Favorite story titles ever

[Sir Tim Drake]

Inspired by prince hal's posts in the "What Classic Comic Have You Read Lately" thread.

What are your favorite titles of comic book stories? I will start with a few of mine:

"A Kind of Loving, A Way of Death" (Green Lantern #78) -- I don't know what it means, but it sure is evocative.
"Loving the Alien" (Swamp Thing #60) -- Alan has a hidden talent for turning song or album titles into story titles. Other notable examples are "Another Green World" (Saga of the Swamp Thing #23) and "A Love Supreme" (Supreme #50).
"The Strange, Incurable Hauntings of Terrible Phineas Boggs" (Creepy #75) -- this one should need no explanation. :)
"A Matter of Some Gravity" (Walt Disney's Comics & Stories #610) -- nice pun.
"Your Lips! Your Eyes! Your Nuclear Breath Vision!" (Young Heroes in Love #1)

Others?

[InfoBroker]

Hmmmm... there are a plethora of titles that were great in the silver-age, but they have been used so much since they have lost some impact. I referenced a couple in the "What Classic Comics have you read..." thread.

But here are some silver-age titles that I really liked way back then. Some still have zing.

"How Green Was My Goblin!" from my very first ever Spider-man comic(39). I also get a kick out of "Never Step on a Scorpion"(29), "Once Upon a Time...there was a Robot" (37), and "Bring Back My Goblin to Me"(27).


Roy Thomas, like Stan borrowed a lot from classic literature, with "Death be Not Proud" and 'Some Say the World Will End in Fire, Some Say in Ice" from Avengers #56 and #61. My favorite was (I believe) totally original, "Even An Android Can Cry" from #58.

Roy also had fun dropping various Harlan Ellison titles into the dialog of various characters in Hulk #140. Perhaps appropriate considering Harlan plotted that issue and the cross over Avengers title(#88), but some of them were a bit clumsy. The title of the Hulk story is definitelya classic though "The Brute That Shouted Love At the Heart of the Atom"

Two issues later Roy grabbed a movie title for the green guy with 'They Shoot Hulks Don't They?"

Jack Kirby had wonderful titles for his comics, especially his Fourth World material. The problem though is that the concepts he was presenting always upstaged the titles. They aren't clever like Roy's stuff, but I think he used his titles effectively as suggestive setting for the epic tale that was about to unfold. Here are some random titles from the New Gods, Mister Miracle and Forever People.

Kingdom of the Damned
The Omega Effect
In Search of A Dream.
The Death Wish of Terrible Turpin
The Pact!
Spawn
The Glory Boat
O' Deadly Darkseid
Death is the Black Racer!
Earth... the Doomed Domain
"Wait for Godot" with Funky Flashman!
The Closing Jaws of Death!

hmmmmm, I never noticed the preponderance of "death" derivitates before.

But my favorite would be "I'll Find You in Yesterday" from Forever People #7.

That's a pretty good sampling of sorts. In closing, here's one of my top ten favorite titles of all time...

"Dark Moon Rise, Hell Hound Kill" Shield #3. The title and graphics were excellently parodied in Not Brand Echh with "Dark Moon Rise, Heck Hound Hurt"


-jb the ib-

[T GUy]

Whilst sharing the Infobroker's fondness for the title 'How Green was my Goblin' and the Kirby Fourth World titles, Bob Haney is my favourite title-writer for such classics as:

Gotham Bay, be my Grave
Little Town With a Big Secret
Let No Man Write my Epitaph
Cry Not for Thy Forsaken Son


The last employing a formula he used on at least one other ocassion.

If I wasn't at work and pressed for time, I could probably still do Kirby's New Gods 11 titles in order off the top of my head.

[Mike Kuypers]

"...Like a Death Ray in the Sky" (Avengers, wasn't it, IB?)
"With This Ring I Thee Kill!" (Used a couple of times in DC comics. One was Blackhawk.)
"Siseneg-Genesis" (Dr. Strange story)

[InfoBroker]

"...Like a Death Ray in the Sky" (Avengers, wasn't it, IB?)


Yea... another great issue during Roy's coming of age on the Avengers in 1968/69. Issue #64, one of the Gene Colan illustrated issues. The splash pages for that were awesome.

They also had some fantastic titles and splashes for Dr. Strange in that timeframe. Issue #175 had a great triple page splash with "Unto us... the sons of Satannish"

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1863/200/1863_2_175.jpg---http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/5420/200/5420_2_2.jpg

While I don't think it's fair the amount of comparison people make with Astro City characters and events to other comical books, my mind immediately links the opening sequence in this issue of Dr. Strange to the scene of Karnus and his minon of minnows summoning Sirak the Devourer in the bowels of the Astro City Subway (from the second issue of AC, "The Scoop"). Sorry Kurt, I know it's just my comic knowledge mingling with your storytelling skills, but in this particular case I've always wondered, if maybe, just maybe, inspiration or some other creative influence might link these two.

Speaking of AC, it also sports a lot of great titles. They bond well with the particular story being told.

From the first six issues...

In Dreams
The Scoop
A Little Knowledge...
Safeguards
Reconnaissance
Dinner at Eight.

And hey tGuy! Those I can rattle off totally from memory. Not sure I can do New Gods I am embarrashed to confess.

-jb the title-twisted ib-

[Sir Tim Drake]

Cry Not for Thy Forsaken Son


The last employing a formula he used on at least one other ocassion.

Sounds like "Punish Not My Evil Son" from Brave and the Bold.

Other good Astro City titles are "Adventures on Other Worlds" from vol. 2 #3 (because of the double meaning in the context of the story) and "Show 'Em All" from vol. 2 #10, I think.

Another random title I thought I'd mention is "The Hope... and the Slaughter" (Avengers #177). EDIT: Okay, a few more:

"One Bullet Too Many" (Batman #217)
"To Kill a Legend" (Detective Comics #500)
"The Future is Forever!" (Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 2 #300)
"The Greatest Hero of Them All" (Legion of Super-Heroes vol. 3 #38)
"Must There Be a Superman?" (Superman #247)

[Kirayoshi]

My current faves?
"The Name Game" Superman series 2, #10(I think). First post-crisis appearance of Mxyzptlk.
"Terror in a Tiny Town" Fantastic Four #236
"Professor Xavier is a Jerk!" Uncanny X-Men #168
"No Matter Where You Go, There You Are!" Fantastic Four #337
"If It's Tuesday, It Must Be Apokalips!" Justice League International #20

[Kirayoshi]

Oh, and a couple more recent issues:

"One Tin Soldier Rides Away" X-Men #110, Kitty mourning the death of Colossus. Li'l did she know...
"Catch You On The Flipside" and "Auto Motives": Spider-Man/Human Torch, #2-3

[Schmakt]

I always thought this one was pretty classic:

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1482/400/1482_4_0051.jpg

while I'm on the FF... in hindsight, especially... this one is so simple and elegant but it really changed the MU forever :)

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1482/400/1482_4_0048.jpg

[T GUy]

T Guy:

Cry Not for Thy Forsaken Son


The last employing a formula he used on at least one other ocassion.


Sir Tim Drake:

Sounds like "Punish Not My Evil Son" from Brave and the Bold.
Correctimundo! 'Punish...' was the first (IIRR) Bats/Titans team-up and a Haney classic of relevence and generational conflict which revealed that the secret identities of Batman and Robin were known to the membership of the Teen Titans.

[T GUy]

JB the IB throws down the gauntlet!

hey tGuy! Those I can rattle off totally from memory. Not sure I can do New Gods I am embarrashed to confess.

I accept the challenge!

Orion Fights for Earth
O' Deadly Darkseid
Death is the Black Racer
The O'Ryan Gang and the Deep Six
Spawn
The Glory Boat
The Pact
The Death Wish of Terrible Turpin
The Bug
Earth - The Doomed Dominion
Darkseid and Sons

No idea what that punctuation is supposed to be in No. 2's title.

[Graham Vingoe]

I've always liked Don MCGregor's titles for various issue of Jungle Action/ Black Panther etc. with my personal favourite being "They told me a myth I wanted to believe" although I'd have to narrow it down to my favourite being a chapter heading in the Killraven Graphic Novel "Let it die like 4th of July".
Doug Moench also gives good titles for your money- I've always liked Master of Kung Fu 104 ( A city,Asea) and 100 ( Red of Fang and Claw, All Love Lost) in particular.
This may mean I'm a strange person however.
PS on the Alan Moore Song titles front , you can also add Watchmen 12 ( A Finer Loving World) onto the list

[Mike Kuypers]

The cover of Action Comics #370 called it "Superman's Lost Century," but one of my favorite story titles is "100 Years -- Lost, Strayed or Stolen."

[prince hal]

Just thought of another well used title: "Night of the ..."

The first that spings to mind, and a fondly remembered story is from an early 70s BATMAN, "Night of the Reaper."

I think it wa the first Tom Fagin-Hallowe'en-parade-in-Rutland-Vermont story, the first of several in both Marvel and DC titles.

[prince hal]

Sorry about the double-post. I guess it's a "Night of the Computer-Challenged." :o

[spoon_jenkins]

"The Goldilocks Syndrome (Or 'Who's Been Sleeping in My Head?')" - Uncanny X-Men #167

[Richard Onley]

O' Deadly Darkseid . . .
No idea what that punctuation is supposed to be in No. 2's title.I got the impression at the time that "O'Deadly" was supposed to have been Darkseid's first name. Thank God--or anyway, the New ones--that that was retconned out of the narrative in a hurry!

[Beta Ray Bill]

"Jenny to the Center of the Earth" -- The Sensational She-Hulk #32

[Paradox]

Oooo, that reminds me...

"I Have No Mouth...And I Am Mean!" - Sensational She-Hulk #7 :D

[Handcannon]

Anything involving the Flaming Carrot. Or Bruce Campbell's "The Man with a Screaming Brain."

[Hombre]

I'd like to suggest "the infant terrible" and "none are so blind...!" from FF 24 and DD 17, respectively.

Would you agree that sometimes a title is particularly effective in the context of the story?

I submit such an instance is In the midst of life...! from the recently essentialized Daredevil #57*.

* Matt reveals his secret identity to Karen in the middle of Roy Thomas' tremendously fine classic run, in which the battle waged (and ultimately lost) by progressive ideals against the forces of reaction sets the stage for a tale of unrelenting personal heartbreak and alienation.

[Sam T.]

How about from Incredible Hulk # 196 " The Abomination Proclamation!"

[Buzz Dixon]

I always thought this one was pretty classic:

http://www.comics.org/graphics/covers/1482/400/1482_4_0051.jpg


I always liked Steve Gerber's off-handed tribute in HOWARD THE DUCK:

"This Duck,
.....This Man,
..........Dem Changes!"

...and throw in "Deadline Doom!" which in a weird cross-company spanning way had a sequel in his NEVADA mini-series...

[Aaron King]

In my mind, the entire Kree-Skrull War is called "Three Cows Shot Me Down," But that's only because of the cover of the trade. I was really disappointed that no one mentioned this at first. Then I realized that's because it's not a title. Oh well. Maybe I should save it for "Favorite Classic Cover Quotes."

[Sir Tim Drake]

Another one that comes to mind, although it's less than two years old:

"Teenage Wonderland" -- backup story in Teen Titans/Legion Special #1. The oppposite of teenage wasteland, I guess. It perfectly captures the optimistic spirit of the new Legion.

[pennywisdom]

I'm having a brain-stump right now. I can't think of it, but Amazing Spider-Man no 131 had a really hilarious title. That was the issue where Aunt May married Doctor Octopus. It featured a cover with the minister performing the marriage proclaiming "With this ring, I thee... WEB?!?" Too funny.

[Mike Kuypers]

I'm having a brain-stump right now. I can't think of it, but Amazing Spider-Man no 131 had a really hilarious title. That was the issue where Aunt May married Doctor Octopus. It featured a cover with the minister performing the marriage proclaiming "With this ring, I thee... WEB?!?" Too funny.

According to the GCD that story was titled "My Uncle...My Enemy?"

[pennywisdom]

Yeah, that was the one. It just struck me as funny.