Reviews by Kyle Ellis

More fun than lead character Asterix, almost as cute as his pet Dogmatix, and the comic engine for the entire series, Obelix is arguably the best reason to love the French – yes, right up there with the wine, the cheeses, and [Link removed - login to see] (who, not coincidentally, has also played him onscreen). The menhir-delivery man takes a childlike glee in beating up hordes of Romans – something he considers a right rather than a duty – and is blasé about the super-strength gained when he fell into a cauldron of magic potion when he was a little boy. His inability to look beyond the moment – he leaves such ponderings to Asterix or his smart, tree-obsessed dog Dogmatix – and tendency to fall in love with unattainable women make him one of the cutest characters on the list. Even if he could beat up your whole family without breaking a sweat.

Trademarks: Pleasantly plump (don't call him fat), red moustache and beard, often carries a menhir, invincible and super-strong with a perchant for beating up Romans.

On Screen: In a very successful series of European productions, Depardieu has donned a fat suit to play him. In cartoon form, he's been voiced by [Link removed - login to see] among others.

Did You Know?: There's a Parc Asterix just outside Paris, where you can go on Asterix and Obelix-themed rides. We recommend the Menhir Express.

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Powers is a police drama – loosely modelled on Homicide: Life On The Street – set in a world with superheroes and villains, and Deena is the rookie partner of former immortal hero turned homicide cop Christian Walker. Formerly partnered with crooked Captain Adlard, Deena is now tagging along with the upright Walker but gets in deep with Internal Affairs for her frequent recourse to violence to get information from suspects and is keeping very quiet about the way her abusive former boyfriend got mysteriously electrocuted during an argument. Powers is currently the coolest comic that only comic book readers have heard of.

Trademarks: Midriff-baring shirt, cute pixie-ish haircut, slight prejudice against super-powered beings and secretive about recently-acquired electrical abilities.

On Screen: We'd probably go with [Link removed - login to see] – if she was willing to have the [Link removed - login to see] haircut, she'd be happy to have the Deena bob.

Did You Know?: Writer Bendis and artist Oeming base Deena on a combination of their wives... aaahhh.

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First Appearance: Sin City: The Hard Goodbye
Best Writer &Artist: Frank Miller

The second most iconic 2000 AD character after Judge Dredd himself, Johnny Alpha was the poster child for Strontium Dog, an extremely popular series about a group of mutant bounty hunters. Although originating in Starlord, Strontium Dog switched to 2000 AD after the former's closure and soon became a staple series thanks mainly to the presence of Alpha and his cohorts Durham Red, Middenface McNulty and Wulf Sternhammer. Alpha himself was, of course, a mercenary but despite working largely for greenbacks he was possessed of a strong sense of duty and honour. Equally, though, Alpha demonstrated a stubbornly unforgiving streak, brooking no slight or double-cross and punishing transgressions harshly – as the vampiric Durham Red discovered to her great regret. In 1990 Alpha was killed off in a story that martyred him in order to saves all mutants from extermination. Ezquerra was so mortified by the decision that he refused outright to draw the story and replacements were brought in to carry out the deed. Wagner later admitted that Ezquerra was right and that killing Alpha had been a huge mistake. The character was subsequently revived by both of his creators for a brief resurgence in 1999.

Trademarks: Glowing eyes, granite jaw, distinctive metal headpiece, trademark variable cartridge blaster handgun and electroknux.

On Screen: An aborted Strontium Dog TV treatment by Wagner never came to fruition and the closest Alpha has come to the screen is a [Link removed - login to see] (radio plays released on CD) where he is voiced by 2000 AD fan [Link removed - login to see].

Did You Know?: One of Alpha's landmark achievements was tracking and capturing Adolf Hitler back in the past and subsequently returning him to the future to stand trial for his crimes.

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Ben Edlund was just 18 – the bastard – when he came up with The Tick, a character that may be, quite simply, the funniest superhero spoof of all time. Blessed with a fantastic supporting cast of outlandishly-named nemeses – Chairface Chippendale, take a bow – and self-involved allies, from Die Fledermaus in the comics to Batmanuel in the tragically short-lived live-action TV show, The Tick is a lovable lunk, given to overly dramatic declarations on behalf of justice. He doesn't know his own strength, which is prodigious and, indeed, fails to grasp even the most rudimentary basics of social interaction. Edlund's The Tick – his involvement runs through the comics, the animated series and the TV show – is characterised by sharply observed gags and a gift for hilarious hyperbole.

Trademarks: A blue costume with giant movable antennae, The Tick is, to quote the TV show, "the sterling silver ladle of justice, pouring his creamy foam over the freshly-picked strawberries of crime". His strength is mighty, his IQ is double figures. Low double figures. Catchphrase: "SPOON!"

On Screen: In the animated series, he's voiced by Townsend Coleman. In Fox's utterly brilliant live-action show (nine episodes! Nine episodes!), he was played to perfection by the deep-voiced and pretty vacant Patrick Warburton. [Link removed - login to see] played him for two seasons on [Link removed - login to see] between 2016 and 2019.

Did You Know?: The actor who plays Batmanuel, [Link removed - login to see], shows up in The Dark Knight as the Mayor of Gotham. That's Batmanuel – in a Batman movie. Gotta love that.

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