Completely Self-absorbed Top 100 Comic Runs You Need to Read

Barrington Boots · 22 April, 2024, 10:56:14 AM

Good writeup Colin! I read Powerpack as a youngster and wasn't keen at the time - I wanted to read about adult heroes - andit wasn't until I reread it a few years later that I really appreciated how good it is. It's not easy to write good child protagonists but this absolutely nails it.

What's your thoughts on Runaways? I thought the first arc of that was excellent although I gave up soon after that.

Colin YNWA · 22 April, 2024, 11:49:18 AM

Quote from: Barrington Boots on 22 April, 2024, 10:56:14 AMWhat's your thoughts on Runaways? I thought the first arc of that was excellent although I gave up soon after that.

I've not read Runaways - always meant to as a fan of Brain K Vaughan and this one always looked good and was talked about very positively when I got back into comics. Just never got to it - as I keep saying too damned many comics to read.

As I move away from superhero stuff these days have to be honest not sure I'm likely to get to it now, but you never know.

Barrington Boots · 22 April, 2024, 01:08:59 PM

Understandable!

I don't like superhero comics but I enjoyed it a very great deal - at least the first arc, which writes its young protagonists really well imo. After that it kind of loses its self-contained universe nature, folds into the Marvel Universe and becomes mediocre.

Tomwe · 22 April, 2024, 04:29:32 PM

This post makes me want to go buy Power Pack. But I know I own Power Pack in a longbox already. Oh I wonder how much effort it would be to find them. And which I have. Not a complete run I don't think. But enough to stop me spaffing ££ on eBay today that's for sure. The TBPs would have to be complete for me to go that route. No Epics, Marvel? Come on!

PsychoGoatee · 22 April, 2024, 07:21:09 PM

Cool read, I'll have to check out some Power Pack now! I've been enjoying Claremont X-Men, I'm in the 170s, and Power Pack #27 is coming up in a crossover there. And Louise Simonson sounds cool on podcasts, seems like the 80s was a real high point for Marvel.

Colin YNWA · 22 April, 2024, 08:01:36 PM

Quote from: PsychoGoatee on 22 April, 2024, 07:21:09 PMCool read, I'll have to check out some Power Pack now! I've been enjoying Claremont X-Men, I'm in the 170s, and Power Pack #27 is coming up in a crossover there. And Louise Simonson sounds cool on podcasts, seems like the 80s was a real high point for Marvel.

Ah... you ain't going to like my next post!

Quote from: Tomwe on 22 April, 2024, 04:29:32 PMThis post makes me want to go buy Power Pack. But I know I own Power Pack in a longbox already. Oh I wonder how much effort it would be to find them. And which I have. Not a complete run I don't think. But enough to stop me spaffing ££ on eBay today that's for sure. The TBPs would have to be complete for me to go that route. No Epics, Marvel? Come on!

Oh digging is half the fun surely... or is that just me? Yeah shame there isn't an option beyond the Omnibus really these days. They didn't even get an Essential Collection.

PsychoGoatee · 22 April, 2024, 09:01:55 PM

Now I am looking forward to it.

watch out Claremont!

Tjm86 · **Today** at 07:12:06 AM

Power Pack was one of my first experiences of Marvel, especially the early Snark's run. A couple of tidy crossovers with X-men and the Morlocks before the Mutant Massacre but it kind of lost its way after issue 25 when it went bi-monthly. Think it was always one of those titles that was bumping cheerfully along.

Prices tend to be a bit all over the shop and, as with so many things, tracking down the last dozen or so issues can be a bit of a challenge. That said, unless you're an obsessive completionist, they're nowt to write home about.

Early 80's Marvel does seem to be its hey-day. By the late 80's they seem to have crawled up their own backsides before completely losing the plot in the speculator boom of the 90's. (trillion's of covers, holograms, card covers, die cut covers, cover covers ...)

Colin YNWA · **Today** at 07:37:09 AM

Quote from: Tjm86 on Today at 07:12:06 AMEarly 80's Marvel does seem to be its hey-day. By the late 80's they seem to have crawled up their own backsides before completely losing the plot in the speculator boom of the 90's. (trillion's of covers, holograms, card covers, die cut covers, cover covers ...)

I've talked about this elsewhere on the internet recently as it goes and I'm left speculating how much Jim Shooter was such an important creative force for Marvel during his time as Editor in Chief. He gets a lot of bad press for how he handled relationships with the creative talent but there's little denying how he acted as a person during his time in charge Marvel was so much more innovative and brave creatively.