comic book/movie top 10 [split from FF]

by **klimov** on 10/08/15, 01:41:29

Yup, sounds like a flop.

You know what, in twenty years I don't think we've ever done a comic book Top 10.

1/ 'The Castafiore Emerald' by Herge
2/ 'Maus' by Art Spiegelman
3/ 'A Zoo in Winter' by Jiro Taniguchi
4/ 'Asterix in Britain' by Goscinny (w) and Uderzo (i)
5/ 'Indian Summer' by Hugo Pratt (w) and Milo Manara (i)
6/ 'Babette' by Hermann
7/ 'Orient Gateway' by Vittorio Giardino
8/ 'It Was the War of the Trenches' by Jacques Tardi
9/ 'The Incal' by Alejandro Jorodorwsky (w) and Moebius (i)
10/ 'Lucy' by Patrick Norbert (w) and Tanino Liberatore (i)

by **darkness** on 10/08/15, 04:05:05

Live Action:
1. The Dark Knight
2. Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut
3. X-Men: Days of Future Past
4. Spider-Man 2
5. Sin City
6. V for Vendetta
7. The Avengers
8. Tank Girl
9. Hellboy
10. Ghost World

Honorable mentions:
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Guardians of the Galaxy
Howard the Duck (yeah, you read that right)

Animated:
1. Batman: Mask of the Phantasm
2. Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker
3. Wonder Woman
4. Heavy Metal
5. Batman: Under the Red Hood
6. Superman/Batman: Apocalypse
7. Justice League: The Flashpoint Paradox
8. Batman: Year One
9. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
10. When the Wind Blows

by **Alexhead** on 10/08/15, 16:36:59

Hm, for actual comics...

1. Daredevil (Frank Miller original run)
2. X-Men (Chris Claremont original run)
3. Black Hole (Burns)
4. Saga (Vaughn)
5. V For Vendetta (Moore)
6. Books of Magic (Gaiman)
7. Sandman (Gaiman)
8. Miracle Man (Moore)
9. New Mutants (Claremont original run)
10. Arkham Asylum (forget who wrote it, art's great)
11. The Dark Knight Returns (Miller)
12. Batman-Year One (Miller)

Comic book movies is tougher, there are a lot now. I still maintain The Avengers is the greatest comic book movie and The Dark Knight is the greatest graphic novel movie. Age of Ultron moves up my list with each subsequent viewing (four as of this posting).

by **darkness** on 10/08/15, 18:55:45

Oh, I thought we were doing comic movies (seeing as this is the celluloid output forum). If we're doing actual comic books:

1. Fallen Angel (Peter David)
2. The Book of Lost Souls (J. Michael Straczynski)
3. V for Vendetta (Alan Moore)
4. Supergirl (Peter David run)
5. The Dark Knight Returns (Frank Miller)
6. Rising Stars (J. Michael Straczynski)
7. Midnight Nation (J. Michael Straczynski)
8. The Killing Joke (Alan Moore)
9. X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills (Chris Claremont)
10. Batman-Year One (Frank Miller)

by **Alexhead** on 10/08/15, 22:10:52

Weirdly, I own a deluxe copy of The Killing Joke but I have never cracked it out of its wrapper. Never read it. I know the big thing that happens in it, but I've never sat down to read it. I should also include Peresopolis, that was a really good one to read with my daughter and talk about recent Iranian history.

by **darkness** on 10/08/15, 23:51:06

The Killing Joke is a pretty thin book, what exactly does a deluxe edition entail? It's surprising you've never read it as it's the biggest influence on pretty much every version of the Joker who's appeared in the films, especially Ledger's. Also just a really good story, so I highly recommend breaking the seal on that.

It should be noted that my list are the books that have stood the test of time with me. There are other series I've enjoyed reading, but don't really find myself revisiting, such as Gail Simone's run on Birds of Prey or Straczynski's Spider-man run.

by **klimov** on 11/08/15, 00:44:42

Comic book movies would be a different thing. I can't think of one I would describe as great. Nausicaa probably tops the list, and it's far from my favourite Miyazaki. Then Akira. If you're looking for live action, the '78 Superman and Burton Batman have some nostalgic value. Or in terms of more recent films, 2 Guns is probably the best one that comes to mind. Snowpiercer, Guardians of the Galaxy, Noah, The Fountain, Oblivion all worth a brief mention I guess, and the first 300 for that matter.

But anyway, yes, I was referring to books. Interesting how there's so little overlap between the US-UK tradition and the rest of the world. I think the cliche goes that whilst comics are a kids medium in the US they're taken more seriously in France and Japan in particular, but this is perhaps a little unfair given there is also the counter-culture tradition of Crumb, Shelton and co. in the States (fun to a degree) and also the Eisner 'graphic novel' tradition through Ware, Sacco, Thompson, etc, although I have to say I'm generally not very keen on that stuff with the exception of Maus (which is just very obviously the best American comic book ever drawn).

Arkham Asylum is the only book I've read from these lists. The art is okay but it's all a bit pretentious in a gaudy 80s sort of way. I've been meaning to read The Killing Joke for years but never got around to it (I've read Watchmen, it's okay). From these lists I might check out Black Hole, Saga and the Book of Lost Souls. You folks should definitely check out Taniguchi, will completely change your perception of what can be achieved with the form. A Zoo is Winter is out of print and a little bit expensive; after that would recommend The Summit of the Gods although unfortunately Vol.1 is also out of print and a bit expensive. There's a complete edition re-print of A Distant Neighbourhood coming out in December, suggest pre-ordering that if you're trying to save the pennies: http://www.amazon.com/Distant-Neighborh ... 910856037/

by **Alexhead** on 11/08/15, 12:54:28

Jeez, I knew I was forgetting one--Locke and Key. Joe "Stephen King's kid" Hill's best work so far, and I enjoy his other stuff. This is a great, great, horror title.

by **Alexhead** on 11/08/15, 12:55:43

Also the horror manga Uzumaki. Made into a somewhat silly movie, the comic itself is great nightmare fuel. Read it backwards like they do over in Japan for extra points.

by **darkness** on 11/08/15, 13:57:07

I'd say now comics aren't really considered a kid's medium in the U.S. anymore. For one they've gotten so expensive they're priced out of the range for kids. When I bought comics they were 65 cents. Accounting for inflation that'd be about a buck and a quarter today. But comics go for $4-$5. I'm talking individual issues, not graphic novels. Sure, kids are into them too, but it's really the adults who drive the market. That's why they have 20 different variant covers for every issue now, so soak the collectors for extra money.

Will look into Taniguchi.

Ø

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