Top 100 Comic Book Storylines: 90-81

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We continue our countdown of your picks for with #90-81!

Thanks to everyone who voted – we received over 1,100 ballots! You ranked your favorite storylines from best to worst, assigning points from 10 (for your #1 pick) down to 1 (for your #10 pick). After tallying all the points, here are the results!

I’m going to do these now in batches of ten to get them done in 2025!

90. “The Kindly Ones” by Neil Gaiman, Marc Hempel, Richard Case, D’Israeli, Ted Kristiansen, Glyn Dillon, Dean Ormston and Charles Vess (Sandman #57-69) – 131 points (1 first place vote)

“The Kindly Ones” is the exciting conclusion to Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series. It brings together many storylines and characters from earlier in the series, focusing on the consequences of the enemies Morpheus has made throughout his long life. Now, he must face the price for his past actions, even if it means sacrificing everything.

What’s truly compelling about the story is that Morpheus always knows how it will end, but feels compelled to fulfill his duty, even though he knows it will lead to his downfall.

Okay, so things are getting really heavy in this story. Lyta Hall, who used to be this awesome superhero called The Fury, is convinced that Morpheus caused her son, Daniel, to die. She’s completely shattered, and you can really see it right from the start – it’s like she’s not even fully present, you know? It’s a super sad scene.

Lyta is easily manipulated, unknowingly setting the stage for Morpheus’s downfall. And, like in many classic tragedies, she only realizes her son is still alive after it’s too late.

Okay, so the best part is getting to see everyone again! Seriously, almost all the big characters from the whole series show up – Lucifer, Thessaly the Witch, you name ’em. They all have a part to play in how things wrap up. It’s a really satisfying ending because it brings together all the different storylines and characters that Neil Gaiman built up over the years. All my favorites make an appearance, which is awesome!

89. “Final Crisis” by Grant Morrison, JG Jones, Doug Mahnke, Carlos Pacheco, Lee Garbett, Matthew Clark, Marco Ruby and a host of inkers (Final Crisis #1-7, Final Crisis: Superman Beyond #1-2, Final Crisis: Submit #1 plus I would throw in Batman #682-683) – 133 points (1 first place vote)

A strange thing about the Final Crisis storyline is that while it was told across twelve comic books, only seven actually carried the Final Crisis title. The rest included the Superman Beyond miniseries, the Final Crisis: Submit one-shot, and a two-part Batman story—all crucial to understanding the whole narrative. Fortunately, DC eventually collected almost all of these issues in a Final Crisis hardcover, making the confusing initial release strategy less of a problem.

Essentially, the story of Final Crisis revolves around Darkseid returning to life by manipulating time. This time travel created a weakness in the structure of the multiverse, allowing a powerful, evil Monitor to escape from a prison built by his peers. Ultimately, Darkseid conquers Earth using the Anti-Life Equation, revealed in issue #3, and corrupts most of the world’s heroes with his control.

Earth is in a dire situation, but the remaining heroes eventually rally and defeat Darkseid, reclaiming their planet. Their victory is short-lived, however, as Mandrakk, a powerful and malevolent Monitor, seizes the chance to destroy the entire multiverse. Superman, along with a massive force of Green Lanterns and other heroes, steps forward to confront Mandrakk – a being Superman first encountered while desperately trying to save Lois Lane’s life (as detailed in Superman Beyond).

I always thought Morrison’s run on Final Crisis was really interesting. He told the story in these small, almost disconnected scenes that eventually came together to form the bigger picture – it reminded me of pointillism, you know, with all those little dots making up an image. Jonathan Hickman did something similar with Infinity, and I think Marvel really let him run with it. Unlike what happened with Final Crisis, they weren’t limited to just the Infinity mini-series itself. The Avengers and New Avengers tie-ins were crucial to his story, just like Morrison’s tie-ins were vital to understanding everything happening in Final Crisis.

Batman is central to the plot, facing capture and apparent death at the hands of Darkseid, though he manages to seriously wound Darkseid beforehand. While a compelling story, its release was unfortunately slowed down by health issues experienced by the original artist, JG Jones, which prevented him from finishing it.

88. “Robots in Disguise” by Daniel Warren Johnson and Mike Spicer (Transformers #1-6) – 135 points (4 first place votes)

Fans clearly enjoyed Daniel Warren Johnson’s reimagining of the Transformers, and a sense of nostalgia was a big part of that. Johnson’s approach in this new series—which is part of Robert Kirkman’s larger Energon Universe featuring Transformers, G.I. Joe, and new characters from Void Rivals—effectively returned the characters to the feel of the original 1980s cartoon that many fans remember fondly.

People often look back fondly on things from the past, but that excitement really happens when something is great on its own merits – and that’s definitely true here. Johnson is a truly dynamic comic book artist, and he’s brought that incredible energy to this Transformers tribute. Just check out the action scene – it’s phenomenal!

Johnson has been creating these stories since childhood, and now they’re finally being published as an official comic by Image Comics. The action is incredibly lively and feels almost animated on the page. It’s a really fun and exciting read, offering a fresh take on the classic Transformers characters. Both longtime fans and newcomers will enjoy it, regardless of their prior experience with the franchise.

87. “Weapon X” by Barry Windsor-Smith (Marvel Comics Presents #72-84) – 136 points (1 first place vote)

Barry Windsor-Smith’s take on Wolverine’s origins had a huge effect on the comics world. Before his 1991 story, “Weapon X” wasn’t a well-known concept among fans, and the iconic image of Wolverine hooked up to machines with a helmet wasn’t established yet.

Very quickly after Windsor-Smith shared their story, both the phrase and the accompanying image became incredibly memorable for comic book readers, and they’ve remained that way ever since.

It’s no surprise the artwork from this story is so famous – Barry Windsor-Smith is a truly exceptional comic book artist. However, beyond his expected artistic skill, the story itself was the biggest surprise. Windsor-Smith powerfully portrays the cold, casual cruelty of the scientists as they experiment on Logan, trying to create Weapon X.

Honestly, the story really gets under your skin. It’s not fast-paced, but it slowly reveals the characters working on Logan, and you really feel for them. You also see how this guy, who’s basically being experimented on, manages to hold onto himself. And it’s cool getting little hints about how Wolverine, the X-Men’s most famous member, eventually comes to be. It’s a surprisingly emotional ride.

Boy, that Windsor-Smith sure knows how to tell a story.

86. “Little Worse than a Man, Little Better than a Beast” by Tom King, Gabriel Hernández Walta, Michael Walsh and Jordie Bellaire (Vision #1-12) – 138 points (1 first place vote)

This one was confusing for a long time – is it a continuous storyline, or a self-contained arc? I’ve decided it’s the only case where something can be considered both. Originally, it was designed as a longer story, but when Tom King took over writing Batman, he only had plans for a 12-issue arc. Because it feels like a complete story within that timeframe, I think it fits on both lists.

What makes Tom King, Gabriel Hernandez Walta, and Jordie Bellaire’s Vision series so captivating is how firmly it’s rooted in the Marvel Universe. It effectively portrays the immense power and almost divine status of superheroes compared to everyday life. King masterfully shows us the extraordinary gifts from across the galaxy casually present in Vision’s seemingly normal suburban home.

This show follows Vision as he attempts to build a normal suburban life for himself, complete with a wife, Virginia, and two teenage children, Viv and Vin. Just as they’re settling into their new routines – including high school for the kids – things take a bizarre turn when the Grim Reaper unexpectedly attacks them during a family dinner, even though Vision isn’t home.

and his attack is met by an equally violent response…

This comic frequently explores the idea of destiny, particularly how it relates to programming. If someone’s actions are determined by code, are they simply fated to follow that path? Or can destiny always be altered? Several characters in the story attempt to change their predetermined futures, while one character grapples with the control exerted by her programming.

Walta is fantastic at portraying the emotions of these characters, who appear robotic but are actually dealing with intense inner conflicts. The story centers around Virginia, who kills the Grim Reaper to protect her children. While her actions were justified self-defense, she feels compelled to hide what she did. The narrative really emphasizes that it’s not the original act, but the attempt to conceal it, that ultimately causes the most trouble.

Honestly, there are those rare comic book stories that just inspire other writers, and Tom King’s Vision was one of them for me. Seeing Viv become such a fantastic new character in the Marvel Universe was amazing, and this series was where it all started for her! Plus, the WandaVision show on Disney+ clearly took a lot of inspiration from this comic. It’s not just a great story on its own, but it actually had a real impact on where Marvel and the MCU are headed. Pretty impressive, right?

85. “Identity Crisis” by Brad Meltzer, Rags Morales and Michael Bair (Identity Crisis #1-7) – 139 points (1 first place vote)

Identity Crisis is a murder mystery, where the victim is the wife of a superhero, Elongated Man.

Sue Dibny, much like her husband Ralph who was a well-known hero, was also in the public eye. Her murder shocked the entire superhero world, causing widespread fear for the safety of their own families. It raised a terrifying question: how do you protect your loved ones when your secret identity is at risk?

Before Sue dies, we get a touching tribute to their life together…

Very sad.

Sue’s death prompted the Justice League to remember a past case where they erased the memory of a super-villain after he harmed someone close to her. They realized this villain might recall what happened, and because Sue’s death could be connected to someone with similar abilities, he quickly became their prime suspect and the most wanted criminal in the world.

The attacks soon spread to the families of other heroes, with some tragically losing their lives, deepening the mystery. This happens as trust erodes among the heroes themselves when they discover the League’s past actions toward Doctor Light after his attack on Sue. It’s revealed these actions weren’t isolated – the League repeated similar experiments on other supervillains. This was especially difficult for Wally West to learn, as he always admired his uncle Barry Allen and saw him as a role model.

One of the most exciting moments in the show involves Doctor Light, a notorious fugitive, hiring the mercenary Deathstroke to defend himself against an all-out attack by the Justice League.

When the murderer is revealed – it is a shock to the system, to say the least.

Rags Morales and Michael Bair excel at portraying emotions through the characters’ faces, which is crucial given that Brad Meltzer’s writing features many emotionally charged moments.

This series , as a great many comics spun out of this one.

84. “First Tale of the Demon” by Denny O’Neil, Neal Adams, Bob Brown, Irv Novick and Dick Giordano (Batman #232, 235, 240, 242-244 and Detective Comics #411) – 141 points (2 first place votes)

This story doesn’t officially have a title, but people sometimes refer to it as “Daughter of the Demon.” Since it’s published alongside another Ra’s al Ghul story in Tales of the Demon, I think calling it “The First Tale” works well enough.

As a long-time Batman fan, it’s fascinating to look back at the art! The story really kicked off in Detective Comics with Bob Brown doing the pencils. Then it moved over to Batman itself, and that’s where things get interesting. Irv Novick and Neal Adams each drew three issues, but Adams actually drew more pages overall because two of his issues were longer, full-length stories, while Novick’s were standard length.

Early stories featuring Ra’s Al Ghul, written by Denny O’Neil and others, show a very different Batman than the skilled hero we know today. This earlier version of Batman frequently relies on help from regular, everyday people to defeat Ra’s Al Ghul.

I always found it interesting that Ra’s al Ghul and Talia were already established characters before Batman even had his first big showdown with Ra’s. They weren’t just introduced for that fight, they had a history before Batman even knew about them, which makes their whole relationship so much more complex, in my opinion.

In a bold move, Batman stages his own death as Bruce Wayne and adopts the persona of Matches Malone – a disguise he’ll use going forward after the original Malone is killed. He then joins forces with a scientist formerly connected to Ra’s al Ghul to prevent Ra’s and his daughter, Talia, from releasing a devastating plague. Along the way, Batman receives help from some surprising allies, including a well-known skier!

So, I finally tracked Ra’s al Ghul and his daughter down, but it was a total shock – Ra’s was already dead! I managed to grab Talia, but then things got really weird. Ra’s just… showed up. Turns out he’d used some crazy thing called the Lazarus Pit to come back to life! I didn’t stand a chance, and he and Talia made their escape. It was a wild turn of events, for sure.

Okay, this is where it really hit me – the first time I thought, ‘Wow, Batman is seriously incredible!’ He tracks them down again, this time out in the desert, and confronts them. You can tell Ra’s al Ghul is actually impressed by Batman’s persistence and skill. It was a really cool moment!

Following this, there’s a remarkable four-page stretch where Batman battles Ra’s al Ghul with swords in the desert. He appears to be fatally stung by a scorpion, but Talia revives him. When Batman confronts Ra’s again, Ra’s is stunned he’s still alive and quickly surrenders. Batman then kisses Talia and somehow manages to turn Ra’s over to the police.

Adams’ work was truly remarkable and essentially shaped the look of Batman comics during that period. It really became the defining style for the character throughout the 1970s.

83. “The Death of Speedy” by Jaime Hernandez (Love and Rockets #21-23) – 143 points (3 first place votes)

Given that the story is titled “The Death of Speedy,” you might expect the actual death to not be very shocking when it happens.

You would be wrong.

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One of Jaime Hernandez’s most compelling storylines in the acclaimed comic Love and Rockets, “The Death of Speedy,” centers on a group of young people in a neighborhood and realistically portrays their difficult choices. It’s a sad but ultimately touching story.

It’s easy to shake your head at young people and the trouble they cause, whether it’s boys showing off or girls doing the same. But despite how silly it might seem, this behavior isn’t far from the truth about how things often are.

Hernandez skillfully portrays the realities of everyday life, and what’s most striking is that even amidst petty conflicts over things like territory or relationships, love remains central to these characters’ lives.

Maggie, the story’s protagonist, particularly seems to view love as a motivating factor.

Even well-intentioned plans can lead to sadness and suffering, as seen in the story of the Death of Speedy.

The story is told through Hernandez’s artwork, which has a style similar to Dan Decarlo’s. This approach lets the emotional impact build subtly, catching you off guard like something gentle concealing a hidden intensity.

82. “Knightfall” by Doug Moench, Chuck Dixon, Jim Aparo, Norm Breyfogle, Graham Nolan, Jim Balent and a number of inkers (Batman #491-500, Detective Comics #659-666 and Showcase ’93 #7-8) – 145 points (2 first place votes)

The core idea behind the “Knightfall” storyline is that a villain named Bane arrives in Gotham City determined to defeat Batman. Bane spent months studying Batman before enacting his plan, which began with releasing all the inmates from Arkham Asylum. This forced Batman into a desperate chase to recapture them all, giving the writers a chance to showcase a wide range of Batman’s enemies. Simultaneously, Jean-Paul Valley, formerly known as Azrael – a man trained as an assassin by a cult who didn’t realize he was programmed to kill until his father’s death – was training with Robin to become a hero and overcome his deadly conditioning.

After finally capturing all of his enemies, Batman was completely drained. He’d been pushing himself too hard for a while, facing one major villain after another. He felt relieved that the ordeal was over, but little did he know, Bane had been waiting for this moment. Bane had figured out Batman’s identity and was prepared, ambushing him at the Batcave and delivering a devastating attack.

Bane was surprised when, instead of taking over Gotham himself, Batman chose Jean-Paul Valley as the new Batman. However, Jean-Paul wasn’t prepared for the role; his past training as an assassin resurfaced, making him increasingly violent. He started using heavily armed armor and weapons, far more extreme than Batman ever would. Despite this drastic change, the new Batman – soon known as Az-Bats – did manage to defeat Bane, accomplishing what the previous Batman couldn’t, thanks to his aggressive tactics and equipment.

This storyline was essentially an experiment by Batman editor Denny O’Neil. He aimed to highlight what made the original Batman unique by introducing a modernized version – a “90s Batman” – as a contrast. This new Batman was depicted as more violent and reliant on high-tech gadgets. The idea was to demonstrate how much less effective a “cooler,” more contemporary Batman would be compared to the classic version, and also to potentially launch this new character into his own comic series, which ultimately happened when Batman returned.

81. “Old Man Logan” (Wolverine #66-72, Wolverine: Old Man Logan Giant-Sized #1) – 147 points (2 first place votes)

The core idea behind “Old Man Logan” is that it takes place 50 years after Wolverine’s death. This refers to the superhero Wolverine, who had previously retired following a devastating event that killed the X-Men (the details of this tragedy are revealed gradually and are incredibly heartbreaking). Now calling himself “Old Man” Logan, he lives as a farmer with his wife and children. He leases his farmland from the Banner Gang, who are the descendants of Bruce Banner – the result of him marrying his cousin, She-Hulk.

America is divided into four territories, each controlled by a different super-villain. Clint Barton, formerly known as Hawkeye and now blind, arrives at Logan’s doorstep after the Banner Gang threatens his family due to unpaid rent. Clint needs Logan to smuggle some illicit goods across the country, and Logan reluctantly agrees. This sets the stage for an epic journey across a changed America, revealing the dark and fascinating reality of a world fifty years after the golden age of heroes.

They come across many fantastical elements along the way, like the Ghost Riders…

Steve McNiven is a truly exceptional artist. After the success of Civil War, the team of Millar, McNiven, and Vines created another fantastic story. It’s amazing to think that this storyline served as the basis for the popular movie Logan! Millar and McNiven collaborated on just two Marvel stories, and both were adapted into blockbuster films – that’s an incredible achievement!

As Logan’s story unfolds, he constantly wonders if he’s really okay with leaving his heroic life behind. After everything he’s been through, can someone truly become a hero again? It’s a tough question, and the author skillfully portrays Logan grappling with this internal struggle. The story suggests that a hero’s spirit might be unbreakable, though how that heroism manifests can change – Logan’s approach as a hero is different now, reflecting a much darker world than the one Wolverine once knew.

After the main Wolverine temporarily died, this version of Logan was integrated into the larger Marvel Universe.

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2025-12-23 20:26