I, Easily Amused Blogger!

33 Comic Story Titles Following Isaac Asimov’s Lead with “I, Robot”-Type Titles 

It’s a fact: Jack: On this day in 1992, Isaac Asimov shuffled off this mortal coil at the age of 72. Together with Arthur Clarke and Robert Heinlein, Asimov (b. 1920) was considered one of the “Big Three” of science fiction writers of the 20th century, writing or editing more than 500 sci-fi, fantasy, and non-fiction books during his lifetime.

One of his most famous works is I, Robot, a 1950 novel crafted from a collection of his short stories and essays. The robot-centric stories originally appeared in the magazines Super Science Stories and Astounding Science Fiction between 1940 and 1950 before they were compiled into a book for stand-alone publication. They’re woven together by a framing narrative in which the fictional Dr. Susan Calvin tells each story to a reporter who serves as the book’s narrator. The stories can be read separately, but combined they tell a larger story of Asimov’s fictional history of robotics in the 21st century.

The book wasn’t the first time someone used “I, [blank]” for a title — Robert Graves’ historical novel I, Claudius came out in 1934 — but it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that the idea of putting “I” and a specific noun describing the narrator of a tale would go on to inspire a lot of Asimov and science-fiction fans, including the comic writers among them.

For instance…

   

1. “I, Rocket”
Weird Fantasy #20 (EC, 07-08/53)

2. “I, Rebecca”
Lovers #55 (Marvel, 11/53)

3. “I, Nazi”
All-American Men of War #7 (DC, 10-11/53)

4. “I, Vampire”
Chamber of Chills #24 (Harvey, 07/54)

5. “I, Sage”
Atom-Age Combat #1 (St. John, 02/58)

6. “I, Creature Slayer”
My Greatest Adventure #53 (DC, 03/61)

7. “I, Bomb”
Air War Stories #3 (Dell, 03/65)

8. “I, Murderer!”
Daredevil #44 (Marvel, 09/68)

9. “I, Dormammu!”
Doctor Strange #172 (Marvel, 09/68)

   

10. “I, Werewolf!”
Eerie #30 (Warren, 11/70)

11. “I, Slime”
Scream #1 (Skywald, 08/73)

12. “I, Magneto”
The Uncanny X-Men #150 (Marvel, 10/81)

13. “I, Monster!”
The Thing #4 (Marvel, 10/83)

14. “I, Lantern”
Green Lantern #182 (DC, 11/84)

15. “I, Robot-Master!”
The Transformers #15 (Marvel, 04/86)

16. “I, Monster”
Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #4 (Mirage, 02/88)

17. “I, Zarren”
Justice Machine #4 (Innovation, 09/90)

18. “I, Durlan”
L.E.G.I.O.N. ’91 #23 (DC, 01/91)

   

19. “I, Mosaic”
Green Lantern: Mosaic #11 (DC, 04/93)

20. “I, Scarabus!”
Justice League America #93 (DC, 11/94)

21. “I, Robot Master!”
Spider-Man Unlimited #17 (Marvel, 08/97)

22. “I, Una”
Girl Crazy (Dark Horse, 08/97)

23. “I, Monster!”
The Amazing Spider-Man #437 (Marvel, 08/98)

24. “I, Ronan”
Fantastic Four #13 (Marvel, 01/99)

25. “I, God”
Monkeysuit #2 (Monkeysuit Press, 08/2000)

26. “I, Witness”
Superman 80-Page Giant #3 (DC, 11/2000)

   

27. “I, Robot… Destroy!”
Superman #190 (DC, 04/2003)

28. “I, Pneuman”
Tom Strong #28 (DC, 11/2004)

29. “I, M.O.D.O.K.”
Captain America & the Falcon #11 (Marvel, 03/2005)

30. “I, Hero!”
Spider-Girl #84 (Marvel, 05/2005)

31. “I, Librarian”
Rex Libris #1 (Slave Labor, 08/2005)

32. “I, Reptile!”
Marvel Adventures Spider-Man #16 (Marvel, 08/2006)

33. “I, Hobgoblin!”
Amazing Spider-Girl #13 (Marvel, 12/2007)