The (DC) Comics YOU find Overrated or Underrated *can include writers and artists*

[batmanjones]

I guess the fact that two of my all-time favorite series haven't been mentioned here would maybe mean I rate these series higher than is the mean.

Hourman by Tom Peyer and Rags Morales. I was so sad when this went away.

The Shadow by Andy Helfer and Bill Sinciewicz (and then later Kyle Baker). Some of the trippiest art and weirdest writing ever.

I wish I still had my copies. I'd re-read them right now.

[tony ingram]

Yeah, you're right, it was released after the Watchmen, but it certainly wasn't penned after the Watchmen. I don't want to nitpick, but technically, the Miracleman story was written first. And well, in terms of similarity, Captain Britain touches pretty deeply on government corruption and critiques utility in a similar sort of manner, what with Mad Jim Jaspers being the main protagonist and all.

But Mad Jim doesn't really represent the government; quite the reverse, in fact, he's a single deranged, powerful individual who takes control of the system and starts to cause things to break down. If anything, I see Jaspers as almost anarchy personified, but not in the way that I'd normally expect from Moore-a warning about what can happen if you have no rein on your own actions. As for Miracleman, I'm not convinced Moore's entire story was written before Warrior folded. Far from it in fact, as the story clearly changed direction in a big way between the 'future flashback' Marvelman episode in Warrior #4 (which I don't think was ever reprinted by Eclipse) and the conclusion to the Bates saga that we actually got when Miracleman reached that point. He had three years to develop that storyline, with Watchmen coming in the middle of it. I think he started out with a very different idea and was then perhaps influenced by his own work in the meantime.

[Darrell D.]

I guess the fact that two of my all-time favorite series haven't been mentioned here would maybe mean I rate these series higher than is the mean.

Hourman by Tom Peyer and Rags Morales. I was so sad when this went away.

The Shadow by Andy Helfer and Bill Sinciewicz (and then later Kyle Baker). Some of the trippiest art and weirdest writing ever.

I wish I still had my copies. I'd re-read them right now.

I will agree with both of those series, especially the Helfer/Baker Shadow series.
That book is a joy to read, mainly because of Baker's amazing cartooning with Helfer's unconventional scripts. It was a great collaboration that was truly under-appreciated.

[D.C. Edmonds]

Overrated:

Grant Morrison
Travel Foreman

Underrated:

Grifter (pre-Rob)
Stormwatch

[Bill Lange]

But Mad Jim doesn't really represent the government; quite the reverse, in fact, he's a single deranged, powerful individual who takes control of the system and starts to cause things to break down. If anything, I see Jaspers as almost anarchy personified, but not in the way that I'd normally expect from Moore-a warning about what can happen if you have no rein on your own actions. As for Miracleman, I'm not convinced Moore's entire story was written before Warrior folded. Far from it in fact, as the story clearly changed direction in a big way between the 'future flashback' Marvelman episode in Warrior #4 (which I don't think was ever reprinted by Eclipse) and the conclusion to the Bates saga that we actually got when Miracleman reached that point. He had three years to develop that storyline, with Watchmen coming in the middle of it. I think he started out with a very different idea and was then perhaps influenced by his own work in the meantime.

Just to back you up on this.
Moore started work on Book III of Miracleman in the middle of Watchmen, and I remember reading an interview with Moore at the time (I believe it was one of the old Amazing Heroes Preview books, but I'm not sure) where he said he had to "up the ante" in Book III after working on Watchmen.
Even so, Watchmen and Marvelman/Miracleman are two different views on a basic theme (Super Heroes in a real world), both of which are true classics in my eye (For the record, I liked Miracleman more then Watchmen, but only by a little).
A lot of people get mad at Moore (and Frank Miller to a similar degree) for what happened to comics after Watchmen. The era of grim & gritty imitators that came after it ruined many books. Most writers didn't have the degree of skill that Moore had and failed miserably, or took only base elements of Moore's work on Watchmen to make their books seem "mature" (see most Image comics at that time). I find this as bad as blaming the Wright Brothers for every plane crash in history.
That's not everyone's reason for hating Watchmen, so I'm by no means saying you have to love Watchmen, but if it is, you shouldn't let the mess that came after it to cloud your judgement of any book.

[tony ingram]

Thank you. And that Wright Brothers analogy is a very fitting one, I think.

[dupersuper]

If I read through this thread, how much of it will make me angry and/or sad?

[RoughNTumble]

If I read through this thread, how much of it will make me angry and/or sad?

no point

might as well replace 'underrated' or 'overrated' with 'I like ____ more than most people' or 'I dislike ____ more than most people.'

They're really pointless terms that add more frustration to a debate than interesting conversation.

[brandnewfan]

Blue Beetle is very underrated.

Frankenstein is very overrated.

[Lord Bravery]

no point

might as well replace 'underrated' or 'overrated' with 'I like ____ more than most people' or 'I dislike ____ more than most people.'

They're really pointless terms that add more frustration to a debate than interesting conversation.

Pretty much.

[tony ingram]

Blue Beetle is very underrated.

Who by?

Frankenstein is very overrated.

By whom?

[Talisman]

Seriously? Do you really need to talk down to people in this way? You must have some sort of weird complex, dude.

And you know what, you're just wrong. There are lots of folks who have read the Watchmen, who understand WHY it's "good", WHY it's important, and HOW it has come to hold such an important place in the medium of comics that still don't much care for it. I mean, if you read any of Alan Moore's previous work, you would know that his Watchmen, his baby, was just a rework of the same story he told in Miracleman a few years earlier. The themes and messages of the two books were pretty much identical, and even the execution of those themes was pretty darn close to the same, considering that we're talking about a different set of characters and universes. Hell, he even explored many of those same themes in his work on Marvel's Captain Britain, which judging from your avatar, you should probably know. To boot, both his Miracleman and Captain Britain works weren't boring and pretentious in executing those same themes.

Something you really need to come to understand, mate, is that just because someone doesn't share your opinion doesn't mean that they're just some ignorant loudmouth who doesn't have a clue.

Also, I'm going to chime in and say that Robinson's Starman does not get the love it deserves.

Agreed. I found his Captain Britain to be highly more enjoyable than his Watchmen.

Jesus Christ tony ingram, learn to multiquote!

And learn to tone down the superiority complex...just sayin'.

[doordoor123]

Animal Man is overrated only because of the art -- I guess I'm trying to say Travel Foreman is overrated. He is one of the worst artists in the industry today, but people love him. It doesn't make sense to me.

[Talisman]

Overrated: Grant Morrison's Action. It's a good story, it's just not the new testament imo. I like a lot of what Grant does, I just don't understand the incessant need for his fans to treat him like Jesus Christ, Superstar.

Underrated: Duane Swieczynski's BoP. Why this man isn't writing more titles in the new 52 is beyond me. He should have been given EVERY book that Rob Liefeld is writing...or at least Hawkman. I really want to read a really great run on Hawkman.
Ann Nocenti's Green Arrow. They really dropped the ball with this title, and now her run is suffering because of the tripe that came before it.

[tony ingram]

Agreed. I found his Captain Britain to be highly more enjoyable than his Watchmen.

"highly more enjoyable"?

And learn to tone down the superiority complex...just sayin'.

I don't have a complex...