Joel Phillips
Feb 9, 2005, 07:53 pm
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/Top70DCMoments1.jpg" align=left border=0 alt="Top 70 DC Moments">Part 2: #50-31
Written By: Nick Costanzo, Raul Grau, Jon Hancock, Al Harahap, Matt Lazorwitz, Jordan T. Maxwell, Dylan McKay and Joel Phillips
Edited By: Joel Phillips
Additional Graphical Assistance: Omar A. Safi, Jesse Baer & Al Harahap
What is a truly great MOMENT? Is it something that touches us? Something that shocks us? Something that changes the characters forever? Is it a milestone, a mega-event, or just one perfect panel?
We think it’s all of the above, and so much more. We think it’s births and backstabbers. We think it’s elections and resurrections. We think it’s the things you come back from and the things you can’t let go of. And we’re barely halfway through.
Just joining the party? Check out Part 1 (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=32210). Otherwise let’s get back to the ComiX-Fan staff’s picks for the 70 Greatest Moments in DC History, here with picks #50-31:
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#50: Lord of the Ring
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/50.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Action Comics #654
Writer: Roger Stern
Artist: Bob McLeod
Superman and Batman weren’t friends after the Crisis. They didn’t even seem to enjoy each other’s presence on the face of the same Earth. And while they shared adventures, there was never the sense of camaraderie that existed before the Crisis. But things in the world of heroes are always in flux, and some things are just meant to happen. After the Kryptonite ring once owned by Lex Luthor was stolen, Batman and Superman were tossed into an adventure that made them work together, and led to the ring. When it was over, they went on their separate ways. But shortly thereafter, Superman arrived in the Batcave, and gave Batman something: the Kryptonite Ring. Superman had come to trust Batman, and asked him to keep the ring safe, and if the day ever came where Superman needed to be stopped, he knew that Batman would be able to do it. The ring itself has become something of an important plot device, used during the trial of Lex Luthor, Luthor’s White House term, and during Hush. But more importantly, this is a defining moment for two of DC’s great heroes, a moment that re-solidified a relationship that still resonates with readers.
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#49: Luthor for President
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/49.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Superman: Lex 2000
Writers: Jeph Loeb and Greg Rucka
Artists: Tony Harris, Doug Mahnke, Ed McGuinness, Todd Nauck and Dwayne Turner
There's no denying Superman as an iconic hero, and if there's one villain central to his mythos it's the devious Lex Luthor, who was Metropolis' most famous and influential man. But ever since Superman set foot in his precious city to fight crime, which involved the many corruptions of Luthor himself, his feeling of rivalry quickly grew into an obsession. Luthor started devoting his life to destroying Superman. But without superpowers, the mastermind has always had to use other means, such as his finances and technology. Luthor would eventually create his infamous battle armor that could hold its own against Superman himself, but it seemed that the character of Luthor had reached his peak as a threat to Superman. There were very few places, if any, left for him to go. With the average comic-reader age on the rise, Superman editorial and their stable of writers successfully tapped into the maturing awareness of their readers by jumping on the rare occasion of the U.S. presidential elections in 2000 -- the most logical vehicle to develop the character of Luthor, whose civilian and conglomerate power had hit a ceiling. Luthor was now developing his political power, denouncing both Democrats and Republicans, and nominating himself as an Independent presidential candidate. Readers expected nothing to come of the hype, but by year's end, DC shocked them by allowing a fictional U.S. president that would change the mood of not only the Superman books, but the whole DC Universe for years to come, appearing in many, many books as one of the most well developed antagonists in comic history. Luthor, who was already one of the most dangerous villains now had become the leader of the "free world," and with it an elevated level of power and threat to the superhero community and its cause.
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#48: The Best Laid Plans of Bats and Men…
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/48.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: JLA #43-46, JLA Secret Files #3
Writers: Mark Waid and Dan Curtis Johnson
Artists: Howard Porter, Steve Scott and Pablo Raimondi
The world was in peril, as it most often is. Ingenious eco-terrorist Ra’s Al Ghul had put into action his plan to impair humanity’s ability to comprehend language, knowing the resultant chaos would lead humanity to thin its own numbers. Normally, a job for the Justice League… except that Ra’s had systematically taken out each member of the League with ruthless and Machiavellian cunning. Even more shocking was the source of these countermeasures, the mastermind behind them all: Batman. After alien tyrant Agamemno had given a group of criminals access to the League’s bodies years ago, Batman saw fit to conceive of a list of fail-safes should another such incident occur. And so he set about studying them, prodding them for weaknesses… all while fighting by their side. The League overcame their obstacles and saved the day, as they always do. But in the wake of this revelation a spike of distrust was driven into the JLA, and in a split vote Batman was voted off the team. The revelation further defined Batman as one of the smartest and most dangerous men on Earth, but it also introduced an area of ethical ambiguity into the usual moral absolutism of the League. What if they did go bad? What if they did need to be taken down? But is it right for someone in their own ranks to plot against them? More than anything, it highlighted the need for absolute trust in such a powerful body as the JLA, and in a ripple effect led every member of the League (including a reinstated Batman) to reveal their secret identity to each other. And given the nature of Batman’s love of contingencies, one has to wonder if this is perhaps what he had intended all along…
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#47: One More Body Amongst Foundations…
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/54.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: The Watchmen #12
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Dave Gibbons
Rorschach is a man who never, ever compromises his twisted code of ethics. What is right and what is wrong is very black-and-white in his eyes, and when "evil" acts are committed "justice" must be handed out, often to gruesome extremes. Never mind if this supposedly evil act brings about world peace, he'll expose it even if it means destroying the good it has done. On the other side of the fence is Doctor Manhattan, quite possibly the most powerful character ever to grace a comic book. His awareness is such that he is able to simultaneously exist in every moment in time. He can do anything, be anywhere, turn anything he wants into anything else he wants. It is largely because of this heightened awareness that he finds little concern in the problems of mankind, spending most of the series far removed from the planet Earth. So why then, does he take it upon himself to stop Rorschach from undoing the peace that comes to the planet at the end of the series? Perhaps he wants to see whether humanity can truly deal with peace, either out of pity or scientific curiosity. Maybe he realized that the kind of mindset Rorschach possessed was a barrier to the enlightenment of mankind. Or it could be even simpler: Doctor Manhattan could be inspired by the wishes of his ex-wife Laurie, who supports the peace. In any case, Rorschach is reduced to ashes, not because he was trying to do evil, but for trying to expose a killer. Whether or not this action is the right one is left for us to decide, as are many of the questions presented by The Watchmen and its resolution. The only thing certain is that it's impossible to label either character as a hero or a villain. We feel for both of them, making the murder both a painful and acceptable loss at the same time.
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#46: Big Blue Murderer
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/46.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Superman (v2) #22
Writer/Artist: John Byrne
This is one of the single most controversial events in Superman history, when Superman deliberately killed Phantom Zone criminals General Zod, Zaora and Quex-Ul. Sure, they killed five billion people, and were more than willing to kill everyone on Earth once they escaped the Phantom Zone. It's hard to argue that they had any right to life. But this is Superman, and Superman does not kill. Ever. There is always a better way, and that is always the way Superman finds. Superman is as true a role model as there has ever been, but here Superman willfully deviated from his own moral code. The moment belongs on the list not only for being one of the most memorable moments in Superman's history, but for showing that even Superman isn't perfect.
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#45: Terra Turns Traitor
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/45.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Tales of the Teen Titans #42
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: George Perez
The Teen Titans of the 1980’s were DC’s number one franchise. Bigger than Batman and Superman, they were the only real competition to Chris Claremont’s X-Men. The reasons were obvious: luscious artwork, gripping storylines and realistic, well-rounded characters. The Teen Titans were just as much a family as any other team before. When Terra was first introduced to the team she found it hard to be accepted into such a close-knit group, and so the team made concessions to her. Masks were removed, secrets were shared… and all of it was passed on by Terra to her sugar daddy, Deathstroke the Terminator. Terra’s revelation as a traitor to the team was the culmination of nearly a year’s worth of issues, shaking the innocence of the team and changing how teams view new members forever. Terra’s death and redemption shortly after the revelation did not stop the ill feeling towards her, or towards mysterious strangers that join teams in any title.
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#44: The Breaking of the Bat
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/44.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Batman #497
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Jim Aparo
For months, Batman had been run ragged. Suffering from clinical exhaustion, and hunted by a mysterious new adversary, Bane, the last straw came when Bane blew open the walls of Arkham Asylum, freeing the lunatics who resided within. Batman hunted each of them down, but he had little left. After confronting the Joker and Scarecrow, and running through a gauntlet of Bane’s underlings, Batman arrived back at Wayne Manor only to find Alfred unconscious and Bane waiting. With Batman running on empty the battle was short, and when he refused to grovel before Bane the villain lifted him and broke Batman’s back over his knee. This moment was the centerpiece to Knightfall, one of the seminal crossovers of the Bat-universe. Because of Bruce Wayne’s inability to work as Batman, a new Batman temporarily took his place, Jean-Paul Valley, Azrael. The unstable Azrael became increasingly violent, taking the lives of the criminals he hunted. The breaking of the Bat was the inciting incident to an examination of the important question, “Why doesn’t Batman kill?” Batman, it was made clear, was more than just a costume and a mantle, but the man underneath it; and Bruce Wayne, though broken, would remain unbowed.
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#43: Robin’s First Flight
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/43.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Detective Comics #38
Writer: Bill Finger
Artist: Bob Kane
One of the staples of superhero comics, particularly those of yesteryear, is the sidekick, and of those Robin (Dick Grayson) was the first. Taking on a sidekick was an attempt to make comics’ darkest hero more accessible to children, and it forever changed the superhero genre, introducing elements that are as immediately recognizable as spandex and verbal sound effects. Also, by saving a lost soul like his own, Batman took a more direct and probably effective approach to preventing the pain he suffered when he lost his parents. One of the downsides of the moment is that it was the first step towards the cheesy Batman popularized by Adam West. But that doesn't cast much of a shadow over the debut of one of the longest running, most famous and oft imitated characters in comics’ history.
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#42: Two Generations of Justice
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/42.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Justice League of America #21
Writer: Gardner Fox
Artist: Mike Sekowsky
The Justice League of America might have been the greatest heroes of their era, but they were living in the shadow of history. Another Flash, and Green Lantern, and Atom... even another Superman and Batman had all come together more than twenty years earlier as the Justice Society of America, and the Leaguers were merely the inheritors to team status. Unfortunately, the two forces could never meet. The Justice Society had been resting comfortably in limbo, and the new heroes had supplanted their elders entirely. Then, editor Julius Schwartz and Gardner Fox had a radical idea... what if one Flash could meet another? From there sprang Flash of Two Worlds and the later un-retirement of the Society. A meeting with the League moved from impossible to inevitable. There was no explanation provided for why the membership had changed in the time they were away, but it was still the Justice Society. The originals and their heroic descendants bridged time and vibrational barriers to come together. Crisis on Earth-One! may have led to twenty-two years of annual team-ups, but it will always be remembered for being the first to bring together the greatest heroes of two eras.
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#41: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/41.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Sandman #19
Writers: Neil Gaiman and William Shakespeare
Artists: Charles Vess and Steve Oliff
In his centennial meeting with the immortal Hob Gadling, Dream of the Endless encounters a young actor and playwright named William Shakespeare who wishes more than anything to write great stories. And so Dream makes a deal with him: he would open up a gift within the young writer to become one of the greatest storytellers of all time in return for two plays written for Dream himself. In half fulfillment of this bargain, Shakespeare writes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a farcical romantic comedy centered around the troubles of two pairs of lovers, a troupe of rude mechanicals, a mischievous hobgoblin and the king and queen of the fairies (it’s all rather complicated, but suffice it to say a love potion has everyone playing musical chairs with their affections and someone ends up with a donkey’s head). Shakespeare and his actors meet Dream on a country hillside to perform the play for the first time. As the actors prepare, Dream summons forth his guests, the denizens of Faerie. After all, who better to watch a play about Oberon, Titania and Puck than Auberon, Titania and Puck? The play goes splendidly, much to the amusement of Puck who winds up taking the place of the actor portraying him. Meanwhile, Shakespeare is so wrapped up in the play that he fails to see his young son Hamnet tempted away by the real Titania. The play comes to an end as the Faerie folk depart from Earth for the last time, only Puck remaining behind to offer the play’s final speech to the reader as he disappears menacingly into the darkness. Beyond the phenomenal quality of the issue itself, it is also the only monthly comic in history to win a literary award, the World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story in 1991. Shortly thereafter, it was decided that comic books would no longer be considered for such an honor. To quote Puck himself, a la Shakespeare, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!”
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#40: Lord of the Justice League
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/40.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Justice League #1
Writers: Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Kevin Maguire
Wildcats v3.0 has received praise for it’s innovative take on corporate super heroics. Unfortunately it had already been done more than 10 years previous. Maxwell Lord’s reformation of the Justice League as a U.N. sponsored, customer friendly, merchandisable team was ground breaking. What was previously a collection of the world’s best heroes became a collection of heroes out for a buck or some publicity, and what resulted were some of the funniest stories ever written. Seeing a team’s prestige slowly crumble, the lunacy of the team acknowledged regularly by its own members, was fantastic. Max’s agenda was always based on looking good and making a profit, and as such the entire League changed focus and one of DC’s most recognizable, and in many ways stale, super teams got a much needed overhaul with storylines that couldn’t work with any other cast.
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#39: The Beginning of the Endless
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/39.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As conceived by: Neil Gaiman
This is a particularly difficult moment to discuss because…well…no one’s ever actually shown it happen. But no one was there to witness the Big Bang or hear the Almighty utter His first “logos” into the void, either. Yet without them, there would be nothing. So too is it with the creation of the Endless at the dawn of time. They are the representations of the most primal forces in the universe, beyond mere gods. The very first moments of creation were etched into the book chained to Destiny’s arm, and so both came into being. As life began to take its first awkward steps, Death was there with a steadying hand. Filled with wonder, fear and imagination of the unknown, the world had Dream to help craft the first stories and visions. Discovery and exploration brought the need to create, and thus the necessity for Destruction. Life would extend its hand out for that which it wanted, and return either crushed for not getting it or disappointed in what it got… the twins, Desire and Despair. And overjoyed by the newness of it all, innocence would give way to Delight… only to be corrupted almost immediately by the immensity of it all into Delirium. Without them, we are nothing. Without us, they do not exist. And so while it has never been seen or chronicled, the birth of the Endless is one of the most important events in the D.C. Universe… because without them, there would BE no D.C. Universe. No heroes. No villains. No great tales of tragedy and triumph. Nothing. So think about that the next time you decide to buy all twenty five chapters of yet another Batman crossover instead of giving that Sandman graphic novel a try. Just food for thought…
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#38: Superman vs. Captain Marvel
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/38.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Kingdom Come #4
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Alex Ross
When Superman and Captain Marvel crossed paths and fists, there was only one name for it: Armageddon. Under the mind control of Lex Luthor, Captain Marvel blows a hole in the Kansas gulag, allowing its hostile captives free and starting a superhuman war that threatens to consume the globe. Superman rushes to the scene to try and stop it, but finds himself halted by the insane Marvel. At first glance, the fight seems evenly matched for strength, speed, flight, invulnerability. But Marvel has an edge over Superman: his powers are based in magic, one of Superman’s few real weaknesses. With a sadistic grin on his face, Marvel begins to repeat his magic word of “Shazam!”, calling down the magic lightning that would change him back to Billy Batson, then dodging the bolt to let it strike Superman, wearing him down, leaving him crawling in the dirt, pleading with Marvel to stop, only to hear him say the word once more: “Shazam!” But Superman proves faster and reaches out to grab Marvel just as the bolt strikes, changing Marvel back into Batson and covering his mouth to prevent him from saying the word again. It is then, undistracted, that Superman hears the bomb overhead, a response from the human governments of the world to the raging tide of superhuman warfare. As Superman flies off to stop the bomb, Batson whispers one simple word, one last time: “Shazam!” Captain Marvel once again stops Superman in his path, only this time as he flies past and intercepts the bomb himself, crying out his magic word over and over and over again, bombarding the warhead with the lightning bolts that had brought a legend to his knees. The bomb explodes, Marvel sacrificing himself high above the Earth to save those below and leaving Superman to carry on the never ending battle. In the end, it was a contest not of might and power, but of will and character. And as they proved each other’s equals in combat, so too did Superman and Captain Marvel stand together as equals in heroism.
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#37: 21st Century Superheroine
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/37.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Suicide Squad #23 (Oracle first appears) or Batman Chronicles #5 (Barbara becomes Oracle)
Writers: John Ostrander, or John Ostrander and Kim Yale
Artists: Luke McDonnel, or Brian Stelfreeze and Karl Story
One of the truest characteristics of a hero is the ability to bounce back from adversity. In Batman: The Killing Joke Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon was paralyzed from the waist down. No one would have held it against her if she retired after that… it's not like you can fight crime when you can't walk. But Barbara proved that wrong by retiring the Batgirl persona to become Oracle, the premiere hacker and information broker of the DCU. Oracle tracks criminal activity through every channel possible and relays that information to other crime fighters, mostly her own field agents, Black Canary and Huntress. She may not be directly fighting crime with her fists, but she fights with her mind and by proxy makes all the heroes in the DCU more efficient. In the age of information, understanding it all is a full time job, and by using knowledge as a weapon against crime Oracle represents a truly modern hero. When Barbara Gordon became Oracle she became one of the lynchpins of the DCU, and one of the greatest triumphs over adversity in comics history.
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#36: Stepping out of the Shadow of the Bat
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/36.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Tales of the Teen Titans #44
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: George Perez
Dick Grayson was the first Robin, the first partner that Batman ever trained. He had spent years learning, making himself a better hero, and he grew up to leave Gotham, go off to college, and lead the Teen Titans. But eventually things had to change. Robin would, no matter what he did, always be the junior partner to Batman. So when things between he and Batman got worse, Dick had to stop being Robin… but he didn’t stop being a hero. With a little aid and advice from Superman Dick would take up a new identity as Nightwing and, as opposed to fading away with a new identity, Dick flourished. He would lead the Titans for years to come, reconcile with Batman, and acquire a comic book of his own… all as Nightwing, and he has not looked back. And in this we see one of the beauties of the DC Universe: the change. These characters grow. While Batman might always be Bruce Wayne and always stay about the same age, characters like Dick Grayson can grow and change and reach new heights. Someday he might change again, and the mystery of when and how is one of the true joys of sequential storytelling.
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#35: The King is Dead, Long Live the King
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/35.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Sandman #69
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artist: Marc Hempel
Throughout the entirety of Neil Gaiman’s magnum opus, Sandman, three themes presented themselves above all others: the power of tales, change, and responsibility. These themes are made most clear, most perfectly pointed out, at the climax of the series, with the death of Morpheus, the first incarnation of Dream of the Endless, and the ascension of the new incarnation, Daniel. This is the change that Dream has slowly been moving towards since the first issue. “And maybe there was only so much he could change,” said Lucien, librarian of dreams about his former master. And since Morpheus could not reach the point he needed to, he chose instead his own death, and he left behind a new, more human Dream to shoulder the burden of being ruler of his kingdom. This is the logical end of the story that Gaiman had slowly been building for years, and it moved people. No one expected the dream king, a character that, even if you didn’t like him you had come to care for, to truly die. But he did. And that sense of newness was something refreshing and wonderful, something that enriched the last few issues of the series, and has kept readers wanting more for years and will for years to come. That is, after all, what good stories do.
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#34: Grant Morrison Relaunches the JLA
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/34.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: JLA: Secret Files and Origins #1
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Howard Porter
The Justice League of America was always meant to be the best superhero team. So when it became a collection of second tier characters led by Wonder Woman, a reboot was needed. Enter Grant Morrison. What Morrison did was not just return the JLA to its roots of having the seven icons of the DCU join forces, he also gave each member a clearly defined role within the team. Developing each member to highlight their major personality traits, Morrison sculpted the League into the best possible team the DCU could offer. Many have commented on how he modeled his team after the Greek Pantheon of Gods, and with the legends stemming from that mythos it is easy to see why his League’s stories are just as gripping and long lasting. Morrison retained the previous characteristics of past Leagues, such as the JLI’s humor and the Satellite era’s camaraderie, and on top of that he created the most iconic and powerful team possible. Exactly what a planet’s number one line of defense should be.
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#33: Black Lightning Strikes
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/33.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Black Lightning (v1) #1
Writer: Tony Isabella
Artist: Trevor von Eeden
It's strange that on a list where we praise DC's innovations, we find a place for something DC did to play catch up. In 1977, Black Lightning was DC's first black superhero to get his own title, but he wasn't comicdoms first. There were black "jungle hero" books as far back as the 1950s, and Marvel had already beaten DC to the black superhero title with Hero for Hire and Black Goliath. What's more, there were black heroes in the DCU before Black Lightning, they had just never been headliners before. So why is this a significant event? Because while DC can't get credit for being the first in the industry, the first black hero title in-house for DC is an important milestone for the attitude shift it represented. The first black superhero title DC intended to run? The Black Bomber, a title about a white bigot who transformed into a heroic black alter ego when he became stressed. As if this idea weren't distasteful enough, the scripts that had been written were filled with racist stereotypes and offensive material. Enter Tony Isabella. When Isabella, who had already worked on the two aforementioned Marvel titles, was brought in to mould DC's existing plans for a black superhero, he convinced them to ditch the Black Bomber and let him start from scratch. With very little time to brainstorm a replacement, Isabella came up with Black Lightning, a black hero who was strong, savvy, and a genuinely good role model. Though the series was short-lived (just one year later DC had a line-wide culling of less popular titles, and Black Lightning got the boot), the character survives to this day, and can be safely added to the ranks of Ebony White, Black Panther and Luke Cage in the annals of pioneering black characters in comics.
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#32: Dealing with the Devil(s)
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/32.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Hellblazer #45
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: William Simpson
From his inception, one of the clearest identifying marks of John Constantine was his ever-present cigarette; so terminal lung cancer really couldn’t have come as much of a surprise to the trench-coat wearing mage. All the same he went in search of a cure, visiting friends, enemies, angels, demons… none could offer him help. Along the way, he tricked the Devil into drinking holy water and thus saved an old friend’s soul from the pits of Hell. But since no good deed goes unpunished, the Devil laid claim to Constantine’s soul by right of insult. Constantine’s name and reputation were highly regarded in supernatural circles, so to claim his immortal soul was a real victory, a badge of status any demon would relish. Which gave Constantine an idea. That night, he summoned the other two princes of Hell and promised his soul to both separately. The deed done, he then took a razor and slit his own wrist. Within mere seconds, the devils arrived to claim his soul… which presented a problem. Because Constantine wasn’t just the bait, he was also the trap. Only one could rightfully claim him, but each had as much right to his soul as the other two. If two were to back down, it would upset the balance of power in Hell. If they were to go to war, the only victor would be Heaven. In the end, there was only one solution: Constantine had to live. And so, as excruciating as possible, the devils healed his slashed wrist and ruined lungs. The trickster had pulled his ultimate con and played the rulers of Hell into giving him a new lease on life, making them all look like fools in the process. And as he was leaving, he gave them all the finger. It was the defining moment for John Constantine and his new writer, Garth Ennis and helped cement the Irishman as a talent in the American comics industry.
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#31: Screen of Silver, Man of Steel
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/31.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Superman: The Movie
Long before Marvel movies were hitting theatres every six months, long before Tim Burton thought Batman would make a neat flick, there was the 1978 Richard Donner film Superman. Though not the first film based on a comic book hero (studios had been churning out films derived from comic books and strips since the 1930s), it was the first to garner widespread critical and box office success. Featuring an all-star cast headlined by Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando, Superman proved successful enough to sustain a series of sequels, making it not only the first big-time superhero movie, but the first big-time superhero movie franchise. In an era where every superhero is getting their shot at big screen success, and where a new squad of actors and filmmakers are preparing to give Superman himself another go, we should take a moment to remember the film that started it all.
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Join us next time for moments #11-30, and watch ComiX-Fan all month long for more anniversary goodness! (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=32203)
Individual Entry Credits:
Nick Costanzo (47)
Raul Grau (42)
Jon Hancock (34, 40 & 45)
Al Harahap (49)
Matt Lazorwitz (35, 36, 44 & 50)
Jordan T. Maxwell (32, 38, 39, 41 & 48)
Dylan McKay (37, 43 & 46)
Joel Phillips (31 & 33)
Written By: Nick Costanzo, Raul Grau, Jon Hancock, Al Harahap, Matt Lazorwitz, Jordan T. Maxwell, Dylan McKay and Joel Phillips
Edited By: Joel Phillips
Additional Graphical Assistance: Omar A. Safi, Jesse Baer & Al Harahap
What is a truly great MOMENT? Is it something that touches us? Something that shocks us? Something that changes the characters forever? Is it a milestone, a mega-event, or just one perfect panel?
We think it’s all of the above, and so much more. We think it’s births and backstabbers. We think it’s elections and resurrections. We think it’s the things you come back from and the things you can’t let go of. And we’re barely halfway through.
Just joining the party? Check out Part 1 (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=32210). Otherwise let’s get back to the ComiX-Fan staff’s picks for the 70 Greatest Moments in DC History, here with picks #50-31:
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#50: Lord of the Ring
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/50.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Action Comics #654
Writer: Roger Stern
Artist: Bob McLeod
Superman and Batman weren’t friends after the Crisis. They didn’t even seem to enjoy each other’s presence on the face of the same Earth. And while they shared adventures, there was never the sense of camaraderie that existed before the Crisis. But things in the world of heroes are always in flux, and some things are just meant to happen. After the Kryptonite ring once owned by Lex Luthor was stolen, Batman and Superman were tossed into an adventure that made them work together, and led to the ring. When it was over, they went on their separate ways. But shortly thereafter, Superman arrived in the Batcave, and gave Batman something: the Kryptonite Ring. Superman had come to trust Batman, and asked him to keep the ring safe, and if the day ever came where Superman needed to be stopped, he knew that Batman would be able to do it. The ring itself has become something of an important plot device, used during the trial of Lex Luthor, Luthor’s White House term, and during Hush. But more importantly, this is a defining moment for two of DC’s great heroes, a moment that re-solidified a relationship that still resonates with readers.
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#49: Luthor for President
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/49.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Superman: Lex 2000
Writers: Jeph Loeb and Greg Rucka
Artists: Tony Harris, Doug Mahnke, Ed McGuinness, Todd Nauck and Dwayne Turner
There's no denying Superman as an iconic hero, and if there's one villain central to his mythos it's the devious Lex Luthor, who was Metropolis' most famous and influential man. But ever since Superman set foot in his precious city to fight crime, which involved the many corruptions of Luthor himself, his feeling of rivalry quickly grew into an obsession. Luthor started devoting his life to destroying Superman. But without superpowers, the mastermind has always had to use other means, such as his finances and technology. Luthor would eventually create his infamous battle armor that could hold its own against Superman himself, but it seemed that the character of Luthor had reached his peak as a threat to Superman. There were very few places, if any, left for him to go. With the average comic-reader age on the rise, Superman editorial and their stable of writers successfully tapped into the maturing awareness of their readers by jumping on the rare occasion of the U.S. presidential elections in 2000 -- the most logical vehicle to develop the character of Luthor, whose civilian and conglomerate power had hit a ceiling. Luthor was now developing his political power, denouncing both Democrats and Republicans, and nominating himself as an Independent presidential candidate. Readers expected nothing to come of the hype, but by year's end, DC shocked them by allowing a fictional U.S. president that would change the mood of not only the Superman books, but the whole DC Universe for years to come, appearing in many, many books as one of the most well developed antagonists in comic history. Luthor, who was already one of the most dangerous villains now had become the leader of the "free world," and with it an elevated level of power and threat to the superhero community and its cause.
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#48: The Best Laid Plans of Bats and Men…
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/48.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: JLA #43-46, JLA Secret Files #3
Writers: Mark Waid and Dan Curtis Johnson
Artists: Howard Porter, Steve Scott and Pablo Raimondi
The world was in peril, as it most often is. Ingenious eco-terrorist Ra’s Al Ghul had put into action his plan to impair humanity’s ability to comprehend language, knowing the resultant chaos would lead humanity to thin its own numbers. Normally, a job for the Justice League… except that Ra’s had systematically taken out each member of the League with ruthless and Machiavellian cunning. Even more shocking was the source of these countermeasures, the mastermind behind them all: Batman. After alien tyrant Agamemno had given a group of criminals access to the League’s bodies years ago, Batman saw fit to conceive of a list of fail-safes should another such incident occur. And so he set about studying them, prodding them for weaknesses… all while fighting by their side. The League overcame their obstacles and saved the day, as they always do. But in the wake of this revelation a spike of distrust was driven into the JLA, and in a split vote Batman was voted off the team. The revelation further defined Batman as one of the smartest and most dangerous men on Earth, but it also introduced an area of ethical ambiguity into the usual moral absolutism of the League. What if they did go bad? What if they did need to be taken down? But is it right for someone in their own ranks to plot against them? More than anything, it highlighted the need for absolute trust in such a powerful body as the JLA, and in a ripple effect led every member of the League (including a reinstated Batman) to reveal their secret identity to each other. And given the nature of Batman’s love of contingencies, one has to wonder if this is perhaps what he had intended all along…
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#47: One More Body Amongst Foundations…
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/54.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: The Watchmen #12
Writer: Alan Moore
Artist: Dave Gibbons
Rorschach is a man who never, ever compromises his twisted code of ethics. What is right and what is wrong is very black-and-white in his eyes, and when "evil" acts are committed "justice" must be handed out, often to gruesome extremes. Never mind if this supposedly evil act brings about world peace, he'll expose it even if it means destroying the good it has done. On the other side of the fence is Doctor Manhattan, quite possibly the most powerful character ever to grace a comic book. His awareness is such that he is able to simultaneously exist in every moment in time. He can do anything, be anywhere, turn anything he wants into anything else he wants. It is largely because of this heightened awareness that he finds little concern in the problems of mankind, spending most of the series far removed from the planet Earth. So why then, does he take it upon himself to stop Rorschach from undoing the peace that comes to the planet at the end of the series? Perhaps he wants to see whether humanity can truly deal with peace, either out of pity or scientific curiosity. Maybe he realized that the kind of mindset Rorschach possessed was a barrier to the enlightenment of mankind. Or it could be even simpler: Doctor Manhattan could be inspired by the wishes of his ex-wife Laurie, who supports the peace. In any case, Rorschach is reduced to ashes, not because he was trying to do evil, but for trying to expose a killer. Whether or not this action is the right one is left for us to decide, as are many of the questions presented by The Watchmen and its resolution. The only thing certain is that it's impossible to label either character as a hero or a villain. We feel for both of them, making the murder both a painful and acceptable loss at the same time.
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#46: Big Blue Murderer
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/46.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Superman (v2) #22
Writer/Artist: John Byrne
This is one of the single most controversial events in Superman history, when Superman deliberately killed Phantom Zone criminals General Zod, Zaora and Quex-Ul. Sure, they killed five billion people, and were more than willing to kill everyone on Earth once they escaped the Phantom Zone. It's hard to argue that they had any right to life. But this is Superman, and Superman does not kill. Ever. There is always a better way, and that is always the way Superman finds. Superman is as true a role model as there has ever been, but here Superman willfully deviated from his own moral code. The moment belongs on the list not only for being one of the most memorable moments in Superman's history, but for showing that even Superman isn't perfect.
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#45: Terra Turns Traitor
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/45.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Tales of the Teen Titans #42
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: George Perez
The Teen Titans of the 1980’s were DC’s number one franchise. Bigger than Batman and Superman, they were the only real competition to Chris Claremont’s X-Men. The reasons were obvious: luscious artwork, gripping storylines and realistic, well-rounded characters. The Teen Titans were just as much a family as any other team before. When Terra was first introduced to the team she found it hard to be accepted into such a close-knit group, and so the team made concessions to her. Masks were removed, secrets were shared… and all of it was passed on by Terra to her sugar daddy, Deathstroke the Terminator. Terra’s revelation as a traitor to the team was the culmination of nearly a year’s worth of issues, shaking the innocence of the team and changing how teams view new members forever. Terra’s death and redemption shortly after the revelation did not stop the ill feeling towards her, or towards mysterious strangers that join teams in any title.
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#44: The Breaking of the Bat
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/44.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Batman #497
Writer: Doug Moench
Artist: Jim Aparo
For months, Batman had been run ragged. Suffering from clinical exhaustion, and hunted by a mysterious new adversary, Bane, the last straw came when Bane blew open the walls of Arkham Asylum, freeing the lunatics who resided within. Batman hunted each of them down, but he had little left. After confronting the Joker and Scarecrow, and running through a gauntlet of Bane’s underlings, Batman arrived back at Wayne Manor only to find Alfred unconscious and Bane waiting. With Batman running on empty the battle was short, and when he refused to grovel before Bane the villain lifted him and broke Batman’s back over his knee. This moment was the centerpiece to Knightfall, one of the seminal crossovers of the Bat-universe. Because of Bruce Wayne’s inability to work as Batman, a new Batman temporarily took his place, Jean-Paul Valley, Azrael. The unstable Azrael became increasingly violent, taking the lives of the criminals he hunted. The breaking of the Bat was the inciting incident to an examination of the important question, “Why doesn’t Batman kill?” Batman, it was made clear, was more than just a costume and a mantle, but the man underneath it; and Bruce Wayne, though broken, would remain unbowed.
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#43: Robin’s First Flight
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/43.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Detective Comics #38
Writer: Bill Finger
Artist: Bob Kane
One of the staples of superhero comics, particularly those of yesteryear, is the sidekick, and of those Robin (Dick Grayson) was the first. Taking on a sidekick was an attempt to make comics’ darkest hero more accessible to children, and it forever changed the superhero genre, introducing elements that are as immediately recognizable as spandex and verbal sound effects. Also, by saving a lost soul like his own, Batman took a more direct and probably effective approach to preventing the pain he suffered when he lost his parents. One of the downsides of the moment is that it was the first step towards the cheesy Batman popularized by Adam West. But that doesn't cast much of a shadow over the debut of one of the longest running, most famous and oft imitated characters in comics’ history.
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#42: Two Generations of Justice
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/42.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Justice League of America #21
Writer: Gardner Fox
Artist: Mike Sekowsky
The Justice League of America might have been the greatest heroes of their era, but they were living in the shadow of history. Another Flash, and Green Lantern, and Atom... even another Superman and Batman had all come together more than twenty years earlier as the Justice Society of America, and the Leaguers were merely the inheritors to team status. Unfortunately, the two forces could never meet. The Justice Society had been resting comfortably in limbo, and the new heroes had supplanted their elders entirely. Then, editor Julius Schwartz and Gardner Fox had a radical idea... what if one Flash could meet another? From there sprang Flash of Two Worlds and the later un-retirement of the Society. A meeting with the League moved from impossible to inevitable. There was no explanation provided for why the membership had changed in the time they were away, but it was still the Justice Society. The originals and their heroic descendants bridged time and vibrational barriers to come together. Crisis on Earth-One! may have led to twenty-two years of annual team-ups, but it will always be remembered for being the first to bring together the greatest heroes of two eras.
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#41: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/41.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Sandman #19
Writers: Neil Gaiman and William Shakespeare
Artists: Charles Vess and Steve Oliff
In his centennial meeting with the immortal Hob Gadling, Dream of the Endless encounters a young actor and playwright named William Shakespeare who wishes more than anything to write great stories. And so Dream makes a deal with him: he would open up a gift within the young writer to become one of the greatest storytellers of all time in return for two plays written for Dream himself. In half fulfillment of this bargain, Shakespeare writes A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a farcical romantic comedy centered around the troubles of two pairs of lovers, a troupe of rude mechanicals, a mischievous hobgoblin and the king and queen of the fairies (it’s all rather complicated, but suffice it to say a love potion has everyone playing musical chairs with their affections and someone ends up with a donkey’s head). Shakespeare and his actors meet Dream on a country hillside to perform the play for the first time. As the actors prepare, Dream summons forth his guests, the denizens of Faerie. After all, who better to watch a play about Oberon, Titania and Puck than Auberon, Titania and Puck? The play goes splendidly, much to the amusement of Puck who winds up taking the place of the actor portraying him. Meanwhile, Shakespeare is so wrapped up in the play that he fails to see his young son Hamnet tempted away by the real Titania. The play comes to an end as the Faerie folk depart from Earth for the last time, only Puck remaining behind to offer the play’s final speech to the reader as he disappears menacingly into the darkness. Beyond the phenomenal quality of the issue itself, it is also the only monthly comic in history to win a literary award, the World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story in 1991. Shortly thereafter, it was decided that comic books would no longer be considered for such an honor. To quote Puck himself, a la Shakespeare, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!”
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#40: Lord of the Justice League
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/40.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Justice League #1
Writers: Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis
Artist: Kevin Maguire
Wildcats v3.0 has received praise for it’s innovative take on corporate super heroics. Unfortunately it had already been done more than 10 years previous. Maxwell Lord’s reformation of the Justice League as a U.N. sponsored, customer friendly, merchandisable team was ground breaking. What was previously a collection of the world’s best heroes became a collection of heroes out for a buck or some publicity, and what resulted were some of the funniest stories ever written. Seeing a team’s prestige slowly crumble, the lunacy of the team acknowledged regularly by its own members, was fantastic. Max’s agenda was always based on looking good and making a profit, and as such the entire League changed focus and one of DC’s most recognizable, and in many ways stale, super teams got a much needed overhaul with storylines that couldn’t work with any other cast.
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#39: The Beginning of the Endless
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/39.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As conceived by: Neil Gaiman
This is a particularly difficult moment to discuss because…well…no one’s ever actually shown it happen. But no one was there to witness the Big Bang or hear the Almighty utter His first “logos” into the void, either. Yet without them, there would be nothing. So too is it with the creation of the Endless at the dawn of time. They are the representations of the most primal forces in the universe, beyond mere gods. The very first moments of creation were etched into the book chained to Destiny’s arm, and so both came into being. As life began to take its first awkward steps, Death was there with a steadying hand. Filled with wonder, fear and imagination of the unknown, the world had Dream to help craft the first stories and visions. Discovery and exploration brought the need to create, and thus the necessity for Destruction. Life would extend its hand out for that which it wanted, and return either crushed for not getting it or disappointed in what it got… the twins, Desire and Despair. And overjoyed by the newness of it all, innocence would give way to Delight… only to be corrupted almost immediately by the immensity of it all into Delirium. Without them, we are nothing. Without us, they do not exist. And so while it has never been seen or chronicled, the birth of the Endless is one of the most important events in the D.C. Universe… because without them, there would BE no D.C. Universe. No heroes. No villains. No great tales of tragedy and triumph. Nothing. So think about that the next time you decide to buy all twenty five chapters of yet another Batman crossover instead of giving that Sandman graphic novel a try. Just food for thought…
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#38: Superman vs. Captain Marvel
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/38.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Kingdom Come #4
Writer: Mark Waid
Artist: Alex Ross
When Superman and Captain Marvel crossed paths and fists, there was only one name for it: Armageddon. Under the mind control of Lex Luthor, Captain Marvel blows a hole in the Kansas gulag, allowing its hostile captives free and starting a superhuman war that threatens to consume the globe. Superman rushes to the scene to try and stop it, but finds himself halted by the insane Marvel. At first glance, the fight seems evenly matched for strength, speed, flight, invulnerability. But Marvel has an edge over Superman: his powers are based in magic, one of Superman’s few real weaknesses. With a sadistic grin on his face, Marvel begins to repeat his magic word of “Shazam!”, calling down the magic lightning that would change him back to Billy Batson, then dodging the bolt to let it strike Superman, wearing him down, leaving him crawling in the dirt, pleading with Marvel to stop, only to hear him say the word once more: “Shazam!” But Superman proves faster and reaches out to grab Marvel just as the bolt strikes, changing Marvel back into Batson and covering his mouth to prevent him from saying the word again. It is then, undistracted, that Superman hears the bomb overhead, a response from the human governments of the world to the raging tide of superhuman warfare. As Superman flies off to stop the bomb, Batson whispers one simple word, one last time: “Shazam!” Captain Marvel once again stops Superman in his path, only this time as he flies past and intercepts the bomb himself, crying out his magic word over and over and over again, bombarding the warhead with the lightning bolts that had brought a legend to his knees. The bomb explodes, Marvel sacrificing himself high above the Earth to save those below and leaving Superman to carry on the never ending battle. In the end, it was a contest not of might and power, but of will and character. And as they proved each other’s equals in combat, so too did Superman and Captain Marvel stand together as equals in heroism.
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#37: 21st Century Superheroine
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/37.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Suicide Squad #23 (Oracle first appears) or Batman Chronicles #5 (Barbara becomes Oracle)
Writers: John Ostrander, or John Ostrander and Kim Yale
Artists: Luke McDonnel, or Brian Stelfreeze and Karl Story
One of the truest characteristics of a hero is the ability to bounce back from adversity. In Batman: The Killing Joke Barbara "Batgirl" Gordon was paralyzed from the waist down. No one would have held it against her if she retired after that… it's not like you can fight crime when you can't walk. But Barbara proved that wrong by retiring the Batgirl persona to become Oracle, the premiere hacker and information broker of the DCU. Oracle tracks criminal activity through every channel possible and relays that information to other crime fighters, mostly her own field agents, Black Canary and Huntress. She may not be directly fighting crime with her fists, but she fights with her mind and by proxy makes all the heroes in the DCU more efficient. In the age of information, understanding it all is a full time job, and by using knowledge as a weapon against crime Oracle represents a truly modern hero. When Barbara Gordon became Oracle she became one of the lynchpins of the DCU, and one of the greatest triumphs over adversity in comics history.
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#36: Stepping out of the Shadow of the Bat
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/36.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Tales of the Teen Titans #44
Writer: Marv Wolfman
Artist: George Perez
Dick Grayson was the first Robin, the first partner that Batman ever trained. He had spent years learning, making himself a better hero, and he grew up to leave Gotham, go off to college, and lead the Teen Titans. But eventually things had to change. Robin would, no matter what he did, always be the junior partner to Batman. So when things between he and Batman got worse, Dick had to stop being Robin… but he didn’t stop being a hero. With a little aid and advice from Superman Dick would take up a new identity as Nightwing and, as opposed to fading away with a new identity, Dick flourished. He would lead the Titans for years to come, reconcile with Batman, and acquire a comic book of his own… all as Nightwing, and he has not looked back. And in this we see one of the beauties of the DC Universe: the change. These characters grow. While Batman might always be Bruce Wayne and always stay about the same age, characters like Dick Grayson can grow and change and reach new heights. Someday he might change again, and the mystery of when and how is one of the true joys of sequential storytelling.
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#35: The King is Dead, Long Live the King
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/35.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Sandman #69
Writer: Neil Gaiman
Artist: Marc Hempel
Throughout the entirety of Neil Gaiman’s magnum opus, Sandman, three themes presented themselves above all others: the power of tales, change, and responsibility. These themes are made most clear, most perfectly pointed out, at the climax of the series, with the death of Morpheus, the first incarnation of Dream of the Endless, and the ascension of the new incarnation, Daniel. This is the change that Dream has slowly been moving towards since the first issue. “And maybe there was only so much he could change,” said Lucien, librarian of dreams about his former master. And since Morpheus could not reach the point he needed to, he chose instead his own death, and he left behind a new, more human Dream to shoulder the burden of being ruler of his kingdom. This is the logical end of the story that Gaiman had slowly been building for years, and it moved people. No one expected the dream king, a character that, even if you didn’t like him you had come to care for, to truly die. But he did. And that sense of newness was something refreshing and wonderful, something that enriched the last few issues of the series, and has kept readers wanting more for years and will for years to come. That is, after all, what good stories do.
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#34: Grant Morrison Relaunches the JLA
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/34.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: JLA: Secret Files and Origins #1
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: Howard Porter
The Justice League of America was always meant to be the best superhero team. So when it became a collection of second tier characters led by Wonder Woman, a reboot was needed. Enter Grant Morrison. What Morrison did was not just return the JLA to its roots of having the seven icons of the DCU join forces, he also gave each member a clearly defined role within the team. Developing each member to highlight their major personality traits, Morrison sculpted the League into the best possible team the DCU could offer. Many have commented on how he modeled his team after the Greek Pantheon of Gods, and with the legends stemming from that mythos it is easy to see why his League’s stories are just as gripping and long lasting. Morrison retained the previous characteristics of past Leagues, such as the JLI’s humor and the Satellite era’s camaraderie, and on top of that he created the most iconic and powerful team possible. Exactly what a planet’s number one line of defense should be.
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#33: Black Lightning Strikes
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/33.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Black Lightning (v1) #1
Writer: Tony Isabella
Artist: Trevor von Eeden
It's strange that on a list where we praise DC's innovations, we find a place for something DC did to play catch up. In 1977, Black Lightning was DC's first black superhero to get his own title, but he wasn't comicdoms first. There were black "jungle hero" books as far back as the 1950s, and Marvel had already beaten DC to the black superhero title with Hero for Hire and Black Goliath. What's more, there were black heroes in the DCU before Black Lightning, they had just never been headliners before. So why is this a significant event? Because while DC can't get credit for being the first in the industry, the first black hero title in-house for DC is an important milestone for the attitude shift it represented. The first black superhero title DC intended to run? The Black Bomber, a title about a white bigot who transformed into a heroic black alter ego when he became stressed. As if this idea weren't distasteful enough, the scripts that had been written were filled with racist stereotypes and offensive material. Enter Tony Isabella. When Isabella, who had already worked on the two aforementioned Marvel titles, was brought in to mould DC's existing plans for a black superhero, he convinced them to ditch the Black Bomber and let him start from scratch. With very little time to brainstorm a replacement, Isabella came up with Black Lightning, a black hero who was strong, savvy, and a genuinely good role model. Though the series was short-lived (just one year later DC had a line-wide culling of less popular titles, and Black Lightning got the boot), the character survives to this day, and can be safely added to the ranks of Ebony White, Black Panther and Luke Cage in the annals of pioneering black characters in comics.
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#32: Dealing with the Devil(s)
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/32.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Hellblazer #45
Writer: Garth Ennis
Artist: William Simpson
From his inception, one of the clearest identifying marks of John Constantine was his ever-present cigarette; so terminal lung cancer really couldn’t have come as much of a surprise to the trench-coat wearing mage. All the same he went in search of a cure, visiting friends, enemies, angels, demons… none could offer him help. Along the way, he tricked the Devil into drinking holy water and thus saved an old friend’s soul from the pits of Hell. But since no good deed goes unpunished, the Devil laid claim to Constantine’s soul by right of insult. Constantine’s name and reputation were highly regarded in supernatural circles, so to claim his immortal soul was a real victory, a badge of status any demon would relish. Which gave Constantine an idea. That night, he summoned the other two princes of Hell and promised his soul to both separately. The deed done, he then took a razor and slit his own wrist. Within mere seconds, the devils arrived to claim his soul… which presented a problem. Because Constantine wasn’t just the bait, he was also the trap. Only one could rightfully claim him, but each had as much right to his soul as the other two. If two were to back down, it would upset the balance of power in Hell. If they were to go to war, the only victor would be Heaven. In the end, there was only one solution: Constantine had to live. And so, as excruciating as possible, the devils healed his slashed wrist and ruined lungs. The trickster had pulled his ultimate con and played the rulers of Hell into giving him a new lease on life, making them all look like fools in the process. And as he was leaving, he gave them all the finger. It was the defining moment for John Constantine and his new writer, Garth Ennis and helped cement the Irishman as a talent in the American comics industry.
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#31: Screen of Silver, Man of Steel
<img src="http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/images/columns/top70dcmoments/31.jpg" align=left alt="Top 70 DC Moments">As chronicled in: Superman: The Movie
Long before Marvel movies were hitting theatres every six months, long before Tim Burton thought Batman would make a neat flick, there was the 1978 Richard Donner film Superman. Though not the first film based on a comic book hero (studios had been churning out films derived from comic books and strips since the 1930s), it was the first to garner widespread critical and box office success. Featuring an all-star cast headlined by Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman and Marlon Brando, Superman proved successful enough to sustain a series of sequels, making it not only the first big-time superhero movie, but the first big-time superhero movie franchise. In an era where every superhero is getting their shot at big screen success, and where a new squad of actors and filmmakers are preparing to give Superman himself another go, we should take a moment to remember the film that started it all.
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Join us next time for moments #11-30, and watch ComiX-Fan all month long for more anniversary goodness! (http://www.comixfan.com/xfan/forums/showthread.php?t=32203)
Individual Entry Credits:
Nick Costanzo (47)
Raul Grau (42)
Jon Hancock (34, 40 & 45)
Al Harahap (49)
Matt Lazorwitz (35, 36, 44 & 50)
Jordan T. Maxwell (32, 38, 39, 41 & 48)
Dylan McKay (37, 43 & 46)
Joel Phillips (31 & 33)