Missy Posted March 8, 2004 Report Share Posted March 8, 2004 I'd make this a poll, but then you'd be subjected to my Top Ten stories of all time, and that's not fair. So, with that said, name your favorite story arc or single issue. (Mind you, this isn't your overall favorite comic book series of all time. This is the one story that rocked your world; the one you think everyone must read.) Give us a quick synopsis of the issue(s) as well as the issue(s)/comic(s) it ran through. But most importantly, tell us what makes it the best story ever. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheap Heat Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 The Death of Superman. Fantastic story about Superman trying to save the adoptive world he loved so very much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James D. Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 No Man's Land It was the heart of the saga of the destruction of Gotham City and it chronicled a little over a year of their time. First was the Contagion that weakened Gotham, then was the Cataclysm that destroyed Gotham and then came the worst of the worst--No Man's Land. Gotham is cut off from the outside world. Food and resources are scarce at best. Villains run amok and take advantage of anyone they can so they can manipulate them into mere tools to keep themselves alive longer. This long saga also sees the death of Sarah Gordon and the rise of the new badass Batgirl. Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne begin their feud here, too. If you never read any Batman story again, read NML. It's a LONG series, but it's well, well worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DanMan Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 X-Men: Onslaught (1996) Synopsis This was an incredible story with a fantastic build of two years at the very least. The saga got a proper start in X-Men #25 and didn't end until just after X-Men #55. Issue #53 has an awesome bit of continuity when Onslaught shows Jean Grey the dark side of Xavier's psyche. Jean finally learns that Xavier once had romantic feelings for her, which in real-time was over thirty years ago. Furthermore, Bishop discovers that Charles Xavier himself is the "traitor" who would kill the X-Men, something that was completely unexpected. Onslaught scan Bishop's mind and learns about the Age of Apocalypse, since Bishop is the only one that remembers it, and uses it to formulate his ultimate plan. If Marvel ceased to exist once this story concluded it would have been a fitting end. Xavier is powerless; so is the Juggernaut. Beast, who was captured by himself from an alternate reality who then took his place, was found and rescued. Bruce Banner and the Hulk are split into two entities. Magneto seemingly has regained his youth and is now on the side of good. The Avengers and the Fantastic Four are dead. Onslaught was built up to be the greatest threat the Earth had ever seen, and once he was defeated it appeared for a fleeting moment that the world was at last truly safe. Of course we all know that would never happen. The next best thing, however, was that Marvel was set up for stories for the next year at least, leading into the "Heroes Reborn" arc and "Operation: Zero Tolerance." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morpheus514 Posted March 9, 2004 Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 Not sure I understand the question this topic presents. You say favorite comic book story ever, and I start thinking graphic novels, but everyone else seems to just be thinking in terms of story arcs in ongoing series. If standalone graphic novels are valid, then Dave McKean's "Cages", pretty much a 500 page dissertation, through a group of characters living in an apartment building, on art, moral values, religion, and far too many other topics to list here. It's insane that one person put this much work into one story, and for as crazy as the art gets, most of it uses a pretty standard, nine panel comic book layout. Really crazy, and it will get you thinking about much more than just comics, I guarantee you. The characters are well fleshed out, but the storytelling is so accomplished that you don't feel like you're just being taken through pages and pages of exposition; it feels like an integral, organic part of the story. Not really sure how to describe it to someone who hasn't read it, because in retrospect, it is very much McKean's personal beliefs, it seems, filtered through this wonderfully constructed world, but it's hard to pin down a paragraph-long synopsis of the plot. It is a story about coming to grips with your limitations, and how to transcend them, on one level, but it is also about the nature of art, and how it relates to whoever is experiencing it. A close second would be the Brief Lives story arc in The Sandman. Out of curiosity, Yoda, I'd gladly hear about your Top Ten comic book stories of all time. Hell, I've been trying to make that list for a long time now, and just can't put them in order... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missy Posted March 9, 2004 Author Report Share Posted March 9, 2004 Not sure I understand the question this topic presents. You say favorite comic book story ever, and I start thinking graphic novels, but everyone else seems to just be thinking in terms of story arcs in ongoing series. A graphic novel and/or TPB is generally one story, so those count. Out of curiosity, Yoda, I'd gladly hear about your Top Ten comic book stories of all time. Hell, I've been trying to make that list for a long time now, and just can't put them in order... I've been trying to make that list for a long time myself, and it's always changing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted March 21, 2004 Report Share Posted March 21, 2004 Superman: Exile For me, Superman RULED throughout the early '90's, and it's a real shame that nowerdays the comic is so unashamedly shite. For those without the knowledge, Exile takes place right after a story where Superman literally executed three Kryptonians from another dimension after, in that other dimension, the three committed mass genocide on planet Earth. Feeling guilty, Superman decided to leave his (unharmed) Earth and set out for the stars with the help of a distance transporter and oxygen machine. Basically, this long story was the genesis of various characters and stories including Mongul and the Eradicater. As well as being morally interesting and character developing, it was drawn well and extremely well written. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darque Edge Posted March 21, 2004 Report Share Posted March 21, 2004 Maus. It's a story about a man and his father, who used to be in a concentration camp. It's the story of their relationship, while his father tells him about life back in the days. All the characters are animals. It's devastating stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prez Posted March 21, 2004 Report Share Posted March 21, 2004 I could go simple and just say Watchmen or something like that. But I'll go off a bit. The last issue of Marvel's GI Joe (#154?) I know the exact number i around 154, but it's the last issue of the series so it's not hard to discover. The actual issue, however, is harder to find. It's written by Larry Hama of course. Plot The basis of the story is that Wade, former Vietnam vet who was in the same LRRP unit as Snake-Eyes, Storm Shadow and Stalker, his son is ready to apply for the army. The kid doesn't know anything about war because Wade won't talk about it. The son wants his dad to be a real hero, like Snake-Eyes, so Wade tells the kid to write to Snakes and tell him what real war is all about. The majority of the story is Snake-Eyes' response. It's brutally honest about war and the army, and Vietnam in particular. It's emotional, it's raw, and easily one of the best single issues I've ever read. In-fucking-credible. If you can find a copy, buy it immediately. The price has gone up substantially in the last few years, but it's worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slothian Posted March 22, 2004 Report Share Posted March 22, 2004 No Man's Land It was the heart of the saga of the destruction of Gotham City and it chronicled a little over a year of their time. First was the Contagion that weakened Gotham, then was the Cataclysm that destroyed Gotham and then came the worst of the worst--No Man's Land. Gotham is cut off from the outside world. Food and resources are scarce at best. Villains run amok and take advantage of anyone they can so they can manipulate them into mere tools to keep themselves alive longer. This long saga also sees the death of Sarah Gordon and the rise of the new badass Batgirl. Lex Luthor and Bruce Wayne begin their feud here, too. If you never read any Batman story again, read NML. It's a LONG series, but it's well, well worth it. I found this in novel form at my local library! Was a crackin' read! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hauckly Posted March 24, 2004 Report Share Posted March 24, 2004 One of My favorites has always been Marvel Knights the Punisher Volume 3: Welcome Home Frank. It really captured the essence of the Punisher and kept the lame-story factor Marvel is famous for injecting into its comics to the peripheral. It was a great story about the raw, cold hatred that drives the Punisher...and his compassion for "good" people that strugles to live on inside him despite his nature. Three cheers for Marvel for using part of that story in the upcoming movie as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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