10-issue Challenge

[dlw66]

Quite awhile ago there was a thread on "favorite runs" -- it truly had nothing to do with Montezuma's Revenge, but was more toward your favorite series of issues of a particular book.

I'd like to update/modify that query with the following proposition: Name, in your humble opinion, the best 10-issue run of any book you want to discuss, and then if your favorite run would happen to be a different 10-issues, feel free.

Oh, yeah -- the catch. You can only pick in the following manner: 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, and so on. So if you have a fave story that spread over issues, say, 248-251, you're gonna have to choose which 10 was better -- the 140's or the 150's.

Have at it!

[Shiryu]

Sorry, I'm a bit thick here ^^''
You mean that if the story is in, say, issue 35-45, I would have to choose between 30-40 and 40-50, right?

Hmm, this requires some thinking. I have a few stories in mind, but need to check the issue numbers. In the meantime, Amazing Spider-Man 1-10 is a good start ;D

[dlw66]

May 29, 2009 4:25:16 GMT -5 Shiryu said:

You mean that if the story is in, say, issue 35-45, I would have to choose between 30-40 and 40-50, right?

You are correct, sir. I thought I'd put a little bit of a difficulty factor in this, just to see what we could come up with.

Here's the first example that came to my mind: Fantastic Four #41-50. You begin the "decade" with a Frightful Four free-for-all, then you get Dragon Man, the introduction of the Inhumans in a 4 1/2 issue epic, and then conclude the 10 with the introduction of the Silver Surfer and Galactus. All that, plus the intro. to the "This Man, This Monster" story that would come in #51 (outside our 10, of course, but worth mention nonetheless). Look at that -- I dare anyone to name a better or even more significant 10-issue run (remember -- on the 10's) than this!

I will post my personal favorite later -- still pondering it. I am leaning heavily toward Avengers 151-160, though .

[Tana Nile]

X-Men 133-142:

Wolverine takes on the Hellfire Club, the X-Men deal with Dark Phoenix, Kitty Pryde joins the team, and finally, Days of Future Passed!

A pretty exciting time to be an X-Fan.

[Shiryu]

You've done my same original mistake ;D
It has to be either X-Men 130-140 or 140-150

[Tana Nile]

Geez... I don't know what I was thinking...I read that last night and then I still screwed up today!

OK then, I'll go with 131-140: we lose Days of Future Past, but gain more of the Hellfire Club story.

I'm just getting old...

[woodside]

This was tough, but Uncanny X-Men # 240-250. Not only does it contain "Inferno," but also some great work Claremont and Silverstri. The highlight being the battle with Master Mold/Nimrod. No one - and I mean NO ONE - draws Sentinels better than Marc Silverstri.

[dlw66]

My reasons for liking Avengers 151-160:

For whatever reason, I can clearly recall where I purchased Avengers 149-151 -- the Jewel/Osco on South Washington Avenue. So this "decade" has a special, vivid childhood memory for me.

151 ends the "new line-up" story that began in 150.
151-152 features the return of Wonder Man.
153 features the return of the Whizzer, which leads into a good story in Annual #6.
154-156 is a multi-part crossover with Super-Villain Team-Up that features Namor, Doom, Attuma, and other Atlantean baddies.
157 is the Black Knight turned-to-stone fill-in issue -- meh...
158 is my favorite in the run -- the knock-down drag-out between Wonder Man and the Vision! Also introduces Graviton (ho hum).
159 is the conclusion of the Graviton story, but returns the Black Panther to the team.
160 is a Grim Reaper story with an excellent Perez cover!!

Check out the covers at www.coverbrowser.com if you don't believe me!

[spiderwasp]

Okay, I have an answer for now. I do reserve the right to change my mind later if another run comes to mind. I'm going with Avengers 121-130. This had almost the entire Zodiac story that involved killing all the Geminis (It actually started in 120), continued with the revelation that Libra was Mantis' father. The filler with Klaw was not bad but then it jumped into the wedding of Pietro and Crystal, the Necrodammus story that greatly boosted the Scarlet Witch, and ended with an appearance by Kang. Now that's the Avengers.

[humanbelly]

Well, shoot, all the good runs are getting snatched up, and I don't want to just be an echo-ing "me-too"bot. . . Let's see--

At the risk of having you kind, patient folks scream, "Enough, already!" and throw pizza boxes & half-graded book reports at me, I'm going to boldly go right back to Incredible Hulk #'s 111-120 as my all-time favorite. I've praised this run at length in another thread, I know, so I won't go too in-depth. Galaxy Master; three-parter w/ the Leader & his Android ("Hulk didn't know you could talk!"), great clash with Namor, & three-way slug-out w/ the Evil Inhumans & the army.

All New Uncanny X-Men 101-110 was also pretty darned good, if I recall.

Then the Encyclopedic memory gets fuzzy.

Possibly Amazing Spiderman 51-60, yes?

And, hoo boy, Power Pack (of all things) had a long stretch of issues where they were in outer space fighting the Zznarks, and the drama and pacing and action were just breathtaking. Like a really, really good kids' action film.

First 10 issues of Silver Surfer?

Oh geeze, a whole slew of the Todd Macf. run on Incredible Hulk. . .

Stop me, stop me-

HB

[dlw66]

I'm liking what I'm seeing -- quality runs, all!

Amazing Spider-Man 121-130. This 10-issue block is carried by the outsides: #'s 121-122 featuring the deaths of Gwen Stacy and the Green Goblin, and #129's intro. of the Punisher. In the middle is a "shameless self-promotion" for the then-new Luke Cage, Hero For Hire (THE Luke Cage, ya young whippersnappers!!), the two-part intro. of the Man-Wolf (some good JJJ angst), and a couple of stories with the Kangaroo and the Vulture. Also the seeds begin to be planted for Harry's meltdown and subsequent ascension to the Goblin mantle.

Good stuff, with some great Kane/Romita covers in the run!

[Shiryu]

After some thinking, I would definitey say that JIM 121 - Thor 130 is among my favorites. We have the Absorbing Man (ok, we can live without him), Hercules, Pluto and the battle in Hades.

I also have a soft spot for Amazing SM 41-50.

[scottharris]

I'd probably have to go with Avengers #51-60. Buscema really hits his stride here, the difference in his art just from a few issues earlier is significant (just take a look at the sketchy cover of #50 compared to the smooth, polished cover on #51; maybe the inker, but Big John's work really took off starting in #51). We also get the Collector, Black Panther joining the team, the first Grim Reaper, an X-Men crossover, return of the Black Knight, the Masters of Evil, the first Ultron, a nice Bucky story that leads into the classic Avengers Annual #2, the first Vision, the first Yellowjacket and Hank and Jan's wedding. And Even and Android Can Cry.

I'll put these 10 issues up against any 10 issue run in any series.



For nostalgia purposes, I'd also like to give a shout out to Warlord #91-100, which were among the first comics I ever read as a kid and which hooked me permanently on comics. These issues comprise one long story that actually started in Warlord #75 and ran through #100, including annuals as well. A great epic fantasy tale. Plus, Warlord battles ninjas riding dragons.