Greatest ever comic

[lou_fine]

Batman #1 for the following reasons:

 

- First issue of a major character (Batman) in his own title

- First two appearances of the Joker

- First appearance of the Cat (ie. Catwoman)

- Orgin of Batman retold

- Last pre-Robin appearance of Batman

- Title still going after 63 years

 

Just my two cents worth!

[mr_highgrade]

Spidey # 121 & 122 blew me away.

[Aman619]

the Watchman issue with the Rorschach origin.

"Im not locked up in here with you---YOUre locked up in here with ME!!!"

[Joanna]

Not the greatest ever comic, but a comic I loved was DC's Christmas with the Superheroes (I think it was issue 1, not sure). Sounds hokey, but it had some amazing stories in it. It came out a year or two after Crisis, so the characters were still "young". There was a really good Superman story about a guy contemplating suicide on a lonely road, who is saved by Superman in a non-traditional way. A Perez Wonder Woman story that fit perfectly into her series. A 'silent' Batman story (been awhile since I read it,but i'm pretty sure the Bat story was the silent one). A Flash/GL story that showed off their friendship. But my favorite was a Deadman story. I wouldn't have expected this because I'd never given a thought to the character before, but in it, Deadman has a crisis of faith and gets some help from a very unusual source. The story was controversial and I think it lost the editor his job, because the "unusual source" was the pre-crisis Kara Jor-El (Supergirl) who was never supposed to appear in a DC comic again because of crisis. The story worked perfectly (she was dead, of course) and I'm very glad it was printed. It's possible it was written by Alan Moore, but I can't find my copy to check. I just remember that the whole issue was full of fantastic stories.

 

I've got to find that book. I want to read it again.

 

-- Joanna

[Zonker]

Not the greatest ever comic, but a comic I loved was DC's Christmas with the Superheroes

 

But my favorite was a Deadman story. I wouldn't have expected this because I'd never given a thought to the character before, but in it, Deadman has a crisis of faith and gets some help from a very unusual source. The story was controversial and I think it lost the editor his job, because the "unusual source" was the pre-crisis Kara Jor-El (Supergirl) who was never supposed to appear in a DC comic again because of crisis. The story worked perfectly (she was dead, of course) and I'm very glad it was printed. It's possible it was written by Alan Moore, but I can't find my copy to check. I just remember that the whole issue was full of fantastic stories.

 

I've got to find that book. I want to read it again.

 

-- Joanna

 

Hi Joanna,

I do remember that story-- it was one of my favorites as well. The writer was Alan Brennart, a TV scriptwriter who also was a DC letter column regular in the early 1970s. He's written a handful of the best DC comics of the last 20 years not written by a Brit! Among his work:

 

- Batman/Creeper teamup in Brave & Bold

- Batman/Hawk&Dove teamup in Brave & Bold

- Batman/Earth2 Robin teamup in Brave & Bold

- Batman/Earth2 Huntress teamup in Brave & Bold (pre-Crisis)

- Batman story from Detective 500 (Must there be a Batman?)

- post-Crisis origin of Black Canary (in the 1980s Secret Origin run)

- the Christmas story you mentioned in CWTSH #2 (#1 was all reprint)

 

and my favorite,

- Batman: Holy Terror Elseworlds-- this one retells the Batman story in a world that is a latter-day medieval Christian theocracy. The other DC characters eventually show up (as is now standard practice in all these Elseworlds books). What I really liked about the story is that Bruce Wayne has more of a conscience and true moral sense than has been the norm since Frank Miller got ahold of him. It was one of the first Elseworlds (1991) and by far one of the best!

 

Cheers,

Z.

 

Edited PS-- Forgot one other Alan Brennart story

- Earth2 Batman/Catwoman from near the end of the Brave & Bold run

 

[Joanna]

Zonker,

 

I kept thinking it was #2 but that didn't make sense to me becuase it was so early after crisis, but you're right, of course. I later found the #1 and was disappointed.

 

The #2 was amazing because all the stories were good. That's tough in an anthology that covered so much.

 

As for the writer -- I saw the "Alan" in my head and just assumed Moore but that didn't sound right. Thanks for filling all that in.

 

I was just going through some comics tonight and noticed a whole stack of Detectives that I never went through. I have the 500 in there (and it looked minty fresh, but I only glanced at it). I have some really good-looking bronze Detectives, conditionwise. (again, just a glance, but it shocked me. Possibly because they came right after my childhood copies of SA beaters. It looked schizophrenic to have those messed up readers followed by all these spiffy books). Are these the books everyone is looking for? Bronze Detectives? Or is it Batmans? I can never remember. If it's Det. then I have to look closer and figure out if anything is worth slabbing.

 

Well, it was an exciting find for me. And of course, I was looking for (and didn't find) my Christmas With the Superheroes! Found some good bronze Brave & Bold, and Flash, too. How did I miss all of these???

 

(When I was buying, bronze was pretty worthless, so I picked them up in bunches)

 

-- Joanna

[Joanna]

Forgot to mention: I have Holy Terror and that was a good book. Another one I liked was The Cult (very chilling). When I was buying, I went on a graphic novel/mini-series/tpb kick for awhile, picking up many of the older ones I could find. Dark Knight, Longbow Hunters, Man of Steel (that's one of my favorites as well -- "Everyone wanted a piece of me, Pa!" I bought an extra copy of #1 for John to sign. The only book I ever asked him to sign for me. That mini is on my all-time favorites list). I had a blast reading all those books.

 

I'm really looking forward to the day when I can BUY comics again. Can't wait. I really miss it.

 

-- Joanna

[Zonker]

I was just going through some comics tonight and noticed a whole stack of Detectives that I never went through. I have the 500 in there (and it looked minty fresh, but I only glanced at it). I have some really good-looking bronze Detectives, conditionwise. (again, just a glance, but it shocked me. Possibly because they came right after my childhood copies of SA beaters. It looked schizophrenic to have those messed up readers followed by all these spiffy books). Are these the books everyone is looking for? Bronze Detectives? Or is it Batmans? I can never remember. If it's Det. then I have to look closer and figure out if anything is worth slabbing.

 

 

I think most of the action is in the Neal Adams issues of both Batman and Detective (interiors on Batman 219, 232, 234, 237, 243, 244, 245, 251, 255 and Detective 395, 397, 400, 402, 404, 407, 408, 410). A few of the Adams covers-only also seem to be in demand (Batman 222 with the Beatles and Batman 227 with the Golden Age cover swipe).

 

The later 1970s Batman and Detective books have yet to really take off, except for the Steve Englehart / Marshall Rogers issues (Detective 471-476). Detective 500 is one of the better issues, but I don't think it has really captured the investors' imagination like the early Adams issues have. Most of the early 1970s issues had to be purchased off the newstand. By the time the 1980s came along, comics shops were common, and books like Detective 500 could be pulled for subscribers before anyone thumbed through them.

 

Cheers,

Z.

[minutekev@50]

Alan Moore wrote an excellent finale to the pre-crisis Superman (Before the Byrne re-launch).

[AlexH]

Days of Future Past in the Uncanny X-men is one of my faves.

[PedigreeMan]

Alan Moore wrote an excellent finale to the pre-crisis Superman (Before the Byrne re-launch).

 

"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow" in Superman #423 and Action #583 ....

 

I've read (and subsequently forgotten) a lot of comic stories in my lifetime, but the scene with Mxyzptlk from this tale will definitely stay with my forever!

 

Al

[Polyphemus]

I'm going to agree with the Daredevil/Bullseye/Elektra arc but my true favorite growing up was the Contest Of Champions mini series. I just loved those.

[Joanna]

zonker,

 

Naturally, I didn't have any of the cool detectives, so that was a wash. But I did find some neat Neal Adams stuff. Found a Flash issue, some Teen Titans, Brave & Bold -- and it's all interior art, so that's cool. I'll be slapping those bad boys up on ebay as soon as I can get them ready to go. It's my Neal Adaxtravagza Sale!

 

-- Joanna

[Zonker]

zonker,

 

Naturally, I didn't have any of the cool detectives, so that was a wash. But I did find some neat Neal Adams stuff. Found a Flash issue, some Teen Titans, Brave & Bold -- and it's all interior art, so that's cool. I'll be slapping those bad boys up on ebay as soon as I can get them ready to go. It's my Neal Adaxtravagza Sale!

 

-- Joanna

 

Good Luck Joanna!

[Dave_Hennen]

Hi there, I'm new to this forum but I think my favorite single comic would be GL 76 if I could expand that to favorite comic series I'd say Ronin by Frank Miller.

 

If you asked me the same question next week you'd probably get a different answer

 

dave h

 

[supapimp]

Hi there, I'm new to this forum but I think my favorite single comic would be GL 76 if I could expand that to favorite comic series I'd say Ronin by Frank Miller.

 

If you asked me the same question next week you'd probably get a different answer

 

dave h

 

i think ronin is a masterpiece too! the art is spectacular! i think that's why i love DD 191 so much. that was miller at this best till DK returns, i never knew why so many people dissed the mini series, i figured they just didn't understand the story? .

[jbud73]

Lots of good choices and a few I've never read, including FF 51, but I know where I can get a copy and I plan on picking it up. Greatest Ever, hmmmm, it occurs to me that anyone who is posting on this board probably cant narrow it down (FF51 aside), so ...........

 

DC: Batman 232 (All the stories surrounding Ras in Batman are just better) Im in my mid-20s and made the effort to locate and $$$ to but the Adams/O'Neil issues. Have never regretted it. Close second is the Wolfman - Perez run on New Teen Titans. All those Eagle awards, all the great stories, never understood the fall into oblivion for these books.

 

Marvel: Days of Future Past, pure genius even though it started all the time line [!@#%^&^] that I would come to hate so much in X-Books. ASM 121-122 I mean they killed Gwen and the GOBLIN far before character death was fashoinable or marketed. Gutsy

 

And the Diamond in the rough............Justice League (2nd Series) #5 Batman vs. Guy Gardner with Blue Beetle egging them on. I laughed my @ss off and now pause to go rumage through my collection (my back will be killing me lifting boxes) to read it again. One Punch Bwahahahaha

[supapimp]

And the Diamond in the rough............Justice League (2nd Series) #5 Batman vs. Guy Gardner with Blue Beetle egging them on. I laughed my [!@#%^&^] off and now pause to go rumage through my collection (my back will be killing me lifting boxes) to read it again. One Punch Bwahahahaha

 

that was a good scene in JL #5! i too enjoyed justice league when it first came out, the writing by geffen was ala' early FF and art by maguire was very simple, but good too. but it did seem like batman had a stick up his arse while present in the title.

[lighthouse]

Yeah... Batman's smacktalk to Cpt Marvel is great in that book too... And Black Canary wandering around in the background muttering "I missed it! I can't believe I missed it!"

[Mushroom]

DC: Batman 232 (All the stories surrounding Ras in Batman are just better) Im in my mid-20s and made the effort to locate and $$$ to but the Adams/O'Neil issues. Have never regretted it. Close second is the Wolfman - Perez run on New Teen Titans. All those Eagle awards, all the great stories, never understood the fall into oblivion for these books.

 

Perez's books will again rise from the ashes.