Best Marvel MAX Comics of All Time
Marvel’s MAX imprint, which was established in 2001, was designed to allow Marvel to publish comics that are aimed at adults. The comics feature strong language and profanity.
The MAX imprint has been largely disbanded since it was used for Punisher miniseries publishing. Fans can only hope that Marvel will resurrect MAX to provide the adult-themed stories they deserve, with the demand for comics increasing.
Over the years, the imprint provided some amazing mature stories. The following list contains some of the most popular Marvel MAX comics that adult readers can enjoy.
Marvel’s most obscure superhero animal was granted his own MAX series. It was just as bizarre as you would expect.
Glenn Fabry illustrated the comic. This humorous and unabashedly absurd comic was written by Steve Gerber, Howard the Duck creator, and found the disaster-prone anthropomorphic duck being framed by Doctor Bong as a terrorist. A character that is unlikely to be joining the MCU any time soon.
Howard’s home is destroyed by SWAT teams and he is transformed into rat. Howard then has to move to a hotel that features parodies from other publications. He also has to have a hilarious conversation with God about the nature of God.
As you can probably guess, the book was focused on mocking cultural topics like religion, celebrity obsessions, and the entire comic industry. While the humor from 2002 may seem a bit outdated, there are still many laugh-out-loud moments in this book. Fans should also read this volume as Gerber’s final Howard the Duck solo series before he died in 2008.
This miniseries is six parts and focuses on Parker Robbins (a small-time crook) who stumbles upon a magical pair of boots and cloak that allows him to fly and become invisible.
Parker uses his newfound abilities to his advantage to gain personal wealth. He becomes the target of a mafia boss known as the Golem and must also find a way out to get his cousin released from the wrongly charged murder trial. The book is full of humor, but Parker doesn’t keep a lucky condom in his pocket.
Parker, despite his life of crime, is ultimately shown to be a decent, caring man. His willingness to help his loved ones at any cost made this series so charming. Parker later referred to as “The Hood”, went on to be a prominent crime boss in the Marvel Universe. He also played a major role in the Dark Reign crossover. However, he is always depicted as someone who values family above all else. This makes him an incredibly relatable supervillain.
The brutal miniseries by Garth Ennis begins in ancient Scandinavia with Harald Jaekelsson, a brutal Viking chief. His soldiers are cursed to eternal pain and torment after he pillages his village.
Now, fast forward one-thousand-year, and Jaekelsson, along with his crew, are transformed into superpowered zombies. They decide to wreak havoc in New York City. Even the most powerful superheroes will not be able to stop them. Jaekelsson gives Thor his ass before Doctor Strange explains to him that only the direct descendants of the village elder who placed this curse can defeat them.
The next chapter is a horrifying and hilarious tale about a female Viking warrior, a medieval knight, and a WW2 German fighter plane (and yes, they are as mismatched and as funny as they sound). They are being plucked from the time they can help Thor send Jaekelsson back to Hell.
This is a funny and gory read that shows Marvel’s version of the Norse God of Thunder’s reincarnation is not one you want to mess around with.
