Shelf Life - Jul 6, 2012

[Obregon Kaine]

The GOON
Atomic Robo

I love Atomic Robo!

[IAMFeAR7]

Mine would include:

-Hellboy
-Nextwave: Agents Of Hate, not exactly a run but it's my favorite comic of the past decade
-X-Force/X-Statix by Milligan and Allred, 2nd fave after Nextwave
-Amazing Spider-Man, from Gwen's death to around Secret Wars 2 (that's the runb I grew up on and it's still unequalled to this day, I'm sure I could include everything before but I have to get reading on those Essential, Fantastic Four too)
-Incredible Hulk, from around Jarella's death to the end of the banishment at the Limbo crossroad (same as above, grew up on it and still the best, Sal Buscema FTW!)
-Daredevil by Nocenti and Romita JR
-Marshal Law isn't really a run either but it's awesome.
-The Maxx #1-19 (didn't really like the second storyarc after that)

I'd have to think about some more but that's off the top of my head.

[rev sully]

Dear Ron,
Great question. Thanks for asking. Top 10 Runs...wow.
Let me start off by saying, in the mid-90s I kind of Got Off The Boat. I stopped buying & reading. Then in 2001, I began my Second Life with Funnybooks. Wednesdays became important because I got hooked back onto to comics with one superhero from each of the Big Two:
I'll start off with those two titles but in no particular order...

GREEN LANTERN, VOL. 3 #136
http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Green_Lantern_Vol_3_136
Hey Ron...know this guy? GL was one of my favorites from childhood and I didn't have an opinion on Kyle Rayner but lemme tell you, Ron...Kyle became my FAVORITE GL. And because of this comic. Episode 5, starting in Medios Rez and it was a great place to come back. Nero, the JLA and that awesome Daryl Banks art. I read GREEN LANTERN until Vol. 4, #53 when the Brightest Day banner started. Sorry...but GL got a little obnoxious & un-fun.

NEW X-MEN #114, Grant Morrison, et al.
I actually started at #117 and bought the "E is for Extinction" trade with the 2001 "Widescreen" Annual, including the nigh-famous "F&^% The Fanboy" Morrison Manifesto.
I did not know who Grant Morrison was. All I did was ask the guy at the comics shop, which X-Title was the Flagship. What a ride. All the way until #151. I know Chuck Austen & Chris Claremont really tried hard with the whole Xorn thing.

The Superhuman Trilogy by Warren Ellis, Avatar Press
This run of three unrelated, original Superhero is a statement on What We Like, Why We Like It...and How Would this Fit Into the Real World. In BLACK SUMMER, we have a Political "What If..." and its intense ramifications. In NO HERO we have the Superhero Team as Brand Name and Global Threat, also what if a psychopath were given a Power Set. And then in SUPERGOD we're given a brilliant Alternate Reality where Superhumans were the result of an International Arms Race and the archetypes reflect not just nationality but local religious modes as well (or lack thereof with the Steve Austin 6 Mil $$ Man reference in "Jerry Craven", the USA Superhuman)

JOHN CONSTANTINE: HELLBLAZER, written by Brian Azzarello, art by Richard Corben & Marcello Frusin.
#146-#174
I've read Hellblazer #1-200, all the Annuals & Specials Twice Over. This has to have been the most fun I've ever had with the most Evil of Comic Books. Firstly, Hard Time drawn by Corben is a Crime Classic worthy of major praise. It's bad, evil and hard to read yet you cannot look away. Then I was introduced to Marcello Frusin who primarily did the art for the rest of the Azzarello run. Magnificent lettering by Clem Robins! This book got it all. But the end of the run...sheesh! Don't leave this one on the coffee table.

THE FLASH, Mark Waid, et al.
I've also read the "Wally West" Flash volume Twice Over #1-#247, Annuals & the such.
Savitar had to have been my favorite enemy of the Wally West years...and Aunt Iris' wisdom of Wally's victory has helped me in real life, especially with bully types. "Give him what he wants..." and Wally put Savitar head first right into the Speed Force. The Waid Years were great, I loved the Messener-Loebs years of Soap Opera Melodrama indeed but Mark Waid really set the table for Wally becoming one of the DCU's greatest heroes of that time.

THE SHADOW by Andy Hefler & Kyle Baker
from #8 in 1988 until its cancellation. I started reading this one in Summer Camp, 1988. My cabinmate & buddy "Muggs from Montclair" brought a footlocker full of funnybooks! And then I read the Seven Deadly Finns over and over and over and over again. Bought my own copy when I got back and then followed until it was over. Weird stuff. A bit mature for my 15 years back then? Nah! It was a brutal read with some of the best art I'd seen (and since!)

SCOTT PILGRIM by Bryan Lee O'Malley
A Perfect Comic. I love the manga format and this story is a great time machine to who I was in my early 20s. It's worth the space on my real bookshelf.

CASANOVA by Matt Fraction and the Bros. Ba & Moon.
I can't even describe this comic. It's too good for my words. It's own words and panels will suffice.
And the best part is...
it's On-Going.
Honestly fun fun fun with hyper-violent, ubersexy, superspy, cross-dimensional hijinks of our main man...Casanova Quinn.

THE INVISIBLES by Grant Morrison, et al.
I read these as the first Trade then we found out how cheap it was to raid back boxes & old comics on sale days! I read the majority of this in floppies. Grant Himself joyfully enough answered his own mailbox until it was done away with by Vol. 3. This too has a place on my real bookshelf, all 7 of them.

And to end this I'm going with POWERS by Bendis & Oeming.
On-Going. Awesome. It's a great treat as a fan of superhero stories. And the letters page too. The Letters page is a fun treat I think.

I'm gonna have to sneak one more in here and I'm gonna ring this bell too but...
DK2 by Frank Miller.
I think it's better than the first DK. More color. More future. more hope! I love everything about it and it was just in time for my 2001 return to buying funnybooks. The final panel of Batman in DK2 is absurd & enduring in my imagination!

Thanks, Ron!

Kriya Shakti,
Rev Sully

Eric O'Sullivan
Boston, MA USA

[hondobrode]

In no particular order

[hondobrode]

[hondobrode]

[hondobrode]

Another couple of titles that just barely got edged out

[Nicholas]

Despite the fact that he's not a fan of list articles, Ron Marz returns this week with a list of his favorite comic book runs of all time, including work by Howard Chaykin, Alan Moore, Jack Kirby and Matt Wagner.


Full article here.

Why, I have many, many favorite comic book runs and every one of your 10 favorites fit in my list, too.
As for "Dreadstar" by Jim Starlin, I considered it, next to Captain Marvel and Warlock (all by Jim Starlin, too) to be the most cosmic story-telling ever published in 70's and 80's (regardless to whatever formats they were in)!
Cheers!

[Nicholas]

rev sully,

Re: The Superhuman Trilogy by Warren Ellis, Avatar Press
This run of three unrelated, original Superhero is a statement on What We Like, Why We Like It...and How Would this Fit Into the Real World. In BLACK SUMMER, we have a Political "What If..." and its intense ramifications. In NO HERO we have the Superhero Team as Brand Name and Global Threat, also what if a psychopath were given a Power Set. And then in SUPERGOD we're given a brilliant Alternate Reality where Superhumans were the result of an International Arms Race and the archetypes reflect not just nationality but local religious modes as well (or lack thereof with the Steve Austin 6 Mil $$ Man reference in "Jerry Craven", the USA Superhuman)

I considered Black Summer and No Hero by Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp to be the perfect "Superheroes" comic books, regardless of their controversial political POV's.

Cheers!

[solarstorm]

I'm not going to make a full list, as others have said many of them.

But I'll add one not yet mentioned:

Brian Michael Bendis' run on Daredevil Volume 2. His issues redefined the character, the art was fantastic, and personally, it was what got me back into comics.

[cschillig]

Excellent list. Some runs simply can't be quibbled with. These include Simonson's Thor, Lee and Kirby's FF, Byrne's FF, Moore and Gibbons' Watchmen and Miller's Daredevil. To these, I would add:

1. Y The Last Man by Vaughan and Guerra
2. The Shadow Strikes by Jones and Barreto
3. The Micronauts (First Series) by Mantlo and Golden
4. Criminal by Brubaker and Phillips
5. The entire Ducks oeuvre by Barks

[DF2506]

My favorites:

1. Amazing Spider-man by Stan Lee & Steve Ditko
2. Bone by Jeff Smith
3. New Gods by Jack Kirby
4. Astro City by Kurt Busiek & Brent Anderson
5. The Spirit by Dawryn Cooke
6. Ultimate Spider-man by Brian Micheal Bendis & Mark Bagley
7. Spectular Spider-man by J.M. DeMatteis & various
8. Captain America by Mark Waid & Ron Garney (second run)
9. Daredevil by Brian Micheal Bendis & Alex Maleev
10. Silver Surfer by J.M. DeMatties & Ron Garney

[moorefan]

Well, using Ron's guidelines (more than a 12-issue series or arc), I finally came up with my list of runs that I could (and have) read repeatedly over the years. Here they are in ascending order:

10 - Miracleman by Alan Moore & Neil Gaiman
09 - The Spectre by John Ostrander & Tom Mandrake
08 - Tomb of Dracula by Marv Wolfman, Gene Colan & Tom Palmer
07 - Sandman Mystery Theatre by Matt Wagner, Steven Seagal, Guy Davis, et al
06 - Master of Kung-Fu by Doug Moench, Paul Gulacy, Dan Day, et al
05 - Preacher by Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon
04 - Aztec Ace by Doug Moench, Nestor Redondo, Dan Day, et al
03 - Starman by James Robinson, Tony Harris, Wade von Grawbadger, et al
02 - Sandman by Neil Gaiman and a cast of thousands, and
01 - Swamp Thing by Alan Moore, Steve Bissette, John Totleben, Rick Veitch, et al

Those that didn't quite make the cut include:
Iron Man by David Michelinie & Bob Layton, The Unknown Soldier by David Michelinie & Gerry Talaoc, Dreadstar by Jim Starlin & Peter David, Green Arrow by Mike Grell, and Howard the Duck by Steve Gerber

[rev sully]

My favorites:
9. Daredevil by Brian Micheal Bendis & Alex Maleev

AGREE!!! Conjoined with the Brilliant MAX Series "ALIAS" art by Michael Gaydos, et al.
Of Course!
Great Call! :)

[rev sully]

Nicolas?

But what did you think about SUPERGOD?
It's worth a few readings...hell several if the other 2 are in this! Seriously...One Theme! Superheroes!
By the guy who made the AUTHORITY, PLANETARY, NEXTWAVE, and TRANSMET (which really is a superhero story!...kinda if you take away the cape, power set & secret ID).