Two Questions: Villains, Capers and Catastrophes!

Martinex1: I am looking forward to the weekend, and pondering a set of questions related to comics. There are definitely more than two questions today, but there are two themes.   Perhaps you can help me out with your input.  Allow me to explain...

QUESTION 1: This set of questions is related to villainy in comics. I've realized that outside of the core books I purchased I often gravitated toward books where I liked the villain (in the entertainment sense).  And counter to that, if a villain did not intrigue me I often hesitated even when buying my must-have books.  So what makes a good villain?  Can a villain outstay his welcome and appear too frequently? What would make you give a new villain a chance?  And how do villains like Dr. Doom excel while others fail.  How did Dr. Doom become more popular or recognizable than a guy like Kang?  Who captures your attention and why?

QUESTION 2:  There seem to be different levels of threats within comic books: the personal threat, the street level crime, the grand conspiracy, the cataclysmic natural disaster, and the cosmic existential threat.   Perhaps there are even more.  Which do you prefer and why?  Do you lean toward the personal story or the cosmic crisis?

Chew the Fat: The Super-Villain Book - What Makes It and What Breaks It?

Martinex1: I've always been fascinated by the Super-Villain comics and am tempted to purchase them whenever I see them.   But inevitably the book falls flat; perhaps it is too difficult to maintain empathy for a "bad-guy."   But some books work better than others.   Dr. Doom has headlined numerous runs, but rarely makes a long go of it.   On the other hand, some team books like The Thunderbolts had nice series.  And the more recent version of The Secret Six was actually written and drawn quite well and even though it starred some third tier characters was quite entertaining.

And what about the anti-heroes?   Namor, the Punisher, and the Suicide Squad?  Where is the line separating heroics and villainy?  How do you define that?  Have traditional heroes also crossed that line?

Today let's talk about all aspects about the villainous comic books.  When the antagonist becomes the protagonist, what works and what doesn't? 

So that's the broad topic... chew the fat!