Which 10 DC series runs are the best of the best?

[Wally's Comics]

Calling all DC diehards!! ...

 

One of the things that I have been noticing in my small stint here on the forum is that

there are a good part of you out there that are DC purists.

 

I for one am a Marvel buff. To give you an idea about me..the series that I cling to being some of the best are in the bronze area Uncanny X-men Giant Size #1 - Uncanny 142.

 

 

With that in mind I've always wanted to like and read DC more, but I would like to focus on what experts believe is the best works in the DC Industry and start there...

 

In your opinion - what 10 series runs (story lines, penciling etc. etc)

would make a Marvel buff a convert?

[texasknight]

Batman / Detective

[Aman619]

since all comics from 1938 trough 1962(?) are 10c, you gotta be more specific.

I originally thought you meant 10c Silver Age DCS, to which Id answer Mystery in Space and Flash. Bats and Supes were just silly at this same period, but I must admit that the Actions and Adventures were piling onto the Supes myth pretty good back then. All the great Weisinger Era inventions...

[Wally's Comics]

Any particular run through the Detective series?

 

Please B Specific!

[Wally's Comics]

I just want some info about this in genral.

I've read a couple of hundred DC titles throughout the years -

But I was just intriqued that there are collectors that believe that Marvel is a Wannabe -

I'm looking for the storys that would support such idealogy.

[texasknight]

Any particular run through the Detective series?

 

Please B Specific!

 

I'd start somewhere in the late 80's for Detective, but if you want specifics, I'd start on Batman about issue 480-485 when his back gets broken.. dont remember exactly when the Knightfall story line starts.....

[chrisco37]

100 Bullets

Fables

Y: The Last Man

Hellblazer

Preacher

Transmetropolitan

Sandman

Saga of the Swamp Thing

Watchmen

Planetary

[Wally's Comics]

You really liked the breaking of Bat Man that much eh?

 

I've just had some people that I talked to referring it to a coat-tail rider off of the Death of Supe series to make some quick comic bucks.

 

Hmmm, maybe I'll check it again.

[Wally's Comics]

Thanks for the list.

 

Are there any particular issues (series) in these books that are better than the others?

[UnrulyAppendage]

Saga of the Swamp Thing - Alan Moore issues. You can pick up the trades.

Watchmen by Alan Moore

Neal Adams on Detective Comics

I like the covers for Action Comics 360-450. Classic Neal Adams, Nick Cardy covers.

New Teen Titans 1-50 1980 series. Marv Wolfman/George Perez combo. IMHO, one of the best partnerships the last thirty years.

[nearmint]

Of course there are the classics...Dark Knight, Watchmen, Batman: Year One, Sandman. But if I was going to recommend one series to a DC newbie, it would be Starman. I wouldn't think of breaking out a certain story arc. Just read all 80 issues and you'll get a great understanding of what DC is all about.

 

Starman has everything...a great deal of respect for the Golden Age characters, while showing a modern character developing a style of his own. The evolution of a relationship of a father & son played out beautifully. And just a general feeling of WONDER for this world of superheroes. You also get the death of a very cool Golden Age character. A death treated in a respectful manner, unlike Crisis where golden age characters were killed off indiscriminately.

 

Give it a try. You won't be disappointed. If you want something edgier, try Preacher.

[chrisco37]

Thanks for the list.

 

Are there any particular issues (series) in these books that are better than the others?

 

For Saga of Swamp Thing, start at #20 (1st Alan Moore). All the titles I recommended are fantastic reads, so none better than the other.

 

Swamp Thing #37 is 1st John Constantine (Hellblazer).

 

Sandman has a few error printings that are pretty valuable. But none of the runs I suggested would set you back that much $$$.

 

Sandman (75 issues) and Hellblazer (#189 and counting) would be the most.

[texasknight]

You really liked the breaking of Bat Man that much eh?

 

I've just had some people that I talked to referring it to a coat-tail rider off of the Death of Supe series to make some quick comic bucks.

 

Hmmm, maybe I'll check it again.

I think it really gives a start into the depth of Bruce Wayne's 'madness' of always having someone to carry on his fight, even when he can't. And yes, I enjoyed the story very much.

[Zonker]

So, I'm old-school... I don't particularly like the psycho-Batman typified by the Knightfall/end/quest period. Instead, here is a list of a dozen, weighted heavily towards the Bronze Age, since you like the Byrne/Claremont X-Men. I'm also gathering you're speaking as a reader right now rather than a collector/investor/cover-gazer...

 

1. Detective 471-476 Englehart/Rogers/Austin run. Reprinted in "Strange Apparitions" TPB.

 

2. Warlord 1-15 by Mike Grell. Focus on these issues, before Vince Colletta arrived to junk up Grell's pencils.

 

3. Justice League 139-150 Steve Englehart writes: if you like the Avengers, you'll like what he tried to do with the JLA. The art suffers a bit because they doubled the monthly page count on poor Dillin. You'll prefer the art in number 6 below.

 

4. Phantom Stranger 17-25 Len Wein/Jim Aparo.

 

5. Detective 437-443 for the backup Manhunter strip by Goodwin & Simonson, but also for editor Archie Goodwin's take on the Batman (art by Toth, Chaykin, Aparo, others), and the best collection of reprints during the entire 100 page super spectacular experiment.

 

6. Justice League 100-114 Traditional super-heroics written by Len Wein, with some of the best art of that series by the Dillin / Giordano team.

 

7. Legion of Super-Heroes. Dave Cockrum's pre-X-men warm-up, found as a backup in Superboy 184, 188, 190, 191, 193, 195 before running in Superboy 197-202. Also good is the follow-up run by Mike Grell from 203 to about 220.

 

8. Legion of Super-Heroes "Great Darkness Saga" Legion 287-300 or so, with art by Keith Giffen.

 

9. JLA (1997 series) Grant Morrison writes the Worlds Greatest Super-Heroes while on crystal meth! Check out #1 through about #30 or so, or get the first 5 or 6 JLA trade paperbacks.

 

10. Spectre in Adventure 431-440. Violent stuff. If ya like the Punisher, you'll like this stuff. Art by Jim Aparo.

 

11. New Teen Titans 1-24 or so, by Marv Wolfman & George Perez

 

12. I'm cheating here, but if you like late-1960s Kirby in FF and Thor, you might like his early DC trilogy: New Gods (original series 1-11), Forever People (1-11) Mr Miracle (1 to 9 + 18, you can skip the issues in between!)

 

...and that doesn't count the Vertigo and Vertigo-esque series like Alan Moore's Swamp Thing and Watchmen, Gaiman's Sandman, Starman, The Question, Y the Last Man, 100 Bullets... etc. etc. etc.

 

...and I'm also leaving out a lot of other cool stuff you should be able to find in TPB or Hardback reprints, including O'Neil/Adams Green Lantern / Green Arrow, Adams' Deadman, The Ras al Ghul stories ("Tales of the Demon" TPB) by again O'Neil & Adams,

[143ksk]

So, I'm old-school... I don't particularly like the psycho-Batman typified by the Knightfall/end/quest period. Instead, here is a list of a dozen, weighted heavily towards the Bronze Age, since you like the Byrne/Claremont X-Men. I'm also gathering you're speaking as a reader right now rather than a collector/investor/cover-gazer...

 

1. Detective 471-476 Englehart/Rogers/Austin run. Reprinted in "Strange Apparitions" TPB.

 

2. Warlord 1-15 by Mike Grell. Focus on these issues, before Vince Colletta arrived to junk up Grell's pencils.

 

3. Justice League 139-150 Steve Englehart writes: if you like the Avengers, you'll like what he tried to do with the JLA. The art suffers a bit because they doubled the monthly page count on poor Dillin. You'll prefer the art in number 6 below.

 

4. Phantom Stranger 17-25 Len Wein/Jim Aparo.

 

5. Detective 437-443 for the backup Manhunter strip by Goodwin & Simonson, but also for editor Archie Goodwin's take on the Batman (art by Toth, Chaykin, Aparo, others), and the best collection of reprints during the entire 100 page super spectacular experiment.

 

6. Justice League 100-114 Traditional super-heroics written by Len Wein, with some of the best art of that series by the Dillin / Giordano team.

 

7. Legion of Super-Heroes. Dave Cockrum's pre-X-men warm-up, found as a backup in Superboy 184, 188, 190, 191, 193, 195 before running in Superboy 197-202. Also good is the follow-up run by Mike Grell from 203 to about 220.

 

8. Legion of Super-Heroes "Great Darkness Saga" Legion 287-300 or so, with art by Keith Giffen.

 

9. JLA (1997 series) Grant Morrison writes the Worlds Greatest Super-Heroes while on crystal meth! Check out #1 through about #30 or so, or get the first 5 or 6 JLA trade paperbacks.

 

10. Spectre in Adventure 431-440. Violent stuff. If ya like the Punisher, you'll like this stuff. Art by Jim Aparo.

 

11. New Teen Titans 1-24 or so, by Marv Wolfman & George Perez

 

12. I'm cheating here, but if you like late-1960s Kirby in FF and Thor, you might like his early DC trilogy: New Gods (original series 1-11), Forever People (1-11) Mr Miracle (1 to 9 + 18, you can skip the issues in between!)

 

...and that doesn't count the Vertigo and Vertigo-esque series like Alan Moore's Swamp Thing and Watchmen, Gaiman's Sandman, Starman, The Question, Y the Last Man, 100 Bullets... etc. etc. etc.

 

...and I'm also leaving out a lot of other cool stuff you should be able to find in TPB or Hardback reprints, including O'Neil/Adams Green Lantern / Green Arrow, Adams' Deadman, The Ras al Ghul stories ("Tales of the Demon" TPB) by again O'Neil & Adams,

 

This is the list you want to start with!

 

I think the Spectre issues of Adventure were excellent (and for the record, I don't like the Punisher), New Teen Titans and Warlord were both great reads in the beginning of their runs and the Englehart/Rogers/Austin Detectives...

[PUNYHUMAN]

I think Zonker said it all!!!!!

[FlComicFan]

good list, if you like X-Men you would defienetely enjoy the Great darkness saga lots of similarities there Too bad DC didnt do more with the Legion it could have been their blockbuster X-Men like book

[Wally's Comics]

From one NC man to the other, thanks for a great list.

 

I'm always up for old school Bat-Man stories,

I just didn't want to buy some readers and be disappointed.

 

 

 

 

_w

[tth2]

I'd agree with Zonker's list, particularly the Great Darkness Saga.

 

To that I'd add all of the JLA-JSA cross overs, starting from JLA 21. Great stuff! Some of the good JLA-JSA cross overs were reprinted in the JLA 100 pagers in the early 1970s.

 

The 100 pagers in general are great, with lots of good reprints from GA and SA. I know high grade copies are expensive, but perhaps reader copies are more reasonably priced?

[Bonds25]

Justice League (newer series by Giffen) issues #1-20

Dark Knight Returns

Watchmen