Recommended Reading

Recommended Reading

Here is a list of some of what I consider the best reading in comics. This is not an objective compilation, is biased based purely on my own interest and subject to change without notice. These are mainly affordable books ranging over the past twenty years still cheap enough to enjoy for a good read.

Amazing Spider Man #293-294, Peter Parker, the Spectacular Spider-Man #131-132, Web of Spider-Man #31-32 - "Kraven's Last Hunt" - A riveting storyline featuring some solid character development on the part of Spider-Man and one of his classic villians.

Avengers #182-187 - "The Yesterday Quest" - Great Byrne art, provides new details on the origin of Quicksilver and the Scarlet Witch.

Batman: The Dark Knight Returns - Frank Miller's now-classic telling of the future Batman.

Brave and the Bold #129-130 - Batman, Green Arrow and the Atom tangle with the Joker and Two-Face. Neat charactization with great ending.

Captain America #253-254 - More great Byrne art and solid, internally consistent storyline featuring the return of Baron Blood, one of the Invaders greatest enemies of World War II.

Crisis on Infinite Earths#1 - 12 - DC Classic Maxi-series leading to the destruction of the multiverse. Particularly good is #7, the death of Supergirl. Probably the death-knell of DC's Internal Consistency but undoubtedly some of the best character work on the Supermen of Earth-2 and Earth-1 DC has done. What a waste that DC squandered this great character development with mindless retcons!

Daredevil #181 & 190 - The death and resurrection of Elektra. Frank Miller's best.

DC Comics Presents Annual #1 - 3 Kryptonians, 3 Luthors, 3 Earths make for 1 great story!

Detective #463-468 - The JLA vs the Calculator - A series of single stories leading up to a grand finale featuring the combined efforts of the Justice League against a villian programmed to defeat them all!

Detective #479-479 - Introduction of Preston Payne as Clayface III - solid art and storytelling

DC Super-Stars #10 - "The Great Super-Star Game" - Solid single-issue story featuring a simple premise and classic Dick Dillin art.

DC Super-Stars #14 - "The Secret Origin of Two-Face - Double Take!" - In my opinion, one of the best Two-Face stories ever told.

"Emperor Doom" - Marvel Graphic Novel illustrating the classic character of Victor Von Doom

Flash vol 2,#73-79 - "The Return of Barry Allen" - Mark Waid's thriller featuring 3 generations of Flash and the "return" of one of Barry Allen's greatest foes.

Green Lantern #188 - "Mogo doesn't socialize" - Probably the best of the Tales of the Green Lantern Corps. Pity we don't have the GLC anymore.

Infinity Inc #1-10 - "The Generations Saga" - Perfect Roy Thomas story, the kind he tells when he's not buried in details. Ties a Golden Age story (All-Star #36) and a classic villian (the Ultra Humanite) with the introduction of new characters from Earth-2 (Brainwave Jr, Nuklon, Jade, Obsidian, Fury, Silver Scarab).

Justice League of America #165-167 - "The Long Way Home", "Five Heroes Too Many" and "The Last Great Switcheroo" - chronicles the final defeat of the original Secret Society of Super-Villians.

Justice League of America #192-193 - "The True Origin of the Red Tornado" - Remember when retcons were supposed to improve continuity? This is great example. Perez art too.

Justice League of America #195-197 - "Targets on Two-Worlds" - Probably the perfect JLA-JSA team up. Great vignettes of the older characters, revivals of Golden Age villians and a great demonstration of exactly the type of threat these team-ups were supposed to deal with.

The New Teen Titans #38 - "Who is Donna Troy?" - One of the most solid, emotional single issue stories of the super-hero genre. Resolves the niggling origin details of the original Wonder Girl.

Sandman Mystery Theatre #29-32 - "The Hourman" - Great retelling of the origin of Hourman from Wesley Dodd's perspective without the usual mauling of established continuity. Great perspective on Rex Tyler.

Starman #0-4- "Sins of the Fathers" - Great characterization of some aging Golden agers.

Swamp Thing #50 - "The End" - Alan Moore's tale of staggering proportions: the reconciliation between good and evil.

The Uncanny X-men #125-128 - The Proteus Saga - The X-men tackle the mutant son of Moira MacTaggert. Great Byrne art and amazingly solid story-telling.

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