Your Top 5

[Dfense75]

After Le Messor recently commented on his purchasing of Absolute Kingdome Come. I mentioned that that paticular story is in my "Top 5" favorite comic stories of all time. That got me to thinking...Hurm...What is my "Top 5" favorite comic stories of all time list. Before I decided on my list I had to decide what qualified as "comic story". For me this included a mini, maxi, one shot, finite ongoing, or a paticular story arc. That being that. Here is my "Top 5" and why.

1) Watchmen: I know this is the cliche' book to choose. But this book has had more effect on me than any comic story ever. Every year and once a year on news years day. I sit and read this book front to back. I have done this since 1990. In one word Watchmen is "peerless".

2) Planetary: If watchmen is #1. Than Planetary is #1A. Planetary and all of its issues are a comic masterpiece. From the wrighting of Ellis to the art of Cassaday. This book is one giant tribute to the genre.

3) Y: The Last Man: While this series has not yet seen its conclusion. It is very close to the end of its tale. Vaughan and Guerra have given me something to look foward to every month for about 5 years now. This story of the last man on earth is classic Sci Fi at its best.

4) Kingdom Come: While Marvel Comics have been my favorite publisher for most of my life. There is no denying the power of the "Big 3" of the DC universe. This Elseworlds tale of a dark future in the DCU and Batman, Superman, and Wonderwomans place in it is beyond description. From the art of the incomperable Alex Ross. To the fine story by Mark Waid. Kingdom Come is bigger than any summer movie blockbuster that is and ever will be.

5) Crisis on Infinite Earths: Epic doesnt begin to describe this massive tale. From the whole sale slaughter of DC heroes new and old, the desturction of the multiverse, and the final epic battle against the Anti Monitor. Crisis for me was moving. As a kid the death of Barry Allen the silver age Flash brought me to tears. I remember my parents bringing me to my comic store to pick up my books before we went out to dinner that night. I was 10 years old in the back seat of my parents car on the way to a family dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant. Feverishly reading the issue of Crisis that had the words on its cover. "The final fate of the Flash". I had not finished reading the story by the time we reached the restaurant and forced my parent to allow me to bring the story inside while we waited for our table. As we sat waiting for our appetizers. I had finished the story. Brought to tears at the passing of hero I had loved as a child I could only guess at what was crossing my parents minds at the time. On that day I learned that our heroes could die. On that die I was a comic fan for life.

Well thats my top 5. I have that utmost respect for the opinions of those on this board and would love to hear your top 5 and why.

[Mokole]

I can't fairly have a top 5, as I don't and have never read enough. I did reach Watchmen and League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, they were OK but nothing special to me. One storyline that would be in my top 5 anyway, though, is:
-Millar's "The Dark Knight Returns", it set the pace for so much of what happened after, not just for Batman but for all major heroes, they didn't have to be kiddie anymore.

Nothing else jumps out. I liked Lee's X-Men and feel the X-Men franchise hasn't been close to that good since. Bruce Jones on Hulk, Mark Waid on Flash. Weir and Filippis on New X-Men was interesting (which is why Avengers: Initiative is so terrible). Omega Flight has been a surprise, to me storytelling in other Marvel books pale in comparison (and I'm not kidding, others are boring and soooo predicatble or simply blarny). Teen Titans before Infinite Crisis. But nothing earth-shattering.

[Transmetropolitan]

1. Watchmen. DKR WISHES it was this good.

2. Miracleman/Marvelman- A much-tortured franchise on the legal front, this Brit effort REALLY took off in the '80s in Warrior

3. Kingdom Come

4. Daredevil: Born Again- Sealed DD's place in my heroic pantheon. HE goes all the way down into the abyss- and comes out with guns blazing. Rock on.

5. Transmetropoltan- I HATE most of Ellis' superhero work. Hate it. But Transmet was just... so... COOL.

[Le Messor]

Guys, I posted that, like 5 minutes ago!

Okay, my top five?

1) Alpha Flight, v1, #s 2-4. They got me collecting. Images so iconic, they can flash on a TV screen for a few seconds, and I will know in my heart what they are.

2) Kingdom Come. Why not?

3) Catwoman: Her Sister's Keeper. The noir elements, the tangled sensuality, the...

4) The Dark Phoenix Saga.

5) Runaways v1, coz it's self-contained and beautiful.

Of course, if I actually took time to think about this, you might get a slightly different list (not completely, 'coz I've been thinking along those lines for the last week.)

- Le Messor
"Even the boldest zebra fears the hungry lion."

[DelBubs]

Thought I'd have a go at this.

1. V for Vendetta : The first comic that actually made me think. The subtlety and simplicity of it takes me back every three or four months just to see if I can spot anything new.

2. Batman : The Killing Joke. There's a thin line between Genius and insanity.

3. Pedro & Me. I think this should be required reading in every school.

4. Transmetropolitan. I have often wondered if there was actually a bad issue through the 60 issue run, still can't think of one.

5. Alpha Flight #87-90 : Building Blocks. To my mins this was where AF actually started to come out of the pit it had languished in for so long. Hudnall had revived the dead body as such, but Building Blocks re-established them, imho.

[rplass]

OMG I am so old skool. In no order:

1) Secret Wars (first and 2nd). That one scene where The Hulk is holding up the mountain and they jury-rig Iron Man's repulsors to blast them out, wow, that's in my mind forever.

2) Days of Future Past. Probably because it re-lives the atrocities of the past, helping to make sure we "never forget". It cements the role of mutants as the persecuted minority.

3) Age of Apocalypse. Massive. Company wide. It starts out, like, WTF? Then you're all, wow, it's everywhere, how did they get all the writers to do all this? Great coordination for a crossover.

4) Earth, Paradise, Universe X. What can I say, the wordiest comic series ever, the art, the art, the art. Amazing.

5) Talisman origin. From the Coronet to the defeat of Ranaq to the rescue of Walter's soul. The scrambled egg monster clinches it all. Alpha Flights #19 and #24, and others are in this story line.

Love,
rplass

[SmurfInABlender]

Green Lantern Co Starring Green Arrow - This 13 comic piece was revolutionary, peopel say that Watchmen was great because of the things accomplished in it were never thought of at the time, i don't think Watchmen would have gone there had this series not first placed politicle issues in their stories like Drugs, Racism, Enviornmentalism and Polution.

Watchmen - Oh come on you know you love it!

V for Vendetta - The poetry within it is enough to love it, not to mention its storyline has things that were left out of the movie that are in my opinion essential to the story

I havn't read comics too long, but of I read thsoe are the only storylines to even make the list

[DelBubs]

Watchmen, read once, now sits on my shelf. Never did anything for me. V imho is by far the superior story.

[Dfense75]

I to read and enjoyed V. It was hard to leave off my list. The other that was hard to leave off was the Dark Knight Returns.

[firestar]

here there are my fab 5. There's a lot of american comics, but there's something of Italian, too.
1)Julia - an italian ongoing series, starring a criminologist woman who works for Garden City Police Departement. I like almost all the numbers i have, but the fisrt 5, about a serial killer called Myrna, are the best.
2)kingdome come. - nothing to say, just love at first sight.
3)watchmen - as in 2).
4) csi:ny - bloody murder. i know, it's not a comic who will do the story, but i love the story, i love the characters, and the art.
5) phoenix ensong. if not for the story in itself, for the art...

[PWalk]

My top 5 in no particular order.

AF #1, I bought it for the cover, I was 10 and I saw all of these superheroes on the cover so why not. After reading it though I became hooked on AF. If ever there was a single book to be made into a film this is it.

Batman, Dark Knight Returns, I can't tell you how many times I've read it.

What If?... Vol. 2 #25, "What if the Marvel Superheroes lost Atlantis Attacks?" Great little read if you can find it. Set kicks everyones ass, nuff said.

Uncanny X-men Annual #5, The X-men and the FF against the Badoon. Just awesome oldschool stuff.

The Ultimates, Is there a better book out there? I loved every second of it no matter how cliched it got at points.

[Manikin]

Hrm... This is a tough one to call. Without giving it too much though here are my top 5.

1: Y The Last Man
I don't think that I have ever been so captivated by a comic that had nothing to do with Super Heroes of any kind. Plus it was the first comic I could ever get my wife to read, she loves it now and is hooked. This story can be described as 'viral'.

2: Planet Hulk
Great story, good dialog, good art, and a fantasic lead up to a rather suspensful plot. As much as I like seeing the Hulk get his butt handed to him, it was a good read.
3: Infinity Crisis
Some of you may laugh, but I always enjoyed this one as a kid.

4: AF: No Future
Short but sweet. I enjoy the 'dark future' spin offs, and I enjoyed that this one was secluded to Canada. The rest of the world completely oblivious

5: Annihilation
I like stories that take us outside of Earth and the same old stories that can get a tad boring. The only thing that would have made this better was if the Shi'aar join in the fight. I love the Shi'aar Imperial Guard. Unfortunatly they are being wasted by poor writing in Uncanny X-men atm. Sad.

[SephirothsKiller]

Hmmm.... I don't think I have a top 5, but I'd have to go with so far:

1: Watchmen.

2: Madrox. Needs to be made into a movie.

3: Scott Pilgrim (Top comics can just be fun, they don't need depth!)

4: Weapon X: Days of Future Now. People may think that this is a weird choice, but I loved this series more than you can believe. The ending was so depressing and the story was so demented, even though I wasn't at all satisfied at the end, something about that book stuck with me. I'm probably the only person on Earth who holds it in such high regard.

5: Action Comics Annual #3. I don't read DC, but I read this when I was just a wee lad and I still have it (its pretty beat up now) and Its pretty much the only reason I ever got into comics. For me, this is a brilliant self-contained issue about Superman becoming President. Grummet's perfect alternate future is also responsible for my absolute hatred for all "Uber powerful" characters, particularly those that don't have to work for their power. In general, its just a really good book, something shown by the fact that even though a whole bunch of alternate universes were discussed, I still understood it at 5 years old.

So as you can see, my top books are just as much about sentimental value as quality.

RUNNER UP: Every Owly book ever! I freaking love that bird!

[DaVeO]

1. Crisis on Infinite Earths: My gateway into comics. Epic.

2. Fables: So damn entertaining.

3. Planetary: Pop-culture brilliance.

4. JSA: An outstanding run. Cemented my love for DC.

5. Hellboy: Gothic, dark, horrific, funny.

[Phil]

1. Paradigm
2. Stray Toasters
3. AF #1-12
4. The Monarchy
5. Phonogram