Wizard's Top 100 Comics of the Past 30 Years

[Bacon McShig]

Apparently this is in the May issue, I'm just cutting and pasting from Spike Spiegel's post on GAF. The big common thread here is that these are all self-contained, single-issue stories, which admittedly takes a lot out of noteworthy arc-contained comics out of the running.

100. Ghost Rider #68 (1982)
099. Alias #10 (2002)
098. Punisher #10 (1988)
097. Uncanny X-Men #268 (1990)
096. Legion of Super-Heroes v.5 #3 (2005)
095. Animal Man #15 (1989)
094. Demo #3 (2004)
093. Hitman #22 (1998)
092. Legion of Super-Heroes v.2 Annual #1 (1985)
091. Exiles #16 (2002)

090. Batman: Devil’s Asylum (1995)
089. Preacher: Cassidy (1998)
088. Semper Fi #1 (1988)
087. Fantastic Four v.3 #60 (2002)
086. Tales of the New Teen Titans #1: Cyborg (1982)
085. Robin #46 (1997)
084. Amazing Spider-Man v.1 #248 (1984)
083. Conan #100 (1979)
082. Adventures of Superman #474 (1991)
081. Legion of Super-Heroes v.1 #296 (1983)

080. Preacher #50 (1999)
079. Astro City #1 (1995)
078. Fantastic Four v.3 #3 (1998)
077. Web of Spider-Man #1 (1985)
076. Batman Adventures Annual #1 (1994)
075. American Century #9 (2002)
074. Batman Black & White #4 (1996)
073. Justice League Annual #1 (1987)
072. Preacher: Tall in the Saddle (2000)
071. New Teen Titans #20 (1982)

070. Planetary / Batman (2003)
069. Sandman #17 (1990)
068. Batman: Gotham Knights #8 (2000)
067. Nightwing #25 (1998)
066. Adventure Comics #466 (1979)
065. Avengers Annual #10 (1981)
064. Sandman #40 (1992)
063. Avengers #217 (1982)
062. Batman Black & White #1 (1996)
061. Incredible Hulk v.1 #393 (1992)

060. Sandman #50 (1993)
059. The Thing #2 (1983)
058. Doctor Strange v.2 #56 (1982)
057. Dark Horse Presents #1 (1986)
056. Animal Man #7 (1989)
055. Legion of Super-Heroes v.2 #13 (1985)
054. Secret Origins Special #1 (1989)
053. Hellblazer #63 (1993)
052. 100 Bullets #11 (2000)
051. Classic X-Men #25 (1988)

050. Iron Man v.1 #237 (1988)
049. Ghost Rider Annual v.2 #2 (1994)
048. What If...? v.2 #4 (1989)
047. Flinch #1 (1999)
046. Hitman #34 (1999)
045. Sandman #18 (1990)
044. GI Joe: A Real American Hero v.1 #21 (1984)
043. Hero #11 (2004)
042. New Teen Titans v.1 #38 (1984)
041. Iron Man v.1 #128 (1979)

040. X-Factor #87 (1993)
039. Captain America v.4 #7 (2005)
038. The Spectre #5 (1993)
037. Fables: The Last Castle (2003)
036. Amazing Spider-Man Annual #15 (1981)
035. Omega Men #26 (1985)
034. Birds of Prey #8 (1999)
033. Lex Luthor: The Unauthorized Biography (1989)
032. Incredible Hulk v.1 #340 (1988)
031. Tangled Web #4 (2001)

030. Avengers v.1 #189 (1979)
029. Green Lantern #188 (1985)
028. Batman #424 (1988)
027. Preacher #18 (1996)
026. Incredible Hulk v.1 #420 (1994)
025. Batman: Holy Terror (1991)
024. Incredible Hulk v.1 #341 (1988)
023. Ultimate Spider-Man Annual #1 (2005)
022. The Flash v.2 #182 (2002)
021. Action Comics #775 (2001)

020. Planetary #13 (2001)
019. Spider-Man versus Wolverine (1987)
018. Justice League #1 (1987)
017. Fantastic Four v.1 #245 (1982)
016. Amazing Spider-Man v.1 #239 (1983)
015. Uncanny X-Men #159 (1982)
014. Starman #11 (1995)
013. Planetary #3 (1999)
012. Superman v.2 #9 (1987)
011. 100 Bullets #27 (2001)

And now, the top 10...

010. Daredevil v.1 #191 (1983) - Depressed over the death of Elektra, Matt Murdock tortures her now paralyzed and helpless killer Bullseye while recounting a sorrowful tale of his father.
009. Batman: Gotham by Gaslight (1989) - An Elseworlds tale where Batman hunts down Jack the Ripper in a Victorian era Gotham City.
008. Ultimate Spider-Man #28 (2002) - Peter just can’t catch a break, as his attempts to ditch school to stop the Rhino are thwarted by every high school drama in the book.
007. Saga of the Swamp Thing #21 (1984) - Alan Moore transforms a B-grade hero monster into a terrifying, elemental force of nature in this insightful tale of mystery and rebirth.
006. Astro City #1/2 (1998) - When endless dreams of a woman he’s never met threaten to drive him insane, Mike Tenicek embarks on an obsessive quest to learn the fate of his mystery woman Miranda.
005. Ultimate Spider-Man #13 (2001) - Finally ready to take the plunge, a teenage Peter Parker reveals his dual life as Spider-Man to his closest friend and would-be girl Mary Jane Watson.
004. Superman: Annual #11 (1985) - If you watch JLU, you know what this one’s about; as Wonder Woman and Batman battle Mongul to free him, a catatonic Superman dreams the life on Krypton he’s always wanted.
003. Batman: The Killing Joke (1988) - When the Joker paralyzes Barbara Gordon in a sudden and horrific attack, Batman and Commissioner Gordon are pushed to brink of sanity and beyond.
002. Sandman #8 (1989) - A disillusioned Morpheus seeks out his sister Death for advice on life, and follows her around as she does her duty as shepherd of the recently deceased.
001. Top 10 #8 (2000) - A teleportation accident in Neopolis strikes Officer Peregrine of the 10th Precinct uncharacteristically close to home, as the accident’s two surviving victims slowly and horrifically come to grips with their mortal fate.

All I can say is HOLY SHIT FUCK YES at #1. It's time Top Ten stops being billed as "by the writer of Watchmen" and everything else Moore worked on gets billed as "by the writer of Top Ten".

That momentary burst of exceedingly good taste aside, this list is almost entirely DC/Marvel centric, and while I don't doubt that these are all fine comics, I'm sure there's a few issues from smaller publishers that really should have made the cut. I mean, two issues of Ultimate Spidey in the top 10... c'mon.

[ChaoofNee]

That momentary burst of exceedingly good taste aside, this list is almost entirely DC/Marvel centric, and while I don't doubt that these are all fine comics, I'm sure there's a few issues from smaller publishers that really should have made the cut. I mean, two issues of Ultimate Spidey in the top 10... c'mon.

I agree. I really can't see this as anything more than "Top 100 moments in superhero comics." Aside from Preacher, Sandman, and Top 10, I really don't see anything different. Has Wizard just not had too much exposure outside of DC and Marvel, or are they just really jaded comics geeks?

[avatar]

Wizard focuses almost exclusively on the bigger publishers. I'm pretty sure that Wizard has a spin-off magazine that focuses on indies though.

[Grey's Anatomy]

I liked the G.I. Joe issue at #44. That really is a good ass issue.

[ChaoofNee]

What's an "ass issue"?

[Bacon McShig]

It had a story about the Baroness, perhaps?

[Mzo]

Neat, I love Top 10.

I knew that "The Sound of her Wings" would be in the top 10.

[g0zen]

No Walking Dead, no legitimacy.

[Mzo]

What was Preacher #18?

[g0zen]

I'm pretty sure that Wizard has a spin-off magazine that focuses on indies though.

You mean Wizard Edge? That's only once a year though isn't it?