Top 8 BROMANCES

Your eyes meet. Sometimes an arguement occurs. Sometimes not a word needs to be spoken. That wonderful one of a kind moment when you are at peace with the one who understands you the most.

I’m talking BROMANCE! Stinky man sweat, hitting the bad guy as one, beer drinking after battle BROMANCE! Here are my top 8 parings of comics.

#8 Hawkman and Atom

They first met During a JSA training session with the JLA. Hawkman was the jock older brother Atom could finaly look up to and Atom was Hawkmans salvation that the JLA wasn’t all arrogance. With them both being Professors at colleges, they shared a thirst for knowlege and even a comic series for years. But thier root personalities couldn’t be more different. Where Hawkman is a hopeless romantic and stoic, Atom is a skeptic to love and often is blunt. But somehow they mesh well together. Many have forgotten what a pair they were untill Blackest Night : Hawkman &Atom oneshot. Here we watched as Atom desperatly fought against the corpse of his dearest friend, promising that no matter what, he would bring him back. True bromantic moment.

#7 Wolverine and Nightcrawler

They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. They must have been talking about Kurt and Logan. Since they met in the forming of “The All New X-men” giant, they have maintained the same steady relationship of beer and prayer for decades. Kurt had never stopped trying to save Logans soul and show him the best he is, can be very nice. Logan, while  skeptic of a god who is merciful and kind, never doubts that Kurt is all those things. From defeating mutant killer robots, to long camping trips in Canada, these bros have etablished a long friendship that was tragicly ended when Nightcrawler died saving a fellow x-man. It was only suitable that Wolverine gave the final words at his funeral.

#6 Ironman and Captian America

To call these two a problem pair is just a narrow definition. Ironman was starstruck on first sight with our Captain, but soon conflicts arose in the early AVENGERS comics. Who should lead the team? Who is best suited for press releases? Who’s turn is it to punch that guy? Eventually like all couples over time they settled into a nice stride in their realtionship. Steve was the heart and Tony was the Brains. But niether knew that their biggest test to true brotherhood could lead to the demise of one of them. CIVIL WAR put bro against bro and lead to the death of Cap. After Steves resurrection, Ironman and Cap had a rekindled bromance that streached across a mini-series with Thor called AVENGER PRIME. True bromance never dies.

#5 Dr.Mid-Nite and Mr. Terrific

Some Of the best bromances come out of the workplace. With both Mid-Nite and Terrific prefering the lab to the battlefied, they grew to repect and admire one another above all others in the JSA. Both carrying strong legacies and emotional losses they are the indiviually great characters, but can seem cold and hard to understand to others. Together though, they develope a great back and forth that builds them up as better men and heroes.  But they are not entirely all alike. The athiest Terrific often scofs at Mid-nites unwavering religious belief. Some of their most intimate bro-scussions are about this conflict. Instead of ingnoring thier differences they embrace them about one another.

#4 Spider-Man and The Human Torch

These two New Yorkers have been fighting since thier college days. Over girls, money, who has it easier, and even over who has the cooler powers. This rivalry turned in to epic bromance with pranks, shoulders to lean on, and even with the one in a while dubble date. With the Human Torch holding  a secret man-crush on the thrilling Spider-Man, and Spidey longing for Torches adventurous lifestyle, they can both hang out tand talk about what the other envys in the other lives. Thus making them appreciate it even more. I and sad to report that with the passing of Human Torch earlier this year, this bromance enden in tragity. Yet as a sign of respect Spider-Man took on his place in the FF.

#3 Superboy and Robin/Red Robin

It’s not only in teen romp movies tha the school jock befriends the nerdiest boy in school. Superboy with his movie good looks and powerful endless powers, but arrogant personality and adverage intelligence. Robin with his amazing detective skills, sharp mind and martial arts he had to hone everyday. Logicaly there is no reason these two should be friends. But from thier early careers in leather jackets and green tights- to blue jeans and cowls, these two have kept their bromance strong and fresh. From day one these two have always been there for eachother. With Robin losing his father in CRISIS of Superboys path of self-discovery about his Lex Luthor DNA, they have to kept a strong friendship alive even through Superboys death AND return.

#2 Green Arrow/ Green Lantern/ Flash

Some people are ment to have one bro stand out in thier life. This is the lists only threesome. It originaly starting out with Green Lantern two timing his bros with eachother. One day on the streets of Keystone, laughing it up with the all-american bro next-door the Flash. Then later the night watching a boxing match with the fiery playboy bro Green Arrow. Somehow Green Lantern was able to keep balance for years. Works in JLA with Flash, have a road trip with Green Arrow. Go on a camping trip in space with Flash, team up to take down Royal Flush Gang with Green Arrow. There was even and entire issue about who was the better bro (see above) resulting in an odd respect of one another. So many arguements have been made about who means more to Hal but I prefer to sit back and believe that this is just a not so rare case of threeway brohood.

#1 Blue Beetle and Booster Gold (Blue & Gold)

The  arrogant Booster Gold met the nerdy Blue Beetle in the forming of the new team JLI, Justice League International. With no one taking the flashy Booster or the happy-go-lucky Beetle seriously, they bonded together in a way many bromances , young and old, start. Pranks. Pranks on Batman, on Martian Manhunter, on Mr. Miracle, and of course on Guy Gardner. Sooooo many on Guy Gardner. It didn’t matter to them that no one took them seriously, because they both knew they could lean on eachother. But no bromance no matter how epic, could have prepared them for what was about to happen. Ted Kord, the Blue Beetle was murdered in CRISIS but a former friend. Booster, who was injured at the the time, was the last to find out and it destroyed him. To not only lose your bro, but the only bro you felt you had could cripple a man. Yet the bromance lives on in Boosters’ series. From him trying everything he can to bring Beetle back to life (even tearing apart time), to  battling Teds’ reanimated corpse in BLACKEST NIGHT, they even had a few time traveling adventures together. Right now Booster has taken a shine to the new Blue Beetle, Jamie, but we all know that he could never replace Ted in Boosters life. The most epic bromance in the one that continues on years after death.

Any last words on BROMANCE?

About Katherine Hollingsworth

I travel the US attending every convention I can! Refairs in Wichita to ComicCons in Chicago. The Anime Fests and one day College Campus Sci-Fi days. I sell nerd-flavored t-shirts and animal hats(think Molly from Runaways) along with random Steampunk. My posts will be about a few of these cons and how YOU as a geek should prepare for them!
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3 Comments

  1. Ok.. Here’s the Bromances you can’t convince me on: Hawkman and Atom. Yes, they’re friends and they’re good friends, but I’ve NEVER gotten a Bromance vibe from them and I’ve read a lot of their interactions. It’s just a solid friendship.
    Nightcrawler and Wolverine. They haven’t really been on a team together all that much for years and even when they are, they don’t really interact. My choice for an X-Men Bromance would prob be Iceman and Beast, but even they have become rather distant in recent years and are typically kept on different teams.
    Doctor Mid-Nite and Mr. Terrifc. Ok.. yeah, there really isn’t ANY emotion between these two at all. They’re friends, but I don’t see them interacting all that much and I really don’t see them as close. I think they appreciate each other’s minds, but not much beyond that.
    Spider-Man and Human Torch. Ok this one is a maybe, but I’d go with Torchie with Thing. THOSE two have one of the hardest bromances in comic book HISTORY. They’re constantly together, going off together, teasing each other. In Ultimate Fantastic Four, Johnny could remember the color of Ben’s EYES before the transformation even though they’d met like.. 5 seconds before it! SERIOUSLY. Johnny even made sure Ben got LAID when he transformed back to his human self for his one week during recent events in Fantastic Four (while creepily standing outside.. I guess wishing he were a part of it lol) and threw Ben through a portal to save him, sacrificing himself! Those two are just.. so together. There is no greater bromance in all of comics.. except maybe Rictor and Shatterstar before they decided to FINALLY start sleeping together lol.

  2. That’s cool. I just wanted to show the deep bonds of friendships that have been around for years, no flash in the pan things. As for Thing and Torch . . they are brothers in a family. The FF has been established in that. Good call on Icemand and Beast. Forgot how tight they used to be when the comic first started!

  3. I’d argue, however, that when the X-Men broke off and formed X-Factor (to continue their Mutie-ways in secret) Iceman and Beast are barely even friends, much less bros. Katherine, great list. Keep it up!

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