I’m all about the list-making today. People are talking about what current comic books will make it to classic status. I’ve decided to put on my cockeyed (shut up) optimist hat, and go with titles I think should make classic status. In other words, I’m focusing on the underdogs — great books that I think have the artistic merit to stand the test of time but might be too far off the radar screen to be put on a list with Watchmen or Sandman. By “classic,” I mean books that are always available in reprint and generally in demand in whatever format. Here goes:
The Headmen arc from Defenders and the Brand Corporation arc from Avengers (Marvel): These are just tremendously subversive stories, even without the “for Marvel” disclaimer. They’ve never been collected to my knowledge, which is a shame. Both incorporate politics, big business, power plays, dubious meritocracies, and about a dozen other ideas while still being terrific super-hero stories. Some of the earliest Marvel comics I ever read, they’re still some of the best.
Leave it to Chance (Image): With a great cast and a fascinating setting, I still miss this fun, inventive book. I would love to see a revival with writer James Robinson and artist Paul Smith, but failing that, I’d be happy to see this become one for the ages.
Amelia Rules! (Renaissance Press): I love seeing people ooh and aah over the Complete Peanuts collections (as well they should). I think Amelia has the same potential staying power as Charlie Brown and company, as they share a lot of the same qualities: antic humor, poignancy, insight, and irresistible charm.
Chase (DC): I told you I was going off the radar. (Seriously, I saw a girl on campus wearing a velour track suit. If that can stand the test of time, surely Chase can get a comeback!) This book will always have a place in my heart and at the top of my “brilliant but cancelled” list. Do I honestly think that, 25 years from now, people will be stopping by the comic shop to pick up the new printing of the Chase TPB? No, but I would love it if, 25 years from now, people were doing just that and wondering what the hell comics fans were thinking when they passed it up in the first place.
Starman (DC): The second James Robinson title on the list falls into the category of super-hero books Steven Grant calls for in this week’s Permanent Damage: “Good ones, with original ideas.” Robinson cast aside a lot of super-hero conventions, focusing instead on imaginative storytelling, a sense of place for Opal City, and ongoing character development. It’s not without weak patches, but its overall quality, inventiveness, and ambition make it one of my favorites.
George Perez’s Wonder Woman reboot (DC): I was flipping through Previews and was very happy to see another collection of this coming out in January. As if the spectacular art weren’t reason enough, this is a textbook example of a character reboot done well. Perez had so many interesting ideas and such a vision for what Diana was about that any whiff of corporate stunt fades.
The Kindaichi Case Files (Tokyopop): This wonderful mystery manga could easily become the new Encyclopedia Brown if it just manages to capture more attention. The quality is there, and the mysteries are great.
American Flagg (First): It’s mostly nostalgia in this case. This was the first “weird” book I ever bought (in other words, one not published by Marvel or DC). I’ll be interested to revisit it when the new collection comes out.
That’s enough for now.