Confessor
CCF Mod Squad
Not Bucky O'Hare!
Posts: 10,211 
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Post by Confessor on Sept 11, 2016 17:12:54 GMT -5
I enjoyed Secret Wars for what it was -- big, dumb superhero fun. It was nothing special in terms of being a great story or anything, but it was enjoyable for what it was.
I know it's gonna be controversial with some round these parts, but the company wide crossover that I enjoyed the most was Civil War. The concept of superhero registration wasn't new, but it was fascinating to see it play out in the Marvel Universe. I thought it was a exciting story and it gripped me right til the end, with the "death" of Captain America.
Really, those were the only two events that stand out for me as being particularly good.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Sept 11, 2016 17:14:21 GMT -5
The majority were crap. I stopped buying them years ago. The only one I can remember enjoying was Final Night (DC). I wish they had let Hal's sacrifice stand. I agree.. Final Night was really well put together, and I LOVED Hal's storyline. I know alot of old time Hal fans don't like how Zero Hour went. but for me, as a later fan who only new really knew Hal with gray temples as the 'boring GL', I thought it was brilliant, and I really think having him be the Spectre was a fantastic idea that they should have stuck with. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Sept 11, 2016 17:37:47 GMT -5
For crossovers I liked:
I really liked Inferno, though I'm not sure I'd call it a company crossover as much as an X-Men event that had to be dealt with in other books because it destroyed New York.
Annihilation was amazing, but it wasn't a company crossover.
Final Night was really good (as previously mentioned)
Civil War could have been good, but between forcing people out of character and going straight into Secret Invasion it just didn't work.
I liked AvX more than most, but I also have an unnatural love for Hope Summers I know most people don't share.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2016 17:52:53 GMT -5
I would love to learn more about the Crisis on Infinite Earths better and at the same time get a better grip on it. It's one DC Event that left my head shaking for years to come.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 11, 2016 18:11:14 GMT -5
I liked Crisis on Infinite Earths and Final Crisis was okay but on the whole, yeah they're not that great.
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Post by thwhtguardian on Sept 11, 2016 18:12:14 GMT -5
I enjoyed Secret Wars for what it was -- big, dumb superhero fun. It was nothing special in terms of being a great story or anything, but it was enjoyable for what it was. I know it's gonna be controversial with some round these parts, but the company wide crossover that I enjoyed the most was Civil War. The concept of superhero registration wasn't new, but it was fascinating to see it play out in the Marvel Universe. I thought it was a exciting story and it gripped me right til the end, with the "death" of Captain America. Really, those were the only two events that stand out for me as being particularly good. Yeah, I don't mind Civil War either though some of the tie ins were a bit much. |
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Post by coke & comics on Sept 11, 2016 18:58:00 GMT -5
Annihilation was amazing, but it wasn't a company crossover. Yeah, you're right. I guess Annihilation doesn't really count. It was a big event. And a great one. Then maybe Infinity Gauntlet is the only great one. And even, that, while I have great affection for it, is largely an unnecessary rehash of the original and superior Thanos saga, and one that needed all kinds of nonsensical retcons to even exist, including the revival of characters who had died good deaths and should perhaps have been allowed to stay dead. Maybe there is no good one. |
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Post by coke & comics on Sept 11, 2016 19:00:32 GMT -5
I enjoyed Secret Wars for what it was -- big, dumb superhero fun. It was nothing special in terms of being a great story or anything, but it was enjoyable for what it was. I know it's gonna be controversial with some round these parts, but the company wide crossover that I enjoyed the most was Civil War. The concept of superhero registration wasn't new, but it was fascinating to see it play out in the Marvel Universe. I thought it was a exciting story and it gripped me right til the end, with the "death" of Captain America. Really, those were the only two events that stand out for me as being particularly good. Why would you praising the single worst comic story I've ever read, which caused me to stop buying single issues for going on a decade now--and to only buy superhero comics carefully for fear of reading anything like it again, after almost 20 years of just consuming whatever Marvel put out-- be controversial? |
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Post by hondobrode on Sept 11, 2016 20:40:25 GMT -5
Being a big DC fan, Crisis on Infinite Earths felt unprecedented, back when I was in high school. Still pretty much the gold standard all others are compared against. Glad md62 also mentioned it, and I love Valiant, making Unity the other really major company-wide event that was fantastic. In fact, I think it probably ties with COIE IMO. from Comicvine.com :  Cast from her timeline into our own, Erica Pierce proceeds to kill her counterpart in this new world! Arriving too late to stop her, Solar and Geoff, the Geomancer, follow her to the Lost Land, a place outside of normal time and space. But Pierce, known as Mothergod, leads forces too great to oppose alone. So Solar sends Geoff to gather Earth's heroes. Once assembled, the heroes from throughout time begin their assault on Mothergod! 
Gilad Ani-Padda has lived more than a hundred lifetimes. Ten thousand years ago, he was his people's fiercest soldier... Today he is the Eternal Warrior, the Earth's immortal Fist and Steel! When Geomancer Geoff McHenry calls on him to save the world from a doom first predicted millennia ago, the Eternal Warrior will have no choice but to answer, no matter the cost! Unity Chapter TWO In the dawn of history, two powerful immortals, Gilad and Aram, are born to a warrior tribe. The tribe is slain, and the brothers part, but the battles never cease for Gilad Anni-Padda, the Eternal Warrior. Gilad befriends the Geomancers, who warn of an approaching doom. In the present, Gilad "Abrams" knows that doom has arrived as Geoff, the Geomancer, whisks him away to the greatest battle of all time: the Unity Conflict. 
Unity Chapter THREE Archer and his peculiar partner are drafted by Armstrong's brother, the Eternal Warrior, to fight in war on the far side of time and space! But who and what they find there offers ominous clues about what the future may hold for Archer & Armstrong and the final fate of the Valiant Universe... Pinned down by Mahmud's Sect soldiers, Archer and Armstrong escape to join the Unity Conflict. But, in escaping the fight, they have jumped from the frying pan into the fire! While in the Lost Land, they learn that Archer is destined to become a worldwide spiritual leader. That is, assuming our heroes survive being recruited by Albert Pierce to assassinate his evil mother, Erica Pierce, the omnipotent Mothergod! Archer finds out from a soldier from the year 4001 that he is destined to become the greatest spiritual leader of the 21st century, while Armstrong simply gets shot at in "Up Against the Wall, Mother." 
Geomancer Rokland Tate must find the Eternal Warrior, who, due to psycho-probing, doesn't even know who he is. When he finally restores Gilad's memories, Rokkie and the Warrior go to summon Rai's help for the coming Unity Conflict. Meanwhile, Mothergod has transported the North Am city of San Gabriel to the Lost Land. Magnus goes to investigate, only to face the menace of the indestructible robot, Talpa! 
The Geomancer warns of a grave threat to all of existence! Aric and the Harbinger renegades team up to fight temporal slavers and an army from beyond time and space! Unity Chapter FIVE Unable to destroy his artificial hand, Ken begs Aric to remove it. Aric assures Ken that he may someday earn its removal, then goes to settle an Orb labor dispute by his barbaric honor code. When Geoff comes seeking help in the Unity Conflict, Aric eagerly answers the call of battle. Later, in the Lost Land, Aric's effective leadership skills enable him to build an army from the savage Skammr tribe and create himself a new empire!  When the night comes and the darkness inside Jack Boniface awakens, the only thing to fear is Shadowman! But when Jack's housekeeper takes him to see her spiritual advisor, he'll find himself exposed to an evil so dark that even he may not be able to escape. Unity Chapter 6 Nettie introduces Jack to Paul N'Dour, a would-be Geomancer, who takes Jack and Nettie to a cypress tree in the swamps, bidding Jack to swim beneath it. Jack surfaces in the midst of the Unity Conflict! Led by the she-warrior, Elya, Shadowman saves Mothergod from Solar, wrongly assuming that he was the greater threat. But he is badly burned in the battle, and Elya watches over him, drawn to the brave stranger. Shadowman finds the door to the Lost Lant (Unity). |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2016 20:52:12 GMT -5
I would love to learn more about the Crisis on Infinite Earths better and at the same time get a better grip on it. It's one DC Event that left my head shaking for years to come. Here is my thought on the 1985 Crisis -
Then: I was working in a comic shop at that time. It created a ton of buzz. This was when death in comics still had meaning. The deaths of Supergirl & Flash carried a lot of weight. The series was the first of it's kind - reshaping an entire universe. The end result had mixed feelings. Some readers liked the one earth & "Marvelization" of DC. Others lamented the loss of DC's multiverse. The biggest "complaint" I remember was the changes that had to be made to the JSA & the Earth 2 heroes. Some missed Barry & Kara but most approved of Wally taking the Flash role. Overall I liked the story & realized why they did it but I missed the DC Multiverse. I would have "shrunk" the # of earths to 12.
Now: The story is still ambitious in it's scope. In hindsight I wished DC would have done a total reboot & totally started over. It would have eliminated so many problems. The way they handled it led to a lot of confusion & more "fixes" down the road. Of course I still think DC should have kept their Multiverse...just streamline it down to a handful of Earths.
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Post by hondobrode on Sept 11, 2016 20:58:31 GMT -5
 With the very fate of Japan hanging in the balance, The Eternal Warrior of the 41st Century recruits Rai into a fight to save time itself. Unity Chapter 7 Rokkie, Gilad, and Rai go to North Am to recruit Magnus' aid in the Unity Conflict. The heroes proceed to battle Mothergod in the Lost Land. But Mothergod can sense the incredible energies within Rai, making him a great threat to her plans. So, she informs Rai that unless he leaves the Lost Land, she will make Japan crash back to Earth. Knowing that he must stay, Rai is forced to watch as is nation falls to its death!  Peter Stanchek is drafted by the Geomancer to a war on the far side of time! The Harbinger renegades learn of an impending new addition to their band as Kris struggles with the secret of her love for her fallen friend. Unity Chapter 8 In a quiet moment, Kris reveals to the Flamingo that she is pregnant with Torque's baby. Suddenly, Geoff the Geomancer arrives to enlist the renegade Harbingers in the Unity Conflict. After several months in the Lost Land, Pete discovers that the child Kris carries isn't his. Enraged, Pete attacks the citadel of Mothergod with the full fury of his Omega Power! The toe-to-toe battle between Pete and Mothergod is a classic!  Unity Chapter NINE Coming to our world from the one Solar destroyed, Erica Pierce kills her real-world counterpart and takes her son, Albert! Moving to the Lost Land, Erica prepares her Unity plan to wipe all Creation. Elsewhen, Geoff's geomantic senses lead him and Solar to the Lost Land. Under attack by Erica's minions, Solar sends Geoff for help. Geoff must succeed, for when Solar confronts Erica, he is lured into her wormhole trap!  Gilad recruits the Valiant Universe's greatest heroes to save all of existence--including himself! When all hope seems lost, Gilad recruits a future version of himself from the year 4001 A.D. Are two Eternal Warriors better than one? When you're in a land outside of time, anything is possible! Unity Chapter TEN Moments after the heroes from throughout time arrive in the Lost Land, the war called Unity begins. When Geoff the Geomancer is captured by Mothergod's troops, it's up to Gilad ad his future self from the year 4001 A.D. to save their young friend. When they strike, however, Geoff is seemingly incinerated by one of Mothergod's blasts, and the Eternal Warriors escape, swearing to avenge his death, no matter what the cost!  Archer & Armstrong strike at the heart of an extra-dimensional conflict! But as Armstrong rediscovers the fighting skills that served him so well, Archer ponders the twin destinies set before him. Will he become a great philosophical leader of the future or the Valiant Universe's most deadly assassin? To save all Creation, Archer attempts to assassinate Erica Pierce! But "Mothergod" is beyond harm and she easily thwarts the attack. For this affront, Archer and Armstrong are thrown in the dungeon. When the pair escape, Erica sends her finest warrior, Turok, Dinosaur Hunter, to hunt them down. But, sensing Archers inner nobility, Turok spares their lives and forsakes his allegiance to Mothergod. Unity Chapter ELEVEN  Magnus is pulled away from his battle with Talpa to join Rokkie, Rai, and Gilad in the Unity Conflict. The fighting begins immeadiately and continues through the months the heroes spend in the wondrous Lost Land. But Magnus's most amazing experience hasn't anything to do with fighting. For, when he cradles Kris Hathaway's newborn child in his mighty arms, Magnus unknowingly holds the baby who will grow up to be him! WOW! Birth of Magnus Robot Fighter... (Yes, it's true) Mother is Kris Hathaway, Father is Torque. |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2016 20:59:54 GMT -5
I really enjoyed Blackest Night (I'm a zombie/horror fan, and crossing that with the DC heroes? magic for me). I also really liked what IDW did with the "Mars Attacks" company event.. .they crossed over into almost every comic, despite how insane it was. . and it was truly, truly shocking how well most of the stories ended up being!    |
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Post by hondobrode on Sept 11, 2016 21:07:59 GMT -5
 Aric's will to live is tested to its absolute limit as he leads his army of time-tossed barbarians to war against a trans-temporal empire! Unity Chapter THIRTEEN Having become an independent force in the Lost Land, Aric is now at odds with the other heroes! Wishing to ransom a stolen part of Mothergod's Unity Reactor, Aric is opposed by Rai, who wants it destroyed! At last, Aric's reason wins out and he destroys the component. Angered, Mothergod has her bionisaurs ambush Aric's camp. Aric is nearly bitten in half before the Good Skin saves him, but his Skammrs are killed and his empire broken!  Serve the demon, pay the price! Transported to a land beyond time and space, Jack falls hard for a native warrior named Elya. But when he learns the truth of what she's fighting for, he'll have to choose between giving into love or continuing his personal battle as the one true Shadowman! Unity Chapter 14 Badly burned while rescuing Mothergod, Jack Boniface is nursed back to health by the soldier-woman from the future, Elya. Once they have fallen in love, she reveals to Jack that he is destined to die violently in 1999. Later, Shadowman battles Archer and Armstrong before discovering that he has been serving the wrong master. Jack finally realizes that Mothergod's plan shall destroy all Creation!  With Japan in ruins, Rai must fight alone to save existence itself! Unity Chapter 15 Knowing Mothergod has destroyed Japan, Rai now lives only for vengeance! His chance comes when the heroes make an assault on the citadel of Mothergod to free the captive Solar. Rai holds her off while the others search for Solar. Their desperate combat unleashes awesome energies! But in the end, Rai dies at Mothergod's hands, not knowing that his sacrifice made it possible for Solar to be freed and the Unity War won.  With the birth of her baby, Kris and Peter try to mend the rift in their relationship. But when Kris and her newborn are taken hostage, Peter will have to go to war to save them! Unity Chapter 16 In the Lost Land, Pete gets Armstrong to help deliver Kris' baby. Their joy is short-lived as news arrives that Mothergod is about to kill Magnus. Knowing her child will grow to be Magnus, Kris begs Pete to save the Robot Fighter. Pete does so, but the final battle of Unity is at hand. And, as the heroes storm the citadel of Mothergod, Kris finds that she must relinquish her baby to Geoff, the Geomancer, so that he might grow to fulfill his destiny.  Unity Chapter SEVENTEEN Trapped in a cincture wormhole, Solar is freed by Sting of the Harbinger kids. Meanwhile, Prince Albert's plan to kill Mothergod with Rai's sword fails. Before she can retaliate, the heroes storm the citadel. Solar and Mothergod face off as the Unity reaction begins to destroy all of time! Trapping Mothergod in a wormhole of his own devising, Solar uses his power to undo the Unity effect and send all the heroes home!  Facing off against Mothergod, Solar traps her within a cincture wormhole of his own creation! Meanwhile, her son, Albert, is murdered by the very women he spent his entire life mistreating. As the Unity effect threatens to end all time. Solar transports everyone in the Lost Land back to his or her place of origin. Then, through his awesome power, Solar undoes the Unity vortex, saving all Creation throughout the ages! |
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Post by berkley on Sept 11, 2016 21:21:13 GMT -5
For crossovers I liked: I really liked Inferno, though I'm not sure I'd call it a company crossover as much as an X-Men event that had to be dealt with in other books because it destroyed New York. Annihilation was amazing, but it wasn't a company crossover. Final Night was really good (as previously mentioned) Civil War could have been good, but between forcing people out of character and going straight into Secret Invasion it just didn't work. I liked AvX more than most, but I also have an unnatural love for Hope Summers I know most people don't share. I wondered about Annihilation - maybe the fact that it wasn't a company-wide crossover event is the reason it stands out for some readers as one of the exceptional "good" events. I forgot about Civil War - I do think that was a decent idea, but from what I saw of the execution, it didn't amount to much. Besides, an independent series like Ennis's The Boys can and does take the idea of the potential real-world consequences of super-heroes so much further that anything Marvel or DC attempt in that vein feels anaemic in comparison (although I wouldn't be surprised if they try to do more "Boys-like" stories eventually, as these things tend to escalate over time). Maybe we should have another thread about the best non-crossover events, those limited to a specific number of titles, like Morrison's Seven Soldiers, which I thought was very good indeed. |
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Post by hondobrode on Sept 11, 2016 21:25:07 GMT -5
So, Unity was an 18 issue mega-event written by Jim Shooter, David Lapham, David Michelinie, Bob Layton, Don Perlin and Roger Stern with art by Barry Windsor-Smith, Bob Layton, Frank Miller, Don Perlin, Stan Drake, Ernie Colon, David Lapham, Sal Velluto, Mike Leeke, Walt Simonson, Howard Simpson, John Dixon, Kevin Van Hook, Joe Albelo, Joe St. Pierre and Peter Grau.
I didn't realize until I put this post together that others besides Shooter had a hand in writing the story.
BWS, Miller, Simonson - there were some big names on this.
I've read it again and again and will continue to do so.
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