Planet Hulk is definitely a classic. It's got so many layers to it, and yet it still works as entertainment.

I think whether or not World War Hulk gets included here depends on how the third act turns out. Don't get me wrong, I loved WWH. But it's very different in tone and pace to Planet Hulk, so I can't see it being considered just a continuation of the same story. (Plus the tie-ins dilute it a bit.) But if the third act ties the whole thing together emotionally, yet is also excellent in its own right, then nobody will bother to differentiate between the three story arcs. It'll just be Pak's Hulk, and that'll be a classic.

Posted by MoriartyL on 2007-12-10 17:02:40
Modern Classics
Bendis' run on Daredevil
Ennis' run on Punisher
Brubaker's run on Captain America


Posted by SGB24K on 2007-12-10 17:03:39
I think Silent War's also a classic, but it'll be one of those classics that nobody's heard of. The reason for my hesitation in labeling it a classic is that Secret Invasion's questioned what was going on there. If it loses its emotional resonance, I'm not sure it can still be called a classic. On the other hand, Secret Invasion might actually add on even more resonance. Only time can tell, still.

Posted by MoriartyL on 2007-12-10 17:04:59
Modern Classic Runs
1. Captain America by Brubaker/Epting/Perkins
2. Astonishing X-Men by Whedon/Cassaday
3. Ultimates by Millar/Hitch
4. Ultimate Spider-Man by Bendis/Bagley
5. Daredevil by Bendis/Maleev

And then there are runs that imo were on the verge to make the jump to classic runs:

- She-Hulk by Dan Slott
- X-Factor vol. 2 by Peter David
- Fantastic Four by Waid and Wieringo






Posted by Lamond on 2007-12-10 17:12:37
my choices
I want to confirm your choice of Ultimates 1 and 2.
I will also add some guesses...
Marvel Knights Spider-Man 1-12.
Brubaker's Captain America run is probably the most consistent book on the market today, and I think it will hold up with the inclusion of Civil War.
Planet Hulk might be the most defining run of Hulk books for the next several decades.


Posted by bigdaddyhub2 on 2007-12-10 17:17:23
Modern Classics
Bendis' run on Daredevil
Ennis' run on Punisher
Brubaker's run on Captain America


Posted by SGB24K on 2007-12-10 17:21:37
Classics
Some standouts:

Brian K. Vaughan and Adrian Alphona on Runaways.
Bendis and Maleev on Daredevil.
Whedon and Cassaday Astonishing X-Men.
Ellis and Immonen NEXTWAVE!

Posted by skinnyboy2387 on 2007-12-10 17:23:58
Modern Classics
If we're talking from 1990 onwards then yea there's a few more.

Kelly -Mcguinness on Deadpool is a classic in the same way the Life of Brian is a classic.

Most people have said my other choices.

Posted by Lanowar on 2007-12-10 17:28:19
Modern Classics
My modern classics:

X-Force 116-128 (129 was an ehh kind of end, and it was never the same without edie)
New X-Men 114-154 plus annual (read together, a truly mighty series)
(Astonishing X-Men might soon reach it, too)
Mark Waid's run of Fantastic Four
Alias by Bendis
Ultimate Spider-Man by Bendis
The Ultimates 1&2 (for me, 1 is better)
Bendis' Daredevil series
Fin Fang Four - the one shot. Seriously.
Brubaker's Captain America
Planet Hulk by Grek Pak
She-Hulk v.1-5 by Dan Slott
BKV's Runaways
SMcK's Spider-Man Loves Mary-Jane
BKV's Dr. Strange: The Oath (real magic spark here - wish i could see more of that team)
Loki by Rodi
Punisher: Welcome Back Frank
Annihilation - a truly well-done crossover.

those are some of the best comics in recent memory (marvel at least), that I think have re-readable value and a certain amount of timelessness.

If I think of more, I'll add them. But of all the comics I've gotten in recent years, these are the ones I enjoy the most.

Posted by stuckinazkaban on 2007-12-10 17:38:36
second
Seconded Lanowar -
Deadpool 1-33
and
Thunderbolts 1-whenever Busiek left full-time (33 or so I think)

are also classics in the superhero fun/superhero drama genres.

Posted by stuckinazkaban on 2007-12-10 17:39:37
90's Classic X-Men Runs
I might hit a nerve, and if I do then good. But personally, I became a teenager at during the mid-90's, so some of the stories from that decade are "classics" to me, no matter how much people seem to dislike them.
Being primarily an X-Men reader back then and then only through the 2-year old compilation that appeared on the local W.H.Smith store in England, I only realistically have an X-perspective to some of the comic books before my horizon expanded in the 21st century.

So... That being said, here's my 2 cents for the 90's:
1) Fox X-Men cartoon. For sheer curiosities sake, I wonder how many people started reading comic books and X-Men because of that, or it's sister series Spider-Man? (Or Batman: TAS too for that matter) (I also wonder if the childlike versions that are on television now do the same thing?)
2) X-Cutioners Song
3) Age of Apocalypse
4) Fatal Attractions
5) Onslaught: Marvel Universe might perhaps be the best X-Men related comic book that was published during the 90's. Sends shivers down my spine every time.

Basically Scott Lobdell's X-Men run...

Posted by Thomas More on 2007-12-10 17:43:53
Classics
All-Star Superman. Oops, um...
Ennis' Punisher I'm fairly certain.
Astonishing, Runaways, the titles Tom mentioned, Brubaker's Cap and Bendis' DD are all things I'd like to think will be.
Morrison's New X-Men, Waid/Ringo FF, X-Force/X-Statix, and She-Hulk will be classics to me long term, but I don't know if they'll transcend a generation or not.
DDD

Posted by dum dum dugan on 2007-12-10 17:46:37
For "classic" I'm going with a definition of "comics that will shape and influence others for years to come." They're not necessarily my favorites, but they have that impact factor.

The first year or so of Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimates Vol. 1
Dark Tower
Brubaker's Captain America
Runaways Vol. 1
Morrison's New X-Men
Kevin Smith's Daredevil
Peter David's Captain Marvel
Busiek/Perez Avengers

Over at the Distinguished Competition:

Identity Crisis
Batman: Hush
Green Lantern: Rebirth
Geoff Johns' JSA
Morrison's JLA
All-Star Superman
DC: The New Frontier
52
Kingdom Come

Posted by CylverSaber on 2007-12-10 18:29:21
Marvel Classics after Marvels
Avengers: Ultron Unlimited, Busiek/Perez.
Fantastic Four: Hereafter by Waid/Wieringo.
Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives by Stern/Frenz.
Amazing Spider-Man #36 by Straczynski/Romita.
X-Force by Milligan/Allred.
New X-Men by Grant Morrison and various artists.
The Ultimates vol.1 by Millar/Hitch.
Runaways vol.1 by Vaughan/Alphona.

And I think ten years from now, people will consider "Death and Return of Captain America", "The Twelve" and "1985" classics.

Posted by Michael Heide on 2007-12-10 18:53:56
Definitely agree with some of the above:
Ultron Unleashed is certainly a classic.
TBolts 1 (can a single issue be considered a classic? The entire run was good, but that first issue was just absolutely hit out of the park)
Runaways v.1.

I'll add New Warriors 1-25, though maybe that's more of a cult classic.

I could see some saying Avengers Forever. I'm a huge Avengers fan, but I think that may have been too wrapped up in continuity to make that claim.

And while I absolutely and utterly despise what he's done to Avengers, Bendis' DD was very good, I thought. I can certainly see that being considered a classic run in the years to come.

Posted by motteditor on 2007-12-10 19:39:09
Standing the test of time
In the last 10 years:

Definitely, Brubaker and Epting's Captain America is an ageless classic. At least up until issue 25. This is defining of the character like it's never achieved in the 65 years that proceeded.

Bendis and Bagley's Ultimate Spider-Man. (It was never "bad" in the entire 1-111 issues.)

Busiek and Perez's Avengers. (it was a no brainer as soon as it was announced that this run would be legendary, and it was.)

Avengers Forever. (Why can't we have more instant classics like this!?!?)

Wolverine Origin. (I think it's one of the best crafted stories that I've ever read in a comic.)



Posted by Dusty. on 2007-12-10 20:37:01
For "classic" I'm going with a definition of "comics that will shape and influence others for years to come." They're not necessarily my favorites, but they have that impact factor.

The first year or so of Ultimate Spider-Man
Ultimates Vol. 1
Dark Tower
Brubaker's Captain America
Runaways Vol. 1
Morrison's New X-Men
Kevin Smith's Daredevil
Peter David's Captain Marvel
Busiek/Perez Avengers

Over at the Distinguished Competition:

Identity Crisis
Batman: Hush
Green Lantern: Rebirth
Geoff Johns' JSA
Morrison's JLA
All-Star Superman
DC: The New Frontier
52
Kingdom Come

Posted by CylverSaber on 2007-12-10 20:55:46
I realize your likely follow-up article will probably only list Marvel's but here is my list of likely "classic" comic runs from US publishers over the past say five years.

Usagi Yojimbo
Promethea
Johns' Flash
Superman: Red Son
Superman: Secret Identity
We3
Point Blank/Sleeper
Age of Bronze
Coffin/Deep Sleeper

Busiek/Perez Avengers
Priest's Black Panther
Bendis' Daredevil
Vaughan's Runaways
Nextwave
first volume of Slott's She-Hulk
Ennis' Punisher MK
Ennis' Punisher MAX (two back to back classic runs with completely different takes, very impressive)
Alias
Punisher: The End & Hulk: The End
Bendis & Bagley's Ultimate Spider-Man
New X-Men

Posted by ralf_haring on 2007-12-10 21:14:41
New Avengers #1 is one that springs to mind. Whedon and Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men. Alias. Runaways.

Posted by Fetsur on 2007-12-10 21:16:22
Classics
There are def some great runs going on, but classic stories is different.
Ultimate Spider Man, clone saga was great
New X-Men Cassandra Nova Saga
Fantastic Four Unthinkable
Captain America (Brubaker's whole run)
Daredevil (ditto for Bendis)
Silver Surfer Requim
Ultimates Vol 1

Theres a few others, but those come to mind. I think it has been rare in the entire industry that books like Ultimate Spider-Man and Daredevil have been good for so long. Its a high level of consistent storytelling and quality that these comics have that makes them classic, much like the original run of Amazing and Fantastic Four.

Posted by Otherguy676 on 2007-12-10 21:24:47
Interesting
"Death and Return of Captain America" LOL Someone's getting ahead of himself! Not only will he return but it will be a classic!

Posted by dum dum dugan on 2007-12-10 22:05:33
A classic?
JMS and JRJR's Ezekiel Saga in Amazing Spider-man. There's just so much potential for interesting stories there that's not being tapped.

Posted by pkempson on 2007-12-10 22:37:55
New Warriors v1 #1-25

Done.

Posted by Ben Morse on 2007-12-10 23:11:17
Modern classics
Obviously, nobody can really know this soon what will eventually be deemed classic, but if I had to put money on it, I'd go for:

Waid/Ringo's Fantastic Four run
Busiek/Perez's Avengers run
Straczynski/Romita Jr.'s Spider-Man run
Jurgens/Romita Jr.'s Thor run
Smith/Quesada's Daredevil run

and going back a little bit earlier, Peter David's run on Hulk... or is that far enough back to be considered a classic already?

Posted by Paulymorph on 2007-12-11 05:27:33
One title that comes to mind is the entire current Captain America run by Ed Brubaker.

Posted by Zigy on 2007-12-11 06:28:53
Plenty of GOOD stories, but I don't know if any of them are classics, since they lack the weight that the stories you mentioned above had from being significant events in the saga of the characters. Since continuity and history don't mean much anymore, I don't think I'd say anything has quite the same impact. Perhaps the first year of USM. The rest of it lacked some depth by being so partitioned off in six-issue arcs.

Great recent Marvel stories though: DOCTOR STRANGE: THE OATH, vol. 1 of SHE-HULK, SPIDER-MAN/HUMAN TORCH, the first twelve issues of Brubaker's Cap (it petered off a bit after that).

Posted by skagandboneman on 2007-12-11 07:27:06
W.Ellis ' Thunderbolts,




Posted by notapotatoe on 2007-12-11 08:01:36
my picks
Morrison New X-Men
Bendis Daredevil
Brubaker Cap
Millar Ultimates 1 and 2
Waid/Ringo FF
Runaways
Alias

Honorable Mentions
Slott She-Hulk
Ellis/Granov Iron Man
Some of Millar's Ultimate X-Men
Milligan's X-Force/X-Statix

Posted by pete on 2007-12-11 08:42:13
the new classics
FF 377 - 379, Art Adams does Hulk, Spidey, Ghost Rider and some guy called Wolverine. Nuff' Said!

Peter David/Dale Keown- HULK: The End
(My 2nd choice here would be P.D.'s Mr. Fixit story arc in Hulk)


Posted by ziesel on 2007-12-11 10:36:02
My idea of classics
As Mr. B sez, there is going to be some disagreement (and I would even disagree with his list of Silver/Bronze Age), but for what it is worth:

From Marvel:

Alias
Black Panther (1998) 25-30
X-Force 116

From DC:

Kingdom Come
Promethea
Secret Identity


Posted by Original_Fan4Fan on 2007-12-11 12:25:19
Plots Versus Characters
One can’t say that the next few years’ worth of storylines won’t produce any classics, but the current arc-oriented approach to storytelling, combined with plot-driven stories, particularly crossover events, makes classics less likely. When the focus is primarily on the plot, it’s too easy to have the character(s) behave as necessary for plot developments (“Civil War”) or to treat the character as a mere plot device (“Avengers Disassembled”; “House of M”). When fans complain about a writer “not respecting” the character, I’d guess that the complaint is usually based on altering the character to suit the plot, or making the story about the character’s power, not about the character per se. A power is supposed to be a tool used skillfully to enable the hero to meet a challenge, not the reason the character exists.

I’m not against publishing storylines as arcs or against “events,” just the ways arcs and events are conceived. If there’s a desire to make the Marvel Universe more realistic, there are a number of things that could be done, aside from providing mutants (genetic and somatic) with a biological basis for their powers. One could, for example, eliminate Death and Eternity, at least as active characters. Such a change, however accomplished (there are ways) wouldn’t eliminate death; the universe would, rather, be more like the teal world. If a character was to be reanimated, one would have to petition a god or demon.

SRS


Posted by Steven R. Stahl on 2007-12-11 13:51:02
Plots Versus Characters
Steven, I have to disagree that this era won't produce classic runs- I think you're looking at a few cases (big crossovers and such) while ignoring tons of other plot/character mix comics out there. See the above examples.

Posted by stuckinazkaban on 2007-12-11 17:58:33
With all due respect to the writers that came before him (and those who will have the misfortune of having to follow his soon to be legendary act), Ed Brubaker's run has eclipsed every one that has came before him.

Captain America may have always been an iconic character but Ed is really the first person to make him cool and dare I say, "hip".

And if the identity of the new Cap is who I think it is, his badass cred is about to go through the roof.

Posted by Dr. Chaos on 2007-12-11 19:03:34
Top Contenders
Based on people's responses, it seems like the top contenders are:

Brubaker's Captain America
Bendis/Bagley USM
Millar/Hitch Ultimates
BKV's Runaways
Morrison's New X-Men
Bendis' Daredevil
Busiek/Perez Avengers
Waid/Wieringo FF
Slott's She-Hulk

Posted by CylverSaber on 2007-12-12 07:26:16
Also...
These also got several mentions:

Ennis' Punisher
Whedon/Cassaday Astonishing X-Men
X-Force/X-Statix
Alias

Posted by CylverSaber on 2007-12-12 07:32:28
My nominess:
CIVIL WAR
Silver Surfer: Requiem

The two best mini-series EVER.

Posted by LOTRKing on 2007-12-12 08:34:16
on the road for classics
I agree with the Brubaker's run on Cap America, plus : the entire Civil Wars books had provided some changes that it will sure be remembered as the beginning of a new era...

X-Force /X-sTATIX are already a classic


Posted by notapotatoe on 2007-12-12 10:19:34
Classics?
Well, as I'm not as current and well-read in the field of comics as some people here are I'm only going to mention the short list I would have and WHY I think they may be classics.

Ennis' Punisher - This is a tough one for me. It's a mind bendingly great series, but is it a "classic" that will change comics? Probably not. I haven't read much more of Ennis, but I'm quite sure this isn't unique in his offerings. Is it unique to Marvel? Very. And if the MAX section is smart, they'll learn from Ennis and find some more writers who can actually put out the same hard-edged, realistic work that he does. Bendis did a fine job with Alias, true, but the rest of the MAX line (that I've read) is sad and cheesy in comparison. So, it may change Marvel if MAX pays attention, but I doubt it'd change the industry. Yet it could open the doors to changes...

Bendis's Ultimate Spider-Man - This I think is more along the lines of a classic that will have an impact on the industry. Bendis did an amazing job of taking the essence of the Spider-Man myth and ripping it fully formed out of the past and into the future. This kind of sharp, modern storytelling is what is needed in comics these days.

Planet Hulk - While I haven't read it (yes, I agree, why am I talking about it then?), the little I know of it seems to suggest a classic storyline. Hulk needs something more than just Earthly angst, and putting him in a fantasy setting a la Conan was brilliant. As for World War Hulk (which I have read a little of): no, it's more amusement than classic. Like a giant What If-?

Fantastic Four - Just to whine...I haven't read anything I've enjoyed in the FF for a while, despite loving them more than any other magazine. However, to be fair, my reading has been patchy in the last few years.

So was that two cents worth it? Very possibly not...

Posted by PseudoSherlock on 2007-12-12 10:52:47
First off I think besides Classic Marvel in the sixties the early eighties Marvel had a ton of classic runs. Claremont/Byrne X-Men, Byrne's FF, Walt's Thor, Stern's Avengers, Dr. Strange, Spider-Man, and Miller's DD.

90's and up? Tough one. There were things I liked but I wouldn't call classic. John Francis Moore's X-Force was the best X-book for a while. Jim Lee X-Men ofcourse but just because of the art.

More recent? Some of the original Marvel Knights titles like Bendis' Daredevil and Priest's Black Panther. Bru's Cap. Waid's & Todd's FF, Young Avengers. Busiek & Perez's Avengers though I may be subjective.


Posted by thorionthei on 2007-12-12 16:29:13
Best thing to come out of Civil War
The new line up Thunderbolts... I can't wait for Osborne to crack!

Posted by gusshopper on 2007-12-12 21:35:16
Classic Storylines
Storylines can be classic in several ways, whether one is innovative with plot material, or describes the nature of a conflict particularly well, or defines a character very well. Those qualities aren’t mutually exclusive; a storyline can do all three, and be excellent in other ways as well. However, since the basis for any series is the title character, the writer has the best opportunity to produce a classic work when he focuses on defining a character, whether the person he’s working on is the star or part of the supporting cast. Since Marvel uses a shared universe, though, and a number of writers, it’s very difficult for a storyline to attain the status of “classic” unless other writers acknowledge how well the storyline worked and reinforce the points made in their own stories.

Take Englehart’s “Silver Dagger” storyline in Dr. STRANGE, for example. He introduced a classic villain, introduced Agamotto as a character, and had Strange go on a metaphysical journey that has hardly been equaled since. Writers responded by reusing that depiction of Agamotto and by occasionally featuring Silver Dagger again, to the disappointment of some readers, who wrote to Marvel to complain that the subsequent stories were inferior. That’s tribute.

Shooter’s AVENGERS storyline about the downfall of Henry Pym has been reinforced by writers in the decades since, even if they’ve distorted the nature of the relationship (Pym was not a “wife beater” and never has been). The breakup with Jan was a defining moment in Pym’s life.

Michelinie’s IRON MAN storyline that had Stark struggle with the disease of alcoholism was a classic storyline, one that resonated with readers and with writers who recognized an aspect of Stark that they could work with. I’ve read IRON MAN fairly steadily since the ‘70s, and haven’t seen a storyline since that I’d regard as a classic (although the Marvel Encyclopedia lists two other important ones); that might be because the nature of the character limits what the writer can do. He can’t define an “ultimate” suit of armor, or come up with Stark’s ultimate business enterprise or ultimate girlfriend; what he can do is put Stark through his paces, come up with some refinements to the armor and, perhaps, have Stark be ingenious in ways that he hasn’t before. Trying to write the ultimate IRON MAN story is rather like trying to tell the ultimate joke, to any audience.

Starlin’s WARLOCK storyline that featured a battle between Warlock and his evil alternate-future self, the Magus, is a classic, I’d say, because it sharply defined Warlock as a character, had an excellent supporting cast (Gamora, Pip), used Thanos well, and had an interesting plot. Unfortunately, Starlin never handled Thanos as well again, because he never tried to define Thanos as a character in any of the storylines that followed. When Englehart defined Thanos as a demigod aspiring to godhood in AVENGERS: CELESTIAL QUEST, Starlin responded by trying to retcon the storyline away. Apparently nobody ever told Starlin that vagueness isn’t mysteriousness.

Fans have justifiably praised Busiek’s work on AVENGERS, but I wouldn’t call the storylines classic, in part because he’s a very good formula fiction writer, and in part because other writers didn’t acknowledge his definition of any of the characters. Writers have used both Ultron and Kang poorly since his AVENGERS storylines, and both storylines had flaws (having Pym put his brain patterns in Ultron violated the robot’s origin; Kang’s eventual defeat was a foregone conclusion). Busiek is excellent at having his heroes and heroines evince heroic characteristics, but there’s a sameness in his characterizations and a predictability in his plots that becomes apparent over years. Those qualities in his writing can turn off readers who want to be surprised or want to see less heroic personalities.

I haven’t seen any classic storylines in the last several years. Whether that’s because writers aren’t attempting to define characters in a literary sense, or because storylines have technical flaws--Brubaker’s DEADLY GENESIS miniseries was probably intended to be a classic, but Brubaker ruined the plot by having Darwin function as an animated deus ex machina. When Pak was writing PLANET HULK, did anyone tell him that having the Hulk fall in love had already been done, and mention Jarella? Whatever Straczynski’s plans for THOR are, he’s already diminished expectations, and the series, by relying on an idiot plot to generate action in THOR #3. That’s evidence that the storyline is developing too slowly.

Then there’s the current practice, by some writers, at least, of retconning storylines. The retcons can inadvertently attest to the classic status of a storyline, as Byrne’s, Bendis’s, and Heinberg’s retcons of Wanda’s pregnancy did, but in most cases, a retcon diminishes the source material by negating the dramatic impact of a death, or by clumsily modifying the original plot. In retrospect, bringing back Jean Grey diminished the “Dark Phoenix” storyline by negating the impact of her death. The Phoenix force has become a stale plot device in the years since that storyline was written.

The Marvel Encyclopedia mentions “essential storylines” in many of its character entries. While those storylines aren’t all “classic,” they’re worth seeking out, if a reader wants to know the most noteworthy events in a character’s history.

If a writer wants to impress other writers, or older readers, he might be best able to do that by setting out to define his characters as sharply, as deeply, and as memorably as a novelist would, and by having his heroes deal with hard choices. Whatever one thinks of superhero genre conventions, and the trite plot material often encountered, if the writer tries to define his characters completely, he can do as good a job of that as any novelist could. It’s just a matter of taking the characters seriously, coming up with plotlines that tie into the characters’ themes, and not forsaking the characters in favor of plot material that might make for catchy blurbs in PREVIEWS but has no depth.

SRS


Posted by Steven R. Stahl on 2007-12-13 11:03:39
Daredevil by Bendis and Maleev
Ultimate Spider-Man by Bendis and Bagley
Ultimates by Millar and Hitch
Astonishing X-Men by Whedon and Cassaday
Captain America by Brubaker, Epting, and Perkins
Planet Hulk by Pak and Pagulayan
Runaways by Vaughn and Alphona

Posted by wolviebeserker on 2007-12-13 13:57:24
ok so planet hulk and new x-men are total gives, but what about the universally panned house of m? Acusations of caracters not acting as they are suppose to unfounded against this book due to the nature of the beast, this is an altered world after all. The art was fantastic throughout and the finale did impact the entire mutant sectuion of marvel books to this day. O.K maybe the spin offs where a bit duff, hawkeyes "return" was a little soon and the bulk off the plot became redundant at the last issue, but its has changed the marvel universe and stands tall as a great story. Out of all of marvels big three i still prefer this event to civil war which was good but far to dilutted by the spin offs and world war hulk has felt very light weight in comparison to the real hulk biggy planet hulk, now THAT WAS AN EVENT!

Posted by welshsid on 2007-12-13 16:35:58
Picks
Bendis' Daredevil ( Hopefully his New Avengers too)
Brubaker's Cap
Plant Hulk ( have not read it yet but everyone else whose opinions I care about say this story is amazing and they know their comics)
Morrison's New X-Men
Astonishing X-Men, House of M and Civil War (maybe it is too early to see the impact these runs had but I thought that these stories were/are awesome.)

Posted by djesterus on 2007-12-13 20:53:14
I grew up during the Wolverine Shiva Scenario; for me that time was classic, even though looking back on it I think it was more about my age than about the books.

However, I recently returned to comics, and after being introduced to Planet Hulk by the friendly local shopkeeper, I'd have to say that was some of the most fun I've had reading comics in a long time!! (some of the only fun reading comics I've had in a long time...but I digress.)

Posted by erodstrom on 2007-12-14 02:10:41
So... barring any more nominations, the final list seems to be:

Brubaker's Captain America
Bendis/Bagley USM
Millar/Hitch Ultimates
BKV's Runaways
Morrison's New X-Men
Bendis' Daredevil
Busiek/Perez Avengers
Waid/Wieringo FF
Planet Hulk
Ennis' Punisher
Whedon/Cassaday Astonishing X-Men
X-Force/X-Statix
Alias
Slott's She-Hulk

Posted by CylverSaber on 2007-12-14 04:56:43
my picks
Millar/Hitch's Ultimates 1 and 2:
For me, this represents a breakthrough in superhero comics. The characters are more real than anything I've seen in the genre. Political issues are dealt with, with respect to all opinions. Here, we don't see the typical, idealized heroes. This is ordinary people. And the artwork is fantastic.

Ennis/Dillon's Punisher: I haven't read much of Ennis' other work, so I don't know how unique this series is, but the violent humor and the excellent side characters makes this is a classic for me. Perhaps the comment above that it will not be very influential is correct, but I don't see this as so important in determining whether a series shoud be a classic or not.

Amazing Spiderman by Straczinsky/JRJR
By challenging what was thought of as cornerstones in the series (the radioactive spider, Peter's guilt of the death of uncle Ben, hiding his secret for aunt May, Peter's work at the Daily Bugle), especially the early issues of the run

Ciwil War: I think this series will stand the test of time. For me, this is the final loss of the last innocence that was left in the Marvel Universe: Superheroes facing up to reality.

Whedon/Cassaday's Astonishing X-Men? I'm not sure. This is definitely excellent all the way through, but perhaps it's because after New X-Men by Morrison/Quitely (which I find too 'messy' to be a classic), it's hard to do anything surprising. Time will tell.

I hesitate a little before callinng Brubaker/Epting's Captain America a classic, as many readers suggest, but I guess it is mainly because it's the only Cap I've read, and I don't really relate to the character.

I don't really understand why so many call Bendis/Bagley's Ultimate Spiderman a classic. Sure, its a strong update of the Spider-Man 'myth', but a classic? I don't think it brings much new, more like a very high standard to compare other comics to.

For American comics in general, nothing reaches the heights of Neil Gaiman's Sandman. The pages teem with imagination and love of storytelling, here is a comic book that will actually make you learn something about life.

Planetary by Ellis/Cassaday is also a classic, with its exploration of pulp fiction and its layers of irony.

The All Star Superman series by Morrison/Quitely is definitely a classic as well, summing up what the idea of a Superman is all about, and with stunning artwork.

Posted by gustaffe on 2007-12-14 05:42:52
I think its kind of hard to pick current classics because most of us that were reading the Claremont/Byrne X-Men or the Miller Daredevil didn't realize we were reading classics. Anyone that was picking up X-Men at that time knew they were reading something cool but didn't know that it would still be what it is 25 years later. For me personally, I can't say that I see anything other than Brubaker's Captain America and Pak's Hulk as stories that I'll remember in later years.

Posted by Smakk9 on 2007-12-14 08:45:45
Instant Classic?
If the preview I’ve seen bears out, MIGHTY AVENGERS #6 could become an instant “classic” because of the incoherent dialogue that takes technical subjects and turns them into gobbledygook.

SRS


Posted by Steven R. Stahl on 2007-12-14 10:47:56
Quick thoughts
I would argue that most of the things on this list have a good shot somewhere, but there are two that are ALREADY classic, in the sense that the creative/comics producing world has already looked at them and savagely ripped them off over and over - or "been influenced" if you like.

The first is Bendis' Daredevil, which almost single-handely introduced the "decompressed" method of storytelling. Love it or hate it, (and I love it when Bendis does it; hate it when people of much less talent try to imitate) it radically altered the way many comics were made. It almost seemed like a rude shock to some that comics could be just as much about character development as punchy space battles, but it probably kept this reader in comics.

Second is Ennis' Punisher. Can you even name another really notable Punisher run that one will get any sort of consensus on? More importantly, though, look at the movies. The movies, at least the first ones, that do even halfway decent always end up telling "the" story about a character. Spidey told the Stan and Jack early days. Daredevil borrowed from the Frank Miller years. And after they got the obligatory origin story out of the way, Punisher went right for the Ennis characters. His run is already the most definitive take on the character in existence.

Everything else has time, I'd say, but these are the two that have already fundamentally changed either the characters involved or the whole industry.

Posted by Muldrate on 2007-12-14 15:29:38
I'm With Muldrate
When I look at the examples offered by Tom at the beginning of the article it seems that by definition a classic has to have set a new standard in storytelling or in the interpretation of a character/ concept. Many of the examples given are very good stories (Alias, We3, Bru's Cap) or reinvigorated homages to a bygone era (All Star Supes, Ult. Spidey, Ast. X-Men, Planetary) but very few can already be deemed classics without the lens of history. Although it was first introduced in their run on The Authority, I think that Millar/Hitch's Ultimates has a chance at classic status with its introduction of wide-screen action and "real-world" rules to a familar property that creators are and will be emulating for years to come.

Posted by hamgravy on 2007-12-14 18:11:18
The only thing that will Kill Cap's chances
...and I speak of the Brubaker/Epting series

15 years ago, an artist named Liefeld was much lauded, and his character, Cable, was all the rage. People couldn't get enough of him. Had a Tom Brevoort blog existed back in that era, no doubt, everybody would have been all over listing that stuff as an everlasting classic. Revolutionary!!!

Now we have Bucky, who has so many similarities to Cable that it's not funny. If I asked "who's the out of time, cybernetically enhanced, gun toting, bad@ss running around at Marvel?" you'd have 2 choices. Cable used to be a beloved "modern classic", and now he's mocked. If this Bucky stuff drags out for too long, as I suspect it's going to, it won't play well, and when a new era dawns, mockery of the era that the beloved Cap was killed will hurt the overall image of anything tied to the creators that were involved.

Posted by Dusty. on 2007-12-15 10:34:49
Modern Classics
It's hard to choose Tom from all the good stuff coming out from Marvel. I'd have to say: McDuffie/Pelletier FF run, Bendis' New Avengers (also Avengers Disassembled & Finale), Jurgen's run on Thor (all the pre-disassembled TPBs), both JMS & BKV's Doc Strange, Brubaker's Captain America, the Iron Man arc entitled: "The Best Defense" and all the Busiek Avengers!

Monday Morning Lunatic !

Posted by Mon Morn Lunatic on 2007-12-15 16:56:04
modern classics
Without a doubt, the Frank Bruenner/Steve Englehart Dr. Strange story featuring Silver Dagger has got to be a classic. The story, the art, the inks...all OUTSTANDING!! If you have not read this 5 part story, do yourself a favor and read them soon!

Posted by smoke and mirror on 2007-12-15 18:06:40
New Classics
I think you hav eto include Civil War whether you were a fan or not. The Idea behind the whole event was breathtaking and because of how it resulted in the death of Steve Rogers and the reconstruction of how super heros operate, it has changed the marvel universe for at least the immediate future. Brubaker's run on Cap has been outstanding, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

Posted by bested1 on 2007-12-16 01:45:46
age of apocalypse

i started reading comics b/c of the X-Men animated series from the 90s

Posted by TimGunn on 2007-12-16 21:13:42
What about...
Strczynski and John Romita Jr.'s run on Amazing Spider-Man? It's had a few mentions, but not as many as some others.
Those issues moved Spidy into the future, giving Peter a new job as a high school teacher, gave Aunt May renewed purpose, and introduced a whole new level to the Spider-Man mythos, as well as giving us good humor the best written Peter and crew we've had in a very long time.
I'm of course reffering only to the issues up until Romita left, as everything that followed was crap. "Sins Past" and "The Other" came along and may have ruined Spidy forever, but I don't think that ditracts from the earlier issues' appeal.


Posted by Yahya on 2007-12-16 23:14:57
Mutant Massacre
The Claremont run on Uncanny was mentioned, but I have to pull out, specifically, the Mutant Massacre. Many of these lists here are just from the last few years, from what I can tell. Mutant Massacre really defined the X-Over and changed the X-Men for ages. I still chills seeing Colossus break a neck, Kitty permanently phased ... just all sorts of good stuff here.

Posted by mutantnemesis on 2007-12-17 12:28:22
The Clone Saga. (I'm serious, that stuff is classic. classic awesome.)
Origin
House of M

Posted by Todd Michael Rogers on 2007-12-17 23:43:57
Kraven's last hunt
Avengers Disassembled
Planet Hulk
Death of Captain America

Posted by Web-Head3003 on 2007-12-23 11:52:32
EarthX/ParadiseXUniverse X (they were continuing on each other)
Busiek/Perez Avengers
Peter David's Captain Marvel
Civil War (for reasons stated by bested1)


Posted by stefankondic410 on 2007-12-26 13:30:16
Classics from the last few years
Bendis' run on Daredevil certainly

Planet Hulk but not WWH I enjoyed WWH but it's just an extended
series of fun hero vs hero fights.

Age of Apocalypse - I recently bought all 4 volumes of this massive
X-men crossover. It was an incredibly ambitious idea but it tells
a wonderfully complete story about an alternate timeline, filled
with brutatlity and tragedy yet keeps a sense of hope throughout
and is one of the few X-Men stories that is a clearcut victory for
the team. Ideas and characters from this event are still being
used today. I'm sure it inspired House of M and of course Dark
Beast was an important character in the prelude to Messiah
Complex. The structure of it should be used as a template for
every large crossover imo as each issue and even the spin-offs
all added value and content to the storyline and characters.

On the down side Civil War is memorable but NOT Classic - If a
huge part of a story (Spiderman's identity) gets retconned in l
less than 2 years it clearly isn't classic.

Posted by izzatrix on 2008-01-03 10:23:09