All Time Favorite Comic Book Story Arcs

Look! Up in the sky! *To be continued...* (This story continued in KW Comics #263)

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Your pick?

Poll ended at Mon Apr 13, 2009 7:13 am

Batman: Year One
0
No votes
Dark Knight Returns
1
17%
Watchmen
1
17%
Marvels
0
No votes
Kingdom Come
0
No votes
Sandman
2
33%
V for Vendetta
1
17%
Other
1
17%
 
Total votes: 6

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A Gunslinger
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Post by A Gunslinger »

Are there any grat comics anymore? Civil war aside, are there any comics which are story-based rather than style-based?
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Post by dANdeLION »

Planetary is good.
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion


I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
a fate I don't deserve.


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Post by A Gunslinger »

Who produces it? I want CHARACTERS!
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Post by dANdeLION »

You can see the covers in the 'Jack Cassady' thread in this forum. I think Wildstorm does the book; at least they used to.

kevinswatch.ihugny.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9953
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Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion


I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
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Post by sgt.null »

Image

Kate Spencer, like Mark Shaw, is a lawyer, but instead works as a prosecutor. Outraged by the ability of super criminals to escape justice, Spencer assembled a costume from a variety of devices left over from various heroes and villains. A Darkstars costume and Azrael's Batman gloves give Spencer enhanced strength, agility, and resistance to injury, while Mark Shaw's power staff allows her to fire bolts of energy. Spencer has taken on several minor league supervillains including Copperhead and the Shadow-Thief. Recently Spencer fought her father, a minor league super villain who claims to be the son of Al Pratt - the Golden Age Atom. Most recently Kate Spencer, in her heroic identity as Manhunter, began working with the US government's Department of Extranormal Operations, headed by the former criminal Mister Bones. The new Manhunter series in which she appears began in 2004. This current series has featured appearances by Dan Richards, Mark Shaw, Chase Lawler, and Kirk DePaul.

Manhunter was initially slated to be cancelled due to low sales. However, a massive and organized fan campaign, along with support from the upper ranks of DC's management, allowed for another five-issue arc to be commissioned.
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Post by A Gunslinger »

I just got done reading Fantastic 4 208-214...a great run that sports the Skrulls, who condemn the FF to death via aging ray, and the battle between the Sphinx and Galactus for the right to destroy Earth. Reed releases Galactus from the vow never to consume the earth to entice the big purple guy to defeat Sphinx for them.

Great stuff.

Wolfman/Byrne/Sinnot throughout!!!
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All Time Favorite Comic Book Story Arcs

Post by SleeplessOne »

I probably dont know half the comic lore you guys possess, but one arc that really affected me in an odd way was the first 12 issues of Alpha Flight, written and drawn by John Byrne.
The artwork was amazing, I always loved his work - but the initial convolutions of the story both frustrated and enticed me as I was introduced to the dysfunctional ex-Canadian government supergroup as they encountered various manner of native-lore phenomenon and the odd superbaddie.
No-one in the group seemed to really like each other, and it was rare over the course of those first 12 issues for the group to be wholly assembled at any one time; most of the stories focused on a couple, or even just one of the characters.
The team struggled for identity and self-belief and even a reason to keep on fighting the good fight; by issue 12 it all came to a dramatic head when most of Alpha Flight finally got together and engaged in a kick-arse battle with rival 'Department H' badasses Omega Flight only for passionate leader Mac ('Guardian') to *snuff it in a violent explosion right in front of his wife, who had distracted him at a crucial moment !!* I was shocked. Devastated. I'll always remember those first 12 issues of Alpha Flight, nothing ever went quite to plan ..

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Re: All Time Favorite Comic Book Story Arcs

Post by A Gunslinger »

SleeplessOne wrote:I probably dont know half the comic lore you guys possess, but one arc that really affected me in an odd way was the first 12 issues of Alpha Flight, written and drawn by John Byrne.
The artwork was amazing, I always loved his work - but the initial convolutions of the story both frustrated and enticed me as I was introduced to the dysfunctional ex-Canadian government supergroup as they encountered various manner of native-lore phenomenon and the odd superbaddie.
No-one in the group seemed to really like each other, and it was rare over the course of those first 12 issues for the group to be wholly assembled at any one time; most of the stories focused on a couple, or even just one of the characters.
The team struggled for identity and self-belief and even a reason to keep on fighting the good fight; by issue 12 it all came to a dramatic head when most of Alpha Flight finally got together and engaged in a kick-arse battle with rival 'Department H' badasses Omega Flight only for passionate leader Mac ('Guardian') to *snuff it in a violent explosion right in front of his wife, who had distracted him at a crucial moment !!* I was shocked. Devastated. I'll always remember those first 12 issues of Alpha Flight, nothing ever went quite to plan ..
I liked those issues too, but I thought it needless that Guardian had to get whacked. Byrne has a history of that kind of big plot development when he starts or takes a thing over. Sometimes it ain't all that good, either.

Vision becoming all-white, killing guardian, there are other examples.

I OD like the fact that he does have a history of creating or re-creating female characters to kick ass. Sue Storm, Wanda Maximoff, Jean Grey, etc. were all devloped into major powers under his watch.
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Post by dANdeLION »

null wrote:Image

Kate Spencer, like Mark Shaw, is a lawyer, but instead works as a prosecutor. Outraged by the ability of super criminals to escape justice, Spencer assembled a costume from a variety of devices left over from various heroes and villains. A Darkstars costume and Azrael's Batman gloves give Spencer enhanced strength, agility, and resistance to injury, while Mark Shaw's power staff allows her to fire bolts of energy. Spencer has taken on several minor league supervillains including Copperhead and the Shadow-Thief. Recently Spencer fought her father, a minor league super villain who claims to be the son of Al Pratt - the Golden Age Atom. Most recently Kate Spencer, in her heroic identity as Manhunter, began working with the US government's Department of Extranormal Operations, headed by the former criminal Mister Bones. The new Manhunter series in which she appears began in 2004. This current series has featured appearances by Dan Richards, Mark Shaw, Chase Lawler, and Kirk DePaul.

Manhunter was initially slated to be cancelled due to low sales. However, a massive and organized fan campaign, along with support from the upper ranks of DC's management, allowed for another five-issue arc to be commissioned.
I love those covers, and enjoyed the original artist. I think the stories are good too, but I think that after this 5 issue arc is over, that'll be it. Of course, they'll probably start it up again in a few years....
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion


I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
a fate I don't deserve.


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Re: All Time Favorite Comic Book Story Arcs

Post by Loredoctor »

Sleepless One, I have to say your choice of avatar is impressive! Are you a fan of the Mighty Boosh? I'm a massive fan.
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Post by sgt.null »

dAn: I just read that Ostrander will be doing the newest Suicide Squad! not sure if it is a miniseries or an open enede run though. Manhunter would fit in with that crew, if just as a guest star.
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Post by dANdeLION »

I don't see where I put down my favorite runs. I could have sworn I did a while back, but I guess I can always make a new list, so here goes. I'll start with the '70's, as that's when I started collecting:

Amazing Spiderman 88-123: What an incredible run. It starts off with Captain Stacy getting killed by falling debris during a Spidey/Doc Ock fight, goes through some serious emotional times for Peter, as Gwen now blames Spidey for her father's death, Harry developes a drug habit which triggers Norman's change into the Green Goblin twice, and the second time he comes around he kills Gwen before dying himself, leaving Peter in the worst emotional shape I've ever seen him in. Also Peter frows 4 extra arms, Doc Ock courts May Parker, the mob gats a good look at Spidey unmasked, and J. Jonah Jameson hires Luke Cage to take Spidey out. The writing was terrific, and the art was superb.

Strange Tales 178-181, Warlock 9-15, Avengers Annual 7 & Marvel 2-in-1 Annual 2: Yes, it's a run. It shows off Jim Starlin at his best; Warlock, in a deadly battle with his furure self, the Magi, has to accept the help of Thanos, and then has to defeat Thanos, at the cost of his own life.

Daredevil 158-169: After Gene Colon left, circa issue 100, this title floundered, badly. Sales were so bad that Marvel bumped it to bi-monthly production, and even tried bringing back Gene Colon for a few issues before deciding on taking a chance on some kid named Frank Miller. Holy shit. That's what I thought, over and over as I kept re-reading #158 the day I got it. And it just kept on getting better and better as DD was transformed from a joke into one of the most interesting characters Marvel ever made.

Conan 1-24: I think Roy Thomas and Barry Smith made history with that run; the latter issues are my favorite, but they're all simply excellent.

Swamp Thing 1-10: Len Wein & Bernie Wrightson made me buy some DC comics! In thode days, Marvel owned DC, but Swamp Thing was tons better than Man-Thing.

Uncanny X-Men 130-138: Awesome, and tragic. Claremont and Byrne at their best.

Avengers 141-200 I applaud Marvel for realizing right away that George Perez was born to draw 'team' comics. John Byrne had a few runs in there that were just as good, too. The stories were fun, never a dull moment, and the most brilliant stroke was when Henry Gyrich was brought in to make the team conform to government specs!
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion


I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
a fate I don't deserve.


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Post by A Gunslinger »

dANdeLION wrote:Uncanny X-Men 130-138: Awesome, and tragic. Claremont and Byrne at their best.
Agreed. Though I would add 125-129 into that run, as Proteus and the Hellfirse Club really stated the Dark Phoeniz saga in motion.
dANdeLION wrote:Avengers 141-200 I applaud Marvel for realizing right away that George Perez was born to draw 'team' comics. John Byrne had a few runs in there that were just as good, too. The stories were fun, never a dull moment, and the most brilliant stroke was when Henry Gyrich was brought in to make the team conform to government specs!
Agreed. Recall the byrne draws battle w/ count nefaria? Bring me thor he says! He gets 'im too, in spades!!! The way Vision beat him was great, too. David Michellini wrote all those great issues I think..maybe shooter too?
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Post by Fist and Faith »

dANdeLION wrote:Avengers 141-200 I applaud Marvel for realizing right away that George Perez was born to draw 'team' comics. John Byrne had a few runs in there that were just as good, too. The stories were fun, never a dull moment, and the most brilliant stroke was when Henry Gyrich was brought in to make the team conform to government specs!
The lineup in those days was my favorite ever for the team. Thor, Iron Man, Cap, Wanda & Vision, Simon & Beast, Wasp & Yellowjacket, Ms. Marvel... The good ol' days. *wipes tear*
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Post by A Gunslinger »

Fist and Faith wrote:
dANdeLION wrote:Avengers 141-200 I applaud Marvel for realizing right away that George Perez was born to draw 'team' comics. John Byrne had a few runs in there that were just as good, too. The stories were fun, never a dull moment, and the most brilliant stroke was when Henry Gyrich was brought in to make the team conform to government specs!
The lineup in those days was my favorite ever for the team. Thor, Iron Man, Cap, Wanda & Vision, Simon & Beast, Wasp & Yellowjacket, Ms. Marvel... The good ol' days. *wipes tear*
The ONLY failure on Marvel's behalf during that run wasa HUGE one!

Issue 177 (I think) was the final battle in the Korvac War....and neither Perez nor Byrne was anywhere near it. Wenzel was the artist and man.... not Perez was he. You'd think they'd have moved heaven and earth to get the issue right.
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Post by Fist and Faith »

Unbelievable that they do such things, isn't it??? The big finale ends up being a letdown in such a big way! What are they thinking sometimes???
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Post by Xar »

The Thanos Quest and the Infinity Gauntlet saga (which if I remember correctly have been mentioned before) were both very good. I also quite enjoyed the Celestial saga (I think it was Thor 280-302, but I'm not quite sure about the first issue) with the revelation of Ragnarok being cyclic, and Thor: Ragnarok (during the Avengers Disassembled crossover) which picked up the Simonson storyline of the cyclical Ragnarok and gave it a fitting and awesome ending :P
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Post by dANdeLION »

Fist and Faith wrote:Unbelievable that they do such things, isn't it??? The big finale ends up being a letdown in such a big way! What are they thinking sometimes???
They don't always have a choice. Perez may have gotten behind schedule, forcing them to have to use a replacement; also, Marvel never likes to say one artist is better than another, so they probably didn't think it was a big deal. Issues 145-146 & 157 were drawn by Don Heck, 178 by Carman Infantino, 179-180 by Jim Mooney, 192 by Arvell Jones, and 159, 169 & 193 by Sal Buscema; some of my least favorite artists ever. I just didn't feel like singling those issues out, but yeah, they were quite below par art-wise. BTW, Wenzel did 176 and 177. 176 was the end of the battle, 177 was the aftermath/wrap up issue.
Dandelion don't tell no lies
Dandelion will make you wise
Tell me if she laughs or cries
Blow away dandelion


I'm afraid there's no denying
I'm just a dandelion
a fate I don't deserve.


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Post by sgt.null »

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_Squad

John Ostrander's Suicide Squad run.

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Post by A Gunslinger »

Why was it great, Null?
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