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The Archives => The Dragon's Den (Archived) => Topic started by: Elven Doritos on June 14, 2006, 07:34:13 PM

Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Elven Doritos on June 14, 2006, 07:34:13 PM
The title's pretty self explanatory.

Normally I'm a Marvel guy, and the Ultron Unlimited arc from a few years back in Avengers is by far my favorite from that company. A countless horde of indestructible sociopathic robots can put a good dose of fear in any team, Norse god or no.

But I simply adore the Green Lantern arc that spanned from 101-106 of Volume 2: Emerald Knights (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_Knights) (and the previous two issues that had led up to the events of EK). The two arguably most famous Green Lanterns fighting side by side whilst Hal comes to terms with the mistakes he makes-- this is Silver Age Hal, mind you, not our Hal (who thankfully returned). Great character development and nostalgia... Plus it's the first comic story arc I ever collected.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 14, 2006, 07:41:33 PM
I am always and forever a DC guy.  I do not buy Marvel, and rarely buy other company's titles.

Favorite story arcs:

Legends, the follow-up to Crisis on Infinite Earths (which is a close second).

EK was damn good, as is the almost concluded Up, Up and Away! (in Action and Superman titles).

Justice has been good so far, as well.

From Silver Age:  Green Lantern/Green Arrow/Guardian of the Universe American Road Trip!
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Elven Doritos on June 14, 2006, 07:53:14 PM
Quote from: CYMRO of the Cabbage CabalFrom Silver Age:  Green Lantern/Green Arrow/Guardian of the Universe American Road Trip!

Speedy's a dopehead! OH NOES!!!

You ever read the Green Arrow: Quiver saga written by Kevin Smith? Good stuff.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 14, 2006, 08:01:14 PM
Quote from: Captain ElDo
Quote from: CYMRO of the Cabbage CabalFrom Silver Age:  Green Lantern/Green Arrow/Guardian of the Universe American Road Trip!

Speedy's a dopehead! OH NOES!!!

You ever read the Green Arrow: Quiver saga written by Kevin Smith? Good stuff.

Definetely!

Have you checked out Wonder Woman #1?
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Elven Doritos on June 14, 2006, 08:04:19 PM
Quote from: CYMRO of the Cabbage CabalHave you checked out Wonder Woman #1?

Can't say I have-- I tend to avoid relaunches like the plague unless I hear good things. Then I usually pick up back issues or graphic novels.

OH! How could I forget Young Justice, the first 10 issues? Not an arc, but hilarious!

And... Well... Need I say it?



Kingdom Come.

~ElDo
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 14, 2006, 08:13:36 PM
I like both DC and Marvel equally.  House of M was pretty good as far as recent stories go, but the best arcs ever are The Long Halloween and The Dark Knight Returns.  Oh, Dark Phoenix and Days of Future Past were good too.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Elven Doritos on June 14, 2006, 08:15:48 PM
Quote from: IshmaylI like both DC and Marvel equally.  House of M was pretty good as far as recent stories go, but the best arcs ever are The Long Halloween and The Dark Knight Returns.  Oh, Dark Phoenix and Days of Future Past were good too.

Teh Frank Miller = awesome, I concur.

And I <3 Dark Phoenix Saga! DoFP was innovative and fresh, but I personally prefer Age of Apocaylpse for my alternate bleak reality.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 14, 2006, 08:17:01 PM
Yeah, Age was good too...  Civil War seems to be pretty good too.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 14, 2006, 08:18:09 PM
Oh, so many I'm geeking out over here.  Grant Morrison's recent run a couple years ago was the best thing to happen to X-Men in many , many years.  Joss Whedon's Astonishing X-Men run currently going is also amazingly great.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 14, 2006, 08:19:11 PM
QuoteThen I usually pick up back issues or graphic novels.

I am really pleased at the fact that DC (and I guess other) are reprinting the classic storylines in graphic novel form.

Haunted Tank was a childhood favorite, and seeing some of the old stories rereleased was kool.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Elven Doritos on June 14, 2006, 08:19:11 PM
We'll have to see. I'm a bit displeased with the aftermath of Avengers Dis-Assembled (even though it led directly to HoM), and while that was over a year ago, the re-foremd team is still smarting a bit for me.

That being said, Civil War is looking good.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Elven Doritos on June 14, 2006, 08:21:10 PM
Anyone here ever read Watchmen? I hear there's a movie coming out, although that frightens me a bit...

(Anyone else think that Alan Moore is mentally disturbed? He worships the Roman snake deity, Glycon. And he denounces just about every film adaptation of his work, no matter how faithful.)
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 14, 2006, 08:24:41 PM
Quote from: Captain ElDoAnyone here ever read Watchmen? I hear there's a movie coming out, although that frightens me a bit...

(Anyone else think that Alan Moore is mentally disturbed? He worships the Roman snake deity, Glycon. And he denounces just about every film adaptation of his work, no matter how faithful.)

Ahh, yes, the Watchmen.  Disturbing guy that Rorschach.    :worried:
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Elven Doritos on June 14, 2006, 08:25:21 PM
Yeah. In fact, I dare you to find a single member of that "team" who isn't disturbing.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 14, 2006, 08:26:01 PM
I'm sure that eventuallly a Watchmen movie will come out, but it's been "in the works" for several years now, and I don't have much faith for it in the form of a 2-hour movie; it should be made into a 4-part HBO miniseries or something.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Elven Doritos on June 14, 2006, 08:27:15 PM
Here you go (http://imdb.com/title/tt0409459/)
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 14, 2006, 08:29:44 PM
Yeah, but that's been in pre-production, casting stages, change-of-directors' stages, etc multiple times now.  The only way you'll find any real info on that movie is to check out

www.superherohype.com
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 14, 2006, 08:33:05 PM
Speaking of Superhero hype, Are any other NC residents going to the Heroes convention?
It is June 30 - July 2 at the Charlotte Convention Center.
They have a good guest list lined up.
Check it oot at www.heroesonline.com
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 14, 2006, 08:38:12 PM
Not I... I stay away from conventions.   But I'm sure it'll be good.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 14, 2006, 08:53:04 PM
Quote from: IshmaylNot I... I stay away from conventions.   But I'm sure it'll be good.

This will be my first convention in aboot 15 years, and that was a restaurant convention. :chef:
 :chef:

A friend of mine, who is a VP at Wachovia, found out Rosario Dawson will be there, and bought us passes.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Captain Obvious on June 14, 2006, 11:29:57 PM
Oh man, this is so weird, i was just thinking of starting a thread about favourite comics story arcs/serieses/authors/artist just this morning and not this thing has shown up.

As for me, i read some DC, some marvel, some other.

DC i love batman stuff and anything from the vertigo imprint. I have yet to read anything Vertigo that i didn't love. For Batman stuff: Dark knight saga, non man's land, and war games are some of my favourite stuff. Superman usually pisses me off, but Superman: Red Son and Lex Luthor: Man of Steel are two of my favourite stories.

From vertigo: Sandman, 100 Bullets, Fables, Lucifer, The Invisibles, and Alan Moore's Swamp thing run. One of the best story arcs ever though is Brian Azzarello's run on Constantine - that stuff is disturbing.

From Marvel, i mostly read the Ultimate Universe books, but i aslo liked House of M and Sentry and i like where the Civil War story is going.

Image comics is amazing. Invincible, Walking Dead, Powers and Jinx is some of the best stuff out there.

All of the Wildstorm stuff i have read is great. Specifically the Authority, Planetary, and Sleeper.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 15, 2006, 07:13:19 AM
Yeah, I completely forgot about Powers.  Bendis is a genious at that stuff - especially character dialog.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 15, 2006, 11:02:14 AM
Seven Soldiers!
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: SDragon on June 15, 2006, 11:48:18 AM
prepare a lynch mob:

i thought the clone saga had plenty of potential. its was, IMHO, the perfect nameless one-shot villian to be brought back from the dead.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 15, 2006, 04:49:46 PM
Are you talking about the Spiderman Clone saga?  :confused:

If so, I hate to say it, but that was the one thing that drove me away from comics in the nineties.  It took Grant Morrison's "New X-Men," and Strazinskyk's "Amazing Spiderman" to bring be back.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Xathan on June 15, 2006, 05:37:52 PM
I'm all about marvel - I find DC to often be black and white more than Marvel. (then again, most of the comics I've read are from the 70s, so the lable could have changed in the 30 years since then.

My favorite all time is the Dark Pheonix saga, which is why I hated X3, the movie. Butchered Dark Pheonix in the show, they did: no Hellfire club, no Shi'ar, no eating a star and destroying an entire intelligent race, and no death at her own hands. :censor:  :wtf1:  :bulls:  :disgust:  
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 15, 2006, 05:46:58 PM
Well, Shi'ar may have been a bit much to throw in for the casual watcher that knows nothing of the comics, but I agree that not having Hellfire was just ridiculous; not to mention, she never even once used the phoenix fire!!
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Xathan on June 15, 2006, 05:51:23 PM
ok, so the Shi'ar would have been overkill. Still, they made Pheonix seem very...mundane, in the movie. I mean, it wasn't an extradimensional force...just Jean's power. And Wolverine killed her, where in the comics she had to kill herself, which was SO much cooler.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 15, 2006, 09:37:05 PM
Not to mention, in the comics, it was Scott there in the end that saved her and brought her back to her senses, instead of just being dead the entire movie...
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: brainface on June 15, 2006, 11:15:12 PM
the more i hear about it, the more x3 sounds like one big giant cameo after another.

Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Xathan on June 15, 2006, 11:25:45 PM
Yeah, it really is. I dunno, I was really pissed off after watching X3...but that's just me. I'll stop before I rant, it would be easy.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 16, 2006, 12:35:08 AM
Quote from: Xathan, Hobo AlchemistYeah, it really is. I dunno, I was really pissed off after watching X3...but that's just me. I'll stop before I rant, it would be easy.


Everyone I know who saw it has been disappointed.
I will save my money and see Superman Returns instead.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 16, 2006, 07:23:03 AM
Yeah brainface, that's pretty much what I thought... but don't forget that it stars Hugh Jackman as Wolverine, who will be featured in every single scene whether he's necessary or not!!
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 16, 2006, 07:23:51 AM
I can't go on with this, I've been disappointed enough just thinking about it.  I just wish Singer had stuck around with X-Men.  I mean, sure, a great Superman movie will be awesome, but I would have just rather seen another awesome X-Men movie to wrap things up.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 16, 2006, 08:37:40 PM
JSA CLASSIFIED:
The Fall and Rise of Vandal Savage!
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Elven Doritos on June 18, 2006, 09:38:41 PM
I just remembered the Avengers story arc about the religious cultists called the Triune Understanding.

Ah... good times.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: SDragon on June 18, 2006, 09:55:43 PM
yes, i did mean the spiderman clone saga. i will admit, it came out much worse then it could have, but i still say it had plenty of potential. the biggest problem with comics in the 90s was that the creators expected hip new costume designs to carry the titles. from superman red/blue, to scarlet spider, and from armored daredevil to the whole exoskeleton batman.

that said, the idea of "hey, lets bring back that clone of spidey" has more potential then "hey, why dont we kill off superman?"
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Elven Doritos on June 18, 2006, 10:09:58 PM
The costume changes were only the symptom of a bigger problem for 90's comics, which you touched upon: The Rise of the Gimmick.

The Death of Superman.
The Rise, Fall, and Redemption of Parallax.
The countless costume changes of all heroes.
When Bane broke the Bat.
Did I mention the Death of Superman?
Hypertime.
Spiderman's "Identity Crisis".
The Onslaught crossover.
The X-Men "bubble"- the countless X-related spinoffs, no matter how inane (any grouping of mutants could expect at least a 20-issue run).
And, of course, the Death of Superman.

I know I'm forgetting countless more. Let's not forget variant covers galore and other marketing gimmicks that were usually cheesy or inane.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: SDragon on June 18, 2006, 10:25:28 PM
not to mention the expansion movements of both JL and the avengers.

but do you truely think gimmicks were strictly a phenomenon from the 90s? claremont and byrd had the x-men leaving earth in the 80s, neil adams had green arrow and green lantern making political statements in the 70s, and stan lee had flawed superheroes in the 60s.
 the fact that gimmicks were used wasnt the problem, its how poorly the gimmicks were used. the gimmicks used in the 90s were used more as marketing devices then story devices. death of superman was something that could only be used as a marketing device, but the clone saga had potential to be used as a story device.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Elven Doritos on June 18, 2006, 10:33:02 PM
Notice it was the "Rise of the Gimmick", not the "Birth of the Gimmick". There were plenty of gimmicks in previous decades, of course. But as you said, the skill behind the 90's gimmicks was-- lacking. The fact that you could expect every year several high-end crossovers and sales gimmicks was the key cause for the fall of the comics industry (and the increased availability of substitute mediums).
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 22, 2006, 01:57:15 AM
New Flash series today, as well as the second isue of Shadowpact, and the last Sgt. Rock.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on June 22, 2006, 06:29:00 AM
A lot of people like the current Daredevil run; I'm not reading it, but if any of you have an opinion on it, I'd like to know.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 22, 2006, 06:45:57 AM
A couple of the employees over at Heroes are trying to lure me into reading a new Cpt. America series.  But I am strong.  I am resisting.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: SDragon on June 22, 2006, 04:14:50 PM
i havent read any new comics in quite awhile, now...


is it true that wolverine now has a sword? and if so, then why?
pleasepleasePLEASE dont tell me its because the sword can cut through anything....
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: beejazz on June 23, 2006, 12:52:03 PM
Well... I'm not a huge comic book fan (at least as franchises go) but I've always loved Batman. And Batman the animated series was, IMHO, the best American animation EVER. I also have some fond memories of the reaper.

Besides that, Hellboy has always been fun.The whole "reluctant dark messiah" thing is always fun.

I despise superman for some reason, and toyman, as a villain, could have been done better (so many toy themed villains in batman did so much better). Even though I disliked Superman from an early age, his death didn't really do much for me.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on June 29, 2006, 08:39:31 PM
The Up, Up and Away story arc just concluded in Action 840.  
Very well done.  Some nice finetuning of Superman's power.

Justice 6(of 12) is out.  I love the art, as well as the plotline.
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on July 02, 2006, 02:49:40 PM
Just got back from the last day of the Heroes Con.
I actually bought a couple of Indies.
Deadmen Tell No Tales, from Arcana Comics, really impressed me.  
And Crumpled Planet from Torc Press was just plain weird.  But good.


I picked up a lot of old GLs, and found a Guy Gardner #1 for $.40.

Saw Rosario Dawson (from Sin City).  She is doing an independent comic next month.  
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: Ishmayl-Retired on July 02, 2006, 02:52:11 PM
Thought I'm not talking about the comics here, this seems a good place to put this:

Superman Returns is Amazing.  This is definitely the way to bring back a dead franchise.  The casting ended up being perfect (I was a bit worried about both Routh and Bosworth ... never worried about Spacey, though ;) ), the script was perfect, and the special effects... perfect.  This is no Matrix, and it's really not even a Spiderman 2... the action scenes revolve more around Superman doing awesome stunts rather than fighting equally tough opponents, but still, great effects.  And damn, Kevin Spacey will STEAL a scene!
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: CYMRO on July 02, 2006, 02:54:46 PM
I have yet to see it, but it is on my to do list.
I have heard good things about the story.  Glad to here a good review!
Title: Favorite Comic Book Story Arc
Post by: beejazz on July 03, 2006, 01:03:20 PM
meh. I was actually REALLY disappointed with Superman Returns. REALLY disappointed.