Top 5 Comic Book Series

By Connect2Mason Comic Columnist Greg Pelkofski

I know I originally said that this was supposed to be a Top 10 list, but when I came up with a preliminary list of comics that I would place on this list I only had about eight or nine. Even a couple of those didn’t deserve to be listed as one of the top series. So here are five excellent ongoing comic book series.

5. Kick-Ass – I would like to put this further down on the list but considering only five issues of this comic have come out it is hard to put it beyond anything that has been out for many more years. Kick-Ass is the story of a high school kid who, after years of reading superhero comic books, decides to become a superhero. He makes a costume, starts training and goes out on patrol in New York City. His first attempt in stopping a crime ends with him in critical care at a hospital. After weeks of healing and rehabilitation, he goes out again.

This time he stops a couple of thugs beating up someone else. His act of vigilantism is caught on a bystander’s cell phone and soon he becomes an internet sensation and he earns the name Kick-Ass. Other would-be costumed heroes start popping up around the city to follow his example. But soon Kick-Ass is caught in the middle of a real and violent war on crime by two merciless vigilantes, Big Daddy and Hit Girl. Kick-Ass is written by Mark Millar, illustrated by John Romita Jr. and published by Marvel’s Icon imprint. This is one of the best and, inadvertently, one of the funniest comics I’ve ever read. Also, it’s the first comic I’ve ever read where they use the C-word (how is that not funny when comes from the mouth of a ten-year-old girl with a big sword). And it is already being made into a movie!

4. New Avengers – This is one of my personal favorites and if I had to name one comic that I look forward to getting the next issue the most it would be this. Brian Michael Bendis, one of Marvel’s best writers, has written every issue of this series and each one is packed with so much excellent dialogue (which Bendis is known for), action and (with the earlier issues) an underlying conspiracy that culminated in Marvel’s recent Secret Invasion crossover/mini-series. The series follows Marvel Comics’ superhero team the Avengers after they had been decimated by the Scarlet Witch’s rampage (in the Avengers Disassembled crossover) and begins with Captain America and Iron Man rebuilding the team with members like Spider-Man, Wolverine, Spider-Woman, Luke Cage and the Sentry (heroes who have never been Avengers before, hence the word “new” in the title). The stories in the comic follow major Marvel Comic book story lines like House of M, Civil War, The Initiative, Secret Invasion, and Dark Reign. This comic isn’t for everyone, but I love it.

3. Spawn – Todd McFarlane created a classic anti-hero with this comic book. The comic first appeared on the wake of 80’s comics like Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns which depicted heroes in the real world and as not truly heroic. The main character, Spawn, was a government assassin who was killed by his boss, sent to Hell, and resurrected as a demon warrior to fight for Hell against Heaven. Only he wants nothing to do with Hell’s war and agreed to be a Hellspawn only to see his wife again. Needless to say the comic is heavy into religious symbology. The first 50 issues of Spawn are classics. Todd McFarlane even gets a couple great comic writers, like Alan Moore (Watchmen) and Neil Gaiman (The Sandman) to guest write a couple of issues. Up through issue 165 this is a great series, however it has currently taken a dive. I honestly do not know what exactly has been going on recently in the comic, maybe it is supposed to be that way, but I am not enjoying it. Even with its current mediocrity, it is still one of the best comic book series.

2. The Sandman – This is closest comic book that comes to any form of intellectual literature. Neil Gaiman wrote every issue of this now completed series. In it, he tells the tale of Morpheus, the Lord of Dreams. Gaiman weaves a tapestry of myth and legend through this series drawing upon characters that could only be thought of in people’s dreams. He calls upon a horde of great artists to work with him during the 75-issue run of the series. Audience and critically acclaimed, this is one of the best comic books ever made.

1. The Amazing Spider-Man – Probably the best comic book character ever, and my personal favorite. What make this great is that after nearly 600 comics, I have never read one bad issue of it. While I have not read all of them, not one of them has been repulsive. I think it is because of any writer or artist who works on this book treats it with the utmost respect that it deserves. I wonder if Stan Lee knew that he would be creating one of the most recognizable and beloved superheroes of all time when he first created the character in 1962? Spider-Man has been going strong for nearly half a century and will continue to be great well into this century. Enough said.

Agree? Disagree? Voice your thoughts in the comments.