<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Marvel</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Ant-Man is the latest obscure comic book superhero to make the leap to the big screen this week, and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ant-man-review-2015-7">his movie is pretty fun!</a> You might even like it enough to want to read some Ant-Man comics.</p><p>But recommending where to dive into Ant-Man comics? That's a bit harder than you might think it is. </p><p>Unlike more popular heroes like Spider-Man or Captain America, Ant-Man has never really starred in his own long-running comic book, despite the fact that he was created way back in 1962 by Jack Kirby, Stan Lee and Larry Lieber, and that he's <em>also</em> a founding member of the Avengers. </p><p>Add to that the fact that the first guy to call himself Ant-Man would go on to take no less then half a dozen <em>other </em>alter-egos <em>in addition </em><em>to</em> the roughly half-dozen <em>other</em> people who would assume the Ant-Man identity over the years, and well, yeah. Things get confusing. </p><p>Lucky for you, there are really only two Ant-Men you need to concern yourself with, and they're both in the movie version: Hank Pym and Scott Lang. </p><p>Unfortunately for you, they're also the most troublesome of the bunch. Don't worry, though. We're going to help.</p><h3>The first Ant-Man</h3><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xInh3VhAWs8&amp;feature=youtu.be">Marvel</a></span></p><p class="caption"> Michael Douglass plays an older Hank Pym than his comic book counterpart. </p></div><p></p></div></div>Much like in the movie, Ant-Man's story begins when a scientist named Hank Pym creates what he calls Pym Particles - a miraculous substance that allows matter of all kinds to shrink. In conjunction with his special helmet that allows him to control ants, he becomes Ant-Man. </p><p>As you might imagine, this didn't quite set the comics world on fire, and eventually Pym would discover his eponymous Particles could also be rigged to make himself grow as well. Thus, he renamed himself Giant Man (not a subtle one, that Hank Pym) and with his exciting new powers he finally measures up to heavy-hitters like Thor.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Jerome Opeña/Marvel</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>This is followed by a parade of personal tragedies, psychotic breaks, and identity crises so extreme they resulted in the creation of a small army of alter egos and a certain unstoppable killer robot named Ultron (in comic book land, it was Hank Pym, not Tony Stark, that created Ultron). Through it all, Hank Pym endures, although often wracked with guilt by the things he has done and the people he has hurt - most notably his wife, Janet Van Dyne, who often adopted similar powers to team up with Pym and the Avengers as The Wasp.</p><p>Comic book Hank Pym, you see, is a much more tragic figure, and despite being the original Ant-Man, that identity isn't nearly as important to his character as the creation of Ultron is, or his various struggles as Yellowjacket - <a href="http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/2013/04/20/the-greatest-hank-pym-stories-ever-told/">this list of the best Hank Pym stories</a> barely mentions Ant-Man.</p><p>Finding those stories will take some work, but isn't impossible if you subscribe to <a href="http://marvel.com/unlimited">Marvel Unlimited</a> or peruse digital comics retailer <a href="https://www.comixology.com/">Comixology</a>. </p><h3>Scott Lang, the good thief</h3><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Ramon Rosanas/Marvel</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Like with Hank Pym, the movie is remarkably faithful to the most important beats of Scott Lang's character. Created by David Michelinie and John Byrne in 1979, Lang is an electrical engineer who wasn't able to make ends meet and turned to burglary, got caught, and did time. He gets out and reforms, but when his daughter Cassie Lang falls ill, Lang returns to a life of crime. </p><p>There are a few differences between Lang of the comics and the one we see in the movie, but they're mostly minor: In the comics, Scott knows about Hank Pym and Ant-Man, and steals the suit so he can use it to get a cure for his daughter. In the movie, he's recruited by an older Pym and trained to replace him as Ant-Man. In the comics, Pym quickly becomes aware of why Lang stole his technology and tells him to keep it - as long as he uses it to be a hero. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Marvel" title_caption="Scott Lang is totally dumbfounded when he comes across the Ant-Man suit in the film. That's not the case in the comics." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/55a6b97f371d2210008b6b20-960/antmanpaulrudd.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></a><p class="source"><span>Marvel</span></p><p class="caption">Scott Lang is totally dumbfounded when he comes across the Ant-Man suit in the film. That's not the case in the comics.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Like Hank Pym, Scott Lang also has the unfortunate problem of never really having a comic series to call his own throughout his thirty-plus years of being in the Marvel Universe. However, unlike Hank Pym, it's much easier to go out and find a few good Scott Lang stories immediately without having to wade through decades of Marvel minutiae.</p><h3>Diving into the comics</h3><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Ramon Rosanas/Marvel</span></p><p class="caption">Scott Lang gives his backstory in </p></div><p></p></div></div>If you just saw the movie and want more, all you really have to do is jump aboard Marvel's new  "Ant-Man" series by Nick Spencer and Ramon Rosanas. The first volume, "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ant-Man-Vol-1-Second-Chance-Man/dp/0785193871/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1436994145&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=ant+man&amp;pebp=1436994149362&amp;perid=13K7315H0CWVSCRNM0GW">Second Chance Man</a>," is a really fun comic book and the perfect jumping-on point for new readers. Also, since Marvel is wont to capitalize on movie hype, new paperback collections of classic Scott Lang stories are also easy to come by these days. </p><p>But there's a bit of a problem if you dive into those older Ant-Man comics: Scott Lang is a totally different guy. While his motivations are the same, he's portrayed as more of a rough-and-tumble guy in the hero biz for the thrill of it. The Paul Rudd-esque lovable screw-up isn't anywhere to be found in the comics outside of Spencer and Rosanas' new series - and even that's a new development.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Marvel</span></p><p class="caption">Scott Lang's first appearance as Ant-Man in </p></div><p></p></div></div>Scott Lang never really had a defining story. Hank Pym has Ultron, but Lang has no comparable calling card. In fact, he doesn't become truly interesting until he dies in the cataclysmic "Avengers: Disassembled" story by Brian Michael Bendis and David Finch. </p><p>In the fallout of his death and the dissolution of the Avengers, his daughter Cassie finally gets the chance to shine when she discovers she has absorbed her father's powers. In an attempt to live up to his legacy, she becomes the hero Stature and joins the ragtag Young Avengers.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Marvel</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>(This is where I pause to tell you "Young Avengers" is amazing. Read "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Young-Avengers-Vol-1-Allan-Heinberg-ebook/dp/B00AWR06V4/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1436993407&amp;sr=8-5&amp;keywords=Young+Avengers">Young</a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Avengers-Kieron-Gillen-McKelvie-Omnibus/dp/0785191712/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1436993407&amp;sr=8-2&amp;keywords=Young+Avengers&amp;pebp=1436993414543&amp;perid=0MCJSZK5ATQ2E0EJFA44">Avengers</a>.") </p><p>However, this is short-lived. In a bit of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2nNzNo_Xps">wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey</a> weirdness, the Young Avengers go back in time and save Scott Lang (among other things), but at great cost: Cassie dies. </p><p>On the one hand, this was really lousy. Cassie was shaping up to be a fantastic addition to the Marvel Universe, a great new female hero in a lineup that really needed them. On the other, it paved the way for the actual best Scott Lang story thus far: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/FF-Fantastic-Faux-Marvel-Paperback/dp/0785166637/ref=sr_1_24?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1436993104&amp;sr=1-24&amp;keywords=matt+fraction">Matt Fraction and Michael Allred's "FF."</a></p><h3>Why a "Fantastic Four" spinoff is the best Scott Lang story</h3><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Scott Lang meets the Future Foundation</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Little-read but much-loved, "FF" was a story about a replacement team the Fantastic Four puts together to keep an eye on the motley crew of child geniuses they've assembled as a part of a program they call the Future Foundation, while they're away on a crazy inter-dimensional road trip. Of the four people they ask to step in, Lang is the one in charge - a job he doesn't want to take, as he's still grieving over Cassie's death and doesn't feel cut out for the responsibility of watching out for children when he couldn't keep his own daughter safe. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Michael Allred/Marvel</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>It's a touching exploration of grief and family rarely seen in comics, and Scott's grief and recovery is the beating heart of "FF" set against the backdrop of one of Marvel's most delightful series in recent memory - perhaps the closest they've come to doing Pixar-level storytelling that really has something for everyone. </p><p>It's also relatively self-contained. Soon after "FF" concludes, much of Lang's circumstances are undone: His daughter is brought back to life (younger, and not as Stature) and Lang is recast from the somber-yet-responsible man we saw in that series to the down-on-his-luck guy who can't keep a job or make his ex-wife happy that appears in Spencer and Rosanas "Ant-Man" comic (and, consequently, the movie). </p><p>There are more Ant-Man comics, and more Ant-Men (including one <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Irredeemable-Ant-Man-Vol-Low-Life-Low-life-ebook/dp/B00GDHWAM0/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1436992449&amp;sr=1-2&amp;keywords=the+irredeemable+ant-man&amp;pebp=1436992459314&amp;perid=0WE2S600GFJDFHD0DHZZ">created by "The Walking Dead" mastermind Robert Kirkman</a>),  but much like Hank Pym and Scott Lang, they're all tangled in the fabric of the Marvel Universe, rarely cast in a lead role but often very important. </p><p>They're kind of like the insects they're named after in that way: Never really in the spotlight, but always there, doing their part to make sure the world spins on. </p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/star-wars-harrison-ford-first-event-accident-2015-7"> Here's the moment Harrison Ford surprised fans during the 'Star Wars' Comic-Con panel</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tuNDE4djrjkOXOOKUQ23PFOGxEUjJs6F" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Ant-man is such a complicated comic-book character, it's a miracle they made a pretty good movie about him

Pro acting coach breaks down 13 rage scenes from movies

<p class="p1"></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><strong>There are minor spoilers below.</strong></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"Avengers: Age of Ultron" is almost as good as "The Avengers," but not quite.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The sequel gets a lot of things right. It&#xa0;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">expands on characters who weren't spotlighted last film, introduces a few new characters to the bunch, and delivers a lot of big action sequences.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Director Joss Whedon juggles that big cast masterfully, even if <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/avengers-age-of-ultron-nearly-broke-joss-whedon-2015-4">pulling it off&#xa0;almost broke him</a>.</span></p><p class="p1">However, the film feels a little formulaic. As in the first movie, "Age of Ultron" features a team of superheroes that bickers and fights amongst each other, an enemy who takes advantage of that weak spot, turning the heroes against each other, before a moment of clarity brings the team together in the final act.</p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><span>Regardless, it will probably be the best action film of the summer,&#xa0;</span></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">and may even beat the first movie's&#xa0;</span><a href="http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=avengers11.htm"><span class="s1">$1.5 billion</span></a><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;gross.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Some highlights:</span></p><h3 class="p1"><strong>The opening sequence is awesome.</strong></h3><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">After three years away from the big screen, this is what you've been waiting for, to see the Avengers team back in action, working side by side.</span></span></p><p class="p1"><span>The film p<span>icks up right&#xa0;<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/captain-america-the-winter-soldier-end-credits-2014-4">where the end-credits for "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" left off</a>. Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Captain America (Chris Evans), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), and Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) reunite in a big opening action sequence to take down terrorist organization H.Y.D.R.A.,</span></span><span>&#xa0;which is in possession of the all powerful sceptre that caused the mayhem of the first film.&#xa0;</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The team makes it look like another day at the office as they easily take down an organization that has managed to&#xa0;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">cause nothing but grief for the cast of ABC's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;We see that&#xa0;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Captain America and Thor make quite the tag team as well as Black Widow and the Hulk.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It's here where they also come across two new additions Quicksilver (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), superpowered twins orphaned at 10 with a huge gripe against the Avengers (more on them in a bit).</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">After the opening, Whedon shows what the superheroes do when they're not saving the world. This includes a big party scene that's been showcased in trailers and TV spots. There's also a</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;romantic plot thrown into the mix that feels like something out of "Beauty and the Beast." Is it necessary? No, but it works, and character depth is some of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/people-love-working-with-joss-whedon-2014-7">what the director does best</a>.</span></p><h3 class="p1"><strong>James Spader's Ultron is delightfully evil.</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span></h3><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The big bad villain who wants to annihilate the human race comes out guns blazing. As in the trailers, Spader's a scene-stealer whenever he's on screen.</span></span></p><p class="p1">A hot-headed robot created by an overzealous billionaire genius Tony Stark (aka Iron Man), Ultron is supposed to be the next step in a robotic police force, the Iron Legion, which Stark has been working on to sub in for the Avengers.&#xa0;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Unfortunately, the A.I. project goes awry when Ultron&#xa0;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">winds up being a psychotic killer&#xa0;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">bent on destroying both the Avengers and the Earth.</span></p><p class="p1">Because Ultron is modelled with his creator's personality quirks, scenes between the two feel like you're watching Stark go up against himself. Stark's usually the one to get the last word in edge-wise on screen, so it's exciting to watch Ultron&#xa0;<span>deliver some verbal punches before Stark can even muster a pitch.</span></p><p class="p1">When the two go head to head, Ultron gives Iron Man a run for his money. Made out of vibranium steel, the same material as Captain America's unbreakable shield, he's virtually unstoppable.&#xa0;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;&#xa0;</span></p><h3 class="p1"><strong>Hawkeye is one of the best parts of the film.</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span></h3><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Seriously. This was probably one of the biggest and most welcome surprises of the film.&#xa0;</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;</span></p><p class="p1">After spending most of the time as one of Loki's mindless drones last film, Clint Barton (Renner) is very much front and center, and he gets not one but probably two of the best lines in the entire film. You'll know them when you hear them.&#xa0;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;</span></p><p class="p1">By now, we're well-versed about Iron Man, Thor, and Captain America. Here, Whedon does a great job at bringing not only Barton, but the rest of the Avengers including Black Widow and the Hulk/Doctor Banner to the forefront.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;</span></p><p class="p1">If you go back to the "Avengers," you can see Whedon planted the seeds for some of their current backstory long ago.<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;</span></p><h3 class="p1"><strong>The only better part? Vision</strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;</span></h3><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">The only actor to play two roles in a Marvel film, it's incredibly exciting to see Paul Bettany, who has voiced Tony Stark's A.I. J.A.R.V.I.S. since 2008's "Iron Man," as a physical presence in the sequel.</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;</span></span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It takes a while for Vision to show up, but when he finally appears, he's all you'll want to see. I don't want to give much away here, but his character delivers a few great lines and surprising moments pretty much every time he's on screen - one early moment in particular will have Marvel fans flipping out.</span></p><h3 class="p1">The new additions aren't going to be your new favorite characters.</h3><p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table click-to-enlarge"><div><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Marvel" title_caption="Marvel probably should have left these two to the " x-men.="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/553117b6eab8ea654d8b4567-960/avengers-age-of-ultron-scarlet-witch-1.jpg"><span class="sprites click-to-enlarge-icon" title="Click to enlarge"></span></div><p></p></div></div><br><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">If you've watched all the trailers you won't be surprised by the first 40 or so minutes of the film. It's all a lead up to the first time you see Ultron on screen. After that, you're anxiously awaiting Vision's entrance since his <a href="http://marvel.com/news/movies/24410/witness_vision_in_new_marvels_avengers_age_of_ultron_poster">big reveal online</a>.</span><p class="p1">Many fans had this grand expectation that other characters would be introduced into the mix since 1. Marvel <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/marvel-film-schedule-through-2018-2014-10">unveiled plans for a new group of superheroes</a> who will soon get their own films 2. A mysterious character <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/avengers-age-of-ultron-mystery-woman-not-in-movie-2015-4">was teased in a trailer</a>.</p><p class="p1">Nope.</p><p class="p1"><span>Other than Vision, there are no other surprises. So it's a bit of a bummer that Marvel decided to go ahead and spoil the biggest part of its sequel before release.</span></p><h3 class="p1"><strong>When the movie takes a big risk, Marvel blows it</strong>&#xa0;</h3><p class="p1">Without saying too much, Marvel had a chance to make a really big, shocking statement in "Age of Ultron" during one of its climactic scenes.&#xa0;<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">However, it seems like it would have went against Disney's family-friendly vibe.</span></p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">If you want to know what happens, highlight the text below. I don't mention any names.</span></p><p class="p1"><strong>*Huge spoiler*</strong> <span style="color: #000000; background-color: #000000;">There's a big, unexpected death. For the longest time, you get the sense it's going to be a certain big character. Much of the entire sequel builds to this; however, at the last moment, Marvel pulls the rug out from under us, sparing us a huge death for a more minor character fans aren't as attached to yet.</span><strong> *Huge spoiler*</strong></p><h3 class="p1"><strong><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">It's impossible for some of the scenes to top "The Avengers"</span></strong></h3><p class="p1"></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Nothing in this movie can beat the climactic scene in "The Avengers" where Stark sacrifices his life to rescue the citizens of Manhattan from a nuke. You're strapped to your seat the entire taking hit after hit. First when Stark can't get through to his girlfriend Pepper to bid a potential farewell, then again when he nearly doesn't make it back through the closing of the hole to another dimension (just go with it), and finally when he's falling down to Earth and no one's immediately diving in to save him (we're looking at you Thor).<span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;<br><br /></br></span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">In addition, it's difficult to match moments in the first movie like when Hulk crushes Loki into the floor of Tony Stark's tower or when Hulk punches Thor out of the frame. And nothing compares to Loki as he relishes in extracting an eye from a man to the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdFAkth_L9M">overture of Franz Schubert's String Quartet No. 13 in A Minor</a>.</span><p class="p1">As good as "Age of Ultron" is, it just leaves something to be desired.</p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Still, y</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">ou'll get the action you crave, you'll get some witty one-liners, and you'll have a really good time.</span></p><p class="p1">From a summer movie, that's all you really want.&#xa0;</p><p class="p1"><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">"Avengers: Age of Ultron" opens in the US May 1.</span><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">&#xa0;</span></p><div><span style="line-height: 1.5em; color: #222222;">&#xa0;</span><div></div></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/star-wars-episode-7-trailer-2-2015-4">Disney just released a new 'Star Wars: Episode VII' trailer and it's incredible</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="l4MGRrdDrqMjGfqdTptDk6urqaVtlCaa" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div></br>

You Searched For "Psychotic killer" and got 3 results

Ant-man is such a complicated comic-book character, it's a miracle they made a pretty good movie about him

Joshua Rivera

Pro acting coach breaks down 13 rage scenes from movies

Meredith Geaghan-Breiner,Bret…

'Avengers: Age of Ultron' is great, but it's not better than the original

Kirsten Acuna