IGN.com recently listed their top 25 runs of the decade.
Before we begin, some criteria: these runs are limited to company-owned superhero characters. There's no creator-owned work here, so you won't find things like Ex Machina, Invincible, or Irredeemable. The runs in question also have to have been handled predominately after April 2002; it could have started before then, but a majority of the run must fall in the last decade. Let's get to it!
(click the link above for their thoughts on each run)
25. Wonder Woman (Gail Simone & Aaron Lopresti) (Wonder Woman Vol. 3 #14-44, #600)
24. Fantastic Four (Mark Waid & Mike Wieringo) (Fantastic Four Vol. 2 #60-70, #500-524)
23. Teen Titans (Geoff Johns) (Teen Titans Vol. 3 #1-45)
22. Catwoman (Ed Brubaker) (Catwoman Vol. 3 #1-37)
21. Fantastic Four/FF (Jonathan Hickman) (Fantastic Four #570-current, FF #1-current)
20. Marvel Cosmic (Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning)
(Annihilation: Nova #1-4, Nova Vol. 4 #1-35, Annihilation: Conquest #1-6, The Thanos Imperative #1-6 & Devastation/Ignition One-Shots, Annihilators #1-4, Annihilators: Earthfall #1-4)
19. Jonah Hex (Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray) (Jonah Hex Vol.2 #1-70)
18. Birds of Prey (Gail Simone) (Birds of Prey Vol. 1 #56-90, #92-108, Vol. 2 #1-13)
17. Witchblade (Ron Marz) (Witchblade #80-150, Artifacts #1-current)
16. The Avengers (Brian Bendis)
(Avengers Vol. 1 #500-503, Avengers Finale, New Avengers Vol. 1 #1-64, Annual #1-2, New Avengers Finale, Mighty Avengers #1-20, Dark Avengers #1-6, #9-16, Annual #1, The Avengers Vol. 4 #1-Present, Annual #1, The New Avengers Vol. 2 #1-Present, Annual #1, Avengers Prime #1-5, Avengers Assemble #1-Present)
15. The Punisher (Garth Ennis) (The Punisher Vol. 5 #1-37, Punisher MAX #1-60, Punisher: War Zone #1-6)
14. Batgirl (Bryan Q. Miller) (Batgirl Vol. 3 #1-24, Bruce Wayne - The Road Home: Batgirl)
13. Detective Comics (Scott Snyder, Jock, Francesco Francavilla) (Detective Comics Vol. 1 #871-881)
12. The Incredible Hulk (Greg Pak)
(The Incredible Hulk Vol. 3 #92-111, #601-611, The Incredible Hercules (w/ Fred Van Lente) #112-141,The Incredible Hulks #612-635, World War Hulk #1-5, Skaar: Son of Hulk #1-12)
11. X-Factor (Peter David)( Madrox #1-5, X-Factor Vol. 3 #1-50, #200-current, X-Factor: The Quick and the Dead #1)
10. Immortal Iron Fist (Matt Fraction & Ed Brubaker)
(Immortal Iron First #1-16, Immortal Iron Fist: Orson Randall and the Green Mist of Death #1, Immortal Iron Fist: The Origin of Danny Rand #1)
9. Runaways (Brian K. Vaughan & Adrian Alphona) (Runaways Vol. 1 #1-18, Vol. 2 #1-24)
8. Ultimate Spider-Man (Brian Bendis) (Ultimate Spider-Man #1-160, Ultimate Comics Spider-Man #1-current)
7. Gotham Central (Ed Brubaker & Greg Rucka) (Gotham Central #1-40)
6. The Invincible Iron Man (Matt Fraction & Salvador Larroca)
(The Invincible Iron Man #1-33, #500-current, Annual #1, FCBD 2010: Iron Man/Thor, Fear Itself #7.2)
5. Green Lantern (Geoff Johns)
(Green Lantern: Rebirth #1-6, Green Lantern Vol. 4 #1-67, Vol. 5 #1-current, Blackest Night #1-8, Green Lantern Corps: Recharge #1-6, Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special, Green Lantern: Larfleeze Christmas Special)
4. Secret Six (Gail Simone)
(Villains United #1-6, Infinite Crisis Special: Villains United #1, Secret Six Vol. 2 #1-6, Secret Six Vol. 3 #1-36)
3. Captain America (Ed Brubaker)
(Captain America Vol. 5 #1-50, #600-619, Vol. 6 #1-current, Captain America: Reborn #1-6, Winter Soldier #1-current, Captain America and Bucky #620-628, Captain America: Who Will Wield the Shield?, Winter Solider: Winter Kills)
2. Daredevil (Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev) (Daredevil Vol. 2 #26-81)
1. Batman (Grant Morrison)
(Batman Vol. 1 #655-658, #663-683, #700-702, Batman and Robin Vol. 1 #1-16, Batman: The Return, Batman Inc Vol. 1 #1-8, Leviathan Strikes!, Final Crisis, Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne #1-6, Batman Inc. Vol. 2 (coming in May)
Thoughts?
What is missing? What shouldn't be there? What is your list?
Comments
Off the top of my head, the first thing I would do is trade out Criminal for Gotham Central (though Gotham Central is great).
I think Walking Dead is a strange omission.
5.Ultimate Spider-Man (Brian Bendis) at least in the Peter Parker era
4. Fantastic Four/FF (Jonathan Hickman) (Fantastic Four #570-current, FF #1-current)
3. Jonah Hex (Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray) (Jonah Hex Vol.2 #1-70)
2. Captain America (Ed Brubaker)
1. Daredevil (Brian Bendis and Alex Maleev) (Daredevil Vol. 2 #26-81)
The one not on the list but needs to be
Action Comics/Superman Geoff Johns w/ Kurt Busiek (on the 1st arc then solo afterwards) from From Up Up & Away to Superman Last Son arc
Overall a good list while I am not a Morrison Batman fan but I do realize everyone has different tastes in comics.
Matthew
KyleMoyer: "I'm thinking Walking Dead isn't there because this isn't including creator owned comics. Referring to a "run" on a book takes a different connotation when it's a book you own and nobody else is doing it. Same with Criminal for that matter."
Seems like an arbitrary designation. Bearing that in mind, all of the books I listed, with the exception of Criminal, featured changes in their art teams. So the Kirkman/Ottley run on Invincible should be on there, as should the Kirkman/Adlard run on Walking Dead, as should the Willingham/Buckingham run on Fables, etc.
Hell, Guy Davis and John Arcudi don't own B.P.R.D. at all—why are they omitted.
It's just another stupid Big 2-centric list. :)
Agents of Atlas (the various mini-series and short run series)
Dan Slott's She-Hulk
chris
chris
I think they would have been better off sticking with Nova or GotG...as those two series were the best DnA did for Marvel.
Yes it is!
I do the same thing almost every year.