I agree with a lot of this. I disagree with some. How bout we do this character by character. Name a character and the corresponding essential reading to go with that character. One storyline per character please. I will start with my personal favorite. Character: Starman Essential Reading: "Sins of the Fathers"
Character: Green Lantern Essential Reading: Rebirth Never liked Hal Jordan until this and it really was interesting watching how the rings worked in this story. Best Green Lantern story ever as far as how it was written I believe.
It's a good one. They made Hush relevant from the get go. And very well written. I'm sure that Batman fans will have a ton of different opinions though. I actually thought the Tower of Babel JLA storyline was a good Batman one as it showed the contrast of his character to the other heroes.
Hush was okay for me. The artwork was the only thing that saved it (love Jim Lee's artwork) . The plot moved very quickly through a series of underdeveloped characters, it feels like Arkham City to me- rushing through characters for the sake of being grand. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it, I just wasn't the biggest fan. I feel like this is something to read if you're going to be introduced to Batman as a character. Character: Batman Essential Reading: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller There's so much to be said about this, it's revolutionized the way we see Batman today. A dark, gritty Batman that changed how we look at him today. Each page is flooded with panels, (and while not the best artwork- tbh I hated some of the artwork) the storyline is fantastic, and the inner monologues really show what makes Batman tick- this is the highlight of the book. If you can get past the artwork, I believe you've found yourself some of the best dialogue in a Batman story. The reader is introduced into, what I believe, makes Batman, Batman. A psychologically damaged child gripping onto the hopes of a better tomorrow, and forcing it down crime's throat. Some of my favorite quotes from the book: "There are seven working defenses from this position. Three of them disarm with minimal contact. Three of them kill. The other-- [KRAKK] --hurts." "You sold us out, Clark. You gave them the power that should have been ours. Just like your parents taught you. My parents taught me a different lesson... lying on this street... shaking in deep shock... dying for no reason at all. They showed me that the world only makes sense when you force it to." "I see a reflection, Harvey. A reflection." PS: Don't touch All-Star Batman and Robin. Also by Frank Miller, art by Jim Lee- you'd think it'd be a great combination. It's not. Also the sequel to this, The Dark Knight Strikes Again, should be left alone. You're better off leaving the end of this storyline as is.
