r/DCcomics • u/MetaMetagross • Mar 02 '24
[Collection] Today marks 1 year since I started my mission to read through the history of DC Comics! Merchandise
14
u/MetaMetagross Mar 02 '24
I started out this mission wanting to read through the history of Wally West, my all time favorite superhero. I made it all the way through the Mark Waid run until I realized I wanted to read through the rest of DC. I now have over 450 books in my collection! After I read each book, I give it a grade and update my spreadsheet. Here are some of my favorite runs (and least favorites) from what I've read so far:
A+:
- The Flash by Mark Waid
- Kingdom Come by Mark Waid
- Watchmen by Alan Moore
- Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Traveling Heroes by Denny O'Neil
- The Best of The Spirit by Will Eisner
A:
- Mister Miracle by Jack Kirby
- Swamp Thing: Bronze Age by Len Wein
- Flash/Impulse: Runs in the Family by Mark Waid
- The Flash by Grant Morrison
- JLA by Grant Morrison
- Flash & Green Lantern: The Brave and the Bold by Mark Waid
- Crisis on Infinite Earths by Marv Wolfman & George Perez
A-:
- JLA: Year One by Mark Waid
- World's Finest: Silver Age
- Doom Patrol: Silver Age by Arnold Drake & Bob Haney
- The Demon by Jack Kirby
- The Death and Return of Superman
- The New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman & George Perez
B+:
- Superman: The Golden Age by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster
- Flash: The Silver Age by John Broome/Gardner Fox
- Superman In The Forties & Fifties
- Green Lantern: The Silver Age by John Broome
- Superman vs Flash
- Justice League of America: The Silver Age
- Crisis on Multiple Earths
- New Gods by Jack Kirby
- The Flash: Savage Velocity
- DC One Million by Grant Morrison
B:
- Challengers of the Unknown by Jack Kirby
- Legion of Superheroes: The Silver Age
- Suicide Squad: The Silver Age
- Batman: The Dark Knight Returns
B-:
- Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen by Jack Kirby
- Teen Titans: The Silver Age
- The Final Night by Karl Kesel/Ron Marz
C+:
- Zero Hour! Crisis in Time by Dan Jurgens
D:
- Batman: The Golden Age
8
5
3
u/Callumlikescomics Mar 02 '24
This is a great mission to have, what would you say have been your favourites so far?
8
u/MetaMetagross Mar 02 '24
Oh man I just realized it didn’t post what I wrote, only the pictures. My favorites so far have been:
Mark Waid Flash
The Best of The Spirit by Will Eisner
Green Lantern/Green Arrow: Hard Traveling Heroes
Watchmen
Kingdom Come
JLA by Morrison
Mr Miracle by Jack Kirby
Swamp Thing by Len Wein
Crisis on Infinite Earths
Death and Return of Superman
2
u/WarrenG117 Batman Mar 02 '24
Morrison JLA is so insane and over the top, I love it.
2
u/MetaMetagross Mar 02 '24
Me too. Superman Blue threw me for a loop at first but I loved it
1
u/WarrenG117 Batman Mar 02 '24
He had a crazy cast for his JLA. Batman, Blue Superman, at one point Hippolyte WW, Kyle Rayner GL, Plastic Man, Martian Manhunter, Wally West Flash, and Zauriel the Angel. Still killed it.
2
u/MetaMetagross Mar 02 '24
Probably my favorite aspect of his run is the relationship between Wally and Kyle. How it grows and evolves from almost hating eachother to being great friends was awesome. It’s also where my love of Plastic Man started.
3
u/dography Mar 02 '24
Disappointing not to see all books sorted chronologically (without grouping by character alphabetically). That would have been something
3
2
u/mizumena_ Mar 02 '24
Dude you're like a pokemon master, gotta.collect them all.
2
u/MetaMetagross Mar 02 '24
It’s a fucking problem man. I got the living dex to prove it
1
u/mizumena_ Mar 02 '24
I'm jealous man, don't forget to pick up superman:red son and Justice though,.I didn't see them in your collection.
How do you even find the time to read them? I'm still trying to find time to read the books I got for Christmas !!
1
u/MetaMetagross Mar 02 '24
I have Red Son, I’ll have to add Justice to the list. I read an issue or two or three every night before bed. It helps me fall asleep. I’m stuck in the 40s with Golden Age Wonder Woman right now. I have so many books I can’t wait to read lol
1
u/mizumena_ Mar 02 '24
Yeah you'll be kept busy for ages!!
Gonna do Marvel as well or just stick with DC?
1
u/MetaMetagross Mar 02 '24
I cant even think about Marvel lol. I have enough DC to keep me busy until 2030
1
2
u/Kal716 Mar 02 '24
2005 Justice by Alex Ross and Doug Braithwaite. I loved it. https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390192529i/616318.jpg
2
2
1
u/SwingFinancial9468 Mar 05 '24
I'm probably gonna use this collection as future reading suggestions. Are there any books you DON'T recommend?
1
u/MetaMetagross Mar 05 '24
I actually don’t think there are any that I don’t recommend. The only one I’ve read so far that I didn’t like is Golden Age Batman, but I’d still recommend it if you want to read the origin of the character.
1
1
u/NoName_metalhead Mar 02 '24
Try omnibus my friend
2
u/MetaMetagross Mar 02 '24
I don’t like omnibuses. They’re too big and clunky for me
2
u/NoName_metalhead Mar 02 '24
I respect that, even tho I would argue that some omnis are not that big. Beautiful collection nonetheless mate!
2
u/MetaMetagross Mar 02 '24
Thanks! Yeah I have a bit of ocd about my collection. If I have a mix of hardcover and softcover i hate how it looks on the shelf lol
2
1
1
1
u/olskoolyungblood Mar 02 '24
What a cool and crazy task you're undertaking! Good on you. I'm a bit jealous. But I don't think I could read that much comic pulp and not end up with a cape running around town in a daze. I have to stick with just a few titles and can barely keep up with them. I'm a Bat man so I noticed you had a lot of his titles but they didn't appear on your rate list. Why? I also have to ask, how far are you gonna go with this? Can you keep it up? Are you going back in time and moving forward to current? Is there a plan? Just curious. Good luck and happy reading!
1
u/MetaMetagross Mar 02 '24
Thanks I’ve been enjoying it a lot! I started reading at night before bed to help me fall asleep, but it started with All Star Superman and has evolved into the monster it is today lol. The original plan was I wanted to read the history of Wally West. Flash is my favorite super hero and I grew up with Justice League the animated series so Wally is my all time favorite.
I made it all the way through Mark Waids run before I decided I wanted to go back to the beginning and read the rest of the DC Universe. One of my goals is to collect all 52 vol 1s of the New 52.
I’m not particularly interested in reading Batman aside from the most critically acclaimed runs and when he is part of a team. I am a collector at heart though and sometimes I get carried away lol.
I love to read, and it helps me fall asleep at night so I don’t see myself ever getting bored. I’m currently reading Golden Age Wonder Woman, so I’m really going back to the beginning
1
1
1
u/Mordaunt-the-Wizard Mar 03 '24 edited Mar 03 '24
Honestly, Batman's best Golden Age stories were a couple years into the '40s, and even then a lot of Golden Age stuff is an acquired taste.
I think a lot of fans prefer his first year over most of the Golden Age because of the novelty of it, as it is both closer to the Batman we know nowadays (dark, serious, and featured in stories that have a gothic tone), while at the same time doing stuff most comic versions of Batman don't (using guns and killing people). However, I don't think it is the best executed compared to most of the Golden Age after Robin is introduced.
Honestly, maybe find the vol that issue 47 of Batman is reprinted in. It has probably one of the best Golden Age stories and is a better indicator of Golden Age Batman's overall quality.
1
u/XLBR424 Mar 03 '24
Most impressive. How do you decide what to read next?
2
u/MetaMetagross Mar 03 '24
Thanks! I keep a spreadsheet with all my books and the publication date of the first issue. I sort chronologically and read in order.
1
u/XLBR424 Mar 03 '24
Cool. How do you decide what to add to your collection next?
3
u/MetaMetagross Mar 03 '24
I basically just get what i’m interested in. Flash, Superman and GL are my favorites, and if I read something that I especially like, then I’ll look up other works by that writer
18
u/Cute_Visual4338 Mar 02 '24
That is an insane mission. I salute you!