What was the BEST mini-series ever?

[MichikoS]

After having read through the WORST mini-series thread, I know what to avoid (and agree with many of the posters about the stinkers that I have already read). Now I want to know about the cream of the mini-series format. Please list some top-notch mini-series, and why you think they are exceptional.
Michi

[mrc1214]

Camelot 3000 is one of my favorites. But BEST Squadron Supreme IMO.

[Red Oak Kid]

Great idea for a thread. I wish Lone Ranger had thought of it.:D

Marvel did one a few years ago called Unstable Molecules about the early FF. I loved the story and art. Wish there had been a follow up.

Also, a while ago there was a Black Widow mini with inks by Bill Sinkawitzz. I really liked the story and art on that one. Sorry I can't recall the exact title.

[swinebread]

Watchmen was a mini-series.

[shyguy]

I thought Watchmen was a maxi-series...

Manhattan Guardian and Frankenstein from Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers project were fantastic. Ditto We3 with Frank Quitely.

[swinebread]

I thought Watchmen was a maxi-series...

Manhattan Guardian and Frankenstein from Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers project were fantastic. Ditto We3 with Frank Quitely.

Well if we are gonna’ include Squadron Supreme and Camelot 3000, we gotta’ include Watchmen, because they’d be ‘Maxi” series also. But I think we are using the term in it’s more general sense, that of a planned finite series.

[Reptisaurus!]

Tough one: Probably Kim Deitch's "Stuff of Dreams." I don't even quite understand it, but it's about the relationship between the Jungian unconcious and physical objects. Also a fairly sympathetic look at comics collectors.


I thought Watchmen was a maxi-series...

Manhattan Guardian and Frankenstein from Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers project were fantastic. Ditto We3 with Frank Quitely.


WE3 is probably my favorite mini-series by any of the big mainstream publishers, just inching out Son of Ambush Bug.

Oh! Unless we count Sandman. Planned finite series, right?

[JeffreyWKramer]

I don't think we can count SANDMAN, because a) while it was designed to be finite, it wasn't really designed to be a specific number of issues, and b) it lasted longer than most regular series. Same with PREACHER and INVISIBLES.

I'll cast my vote for WATCHMEN, with close runners-up in WE3 and MARVEL BOY.

[swinebread]

WE3 is probably my favorite mini-series by any of the big mainstream publishers, just inching out Son of Ambush Bug.

Oh! Unless we count Sandman. Planned finite series, right?

Opened the door with that one huh. :D

Plus I'd have to pick the 1st Ambush bug over Son of Ambush bug... but not by much.

[DDM]

I thought Watchmen was a maxi-series...

Manhattan Guardian and Frankenstein from Grant Morrison's Seven Soldiers project were fantastic. Ditto We3 with Frank Quitely.

A maxi-series is a mini-series which usually lasts about 12 or more issues. Camelot 3000, Crisis On Infinite Earths, Secret Wars & Watchmen are maxi-series. Who's Who in the DC Universe #1-26 &Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe: Deluxe Edition #1-20 are likewise maxi-series...

[Reptisaurus!]

Opened the door with that one huh. :D


Now I'm wonderin' about serialized story. Like that Victor Moscoso dinosaur series in Zap! which is my favorite thing ever.

And howbout Cerebus? DDM says a Maxi-series is "twelve OR MORE" issues...

Plus I'd have to pick the 1st Ambush bug over Son of Ambush bug... but not by much.

I think AB (vol 1) was funnier. But vol. 2 was actually a pretty good representation of the frustratin' life of the commercial artist.

And Combat Cheeks: Frontline Medic still cracks me up every time.

[scratchie]

Marvel did one a few years ago called Unstable Molecules about the early FF. I loved the story and art. Wish there had been a follow up.I liked this a lot but I don't know where they really could have gone with it, and knowing Marvel, there's a good chance for a really embarassing sequel by a different creative team.

I really like the first Marvel 1602 but I haven't read any of the sequels.

[MWGallaher]

While not presuming to define the term for everyone else, when I think of "miniseries" I think of a two to six issue, standard "pamphlet" style comic book featuring a lead concept that's not being published regularly in an ongoing.
That definition rules out, for me, things like DC's "Prestige Format" books of the 80's onwards (primarily because there were no series being published in that format as ongoing titles--to my mind, when everything in a format is a "miniseries", the definition loses significance). It also rules out the hundreds of Batman and Spider-Man miniseries, which could have run as an arc in one of the lead characters' ongoing series.
Anything over six issues becomes a "maxiseries" to me. Totally arbitrary, but there's something about allowing the run to go to higher numbers that puts the project in a different competitive category, so to speak. Not fair to compare Squadron Supreme to Beauty and the Beast (the one with Marvel's Beast and Dazzler!), when the one had so much more room for development.
And might I just ask this one question: Why, oh why would a company schedule a two issue miniseries? I still consider it to meet the definition, but I simply can't understand the economics. I don't recall many of these (DC's Robotech and Lois Lane are a couple that I *do* remember), but I'd love to know why that format looked more attractive than a double-sized one-shot. Two issues just gives the readers an opportunity to drop the series, and is sure to disappoint at least someone who misses one of them. I suppose maybe the format allows the publisher to see if this is a series people will come back to the stands to get. Other than that, it seems pointless.
Oh, and best miniseries ever? Shadow War of Hawkman. Intelligent, surprising, fun, respectful, consistent with all but the worst past Hawkman stories (Tony Isabella used the text pages to tell us which stories he was disregarding, and why--I don't think a single reader would have disagreed with him).

[gking727]

Maxi-series: Watchmen

Mini-series: Batman: The Dark Knight

[gking727]

although I really loved Rocket Raccoon too!

[icctrombone]

Loved Avengers vs. JLA . The geek in me wants to analyze all the pages to see the characters.

[swinebread]

And might I just ask this one question: Why, oh why would a company schedule a two issue miniseries? I still consider it to meet the definition, but I simply can't understand the economics. I don't recall many of these (DC's Robotech and Lois Lane are a couple that I *do* remember), but I'd love to know why that format looked more attractive than a double-sized one-shot. Two issues just gives the readers an opportunity to drop the series, and is sure to disappoint at least someone who misses one of them. I suppose maybe the format allows the publisher to see if this is a series people will come back to the stands to get. Other than that, it seems pointless.

Robotech Defenders was supposed to be three issues but a deal was struck between Revell and a Japanese comapany to use the name for the new TV show and roll the model Mechs into that. DC had to bail on their comic ASAP as their version was no longer part of the brand.

[MichikoS]

Enough with the mini and maxi debate! Sounds like a feminine hygiene forum for crissakes. I just want to hear about some good classic limited series from you informed and well-read heroes.

Cranky Michi

[prince hal]

Here are the ones I can recall anticipating the next issues of with atypical excitement:

DC's NEW FRONTIER: fresh take on a vital era in comics combining the best of then with the best of now that pays homage to "yesteryear" without simply being a rehash.

The first LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN: Alan (or is it "Anal" )Moore's meticulously detailed "What if" of the Victorian Era.

I'd also second the first DARK KNIGHT and WATCHMEN.

And though I disagreed with the motives for it, I can't deny that CRISIS ON INFINITE EARTHS was a page-turner.

[Graham Vingoe]

I'll throw in a vote for Ronin- Frank Miller let loose just following his departure from Daredevil. Its always been a favourite of mine

[Roquefort Raider]

My view of miniseries is that they mostly come in two flavors:

(1) Somebody has a great little story to tell, usually about a established hero, that doesn't really fit in the ongoing books.

(2) A company decides Suchandsuch-Man needs a little exposure and asks somebody to come up witht a potboiler that will either be insignificant, disrespectful of past creators' work, damaging to the main character and his supporting cast, or all three.

Here are a few that I really liked:

Twilight, the DC miniseries using a lot of DC's stable of science-fiction heroes. It had a somewhat depressing finale but the art by Garcia-Lopez was GREAT!!! (And the cynical main character was a lot of fun, too). Probably out of continuity, but who cares.

The books of magic, the original mini. Such a nice series, with the best-written Zatanna and John Constantine (at least for my taste) I had read in a long while.

Untold secrets of the Batman was pretty decent, especially since when I read it I didn't know much about him (being a Marvel-only reader). Good overview of who Bruce Wayne was and what made him tick.

[Punch]

Elektra:Assasin
The Filth
Hard Boiled

[MichikoS]

Twilight, the DC miniseries using a lot of DC's stable of science-fiction heroes. It had a somewhat depressing finale but the art by Garcia-Lopez was GREAT!!! (And the cynical main character was a lot of fun, too). Probably out of continuity, but who cares.RR, do I need to know anything about the DC sf characters to appreciate this? Or can I read it cold, with no knowledge of these characters and their prior continuity? I'm going to go after this one if you think it would make sense to a DC sf tyro.
Michi

[MichikoS]

The FilthPunch, how many issues this series? What's it like? Is it noir? Vertigo-style swearin' and f*ckin? Or is there a storyline worth investigating. Details, please!
Michi

[MWGallaher]

RR, do I need to know anything about the DC sf characters to appreciate this? Or can I read it cold, with no knowledge of these characters and their prior continuity? I'm going to go after this one if you think it would make sense to a DC sf tyro.
Michi
Being familiar with the characters as they were originally published is probably a detriment to enjoying Twilight, Michi. I was never one to get all upset about Howard Chaykin's more adult updates on classic characters, but a lot of people who loved DC's one-dimensional, upbeat, and gimmicky SF characters objected to Twilight's nasty, downbeat tone. It doesn't assume any of the published stories about the likes of Tommy Tomorrow and the Star Rovers are relevant continuity. Chaykin simply took their names, their general job descriptions, and their basic looks, and wove an entirely new and out-of-continuity tale.

[Graham Vingoe]

Punch, how many issues this series? What's it like? Is it noir? Vertigo-style swearin' and f*ckin? Or is there a storyline worth investigating. Details, please!
Michi

I'll field this one Michi. This is a 13 issue Vertigo series by Grant Morrison and Chris Weston which is thematically similar to the Invisibles. There is swearing, there is f*ckin, and there's pussycats as well to boot. If you like Morrison when he's throwing ideas at you 19 to the dozen, read it. If not, it's quite an acquired taste. I like it but its not Morrisons best by any means

[rick]

RR, do I need to know anything about the DC sf characters to appreciate this? Or can I read it cold, with no knowledge of these characters and their prior continuity? I'm going to go after this one if you think it would make sense to a DC sf tyro.
Michi

Now for the opposing opinion.

Twilight while well drawn was badly written, horribly plotted, insulting to the characters and worst of all, dull.

I can't say enough bad things about this utter piece of tripe.

It is certainly one of the single worst comic series of the 1980’s or possibly ever.

Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

[rick]

On a much lighter note, while they certainly are not the "best" mini-series ever, I do have a great deal of love for Layton and Michelline's very funny set of Hercules min's from the late 80's.

They were well written, well drawn and funny as hell.

To this day Skippy the Skrull is my favorite Marvel alien.

[swinebread]

On a much lighter note, while they certainly are not the "best" mini-series ever, I do have a great deal of love for Layton and Michelline's very funny set of Hercules min's from the late 80's.

They were well written, well drawn and funny as hell.

To this day Skippy the Skrull is my favorite Marvel alien.

Yeah those comics were just plain fun. Loved the Recorder too.

[MDG]

Being familiar with the characters as they were originally published is probably a detriment to enjoying Twilight, Michi.... It doesn't assume any of the published stories about the likes of Tommy Tomorrow and the Star Rovers are relevant continuity. Chaykin simply took their names, their general job descriptions, and their basic looks, and wove an entirely new and out-of-continuity tale.
Which brings up the question: What's the point of using existing characters if you are going to totally disregard everything about them.

It seems to make even less sense when they are characters that are loved by a core group of aging fanboys who are going to react negatively to the changes (I'm raising my hand here) and basically irrelevant to everyone else.

I would've been more impressed with Chaykin if he was able to create a "dark" version of these characters and made it fit somhow with the previous continuity. I had no problem when Alan Moore took on Adam Strange in Swamp Thing because it fit pretty well with what we know about Rann.

I'll jump on the bandwagon, though, that says Garcia-Lopez's work on the series is gorgeous.

MDG

[swinebread]

Which brings up the question: What's the point of using existing characters if you are going to totally disregard everything about them.

It seems to make even less sense when they are characters that are loved by a core group of aging fanboys who are going to react negatively to the changes (I'm raising my hand here) and basically irrelevant to everyone else.

I would've been more impressed with Chaykin if he was able to create a "dark" version of these characters and made it fit somhow with the previous continuity. I had no problem when Alan Moore took on Adam Strange in Swamp Thing because it fit pretty well with what we know about Rann.

I'll jump on the bandwagon, though, that says Garcia-Lopez's work on the series is gorgeous.

MDG

Yeah, Moore created new characters for Watchmen, instead of permanently ruining the Charlton characters.

[curefreak]

the marvel series magik wich starred illyana rasputin in limbo was very cutting edge for its time in my opinion.
before this nobody even cared about her she was just a little girl from russia but putting her in limbo and having her see the deaths of some of the x-men and having to fight the man who had practically raised her in limbo was really deep and gave her a lot of instant backstory and the art by john buscema is top knotch.
its sort of sad that it seems she has to die no matter what.

[Lone Ranger]

Here are a few that come to mind today:

Watchmen
An obvious choice – but it’s essentially the Citizen Kane of comics. I re-read this one about once a year and always enjoy it. Is it perfect? No. I could live without the pirate stuff – but the foreboding atmosphere just oozed off the page.

Long Bow Hunters
I know that many people see this as a Dark Knight rip-off – but I absolutely loved it. Ollie became a ‘real’ character to me. This mini got me to buy all 137 issues of the GA series, at a time when I wasn’t buying many books.

JSA: The Golden Age
This is what America vs. the JSA could have been. A very intelligent look at post-war life in the DCU.

Wolverine (1982)
This was a revelation when I read it as a 10-year old. I read it again earlier this year, and it still holds up nicely. A real break-through in terms of comic book storytelling as it is full of moral ambiguity. I know Wolverine is a hugely popular character these days, but back then – he really was quite interesting and the Claremont/Miller team handled him beautifully.

Vigilante: City Lights, Prairie Justice
This was an excellent read. James Robinson is such a great storyteller. I love the Vigilante character and it was nice to see him in a ‘modern’ story without losing his core appeal.

[scratchie]

Watchmen
An obvious choice – but it’s essentially the Citizen Kane of comics. I believe that the Department of Official Analogies has determined that The Spirit is the Citizen Kane of comics (which would make Krazy Kat the Un Chien Andalou or something).

It's hard to think of a single movie that was so-out-of-left-field and which contains as much post-modern desconstructionism (sorry) as Watchmen. The closest parallel is probably the "New Hollywood" movement of the late-60s/early-70s, when young filmmakers with an encyclopedic knowledge of the classics started rewriting the rules (and, not coincidentally, ushered in a much more "grim & gritty" style), but I'm not sure there's one single film that did so much in one fell swoop the way Watchmen did.

[founder81]

Empire
by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson
Its an Eight issue mini that basically is a "What if Dr. Doom ruled the world."

[Kan-Man]

I stopped collecting before mini-series became all the rage. The few I did collect must not have made much of an impression on me since I can't really remember them.

But, I've read some recent ones (albeit in TPB form) that I've enjoyed.

I'll second Ranger's vote for The Golden Age. I do recall there being something quite silly regarding one of the villains, but I thought overall it was a very enjoyable read.

Another I'd vote for is The Long Halloween. It took me a chapter or two to get used to Tim Sale's artwork, but once I did I was hooked. Batman was always my favorite character and I checked out before the grim and gritty period, so it was fun for me to read a good Batman mystery story.

[swinebread]

the marvel series magik wich starred illyana rasputin in limbo was very cutting edge for its time in my opinion.
before this nobody even cared about her she was just a little girl from russia but putting her in limbo and having her see the deaths of some of the x-men and having to fight the man who had practically raised her in limbo was really deep and gave her a lot of instant backstory and the art by john buscema is top knotch.
its sort of sad that it seems she has to die no matter what.

That Magik mini was good stuff, loved the art, wicked story.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/Magik4.jpg

[The Mirrorball Man]

Milligan and Fegredo's "Enigma" is, in my opinion, the best mini-series of all time. And if you don't agree, you should read it again.

[MichikoS]

Empire
by Mark Waid and Barry Kitson
Its an Eight issue mini that basically is a "What if Dr. Doom ruled the world."Huh? I'm confused. Are you talking about the Image series? That seems to be a 2 issue mini. The DC EMPIRE is 7 issues, #0-6. Are you actually referring to Marvel's Dr. Doom character, or were you employing some literary license? Please clarify. I'm interested in tracking this down if you can provide some details. Thanks.
Michi

[Reptisaurus!]

Milligan and Fegredo's "Enigma" is, in my opinion, the best mini-series of all time. And if you don't agree, you should read it again.

Yeah, that's riiiiggght behind We3 and SOAB on my list. What's Fegredo doin' nowadays? Comics could definitely use him right about now.

[Slam_Bradley]

Milligan and Fegredo's "Enigma" is, in my opinion, the best mini-series of all time. And if you don't agree, you should read it again.


I guess I'll have to read it again. Because the first two times I tried I found it unreadable.

[The Mirrorball Man]

I guess I'll have to read it again. Because the first two times I tried I found it unreadable.
Well, you have your homework.

[curefreak]

That Magik mini was good stuff, loved the art, wicked story.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/Magik4.jpg
im glad we agree.

[curefreak]

That Magik mini was good stuff, loved the art, wicked story.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/Magik4.jpg
yes tho it makes me weep openly to think of all the things that poor girl has gone thru in her life (i know im emo sue me)

[Jolly Mon]

Yeah, Moore created new characters for Watchmen, instead of permanently ruining the Charlton characters.
Technically, didn't he want to use the Charlton characters, but was overruled? That was what I'd heard.

[Punch]

Technically, didn't he want to use the Charlton characters, but was overruled? That was what I'd heard.

yeah I think the situation was that DC didn't want him to use the Charlton characters, because they'd be basically unusable after Watchmen. So acquiring the rights to them would have been pointless.

[Chad Anderson]

Also, a while ago there was a Black Widow mini with inks by Bill Sinkawitzz. I really liked the story and art on that one. Sorry I can't recall the exact title.

There were two miniseries, Black Widow: Homecoming and Black Widow: The Things They Say About Her, both written by Richard K. Morgan and both featuring inks (and in the first mini, some pencils) by Bill Sienkiewicz. Even better, the second mini featured pencils by Sean Phillips. I totally agree with you — great stuff. Sadly, I think I read somewhere that the chance of a third mini is pretty slim.

In a similar vein, I'll have to second Punch's vote for Elektra: Assassin. Sienkiewicz's art in that series is simply amazing to look at, but without, at least to my eyes, losing storytelling clarity, even with some wacky, wacky stuff going on. Plus, Frank Miller's script wasn't too shabby, either. I feel like this is something of a forgotten classic.

[TheHistorian]

The books of magic, the original mini. Such a nice series, with the best-written Zatanna and John Constantine (at least for my taste) I had read in a long while.

I like this one as well. Total day and night compared to the mess of a regular series that followed it. Just goes to show that spinning off Neil Gaiman's work, well, leaves out the most important part - Neil!


I'm also a big fan of The Golden Age. A lot of fun with all the minor heroes from the little back up stories in More Fun, World's Finest, and whatnot. I enjoyed it a lot more than the other big DC mini of the same era: Kingdom Come. I thought that one was craptacular, but I'm usually alone on that assessment.

[JeffreyWKramer]

yeah I think the situation was that DC didn't want him to use the Charlton characters, because they'd be basically unusable after Watchmen. So acquiring the rights to them would have been pointless.


And Moore, to his credit, immediately realized that this really gave him a lot more options anyhow.

[JeffreyWKramer]

IJust goes to show that spinning off Neil Gaiman's work, well, leaves out the most important part - Neil!
It is important, though, to recognize at least one major exception to that rule, though. Namely, LUCIFER.

[FanboyStranger]

I agree with a lot of the choices out there, but here's a few of my own favorites that haven't been given much love:

The Adventures of Luther Awkwright and Heart of the Empire by Bryan Talbot.

Marshall Law: Fear and Loathing by Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neil.

The Kents by John Ostrander, Tom Mandrake, and Tim Truman.

Give Me Liberty! by Frank Miller and Dave Gibbons.

Terminal City by Dean Motter and Michael Lark.

Scene of the Crime by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark.

The Golden Age by James Robinson and Paul Smith.

Concrete: Fragile Creature by Paul Chadwick.

From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell.

Grendel: Devils and Deaths by Darko Macan and Edwin Biukovic.

Grendel: Black, White, and Red and Red, White, and Black by Matt Wagner and some of the best artists around.

Hellblazer: Bad Blood by Jamie Delano and Philip Bond.

Nevada by Steve Gerber and Phil Winslade.

Foolkiller by Steve Gerber and JJ Birch.

Superman: For All Seasons by Jeph Loeb and Tim Sale.

Count me in on the loving Twilight side, and add to that Chaykin's Blackhawk mini.

[DDM]

The Books of Magic #1-4 (1990) by Neil Gaiman & various artists
Crisis On Infinite Earths #1-12 by Marv Wolfman & George Perez
The Killing Joke (one shot) by Alan Moore & Brian Bolland
JLA: Earth-2 (one shot) by Grant Morrison & Frank Quitely
Magik #1-4 by Chris Claremont
Wolverine #!-4 by Chris Claremont & Frank Miller
Excalibur Special Edition #1 (one shot) by Chris Claremont & Alan Davis
Avengers Forever #1-12 by Kurt Busiek

[Sir Tim Drake]

Huh? I'm confused. Are you talking about the Image series? That seems to be a 2 issue mini. The DC EMPIRE is 7 issues, #0-6. Are you actually referring to Marvel's Dr. Doom character, or were you employing some literary license? Please clarify. I'm interested in tracking this down if you can provide some details. Thanks.
Michi

The DC Empire #0 is a reprinting of the two issues published by Image/Gorilla. So DC's Empire miniseries actually is eight issues, if you count #0 as two issues.

[Babylon23]

It's impossible for me to narrow it down, so I'll just list some of my favourites:

Flex Mentallo by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
We3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
Ronin by Frank Miller
Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller
Sin City: A Dame ot Kill For by Frank Miller
Elektra Assassin by Frank Miller and BIll Sienkiewicz
Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
From Hell by Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell
Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters by Mike Grell
The Golden Age by James Robinson and Paul Smith
Terminal City by Dean Motter and Michael Lark
Black Orchid by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean
Death: the high Cost of Living by Neil Gaiman and Chris Bachelo
The Books of Magic by Neil Gaiman
Wolverine by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller
Avengers Forever by Kurt Busiek, Roger Stern and Carlos Pacheco
Concrete: Fragile Creatures by Paul Chadwick
Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman and George Perez
Hellboy: Seed of Destruction by Mike Mignola
Ambush Bug by Keith Giffen and Robert Loren Fleming

[Reptisaurus!]

I like this one as well. Total day and night compared to the mess of a regular series that followed it. Just goes to show that spinning off Neil Gaiman's work, well, leaves out the most important part - Neil!


I liked the regular series better.

I'm not a fan of "squeeze as many characters into the book as possible" books. Felt like See How Much I Know About DC Continuity fanboy dick-wavin', and detracted from the really potentially Interesting story about a kid coming to terms with "magic" and what it means.

Wasn't horrible, and the art was nifty, but I expect a little bit better from Neil Gaiman. (And am often dissapointed. See: 1602, American Gods, the last novel.)

An' the Jon Rey Neiber series had the sweetest l'il love story in comics at it's core.

[Gingold]

Some favorites:
We3 by Morrison and Quitely
Ambush Bug by Giffen and Loren-Flemming
Longshot by Nocenti and Adams
Machine Man by DeFalco, Trimpe, and Windsor-Smith

[swinebread]

Machine Man by DeFalco, Trimpe, and Windsor-Smith
Good Catch. Machine Man was golden. Loved the changing cover too.
http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/2878/400/2878_4_1.jpghttp://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/2878/400/2878_4_2.jpg
http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/2878/400/2878_4_3.jpghttp://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/2878/400/2878_4_4.jpg

[Sir Tim Drake]

Since I just mentioned an Alan Davis/Mark Farmer miniseries on the "worst miniseries" thread, I will make up for it by mentioning JLA: The Nail on this thread. That series had everything-- humor, characterization, and excitement. It proved that epic superhero stories with a Silver Age mentality are still viable.

[JeffreyWKramer]

Since I just mentioned an Alan Davis/Mark Farmer miniseries on the "worst miniseries" thread, I will make up for it by mentioning JLA: The Nail on this thread. That series had everything-- humor, characterization, and excitement. It proved that epic superhero stories with a Silver Age mentality are still viable.

On the other hand, the sequel, ANOTHER NAIL, was just a mess. A shame, because the first one really was quite good.

[MDG]

On the other hand, the sequel, ANOTHER NAIL, was just a mess. A shame, because the first one really was quite good.
Isn't it almost a rule that any successful mini-series spawns a disappointing follow-up?

MDG

[scratchie]

Good Catch. Machine Man was golden. Loved the changing cover too.Love the covers, was a little underwhelmed by the actual story. I might have to give it another read, though.

[Slam_Bradley]

Since I just mentioned an Alan Davis/Mark Farmer miniseries on the "worst miniseries" thread, I will make up for it by mentioning JLA: The Nail on this thread. That series had everything-- humor, characterization, and excitement. It proved that epic superhero stories with a Silver Age mentality are still viable.



And an incredibly disappointing ending that flew in the face of the premise of the book.

[Jolly Mon]

I'm also a big fan of The Golden Age. A lot of fun with all the minor heroes from the little back up stories in More Fun, World's Finest, and whatnot. I enjoyed it a lot more than the other big DC mini of the same era: Kingdom Come. I thought that one was craptacular, but I'm usually alone on that assessment.
You're not alone, I didn't care for it much either. It was extremely pretentious and preachy, and setup the DCU for another "Adult Legion" scenario. Meaning that many writers that have come after have accepted that KC is the "roadmap" for the future of the DCU. Changing Captain Atom's uniform (though that may have changed back), turning Arsenal into a Green Arrow clone "Red Arrow" (his red GA clone outfit on the Justice League #1 cover having an "R" on the belt buckle), among others. It also included lame future versions of characters like Nightwing becoming "Red Robin". Fair to OK story, pretty painted art by Ross, heavy-handed preachiness, and it setup poor followups.

Golden Age was great though. Wish it had become regular continuity.

[Jolly Mon]

On the other hand, the sequel, ANOTHER NAIL, was just a mess. A shame, because the first one really was quite good.
Agree here, too. I liked JLA: The Nail, but Another Nail made so little sense that I seem to have blocked it out. No idea what it was about at this point.

[founder81]

Brave and the Bold
The series from the late 90's. I can't remember the creative team.
This series proves that you can tell modern story's featuring silver age standards. This mini tells story's featuring Barry Allen and Hal Jordan at different points in their hero careers.

I seen these books for a long time but never gave them much thought. I ended up getting them in a collection I bought and when I read them, I was shocked by how good they were.

EMPIRE - clearification.
Sir Tim already cleared up the "8 issue" misshap. I have the original 2 image comics and the 6 DC comics, so my bad on the issue count. Dr Doom isn't literally in the comic, the character in questoin is named Golgoth. Golgoth being an evil genius who uses technology and information to take over the planet.

[Agentum]

I like Golden Age, JSA Liberty Files, Squadron Supreme and the followup SQ Civil war,SM Red son, Longbow Hunters etc.

[Agentum]

Long Bow Hunters[/b]
I know that many people see this as a Dark Knight rip-off – but I absolutely loved it. Ollie became a ‘real’ character to me. This mini got me to buy all 137 issues of the GA series, at a time when I wasn’t buying many books.
.
I have heard that a lot, but looking at what Grell had done before this series it's easy to se that he really already was used to do more grown-up comics, so i say it's false, i mean read Warlord or Jon Sable and see, they share lots of things when it comes to his type of storytelling.

[Cei-U!]

You guys have already covered so many good titles--Watchmen, DC: The New Frontier, Elektra: Assassin, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, etc.--that I'm just going to add a few personal favorites.

I'm a huge Steve Rude fan and I love his takes on the Silver Age Marvel and DC heroes. Thor: Godstorm rocks, as does Superman Vs. The Incredible Hulk. The art in World's Finest is jaw-dropping.

A few years ago, Greg Hatcher lent me a huge stack of Batman minis. I really enjoyed several of the Elseworlds titles that set Bats in other eras. I particularly liked Gotham By Gaslight and the Garcia-Lopez French Revolution one.

More later as I think of them.

Aside to Reptisaurus: Moscoso's ZAP work is among my all-time favorite comic art.

Cei-U!
I bring up the rear!

[Beta Ray Bill]

Superman: Secret Identity is my choice. Awesome book. I'll also have to agree with MWGallaher's pick. Shadow War... was a super fun story and again, respectful.

[MWGallaher]

I can't believe I forgot DC's Elongated Man miniseries: Ralph Dibney: the most popular superhero in France?! Gerard Jones at his next-to-funniest, the wonderful Mike Parobeck and Ty Templeton on art, and French supervillains L'Escargot and Calimari? Absolutely delightful!

[Cei-U!]

I can't believe I forgot DC's Elongated Man miniseries: Ralph Dibney: the most popular superhero in France?! Gerard Jones at his next-to-funniest, the wonderful Mike Parobeck and Ty Templeton on art, and French supervillains L'Escargot and Calimari? Absolutely delightful!

I have got to pick this title up.

Cei-U!
I summon the sticky note!

[Slam_Bradley]

Probably not the best of all time, but I REALLY liked The Kents. One of the most underrated.

[dan bailey]

Skipping the '80s & '90s, as well as the first few years of this decade, means I've missed a great number of mini- & maxiseries, good, bad & indifferent. Some personal favorites off the top of my head, though, would be --


Midnight Nation

GLA

Ball & Chain

Bomb Queen
Spiderman/Human Torch

Legend (Russ Heath!)

Rawhide Kid (infamous, yeah, but I found it pretty amusing ... & oh, that John Severin art!)

Damage Control
Area 52
Formerly Known as the Justice League

[JeffreyWKramer]

I have got to pick this title up.

Cei-U!
I summon the sticky note!

You've never seen that one, Kurt? I think you'll love it.

It's not what I would rate in the top minis ever, but it is quite good.

[boxlight]

My favorites mini series:

GREEN ARROW: THE LONGBOW HUNTERS, Grell -- Arguably the finest art ever published in the medium of comics. Also, some darned good writing. LONGBOW is a gutsy re-invention of the character, placing him firmly in a real-world setting with drama and grit. What "mature" comics should be.

BATMAN: YEAR ONE, Miller / Mazzuchelli -- In my opinion, a much better read than THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. Representing the truest interpretation of BATMAN I've ever seen. Need a second opinion? Ask Chris Nolan. (Note, it's a mini-series within the regular BATMAN series, but I'm counting it anyway.)

CAMELOT 3000, Barr / Boland -- A nostaligic pick for me. The first "mature" comic I ever read, and 25-years later it still holds up. My older brother was buying it and we literally waited years between issue 1 and 12. An imaginative adventure with unforgettable art by budding Brian Bolland.

Honourable mention:

WATCHMEN, Moore / Gibbons -- I get it, I really do. But I sometimes don't, if you know what I mean. I was there when it was new, reading each month as the clock ticked up to twelve, suspensefully waiting for the big payoff, and then was ultimately left feeling ... puzzled ("Not quite clear about what you just spoke; Was that a parable, or a very subtle joke?"). WATCHMEN is very much CITIZEN KANE in that sense -- the beauty of this book is in the journey, and every few years I revisit it for what feels like the first time every time.

For the record: No -- there's no way WATCHMEN will make a good movie. It's unfilmable. And outside of its own medium, it is practically irrelevant. (That being said, if Pixar ever decided to make an action/drama, WATCHMEN would be an interesting choice -- but outside of that possibility, I forbid it. ;-)

[Sir Tim Drake]

Welcome to CBR, boxlight.

[Punch]

Ronin is Miller's overshadowed masterpiece, the V for Vendetta to DKR's Watchmen

[Mark Wallace]

After having read through the WORST mini-series thread, I know what to avoid (and agree with many of the posters about the stinkers that I have already read). Now I want to know about the cream of the mini-series format. Please list some top-notch mini-series, and why you think they are exceptional.
Michi
Layton's Hercules.

AIRI, it was Marvel's second mini-series (after the dire contest of champions), and it was original, creative, and like nothing else on the stands.

Most other mini-series have been worthless bollocks.

[Mark Wallace]

CAMELOT 3000, Barr / Boland -- A nostaligic pick for me. The first "mature" comic I ever read, and 25-years later it still holds up. My older brother was buying it and we literally waited years between issue 1 and 12. An imaginative adventure with unforgettable art by budding Brian Bolland.
Bolland wasn't exactly "budding"; he'd been doing fantastic work in the UK for years.
The first thing I would do, when picking up the latest 2000AD, was flip through to see if there was any Bolland work in it.

Honourable mention:

WATCHMEN, Moore / Gibbons -- I get it, I really do. But I sometimes don't, if you know what I mean. I was there when it was new, reading each month as the clock ticked up to twelve, suspensefully waiting for the big payoff, and then was ultimately left feeling ... puzzled ("Not quite clear about what you just spoke; Was that a parable, or a very subtle joke?"). WATCHMEN is very much CITIZEN KANE in that sense -- the beauty of this book is in the journey, and every few years I revisit it for what feels like the first time every time.
The story is so, so English that many US folk have trouble getting to grips with parts of it.
It was a magical time, though, wasn't it?
There is no buzz like the one you get when you see that a comic you have been waiting for has arrived on the shelves (which is why I never subscribe to comics).

For the record: No -- there's no way WATCHMEN will make a good movie. It's unfilmable. And outside of its own medium, it is practically irrelevant. (That being said, if Pixar ever decided to make an action/drama, WATCHMEN would be an interesting choice -- but outside of that possibility, I forbid it. ;-)
Absolutely! No-one but Pixar could do it right!

[JeffreyWKramer]

The story is so, so English that many US folk have trouble getting to grips with parts of it.
Huh? You mind explaining that?

[Roquefort Raider]

I agree with a lot of the choices out there, but here's a few of my own favorites that haven't been given much love:

The Adventures of Luther Awkwright and Heart of the Empire by Bryan Talbot.


AGH!!! I can't believe I forgot those two. They were brilliant!!!

[rick]

JSA: The Golden Age
This is what America vs. the JSA could have been. A very intelligent look at post-war life in the DCU.


Vigilante: City Lights, Prairie Justice
This was an excellent read. James Robinson is such a great storyteller. I love the Vigilante character and it was nice to see him in a ‘modern’ story without losing his core appeal.


These are just about the the best books that Robinson ever wrote, and as big a fan of the man as I am, this is a huge compliment.

The Golden Age just has so many great bits, although I was especially impressed with his Paul Kirk version of Manhunter, who was always one of my very favorite characters ever. And Vigilante was just a kickass story that really grabbed onto its whole premise of a Tom Mix style cowboy fighting modern criminals.

Both are just superior works.

[benday-dot]

These are just about the the best books that Robinson ever wrote, and as big a fan of the man as I am, this is a huge compliment.

The Golden Age just has so many great bits, although I was especially impressed with his Paul Kirk version of Manhunter, who was always one of my very favorite characters ever. And Vigilante was just a kickass story that really grabbed onto its whole premise of a Tom Mix style cowboy fighting modern criminals.

Both are just superior works.

How does JSA: The Golden Age compare with Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier? I haven't read the former, but the latter I have found to be a very compelling, thrilling and at times moving saga of the dawning of the DC Silver Age. This joint endorsement of your's and the Ranger's has me very interested, and wanting to check out JSA: Golden Age, but it seems, without knowing much more about it that I've read here, similar to New Frontier.

[rick]

How does JSA: The Golden Age compare with Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier? I haven't read the former, but the latter I have found to be a very compelling, thrilling and at times moving saga of the dawning of the DC Silver Age. This joint endorsement of your's and the Ranger's has me very interested, and wanting to check out JSA: Golden Age, but it seems, without knowing much more about it that I've read here, similar to New Frontier.


They are very different works in tone, but they actually share more or less the same format.

Both are made up of a series of vignettes following various characters through several years all building to a final confrontation with a huge threat.

Both have exceptional art and great writing, as well as a deep appreciation for the original sources.

I think that if liked New Frontiers that you would almost certainly enjoy the Golden Age as well.

[Reptisaurus!]

They are very different works in tone, but they actually share more or less the same format.
.

Rick's right about the other stuff, but I wanna point out that not only are they different in tone, but Golden Age is way bloodier and more violent.

[MWGallaher]

Rick's right about the other stuff, but I wanna point out that not only are they different in tone, but Golden Age is way bloodier and more violent.
It is indeed, but the violence in GA was the most effective I can recall reading in a superhero comic book. After 20 years of fisticuffs, I got to where I was skimming fight scenes, but the violence in GA delivered a literal emotional punch along with the fictional punches. For one of the few times, I really cared about who was on the receiving end, and the fight scene at the climax of GA ranks as the most impressive I've read.

[benday-dot]

Rick, Reptisaurus and MW... thanks a bunch for the responses. I'm pretty sure my lcs will have this (they are very complete, and well stocked), and I'm now certainly intent on checking it out. Violence, if plotted well, need not be gratuitous; it kind of sits along with the classical virtues at the cornerstone of the superhero enterprise. Although I got kind of sick of the grim 90's, and dropped comics for awhile, and only returned without any real desire to investigate that "missing" decade or so, I recently did revisit my Miller Daredevil's from a generation earlier and I found, not in spite of, but because of how FM orchestrated his violence the books remain top drawer classics in my estimation. Recommendations on this forum I have found invariably come with a gold certificate. With this triple (quadruple with the Lone Ranger's initial blessing) it seems like a sure thing. I'll let you know. Thanks again!

[Red Oak Kid]

I just remembered a mini that I liked so much, I completely forgot about.

Adventures in the Rifle Brigade by Ennis and Ezquerra. Very funny.

[Gilda Dent]

I'd define a mini-series as a series planned as a planned finite length story, a maximum of 12 issues. But since a couple I wanted to include are 13 issues series, I'll make my arbitrary maximum 13.

With that in mind, I'd put these on my short list of the best:


Watchmen
From Hell
The Dark Knight Returns
Ronin
Marvels
V for Vendetta
The Filth


Some favorites for a variety of reasons:


Hercules
Superman for all Seasons
The Long Halloween
Hulk: Grey
Daredevil: Yellow
Spider-Man: Blue
Red Son
Green Lantern: Evil's Might
Superman: Secret Identity
Firestar
Human Torch: Burn
Spider-Man / Human Torch
Amethyst: Pricess of Gemworld
Danger Girl
Superman: Birthright
The Nail
Superman/Wonder Woman: Whom Gods Destroy
Created Equal


Yes, that's the Amethyst original maxi-series. I loved that when I was a kid.

Gilda

[rick]

They are so non-linear that they are hard to actually claim as "mini-series", but I for one loved all of the various Ambush Bug specials and minis.

A big thumbs up to the first two of John Byrne's Generations series.

JLA v Avengers was really both well written and well drawn. And while it doesn't mean anyhting here, I really do think that it should count as in continuity at least on the Rumbles board.

Even though they were not meant to be a mini-series, I can't help but wonder if the original Starlin Warlock book counts.

My all time favorite mini though is probably Simonson and Goodwin's Manhunter series from the back pages of Detective. Which I honestly think should count.

Also I am really glad to see just how much love, Hercules is getting.

[Thanos]

1) Green Arrow: Longbow Hunters - Mike Grell
2) Thanos Quest - Jim Starlin
3) Infinity Gauntlet - Jim Starlin
4) Dawn - Joseph Michael Linser
5) 'Breed - Jim Starlin

- Thanos

[swinebread]

Yes, that's the Amethyst original maxi-series. I loved that when I was a kid.

Gilda

I have heard very good things about Amethyst (the 1st series), wish I would have picked it up back in the day. :)

[BloodRedSandman]

The Watchmen - I really enjoyied the characters and the story.

[dupersuper]

Some of my faves I haven't seen on here yet;
Kingdom Come
Man Of Steel
World of Krypton
World Of Smallville
World of Metropolis
Death: The High Cost of Living
Death: The Time of Your Life
Annihilation
Finals
Underworld (Robert Loren Flemming)
Justice League: A Midsummer Nights Dream
The Boys
The Weird
Justice
Gibbons' Worlds Finest
JLA Year 1
Legend of Hood
2nd League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Tempus Fugitive
DC 1,000,000

The ones I've seen on here that I've read kick a$$

[Norrin Radd]

For sentimentality's sake, Marvel's "The Transformers". It was a four issue limited series, before its success allowed it to become a regular monthly feature.

[The Shadow]

Favorite DC mini - Kingdom Come (Dark Knight #2, The Golden Age #3)
Favorite Marvel mini - The Adventures of Captain America (Marvels #2)

Favorite DC maxi - Watchmen (Long Halloween #2)
Favorite Marvel maxi - Squadron Supreme (Secret Wars I #2)

[damienwhiter]

Just a few great minis I've not seen mentioned yet.

Deadshot (DC) by John Ostrander, Kim Yale and Luke McDonnell
Steeltown Rockers (Marvel) by Elaine Lee and Steve Leialoha
A Bizarro (DC) by Steve Gerber, MD Bright and Greg Adams
X-Men/Alpha Flight (Marvel) by Chris Claremont, Paul Smith and Bob Wiacek
Scene of the Crime (Vertigo) by Ed Brubaker, Michael Lark and Sean Phillips