Happy Valentine’s Day! On this most romantic of holidays, we here at Kabooooom are sharing with you our favorite couples from comic books. So read on and feel free to share your favorite comic book couple in the comments!
Rick Grimes & Andrea (The Walking Dead)
A strong relationship is one that endures unimaginable odds, and I can’t think of any couple who has endured more than The Walking Dead‘s Rick and Andrea. Granted, their romantic relationship is relatively new, but as two of the very, very few still alive from that original Altanta group, they’ve faced countless horrors – together. Both have had other relationships over the course of the series, which is presently at 150 issues, but theirs has grown from a mutual admiration and respect developed over years. I can still remember feeling so happy for these two when they finally revealed the depth of their feelings, and I dread every issue in fear of whatever inevitable tragedy Robert Kirkman has planned for them. (This is the zombie apocalypse, after all.) Rick refers to his relationship with Andrea as “an understanding, a bond, I never thought possible between two people,” and I can’t imagine what’s more desirable in a relationship than that.
–Sarah Moran, Editor-in-Chief
Green Arrow & Black Canary (DC Comics)
Yes, I know they aren’t together in the New 52 universe. Yes, I know their best stories are no longer in continuity. And yes, that Judd Winick wedding issue and everything that followed was a bloody disaster. I don’t care. I still love Oliver Queen and Dinah Lance being together.
Why? Simply put, they were the first modern couple in comics history. And I don’t mean because they were clearly indulging in pre-martial sex. I mean because the conflict they faced mirrored the problems many men and women in the 1970s faced regarding changing gender roles and – to a degree – many of us face today.
Black Canary was an unabashed feminist. But Green Arrow, for all his liberal ways, was quick to go caveman whenever anyone threatened “his girl”. He respected her as a person and a fighter but he had been taught to believe that a man always looks out for a lady. Dinah, for her part, seemed to resent his protectiveness until she realized that he wasn’t because he thought less of her but because he thought so much of her. And somewhere along the line she saw past the bluster and bravado to the caring man underneath.
–Matt Morrison, Contributing Editor
John Constantine & Zatanna (DC Comics)
Valentine’s Day is the day where we emphasize how much we love the person we’ve decided to be with, right? It’s not all storybook romance and happy endings, though. Love is hard. For 364 days out of the year, you and your partner bicker, fight, scream; have adventures and lazy days; and enjoy being in each other’s lives (not necessarily in that order). With that in mind, when I think of comic book romances the couple that springs to mind is John Constantine and Zatanna. Probably not the first pair that comes to everyone’s thoughts when considering epic love. Zatanna and Constantine’s relationship is messed up—I mean he was responsible for her father’s death—but who doesn’t look back on Valentine’s Day and appreciate what you have in the present because of your past. Cheers to finding love in the face of dysfunction.
–Marcus Hammond, Contributor
Eric Draven & Shelly Webster (The Crow)
My vision of love was always a bit different than what Disney has always presented. So, when I first read The Crow, I was immediately drawn to the most romantic couple of all time – Eric Draven and Shelly Webster. You can take your Notebook and keep it but, really, is there anything more romantic than a love so pure, so real, so utterly deep that not even death itself could keep the lovers apart? More than that, a love so important that the universe felt so wronged in their separation that not only did it feel that the couple must find each other in death, but it actually brought Eric back to avenge the absolutely random and senseless tragedy. That’s the type of love I dream of having.
–Rush Urbalejo, Contributor
Twitch Strummer Hopeless Savage & Henry Shi (Hopeless Savages)
When I think about love, I also think about strong partnership. A connection that threads through the complications of life and the human experience. This concept is shown very well in the relationship of Twitch-Strummer Hopeless Savage and Henry Shi in Jen Van Meter’s Hopeless Savages. Throughout Hopeless Savages we see a number of unconventional, electrifying, yet frankly really solid and respectful relationships, but Twitch and Henry always seemed much more nuanced to me.
Perhaps because we meet Twitch after he had gone through difficult personal times, his reunion with Henry is all the more heart-warming. It takes a lot to admit you were wrong, especially to someone you care so much about–someone you can’t bear to disappoint. At the same time, a good relationship is about accepting each other, something that Twitch and Henry seem to do despite a rocky past. That’s what this comic book couple has taught me, and I believe can teach many more.
–Alex Chautin, Contributor
Wilson Fisk & Vanessa Marianna (Daredevil)
As my favorite comic book-inspired couple, I chose Wilson Fisk, and Vanessa Marianna because I enjoyed the simple romance they developed over the course of Daredevil season 1. Wilson Fisk is very intelligent but emotionally broken, yet Vanessa is someone who understands him and accepts him for who he really is – not his mask. She proves her loyalty when Fisk is in prison, without his power, and she shows her devotion to getting him out by putting the ring he gave her on before leaving the country. Most woman would have only been with Fisk for power, yet she was with him for who he was as a person. I’m looking forward to the further development of their relationship.
–Byron Lafayette, Contributor
Peter Parker & Mary Jane Watson (Marvel Comics)
My first crush was on a comic book character, solidified even deeper by the 90’s cartoon incarnation. Before my love for Leia Organa existed, before I had even the slightest clue as to what love is… there was MJ. The fiery red head Mary Jane Watson, the long lasting love interest of my idol the Amazing Spider-Man. I understood their love in its basic form as a child but as I grew older my analysis and appreciation for what I was reading grew as well.
Peter and MJ’s relationship overall has been a troubled one, an awful mess sometimes, but that’s what made it real for me. All their time apart made me look back and cherish their marriage and the years leading up to it even more. I know they aren’t currently together (I loved Renew Your Vows) but I believe they’ll find each other again. Though even if they don’t end up together again, when the topic of comic book couple comes up no other relationship matters more to me than theirs. I have my own fiery red head at home that, through all of my faults, makes the fight worth fighting every day. I hope one day MJ can do the same for Peter again.
–Brandon Griffin, Contributor
Kabooooom! 