31 Days of Comics
JaceTheComicSource
Posts: 140
CBR had a really cool article the other day so I thought I would post it here and see if we can get a good thread going for the month with the same 31 days of comics. I think it would be great of we each start a post and edit it throughout the month with our answers. That way at the end of the 31 days we each have a long post with all 31 choices. goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/category/31-days-of-comics-2015/
Day One: Your Favorite Comic
Day Two: A comic you would recommend to anyone. (According to original post on CBR this means it needs to be an all ages book, thus appropriate for young readers as well. I don't necessarily think we need to stick to this restriction, but I leave that up to you guys individually.)
Day Three: Great Adaption or Remake of Another Work
Day Four: The First Comic You Seriously Pursued
Day Five: A Great Love Story
Day Six: Nonfiction Comic You’d Recommend to People Who Don’t Do Nonfiction
Day Seven: Your Comfort Comic
Day Eight: A Gorgeous Comic
Day Nine:A Comic That Totally Blew Your Mind
Day Ten: The Most Beautiful Scene in Any Comic
Day Eleven: Old Comic You Love
Day Twelve: Favorite Holiday Comic
Day Thirteen: A Great Plot Twist
Day Fourteen: Comic That You Love That You'll Never Read Again
Day Fifteen: A Comic That Makes You Smile
Day Sixteen: A Comic That Makes You Cry
Day Seventeen: A Comic That Reminds You Of Someone
Day Eighteen: A Comic That Deserves A Soundtrack
Day Nineteen: Comic That You Quote From
Day Twenty: Comic with Witty Dialogue
Day Twenty One: Comic You Used to Love Bit Now Dislike
Day Twenty Two: Comic That Makes You Want to Have Sloppy Makeouts with Someone
Day Twenty Three: First Comic You Bought
Day Twenty Four: Comic That Makes You Laugh
Day Twenty Five: Comic From Your Favorite Creator
Day Twenty Six: A Guilty Pleasure Comic
Day Twenty Seven: Comic You Have Read the Most Times
Day Twenty Eight A Comic For Kids
Day Twenty Nine: A Comic That Changed the Way You See the World
Day Thirty: A Truly Smart Comic
Day Thirty One: A Comic You'd Hate to Leave Off a List of Comics
Favorite comic:
This can be answered in several ways, all-time, current, title, run or individual issue. I am going to go with nostalgia and choose Rom Spaceknight.
Comic I would recommend to anyone:
Skyward A great all ages title from Action Labs, this is the creator owned title by the late, great Jeremy Dale. This was his dream project and it saddens me greatly that he was taken from us all too soon. I wonder if his wife Kelly has any plans to finish the story or knows any of Jeremy's plans for the story going forward, but the 9 issues put out before his death are certainly worth reading.
Best adaption or remake of another work:
Gotta go with Conan the Barbarian so many classic stories of the famous character created by Robert E. Howard and there is certainly a greater volume of work as comic stories than the original prose. I will similarly give a honorable mention to Red Sonja, especially the recent Gail Simone penned series from Dynamite which is excellent.
First comic I seriously pursued:
Once more I go with Rom Spaceknight from Marvel. This was the title that made me realize that comics were serialized stories and I needed to continue to get the title every month so that I could get the whole story. Also this was the first title that I actively sought out back issues for.
Great Love Story:
I had to think about this one for just a bit, but I think I am going to go with the first six issues of Clone from Robert Kirkman's Skybound imprint. The things the main protagonist goes through to get his wife back is incredible. Another series that is VERY underrated and a favorite of mine.
Nonfiction Comic You’d Recommend to People Who Don’t Do Nonfiction:
This is an easy one for me The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames. Hilarious and sad at the same time, it is a realistic look and someone struggling with despair and finding his place in the world.
Comfort Comic:
I could easily go with Rom again, but I am pleasantly surprised by how much love he has gotten in this thread so far so I think I will go another direction and choose some books I have read over and over which are Who's Who and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. This are the books I always seem to get sucked into whenever I come across them. So much information and nostalgia packed into the pages of these comics.
A Gorgeous Comic:
Another easy one for me. My favorite comic artist of all time and his first creator owned work. Fathom by Michael Turner. The line work, the panel layouts, the colors .... it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful and dynamic it is.
A Comic That totally Blew My Mind:
I am going with a title that I had no idea what to expect when I read it. The reboot of Harbinger from Valiant. This book was a must-read, can't put it down sort of book right from the start. Joshua Dysart is an amazing writer and this book get my highest recommendation.
The Most Beautiful Scene in Any Comic:
Uncanny X-Men #137 The final sequence of the Dark Phoenix Saga is beautiful in so many ways. Gorgeous art by Byrne, the love of Scott and Jean, a tension filled climax written by Claremont and finally Jean's heroic sacrifice to stop the Phoenix force by destroying herself.
Old Comic That You Love:
Superboy #117 This is Silver Age goodness at it's finest and it guest stars the Legion of Super-Heroes. Alternate dimensions, Legion traitors, an all-powerful Superboy and 2 pages full of exposition as Superboy figures everything out and solves the problem in an instant. You could not ask for more.
Favorite Holiday Comic:
Captain America #50 "Silent Night, Silent Morning" A great example of visual storytelling by Dan Jurgens. The entire Christmas themed story is told without any dialogue. Other stories have more holiday spirit perhaps, especially some of those classic DC Holiday stories from the late 70's and early 80's, but this is the first one I thought of due to the uniqueness of the storytelling. I'll also give an honorable mention to the Enemy Ace story from DC's Christmas with the Superheroes #2 from 1989. It was a silent story as well, written and drawn by John Byrne
A Great Plot Twist:
Reflecto is actually Superboy! From the classic Reflecto Saga in Legion of Superheroes #277-280. Al along hints were planted that Reflecto was actually Ultra Boy, so the reveal was very unexpected to my 6 year old self. This story of course gets bonus points for nostalgia as it was oe of the first comics I ever read.
Comic That You Love That You'll Never Read Again:
Never say never, but I don't see myself going back and re-reading any of the Crossed books from Avatar. I have read the first 3 story arcs and they were so dark, visceral and just down right brutal, that I don't feel the need to re-visit them. They were very engrossing and I certainly thought they were well done, but even as I was reading them they made me feel ... uncomfortable I guess you could say. The little catholic school boy in me thinking. "I am going to hell for reading this" =P
A Comic That Makes You Smile:
Peter Porker The Spectacular Spider-Ham, great fun with all the animal analogues of the Marvel Universe. My favorite was always the Pun-fisher, but I alwaus liked Deerdevil and Goose Rider. Oh and Ducktor Doom, Kingpig ..... hehe they were all great.
Day One: Your Favorite Comic
Day Two: A comic you would recommend to anyone. (According to original post on CBR this means it needs to be an all ages book, thus appropriate for young readers as well. I don't necessarily think we need to stick to this restriction, but I leave that up to you guys individually.)
Day Three: Great Adaption or Remake of Another Work
Day Four: The First Comic You Seriously Pursued
Day Five: A Great Love Story
Day Six: Nonfiction Comic You’d Recommend to People Who Don’t Do Nonfiction
Day Seven: Your Comfort Comic
Day Eight: A Gorgeous Comic
Day Nine:A Comic That Totally Blew Your Mind
Day Ten: The Most Beautiful Scene in Any Comic
Day Eleven: Old Comic You Love
Day Twelve: Favorite Holiday Comic
Day Thirteen: A Great Plot Twist
Day Fourteen: Comic That You Love That You'll Never Read Again
Day Fifteen: A Comic That Makes You Smile
Day Sixteen: A Comic That Makes You Cry
Day Seventeen: A Comic That Reminds You Of Someone
Day Eighteen: A Comic That Deserves A Soundtrack
Day Nineteen: Comic That You Quote From
Day Twenty: Comic with Witty Dialogue
Day Twenty One: Comic You Used to Love Bit Now Dislike
Day Twenty Two: Comic That Makes You Want to Have Sloppy Makeouts with Someone
Day Twenty Three: First Comic You Bought
Day Twenty Four: Comic That Makes You Laugh
Day Twenty Five: Comic From Your Favorite Creator
Day Twenty Six: A Guilty Pleasure Comic
Day Twenty Seven: Comic You Have Read the Most Times
Day Twenty Eight A Comic For Kids
Day Twenty Nine: A Comic That Changed the Way You See the World
Day Thirty: A Truly Smart Comic
Day Thirty One: A Comic You'd Hate to Leave Off a List of Comics
Favorite comic:
This can be answered in several ways, all-time, current, title, run or individual issue. I am going to go with nostalgia and choose Rom Spaceknight.
Comic I would recommend to anyone:
Skyward A great all ages title from Action Labs, this is the creator owned title by the late, great Jeremy Dale. This was his dream project and it saddens me greatly that he was taken from us all too soon. I wonder if his wife Kelly has any plans to finish the story or knows any of Jeremy's plans for the story going forward, but the 9 issues put out before his death are certainly worth reading.
Best adaption or remake of another work:
Gotta go with Conan the Barbarian so many classic stories of the famous character created by Robert E. Howard and there is certainly a greater volume of work as comic stories than the original prose. I will similarly give a honorable mention to Red Sonja, especially the recent Gail Simone penned series from Dynamite which is excellent.
First comic I seriously pursued:
Once more I go with Rom Spaceknight from Marvel. This was the title that made me realize that comics were serialized stories and I needed to continue to get the title every month so that I could get the whole story. Also this was the first title that I actively sought out back issues for.
Great Love Story:
I had to think about this one for just a bit, but I think I am going to go with the first six issues of Clone from Robert Kirkman's Skybound imprint. The things the main protagonist goes through to get his wife back is incredible. Another series that is VERY underrated and a favorite of mine.
Nonfiction Comic You’d Recommend to People Who Don’t Do Nonfiction:
This is an easy one for me The Alcoholic by Jonathan Ames. Hilarious and sad at the same time, it is a realistic look and someone struggling with despair and finding his place in the world.
Comfort Comic:
I could easily go with Rom again, but I am pleasantly surprised by how much love he has gotten in this thread so far so I think I will go another direction and choose some books I have read over and over which are Who's Who and The Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe. This are the books I always seem to get sucked into whenever I come across them. So much information and nostalgia packed into the pages of these comics.
A Gorgeous Comic:
Another easy one for me. My favorite comic artist of all time and his first creator owned work. Fathom by Michael Turner. The line work, the panel layouts, the colors .... it never ceases to amaze me how beautiful and dynamic it is.
A Comic That totally Blew My Mind:
I am going with a title that I had no idea what to expect when I read it. The reboot of Harbinger from Valiant. This book was a must-read, can't put it down sort of book right from the start. Joshua Dysart is an amazing writer and this book get my highest recommendation.
The Most Beautiful Scene in Any Comic:
Uncanny X-Men #137 The final sequence of the Dark Phoenix Saga is beautiful in so many ways. Gorgeous art by Byrne, the love of Scott and Jean, a tension filled climax written by Claremont and finally Jean's heroic sacrifice to stop the Phoenix force by destroying herself.
Old Comic That You Love:
Superboy #117 This is Silver Age goodness at it's finest and it guest stars the Legion of Super-Heroes. Alternate dimensions, Legion traitors, an all-powerful Superboy and 2 pages full of exposition as Superboy figures everything out and solves the problem in an instant. You could not ask for more.
Favorite Holiday Comic:
Captain America #50 "Silent Night, Silent Morning" A great example of visual storytelling by Dan Jurgens. The entire Christmas themed story is told without any dialogue. Other stories have more holiday spirit perhaps, especially some of those classic DC Holiday stories from the late 70's and early 80's, but this is the first one I thought of due to the uniqueness of the storytelling. I'll also give an honorable mention to the Enemy Ace story from DC's Christmas with the Superheroes #2 from 1989. It was a silent story as well, written and drawn by John Byrne
A Great Plot Twist:
Reflecto is actually Superboy! From the classic Reflecto Saga in Legion of Superheroes #277-280. Al along hints were planted that Reflecto was actually Ultra Boy, so the reveal was very unexpected to my 6 year old self. This story of course gets bonus points for nostalgia as it was oe of the first comics I ever read.
Comic That You Love That You'll Never Read Again:
Never say never, but I don't see myself going back and re-reading any of the Crossed books from Avatar. I have read the first 3 story arcs and they were so dark, visceral and just down right brutal, that I don't feel the need to re-visit them. They were very engrossing and I certainly thought they were well done, but even as I was reading them they made me feel ... uncomfortable I guess you could say. The little catholic school boy in me thinking. "I am going to hell for reading this" =P
A Comic That Makes You Smile:
Peter Porker The Spectacular Spider-Ham, great fun with all the animal analogues of the Marvel Universe. My favorite was always the Pun-fisher, but I alwaus liked Deerdevil and Goose Rider. Oh and Ducktor Doom, Kingpig ..... hehe they were all great.
Comments
Day 1 Favourite all time comic
Warrior http://www.comicbookdb.com/title.php?ID=4026
Day 2 Comic I always recommend to others
2000AD
Day 3 best adaptation or remake of another work
The V for Vendetta movie, best interpretation of an Alan Moore work to dates
Day 4 first comic you seriously pursued
Spider-man in the UK marvel B&W reprints in the seventies. Wish I still had them
Day 5 a great love story
Michael and Liz Moran in Marvelman. A great love story because it felt like a real relationship
Day 6
Nonfiction comic you's recommend etc
Maus, Maus, Maus
Day 7: Your Comfort Comic
Halo Jones
Day 8 a gorgeous comic
Just about the whole of Sandman but issue 50 the Ramadan story illustrated by P Craig Russell in particular
Day 9 - Comic that totally blew your mind
Warrior, that 80s anthology magazine from the UK
Day 10 - the most beautiful scene in any comic
Hob Gadling's dream in Sandman the Wake: Sunday Mourning
Day 11 - old comic you love
Amazing Spider-man #1
The comic I told me son I would barge him out of the way to rescue if the house was on fire (just kidding, maybe)
Day Twelve - A Great Holiday Comic
2000AD Prog 2015 - a perfect introduction to the world of British anthology comics. Available digitally from the 2000AD online store. And the dark judges return, what could possibly be more Christmassy than that?
Day 13 Great plot twist
"I did it 35 minutes ago
Day Fourteen - A Comic That You Love That You'll Never Read Again
Maus
Dray 15 a comic that makes you smile
D.R. And Quinch
Day 16 a comic that makes you cry
Swamp Thing annual 2 "Down amongst the dead men"
The moment when the Swamp Thing meets the spirit of the man he thought he was and then sees Linda Holland in the distance.
Day 17 a comic that reminds me of someone.
Swamp Thing #5 (1972). My brother gave me this when he was in the hospital. He'd found it in a junk shop and knew I collected Swampy. He never got out of that hospital and a few months later he died. It's worth almost nothing as a collectable and it almost goes without saying that I'll never part with it.
Day 18 a comic that needs a soundtrack.
The final act of the Alan Moore and Alan Davis Captain Britain run as Cap puts on his uniform to head into battle against the reality shifting mutant Mad Jim Jaspers and the killer cybiote The Fury. Really needs some swelling operatic or film soundtrack music.
Day 19 a comic that you quote from
A slight cheat here as I think the line is from the movie, not the comic
V for Vendetta "People shouldn't be afraid of their government, governments should be afraid of the people."
Day 20 a comic with witty dialogue
Hawk Guy
Day 21: A Comic That You Used to Love But Now Dislike
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen has disappeared into a prurient black hole hidden in Moore's beard.
Day 22: Comic That Makes You Wanna Have Sloppy Makeouts With Someone
Love and Rockets
Day 23 the first comic that you bought
I can't remember the first comic I bought as a kid, probably the Victor comic for boys. So I'm going to go with the first comic I bought after my break, the one that got me back into comics. Warrior #4 from 1982. A grown up comic that blew my mind.
Day 24: Comic That Makes You Laugh
Low Life by Rob Williams and D'Israeli
Day 25: Comic From Your Favorite Creator
Judge Dredd: The Pit by John Wagner and Carlos Ezquerra
Day 26 a guilty pleasure
Amazing Spider-Man #1
The pleasure is owning it, the guilt is how much it cost
Day 27 - Comic You've Read the Most Times
Watchmen
Day 28 A comic for kids
Bone
Day 29 A Comic That Changed The Way That You See The World
V for Vendetta
Day 30 a really smart comic
Criminal by a Brubaker and Philips
Day 31 a comic I'd hate to leave off a list of comics
Calvin and Hobbes
Day 2 - Saga
Day 3 - I gotta go with the latest run of Ghostbusters. As I've previously gone on about a length it's just the perfect continuous of the movie.
Day 4 - gonna have to be Swamp Thing again, after reading Alan Moores run I've been hooked.
Day 5 - can't think of many love stories, but recently I've been loving Jon and Suzies love story in Sex Criminals. Great comic!
Day 6 - non-fiction, this is an easy one. The Fifth Beatle. If you haven't already, read it!
Day 2 - The first 100 or so issues of Fantastic Four by Lee-Kirby
Day 2 Comic I Would Recommend - Rom Spaceknight
Day 3 Favorite Adaptation or Remake - Three come to mind: Conan, Red Sonja and Transformers. I will go with Transformers More Than Meets the Eye. James Roberts has kept me glued to that series.
Day 4 First Comic Series Seriously Pursued- Avengers
Day 5 A Great Romance - Rewind and Chromedome. Damn you James Roberts.
Day 6 A Nonfiction Recommendation - Satchel Page: Striking Out Jim Crow
Day 7 Your Comfort Comic - Nothing specific, anything from the bronze age Marvel.
Day 8 A Gorgeous Comic - So many to choose from. I'm going to go with Makeshift Miracle. The art by Shun Hong Chan is amazing.
Day 9 A Comic That Totally Blew My Mind - I remember seeing an issue of Heavy Metal for the first time when I was seven or eight years old. Mind blown.
Day 10: The Most Beautiful Scene in Any Comic - Still thinking this one over, not easy.
Day 11: Old Comic You Love - Amazing Spider-Man #143 1975
Day 12: Favorite Holiday Comic - Can't say that I have one.
Day 13: A Great Plot Twist - Some goods I would have said were already mentioned. I'm picking Prowl's betrayal in Robots in Disguise #13
Day 14: Comic That You Love That You'll Never Read Again - I don't remember what it was. It was one of the few fantasy comics that my mom allowed me to pickout and buy. All I remember is that it took place on ship in a storm.
Day 15: A Comic That Makes You Smile - There's a lot of those. Anything from Bronze Age Marvel, more recently just about any issue of Skullkickers or Rat Queens.
Uncanny X-men (#94 - #171)
Day 2 - Comic I always recommend to others
The Amazing Spider-Man #248
Day 3 - best adaptation or remake of another work
Star Wars (Original Marvel Series)
The art wasn't great and the stories were strange, but man did I love this book!
Day 4 - first comic you seriously pursued
Amazing Spider Man
This started was after I read the Tarantula issue (The Amazing Spider-Man #134 - July 1974). I had just turned five and was obsessed with all things Spider Man. Wanted my parents to change our last name to Parker.
Day 5 - A Great Love Story
Daredevil and Elektra
I lean toward the tragic, and this really fits the bill. Tragic and wonderful.
Day Six - Best Nonfiction Comic You’d Recommend to People Who Don’t Do Nonfiction
The Comic Book History of Comics
This was a tough one - I went with the only nonfiction comic I can remember reading the last few years. It was good. I recommend it, but this category isn't one I go for often.
Day Seven - Your Comfort Comic
Micronauts
It's all been said by others in this thread, but Micronauts was, and is, AWESOME.
Great Art, Great Story. A perfect melding of Jason and the Argonauts with Star Wars.
Sorry for missing some time, fellas. Had an emergency appendectomy last Friday! But back to it.
Day Eight - A Gorgeous Comic
DC: The New Frontier
Hard to bet against Cooke!
Day Nine:A Comic That Totally Blew Your Mind
Uncanny X-men #137
My first comic book "death".
Day Ten: The Most Beautiful Scene in Any Comic
The New Mutants. I most enjoy the Claremont run on this title but Simonson still did a fantastic job as his successor. Both writers were able to write very adult stories while still writing relatable teenage characters. And while Sienkiewicz certainly deserves the attention he's received from his work on the series, I think Bret Blevins is sorely underrated for his contributions and the short-lived Buscema/McLeod collaboration in the early issues produced some beautiful pages.
Day Two: A comic you would recommend to anyone.
Bone. This to me is the perfect definition of an all ages comic. I myself fell in love with it at a very young age when it was being printed in Disney Adventures and reading it as an adult simply has allowed me to appreciate it even more through a new pair of eyes.
Day Three: Great Adaptation Or Remake Of Another Work
Gold Key's Star Trek series. This choice is strictly personal to me. I haven't read much in the way of licensed or adapted work but I remember finding these gems collected in trades in my school library of all places when I was younger and instantly falling in love with them. They stray severely from the source material and some of the characterizations are wildly inaccurate but I still revisit them often for their charm and imagination.
Day Four: First Comic Series You Seriously Pursued
Spider-Man. I'm referring to the adjectiveless series that started in the 90's. The very first comic I ever purchased with the intent of returning to it every month was Spider-Man #49, written by Howard Mackie with pencils by Tom Lyle and inks by Scott Hanna. That quickly became one of my first favorite creative teams.
Day Five: A Great Love Story
Peter and Mary Jane. Their relationship is a very complex one. And also tragic from the very start. She always is second best to someone. Gwen Stacy. The Black Cat. Peter's immortal aunt. But her love is so pure that she always stands by Peter's side. Well, until the devil gets involved...and Mephisto, too.
Day Six: Nonfiction Comic You’d Recommend to People Who Don’t Do Nonfiction
The only non-fiction comic I own is To The Heart Of The Storm. Thus, "The winner by technical knockout! Will Eisner!" Check, please.
Day Seven: Your Comfort Comic
I know most people will cringe at my selection for this category but this is once again a choice that is very personal to me. It's a tie between the Clone Saga and the Onslaught crossover. As I stated above, I started reading comics in the 90's. The Clone Saga happened right after I started reading Spidey's titles and a couple of years later when I got into the X-Men, I started reading right before Onslaught. Those comics take me back to my childhood and I've probably read the issues a million times.
Day Eight: A Gorgeous Comic
This is difficult for me to narrow down. I was going to choose Dan Slott and Michael and Laura Allred's Silver Surfer but that's a little too obvious for me. So instead I'm going back to 1985 and a little masterpiece called Moonshadow. I first came across this comic about ten years ago when I picked up two or three issues from a flea market because I saw J.M. DeMatteis' name on them and he's one of my favorite writers. It soon became one of the only cases where the artwork overpowered his writing for me. Jon Jay Muth is now a name I look for as well.
Day Nine: A Comic That Totally Blew My Mind
Not really a specific comic but an entire publisher: CrossGen. Discovering CrossGen is THE reason why I became interested in indie comics. I got into comics in '94 and was a Marvel zombie for six years before picking up The First #1 in 2000. I was never the same.
What blew my mind about CrossGen's books is that they really felt larger than life. The art was breathtaking. The writing epic. These books weren't content just being comics. They were Shakespeare. They were Homer. They were Arthur Conan Doyle and Tolkien.
They demanded my attention and they got it. And even when CrossGen died, it had still left it's mark on me. I bore my own Sigil now and I would never again limit myself to only one publisher because now I knew what this art form was all about and what it was capable of. I needed CrossGen and it filled that need briefly but sufficiently.
Day Ten: The Most Beautiful Scene In Any Comic
The ending of Number One by Gary Scott Beatty. I really don't want to spoil it for anyone who hasn't read it, so I'll just say that it's a nice one-shot story about an honest man who perseveres and gets what he deserves. Honestly, this entire comic is beautiful and I feel I owe it to everyone I meet to share it with them to honor the writer and main character.
Day Eleven: Old Comic You Love
Shazam! #18 (1975). This is one of those comics that just came into my possession at exactly the right time. I picked this up in late 2013 after just coming back to comics from a five-year hiatus and I was already second-guessing my decision because I was completely underwhelmed by my initial introduction to the New 52. I saw this at a local flea market and the cover made me laugh. I read it, loved it and became a Captain Marvel fan that day.
Day Twelve: Favorite Holiday Comic
The Sensational Spider-Man #24. This comic hit all the right notes for me as a Christmas comic. I love the story about Peter trying to find the perfect gift for his partner, Billy Walters (a criminally under-developed character that I would have loved to see more of in Spidey's supporting cast). I also really dug how the issue referenced the -1 issues of the Spidey books. And a standalone story, to boot!
Day Thirteen: A Great Plot Twist
Watchmen. 'Nuff said.
Day Fourteen: Comic That You Love That You'll Never Read Again
I really can't see myself ever reading The Killing Joke again. It's one of my favorite Joker stories but I prefer to remember it the way I read it the first time and not to dilute that memory through repeated future readings.
Day Fifteen: A Comic That Makes You Smile
Peter Parker: Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #20. This is a really nice single-issue story that has one of the most rewarding endings of any comic I've ever read. And it makes me smile every time I read it. What a great beginning to Paul Jenkins run.
Day One: Your favorite comic
Legion of Super Heroes. The first comic I remember reading as a child was one that I found at my grandmother's house. I was 5-ish. I don't recall the specific issue or number - it would have been an issue of Adventure Comics. What I most remember about it was the individual panel showing the roster of the Legion (and, I think, the Super-Pets). The huge number of characters was something in and of itself, but the adventures... that was the thing. I've got fond memories of those older issues, and the Grell run, but it was the first Levitz run that really knocked my socks off. Since then, I've had a hot and cold affair with the Legion. The Zero Hour jughead Legion got me to quit for a while, but Legion Lost brought me back. I stuck it out through the Waid-Kitson series (beautiful to look at, but not the characters I wanted to read about) and even through the Shooter return and on into the newer stuff. I'm jonesing a bit for some Legion goodness. Stayed away, so far, from the Justice League United storyline, but that's pretty much all pricepoint. They'll be back eventually, and I'll be there when they return.
Day Two: A comic you would recommend to anyone.
Micronauts. What's not to love? Along with Rom and Shogun Warriors, it was one of the incredible licensed books that played well in the Marvel Universe and had so much of its own mythology. Really an amazing piece of work and beautifully rendered.
Day Three: Great Adaptation Or Remake Of Another Work
Valiant's Magnus: Robot Fighter and Solar: Man of the Atom. Magnus was also present in that first comics cache I discovered at my grandmother's house. The robots in the book were silly, gangly looking things, but Magnus was pretty cool with his ability to shatter steel with his bare hands! Whan Magnus made it back to the stands in the '90s, I was overcome with nostalgia - they'd managed to preserve the design aesthetic, but make it cool and amp up the art and colors as well. Solar managed to do the same thing, but with a property that I was unfamiliar with at the time.
Day Four: First Comic Series You Seriously Pursued
I dove in deep with three series simultaneously. Iron Man, Captain America and Legion of Super Heroes. I came back into comics just as Armor Wars wrapped up and ended up chasing back issues that were mostly solid back to around issue 94 (from that point - I gave up Iron Man in the 90's when JRJR was on the book). Captain America was similar as this was also right around the time of the Captain and the Johnny Walker Captain America. I loved the character from my childhood and dove in with a passion but I don't think that I got as deep into the back issues. I've already gushed about Legion.
Day Five: A Great Love Story
Hmm. This is probably going to be one of the tougher categories for me. I can't really think of a whole lot of true love stories. There are the cliches like Spidey & Mary-Jane and Supes & Lois. I think that I'm going to go with Legion of Super Heroes no. 31 from July of 1992 - The Elements of Heartbreak.
Day Six: Best Nonfiction Comic You’d Recommend to People Who Don’t Do Nonfiction
I've read very few non-fiction comics, though I read a pretty good amount of non-fiction in formats other than comic. The only one that comes to immediate mind is the Dark Horse Medal of Honor series from the 90's. My recollection is that the series was pretty informative though the art was all over the place. I'm not sure that it really fits the category as a book for people that don't do non-fiction.
Day Seven: Your Comfort Comic
Man! These do not get any easier. I'm not sure that I have a comfort comic. If we're talking about books that I've read and reread the most times, I'd have to go with Sin City and Watchmen, but I don't think that there is really anything comfortable about them. I think that, for the pure nostalgia value, from which much comfort can be had, I've got to go with either Rom: Spaceknight as a title or Avengers 160 - The Trial.
For Rom, I've found so much pleasure in going back to reread issues and fill in holes that I hadn't read as a child. Proof that one can go home again.
With the Avengers issue, it's probably one of the absolute most vivid comic book images that I have etched in my brain from childhood. The final confrontation between Wonder Man and Grim Reaper was such a spectacle!
Day Eight: A Gorgeous Comic:
Hmmm. Pretty easy to narrow this one down to two, one that is genuinely gorgeous and one that just leaves me fascinated to look at but probably qualifies more as grotesque. First pick: Pretty much anything by JH Williams III, but for the sake of this, I'll go with the first Batwoman arc from Detective Comics (issues 854-857). If pressed to choose a single issue, I'm going to have to go with 854 since that was his first Batwoman issue and it took my breath away. My more grotesque choice would be pretty much anything by Dan Brereton, but for the sake of this, I'd go with his DC prestige mini-series Psycho. Psycho is a pretty clear direct antecedent to his work with the Nocturnals. Good book, amazing art.
Day 9 - Comic that totally blew your mind
Mind-blowing comics.... hmmm, mind blown in a good way - I'm going to fall back on Detective Comics 854 again. purely based on how amazed I was with the page composition. Was a body of work, I'd put Watchmen in this category as well.
Mind blown in a way I'm still not clear on... Stray Toasters. I bought it, I read it, I'm still not entirely sure what it was or what happened in it. Unfortunately, I sold my copies so I'm not in a position to go back and reread it.
Mind blown in a less than positive way... I've definitely got some contenders, but am going to try to keep this positive!
Day 10 - The Most Beautiful Scene in Any Comic
Wow! Yet another really, really tough one. How about Valerie from V for Vendetta?
Day 11 - Old Comic You Love
This one is pretty easy - Adventure Comics 247. Cheesy stuff, but the birth of the Legion so hard for me to put anything else above it.
Day Twelve - A Great Holiday Comic
I could go traditional, but I'm going to go with an issue of Dredd Rules! (I don't recall the number) from the mid-90s that reprinted several Christmas themed progs from 2000 AD. Alternate would be for theTreasury Edition of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
Day Thirteen - A Great Plot Twist
I can't recall the exact Prog of 2000 AD, but it would have been right near the 680's. Dredd takes the Long Walk.
Alternate would be the return of the Anti-Monitor in Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1.
Day Fourteen - A Comic That You Love That You'll Never Read Again:
The modern era Blackhawk run from the 70s. Issues 244-250. I may go back and reread the two issues with Bio-Lord, but the rest of it is so oddly abrupt - They bring it back after an 8 year hiatus to suddenly through the Blackhawks in jet fighters with flight suits that, by design are V-necked down to the navel, tell one overarching story and then put it back to bed for another 6 years? Still, Bio-Lord was sooooo cool and this arc was the first place that I ever saw a War Wheel!
Day Fifteen: A Comic That Makes You Smile
Hmmm. I think I'm going to have to go with The Tick. Specifically the first arc.
2. A Comic You Recommend to Everybody No Matter What: The Dark Knight Returns. It’s Batman, it’s a classic, and it touches people as long as they know who Batman is. Miller’s art worked perfectly, and the story still holds up to their day.
3. Great Adaptation or Remake of Another Work: Star Wars has to be considered the biggest and best in this category. The comic came out before the movie, and I read a lot of it before the movie came out…so when there were scenes in the comic not in the movie, I was disappointed. All of the addition comics (thousands over the last 30 or so years) have added to the story…and they were better additions than the damn Prequels.
4. First Comic Series You Seriously Pursued: The EC Library. I saw it advertised in the Overstreet Price Guide #9, and at the time, the idea of paying $100 for a slipcase of four or five hardcover reprints of 50’s comics seemed insane. But after reading the article praising EC, I had to have it. Luckily, I spent the late 80’s and early 90’s working in a comic shop while they were still in print, and buy working a LOT of overtime at my part-time job, I bought them up, one by one. By the time the published the Pre-Code volume, I was working a decent enough job to pre-order it, and the Picto-Fiction (last of the sets) came out in 2005, while I was working part-time at a shop…so I completed my collection and didn’t have to pay the now insane premium prices for the books.
ETA: Apparently, there is a character limit to a single post - continuing to archive starting with Day Sixteen here.
Day Sixteen: A Comic That Makes You Cry
I don't think that I can remember a comic that actually moved me to tears. the Emerald Twilight arc in Green Lantern certainly left me feeling very down but that was more because of what they did to Hal Jordan. Zero Hour had a similar effect due to things like Fate, Manhunter and most importantly, the Legion of Super Heroes.
All that said, I think that the two moments that stand out the most are Countdown to Infinite Crisis - Ted Kord dies because none of the other characters think that he's important enough to help him when he asks and the funeral of Sue Dibny in Identity Crisis. Yeah, I know that a lot of people hate Identity Crisis, but if you take out the circumstances that lead up to the funeral and just look at that scene, it's heartwrenching.
Day Seventeen: A Comic That Reminds You of Somebody
So many choices. I got an awful lot of my early books handed down to me by on uncle. I've already talking about the cache of comics I found at my grandmother's house. All of my comics would get passed between me, my dad and another uncle when I was growing up and I worked in a comic shop for several years. End result is that there are an awful lot of comics I associate with specific people. So, I'm going to go the other way around on this one. We had a sub, Jason, at the shop where I worked who was absolutely awesome. He was just a couple of years older than me and always cheerful, after graduation from U of I, he took a job as an overnight DJ at a local radio station with the radio name of "The Sandman." Ultimately, he moved to Chicago and got involved with improv theater, developed a friendship with Del Close (Wasteland comic and the revival tent preacher from the 80s remake of The Blob, among many other things) prior to Del's death. Ultimately he stayed with improv and had been teaching at one of the schools. I found out about a week ago that he had passed away very suddenly two days prior. So, in honor of Jason, I'm going with Sandman and Wasteland.
Day Eighteen: A Comic That Deserves A Soundtrack
Lazarus I've got to think that it would end up being some bizarre blend of Vangelis (for most of it) and Iron Maiden. Also, Black Science which would probably be some even stranger blend of Philip Glass, Oingo Boingo (or just Danny Elfman) and some kind of speed metal.
Day Nineteen: Comic That You Quote From
Doctor Zero from the Marvel Shadowline Saga. "I wish, I want, I am... INFINITY" and a favorite "Mankind is like a pet. Sometimes, when it does good it should be rewarded... and sometimes when it does bad."
Currently serving on a grand jury so I've been running around the house quoting Marshal Law and Judge Dredd a fair amount to the kids.
Day Twenty: A Comic With Witty Dialogue
Easy one for the top of the list would be The Tick - especially the early issues... I'm looking at you Barry!
I've also got to give some credit to the Bwa-ha-ha Justice League.
And then there's the guilty pleasure (semi)witty dialog book - Gun Fury. God it was stupid yet fun.
Day 21: A Comic That You Used to Love But Now Dislike
Hmmm. Pretty much the entire Marvel Universe at this juncture. I haven't read much of it in years, but what I was finding was that the things that used to be of interest to me were double shipping, overpriced, featured and an artist or writer that I don't care for, or included a radically different character mix that wasn't to my taste. Also, Sentry. I utterly loath that character and feel like his inclusion in the MU diminished it in its entirety.
Day 22: Comic That Makes You Wanna Have Sloppy Makeouts With Someone
See Torchsong's response. Perfect choice. Perfect description. Day Twenty-Three: First Comic You Bought
Avengers #145 "The Taking of the Avengers" February of 1976. I just checked out the issue on ComicbookDB. My memory had this as a George Perez issue but it was apparently a Don Heck fill-in issue - the first of two parts (I don't think that I've read the second part).
Day Twenty-Four: Comic That Makes You Laugh
Going back to the old standby - The Tick. It offers a level of quirk and silliness that is just about perfect. In general, I'm not a big fan of comedy comics, but I really dug this book during the Edlund years (years potentially being the time period between issues).
Day Twenty-Five: Comic From Your Favorite Creator
Tough one... I've got multiple favorite creators...
Greg Rucka - Queen & Country was great. His run on Checkmate was also a whole lot of fun! Have I mentioned Lazarus lately?
Dan Brereton - the Black Terror. My first experience with Brereton. No turning back after reading it.
Bill Mantlo - Rom and Micronauts.
Paul Levitz / Keith Giffen / Tom & Mary Bierbaum / Jim Starlin / Mike Grell / Dave Cockrum - Legion of Super Heroes.
Day Twenty Six Guilty Pleasure Comic
Early Image books - mostly from the Homage/Wildstorm studio. I was particularly enamored with WetWorks.
Day Twenty Seven: Comic You Have Read The Most TImes
This one is easy - Avengers #160. I read the cover off of that one as a kid and have bought the issue itself on multiple occasions (as well as buying the Greatest Avengers Stories TPB). I still occasionally pull the TPB out to give it a reread. Wonderman was such a bada$$ in that issue!
Day Twenty Eight A Comic For Kids
I have multiple offerings here. First - the entire series of Timm-verse DC comics. My son absolutely adored the Justice League Adventures books in particular, but dug the Batman Adventures and Superman Adventures books as well.
Going the slightly more scholarly course - Classics Illustrated. I remember checking the digest versions out of our school library when I was in elementary school and, as I previously noted, absolutely loved the First Comics Classics Illustrated that came out in the late 80's-early 90s.
Day Twenty Nine - A Comic That Changed the Way That You See the World
The entire book was quite good, but I'm going to drill down to a single image. It comes from the very first page of the America story arch from an issue of Judge Dredd Megazine from the early 90's.
It's a night shot, towering over the viewer, and the Statue of Liberty, is the Statue of Justice, a humongous judge with a baleful glow coming from the visor of its helmet.
The mid ground features Judge Dredd.
The foreground: Bloodspatters on the steps near the US flag draped body of a pro-democracy demonstrator, a gun lay nearby.
The narrative caption: "Justice has a price. That price is freedom."
It's an incredibly powerful and incredibly cynical image.
Day One: Your Favorite Comic-
All time favorite is too hard to figure out, so I might cheat a bit, and say that my current favorite comic being published is Saga.
Day Two: A comic you would recommend to anyone-
Y: The Last Man. Another one from the same writer, as it happens. Probably the comic I have lent out the most, particularly to those who don't expect that comics would be for them. A distinctive, finite series that has great serial storytelling throughout.
And for younger readers, we started our oldest daughter on Owly (soon followed by Roger Landridge Muppets comics). And I've also gifted a number of copies of Bone, Princeless, and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic to my niece and older children of my friends.
Day Three: Great Adaption or Remake of Another Work-
I will nostalgically go back to what I think was my very first comic-- a (coverless... so, stolen goods, but we didn't know that at the time!) of G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero #1. That series, and soon after, the original Marvel Transformers were what got me into reading comics back in the early 80s. And here I still am.
Day Four: The First Comic You Seriously Pursued-
Not a single comic, but one of the first creators whose work I really pursued, and what got me into being a serious collector (at least, collector/reader-- I didn't care if it was a reprint or a damaged copy)-- the original Chris Claremont era of Uncanny X-Men, New Mutants and everything else he did in that 19 years of X-books.
Day Five: A Great Love Story
I've already mentioned Saga, and it is still underway (though shaping up to be a very complex and complicated love story. And not just a love story, a married-with-kids love story, that we almost never get in comics, or even in much of our fiction at all. However, to not vote for Saga for everything, I will go with a love story that is complete. And that is Preacher. I went into that series thinking it was a modern Western, and it is, but by the end I realized that more than anything, it was a love story. And a damn good one.
Day Seven Your Comfort Comic-
There isn't anything that I have always read. If quality work isn't being made about a character I enjoy, I will drop it. Even some nostalgic favorites, like Batman, G.I. Joe and the X-Men have come and gone for me over the years.
So I can't narrow down to any one title that is always a comfort. But I guess the closest thing I can get to that is The Marvel Universe itself. It is the fictional real estate I have spent the most time in, and there is a comfort food aspect of reading any Marvel Universe comic for me.
Day Eight A Gorgeous Comic-
Any of Darwyn Cooke's Parker adaptations. There is such a great style and complete aesthetic to those, as well as dazzling storytelling. It is a treat every time one of those comes out, and I find that they completely immerse you in a world. Gorgeous.
Day Nine:A Comic That Totally Blew Your Mind
It is sort of an on-the-nose choice, but I will also go with Watchmen. Part of it was the timing-- there was a newsstand in my hometown that dabbled in the direct market, and a guy that worked there that, heck, was probably only an older teenager, but he seemed a lot older to me at the time. I already loved comics, but didn't know much. And this guy became my guru. My rabbi. It was the late 80s, and the direct market was a thing, and he could point out the cool stuff. He showed me Dark Knight Returns. He showed me Watchmen. And, well, I was probably 12. So, on his (in retrospect, questionable) recommendation, I bought a first printing of the original, yellow-color Watchmen trade. And it is fair to say it blew my mind.
Would I give Watchmen to a 12 year old? Probably not. I guess I would have to know them first. I don't think it was actually bad for me. Sure, there were some things to process, so things I didn't really get. But the fact that-- for the first time-- a comic book. Heck, a book at all, was a portal to something complex, adult, mature, and worth trying to untangle was a big deal for me. I think it not only made me a lifelong comics reader, it was also a part of making me a lifelong reader. So even if I was that guys manager I would not be pleased, I am grateful for him.
Day Ten: The Most Beautiful Scene in Any Comic
Superlatives like "most" are always hard, so sometimes I go with the first thing that comes to me. A completely beautiful, moving, legitimately tearjerking scene that was also a perfectly constructed page is (NO SPOILER) a certain goodbye between two characters in the last issue of Y: The Last Man. I actually still remember where I was when I read it.
Day Eleven: Old Comic You Love
It makes me sad that these might now count as old, but I get a good feeling around any of my classic Vertigo, and especially pre-Vertigo stuff. My old Animal Mans and Hellblazers especially.
Day Twelve: Favorite Holiday Comic
I will go with a bit of adolescent 90s naughtiness, The Lobo Paramilitary Christmas Special by Giffen, Grant, and Bisley. Lobo was Deadpool before Deadpool was Deadpool. But, better. And I was 16 when it came out, so that is pretty good timing.
Day Thirteen: A Great Plot Twist
Walking Dead #6
In which-- 10 YEAR OLD WALKING DEAD SPOILER
SPOILER
SPOILER
The love/jealousy triangle between Rick, Shane, and Lori ends when Carl shoots Shane before he can kill Rick. An excellent twist, and one that continues to resonate in Carl's character 10 years later.
Day Fourteen: Comic That You Love That You'll Never Read Again
That's a really interesting question. Never sounds so final, and makes me only think of my death (which is not hard to do). And also I would say most comics I've read I will never read again, since there are so many great ones I haven't done yet. Maybe the love part is harder to find. Combined with leaving it behind.
But I would say that I have a nostalgic, formative love for the original Marvel Transformers: More Than Meets the Eye series. It, along with G.I. Joe, are what got me in. What I had my first subscriptions to. I could imagine re-reading G.I. Joe someday. But from what I have heard, and am guessing, Transformers does not hold up the same way. And, I figure, is best left to warm memory.
Day Fifteen: A Comic That Makes You Smile
Like Lobo, this is another dark, from the spleen one, but I will go with Ennis and Robertson's The Boys. I rarely get actual laughs or shocks from a book, but this one had a number of those moments. And, also, had a lot of very sophisticated and empathetic stories and relationships, too. More than I think it got credit for (as the shock and spectacle grab more of the attention). But that is something I often find and love in Ennis' work.
Day Sixteen A Comic That Makes You Cry
The Country Nurse (Essex County Trilogy Volume 3) by Jeff Lemire. This book, and especially the very last sequence, was my runner-up for 'Most Beautiful Scene', and almost my choice in a number of the other categories that have come up, but it also definitely fits this one. When suddenly he sees them all, standing around the bed, tapping their sticks? Come on. And I don't even give a damn about hockey. But that totally did it.
Hard one here. I really love the story between Mr. Miracle and Big Barda, especially when done by Kirby who played it as two gods just wanting a normal life. There's also the love story between Black Panther and Monica Lynne from the 70's and 80's, a incredibly well crafted relationship of two people from different backgrounds finding their way to common ground without the melodrama that super-hero comics have to graft on in order to make readers care.
Add to that the fact that I am just now discovering all fo the great Simon and Kirby romance comics of the 40's which were definitely crafted for adults. No sappy whiners in these stories, they are very much post war short stories that are better than I would have thought.
Good question. I'll need more than a day to think about it.
Never tried the 40's Simon & Kirby stuff and I never see them in back issues. Are they expensive and/or hard to find?
The 1976 epic, cross-company publication of Superman vs The Amazing Spider-Man: The Battle of the Century. Between Ross Andru (and others') artwork, and the mere spectacle of seeing two of comicdom's titans facing off and eventually teaming up, I don't think it got much better than that for me. Read it and re-read it and re-read it.
Day Two: A comic you would recommend to anyone
'Maus' by Art Spiegelman
A brilliant biography of Vladek Spiegelman, the author’s father, who lived through the Holocaust as a Polish Jew. A terrifying story made accessible through Spiegelman’s illustrations, where the Jews are mice and the Nazis are Cats. It is touching and disturbing - a must-read.
Day Three: Great Adaption or Remake of Another Work
Star Wars Marvel Comics
Totally agree with @SolitaireRose and @AxelBrass on this one. My Star Wars treasury editions were worn out from being SO well-read. Truly awesome adaptation, flaws and all. Honorable mentions to Jim Steranko's 'Outland' (Heavy Metal), Archie Goodwin and Walt Simonson's 'Alien' also via Heavy Metal magazine, and Marvel's Blade Runner adaptation, and even Jack Kirby and Frank Giacoia's '2001: A Space Odyssey' from Marvel Comics. All worth your time.
Day Four: The First Comic You Seriously Pursued
I actually first seriously pursued the b&w magazine Savage Sword of Conan with issue #74 (1981) being my first issue, and I kept going back to that same store once a month to get the latest copy. Then later on I chased down copies of Uncanny X-Men in the mid-80's as well as the Avengers and The 'Nam. Preceding all of that was my fondness for Amazing Spider-Man and Fantastic Four, but I was just picking them up whenever they appeared on a spinner rack that happened to be wherever I was at the time; drug store, grocery, mall, etc.
Day Five: Best Love Story
Ben Grimm and Alicia Masters, a blind woman who can’t see his monstrous exterior, but knows that underneath the rocky shell is the heart of a good, good man. Honorable mentions: Peter Parker & Mary Jane Watson, and Jean Grey and Scott Summers.
Day Six: Best Nonfiction Comic You’d Recommend to People Who Don’t Do Nonfiction
American Splendor by Harvey Pekar. This book has more profound things to say about the topic of life than most "non-funny" books. Read it, you owe it to yourself.
I'm not a "favorites" type of person, I tend to look at things on their own merits instead of comparing them to other things (unless the parallels are just too hard to avoid) but if I had to pick a favorite I'd have to say Y: the Last Man.
Day Two: A Comic You'd recommend to anyone: Bone, definitely Bone. Jeff Smith's epic is one of those rare comics that just about anyone any age can enjoy.
Day Three: Great Adaptation or Remake of Another Work: Marvel's Dark Tower series. Amazing Jae Lee artwork, and a story that not only adapted the novels on which it was based but also added to them in small but meaningful ways.
Day Four: The first comic you seriously pursued: Spider-man 2099. The whole 2099 line really, but I stuck with Spidey the longest. As a kid I just loved the super-cyberpunk world they all lived in.
Day Five: Best Love Story: The Archie/Betty/Veronica triangle.
ETA: Ran out of allowable characters on the prior posts... wrapping my entire list up here:
Day 30 A Really Smart Comic
I'm going to toss Lazarus in here. I've been continually impressed with the work of Greg Rucka previous to Lazarus. However, it's such a vast concept, with a really terrific backstory that is being shared out through backmatter. I find it fascinating, particularly the way that he addresses emerging technologies. I cannot express the affection that I have for this book strongly enough.
Day 31 A Comic I'd Hate To Leave Off A List Of Comics
Marshal Law. It's most certainly not a book for everyone, but it is a title that I've loved since I picked the first issue up off the stands. It's an unrepentant, visceral, Judge Dredd turned up to 11 allegory that holds nothing back. Also, the Kevin O'Neill art is something to hold one's attention for long periods of time just absorbing all of the little details.
Day One: Your favorite comic
Legion of Super Heroes. The first comic I remember reading as a child was one that I found at my grandmother's house. I was 5-ish. I don't recall the specific issue or number - it would have been an issue of Adventure Comics. What I most remember about it was the individual panel showing the roster of the Legion (and, I think, the Super-Pets). The huge number of characters was something in and of itself, but the adventures... that was the thing. I've got fond memories of those older issues, and the Grell run, but it was the first Levitz run that really knocked my socks off. Since then, I've had a hot and cold affair with the Legion. The Zero Hour jughead Legion got me to quit for a while, but Legion Lost brought me back. I stuck it out through the Waid-Kitson series (beautiful to look at, but not the characters I wanted to read about) and even through the Shooter return and on into the newer stuff. I'm jonesing a bit for some Legion goodness. Stayed away, so far, from the Justice League United storyline, but that's pretty much all pricepoint. They'll be back eventually, and I'll be there when they return.
Micronauts. What's not to love? Along with Rom and Shogun Warriors, it was one of the incredible licensed books that played well in the Marvel Universe and had so much of its own mythology. Really an amazing piece of work and beautifully rendered.
Valiant's Magnus: Robot Fighter and Solar: Man of the Atom. Magnus was also present in that first comics cache I discovered at my grandmother's house. The robots in the book were silly, gangly looking things, but Magnus was pretty cool with his ability to shatter steel with his bare hands! When Magnus made it back to the stands in the '90s, I was overcome with nostalgia - they'd managed to preserve the design aesthetic, but make it cool and amp up the art and colors as well. Solar managed to do the same thing, but with a property that I was unfamiliar with at the time.
I dove in deep with three series simultaneously. Iron Man, Captain America and Legion of Super Heroes. I came back into comics just as Armor Wars wrapped up and ended up chasing back issues that were mostly solid back to around issue 94 (from that point - I gave up Iron Man in the 90's when JRJR was on the book). Captain America was similar as this was also right around the time of the Captain and the Johnny Walker Captain America. I loved the character from my childhood and dove in with a passion but I don't think that I got as deep into the back issues. I've already gushed about Legion.
Hmm. This is probably going to be one of the tougher categories for me. I can't really think of a whole lot of true love stories. There are the cliches like Spidey & Mary-Jane and Supes & Lois. I think that I'm going to go with Legion of Super Heroes no. 31 from July of 1992 - The Elements of Heartbreak.
I've read very few non-fiction comics, though I read a pretty good amount of non-fiction in formats other than comic. The only one that comes to immediate mind is the Dark Horse Medal of Honor series from the 90's. My recollection is that the series was pretty informative though the art was all over the place. I'm not sure that it really fits the category as a book for people that don't do non-fiction.
ETA: I'm not terribly satisfied with this selection and continue to wrack my brain for other non-fiction comics that I've read - maybe Pride of Baghdad?. I'm liking the notion of both Comic Book History of Comics and the Fifth Beatle.
Man! These do not get any easier. I'm not sure that I have a comfort comic. If we're talking about books that I've read and reread the most times, I'd have to go with Sin City and Watchmen, but I don't think that there is really anything comfortable about them. I think that, for the pure nostalgia value, from which much comfort can be had, I've got to go with either Rom: Spaceknight as a title or Avengers 160 - The Trial.
For Rom, I've found so much pleasure in going back to reread issues and fill in holes that I hadn't read as a child. Proof that one can go home again.
With the Avengers issue, it's probably one of the absolute most vivid comic book images that I have etched in my brain from childhood. The final confrontation between Wonder Man and Grim Reaper was such a spectacle!
ETA: Yep... It's definitely Avengers #160!