johnkmccubbin91

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My Top Stories and Story Arcs of All Time

This is a list of my most favourite stories of all time, including Story Arcs and TPB's (trade paper backs/graphic novels).

The list will change from time to time if I've either read a new story or read a old one again feeling I've ranked it too high or too low.

WARNING: THERE MAY BE THE ODD SPOILER IN THIS LIST

List items

  • 5/5 Reviewed

    This is my favourite Batman story of all time and there are lots of good reasons for it. Alan Moore has written a brilliant story showing Joker at his best. Brian Bolland also brings wonderful art and is able to show characters emotions brilliantly. What I really like about this story is that it shows that Joker was possibly once a normal guy (if the origin is the correct one) and that "all it takes is one bad day to reduce the sanest man alive to lunacy".

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

    This was one of the first stories I read when I started to collect graphic novels, and is one of the best stories I've ever read. Mark Millar killed it on this story, putting Avengers, against Avengers with the Super-Human Registration Act making heroes chose a side, and ultimately fight against one another. The action during this story was amazing, and artist Steve McNiven did an excellent job, like he's done with the entire artwork on this story. I also loved how there was emotion throughout, and how it was obvious that people on both sides didn't like fighting their friends. It also had some shocks, that were very exciting, and overall it was a phenomenal story and it'd take a special crossover event to top this crossover event.

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

    Easily one of the best comic book stories of all time. This legendary, and innovative story would change comics as they are today, as with it's graphic nature, as well as it's realism it would bring uniqueness back to comics, taking them from corny, fun stories, to very serious ones. Alan Moore showed in this story why he's such a great writer, as along with his other works such as The Killing Joke (which tops this list) he's created unique, and entertaining stories. In this story Moore also introduced some very unique, and deep characters, who all were as essential as the next, having brilliant background stories. The art from Dave Gibbons was also extraordinary, as for the time this was extraordinary artwork, and John Higgins colours helped add tone, and vibrancy to that.

  • 5/5 Reviewed Complete Collection TPB

    Hush was one of the first Batman stories I read when I started collecting comics and it got me hooked. Jeph Loeb did a brilliant job and I loved how he included a lot of well known Batman villains whilst introducing the new villain Hush. I also liked how we see Bruce's childhood and how he's connected to Hush whilst also showing you why Hush became what he is. The art in this story was amazing and Jim Lee is simply a genius. I have enjoyed his art for years but his work on Batman whether on this book, Batman and Robin the Boy Wonder or Justice League he always does a great job.

  • 5/5

  • 5/5

  • 5/5 Reviewed Complete Collection TPB

    This was a phenomenal story, and my all time favourite Superman story, and it'd take sometime special to replace that. Grant Morrison did a outstanding job of showing Superman at his weakest point, knowing that he's going to die. It also had some amazing mini-stories that were fun, exciting, emotional, and overall entertaining. Morrison also did a fabulous job showing the character relationships, especially between Lois, and Superman, which usually comes out as the best relationship development in a Superman story. Frank Quitely also produces some fantastic art, and although not to everyone's taste, I love his unique, quirky style, which suited this story perfectly, especially during the Bizarro World part.

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

    This is one of the best X-Men stories ever written, being a true classic. It is such a deep, and well written story, that is perfectly balanced, being exciting, and dramatic, whilst also being suspenseful, and knowing when to be dark, or emotional as well. Overall Chris Claremont did a perfect job of this story, and although I've not read a huge lot of his work, I doubt there is more than a few of his other stories that can match this level, let alone possibly beat it, as he showed how much the Phoenix effected the X-Men's life, and how their decision decided the worlds fate. It also had some wonderful artwork by John Byrne, which was perfectly drawn, being both amazing, and beautiful.

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

    This was a phenomenal story, and a great start to Joss Whedon's X-Men run. The concept of a mutant cure was a very risky thing to take on, but Whedon handled it perfectly, using it to the best advantage of both the story, as well as the X-Men as a whole. The team was also handled perfectly, with great characteristics, as well terrific dialogue, and brilliant action, and excitement. It also had some mystery as well as some really fun moments, and I doubt anyone could have done this particular story better than Whedon. The art from John Cassaday was also out of this world, as although he's produced amazing art on the likes of Captain America, and Uncanny Avengers, this has to be some of the best art he's ever produced, being highly detailed, and very dynamic.

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

    I was going to add both Young Avengers volumes, Sidekicks, and Family Matters, but due to the fact that I read this series as a whole in this book, as well as the fact that it forms into one huge story I felt I'd add it like this. Allan Heinberg just made something magical with this new team that was introduced to fill the void the Avengers left after Avengers Disassembled. It had plenty of action, emotion, magic, and entertainment, and is one of the most fun books I've ever read. The character development was also phenomenal, and some of the best I've ever seen, and it also managed to balance both the fun, and serious tones perfectly. The art from Jim Cheung was also simply outstanding, as although Andrea Divito's work on the few issues in the middle were good, they were nothing on Cheung's art.

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

    This was a phenomenal story, and although not quite as good as Dark Phoenix Saga, it is one of the best classic X-Men stories ever created, and the influence it has had on animated works has been brilliant, and I hope the upcoming film will be handled well. The concept was also brilliant, and I loved how Chris Claremont handled both time periods, balancing the entire story out perfectly, giving a gritty, and unique story that was also very suspenseful. The other stories that came before and after this in the trade were also very fun, and exciting, and although none of them could compete with the main story, they were still amazing. The art from John Byrne was also outstanding, and as he did with his entire X-Men run, he showed the characters perfectly, also adding depth, and tone to the stories.

  • 5/5

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

    This was an amazing conclusion to Joss Whedon, and John Cassaday's astonishing run on the X-Men, and although it's not quite as good as Gifted, it's the next best story from their run. The X-Men's journey to the Breakworld was amazingly handled, with tons of suspense, and drama, as well as great emotion, and fantastic action. The character development was also very interesting, with Colossus really stepping up in a brilliant way. S.W.O.R.D.'s involvement also added drama, with the revelations of Abigail Brand being extremely interesting. The dialogue, and action also added great tone, adding a tremendous atmosphere. The art from Cassaday was also spectacular, and I especially enjoyed seeing him draw Spider-Man during the Giant-Size issue, with his art as a whole being very dynamic.

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

    This was an amazing continuation to both the Gifted storyline, as well as Joss Whedon's X-Men run in general. It may not quite have matched the Gifted storyline, but it was still outstanding. It did however excel over Gifted in certain areas, having more intense, and explosive action, as well as a little more mystery. Besides that Whedon continued to develop the characters personalities perfectly, also adding some brilliant emotion, and drama. The introduction of the character Danger also helped give more depth, and tone to this story, and the symbolism, and emotion behind her characteristics was handled fantastically. The art from John Cassaday was also once again phenomenal, with a very vibrant, and unique tone that also gave more depth to the story.

  • 5/5 Reviewed as individual issues

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

    This was probably my favourite story out of Brian Michael Bendis' earlier work on Avengers, as although it probably isn't his best work overall, it showed ton's of emotion, whilst re-introducing Sentry perfectly, whilst also exploring his past. It was also a very interesting story, which featured the Illuminati for the first time (even though they didn't do much), also having some amazing action sequences that Steve McNiven drew perfectly.

  • 5/5 Reviewed Complete Collection TPB

  • 5/5 Reviewed Complete Collection TPB

    Under the Hood was a brilliant story and it made me like Jason Todd as a character. The back issues of Batman I read with Jason as Robin I didn't really like and never liked the character until this book. The way he changed to a character completely full of hatred was brilliant and I liked how he felt that Batman betrayed him by letting Joker live. This story was also made into a brilliant animated film which is currently my favourite animated comic book film. Judd Winick did a great job on this story and has done a great job with the Jason Todd character since. This story also had brilliant artwork from Doug Mahnke, Shane Davis and the suspense that was built up, leading to the identity of the Red Hood being Jason was brilliantly written and drawn.

  • 5/5

    This is my favourite Batman story by Morrison. I may be one of the only people to have this story has high as this on this type of list, but for me it was just magical. With the introduction of a son sired by the Bat (Damian Wayne) it was bound to be interesting). The initial chemistry between Batman ans Damian was brilliant, and it's lead to some more magical moment through the years. I also think that most of Morrison's best work come from stories featuring Damian. The art from Andy Kubert was also very good, and suited this story brilliantly.

  • 5/5

  • 5/5

    Batman R.I.P. was the first book I read by the great Grant Morrison. Although the story itself was more mysterious than your usual Batman story, it was still very entertaining, and suspenseful. The only thing that upset me about the story was that you had to read Final Crisis to find out exactly what happened to Batman, and although I enjoyed that story it would annoy other fans more (as they might not want to read Final Crisis). Anyway it's my second favourite story by Morrison, and I enjoy it even more with each read through. The art from Tony Daniel was also phenomenal.

  • 5/5

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

    This was an amazing volume, with two fantastic stories, that merged together nicely. The feature on Spider-Woman's secret was simply outstanding, adding ton's of suspense, and drama. The second story introducing the mysterious Ronin (Echo) was also amazing, being very mysterious and suspenseful, as well as having drama. Frank Cho, and David Finch did amazing job on art, with Cho's standing out more. Rick Mays' contribution on the Giant Sized Spider-Woman issue was also decent, but not to my taste.

  • 5/5 Reviewed as individual issues

  • 5/5 Reviewed TPB

    Although Avengers Disassembled was the first Avengers story by Brian Michael Bendis, this was the one that would change the Avengers as they were, putting previous Avengers, and soon to be new Avengers in a position where they have to work together, forming the New Avengers. Now this wouldn't be Bendis' best Avengers story, but it was the first sign of his great talent, and although he would be inconsistent near the end of his run, the start was amazing. It was explosive, and fun, with real drama, and suspense. David Finch also once again produced fabulous artwork, making for an overall brilliant story.

  • 5/5

  • 4.5/5 Reviewed Justice League #22-23, Justice League of America #22-23, Justice League Dark #22-23, Trinity of Sin: Pandora #1

    This was a terrific event, and although it had a few parts that were slightly below par, the entire story was phenomenal, with the outstanding issues making up for the ones that weren't as good as expected. It also did a great job of putting all the heroes against one another, having the teams mix up like you'd never imagine. The story itself also had great mystery, and excitement, as well as brilliant drama, and suspense, being a very enjoyable read. It was also nice to see the Trinity of Sin in Pandora, Phantom Stranger, and Question, all of whom are amazing characters, and adding Shazam on top was even better. On top of all this the story was a great set-up for Forever Evil.

  • 4.5/5 Reviewed Complete Collection TPB

    This was a very controversial Superman story, mainly due to a change in Superman's characteristics. I personally didn't mind this, and liked seeing a darker, more humanized Superman. Brian Azzarello did a fabulous job of producing a very unique and exciting story, and Jim Lee did what he always does, make it look phenomenal. This was a very mysterious story, and I was very interested in it throughout. It was however slightly confusing at times, but it explained itself in due course, and helped build the mystery. It also had some amazing fight sequences, and featured characters like the JLA, with Batman, and Wonder Woman having longer appearances.

  • 4.5/5

  • 4.5/5 Reviewed Aquaman #14-16, Justice League #15-17

  • 4.5/5

  • 4.5/5 (Reviewed Swamp Thing #13-18 & Animal Man #17)

  • 4.5/5

  • 4.5/5

  • 4.5/5 Reviewed TPB

  • 4.5/5 Reviewed as individual issues

  • 4.5/5 Reviewed as individual issues

  • 4.5/5 Reviewed as individual issues

  • Overall Crossover: 4/5 Batman Issues: 5/5 Reviewed most individual issues involved in crossover

    This was a great story, and although I always had fair that it'd be good, I never expected to be as good as it was. Scott Snyder has done a very good job writing the Caped Crusader over the last couple of years (also including his Detective Comics run pre-Flashpoint), but this has to be the best he's done yet. He wrote Joker perfectly, and he kept readers in suspense, wondering what exactly Joker knew, and what he was going to do (or at least it did with me). Although it's not the best story it is high on the list and I can see it staying there for a while.

  • 4/5 Reviewed TPB

    This was a great story, but not quite to the same level as the first three stories in Joss Whedon's amazing X-Men run. The appearance of the Hellfire Club in Whedon's run was however amazing to read, and I loved what he did with the characters. There was also a lot more comedy in this story, which was a little over the top, going from funny, to eventually feeling forced, and unnecessary. There was however also some great action, and emotion, with amazing suspense, and a hint of mystery, which gave a lot of depth to the story. I did however also question whether I liked the Unstoppable set-up in this story, as although some of it was nice, it hurt the ending slightly. John Cassaday's art also continued to amaze, with brilliant emotion, and fabulous detail, being truly phenomenal.

  • 4/5

  • 4/5 Reviewed as individual issues

    When this story initially came out in comic form it was hurt badly by scheduling problems, making it hard to fully appreciate. I have however read it all together since, and it was much better. The return of the Red Skull was brilliant, and well handled by Rick Remender, and although it's not one of his best stories ever, it was a decent start to this series. It also has some interesting plot twists, and developments, as well as some lovely set-up work. John Cassaday's was outstanding, although not as awe-inspiring as usual, with a few of imperfections. Olivier Coipel's art on the last issue was however did a much better job, and although I love Cassaday's art, I'd have preferred Coipel's on the entire story.

  • 4/5 Reviewed TPB

    This was a brilliant start to Brian Michael Bendis' amazing Avengers run. The development of the backstory prevented this being a perfect story, but it had plenty of excitement, and action. The story itself also shook up the Avengers universe, setting up changes, as well as future events, having some shocking, and emotional points throughout. The art from David Finch was also awesome, as although he had problems with facial expressions, he more than made up in the action sequences.

  • 4/5 Reviewed TPB

    Although the main Civil War event was phenomenal, the New Avengers tie-in wasn't quite as good. This was mainly due to it consisting of five separate stories, which made the book slightly inconsistent. There were however a few very good stories in this tie-in, showing perfectly how the event effected certain members of the team, as their different views on the subject. It also at times had brilliant action, and emotion, and although there was also a much slower story, overall Brian Michael Bendis did a great job, and this is by far one of the best tie-in books that I've read. It also had some phenomenal art by Leinil Francis Yu, Olivier Coipel, and Jim Cheung, as well as some decent art by Pasqual Ferry. Howard Chaykin's art on the first story was however a little disappointing though.

  • 4/5

  • 4/5 Reviewed New Avengers #1

  • 4/5 Reviewed TPB

    This was one of the weaker books in Brian Michael Bendis' early run, being the worst out of his first five stories. The story itself had a good mysterious background, with some very exciting action. The story did however not quite hit the mark, as it was a bit slow, and didn't have as much depth as Bendis stories prior to it. The art by Mike Deodato Jr., and Steve McNiven was amazing, but Deadato Jr.'s art stood out more, being truly phenomenal.

  • Overall Crossover: 4/5 Superman Issues: 4/5 Reviewed Superman #13-15

    This was a brilliant crossover, and although the Superboy, and Supergirl parts of the crossover weren't always brilliant, the Superman part of the story was. After seeing the New 52 Superman series poor for so long I'm glad to see it in good shape, and hope that this is a sign of things to come.

  • 4/5 Reviewed Gambit #1-4

  • 4/5 Reviewed Avengers #1-2

  • 4/5 Reviewed TPB

  • 4/5 Reviewed TPB

  • 4/5 Reviewed Green Lantern #0, 13-15, Green Lantern Annual #1, Green Lantern Corps #13, Green Lantern: New Guardians #13, Red Lanterns #13

  • 3.5/5

  • 3.5/5 Reviewed Avengers vs. X-Men #9-12

  • 3.5/5

  • 3.5/5

  • 3/5 Reviewed as individual issues

    This was a highly disappointing story, as after all the hype, and build-up it had, taking over two years to even come out. It was very slow, and mundane. It did however have action from time to time, but it didn't make up for it's slow pace. It also had a lot of questionable points, with certain aspects being a bit unpleasant. The art from Bryan Hitch, Carlos Pacheco, Brandon Peterson, and others was mostly amazing, with Hitch's standing out most. It was however a shame that Brian Michael Bendis' mostly great Avengers run ended in such a disappointing fashion.