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Post by goldenfist on Sept 29, 2011 13:09:00 GMT -5
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Post by humanbelly on Sept 30, 2011 7:05:33 GMT -5
Well, one does have to wonder about the editorial process behind creating "lists" like this. I mean, how physically big is newsarama's staff? I daresay this comes off strikingly as an individual writer's assignment whose research consisted of bouncing his own ideas and views off of his buddy in the next cubicle (or on facebook or via email or something). I'm guessing he's a big, ol' Alan Moore fan, and was bound and determined to get Watchmen & LoEG in there somehow (both choices being ridiculously inappropriate to this list). Might also note that neither was ever a continuous, sustained series-- great as they are/were. And while it's nice to see the independant Gen13 in there (which I've never read an issue of, I'm afraid)-- including X-Force is just a sham. Heck, I'd submit New Mutants, Alpha Flight or the Defenders. . . or even the Omega Men. . . first. Yeesh. But his top four are pretty much a given (sequencing debatable), and I wholeheartedly agree with giving the JSA a berth, as well. HB |
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Post by goldenfist on Sept 30, 2011 12:20:22 GMT -5
Most of the guys at newsarama are kinda byeist if you ask me.
same goes for the guys at Ign.com
Heck I remember when Wizard magazine picked the top 10 super hero teams but that was a long time ago I don't have the magazine anymore.
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Post by ultron69 on Oct 7, 2011 14:58:33 GMT -5
Gen-13 making the list instantly makes me lose some respect for it, but otherwise it's decent. The top 4 are very hard to rank, I think. The FF are Marvel's first family, the X-Men have been the most popular thing in comics for the past 30 years, the JLA has more iconic figures than any group and many of us grew up with the Superfriends. I love the Avengers and don't mind seeing them #1, but in truth, they probably don't deserve the top spot and I wonder if they're only there because of the impending movie. Personally, I'd rank the Legion of Super-Heroes above any other DC team, though I agree that the JLA really should be ranked higher. I also think that the Defenders should be on this list. Also, though not really a superhero team, I wouldn't mind seeing the Challengers of the Unknown on here.
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Post by humanbelly on Oct 7, 2011 18:51:36 GMT -5
Heck, you know who else I'd include before X-Force? The Metal Men. And, no kidding, Power Pack. X-Force had nothing at all original driving it except for the now-reviled "Hot, Edgy, Violent" artistic trend of that moment. The group wasn't new at all-- it was quite literally a following-month re-boot of the New Mutants. It covered no new conceptual ground whatsoever that I can remember-- and I was there at the outset. The Metal Men were always delightful and quirky. Power Pack was a HUGE risk for Marvel to take-- and it seemed like they stayed behind it long after it may have been in their best financial interests. There were also times when it was quite, quite exciting and engaging.
Oh man-- you know who I'd definitely put on the list-- certainly in place of Watchmen or LoEG? The Doom Patrol! That's right! I'm pretty darned sure they had the precedent over the X-Men for the "Angst driven team of outcast misfits, led by a brilliant man in a wheelchair" credit.
HB
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Post by goldenfist on Oct 9, 2011 16:11:48 GMT -5
Why not mae your own top 10 super teams of all time list human
belly.
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Post by humanbelly on Oct 9, 2011 19:43:29 GMT -5
Why not mae your own top 10 super teams of all time list human belly. Ohhhh rassafratchit-- put my money where my mouth is, eh, GF? You KNOW that Doc Bong & Shiryu & Starfoxxx & owene & everyone else are frantically waving their hands at you behind my back, silently trying to mouth-out, "For god's SAKE, GoldenFist. . . don't openly ASK HB to talk about something-!!! There's not enough band-width in the entirety of the ether to carry him once he starts one of his long-winded avalanches-!!! You'll be the doom of us all. . . . !!!" Well, or something like that, anyhow. But-- you did ask, so I'll bravely give you my own, not-completely thought-out list. Mind you, the cool thing with groups is that they're so idiosyncratic-- and even the obscure ones (Next Men, anyone?) will have followers that will defend their supremacy to the bitter end. So this list will reflect my personal tastes probably more than it does objective greatness or relevance: 1) Avengers. Just lump all the iterations & Coasts & all together, and call it my favorite. Force Works can even be under this umbrella. 2) JLA-- although I haven't been a regular reader in many years, I've always appreciated their history & longevity. 3) Fantastic Four-- the founders of the modern-age superteam. 4) Okay, the X-Men, although there are sub-sets that I disliked with a passion. (And I mean, aren't the New Mutants & all the X-Factors and so-on all X-Men as well?) 5) The Teen Titans! Wow, can't believe they got missed in all of the previous discussion! Never bought their book, but completely recognized that it was a first-rate book during its Perez years, and was very much DC's successful answer to the X-Men. 6) Justice Society of America. Man, even when that book isn't good, it's still a compelling and fun read-- consistently captures that fun sense of being part of a larger history that draws the reader in & makes them want to explore further. 7) The Defenders-- although, boy, did it have some weak periods. Mostly they couldn't keep decent artists assigned to it. And at the end there, weren't Warren AND Bobby AND Hank on the team? X-Men Rocky Mountains? But a GREAT oddball team (or Non-Team, whatever in the world that could possibly have meant)-- and I stuck with them through to the end. 8) Doom Patrol. And y'know, I was enjoying John Byrne's re-boot of them (man, Team of a Million Reboots-- that's the Doom Patrol) a few years ago, and then it just up and ended flat out of nowhere. Don't know if Byrne (typically) got bored, of if the sales were just hopelessly small or what. . . 9) I think I'd put Power Pack here, just out of my own stubborness and a desire to reward such a non-mainstream effort. 10) And then the last slot is going to be a tie for three "honorable mentions", howzat? Metal Men; Micronauts; and the Guardians of the Galaxy (a fun team in every one of its incarnations). Oh! And DP7 from the New Universe-- how'd I forget them? Okay, there's my own list. Open for all debate & deconstruction. . HB 8) |
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Post by Shiryu on Oct 11, 2011 15:44:57 GMT -5
You know, I have no idea what Doom Patrol is. I might have seen them in "JLA: The Nail" years ago, but it's Wikipedia time...
I struggle to go beyond #5 or #6 in a list like this. Avengers, FF, JLA, X-Men, Teen Titans, JSA is about as far as I know.
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Post by starfoxxx on Oct 11, 2011 15:54:31 GMT -5
I for one want to THANK HB for this post. It saved me alot of time. I jotted down my PERSONAL top 10 on a post-it note a few nights ago. Strictly personal, I really don't think mine would match up with an all-encompassing list. BUT, my list pretty much matched up with HB's. The top 5 are a given, IMHO. I love the DEFENDERS inclusion, heck yeah! I never thought of the JSA, but a JSA/All-Star Squadron needs to be on my list. Guardians of the Galaxy, too, (esp. considering my love for the recent DnA series.) Doom Patrol and Power pack would probably be in there, somewhere.
The only additions that might crack my personal top 10 are the Squadron Supreme and Batman and the Outsiders (they NEED Batman, though.)
And I don't want to jump the gun on this great thread, but a Super-VILLAIN team top 10 would be fun, since I would probably sneak the Serpent Society, Wrecking Crew, Masters of Evil, and Brotherhood O.E.M. onto a list of Super-TEAMS right after HB's top 7, anyway.
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Post by humanbelly on Oct 11, 2011 18:56:08 GMT -5
Thanks much, Foxxx ol' chum.
LOVE the Squadron Supreme-- and really only didn't include them because they're more like Watchmen or LoEM, where their most memorable/primary exposure was a (fantastic, memorable, trend-setting, curve-breaking) maxi-series. I was enjoying their Marvel MAX series-- but it just disappeared mid-storyline.
And I totally thought about Batman & the Outsiders as part of the group at #10-- but I don't remember that title having a very long run at all. Boy, that was back in the All Batman All The Time days, wasn't it? The Inhumans crossed my mind as well-- but they're not exactly a team, y'know? More of a race of people w/ a highly visible & active royal family. . .
HB
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Post by starfoxxx on Oct 12, 2011 15:16:18 GMT -5
Yes, Batman and the Outsiders and Power Pack are definitely childhood-nostalgia inclusions. I found the post-it I initially jotted down 10 or 12 teams on, and I forgot to include the New Mutants on my last post. I also had included the Imperial Guard (if anyone doesn't know about the correlation between the Squadron Supreme/JLA and the Imperial Guard/Legion, it's pretty interesting, essentially Marvel and DC writers clowning each other); and the Inhumans and Eternals, the last two probably for the concepts and costumes more than great comics. The New Mutants suffered after losing Claremont, but somehow stuck around for a long time. The Outsiders suffered after losing Batman, and also the great JIM APARO art. I thought about including X-factor, but in hindsight the inane concept of X-factor initially was lost to my youthful tastes--hey, the Beast was BACK, and i was excited! But X-factor and X-force (and I guess the New Mutants) could all be lumped into the X-men. Oh, I just read that Marvel will be bringing back a DEFENDERS team, with the original four members (yay), Iron Fist (cool..) and Red She-Hulk (?really, Red She Hulk exists?)  Hope it's better than LAST DEFENDERS (and I guess they weren't the last after all, Joe Casey, you big liar)  |
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Post by Doctor Bong Crosby on Oct 12, 2011 15:55:42 GMT -5
I'm going to go all "Marvel Zombie" on this one:
10) Thunderbolts (Mainly around the time brother Hawkeye was leading them).
9) Infinity Watch (Adam Warlock's one of my favorite Marvel characters).
8) Agents of Atlas (Who doesn't love talking apes...?).
7) Guardians of the Galaxy (XXI century's incarnation / A talking cosmonaut dog and an
anthrophomorphic raccoon...? Count me in!).
6) Great Lakes Avengers (Yay...!!! 2 words: Squirrel Girl).
5) The future Avengers from "A-Next" (I'm a big fan of Tom DeFalco).
4) Exiles (Kinda the same concept as "Avengers Forever", but on a monthly book and with a "revolving door" roster).
3) Defenders (Dumb Magician, Fish Man and, of course, Hulk smash!!!).
2) Fantastic Four (So many great runs to choose from...).
1) Avengers (Of course! And who can deny that they have the best battle cry in all of comicdom?).
I have to confess that I edited my post in order to include the Exiles, which I had originally forgotten. In the process I rethought the 2 last positions. I left the Thunderbolts at number 10, but eliminated the Squadron Supreme, which I had at # 9.
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Post by pulpcitizen on Oct 15, 2011 14:29:44 GMT -5
For me:
10. Shadow Cabinet (an under-rated gem)
9. Thunderbolts (Busiek to Nicieza inclusive)
8. New Warriors (Nicieza era)
7. All Star Squadron
6. New Teen Titans (Wolfman & Perez era)
5. Ultimates (yes, it is different enough to qualify in my opinion)
4. JSA
3. Young Avengers (Heinberg & Cheung especially; just brilliant in my view)
2. JLA
1. Avengers (classic series; also New Avengers and Avengers; not the other spin-offs since YA is listed above...)
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Post by ultron69 on Oct 25, 2011 12:49:19 GMT -5
Why not mae your own top 10 super teams of all time list human belly. Ohhhh rassafratchit-- put my money where my mouth is, eh, GF? You KNOW that Doc Bong & Shiryu & Starfoxxx & owene & everyone else are frantically waving their hands at you behind my back, silently trying to mouth-out, "For god's SAKE, GoldenFist. . . don't openly ASK HB to talk about something-!!! There's not enough band-width in the entirety of the ether to carry him once he starts one of his long-winded avalanches-!!! You'll be the doom of us all. . . . !!!" Well, or something like that, anyhow. But-- you did ask, so I'll bravely give you my own, not-completely thought-out list. Mind you, the cool thing with groups is that they're so idiosyncratic-- and even the obscure ones (Next Men, anyone?) will have followers that will defend their supremacy to the bitter end. So this list will reflect my personal tastes probably more than it does objective greatness or relevance: 1) Avengers. Just lump all the iterations & Coasts & all together, and call it my favorite. Force Works can even be under this umbrella. 2) JLA-- although I haven't been a regular reader in many years, I've always appreciated their history & longevity. 3) Fantastic Four-- the founders of the modern-age superteam. 4) Okay, the X-Men, although there are sub-sets that I disliked with a passion. (And I mean, aren't the New Mutants & all the X-Factors and so-on all X-Men as well?) 5) The Teen Titans! Wow, can't believe they got missed in all of the previous discussion! Never bought their book, but completely recognized that it was a first-rate book during its Perez years, and was very much DC's successful answer to the X-Men. 6) Justice Society of America. Man, even when that book isn't good, it's still a compelling and fun read-- consistently captures that fun sense of being part of a larger history that draws the reader in & makes them want to explore further. 7) The Defenders-- although, boy, did it have some weak periods. Mostly they couldn't keep decent artists assigned to it. And at the end there, weren't Warren AND Bobby AND Hank on the team? X-Men Rocky Mountains? But a GREAT oddball team (or Non-Team, whatever in the world that could possibly have meant)-- and I stuck with them through to the end. 8) Doom Patrol. And y'know, I was enjoying John Byrne's re-boot of them (man, Team of a Million Reboots-- that's the Doom Patrol) a few years ago, and then it just up and ended flat out of nowhere. Don't know if Byrne (typically) got bored, of if the sales were just hopelessly small or what. . . 9) I think I'd put Power Pack here, just out of my own stubborness and a desire to reward such a non-mainstream effort. 10) And then the last slot is going to be a tie for three "honorable mentions", howzat? Metal Men; Micronauts; and the Guardians of the Galaxy (a fun team in every one of its incarnations). Oh! And DP7 from the New Universe-- how'd I forget them? Okay, there's my own list. Open for all debate & deconstruction. . HB 8) Humanbelly, for the most part, I love your list. Kudos to you for putting Power Pack on the list. Though I've only got a handful of their comics, I think they're underrated. They were a groundbreaking group, of sorts, having a superhero group of un-chaperoned children, dealing with some children's issues. Also, I love Doom Patrol, and the idea of Doom Patrol, but I'm not familiar enough with them to put them on my top 10 list. Speaking of which... 1. Avengers - Just the best. What a great history, and a great roll call of characters. 2. Legion of Super-Heroes. Probably a surprise to most of you, but as I'm in the years long process of re-reading all of my old comics, the two titles that have so far given me the most pleasure are the Avengers and the Legion of Super-Heroes. I love the large cast, and I love the blending of superheroes and sci-fi. And the LOSH, unlike most others on this list, are still going strong. 3. X-Men - Mostly due to the stretch from Giant Size #1 through maybe about #183 (though mostly for the Claremont-Byrne run from #108-143) as the Silver Age stories were good, but Neal Adams are aside, nothing special, and I also think that the X-Men jumped the shark somewhere around 1984. Still, for a few years, they had the greatest run in comics history, IMHO. 4. JLA - No group has more iconic characters. The Superfriends cartoon is probably my first superhero memory. I think the Satellite Era was the best, but they've had other excellent stretches as well. 5. Fantastic Four - Incredibly important to Marvel history. My first superhero comic book was Fantastic Four #172. 6. Micronauts - Another shocker, I'm sure. I just loved the comics as well as the toys. Series 1 was a typical but very fun sci-fi action comic, and series 2 was much more thought provoking and introspective, but they both had their strengths. A different kind of comic. 7. New Teen Titans - Probably should be higher, especially with George Perez at the peak of his powers, but there is some tough competition here! 8. JSA - Again, tons of great history and iconic characters, and though they were all but gone for decades, they seem to pop up every once in a while with a great series. 9. Defenders - The non-team team. Who could not be intrigued with a team with Dr. Strange, the Hulk, Sub-Mariner, and the Silver Surfer (my favorite Marvel hero)? I have to admit, though, I didn't get into this group until they became X-Men Rocky Mountains, to quote Mr. Belly. This is back when I'd buy anything with an X-Man, or ex X-Man on the cover. In this case, I'm glad I did. 10. Guardians of the Galaxy - I love the original group (so many visually interesting characters) and the DnA group (one of the most fun titles Marvel has done in many years, along with X-Men First Class and Wolverine First Class) so either one of them can take this spot as far as I'm concerned. I have to list some honorable mentions: Alpha Flight, All Star Squadron/Infinity Inc., New Mutants, Batman & the Outsiders, X-Factor, Excalibur, and the Green Lantern Corps (I love the concept of an interstellar police force, and I also love the idea that the ring can go out and find the most worthy, a bit like the Sword in the Stone). |
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Post by humanbelly on Oct 25, 2011 18:19:17 GMT -5
5. Fantastic Four - Incredibly important to Marvel history. My first superhero comic book was Fantastic Four #172. Wow, Ultron, that was a heck of a point to be jumping into the FF's continuity! I refreshed my memory a bit-- that was the point where Ben had become human & was using an exoskeletal suit, and you were right in the midst of a long, VERY hard-to-follow Counter-Earth/Giant Gorilla/Galactus/High Evolutionary/Impossible Man storyline! I think the pages of content had dropped to 17 or 18 by then, so arc was even tougher to keep moving along with. Oddly enough, the art (lotta early Perez, some Buscema, and quite fine Buckler) was quite, quite lovely. Really carried the day and made you feel like you were reading something noteworthy. But- boy- to walk into the middle of all that and stick with it. . . you're a brave fellow--! ;D Boy, another tough jumping-on point-- and sadly they were cancelled not long after (well, a couple of years, anyhow). Really a shame, too, because I liked the Hank/Bobby/Warren dynamic in a non-XMen setting, with Valkyrie and the old Gargoyle fella stringing along from earlier issues, and an amiable collection of REALLY 4th/5th stringers that were taken in (can't remember a single name, I must confess. . . ). Peter Gillis was probably a better writer than JM Matteiss. . . but that entire run was truly crippled (IMO) by the utterly static, stiff, and uninteresting pencils of Don Perlin. This was one of the very, very first titles to go ridiculously overboard with artsy "poster" covers by hot artists-- and then the jarring let-down upon opening the pages was almost comical. And yet. . . I did stay with them to the very end, and was broken-hearted to see so many literally killed off (well, for awhile anyhow). Best moment of that run: Iceman using his freezing powers in an entirely new way against an insidious plant-creature-- "I'm gonna dehydrate that sucker to death!" Ha! First rate! HB |
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Post by woodside on Oct 26, 2011 0:43:54 GMT -5
Being a 90s kid, my opinions are a little different than you guys. My prime comic years were 1992-2009, so my views on things are bound to be a little different. But that being said, here's my take on a Top 10 list . . .
1 & 2) Avengers and JLA (tie)
Based mostly on the late 90s/early 2000s runs of Busiek and Johns on Avengers and Morrison and Waid on JLA. JLA is great because it's so iconic and the characters are so huge. The book works best when it's plot driven, but give the characters something to do and reflect on. I love the larger than life threats.
Which then brings me to Avengers. While not nearly as iconic as the JLA (but damned close), Avengers is more compelling because it has stories that are more character based and focus more on the people behind the masks than JLA.
3) Fantastic Four
What's unique about the FF is not just the fact that it was THE team book that saved Marvel and helped usher in the Silver Age -- but the fact that the team is a family. There's a certain honor and privilage that comes from being a member of the FF. Once you're a member, you become (basically) an extended part of that family.
4) X-Men
I'm an X-Fan, so you know they had to be fairly high on the list. Honestly, I think the X-Men get a bad rep. Everyone has their favorite eras, but everyone also seems to take a dim view of just about everything that isn't their favorite. But I think of the X-Men as a seperate, sub-universe of the larger MU. Their books isn't just a book; it's a franchise, it's a universe and a story unto itself. This is what has kept me reading the X-Men (well, until recently, but that's for other reasons not for here and now).
5) Teen Titans
6) JSA
7) Legion of Super-Heroes
I'll be honest. I don't know much about these teams and their histories. But I know how popular they are and just how much people like them, so they must be good in some way!
8) The Authority
I know you guys would probably despise it, but the Authority is in this list. It's almost exactly what super-hero comics SHOULDN'T be. Ultra-violent, overtly controversial, raunchy . . . but this over-the-top storytelling works. There's very interesting ideas and presents a very curious contrast to the traditional super-hero teams.
9) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Because literary nerds need love too. And all the detail Moore put into his scripts makes it such a fun read.
10) Gen13
(Almost) every male teenager that grew in the 90s loved Gen 13. Especially Caitlin Fairchild.
Honorable mentions: WildCats, Thunderbolts, Nextwave
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Post by ultron69 on Oct 27, 2011 7:44:02 GMT -5
5. Fantastic Four - Incredibly important to Marvel history. My first superhero comic book was Fantastic Four #172. Wow, Ultron, that was a heck of a point to be jumping into the FF's continuity! I refreshed my memory a bit-- that was the point where Ben had become human & was using an exoskeletal suit, and you were right in the midst of a long, VERY hard-to-follow Counter-Earth/Giant Gorilla/Galactus/High Evolutionary/Impossible Man storyline! I think the pages of content had dropped to 17 or 18 by then, so arc was even tougher to keep moving along with. Oddly enough, the art (lotta early Perez, some Buscema, and quite fine Buckler) was quite, quite lovely. Really carried the day and made you feel like you were reading something noteworthy. But- boy- to walk into the middle of all that and stick with it. . . you're a brave fellow--! ;D HB Thanks. That first issue was indeed penciled b y George Perez, so that no doubt helped get me hooked! |
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Post by ultron69 on Oct 27, 2011 7:47:19 GMT -5
Boy, another tough jumping-on point-- and sadly they were cancelled not long after (well, a couple of years, anyhow). Really a shame, too, because I liked the Hank/Bobby/Warren dynamic in a non-XMen setting, with Valkyrie and the old Gargoyle fella stringing along from earlier issues, and an amiable collection of REALLY 4th/5th stringers that were taken in (can't remember a single name, I must confess. . . ). Peter Gillis was probably a better writer than JM Matteiss. . . but that entire run was truly crippled (IMO) by the utterly static, stiff, and uninteresting pencils of Don Perlin. This was one of the very, very first titles to go ridiculously overboard with artsy "poster" covers by hot artists-- and then the jarring let-down upon opening the pages was almost comical. And yet. . . I did stay with them to the very end, and was broken-hearted to see so many literally killed off (well, for awhile anyhow). Best moment of that run: Iceman using his freezing powers in an entirely new way against an insidious plant-creature-- "I'm gonna dehydrate that sucker to death!" Ha! First rate! HB You're quite right about the pencils. They wre pretty weak. Still, those X-Men characters got me hooked, and the Gargoyle is one of those B-list characters that I I wound up loving. A nice lttle oddball group, and yes, I do like having some X-Men get together in a non-X-Men setting, where we can get away from the "the whole world hates muties" storyline for a while. I stayed with them to the end, also. |
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Post by ultron69 on Oct 27, 2011 7:49:15 GMT -5
By the way, shame on me for not including the Defenders in my 'honorable mention' category. I'd love to indluce the Secret Society of Super-Villains also, but ofcourse, they're not exactly a superhero team. Well, maybe they are...on earth-3.
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Post by ultron69 on Oct 27, 2011 7:51:36 GMT -5
9) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Because literary nerds need love too. And all the detail Moore put into his scripts makes it such a fun read. This was a great concept by Moore. The fact that I've actually read most of the novels that the characters came from makes it even better. |
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Post by humanbelly on Oct 27, 2011 21:09:34 GMT -5
Being a 90s kid, my opinions are a little different than you guys. My prime comic years were 1992-2009, so my views on things are bound to be a little different. But that being said, here's my take on a Top 10 list . . . 1 & 2) Avengers and JLA (tie) Based mostly on the late 90s/early 2000s runs of Busiek and Johns on Avengers and Morrison and Waid on JLA. JLA is great because it's so iconic and the characters are so huge. The book works best when it's plot driven, but give the characters something to do and reflect on. I love the larger than life threats. Which then brings me to Avengers. While not nearly as iconic as the JLA (but damned close), Avengers is more compelling because it has stories that are more character based and focus more on the people behind the masks than JLA. 3) Fantastic Four What's unique about the FF is not just the fact that it was THE team book that saved Marvel and helped usher in the Silver Age -- but the fact that the team is a family. There's a certain honor and privilage that comes from being a member of the FF. Once you're a member, you become (basically) an extended part of that family. 4) X-Men I'm an X-Fan, so you know they had to be fairly high on the list. Honestly, I think the X-Men get a bad rep. Everyone has their favorite eras, but everyone also seems to take a dim view of just about everything that isn't their favorite. But I think of the X-Men as a seperate, sub-universe of the larger MU. Their books isn't just a book; it's a franchise, it's a universe and a story unto itself. This is what has kept me reading the X-Men (well, until recently, but that's for other reasons not for here and now). 5) Teen Titans 6) JSA 7) Legion of Super-Heroes I'll be honest. I don't know much about these teams and their histories. But I know how popular they are and just how much people like them, so they must be good in some way! 8) The Authority I know you guys would probably despise it, but the Authority is in this list. It's almost exactly what super-hero comics SHOULDN'T be. Ultra-violent, overtly controversial, raunchy . . . but this over-the-top storytelling works. There's very interesting ideas and presents a very curious contrast to the traditional super-hero teams. 9) League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Because literary nerds need love too. And all the detail Moore put into his scripts makes it such a fun read. 10) Gen13 (Almost) every male teenager that grew in the 90s loved Gen 13. Especially Caitlin Fairchild. Honorable mentions: WildCats, Thunderbolts, Nextwave MAN it's nice to hear from you again, WS-! And heck, the thrust of your list isn't all that different a'tall. You're maybe a little more in the demographic that Newsarama possibly focuses on-- hence the understandable appeal of some the 90's groups. It's funny, down at the bottom of the list is where we start to see folks' personal tastes really exert their authority. I like that. I kind of wanted to put Thunderbolts in there, too-- I just felt like they never quite, quite got into the mainstream Marvel consciousness enough. ('Course, then it's awfully hard to defend Power Pack, eh?) I suppose Invincible's Global Guardians are a little too obscure/underdeveloped, huh--? HB |
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Post by humanbelly on Oct 28, 2011 19:09:04 GMT -5
[You're quite right about the pencils. They wre pretty weak. Still, those X-Men characters got me hooked, and the Gargoyle is one of those B-list characters that I I wound up loving. A nice lttle oddball group, and yes, I do like having some X-Men get together in a non-X-Men setting, where we can get away from the "the whole world hates muties" storyline for a while. I stayed with them to the end, also. Say, weren't you & I part of a conversation about the (god-bless-'em) Champions a couple of years ago? Yet another Bobby Drake/Warren Worthington X-Men-on-the-Loose outing? That poor title-- not even a prayer of making the Honorable Mentions on this list, but I rooted for it all along. Very stiff, uninteresting writing on Tony Isabella's part; DREADFUL production delays throughout; some poor Don Heck art at a point where it needed to be grabbing readers, not driving them away; and Ghost Rider. I honestly liked the potential dynamic of Herc, Natasha, and the wonder lads-- but it just had no hook at all. No compelling reason to like it or even to justify why it existed. Ooh, but some nice early John Byrne work near the end of its run. HB |
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Post by ultron69 on Nov 2, 2011 15:14:48 GMT -5
[You're quite right about the pencils. They wre pretty weak. Still, those X-Men characters got me hooked, and the Gargoyle is one of those B-list characters that I I wound up loving. A nice lttle oddball group, and yes, I do like having some X-Men get together in a non-X-Men setting, where we can get away from the "the whole world hates muties" storyline for a while. I stayed with them to the end, also. Say, weren't you & I part of a conversation about the (god-bless-'em) Champions a couple of years ago? Yet another Bobby Drake/Warren Worthington X-Men-on-the-Loose outing? That poor title-- not even a prayer of making the Honorable Mentions on this list, but I rooted for it all along. Very stiff, uninteresting writing on Tony Isabella's part; DREADFUL production delays throughout; some poor Don Heck art at a point where it needed to be grabbing readers, not driving them away; and Ghost Rider. I honestly liked the potential dynamic of Herc, Natasha, and the wonder lads-- but it just had no hook at all. No compelling reason to like it or even to justify why it existed. Ooh, but some nice early John Byrne work near the end of its run. HB Yup, that was probably me. I loved the idea of the Champions, but it never did seem to live up to its potential. Like you say, the writing was not up to snuff. For one thing, I got sick of all the other members referring to Ghost Rider as a "spook". That wears thin after a while. This group was just too dysfunctional. There just seemed to be no reason for these heroes to be in a team together, other than that some writer decided to stick them together. I also agree that the art wasn't that great, though I've never been a Heck fan, anyway. It's funny that, during the days of the X-Men, it was always Hank & Bobby that hung out together, but then it's Warren and Bobby that co-found the Champions. |
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Hope it's better than LAST DEFENDERS (and I guess they weren't the last after all, Joe Casey, you big liar) 
