WGTB's Top 10 Comics (You May Not Have Read)

Everyone loves a Top 10 List – so here’s one from WGTB. These are comics that your humble blogger count among his favourites. They may not be the most famous, or be by a famous writer, but that's no problem because WGTB thinks they're GREAT! If you have any comments or additions/recommendations please post a comment -- feedback is always welcome. Let's go!

#10

THOR #272: For our money one of the best Thor covers out there. The story’s not bad either -- the message being: Thor = STRONG!

#9

The Hobbit: A Tolkien classic in graphic form. This series of three graphic novels was released in 1989 and is a truly wonderful addition to any collection. I know how my mind's eye has always pictured The Hobbit, but it's interesting to see how Bilbo, Gollum, Gandalf, etc. carried on in the minds of some gifted artists. I'm not holding my breath for Lord of the Rings or Silmarillion graphic novels though.

#8

ROM: Spaceknight #50: How does a secondary title get almost 80 issues? Great stories, of course! ROM: Spaceknight was one of those titles that just carried your imagination away. He was 'in' the Marvel universe, but he wasn't 'of' it;. This meant that if you wanted to get away from the goings on of the X-Men, Avengers, Spider-Man, etc. ROM was a place to go. Of course, there were crossovers, but ROM always did well on his own.

#7

Star Wars: Dark Empire: This comic series (along with Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire trilogy) jump-started the Expanded Star Wars Universe, and eventually got Star Wars fans prequels. But that isn’t a reason to hate it! It’s a great character-driven story with great art. It also probably solidified Dark Horse’s status as a contender for the bronze medal in the comics world. Number 4 was chosen due to the cameo: in WGTB's mind this guy will never have a New Zealand accent!

#6

Detective Comics #590: Batman heads to London to help stop a Guy Fawkes-style terrorist attack. History, politics, travel and comics -- all rolled into one. What's not to like?!? The cover is fantastic too and reminiscent of a Victorian dust jacket.

#5

52 #45: I loved 52. In fact, you may notice that my comics are mostly Marvel. Well, they were once exclusively Marvel. But reading the trade paperback of 52 made me realise how silly I had been, and made me look at both companies with extra vigour. Since then I've really enjoyed the plethora of DC team-ups out there. Number 43 is here because its amazing cover is emblematic of this ambitious title. Black Adam just reeks of power on this one!

#4

Web of Spider-Man #44: Back to Marvel! This one is actually a sentimental favourite because it’s the first comic book WGTB ever owned. Your humble blogger's mother bought it for me when I was 10 years old. I loved it then and still do! The villains here are a group of violent cyborgs named “Warzone”. They weren’t used again, but I always felt they had potential. Wait a minute! Are violent cyborgs at all appropriate for a 10 year old?!?

Bronze

Captain Canuck #1: Timely Comic’s answer to Captain America was set in a near future where Canada was a superpower and needed a hero who was ultimately a cross between the above mentioned American and Flash Gordon. I love the cover and, well, any story where Canada kicks butt!

Silver

Fantastic Four #275: Imagine you were facing prosecution and needed a lawyer. Do you think you could get The Watcher? Reed Richards did. In WGTB's opinion, this story arch is the magnum opus of John Byrne's impressive run with the Fantastic Four. It's a jam-packed comic where we get to witness the best justice system in the universe AND what Galactus looks like to other species. Amazing!

And the GOLD goes to:

Wolverine #31: Shocked it's not the Galactus Trilogy, the Dark Knight Returns or Watchmen? Good. That's what we were hoping. Yes, WGTB's favourite comic is this obscure stand-alone Wolverine story. In it, Logan heads up to Alberta, Canada for a little Wolverine-style rest and relaxation: hunting, fishing and running around naked! He then comes across a mythical monster, a fugitive and his victim, and a couple Mounties hot on the trail. It ends with an important revelation about a man who could be Logan. This was well before most of the Wolverine back-story had been revealed and had a real impact when first read. It's still is a great (some might say THE BEST) read.

Please let WGTB know what your favourite comic stories are. This is, after all, a place to share these things. Thanks for reading!