X-MEN: DAYS OF FUTURE PAST
Issues: Uncanny X-Men 141-142 ��Writer: Chris Claremont ��Artist: John Byrne �Characters: Wolverine, Storm, Colossus, Kitty/Katherine Pryde, Nightcrawler, Angel, Professor X, Magneto, Phoenix II, Brotherhood of Evil Mutants
Not long after the Dark Phoenix Saga shocked X-fans everywhere, Claremont and Byrne decided to take their shock and anger one step further. The X-Men had always fought to protect a world that hated and feared them, and in this two-part series they showed us what that hatred would lead to. In the future, the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants assassinated Senator Robert Kelly, the U.S. government unleashed the Sentinel program, with the dangerously wide parameters of eliminating the mutant threat. The end result was the robot Sentinels killing most of the world's superheroes, imprisoning the rest in concentration camps. The X-Men of this future then travel back in time hoping to prevent this tragedy so that their time will never come to be.
BATMAN: YEAR ONE
Issues: Batman # ��Writer: Frank Miller ��Artist: David Mazzuchelli ��Characters: Batman/Bruce Wayne, Commissioner Gordon, Alfred, Selina Kyle, Harvey Dent, Barbara Gordon
Around the same time Frank Miller was writing and drawing the last Batman tale (The Dark Knight Returns), he wrote Batman's first. Year One maps out Bruce Wayne's first year in his quest to avenge the murders of his parents. Batman has always been portrayed as near-perfect: he's a multi-millionaire, gymnast, fighting-machine who happens to be the "world's greatest detective", complete with the world's most "wonderful toys". But in Year One, Bruce Wayne is flawed; he makes mistakes. This makes Batman more human, more interesting. In this story we find out how Bruce Wayne chose to don the suit of the bat, and how he began his quest (obsession?) to avenge his parents. This four-issue series also features the beginning of Commissioner Gordon's career in Gotham, paralleling that of Bruce Wayne and illustrating why most fans consider Gordon to be the best supporting character in the history of comics.
X-MEN: PROTEUS SAGA
Issues: Uncanny X-Men 125-128 Writer: Chris Claremont ��Artists: John Byrne Characters: Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus, Nightcrawler, Storm, Banshee, Phoenix, Proteus, Havok, Polaris
While most of the other comic stories on this list are noted for how they broke away from the form, this story is classic super-hero fare. The X-Men are faced with a seemingly unbeatable opponent, Proteus, who nearly defeats them all until one last heroic stand defeats him and saves the day. Standard stuff, but Claremont and Byrne make the ordinary extraordinary this time out. In Proteus, they create a villain who is both tragic and horrifying at the same time. He can manipulate the fabric of reality itself, but his power is so great that he burns through any body that contains him. So he must possess other bodies, killing its previous owner in the process. This makes Proteus the very kind of mutant the X-Men were formed to help and the very kind they were formed to fight. In these issues we see Cyclops' best moment as a leader and a tainted victory as the noble, gentle Colossus makes a tragic decision to end Proteus' reign of terror.
DAREDEVIL: BORN AGAIN
Issues: Daredevil (Series I) 227-233 Writer: Frank Miller ��Artist: David Mazzuchelli �� Characters: Daredevil/Matt Murdock, the Kingpin of Crime, Karen Paige, Ben Urich, Foggy Nelson, Nuke, Captain America, Iron Man
As I said earlier, Daredevil has always been an enigma- basically a second-string character, yet in the right hands DD has also been one of the most interesting characters in all of comics. Until Kevin Smith and the Marvel Knights reinvigorated the character, the "right hands" were those of Frank Miller. His run on DD made the character revered, despite his other-ran status, and in 1986 he peaked with the Born Again series. When Daredevil's drug addict girlfriend Karen Paige sells his secret identity to an associate of DD's arch-nemesis, crimelord Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin proceeds to defeat his enemy by destroying Matt Murdock's life. First his girlfriend betrayed him, then he is disbarred as a lawyer, then his law offices are blown up, then he is evicted. Things get so bad for the "Man Without Fear" in his life as Matt Murdock that he loses his grip on reality, envisioning Daredevil as his true enemy. However, despite all the depressing circumstances which has become Miller's trademark, this story ends on an optimistic note with Murdock overcoming everything the Kingpin throws at him, becoming once again the blind man seeking justice.
INHUMANS
Issues: Inhumans (mini-series) 1-12 ��Writer: Paul Jenkins ��Artist: Jae Lee ��Characters: Black Bolt, Medusa, Karnak, Crystal, Lockjaw
When Joe Quesada and Jimmy Palmiotti started Marvel Knights (see previous), Daredevil was to be their standard-bearer, Inhumans was the pleasant surprise. For while Daredevil had been featured in some of the most respected stories ever (see above), the Inhumans were little more than freaks who sometimes made appearances in the Fantastic Four. That all changed in the hands of Paul Jenkins and Jae Lee. In this award-winning maxi-series Jenkins gives personality to all the Inhumans, telling each issue through the perspective of another character, slowly building his intricate plot to a stunning conclusion. This along with Lee's stunning visuals accomplished what would have been previously considered impossible: making the Inhumans interesting and important.
