character after many, many missteps along the way.

On a related note, I have an enormous amount of respect for and faith in Marvel's cinematic output. But I do wonder if "Ant-Man" might be the film that breaks the streak. There's definitely material worth exploring with the many Ant-Men and their legacy (and I think legacy will be the key element of this film, and set it apart from the other MCU flicks). But based on the teaser trailer they released a few weeks ago, I can't say as I was particularly excited about it.

I'm surprised they completely skipped Pym's West Coast Avengers years as well.

Such a shame that those two points (among others) were ignored within this article; but it's apparent that there're so much history that can be covered within the 50+ history of the Ant-Men within the MU.

[Andy]

The first two issues of the new Ant-Man have been absolutely amazing and I really, really hope they don't feel the need to have it intersect with Secret Wars and all the other stuff. It's been really, really refreshing and I hope they just let the title live and walk in its own.

If not that, then at least put it on hold until Secret Wars is over and we can jump back in where it leaves off when SW starts with a couple of pages of how Miami and Lang are "picking up the pieces and blah blah blah" then getting right back to the narrative at hand.

[LordRyus]

Never read ant-man in the past, my first big experience with him was Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes and now the new Ant-Man series I picked up due to the movie and Cartoon. That said I'm 100% in love with the new series each of the two issues had me rolling with laughter on the floor. I hope this series gets a huge run.

[Andy]

Never read ant-man in the past, my first big experience with him was Avengers Earth's Mightiest Heroes and now the new Ant-Man series I picked up due to the movie and Cartoon. That said I'm 100% in love with the new series each of the two issues had me rolling with laughter on the floor. I hope this series gets a huge run.

When a certain someone responded only with "Sue." I pretty much hit the floor and died.

[The_Greatest_Username]

Here's my essential Hope van Dyne reading list for once her character catches on with movie fans:

[Wildfire2099]

They also left off Avengers Academy... I guess this is not for Hank Pym, but rather 'Ant Man'... he was never Ant-Man in WCA, after all.

[itspopularnowitsucks]

If it's about Ant-Man, why do they include the Court-Martial of Yellowjacket, which is not about "Ant-Man" at all.

Very inconsistent list. And why cut off Yellowjacket's origin story at issue 59? It should be 59-60.

Why not put up the more superior Trial of Yellowjacket? The Court-Martial just left you a bad ending, which is nicely wrapped in the Trial.

[Triniking1234]

They also left off Avengers Academy... I guess this is not for Hank Pym, but rather 'Ant Man'... he was never Ant-Man in WCA, after all.

Pym's Avengers Academy moments?

1) Going from Wasp to Giant Man.
2) Bonding with Tigra and her son.
3) Ultron coming back to troll during Fear Itself (well the focus was on the kids)
4) AvX.