DC - March 1999
Writer - Bob Gale
Artist - Alex Maleev
The first chapter of the No Man's Land epic that dominated the Batman books throughout 1999; it's a great tease of what's to come from the year, and an example of how lawless Gotham can become in the absence of Batman, in this gritty and realistic instalment.
59. The Punisher #30
MAX - April 2006
Writer - Garth Ennis
Artist - Leonardo Fernandez
The final chapter of "The Slavers" saw the Punisher do some truly horrific things nobody thought even he was capable of; it was the most violent chapter in the Punisher's history and certainly the best arc Garth Ennis has ever written for the character, especially given the heartbreaking final page.
Icon - October 2006
Writer - Ed Brubaker
Artist - Sean Phillips
The first chapter of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips' crime comic focusing on different crooks in each arc began with a bank robbery arc featuring a cowardly hustler; there's intrigue and danger on every page, and the way the story flows with the artwork is fantastic to behold.
57. Fantastic Four (vol. 2) #60
Marvel - October 2002
Writer - Mark Waid
Artist - Mike Wieringo
The start of Mark Waid and Mike Wieringo's stellar run on the Fantastic Four kicked off with an incredible nine cent issue that showed just how epic and original the series was going to become; the Fantastic Four were redefined and returned to being costumed science fiction adventurers, something that had been missing from the book for years.
Marvel - March 2004
Writer - Brian Michael Bendis
Artist - David Finch
For the most part, Bendis and Finch's second arc on Ultimate X-Men was just a series of one-shots focusing on new and different characters; the second part, though, was the highlight of the entire series as Wolverine was sent to assassinate a young mutant who eliminates organic matter by breathing, it was heartbreaking and seeing Wolverine justify his actions was disturbing to read.
DC - October 2009
Writer - Grant Morrison
Artist - Frank Quitely
The final chapter of Morrison's first arc on Batman and Robin ended with a bang as the new Dynamic Duo faced off against the disturbing Professor Pyg, a villain who evoked the style of a 1960s villain, while also being presented as something new and frightening; the final pages tease at the coming stories, but ultimately, these would fail to live up to the excellence of the first arc.
Marvel - October 2004
Writer - Joss Whedon
Artist - John Cassaday
As the X-Men's battle against Ord got more violent, Joss Whedon and John Cassaday began to tease at the return of a dead hero, implying heavily that it was Jean Grey, back again; the shock came in this issue when Kitty Pryde discovered it was Colossus who had been brought back from the dead, and in a heartbreaking moment he broke down in tears before her, finally believing himself to have passed on.
53. Batman Adventures: Mad Love
DC - January 1994
Writer - Paul Dini
Artist - Bruce Timm
This was the moment the Batman Animated Series demonstrated just how important it was to the structure of the comic book industry; this tie-in to the series should have just been a fun issue focusing on Harley Quinn's introduction to comics, but instead it turned into a dark tale about obsession and the true nature of Harley's relationship with her beloved Joker.
DC - January 2006
Writer - Grant Morrison
Artist - Frank Quitely
The first issue of the marvellous All Star Superman series focused on Superman rescuing some scientists in a Silver Age space adventure; it's only after this that things take a more serious turn, with Superman having to deal with the possibility of his death, and his decision to reveal his true identity to Lois Lane.
51. Green Lantern: Sinestro Corps Special #1
DC - August 2007
Writer - Geoff Johns
Artists - Ethan Van Sciver & Dave Gibbons
This was it, the start of the Sinestro Corps War and the moment that the majority of comic book readers started reading Green Lantern; the story is incredible, as Sinestro makes his move against the Green Lantern Corps and war erupts into one of the greatest comic book events in the last decade.
Next: 50-41
No comments:
Post a Comment