Sports and athletes are not the first things to come to mind when thinking about comic books. Yet, sports and comics have come together in the past to produce some memorable and not so memorable graphic novels. It isn’t just celebrity playboys or newspaper journalists who can fight crime in their spare time. Athletes can do it too and these five comic books are some of the most unique ever produced featuring sports stars. Sports fans can bet on their favorite athletes after getting the latest promo codes at onlinebettingcodes.co.uk.
5. BrooklyKnight
In 2012, the NBA’s New Jersey Nets relocated to Brooklyn. To commemorate the move, the Nets hired Marvel Comics to produce a graphic novel. Written and illustrated by the team of Jason Aaron and Mile Deodato, Jr., BrooklyKnight looks like a cross between a futuristic Batman and Ghost Rider. The superhero’s custom had a Brooklyn Nets logo on the chest to help market the team in its new home. Unfortunately like the Nets, the comic book did make many fans. Children found BrooklyKnight to be scary and unrelatable. BrooklyKnight was retired just two years after debuting, but it is remembered for the interesting marketing idea.
Delroy Garrett, Jr. was a track and field athlete who had everything. Yet, it was all achieved through the use of performance enhancing drugs. Kicked out of international competition and disgraced, Garrett joined a cult rebuild his broken confidence. He later gained superpowers while led him to don the name Triathlon and to fight crime. He later changed his name to 3-D Man due to his super strength, speed, and durability, as for a chess tournament. Triathlon assisted the Avengers, first appearing in the series in 1998. He later went on to be a part of the team full-time.
Flash Gordon’s most notable recent popularity came thanks to the film Ted; but the origins of Flash Gordon date back to the 1930s. The original comic strip appeared in newspapers around the United States with Gordon being a top polo player. Over the years, Gordon would lose the preppy polo player background and become a tough American football player for the New York Jets. Throughout the series, Gordon’s athletic background helped explain his speed and strength.
Created by Brian Wood (X-Men, Conan the Barbarian) and Ming Doyle (Guardians of the Galaxy), Mara is a six-issue comic book that centres around the life of a volleyball star. Mara Prince is the most famous athlete in a dystopian future in which sports is on everyone’s mind 24/7. As the series progresses, Mara gains super powers and finds that the fans that once loved her have now turned their backs. Compared to other sports comics, Mara is a gritty story that uses her athletic skills and background to tell the story
El Santo was an icon in Mexico. A professional wrestler by trade, El Santo appeared in 52 films in which he battled the likes of Dracula, Frankenstein, and other evil doers. El Santo transcended sports and pop culture. Not only was he a beloved grappler, celebrity and film star, but he had a comic book created about his battles. For 35 years, El Santo comic books were written, illustrated, and released. According to reports, El Santo comic books were released three times a week during their height. El Santo comics are rare due to the cheap printing and paper used and go for large sums of money today.
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