ANT-MAN & THE WASP is upon us! The historic 20th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is appropriately the first sequel to Ant-Man, one of the founding members of the Avengers and a character with a long-standing history at Marvel. So maybe you want to start reading some more of those comics. After all, Scott Lang is only one of three main characters to have taken on the Ant-Man mantle (Ant-Mantle?) over the years.
First introduced back in Tales to Astonish #35 (September 1962), Hank Pym was the first Ant-Man. His girlfriend (and later wife) Janet Van Dyne appeared a year later in Tales to Astonish #44 (June 1963), and the duo became founding members of The Avengers later that year. Complicating matters is Pym’s changing identities over the years: Giant-Man, Goliath, and Yellowjacket were just some of his alter-egos.
The version we seen on screen is Scott Lang, a little bit of an amalgam of several character traits. Some of the more recent comics are definitely keeping in line with the MCU version, so if you’re looking for something in that vein, skip right to the end.
Astonishing Ant-Man
This is where it all began for Ant-Man and the Wasp. Any of the early collections that cover Tales to Astonish (1959) #27 and around #35 to #69 will get you the first appearance of Hank Pym, the origin of Ant-Man, and the first appearance of Janet/The Wasp. The stories may not hold always up to modern tastes, but all the fundamentals are here. It’s also well before we even get into Pym’s downfall as a wife-beating alcoholic.
The Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes
When Marvel launched their flagship team book in 1963, the founding members were Ant-Man, the Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, and the Wasp. By the second issue, Ant-Man had become Giant Man as well. The Wasp’s contribution was significant from the beginning: it was Janet who gave the superhero team their name! Fun fact: The Wasp later became the longest serving leader of the Avengers outside of Captain America. In later issues of this run, Hank will become Goliath (#28) and create the villain Ultron (#54 and #55). Speaking of which…
Avengers: Ultron Unlimited
…Ultron! Moviegoers will blame Tony Stark for that particular mess (and so they should), but it was poor old Hank who got the blame in print. This 1999 mini-series from writer Kurt Busiek and George Pérez sees Hank go missing, while Wasp and the Avengers team up in Wakanda to take down Ultron. Getting into the meat of the daddy/son issues of Hank/Ultron, it also contain’s Thor’s classic line “Ultron, we would have words with thee.”
Ant-Man & Wasp: Small World
At one point Eric O’Grady stole Hank’s suit and became the Irredeemable Ant-Man, a sexist womanizer who regularly lies and cheats. After Janet’s apparent death (she’s actually in the Microverse, just like in the movies), Hank takes on the mantle of the Wasp in her honour. Worth a read for a very different take on both characters, and a chance for two assholes to slowly redeem themselves.
Fantastic Faux
There are two immutable laws of comic book movies: Christopher Reeve is the greatest Superman, and there will never be a good Fantastic Four film. Not so with the comics. In 2013, the Marvel Now! reboot saw the FF head into space. Their replacements? Ant-Man, She-Hulk, the Inhumans’ Medusa, and…Ms. Thing. You come here for Matt Fraction’s writing and Mike Allred’s pop art. You stay for a great Scott Lang arc, one in which he gets into a punch-up with Doctor Doom. This may never happen on screen, so read these books and dream.
Second Chance Man
This series came out just before the first film, and it is still one of the best contemporary comics of the last few years. Writer Nick Spencer and artist Ramon Rosanas tap into the rich mine of loser superheroes, following Fraction’s Hawkeye run. Lang tries to make ends meet, negotiate visitation rights with his daughter, and moves to Florida to start a security firm. The term might be “failing forward.” Soundly re-positioning Lang as the everyman hero, it’s pure fun. Definitely shares some DNA with the films, but lovers of all good comic stories should dig this.
