Cosmic Comic Stories

[danlo]

Make mine Marvel! The Silver Surfer is my 2nd fav after DD (and the short lived Captian Universe has a sort spot in my heart, never could quite get into Green Lantern but it's a very cool concept)

[Fist and Faith]

Captain Universe just had a mini-series, where the sentient power was used by many different characters. Including the Silver Surfer! Imagine the power of the combo of Captain Universe and Silver Surfer!!

[sgt.null]

if you like cosmic and strange all entangled. try Grant Morrison's run on Doom Patrol. Crawling From the Wreckage is available in graphic novel.

[dlbpharmd]

I'm primarily a DC fan, so I'll send these up:

Legion of Superheroes, prior to when DC split the titles. LSH against Darkseid was just some damn good story telling.

The entire Crisis on Infinite Earths series - that was a wonderful story! DC has tried many times to imitate its success with this story, but everything comes up short.

The Death of Superman, that whole year of stories was great! DC followed up with a 3 issue series a couple of years later where the origin of Doomsday was explained, and Superman, Doomsday and Darkseid fight it out - Doomsday wipes his ass with Darkseid, it was great!

Green Lantern was my favorite! Hal Jordon only though, none of that Kyle Raynor brat for me. Emerald Twilight was where the Hal Jordon era peaked. I also enjoyed the way DC brought Jordon back as Parallax in the Zero Hour series.

There's a single issue Justice Society of America story, The Death of the JSA, where the JSA gets caught up in the Norse mythology version of Armageddon (ie Ragnarok.) That single story is one of my favorite comic books, all-time.

[Fist and Faith]

Legion of Superheroes, prior to when DC split the titles. LSH against Darkseid was just some damn good story telling.

Green Lantern was my favorite! Hal Jordon only though, none of that Kyle Raynor brat for me. Emerald Twilight was where the Hal Jordon era peaked. I also enjoyed the way DC brought Jordon back as Parallax in the Zero Hour series.

Sort of combining the two, how about the LSH issue - Life, Death, and the End of Time - when a few of the Legionaires went to get revenge on the Time Trapper for killing Superboy. Rond Vidar revealing himself to be a GL is one of my favorite moments in comic history!

I really like the whole GL idea in general, and lots of the stories. But I can't think of a particular story that stands out. What am I forgetting?

There's a single issue Justice Society of America story, The Death of the JSA, where the JSA gets caught up in the Norse mythology version of Armageddon (ie Ragnarok.) That single story is one of my favorite comic books, all-time.

I've heard of this issue. Sounds great. It's a shame a noble end to comic characters isn't allowed to stand for long.

[dlbpharmd]

Sort of combining the two, how about the LSH issue - Life, Death, and the End of Time - when a few of the Legionaires went to get revenge on the Time Trapper for killing Superboy. Rond Vidar revealing himself to be a GL is one of my favorite moments in comic history!

That issue is missing from my collection, and I've never read it, but I would like to!

Man, I have got to get my comics out of storage!

[danlo]

Carumba! On top of being a Phd in a very lucrative field he's probably a got a frik'n' fortune in his attic! Adopt me dlb! We could go to Vols games together. (like the little three-eyed aliens in Toy Story 2 [at 222 lbs per] "Daddy!" )

[dlbpharmd]

[matrixman]

Didn't seriously read/collect comic books til my early 20's, and then only selectively, so the past glories of Marvel and DC are mostly unknown to me. For me, the comic book "giants" are Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman.

With that said, my favorite "cosmic comic" story would most clearly be Neil Gaiman's original 4-part graphic novel The Books of Magic. The story took me to the beginning of the universe, to the realm of angels and demons, and to the end of time. It didn't hurt that my favorite characters, John Constantine and Doctor Fate, were among the stellar guides on this cosmic tour. The series was beautifully illustrated, and it thrilled, awed and moved me in a way that maybe only a Neil Gaiman story could.

[Loredoctor]

I used to read the Transformers comic and the X-Files.

[Fist and Faith]

That issue is missing from my collection, and I've never read it, but I would like to!

Oh MAN that's a good one!!!!! They redid it after Crisis and LSH's own rewriting of time, with Glorith in the Time Trapper's role, if you ever saw that. Not nearly as good, of course, being a retelling.

Ever see the first several issues of LSH that came out after the 5-year hiatus after Crisis? Giffen wrote and drew, and it was amazing stuff!

For me, the comic book "giants" are Alan Moore, Frank Miller, Grant Morrison and Neil Gaiman.

Excellent choices!!!!

With that said, my favorite "cosmic comic" story would most clearly be Neil Gaiman's original 4-part graphic novel The Books of Magic.

I need to read that again. I also liked it.

It didn't hurt that my favorite characters, John Constantine and Doctor Fate, were among the stellar guides on this cosmic tour.

Constantine was, I believe, created by Moore in Swamp Thing. Fate, Phantom Stranger, and Spectre were hanging out there at that time. And Etrigan advanced to the rank of Rhymer, which is kinda hilarious, but Moore did it REAL good!!

The series was beautifully illustrated, and it thrilled, awed and moved me in a way that maybe only a Neil Gaiman story could.

So then you've read at least some of the Sandman series?

[aTOMiC]

dANdeLION mentioned most everything I liked.
One I'd add is the Star Lord story. Marvel Preview No. 11 is my favorite, illustrated by John Byrne at the height of his career. The story itself is one of my favorites. Its cosmic scope is more along the lines of Star Wars as opposed to one that threatens the very fabric of time and space. One that I thought would make an interesting feature film.

[matrixman]

Yes, Fist, I've only read a few of the Sandman stories, but those few rank among the best-written comic book stories I've ever come across. Same with Hellblazer. Their stories interest me more than traditional superhero comics. It's just that I'm not in the habit of following comic book titles on a monthly basis, so I don't know what's currently cooking in those two favorites.

[Fist and Faith]

I have no idea what's currently going on in them either. Nor Lucifer. I'm the opposite of you, usually getting the traditional superhero stuff, and darned little of that these days.

Hey, in case anybody's looking for new stuff, a few relatively new writers are EXCELLENT!!

Mark Millar did The Ultimates, a retelling of the Avengers' story. New angles on everything, all pretty great! Like, Hank didn't just smack Janet once, like we saw years ago. And Hulk is the monster people often say he could be, killing hundreds at times. Betty Ross is a gigantic bitch, but gets turned on by Hulk's rampages. Wolverine went through some good stuff, being killed and brought back by Hydra and the Hand as their head assassin. Wanted is the craziest thing in the world! EXTREMELY adult oriented. No characters we know from other comics. The bad guys have taken over the world. I can't begin to tell you what it's all about.

J. Michael Straczynski is the guy doing the Supreme Power series, which is a retelling of the Squadron Supreme. The first maxi-series is about Hyperion, and is amazingly realistic as far as what the government might do if Superman crashed on earth as an infant.

Brian Michael Bendis is the guy who destroyed and rebuilt the Avengers, and did House of M. How anyone could put Spiderman and Wolverine in the Avengers and make is GREAT is beyond me, but Bendis is incredible. And funny! In the Savage Land, they were all knocked unconscious. When they woke up, they were in restraints, and all naked, with energy bands strategically placed. When they saw that Spiderwoman was awake:
Spiderman: "Yup. We're naked."
Spiderwoman: "Why naked? Couldn't they have left our underwear on us?"
Spiderman: "I wasn't wearing any underwear."
Spiderwoman: "Why wouldn't you be wearing any underwear?"
Spiderman: "I chafe."
Spiderwoman looks at Captain America: "I want off the team."

He also does DD, and DD revealed his identity and took over as Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen. But a good Kingpin. Not an easy thing to keep that place clean.

[Loredoctor]

Yes, Fist, I've only read a few of the Sandman stories, but those few rank among the best-written comic book stories I've ever come across. Same with Hellblazer. Their stories interest me more than traditional superhero comics. It's just that I'm not in the habit of following comic book titles on a monthly basis, so I don't know what's currently cooking in those two favorites.

Oh yes, thanks for reminding me. Sandman was great!

[sgt.null]

from the Avengers...
the Kree/Skrull War
Forever Avengers

[dANdeLION]

Brian Michael Bendis...also does DD, and DD revealed his identity and took over as Kingpin of Hell's Kitchen. But a good Kingpin. Not an easy thing to keep that place clean.

Bendis has been off DD for a few months now, and DD is no longer kingpin, but he does have a nice, comfy cell next to the original Kingpin.

[sgt.null]

the Golden Age graphic novel by James Robison.
Kingdom Come by Alex Ross/Mark Waid graphic.

[dlbpharmd]

You know, I just didn't get "Kingdom Come."

[sgt.null]

it was superheroes as the facist state. and gorgeous art of course. there were a lot of heroes and bad guys i had to id for my wife.