|
|
Post by Slam_Bradley on Dec 29, 2016 22:34:29 GMT -5
I own ten (in one format or another) and have read parts of five more.
|
|
|
|
Post by Icctrombone on Dec 29, 2016 22:40:28 GMT -5
I'm only counting the ones that are in original format. It would be more if I included TPB's.
|
|
|
|
Post by Randle-El on Dec 29, 2016 23:07:51 GMT -5
I'm going to nominate Mike Grell's run on Green Arrow, specifically issues 1-50. Although his run went 80 issues, I only own and have read the first 50 so it wouldn't make sense for me to recommend 51-80. From others on this forum, I have heard that the first 50 are the stronger issues anyway. Besides being a historically important run that did much to alter the perception of GA simply being a mash-up of Batman and Robin Hood, there are lot of other things going for it that make it a great run to read/own:
1) It was a fairly self-contained series, without a lot of interactions with the broader DC world, making it easy for a new reader to get on board without requiring a lot of DC universe knowledge.
2) It dealt with mostly street level, realistic scenarios and villains. No super-villains, aliens, or crazy world-destroying schemes.
3) It also dealt with some mature themes that made it a bit more thoughtful than your average big two superhero comic, particularly from that era. The letters column in particular generated some great long-running debates.
4) Per the criteria for nominating -- it's a pretty cheap series to acquire in single issues. Most of them can be had for a couple of bucks per issue. DC also recently started reprinting the run in TPB, so there's that option as well.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 23:23:34 GMT -5
I'm going to nominate Mike Grell's run on Green Arrow, specifically issues 1-50. Although his run went 80 issues, I only own and have read the first 50 so it wouldn't make sense for me to recommend 51-80. From others on this forum, I have heard that the first 50 are the stronger issues anyway. Besides being a historically important run that did much to alter the perception of GA simply being a mash-up of Batman and Robin Hood, there are lot of other things going for it that make it a great run to read/own: 1) It was a fairly self-contained series, without a lot of interactions with the broader DC world, making it easy for a new reader to get on board without requiring a lot of DC universe knowledge. 2) It dealt with mostly street level, realistic scenarios and villains. No super-villains, aliens, or crazy world-destroying schemes. 3) It also dealt with some mature themes that made it a bit more thoughtful than your average big two superhero comic, particularly from that era. The letters column in particular generated some great long-running debates. 4) Per the criteria for nominating -- it's a pretty cheap series to acquire in single issues. Most of them can be had for a couple of bucks per issue. DC also recently started reprinting the run in TPB, so there's that option as well. I like all 80. There are some good ones in those last 30; like another four part Shado storyline. #75 has Shado and Roy / Arsenal / Speedy in it. The annuals are good too, the first three are by Denny O'Neil and tie in with The Question (# 1 - 36), so does Grell's six-part The Brave and the Bold mini with Green Arrow, The Question & The Butcher. Grell's Shado: Song of the Dragon (#1 - 4) is not necessary, but it is cheap and if you like Shado.... The fourth annual celebrates Green Arrow's 50th anniversary and explores the Robin Hood angle a little bit. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 23:36:05 GMT -5
I'm going to nominate Mike Grell's run on Green Arrow, specifically issues 1-50. Although his run went 80 issues, I only own and have read the first 50 so it wouldn't make sense for me to recommend 51-80. From others on this forum, I have heard that the first 50 are the stronger issues anyway. Besides being a historically important run that did much to alter the perception of GA simply being a mash-up of Batman and Robin Hood, there are lot of other things going for it that make it a great run to read/own: 1) It was a fairly self-contained series, without a lot of interactions with the broader DC world, making it easy for a new reader to get on board without requiring a lot of DC universe knowledge. 2) It dealt with mostly street level, realistic scenarios and villains. No super-villains, aliens, or crazy world-destroying schemes. 3) It also dealt with some mature themes that made it a bit more thoughtful than your average big two superhero comic, particularly from that era. The letters column in particular generated some great long-running debates. 4) Per the criteria for nominating -- it's a pretty cheap series to acquire in single issues. Most of them can be had for a couple of bucks per issue. DC also recently started reprinting the run in TPB, so there's that option as well. I like all 80. There are some good ones in those last 30; like another four part Shado storyline. #75 has Shado and Roy / Arsenal / Speedy in it. The annuals are good too, the first three are by Denny O'Neil and tie in with The Question (# 1 - 36), so does Grell's six-part The Brave and the Bold mini with Green Arrow, The Question & The Butcher. Grell's Shado: Song of the Dragon (#1 - 4) is not necessary, but it is cheap and if you like Shado.... The fourth annual celebrates Green Arrow's 50th anniversary and explores the Robin Hood angle a little bit. I would throw in the 3 issue prestige series also. The Longbow Hunters that came prior to the series. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 23:39:28 GMT -5
I like all 80. There are some good ones in those last 30; like another four part Shado storyline. #75 has Shado and Roy / Arsenal / Speedy in it. The annuals are good too, the first three are by Denny O'Neil and tie in with The Question (# 1 - 36), so does Grell's six-part The Brave and the Bold mini with Green Arrow, The Question & The Butcher. Grell's Shado: Song of the Dragon (#1 - 4) is not necessary, but it is cheap and if you like Shado.... The fourth annual celebrates Green Arrow's 50th anniversary and explores the Robin Hood angle a little bit. I would throw in the 3 issue prestige series also. The Longbow Hunters that came prior to the series. I can't believe I forgot to mention that! Thank you for reminding me! |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 23:41:34 GMT -5
The Spectre
Volume 3 #0, 1-62
By John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake
The Wrath of God!
The Spectre is about justice, vengeance, and redemption. While there is plenty of magic and monsters, heroes and villains, the main struggle of the series is one internal to the Spectre, of Jim Corrigan, the hard boiled 1940's cop who serves as the Spectre's host, in conflict with both himself and the Spectre itself. In order to ascend to heaven he must first confront and understand evil.
I would be remiss to not mention the amazing art by Tom Mandrake who provided most the art for the series.
|
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 23:45:09 GMT -5
The Spectre Volume 3 #0, 1-62 By John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake The Wrath of God! The Spectre is about justice, vengeance, and redemption. While there is plenty of magic and monsters, heroes and villains, the main struggle of the series is one internal to the Spectre, of Jim Corrigan, the hard boiled 1940's cop who serves as the Spectre's host, in conflict with both himself and the Spectre itself. In order to ascend to heaven he must first confront and understand evil. I would be remiss to not mention the amazing art by Tom Mandrake who provided most the art for the series. This! Perhaps one of my favorite all time runs (both it and the Strange Tales run I nominated would be in the top 10, if not the top 5*). -M *you'd have to check Shaxper's top 100 Sagas list we all contributed to to see how they stacked up at that moment in time. No guarantee it would be the same now though. |
|
|
|
Post by Randle-El on Dec 29, 2016 23:45:28 GMT -5
I would throw in the 3 issue prestige series also. The Longbow Hunters that came prior to the series. I can't believe I forgot to mention that! Thank you for reminding me! As the one who nominated the run, *I* can't believe I forgot to mention that. In my defense though, I consider Longbow Hunters to be such an essential part of that run that I sort of assume that it's included whenever I talk about the Grell run. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 23:45:28 GMT -5
The Spectre Volume 3 #0, 1-62 By John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake The Spectre is about justice, vengeance, and redemption. While there is plenty of magic and monsters, heroes and villains, the main struggle of the series is one internal to the Spectre, of Jim Corrigan, the hard boiled 1940's cop who serves as the Spectre's host, in conflict with both himself and the Spectre itself. In order to ascend to heaven he must first confront and understand evil. I would be remiss to not mention the amazing art by Tom Mandrake who provided most the art for the series. I only really know the Doug Moench series (volume 2? which I liked) and some of the golden age Spectre stories from reprints of All-Star Comics my brother had, is Madame Xanadu in volume 3 too? |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 23:46:58 GMT -5
I would throw in the 3 issue prestige series also. The Longbow Hunters that came prior to the series. I can't believe I forgot to mention that! Thank you for reminding me! Your welcome! Another good one is Green Arrow Wonder Year. A 4 issue prestige series written and drawn by Mike Grell telling about the Green Arrow's early days. I enjoyed it. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 23:49:08 GMT -5
The Spectre Volume 3 #0, 1-62 By John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake The Spectre is about justice, vengeance, and redemption. While there is plenty of magic and monsters, heroes and villains, the main struggle of the series is one internal to the Spectre, of Jim Corrigan, the hard boiled 1940's cop who serves as the Spectre's host, in conflict with both himself and the Spectre itself. In order to ascend to heaven he must first confront and understand evil. I would be remiss to not mention the amazing art by Tom Mandrake who provided most the art for the series. I only really know the Doug Moench series (volume 2? which I liked) and some of the golden age Spectre stories from reprints of All-Star Comics my brother had, is Madame Xanadu in volume 3 too? Not so much. Corrigan's foil/confidante through much of the Ostrander run is Father Richard Craemer (who also appeared in Ostrander's Suicide Squad run). I like the Moench run. I love the Ostrander run. -M PS if you like Xanadu, check ou Matt Wagner's Vertigo Madame Xanadu series if you haven't already. Different take on the character, but an amazing read. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 23:49:41 GMT -5
The Spectre Volume 3 #0, 1-62 By John Ostrander and Tom Mandrake The Spectre is about justice, vengeance, and redemption. While there is plenty of magic and monsters, heroes and villains, the main struggle of the series is one internal to the Spectre, of Jim Corrigan, the hard boiled 1940's cop who serves as the Spectre's host, in conflict with both himself and the Spectre itself. In order to ascend to heaven he must first confront and understand evil. I would be remiss to not mention the amazing art by Tom Mandrake who provided most the art for the series. I only really know the Doug Moench series (volume 2? which I liked) and some of the golden age Spectre stories from reprints of All-Star Comics my brother had, is Madame Xanadu in volume 3 too? I really want to read Moench's run. It's on my want list and I've seen the issues for sale for mostly a little more than $1 an issue. One of these days... |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 23:52:50 GMT -5
I can't believe I forgot to mention that! Thank you for reminding me! Your welcome! Another good one is Green Arrow Wonder Year. A 4 issue prestige series written and drawn by Mike Grell telling about the Green Arrow's early days. I enjoyed it. I remember the ads for it, but somehow I never got around to buying that at the time, my parent's (admittedly generous) allowance could only go so far and I needed other things besides comics, so I just forgot about it probably. |
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Dec 29, 2016 23:58:31 GMT -5
I only really know the Doug Moench series (volume 2? which I liked) and some of the golden age Spectre stories from reprints of All-Star Comics my brother had, is Madame Xanadu in volume 3 too? I really want to read Moench's run. It's on my want list and I've seen the issues for sale for mostly a little more than $1 an issue. One of these days... Do it! It's cool and weird. There are some beautiful Charles Vess and Mike Mignola covers that are suitable for framing. Plus Madame Xanadu is hot! |
|
