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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.
