shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 6, 2017 22:59:18 GMT -5
Pssst...Make sure to check out the Advance Warning Thread before jumping in with your selection!4. The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck (1992-1995) By: Don Rosa Originally published in: Anders And & Co. August 10, 1992 thru June 12, 1995 I've never seen a comic more seamlessly blend aspiration, goofy comedy, dark tragedy, and loving attention to research and history (both of comics and of the real world) into one power-packed adventure, but Rosa achieved it in this chronicle of Scrooge McDuck's life from the first moment he dreamed of making his fortune as a tender young shoe shine in Scottland to his life in the present day of the Disney Ducks world. Rosa gives Scrooge a richer, more full life than any other fictional character I've ever come across, and it makes us positively fall in love with the character and his life – all he's seen and experienced, and all the ways in which it has shaped him, to the point that one can never again look at that curmudgeonly old geezer with anything less than total pathos, even when another writer is playing him for laughs or using him as a simple plot contrivance. This work is true, unforgettable literature with the ability to transform. I don't think I can overstate that.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 6, 2017 23:29:03 GMT -5
4. Metamorphosis Odyssey by Jim Starlin (1980-1981) serialized in Epic Illustrated #1-9 (1980-1981) Jim Starlin's cosmic epic of the struggle between life and death with the fate of a galaxy on the line. Aknaton, whose race the Osirosians are the ancestors of all humanoid life in the Milky Way seeds a long term plan to try to save the galaxy from the oncoming destruction at the hands of their long-time enemies the Zygoteans. He returns centuries later to collect the fruits of his efforts, 3 special beings and recruits the stone-cold killer Vanth Dreadstar to be their protector until they can see his plan to fruition. I disocvered these stories in high school and they turned my world upside down. I had been a fan of Starlin's stuff since I first encountered it in the Death of Thanos story running in Avengers Annual 7 & Marvel Two In One Annual 2, and heard about Dreadstar when I finally discovered comic shops, and soon tracked down these stories to see how it all began. This is quintessential Starlin in its pure form, not filtered through the lens of the Marvel mythos. Here you will find all the thematic core ideas he riffs on throughout his oeuvre, all his strengths, weaknesses, tics and tendencies, the pure cosmic mind-trip that is a Starlin story unchecked by the needs of editors to maintain their IP, to keep the illusion of change in their characters/stories while in reality telling a never-ending story that maintains a status quo, or to meet the standards of the Comics Code. This one has it all for the Starlin fan, and for others seeking to go on a cosmic mindtrip of an adventure in comic book form. Find a copy open up to this page...  and start reading. -M
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Post by coke & comics on Aug 6, 2017 23:46:09 GMT -5
4 Swamp Thingby Alan Moore & friends Saga of the Swamp Thing #20-64, annual 2  Alan Moore began his run in issue 19, finishing up the previous story with a bullet to Swamp Thing's head. Issue 20 is the "Anatomy Lesson", in which Swamp Thing is dissected and reimagined. What follows is true horror, then a descent into a hell that combines Dante with several characters from the DC universe, figuring out where Spectre and Phantom Stranger and Deadman and Demon fit into the whole cosmology. And then a psychedelic love poem. And then the enigmatic John Constantine. And the Crisis. And a battle with Batman. And exile to a blue world. And a journey across space. It's horror and science fiction and romance and a superhero story, comfortably jumping back and forth between genres or blending them as needed. It's with this comic in hand and in mind that Neil Gaiman sat to write my #5 choice, Sandman. The entire Vertigo line was birthed in these pages, as well as the standards that DC superhero comics would strive to live up to henceforth. |
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Post by Paste Pot Paul on Aug 7, 2017 4:20:21 GMT -5
4. Warlock "The Thanos Saga" (1973-1981) by Jim Starlin (Iron Man #55, Captain Marvel #25-34, Marvel Feature #12, Strange Tales #178-181, Warlock #9-15, Avengers Annual #7, Marvel Two-In-One Annual #2, Marvel Graphic Novel #1)  I had worshipped Jim Starlin for years as a young collector, along with Adams he was one of the "hot" artists. He had also done this huge story with Adam Warlock and Thanos, across a buncha books, and a buncha years. But I didnt have it, oh I had bits, but not the whole. Until the arrival of the 6 issue special edition. Plenty of folk here have written much more intelligent things about this(and probably will do so in the next few days) so all I will say is it has stuck with me as a favourite for 30 years and counting(more than a lot of people I know).    To clarify, as I reread this, my choice was the story as a whole, my choice of covers from the Special Editions was purely because I love the art. PPP |
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Post by Icctrombone on Aug 7, 2017 5:04:53 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2017 6:10:32 GMT -5
#4 JLA Year One #1-12. Written by Mark Waid and Brian Augustyn. Art by Barry Kitson and Michael Bair.I have been reading for 50+ years. In that time DC & Marvel have rebooted their series multiple times (especially in the last 30 years). These Year One series have become a favorite of mine filling in backstory & fine tuning/updating a new origin for a character or team. This one has been one I have re-read multiple times. It switches Black Canary for Wonder Woman as a JLA founder but done to great affect. Not only does it show the foundation of the JLA but Waid/Augustyn manage to throw in Superman, Batman, the JSA, the Doom Patrol, and in cameos most of the DCU! I also loved the reveal at the end at who was financing the team. And beautiful Kitson art was icing on the cake.
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Post by Arthur Gordon Scratch on Aug 7, 2017 6:13:28 GMT -5
The Andes Saga Four Color Comics #223
Uncle Scrooge #219
Donald Duck Adventures #12Story and art : Carl Barks, Don Rosa    The various trips to "Plain Awful", the lost city of the squarry people of the Andes. I first read the original in its swedish original March 1963 publication in Kalle Anka (aka Donald Duck, published on a weekly basis since 1948 to this day!) that my mother purchased then when a kid. This was during a summer holiday spent away from my native France, the last part of it when all the ohter local kids were back to school and I had no one to play with anymore but my imagination (School starts and ends one month earlier in Sweden). It would be an understatement to say that my imagination was indeed taken to unknown territories upon reading this Barks masterwerk! I would assume that all CCF members have at least once been confronted to this little wonder, but just in case, feast your eyes :   One of the things that set appart this work from Barks oeuvre is that this is one of the rare instance where he regularly breaks his traditional 4 row layout, and in a quite innovative fashion for a Disney comic :  Anyhow, this story had such an impact on its readers that in the mid eighties, Don Rosa decided to revisit it, and I was lucky enough to have my great aunt get me a subscription all the way to France to Kalle Anka & Co so that I could learn swedish properly but still enjoy the process. So I discovered "The Son of the Sun" in 1987 as it was published (you have to remember that Don Rosa had a special relationship with Scandinavia!), and boy was I in for a treat getting this chapter at the same age my mom got the first one. Sure, we didn't get to Plain Awfull this time, but it was great and paved the way for the final chapter.   Rosa would indeed take a final trip there two years later with "Return to Plain Awful", which is an absolute homage to the original story, and my favorite favorite chapter of the Rosa ones, if not of all, as it gets more poetic and more tragi-comical than ever.       All in all, over the years, I've somewhat tired of Rosa's ar and much favor the "simpler" Barks style, but his stories are at least on the same level, which makes those three chapter quite homogenous, and one of the best trips comics ever took me along.
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Post by sunofdarkchild on Aug 7, 2017 6:46:22 GMT -5
Death of Superman-World without a Superman-Return of Superman  by Dan Jurgens, Louise Simonson, Roger Stern, Jerry Ordway, Karl Kesel, William Messner-Loebs, Gerard Jones Published 1992-1993 Superman The Man of Steel #18-26 Justice League America #69-70 Superman #74-82 Action Comics #684-691 Adventures of Superman #497-504 Green Lantern #46 Superman: The Legacy of Superman #1 Yes. I consider this one long story rather than 3 separate stories. While I adore Knightfall, I have to say that the character work in the Death of Superman trilogy was far superior. The opening battle with Doomsday and return to save the world are great action set-pieces, but the real heart of this story is the middle, where everyone deals with Superman's demise in their own way. This story could never have been half as good or as impactful as it was without the years of building up the supporting cast in the Superman books. From Lois to Bibo and even Luthor, everyone is touched by the loss of the world's greatest hero. While many franchises jumped on the 'kill off the main character for shock value' bandwagon afterwards, most forgot that character deaths only impact the audience if they impact the world and the surrounding characters. But the title of the middle chapter, 'Funeral for a Friend,' underscores that point perfectly.  In addition, the story created or allowed a number of characters to shine and led to the eventual expansion of the Superman universe into a number of successful spinoff comics, including Steel, PAD's Supergirl, and Superboy. |
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Post by brutalis on Aug 7, 2017 7:48:58 GMT -5
4. Kree Skrull War
Avengers 89-97
Roy Thomas/Sal Buscema/ Neal Adams /John Buscema/Tom Palmer
![]()  Dagnabbit Icc you been reading my listing when I wasn't looking?!? |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 7, 2017 8:27:14 GMT -5
The Andes Saga Four Color Comics #223
Uncle Scrooge #219
Donald Duck Adventures #12Story and art : Carl Barks, Don Rosa Interesting choice, counting a Barks adventure and the Rosa follow-ups as one saga. |
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 7, 2017 8:29:45 GMT -5
Dagnabbit Icc you been reading my listing when I wasn't looking?!? The synergy between you two is bordering on creepy... |
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Post by brutalis on Aug 7, 2017 9:01:45 GMT -5
4. Captain America: The Psychotic 1950's Cap/Bucky issues 153, 154, 155, 156. 1972
Cap takes a vacation. Sharon Carter quits SHIELD. Falcon finds Cap and Bucky in Harlem beating up on the black people of the neighborhood. It is discovered that the 1950's had another Captain America while Steve Rogers was on ice. This phoney loved Cap so much he devoted his life to researching all he could of Cap and found the notes of a German spy who had stolen the Super-Soldier Serum. Taking this info to the US government where they developed it and used it on him and gave him plastic surgery to resemble Steve Rogers. After the Korean war this Cap program is suspended he recruits a Bucky Look giving him a shot of the serum so they both will have super strength they fight throughout the Communist era. Eventually the 2 of them become increasingly violent and the government retires them by placing them into suspended animation.
Bringing in current politics to the story a disgruntled loyal patriot annoyed with Nixon helps awaken the 2 pop-sicle twins who continue their rampages just where they left off. Falcon and Sharon stop Bucky and Original Cap versus Fake Cap.
Englehart instead of Thomas came up with this baby or retro-continuity and inserted his usual high writing standards and created a story that spoke to the readers and reflected the times and is just as great of a story today as it was then. Both the 50's Cap and Bucky go on later in the Marvel U becoming different characters with new stories to tell. Fake Cap becoming the Grand Director and Bucky to take on the Mantle of Nomad, another identity Steve Rogers took on.
This is what a great comic book story does, connect the past inconsistencies, tell a wonderful story while doing so and creates fodder for future stories!
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shaxper
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Post by shaxper on Aug 7, 2017 9:04:28 GMT -5
4. Captain America: The Psychotic 1950's Cap/Bucky Could you please provide issue #s? |
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Post by Deleted on Aug 7, 2017 9:05:54 GMT -5
4. Captain America: The Psychotic 1950's Cap/BuckyCap takes a vacation. Sharon Carter quits SHIELD. Falcon finds Cap and Bucky in Harlem beating up on the black people of the neighborhood. It is discovered that the 1950's had another Captain America while Steve Rogers was on ice. This phoney loved Cap so much he devoted his life to researching all he could of Cap and found the notes of a German spy who had stolen the Super-Soldier Serum. Taking this info to the US government where they developed it and used it on him and gave him plastic surgery to resemble Steve Rogers. After the Korean war this Cap program is suspended he recruits a Bucky Look giving him a shot of the serum so they both will have super strength they fight throughout the Communist era. Eventually the 2 of them become increasingly violent and the government retires them by placing them into suspended animation. Bringing in current politics to the story a disgruntled loyal patriot annoyed with Nixon helps awaken the 2 pop-sicle twins who continue their rampages just where they left off. Falcon and Sharon stop Bucky and Original Cap versus Fake Cap. Englehart instead of Thomas came up with this baby or retro-continuity and inserted his usual high writing standards and created a story that spoke to the readers and reflected the times and is just as great of a story today as it was then. Both the 50's Cap and Bucky go on later in the Marvel U becoming different characters with new stories to tell. Fake Cap becoming the Grand Director and Bucky to take on the Mantle of Nomad, another identity Steve Rogers took on. This is what a great comic book story does, connect the past inconsistencies, tell a wonderful story while doing so and creates fodder for future stories! I'm going to say it so Shax doesn't have to repeat it again-what issue numbers comprise this saga, it helps (and perhaps is indispensable) if you list them-not just for Shax's tallying but for those interested in reading it if they haven't previously. -M PS drat! Shax had to do it before I did. |
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Post by brutalis on Aug 7, 2017 9:48:55 GMT -5
4. Captain America: The Psychotic 1950's Cap/Bucky Could you please provide issue #s? Done sir! ding dong blasted computer this morning. Swear I had typed that information in. Rassin frassin rassin meh meh meh |
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