Looking Back at the "0*"s - The Busiest Hero of the Decade

So in closing out our look at the past decade, who would be considered the busiest hero of all? Well, Hal Jordan came back from the dead, and so did Barry Allen. Superman got kicked out of Metropolis, and Aquaman died and came back again. Martian Manhunter bit the dust as well, and Dick Grayson moved into the cowl and cape of the Dark Knight.

But of all these heroes, the busiest 10 years had to belong to one man: The Batman.

Let's see why... 


His sidekick came back from the dead

After Jason Todd was killed by popular vote in the 90's, the possibility of him ever becoming cool again would have been blasphemy. He remained this ominous failure in Batman's life that always reminded him he was human and could fail from time to time. Like Bucky to Captain America, Batman had the shadow of Jason over him at all times.

Then one day he came back. During the "Hush" storyline, Jason Todd was briefly thought to actually be Hush himself (a really cool plot twist). Later we found that he wasn't but had been working with him to throw Batman off. Now, the weird thing was how he died a teenager but came back as an adult...but whatever.

Eventually Jason came on strong as Red Hood and then Red Robin, then even trying to become Batman before disappearing in the final battle with Dick Grayson. He'll be back, there's no doubt, but it was his return that really started the Caped Crusader reeling. 


He became a baby-daddy

Oh, we know he had those urges, but to think that Batman had actually done the nasty with Talia A Ghul was a little beyond him. Then we find not only did he make it happen in the desert, but that he was unsafe at the time! Years later, we find a young dude named Damien when Talia shows up on Bruce's door with a little surprise. Like my grandpa always told me: "You play, you pay."


Taught by ninjas in wonderful methods of fighting and killing, Damien wasn't your average kid. Batman had his hands full early on with this one.

The kid is currently Robin to Dick Grayson's Batman, but before he calmed down he was one mean little dude. He even tried to kill Tim Drake for the title of Robin! 


He's had two hit movies and a video game that finally didn't suck!

Not being mean here, but the steam had run out of hearing "We're going to make a Batman movie." After "Batman and Robin", we were pretty much through with that franchise...or so we thought.

Jonathan Nolan wrote a killer screenplay and Christopher Nolan directed the fire out of it. We ended up with the retelling of Batman's origin that made sense and was very true-to-life. With "Batman Begins", we saw light on the horizon. With "The Dark Knight", it was a nuclear blast.

The Joker wasn't just a funny bad clown, he was a serious psycho! For once we could understand why they had such hatred for each other, and if Heath Ledger had lived there's no doubt we'd have seen him return to the role that he'll always be remembered for. Will there be a third Batman film? Only time will tell, but I hope so. It's safe to say that Superman won't be "returning" anytime soon though.

On top of all that, we had the announcement of a new Batman video game. Again, there had been enough failures in this arena to keep most fans leery, and again we were slapped silly by the finished product. "Arkham Asylum" gave us the Batman game we'd always known was possible but had never seen. You actually got to try and scare the bad guys before dropping down on them and beating them up! How much fun was that! The icing on the cake was Kevin Conroy stepping in to voice the character. To me, he'll always be the voice of Batman I hear when I read the comic books. All in all, fans of interactive media had a lot to cheer for this decade!

Batman Becomes a Lantern...Three Times

You want tough? Batman fits the bill. And of course the question became why wasn't he ever chosen as a Green Lantern for Earth? After all, he's about as "without fear" as they come. Well, this was the decade we saw for just a fleeting moment what it would be like if he had a green power ring. Batarangs made of willpower...that would have been epic.

Now flash forward a little further and we see another aspect of Batman we hadn't paid attention to. He strikes fear into the hearts of criminals everywhere. He's been doing that for years! Who would have thought that was all it took to be a Yellow Lantern as well? And again, for just a brief moment, we are treated to the prospect of what he might be like if he could use that fear as a real physical weapon. Batarangs made of fear? Yes please!

But it doesn't stop there. Dead and gone, he's still a prospect for a ring. This time, however, he becomes a Black Lantern! As before, it's only for the briefest of moments (though this time he makes it three whole pages before it's gone), but we see just how tough this dude really could be. And this time it's Batarangs made of black lantern rings. The fun never stops!

While Hal Jordan may have been more Lanterns than Bruce, it's safe to say this guy is a close contender for the "most coveted Lantern" title by the guys handing out the colored rings.

He's Died...Twice!

This poor hero was so tough he had to be killed twice, baby! Once in Final Crisis, and once in Batman R.I.P., both by Grant Morrison.

Bruce was soon replaced by Hush, who has given the world a Bruce Wayne to see running around while Batman is supposedly dead. No doubt the confrontation when Bruce comes back will be awesome. 

And then we find out he's not dead, but is in a cave in the past (a fact that Red Robin recently found out in his own series). So he dies twice but doesn't really.

Of course, the recent announcement of "The Return of Bruce Wayne" miniseries sets us up pretty easily to know he's on his way back. Will he take the cowl from Dick, or will he pull a "Captain America" and let the sidekick have it? Time will tell.

And as for the future...well, my son came up with what he believes will be the next logical step:

 

And with that, we close out our look at the "oughts". Thanks for joining me through it all! Back to business as usual next week.

Looking Back at the "O*'s" - The 5 Best New Characters of the Decade

We got a lot of great new characters in the past 10 years. Here are 5 that deserve mentioning.

Winter Soldier

While Bucky Barnes has been around forever, it was his rebirth as Winter Soldier that turned this teen sidekick into a serious character of his own. Rather than destroy his earlier image, Marvel chose instead to go back and show us the "unseen" parts of his past. In other words, he might have looked like just a kid, but he was actually a serious secret weapon. Don't believe me? Just pick up the Avengers/Invaders story from last year.

When Captain America died, he stepped into the boots and kept the character alive. Unfortunately, this meant we lost Winter Soldier and it's apparently for good. Steve is back, but isn't Cap so I guess Bucky will continue to fling the shield for the foreseeable future.

The Sentry

What can I say? I love this character's potential. Unfortunately, it appears he will forever be crippled by Marvel from being all he could become. That final battle in World War Hulk where he got to cut loose gave us a glimpse of what he could become.

Yes, he's Marvel's answer to Superman...though they have yet to figure out what to do with him. For some strange reason they think giving him the mental crazies is a great way to make him unique. It's not. Stop it. Stop it now.

Currently working for Norman Osborn and the Dark Avengers, Sentry's future is uncertain. I just hope Marvel someday decides to let this character get a normal mind and just become a hero. 

Red Robin (twice) as Jason Todd and Tim Drake

One of the truly iconic moments of Kingdom Come was a single page where Red Robin shows up to stop the aliens inside the Statue of Liberty's head (read it if you're confused by that statement). I guess it could even be considered cheating to say Red Robin came from the "0*'s", but I'm going to anyway. This decade finally gave us that character...even though it was Dick Grayson who wore the suit.

While three different people became Red Robin this decade, the two who make the biggest impression were Jason Todd and Tim Drake. Hands down, Jason Todd was the better of the two, but DC in their "infinite" wisdom decided to erase his time in the suit after Countdown to Infinite Crisis was over. Still, the short time he wore the suit allowed us to see him take the character in this "Batman" direction of beating down criminals and taking no prisoners. He even killed the Joker during one of his trips to the multiverse after watching that incarnation of Batman die! And yet all of that was over in an instant.

Tim Drake is currently the Red Robin, and it's an interesting fit. He has yet to really do anything that makes the character stand out any differently from his stint as Robin, but there are possibilities.

Red Arrow

Speedy's had a rough life of being a sidekick, to becoming a drug addict, then eventually turning up as Arsenal, and finally going back to the bow with Red Arrow.

What makes this character so interesting is how he eventually replaced Green Arrow (his mentor) in the Justice League. It was a changing of the guard that really showed his worth in the eyes of the elder heroes he'd grown up around.

He's had his fair share of moments as well. Perhaps the best was when he and Vixen were trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building. She was powerless, and he was hurt, yet he still managed to get them both out of there alive.

While he'll soon be leaving the Justice League and returning to his "Arsenal" name, his time there was a great move for the character.

Hush

We'd never heard of him until he got his own 12-part storyline. While you might think Damian, Batman's son with Talia, should rank a place in this list, I think this new villain gets the spot.

After tormenting Batman with hints of who he might or might not be, he turns out to be a childhood friend with a lifelong hatred of Bruce Wayne. While that might not sound like the most original supervillain idea, there was a twist on this one in the aftermath of Batman R.I.P. -- he became Bruce Wayne.

Imagine Lex Luthor getting to become Superman, his arch-enemy. Now you see how cool this moment really is.


Next week we close down this look back over the past decade at the single character who has had the busiest and most eventful years. I'll give you a hint: it's a DC character.

Looking Back at the "0*"s - Top 5 Iconic Comic Book Related Events

Comics had their share of amazing moments since 2000. While these might not have made the news, they were something of note to comic book fans as they happened. I went with things that were a little more obscure rather than the obvious.

1 - DC - The Birth and Death of the Weekly Comic Book

The rumors grabbed everyone's attention. DC was planning on attempting something that hadn't been done before: a weekly comic book. The bigger news? It would be done without an appearance from the "Big 3" of Superman, Batman, or Wonder Woman. Drawn by the same artist throughout, 52 would flow seamlessly after "Infinite Crisis" to tell the story of what happened in the year after Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman disappeared.

The project worked. Incredibly enough, DC was able to keep each issue going out as planned and the fans enjoyed what they were reading. It played havoc with comic shop owners who were having to figure out how many to order when there was no major star to draw readers in. DC did a good job of picking the stars for the series though (The Question, Black Adam, Booster Gold, and Animal Man) and it had its own moments of plot twist shockers.

As it drew to a close, DC quickly announced they were continuing the process with a 52 issue series ominously called Countdown (later changed to Countdown to Final Crisis). Fans who were willing to invest $4 a week in a new thing were a little less enthusiastic about the new series. Folks began to do the math and realize they could wait a few weeks until the trade paperback came out and save about 40% off the cost of buying individual issues. The fact that the series became strangely twisted and hard to follow didn't help matters.

The final nail in the coffin came when the reader found out everything they'd paid to follow actually didn't mean a single thing to Final Crisis. It was as if none of it had even happened. It did not sit well.

DC went to the well one final time, this time banking on their big 3. Trinity focused on Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman in a weekly series. Unfortunately, the series didn't do well. We had just seen Bruce Wayne killed as Batman, so where exactly did this series fit into continuity? While DC recently tried something called "Wednesday Comics" (a newspaper format of different heroes), they've steered clear of the weekly comic. The closest they have come is the recent announcement of a 26 issue bi-weekly comic series called "Brightest Day" that will, of course, be the sequel/aftermath to "Blackest Night". Geoff Johns is writing this, though, so expect good things from it.

2 - Alex Ross Returns to Comics

While Alex Ross is best known for his work on stories like "Kingdom Come" and "Universe X", his work on entire comic books began to dwindle. While still a huge presence on covers everywhere, his interior work was almost nonexistent. Then "Justice" came along.

Alex proved himself true to form here, recreating some iconic scenes from Kingdom Come (Captain Marvel standing over a fallen Superman) while paying homage to the old comic stories. I would love to comment more on some of the specifics of the stories, but if you haven't read it that would spoil some good stuff. You want to give this one a look though.

So far, Alex has only stepped in for interior work one more time. That was in the JSA's "Thy Kingdom Come" storyline, which was supposed to be a true sequel of sorts to "Kingdom Come". He did the interior work for the issue that featured the battle between the real Superman and the KC Superman. He also revisited it for a final epilogue of KC in the last pages of the storyline. This is available as a 3-part TPB set as well.

Even though that's all we've seen, it was a great set of moments. I hope Alex  picks up some major storyline soon so he can give us more of his incredible artwork.

3 - Comic books become more expensive than a gallon of milk

That's not meant to be sarcastic, it's just truth. At some point in this decade, comic books hit the $4 per issue mark, while not offering any more content than they did in 2000.

Suddenly publishers were complaining because sales were down. Sales were down because comics were so expensive a casual reader had to be selective in what they bought. Series were canceled after only a few issues rather than giving them several months to build an audience. Fans were leery to begin new series because they didn't think they'd last. 

The reasons given by the publishers were the new paper and better ink quality allowed the issues to hold up better over time than the old newsprint. The pages were more vibrant and alive! The readers responded with the same answer: $4 for one comic book?!? Pop out a double-size issue and it was suddenly almost $8 for one story!

The publishers say their life blood now comes from trade paperback sales after the issues have gone off press. That's probably true. Even though a TPB can go for over $20, it's still cheaper than buying six individual issues.

4 - The release of "Vault" books

If you're a fan of comic book nostalgia, then chances are good you've picked up one of these books over the past few years since they started coming out. Originally released as a rather expensive title (the "Marvel Vault" was first of the bunch and published at close to $100) they've come down in price and become something pretty affordable.

So what makes them such a big deal? Imagine being able to hold in your hands a copy of the Christmas postcard sent to Marvel fans in the 60's. How about being able to hold a real Batman mask from the 50's? Things you might see mentioned in ads for old comics are reproduced here for you to actually be able to see and touch. The chances are slim and none that you'd ever find the real things (or be able to afford them if you did), but this is the next best thing.

The history reprinted here is detailed and enjoyable. Almost everything is true to size and very close to the original paper it was printed on (if possible). The format allows for you to pull out and hold the "collector's items" and still be able to put them back away safely for storage when you're through. With one for Marvel, DC, and most recently Batman, there's bound to be one you'll enjoy. They are most definitely not the pricey investment they once were, so grab one.

5 - Everybody gets an action figure!

When  I was growing up, we had the "Super Powers" collection from DC and the "Secret Wars" collection from Marvel. The figures could bend at the shoulders and hips, and their heads could turn. Every once in a while  someone could bend a knee or elbow, that was all she wrote. And it was almost always a major hero or villain. Obscure characters need not apply.

The past 10 years have seen a huge surge in action figures. Now just about any hero out there either has one or is on the list for one in the future. And the articulation on most of these is amazing. They can bend at wrist, knees, ankles, and some even cover fingers and toes. Just about any pose you can imagine can be created.

While the market has cooled dramatically recently, there is still a growing market of figures coming out. There is even a "retro" set of old Mego-style DC figures that will be hitting the markets in March. It's definitely a collector's world out there if you want to fill in the gaps on any hero or villain you missed back in the day.

Next week, we look at some of the greatest characters in comic book history of the past 10 years!

Looking Back at the "O*'s" - The 5 Best New Titles of the Decade

For this list (part 3 of the 6 part series), I wanted to look specifically at some of the new titles that were brought to the forefront. These are not re-imaginations of a current hero, or rebranding of that hero with yet another title (I'm looking at you, Wolverine!). These are folks we'd never heard of (or barely seen) in the 90's and were suddenly introduced to.

1 - Vertigo - "Fables"

While I don't condone the violence, sex, and language of this title, I can't fault them for the storylines. The complete re-imagination of our childhood fairy tale characters into the real-world was genius. It's especially true when you consider how they changed them up.

The big bad wolf (the villain in more than one story) actually became a private investigator/sheriff werewolf named Bigby Wolf. Snow White, Beauty and the Beast, and just about any other fictional character you can imagine has been brought into the story even if in nothing more than a cameo.

This series is now approaching its 100th issue, so if you haven't read it yet you might want to give it a look. Just be careful of the content. It's not for children.

2 - Zondervan - "Hand of the Morningstar"

This title slipped by most people because it started as a web comic before moving to print. The artwork is done by one of Marvel's former artists, and the quality of the storylines are superb. This is a graphic novel rather than a monthly comic title and only 6 volumes have come out so far, but it's worth following.

Morningstar is basically about a group of people who receive super-powers from a being called the Morningstar. This mysterious being is only alluded to in the first issues and never really explained. As the stories progress, it becomes apparent that there's a good possibility the Morningstar might not be all they had originally thought...and might even be the villain of the story.

The heroes here are flawed, and some even become corrupt with power. They kill from time to time, and yet often find themselves desperately seeking to keep their humanity intact even while saving the world as superheroes. You should look this one up on Amazon, as it's possible to find the first few volumes for very cheap. While this is a Christian publisher, the series will appeal to most comic book fans...especially those who long for the days when comic book stories were fun and not filled with gratuitous violence and language.

3. - Dark Horse - Archenemies

Imagine if Superman and Doctor Doom were out to kill each other, but turned out to be roommates in their secret identities with no idea the person they hated most in the world was just a few feet away. That's the premise for this four-issue series from Dark Horse that was funny and imaginative.

Star Fighter and Underlord hate each other and regularly battle as hero and villain. Ethan and Vincent also hate each other and regularly argue as roomies. There are so many fun moments in here it's hard to mention them all. At one point, Vincent develops such a hatred for Ethan that he decides it's time to kill him off as Underlord. Unfortunately, Ethan (Star Fighter) believes Underlord has somehow figured out his secret identity and is trying to kill him and Vincent!

The story takes a lot of tragic turns and manages to cram a lot into four issues. The emotional development between the two is great and it seems to end just as it's getting good. There have been talks of this turning into a feature film, and some discussion of it returning for a few more issues. I, for one, would love to see both happen.

4. - DC - Green Lantern Corps

While the Corps have been around since Hal Jordan first put on the ring, they never had a title of their own. Fortunately, Geoff Johns knew how to breathe life into the title by giving us a real look at how they would pick and train these new ring bearers. Favorites Kyle Raynor and Guy Gardner took the forefront of the story, yet also managed to slide into the background when Kilowog and any of a half dozen other GL's stepped into the spotlight.

What's amazing is how DC is able to keep this Green Lantern book interesting with nary a visit from Hal Jordan. In the past the only time we saw the Corps was when they desperately needed Hal's help to stop some villain or another. Now we see them as a group of heroes who don't need his help at all.

With the events of Blackest Night running through all titles, you see him showing up from time to time, but for the most part this is a title standing on its own merits.

5. - Red-Handed Studios - "Fallen Justice"

Justice Theta is a Superman-type hero who saves the world time and again. One day he realizes he's feeling more tired than usual and having some power problems. After a quick check, he is informed by the local scientist that his powers aren't giving out...he's dying. He has three months to live.

There is no cure. There will be no last-minute save. He is going to die, and that is settled up front in the first issue. From that point on, it's all in how he lives his last days. Every time he uses his powers he pushes himself that much closer to death, but how can a true hero stand idly by while others die?

This series truly is amazing. While it's definitely adult in language and situations, it really does show an interesting take on what truly makes a hero. Not a big fan of the name "Justice Theta", but the character is well-written and you really get a sense of the finality of his situation as the story progresses.

Starting as a comic for the iPhone, this strip is newest on the list (it came out in February of 2009). Available online in the iTunes store, it's also available in print for those comic fans like me who prefer to feel the paper as you read. This one is still going on, so if you're interested, pick it up.

We've crossed the halfway point with our lists! Next week, we continue our look back over the last decade with a look at some of the best comic book related moments since 2000.

Looking Back at the "O*'s" - The 5 Best Stories of the Decade

While I blasted the worst stories last week, I wanted to point out the best this week. Here are the books you should have picked up (and yes, DC was the clear winner here):

1. - Marvel Comics - Civil War

There were rumblings and teasers throughout Marvel's titles for months, and even when it came time to spill the beans on their newest upcoming project, we had no idea where they were going with it. Heroes were supposed to die and some were supposed to turn into villains, but could Marvel pull it off?

Yes, they did.

In this one storyline, we saw Spider-Man unmasking publicly. We saw the return of the Punisher to the regular Marvel Universe. We saw "Thor" kill Giant Man, only to later be revealed as a clone. We saw Captain America turn on Iron Man, and we were loving every page of it. Though the ending was really a little anticlimactic, the story kept to a steady pace and the outcome paved the way for the Secret Invasion later.

2. - DC - Infinite Crisis

 The first issue of this series managed to pay homage to its predecessor (Crisis on Infinite Earths) while still establishing itself as an original plot of its own. Many heroes died here, and some came back (Barry Allen, even just for one panel).

I didn't like how Alexander Luthor and Superboy Prime were turned into bad guys at the end (I feel that was a cheap shot), but I liked this series for the most part.

By the way, find the one huge mistake they made on the poster for this one. It's fairly easy to spot, though the folks at DC never picked up on it for some reason. Did you see it? Explain why Jay Garrick, the golden-age Flash, would be fighting Wally West, the current Flash. It was supposed to be Jay versus Professor Zoom, but apparently the colorist didn't catch the memo.

DC had originally planned to kill Nightwing in this story, but fortunately they rethought that one. That left the character wide open to take part in our next winner...

3. - DC - Battle for the Cowl

How do you recover from the drug-induced haze of Grant Morrison's Batman: R.I.P. story? You give the follow-up tale to Tony Daniel. Rather than dig through years of comic history to find the most obscure moments and make them suddenly crucial to the story, Tony gave us a story that even a new Batman reader could follow.

Dick Grayson, the natural successor to the cowl, didn't want it (for reasons that became apparent later in the title), while everyone else did. Jason Todd steps in as a Batman you should seriously be afraid of, and in the end Dick Grayon's eventual acceptance of the mantle of Batman made perfect sense. The end result was the same as if you'd just had him take it, but the ride made the moment much more poignant.

4. - DC - Identity Crisis

While many have panned this, I have to say I loved it. It was the first time in a long time I followed a monthly series and really had no idea how it was going to end. It had some incredibly iconic moments like the death of Firestorm, Deathstroke versus the JLA, and of course the eventual revelation of Sue Dibny's killer.

This series has made three different lists in this blog based on some of the moments in it, so it stands to reason it would find its way here. This wasn't a comic book story...it was a full-fledged mystery that showed how ugly it can be to be a superhero sometimes.

Oh, it went too far in places. Sue Dibny's rape at the hands of Doctor Light was way over the edge and unnecessary, even though it was the catalyst for Elongated Man's determined attack on him. But this was a solid enough story to keep it interesting until the end. I never saw the end coming.

5. - DC - Green Lantern: Rebirth

We knew Hal Jordan was coming back. The question was how? Geoff Johns gave us a taste of how to write a return story with this one. Hal Jordan's Spectre comes back in a crazy way. Green Arrow uses a power ring. And these are all just moments leading up to the big return.

Some of the explanations were a little strange (like why Hal had gray hair at his temples), but for the most part we saw some incredible stuff from beginning to end.

The thing that set this story apart was how they were able to bring Hal back into the regular DC universe without killing Kyle or anyone else. And in the aftermath of this series we saw him confronting Batman (and decking him).

This will be released in an Absolute Edition early in 2010. If you haven't read it already, get that one on order.

BONUS: DC - Justice

This one didn't make the list because it's on another list I have coming up reviewing the "0*'s", but I had to mention it here.

What's there to like about this? Let's see...Alex Ross does all the interior and exterior work, the Justice League get the biggest smackdown to their abilities ever, Aquaman gets brutally attacked but gets his revenge, and the list goes on and on. This story took an incredibly original look at the Justice League while managing to pay homage to the old "Challenge of the Super Friends" cartoon series by giving us the Legion of Doom (plus some). It looked absolutely hopeless for our heroes until they were finally able to slowly turn the tide.

The "Absolute" edition of this is a must-have. The artwork looks even more amazing in this bigger, more-colorful size. The price may be a little steep, but it's definitely work the investment.

Honorable Mention: Blackest Night

While it technically began in the "oughts", it won't finish until 2010. That means it'll be making our list on December 22, 2019, so be sure and check us out then!

Next week, we continue our look back on the first decade!

Looking Back at the "O*'s" - The 5 Worst Stories of the Decade

Since we are officially closing out the first decade of the 21st century, I thought it would be appropriate to reflect back over the next few posts on what we've had happen. There have been some winners, and oh boy have there been some stinkers. Let's start this off by looking at the 5 worst storylines of the decade:

1 - Spider Man - "One More Day"

I know I've picked on this storyline a number of times already, but I'm not alone in my hatred of it. In four issues, Marvel decided to completely change the character of its core hero. He wasn't this superhero/husband...he was just this stupid little selfish boy child.

The man gladly without hesitation sacrifices his super-model wife who has stood by him unceasingly through the whole "Civil War" fiasco and numerous other attempts on his and her life. And why does he do it? Well, that would be just to save his Aunt May, who has already died and returned several times before.

Many people (myself included) thought this was just a stunt and that Marvel wouldn't be so stupid as to stab their faithful readers in the back like that, but they did. Twenty years of comic continuity wiped out in a few pages. Stupid beyond compare.

2 - DC - Final Crisis

DC has nailed up the word "crisis" so much that Marvel doesn't even bother touching it in any of their titles. When DC announced a "Final" crisis, we were all so excited and thought it would be something amazing. Then someone forgot to keep Grant Morrison sober long enough to write the thing and we get a storyline so convoluted no one can understand more than two pages at a time.

I have no idea what he was smoking, popping, or drinking when he came up with this, but they should have included free samples with each issue. Even when you buy the collected edition, you have no idea what's going on.

The incredible thing is that it had a 52-issue lead-in called "Countdown to Final Crisis" meant to prepare the way for the story...but then Morrison completely ignored the series and just jump-started the storyline where he wanted. Then we had "Death of the New Gods", in which all the new gods died...and then Morrison killed them again in this series in a different way. More on Countdown in a minute...

3 - Batman - "R.I.P."

So you want to ride the "Captain America's Dead" wave and kill your own flagship hero? How do you do that? Well, if you're DC you give it to the man who brought you the tripe that is "Final Crisis".

After successfully killing Batman in "Final Crisis", Morrison did it again in "Batman: R.I.P."--but in a different way. Yes, the man who wrote both series killed the same character in two different ways.

While this could have been an iconic moment filled with great moments, instead this was another Grant Morrison twisted storyline that you had to have a Master's Degree in obscure comic book moments to fully appreciate (or understand). Why was he a purple/yellow/red Batman? Why did the villain look like Bruce Wayne (hasn't Hush already pulled that little trick?)? What in the world was going on?

Rather than take this to the same storytelling level of Marvel's death of Captain America, we ended up with a hero death that wasn't worth telling.

4. - Marvel - Secret Invasion's "Mighty Avengers" and "New Avengers" era

While Secret Invasion may have been a good story (not the best, but good), Marvel felt the need to do some massive backstory explanations to let you see where it all came from and what had been going on behind the scenes. Rather than put out another mini-series, or even condense it all into one or two issues, Marvel took both Avengers series hostage and filled each month with story after story of things you really didn't have to know.

The problems were everywhere. Many of the covers had nothing to do with the characters or stories inside. Most of the stories were told in one issue, ending in a cliffhanger that wasn't resolved. The vast majority of the stories were interesting moments that could have been condensed to one-page flashbacks in the main title. It was nothing more than months of "filler". If they didn't want to progress the titles, they should have suspended them until the Invasion was over. As it was, subscribers like myself ended up with issues we've read once and thrown away.

5. - DC - Countdown
When DC put out "52", it was a fairly cool concept and was an interesting story. It has its moments and showcased some great otherwise-unnoticed characters like Question and Booster Gold. DC's follow-up was a little gem called "Countdown to Final Crisis". It had the potential to be awesome, but instead died a slow, painful death.


Look at the moments we had in this storyline: the death of Karate Kid, the birth of Red Robin (Jason Todd), and multiple trips throughout the Elseworlds to revisit some of the better stories from then. 


Unfortunately, immediately after this series ended, DC erased every bit of continuity from it. Jason Todd's trip from angry vigilante to Red Robin was, in a word, "epic". They had found a way to get him into the suit and give him a reason to be a hero...and then as soon as  it was over they took him out of the suit and turned him back into Red Hood. And I'm not even mentioning how Darksied suddenly goes from this story to Final Crisis.

Next week, we look at the best the first ten years had to offer us! Feel free to sound off below of any suggestions or changes to this list or the next one you'd make.