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Post by mistermets on Jul 3, 2022 19:16:31 GMT -5
When I was younger, I really loved lists of great comics. It was a good way to get some leads on good stories. One of these came from the magazine Comics Buyers Guide, which celebrated its 1600th issue (as well as the publication of the 160,000th comic book in North America) in December 2004 with a list of 1600 Comic Books You Need to Have! It's worth noting that it's not officially a best of list. They call it other things.- 1600 Comics you need to read!
- 1600 Comics worth every penny!
- 1600 Comics you want to have!
- 1600 Comics as good as it gets!
- 1600 Comics we all should own!
- 1600 Comics you'd better get!
- 1600 Comics for that desert island!
- 1600 Comics better than the rest!
In the years since, I've used it for recommendations. But in the last few years, I just haven't been reading all that many comics, so I figured that trying to read through as much of it as possible would be a nice challenge, to read and reread some decent comic books. The comics, which do not appear to be listed in any particular order are... - Fantastic Four #36-52, Annual #2-3
- Cosmo the Merry Martian #1-6
- Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #1-50
- Dark Horse Presents #51-62 (Frank Miller's Sin City)
- JLA #1-4
- Captain Marvel Adventures #22-46
- Bone #1-55
- League of Extraordinary Gentlemen #1-6
- Daredevil #1-11
- Acme Novelty Library #1-15 (Jimmy Corrigan)
- Solar The Man of the Atom #1-12 (Valiant)
- Superman Volume 2 #71-82, Action Comics #680-691, Adventures of Superman #494-505 (The Death & Return of Superman)
- Our Gang With Tom and Jerry #46-57
- Ranma 1/2 Part 1 #1-7
- Captain America #100-111
- Megaton Man #1-10
- Dynamo #1-4
- Flash #129-139
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12
- Akiko #1-18
- American Flagg! #1-26
- Raggedy Ann & Andy #1-39
- Avengers #115-118, Defenders #8-11
- All-Star Comics #34-38 (1947)
- Zot! #30-36
- Adventures of Peter Wheat #1-35
- Powers #1-6
- Mad #1-23
- Miracleman #1-16
- Normalman #1-12, Annual #1
- Leave It to Chance #1-12
- The Authority #1-12
- Usaji Yojimbo Volume 3 #13-22 (Grasscutter)
- Donald Duck Four Color Comics #9, #29, #62, #108, #147, #159, #178, #189, #199, #203, #223, #238, #256, #263, #275, #282, #291, #300, #308, #328, #339, #348, #367, #408, #422
- Marvels #1-4
- New Teen Titans #39-44, Annual 3 "The Judas Contract"
- Ash Volume One #0, 1-6
- Ms. Tree #10-55
- Lone Wolf and Cub Volumes 1-28
- Anthro #1-6
- Strangers in Paradise Volume 1 #1-3, Volume 2 #1-14
- The Incredible Hulk #1-6
- Superboy #89-100
- Thirteen Going on Eighteen #1-29
- Justice League of America #100-102, 135-137
- From Hell #1-11
- Amazing Spider-Man #68-77 (Tablet of Time)
- Stray Bullets #1-5
- Batman #608-619
- Magnus Robot Fighter #1-21 (Gold Key)
- Green Arrow #1-10 (Kevin Smith/ Phil Hester)
- Hate #1-15
- Uncle Scrooge Four Color Comics #386, #456, #495
- Avengers #167-168, 170-177 (Korvac Saga)
- X-Men #111-142
- Sandman #19-28
- Groo the Wanderer #1-42
- Deathlok #1-4 (1990)
- Animal Man #1-5
- Concrete #1-10
- Inferior Five #1-5
- Batman: The Dark Knight (Returns) #1-4
- Aliens VS Predator #1-4
- Truth: Red, White and Black #1-7
- The Spirit January 4 1948- December 25 1949
- Little Lulu Four Color #74, #97, #110, #115, #120, #131, #139, #146, #158, #165
- Legion of Superheroes #290-294, Annual #3
- Avengers #89-97 (Kree-Skrull War)
- Superman #146-169
- Elfquest #1-21
- Squadron Supreme #1-12
- Haunt of Fear #19-28
- Batman #404-408 (Batman Year One plus one issue?)
- Ultimates #1-13
- Action Comics #507-508, 510-512 (Return of Jonathan Kent, the Superman/ Lex team)
- Fightin' Army #75-92
- Adventure Comics #340-355
- Silver Surfer Volume 1 #1-7
- Airboy Comics Volume 5 #11-12
- Oz-Wonderland Wars #1-13
- Conan the Barbarian #1-21
- Camelot 3000 #1-12
- Marvel VS DC/ DC VS Marvel #1-4
- Thor #337-340
- Sugar and Spike #1-33
- Flash #95-100 (Terminal Velocity)
- Astonishing Tales #25-28, 30-36
- Cerebus #1-50
- The Man of Steel #1-6
- Boys' Ranch #1-6 (Simon/ Kirby)
- Green Lantern Volume 2 #76-87, 89
- Supreme #41-52B
- Swamp Thing #20-64
- Age of Bronze #1-16
- Astro City Volume 1 #0-6, Volume 2 #1-22
- Watchmen #1-12
- Animal Comics #1-30
- Marvel Super Hero Contest of Champions #1-3
- Justice League of America Volume 1 #9-22
- Invisible People #1-3
- Classics Illustrated #1-27
- Detective Comics #327-328
- Kingdom Come #1-4
For my tally, I'm going to have to add this up, and there are some unresolved questions. Does the Spirit count under the Kitchen Sink reprints (roughly 25 issues) or is each weekly instalment one comic, which is closer to 100? The numbers don't seem to all add up either way, which is going to make efforts to tally these books convoluted. Obviously, there are some major exclusions. It's not meant to be some official list of greatest comics. It's essentially varied recommendations from comics fans. It's credited to the CBG review gang, plus Craig Shutt and Andrew Smith. There are some minor errors. Captain America #100 seems arbitrary for an opening as it concludes a storyline that began in Tales of Suspense. Solar #12 is part of the Unity crossover, so it seems more logical to cut off the run at #11. They seem to include the entire Death & Return of Superman arc without the Man of Steel issues, to say nothing of annuals or tie-ins in other titles. Why cut off the Lee/ Kirby Fantastic Four at Part 1 of the story introducing Black Panther? I will end up double-dipping at times. I might decide to do a thread about Cerebus or Lone Wolf and Cub, and I'd cover the 50 issues/ 28 volumes that are also part of this list. That said, I don't plan to start new threads for a while (at least until I've made major progress in the Post-Crisis Superman relaunch thread.) One rule I'm making for myself is that if something is included for the sake of one story (IE- the Sin City issues of Dark Horse Presents) I'm still going to read the rest of the stories in those issues. |
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Post by Hoosier X on Jul 3, 2022 21:46:58 GMT -5
I can’t take such a list seriously when there’s no Little Dot.
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Post by Ish Kabbible on Jul 3, 2022 21:55:24 GMT -5
FYI- There was a book called Slings And Arrows Comic Guide, last published in 2003, that I once owned that I relied on for good advice on essential issues. Long out of print, Amazon has some used copies available Edited by Frank Plowright, the Slings and Arrows comic Guide is the most comprehensive review of comics ever published. Sixteen reviewers offer informed commentary on over 5300 titles from the 1930s to the present day giving an overview of each series along with recommended issues. The 800 pages also include over 5000 creators listed in the index, and a color section offering recommendations in a variety of genres. Also included are short essays about the reviewers' favorite comics ever.  |
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Post by mistermets on Jul 3, 2022 22:10:03 GMT -5
FYI- There was a book called Slings And Arrows Comic Guide, last published in 2003, that I once owned that I relied on for good advice on essential issues. Long out of print, Amazon has some used copies available Edited by Frank Plowright, the Slings and Arrows comic Guide is the most comprehensive review of comics ever published. Sixteen reviewers offer informed commentary on over 5300 titles from the 1930s to the present day giving an overview of each series along with recommended issues. The 800 pages also include over 5000 creators listed in the index, and a color section offering recommendations in a variety of genres. Also included are short essays about the reviewers' favorite comics ever. This was under ten bucks used on Amazon with shipping, so thanks. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2022 22:49:05 GMT -5
There are a couple of different reading lists floating around here generated by our members. Buried in the Featured Events Archive is the CCF Top 100 Comic sagas, and a few other top lists (of interest might be some of the previous Twelve Days of Classic Comics Christmas lists depending on the topic of a given year). I did a thread exploring the top 50 Comics I read the year I turned 50 that can be found here and there have been a few other user generated reading lists over the years that could provide some interesting reading tour guides. Any such list is going to be subjective depending on the criteria used to compile it and who is contributing the list, but the key thing about such lists is not their validity or lack thereof, but the new to you and interesting comics that they lead you to. For me, the thing I always look for in comics is that act of discovery. When I get nostalgic for comics, it's not for the stories I read as a kid, but the feeling of discovery I got with each new comic I read. I really can't go back and get that feeling revisiting comics I already read as a kid, but I can recapture and continue that feeling exploring more new to me comics no matter when they were created, and that's why I love these kind of reading journeys. -M |
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Post by Ricky Jackson on Jul 3, 2022 23:12:31 GMT -5
FYI- There was a book called Slings And Arrows Comic Guide, last published in 2003, that I once owned that I relied on for good advice on essential issues. Long out of print, Amazon has some used copies available Edited by Frank Plowright, the Slings and Arrows comic Guide is the most comprehensive review of comics ever published. Sixteen reviewers offer informed commentary on over 5300 titles from the 1930s to the present day giving an overview of each series along with recommended issues. The 800 pages also include over 5000 creators listed in the index, and a color section offering recommendations in a variety of genres. Also included are short essays about the reviewers' favorite comics ever. This was under ten bucks used on Amazon with shipping, so thanks. Second this recommendation. I have an older copy that cuts off around 1997, but it is a great resource and heavily influenced my reading circa late 90s/early 00s |
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Post by Icctrombone on Jul 4, 2022 5:57:37 GMT -5
I see on the initial list JLA 1-4. That HAS to be the Grant Morrison run because the original series was a sleeping pill.
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 4, 2022 9:00:49 GMT -5
I see on the initial list JLA 1-4. That HAS to be the Grant Morrison run because the original series was a sleeping pill. I'm sure it is.. based on the fact this was published in '04 (a bit of recency bias there) Very interesting list... quite a variety of stuff, and some I've never head of... looks like a great wat to generate some discussion! Pretty good list overall.. seems like they 1/2 committed to including Manga (The whole Lone Wolf and Cub series, but no Blade of the Immortal, and no other genre, like Star Blazers? Or Case Closed? DragonBall) and it seems REALLY odd there's no TMNT on the list based on the other stuff on it, but definitely a great idea for a thread... looking forward to it! |
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Post by The Captain on Jul 4, 2022 9:07:25 GMT -5
There are some minor errors. Captain America #100 seems arbitrary for an opening as it concludes a storyline that began in Tales of Suspense. Also, why stop Captain America at #111? Issue #112 is the "Album Issue", printed because Steranko couldn't meet deadlines (which, of course, led to him pitching a fit and quitting the book), but #113 finishes his entire story. This is like telling someone to watch Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back but not mentioning Return of the Jedi. |
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Post by badwolf on Jul 4, 2022 9:32:49 GMT -5
- Fantastic Four #36-52, Annual #2-3
- Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #1-50
- JLA #1-4
- Daredevil #1-11
- Captain America #100-111
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12
- Marvels #1-4
- New Teen Titans #39-44, Annual 3 "The Judas Contract"
- X-Men #111-142
- Sandman #19-28
- Animal Man #1-5
- Batman: The Dark Knight (Returns) #1-4
- Silver Surfer Volume 1 #1-7
- Thor #337-340
- The Man of Steel #1-6
- Swamp Thing #20-64
- Watchmen #1-12
I have most of the above, either in originals or reprints/collections. For ASM I only have up to #38 (Ditko run).
Surprised to see Daredevil #1-11. The first issue is great, but the rest... bleh.
I think the Korvac Saga and the Avengers/Defenders clash are both extremely overrated. I don't like them at all.
I no longer have Elfquest or Zot or Strangers in Paradise but I did and have read them. Oh and Ranma 1/2 too.
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Post by mistermets on Jul 4, 2022 11:02:15 GMT -5
I see on the initial list JLA 1-4. That HAS to be the Grant Morrison run because the original series was a sleeping pill. It is the Morrison/ Porter run, but they do also include about a year of the Silver Age comics. I see on the initial list JLA 1-4. That HAS to be the Grant Morrison run because the original series was a sleeping pill. I'm sure it is.. based on the fact this was published in '04 (a bit of recency bias there) Very interesting list... quite a variety of stuff, and some I've never head of... looks like a great wat to generate some discussion! Pretty good list overall.. seems like they 1/2 committed to including Manga (The whole Lone Wolf and Cub series, but no Blade of the Immortal, and no other genre, like Star Blazers? Or Case Closed? DragonBall) and it seems REALLY odd there's no TMNT on the list based on the other stuff on it, but definitely a great idea for a thread... looking forward to it! They also have Ranma 1/2, possibly because it was one of the first adapted manga. I was thinking about reading that as my first comic, but it seemed inappropriate for the fourth of July. There are some minor errors. Captain America #100 seems arbitrary for an opening as it concludes a storyline that began in Tales of Suspense. Also, why stop Captain America at #111? Issue #112 is the "Album Issue", printed because Steranko couldn't meet deadlines (which, of course, led to him pitching a fit and quitting the book), but #113 finishes his entire story. This is like telling someone to watch Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back but not mentioning Return of the Jedi. Yeah, that was an odd choice as well. They could have likely swapped out an issue of Peter Wheat for that. |
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Post by wildfire2099 on Jul 4, 2022 11:20:30 GMT -5
- Fantastic Four #36-52, Annual #2-3
- Amazing Fantasy #15, Amazing Spider-Man #1-50
- JLA #1-4
- Daredevil #1-11
- Captain America #100-111
- Crisis on Infinite Earths #1-12
- Marvels #1-4
- New Teen Titans #39-44, Annual 3 "The Judas Contract"
- X-Men #111-142
- Sandman #19-28
- Animal Man #1-5
- Batman: The Dark Knight (Returns) #1-4
- Silver Surfer Volume 1 #1-7
- Thor #337-340
- The Man of Steel #1-6
- Swamp Thing #20-64
- Watchmen #1-12
I have most of the above, either in originals or reprints/collections. For ASM I only have up to #38 (Ditko run).
Surprised to see Daredevil #1-11. The first issue is great, but the rest... bleh.
I think the Korvac Saga and the Avengers/Defenders clash are both extremely overrated. I don't like them at all.
I no longer have Elfquest or Zot or Strangers in Paradise but I did and have read them.
It odd to have Elfquest listed as 1-21 as well... the original Warp series was 20 issues, which was reprinted by Marvel under Epic as 32 issues. Not sure exactly were 21 of the epic version is in the Original quest series, but it's definitely one complete story. Ramna 1/2 I have not read much of... but that's pretty Shojo, isn't it? that's yet another Genre, great to rep, sure (though other stuff is better according to my daughter's reading list) but still doesn't include any sci-fi or giant robots or fantasy fighting/tournament style stuff... I LOVE samurai manga, but that's just one little bit.... it's like only listing Superman and Thor for all Superheroes. |
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Post by Deleted on Jul 4, 2022 11:27:19 GMT -5
I have most of the above, either in originals or reprints/collections. For ASM I only have up to #38 (Ditko run). Surprised to see Daredevil #1-11. The first issue is great, but the rest... bleh. I think the Korvac Saga and the Avengers/Defenders clash are both extremely overrated. I don't like them at all. I no longer have Elfquest or Zot or Strangers in Paradise but I did and have read them.
It odd to have Elfquest listed as 1-21 as well... the original Warp series was 20 issues, which was reprinted by Marvel under Epic as 32 issues. Not sure exactly were 21 of the epic version is in the Original quest series, but it's definitely one complete story. Ramna 1/2 I have not read much of... but that's pretty Shojo, isn't it? that's yet another Genre, great to rep, sure (though other stuff is better according to my daughter's reading list) but still doesn't include any sci-fi or giant robots or fantasy fighting/tournament style stuff... I LOVE samurai manga, but that's just one little bit.... it's like only listing Superman and Thor for all Superheroes. The original magazine series from WaRP ran 21 issues not 20.  -M |
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Post by badwolf on Jul 4, 2022 11:49:35 GMT -5
I have most of the above, either in originals or reprints/collections. For ASM I only have up to #38 (Ditko run).
Surprised to see Daredevil #1-11. The first issue is great, but the rest... bleh.
I think the Korvac Saga and the Avengers/Defenders clash are both extremely overrated. I don't like them at all.
I no longer have Elfquest or Zot or Strangers in Paradise but I did and have read them.
It odd to have Elfquest listed as 1-21 as well... the original Warp series was 20 issues, which was reprinted by Marvel under Epic as 32 issues. Not sure exactly were 21 of the epic version is in the Original quest series, but it's definitely one complete story. Ramna 1/2 I have not read much of... but that's pretty Shojo, isn't it? that's yet another Genre, great to rep, sure (though other stuff is better according to my daughter's reading list) but still doesn't include any sci-fi or giant robots or fantasy fighting/tournament style stuff... I LOVE samurai manga, but that's just one little bit.... it's like only listing Superman and Thor for all Superheroes. I read Elfquest when Marvel/Epic published in color. I think it also had some added bits to facilitate the change in format. Liked it a lot at the time, not sure i'd be into it now. I think it's probably more important for its place in the history of independent comics than anything else.
I don't think I'd call Ranma 1/2 a shojo manga. There is romance but it's heavy on the comedy. There is some martial arts and a giant panda. It's been a long time since I read it. My favorite Rumiko Takahashi was always Maison Ikkoku, which I've been reading lately in the new editions and it is still laugh out loud funny.
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Post by codystarbuck on Jul 4, 2022 11:55:35 GMT -5
I can’t take such a list seriously when there’s no Little Dot. or Blazing Combat (they at least list the Fightin' Army issues with The Lonely War of Capt Willy Schultz) and devoid of westerns, apart from Boys' Ranch. Also, no Tintin?!? References like these are fine, when you are looking for recommendations; but, they also reveal the prejudices of the authors/editors. It's why I usually skip any article about the "100 Greatest Movies of All Time!" which ends up being mostly from the last 20 years, because that is the target audience or the people who voted on it. These things are better when there is some depth to the rationale for picking a work. The 1001 XXXX You Must Read/See Before You Die books are good examples of that. They are still just an opinion, yet they go into great detail why a work was included. the 1001 Comic Books You Must Read Before You Die was a great one, for that, and far more comprehensive in terms of crossing genres and international borders. It included comics from all over the world, from different eras, different genres. I prefer big references like that, that try to be more comprehensive.. Maurice Horn's World Encyclopedia of Comics introduced me to a ton of stuff, both international and early American. I wasn't reading CBG in this age; is it just a list or do they expand upon it? |
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