DYNAMIC DADS

As we are approaching Father’s Day and being a huge fan of the comic (and toy) medium, I decided to put together a list of my favorite fathers in comics. I need to put a caveat on this list excluding adoptive parents or legal guardians (apologies to Alfred, Jonathan Kent, and Uncle Ben Parker) as I didn’t have the necessary action figures to portray them.

Jor-El, Batman Series 2 blindbags

Lego, 2018

FIRST ON MY LIST IS JOR-EL.

With his planet on the verge of destruction and the Krypton elders having not listened to his warnings, Jor-El packs his son and places him into a rocketship with Kryptonian matrix crystals to safely travel to Earth where he knows the effects of the sun will imbue his infant with powers.

Jim Gordon, The Bat Vs. Bane Tumbler

Lego, 2013

SECOND IS ANOTHER FAVORITE COMIC FATHER OF MINE COMMISIONER GORDON.

I love the relationship between Jim and Barbara (his daughter, Batgirl) so much. It is legit one of of my favorites in all of comicdom. He is firm but nuturing and never was he more amazing than when Babs was paralyzed by the Joker. He stepped up in ways fans didn’t think he was capable of. Now back and ambulatory, their relationship continues to flourish.

Mr. Fantastic, Marvel Legends

Hasbro, 2019

THIRD IS PROBABLY THE BEST AND MOST CONSISTENT FATHER IN ALL OF COMICS, REED RICHARDS.

Brilliant but slightly aloof, there is no greater family man in Marvel. Franklin, who is quite possibly the most powerful character in Marvel, and Valeria, who is one of the most intelligent characters in Marvel, both know they have a father who would do absolutely anything for their wellbeing. Marvel’s first family, is also Marvel’s best family.

Wally West Flash, DC Comics Multiverse

Mattel, 2019

FOURTH IS A PERSONAL ONE FOR ME, WALLY WEST.

Crisis on Infinite Earths was a seminal comic moment in my life. Barry’s death and Wally rising up as the new Flash was one of the greatest character arcs ever. Wally was my Flash. Wally held the mantle of Flash for years. He grew into the role greatly. He became a wonderful husband to Linda Park and eventually a great father to their twins, Jai and Iris. As DC retconned their history, Wally’s relationship with Linda and his children were wiped out. Except for the fact that Wally remembered them and, in the anguish he felt on missing his wife and children, it led him down a dark road as documented in the brilliant Heroes in Crisis.

Undercover Bruce Wayne, Batman the Animated Series

Kenner, 1998

FIFTH IS A CHARACTER THAT IS BOTH A BIOLOGICAL FATHER (DAMIAN) AND AN ADOPTIVE FATHER (DICK, JASON AND TIM), BRUCE WAYNE.

Bruce loves his Robins. The relationship he has with the individual characters out of costume shape their adventures in costume. He’s a surprisingly present dad who often relies on advice from his guardian Alfred. Shockingly, Bruce is a great father.

I would love to have put Clark Kent/ Superman on this list, but just when he was in the swing of being dad, he shipped off his son for an entire summer to travel the universe, only to have him return seven years older than when he left... Dad fail. —LV