100th Post!!! Show-and-tell time!

That's right, ladies and gents, we have made it to 100 posts.  Which in the overall scheme of things is a small thing (and would have happened two weeks ago if I actually wrote posts once in a while), but still we're going to celebrate.

How, you ask?  By having a give-away!  Details to follow below (yes, this is just a ploy to get you to read everything we write).

But first, we thought we'd take a little trip down memory lane and talk about our favorite issue or arc that we've ever read.  Note this isn't favorite series, or favorite character, or anything like that, just the story that we still compare other comics to.  We wanted to do something different for our 100th post, and this might help shed some light on the respective Comics tastes of your dedicated PLC Bloggers.  Afterward we invite you, the reader, to share your favorite story in the comments.  There might be something in it for you. : D

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Mattie's Favorite Comic of All Time:   X-Men: Phoenix - Endsong

It's no secret that I'm a huge Jean Grey fan, or that I find Phoenix to be very cool.  After all I named the blog after it.  I remember when I was watching the X-Men Animated Series and the Phoenix arc came on, I thought it was one of the coolest arcs on a cartoon I had ever seen up to that point.  And since it was the cartoon that got me started in comics, Jean Grey and Phoenix have always kind of stuck with me.  So you can imagine my surprise when one day my boyfriend stumbled across the Phoenix Endsong Arc.

While I would read anything with a Phoenix stamped on the cover (oh Phoenix Warsong, how you disappointed me), the art for Endsong reached off the shelf and slapped me upside the face with its awesomeness.  I think Greg Land, Matt Ryan, and Justin Ponsor did some of the most beautiful comic book art I have ever seen.  The image of Phoenix reaching out of the fire that they picked for the trade cover (as seen above)?  Incredible.

And the story didn't disappoint either.  It's widely acknowledged that the Phoenix story gets a little confusing, what with all the ret-conning to bring Jean back from the dead.  Is Jean controlled by the Phoenix?  Did the Phoenix replace her?  Greg Pak takes a stab at explaining all of that, and it turns out the answer to the earlier questions is 'Yes'.  His solution to the confusion is very well done both in pacing and scale, and there are a few moments (aided by the art) that I think are truly unforgettable.  I realize it's partly the fanboy in me, but this is honestly the arc that I compare every comic I read to. 


Arnab's Favorite Comic of All Time:  Batman: Hush

Choosing favorites has always been difficult for me, especially when it comes to comics. There is always a particular scene, maybe a sentence or two, the artwork, or the plot, that makes me love an issue or an arc in a different way than a previous issue or arc. The arc I chose encompasses everything I look for in an arc, both emotionally as well as purely as a reader. Based on my pull list and my past reviews I would think that it is blatantly obvious that I love Batman and the Bat-family. As far back as I can remember Batman has always been the center of my comic world. The arc Hush, does such a great job of incorporating absolutely everything I love about the Bat-Universe. 

Aesthetically, Jim Lee and Scott Williams have created an artistic masterpiece. You won't find the art in this book in museums or galleries next to the Mona Lisa or Guernica, mainly because art curators and critics are pretentious fools who are content with surrounding themselves with "traditional" art from centuries ago. However, the art in this arc is absolutely fantastic. The minute you start reading you find yourself immersed in this new, different world and you can't help but be captivated by it. The plot is absolutely creative, constantly making you rethink yourself. Jeph Loeb does an amazing job incorporating a significant portion of the villains of Gotham in a way that doesn't feel trite or cheap, while introducing a new highly intelligent and methodic villain.

When I read comics I tend to read as if I am a part of the story as opposed to as a reader completely separate from the story. As a result I tend to be much more emotionally invested in the story and in the characters than the normal reader. The reason this arc is my favorite, in addition to the amazing artwork and fantastic story, is the character interaction between the Bat-family. While there had been conflict in the past, this arc clearly depicts the closeness in relationship between the members of the Bat-family, including the extended family. There are key insights to characters and their personalities that makes this book absolutely worthwhile.

For those of you who have not yet read this book, I highly recommend it. I assure you that you will not regret it. If you read comics for the art, the art in this book is fantastic, if you read for the writing, the story is smart, inventive, and an absolute thriller.

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So, now that you've read everything we had to say, I promised there would be details about the give-away.  It's nothing fancy (as we're broke), but we thought it would be nice to share some of our favorite books with you in a more...tangible way.  So to that end, we are giving away a copy of X-Men: Phoenix - Endsong and Batman: Hush to one of our readers!

To be entered in the drawing, please leave a comment below explaining your favorite arc, or telling us why you're interested in comics, or really just giving your thoughts on the blog (although really, we'd prefer to hear about your favorite arcs :-D ).  I'll put the names of everyone that has commented between today and August 20th in a hat and pull the winner at random.  The winner will be receiving an email from me asking for address and such.

Thank you very much to everyone that has been following along with us these past several months.  Neither Arnab or I have any delusions that we're curing cancer here, but it is important to us and we appreciate everyone taking some time out of their days to read what we write!  

And without further ado, on to the comments!