Val Keller
14 articles published since July 10, 2023
About Val Keller
Val Keller is a nerd among nerds. Cursed with a comic-based obsession since the tender age of 0, Val has a passion for both the stories on the page and the stories of how they made it there. Owning a decade of experience in feature journalism, Keller has previously written for various NHL outlets, and since 2020, has independently created YouTube video essays delving into the peculiar histories of troubled comics, movies, and video games as TheMonit0rLizard.
The NHL’s Guardian Project is Stan Lee’s Strangest Legacy
Stan Lee led numerous controversial projects in the early 2000s, but none were as strange as his collaboration with the National Hockey League.
Batman: Red Hood is Everything Azrael Should Have Been
Red Hood is one of Batman's most interesting allies, but his success has inadvertently minimized a Bat-Family member who used to play the same role.
Is Ultimate Iron Man Destined to Become Kang the Conqueror?
Ultimate Invasion ended with the birth of the new Ultimate Universe's first superhero - but could he also be fated to become a villain?
X-Men: Did Alpha Flight Just Casually Debut a Baby Holocaust?
The new Alpha Flight series may have subtly debuted a drastic reinvention of an underrated X-Men villain from Age of Apocalypse.
Star Trek: Defiant Reinforces Worf’s Greatest Sacrifice
Worf is a pioneering Klingon of his era, earning honor across the galaxy. But Star Trek: Defiant highlights the one area he's always come up short.
Whatever Happened To Mortal Kombat Comics?
Mortal Kombat 1 is the series' boldest story yet, feeling very much like a comic book - but what happened to the franchise's forays into the medium?
Can Magneto's Most Important Trait Keep Aging With Him?
Magneto's limited series reshapes his past but keeps his history with the real-world Holocaust intact, reaffirming its importance as time marches on.
The Silver Surfer Is A Wimp, And That’s Okay
Silver Surfer Rebirth: Legacy understands everything that makes Marvel's cosmic hero work, including how he rarely ends up winning any fights.
Cult of Carnage: Misery Gives a Classic Spider-Man Character a Shocking Breakthrough
A twisted symbiotic therapy session with a classic Spider-Man side character is just the latest shocking moment in Cult of Carnage: Misery.
Death of the Venomverse is Too Much Venom, Not Enough ‘Verse
Death of the Venomverse gives Marvel fans as much Venom as they can handle. Sadly, his symbiotic family members don't get the attention they deserve.
Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic Gives Classic Villain Unforgettable New Look
Batman Beyond: Neo-Gothic is introducing reimagined Bat-villains into the Beyond universe. For Killer Croc, his new look may be one of his best ever.
Cult of Carnage: Misery Stiffs Marvel’s Best B-List Symbiotes, Again
Marvel's Cult of Carnage: Misery introduces Madness, the latest in a line of forgettable fates for Venom's most underdeveloped Symbiote offspring.
How Ultimate Invasion Puts The Maker Back Into His Most Dangerous Hands
Marvel's Ultimate Invasion is the diabolical Reed Richards' chance to shine, and Jonathan Hickman is the perfect writer to maximize his potential.
Deadpool’s Twisted First Backstory is Still His Wackiest
The first look at Deadpool's backstory had gore-induced breakthroughs with Wolverine and revealed the Merc With a Mouth may not be Wade Wilson.