Loeb's wolverine
I had to chime in here, because one arc - sorry, I have to go with an arc, the whole thing (aside from the art) is trash imho - really, really stuck in my craw and made me angry.

Loeb's Wolverine arc where he kills Sabretooth.

Why is it the worst? Forceful, obvious, bizarre continuity insertion. Evolved from Wolf people?? Related to Thorn/Feral (cats!?) & Sasquatch (magic/evil god)?? WHAT?

Seriously, there have been lots of plots I've had issues with over the years, but this one really bothered me. There have been issues with more laughable art, sillier plots, writers more lost in their own "visions", etc....but none of them actually made me as angry with comics in general as this issue.

Now, there's nothing wrong with a comic that makes me angry or emotional, that's often a good thing. I just can't put my finger on why the anger associated with this one is so bad. Maybe because its strongly entangled with a deep sense of disgust at the silliness?

Either way, there's my vote! I'm sure someone will overturn it just for the art though, which really is nice.

Posted by onefinemess on 2008-08-26 20:27:50
ASM vol. 2 #29
This was the end of Howard Mackie's run and it was horrible. All loose ends were forcibly tied up in this one comic and it shows. There was way too much crammed together just to finish up this run. After I read this issue, for the first time I considered dropping ASM from my pull list. Luckily, just like with BND after OMD, there were better things to come.

Posted by jjp69 on 2008-08-26 20:48:28
Suggestions for blog!!
Mr. Brevoort,

A few ideas:

- A while back you posted a blog where you mentioned a few writers and wrote what you thought their strengths were. I remember, for example, you wrote that Brian K. Vaughan was a master plotter. I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on another group of pros. Maybe you could even mention some inkers, colorist, or letters in the group.

- Who would you highlight as a talent deserving greater recognition and why?

- I really enjoyed the story you told about Joe Q writing to a Marvel editor to acknowledge their judgment in regards to an artist for a book. Any more anecdotes like that would be cool.

Sincerely,
Joe Momma

Posted by joemomma on 2008-08-26 21:15:14
RUINS
Without a doubt, my nomination is RUINS. #1 or #2. Hateful, depressing... takes a book like MARVELS and vomits all over its memory... I really can't say enough bad things about it.

Posted by Jimski on 2008-08-26 21:24:19
Hmmm...
1. NFL Superpro is one that immediately springs to mind.
2. Secret Wars II - go ahead, pick an issue. Any issue.
3. Um, that issue of FF where Reed turns Galactus back into a human(?) and later the Thing takes him out to a bar has to stop Galan from eating a billiard ball. Yeah.
4. That recent Onslaught mini by Liefeld. Again, pick any issue.
5. Amalgam Universe... Legends of the Dark Claaaaw!

Yeah, I think I better stop there before I really get into it...

Posted by Hrungr on 2008-08-26 21:38:54
Hope no one says One More Day
I'd hate to get on this list. Poor creators of Black Sun.

Posted by hulkspants on 2008-08-26 22:00:47
I couldn't think of any off the top of my head, but Spider-Man #1 by McFarlane was Awful! I write about it some here:http://misterfrank.livejournal.com/2008/08/21/ Sorry for the gratuitous plug. It includes this nugget: "His powers--EXTRAORDINARY! His webline--ADVANTAGEOUS!" Oh, man.

Posted by hulkspants on 2008-08-26 22:03:58
'Killdozer' was the worst Marvel book ever. 200 Million year old energy mutant possesses a bulldozer? I know it was a novella, but come on. But hey, hire me for a month, and I'll draw you the sure-fire worst Marvel Book ever.

If you were locked in a gladiator area with a rabid Brian Bedis, and you could choose any weapon that didn't have any moving parts or sharp edges, at what time would Train A reach the fueling station in Poughkeepsie?

I Believoort.

Posted by kyle-latino on 2008-08-26 22:27:53
Worst Comic: Avengers 503. Earth's Mightiest Heroes stand around like idiots while Dr. Strange swoops in to explain a massive retcon. Capped (no pun intended) by Captain America then handing over his friend's body to a supposedly dead mutant terrorist she loathed and who was last seen attacking New York (or maybe Magneto snatched her before Cap could react, since it wasn't clear and I can't remember what the explanation of that scene was on Newsarama). Utter drek.

Question: Can you talk about the whys and wherefores of New Warriors v.4? Why did a book that came out of Civil War seem to have more to do with House of M and mutants (when the original cult classic New Warriors certainly wasn't x-oriented)? Why not have Counter Force take that role, when they seem to have far more connection to Civil War and to the New Warriors roots? And finally, any plans for Counter Force?

Posted by motteditor on 2008-08-26 23:44:48
veto Spider-Man #1 nomination
Is that allowed? To veto a nomination? Well I veto the "Spider-Man #1" nomination, or am strongly against it. That was a great comic. I understand there is backlash to "an artist writing, how dare he. I read it for the 1st time a year ago, as I have thousands of Spider-Man comics. I'm a new reader, read them all, and that was far from a bad comic. It was actually one of the best and most memorable. It's very different and has a cinematic feel to it, which is what the artist has always been into. It uses minimal dialogue, like a film, and relies on you the reader pulling from the story what you feel from the visuals. There is no initial explanation of the events, because one isn't needed.

Posted by pineappleprotein on 2008-08-27 02:54:06
I have a problem with this exercise, and it's
I haven't read Black Sun. So I can't really tell if it was bad or not. And I can't nominate books that are "worse". So I just wanted to add a few ideas about this whole project.

The worst comic ever should be bad on every level. Story, art, effect on continuity and maybe even effect on the comic book industry as a whole.

For example, Spider-Man: One More Day had a weak story, at least from my point of view. The effect on continuity depends on your point of view about the marriage (and please, let's not discuss that here again). The effect on the industry as a whole was marginal at best, but what really prevents One More Day from being the "worst Marvel comic ever" is the artwork. If you like the story and its ramifications or not, the artwork was amazing.

That recent Onslaught mini? I haven't read it, but even if the story is bad, the artwork is a matter of taste. There still are a lot of Liefeld fans that liked the art. The biggest reason not to nominate that mini, however, is the effect on Marvel and on the industry, which is non-existent.

The original Heroes Reborn issues had weak stories, and some of them had bad artwork. But they made the original Thunderbolts possible. And they eventually led to the deal with Event comics that made Marvel Knights possible.

Spider-Man #1 had a bad story and a huge negative effect on Marvel and the industry (one of the key issues in starting the whole speculator boom, along with X-Men #1 and X-Force #1, that eventually led to Marvel's financial problems in the mid-nineties. I know I'm simplifying things). But the artwork was good, there's no denying that.

Jeph Loeb's latest Wolverine storyarc had a huge effect on Marvel continuity (Sabretooth's death and, to a lesser degree, the wolf people retcon), but it had no effect on the industry. And the artwork was beautiful.

A personal non-favorite of mine was the "The Draco" storyline in Uncanny X-Men. I didn't like the story, I didn't like the artwork, I didn't like the continuity issues it created for Nightcrawler... but there was no effect on the industry. At all.

Hmmmm... this is really hard. There really seems to be something that speaks for every single comic. I can't think of any Marvel book where every single point on my checklist was bad. If the effect on Marvel or the industry was bad, the book had good art and/or a good story. If the artwork and the story were bad, the effect on Marvel and/or the industry was non-existent.

Posted by Michael Heide on 2008-08-27 07:25:48
Fantastic Four #21. Yes it's a Lee/Kirby issue. But unlike most of their work together it completely SUCKS.

Posted by Fetsur on 2008-08-27 07:48:16
PS I seriously hate Secret Wars too. (The first Secret Wars, I mean - "too" meaning "also".) A couple of years back I had a rant about it and someone posted it on the Newsarama blog:
http://blog.newsarama.com/2007/06/05/secret-wars-the-truth-hurts/

Posted by Fetsur on 2008-08-27 07:51:22
Jimski, you are dead right. Both in terms of its genuine inherent awfulness, and the fact that it somehow cheapens "Marvels," I actually want to second that "Ruins," is/are the worst Marvel Comics of all time.

Although, Death's Head II #1 (the mini) would probably pip it for me in terms of bad writing and completely ignoring previous characterization if it were not saved by some damn fine art.

Posted by cjmcaree on 2008-08-27 08:42:00
Amazing Spider-Man #111
This comic gets nominated as probably the worst comic that I have ever read. The plot was bizzare and awkward(SP?). It was also kinda cheesy too with Kraven using some kinda voodoo juice to mind-control Gibbon.

Posted by Aziroth on 2008-08-27 09:01:27
Amazing Spider-Man #359
Without a doubt Amazing Spider-Man #359. It was so bad that I actually wrote a very negative letter to Marvel .... and cancelled my subscription for a while. Here goes: there's this character named "Cardiac" who is some sort of doctor with a bad heart and bionic implants of sorts. He breaks into a TOY FACTORY and starts tearing up the place because the toy dolls that they are making is "mangling" children and must be stopped. Spider-Man agrees in principle but nevertheless tries to stop Cardiac because the company has somehow gotten away with this on a legal technicality and so since they aren't breaking the law, technicaly, they have no right to do anything about it. So a fight ensues. Cardiac ends up covered in liquid plastic and stuck on an assembly line where a machine sticks "speach and motion circuits" into doll's heads through the doll's "ear cavities". Spidey has to rush to save Cardiac -- but, oh no, a guard at the factory is holding on to a railing by his fingers and is about to get run over by a crane and Spidey exclaims, "But I don't have time to save him and Cardiac! What'll I do?" To be continued in Amazing Spider-Man #360

Posted by Mardochaeus LXX on 2008-08-27 09:26:14
Bone Claws
I nominate X-Men #25 & Wolverine #75. I know that these are probably someone's favorite issues EVER, but I hate bone claws like Joe Q hates Mrs. Peter Parker. These issues have rippled backward and forward through continuity like a retcon a-bomb, and removing Wolverine's adamantium was just the kind of short-sighted stunt that typified bad 90's comics. The whole crossover was a train-wreck and though the Kubert Bros. are great, this Image-esque period hardly represents their best work.

Posted by leeboone on 2008-08-27 09:53:05
I veto Ruins and Avengers #503 as I like both.

I don't know what to nominate, but I wish I'd read the Mutant X 2001 annual which prompted Paul O´Brien to write "those of us who have sat open-mouthed through this increasingly indefensible parade of shite know in our hearts that we are experiencing the nadir of modern comics"

That sounds like a blast.


Posted by entzauberung on 2008-08-27 09:53:33
Third Ruins
I third RUINS, although I'd specify #2. The first issue had me really interested and I thought it was going somewhere; that it would explain why it all went wrong. How wrong *I* was.

I'd consider also nominating STREET POET RAY, but as I haven't read it myself, I'd be doing it on hearsay.

Posted by Spaceknight on 2008-08-27 09:56:01
Lickety Banana-split!
Obnoxio the Clown VS the X-Men #1. I mean there was a villian (Eye-Scream, I kid you not) who could melt himself down to ice cream. Different flavored ice creams, yay... no really nay. I read this book when I was young and was into anything X-men. This book almost made me quit comics for awhile because is was so bad very bad.

Posted by horstdewurst on 2008-08-27 10:15:46
Lickety Banana-split!
Obnoxio the Clown VS the X-Men #1. I mean there was a villian (Eye-Scream, I kid you not) who could melt himself down to ice cream. Different flavored ice creams, yay... no really nay. I read this book when I was young and was into anything X-men. This book almost made me quit comics for awhile because is was so bad very bad.

Posted by horstdewurst on 2008-08-27 10:17:12
Hello everybody,
I repeat my question about ' the spirit of the super-hero ':
what it is exactly for you, do you believe it is indisociable of a particular ideological context.
Yes, I can look like off-topic at first sight, but I think that that has when even a relationship with ...you know, the smell of some comics.


Posted by notapotatoe on 2008-08-27 10:35:59
Marvel Team-Up #8
Okay, here's one from the trash bin. This ultra-feminist character named Man-Killer, who wears the trademark "venus looking-glass" on her, uh, well, anyway here's a link to the pic
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_(comics)
and here's a link to a review
http://www.spiderfan.org/comics/reviews/marvel_teamup/008.html

Posted by Mardochaeus LXX on 2008-08-27 10:53:11
Veto Bone Claws
I veto bone claws (X-Men #25 and Wolverine #75). Though leebone says it was a stunt I think it was a really cool idea. We'd always been told before that Wolverine's only mutation was his healing factor and possibly heightened senses. The bone claws answered some questions about Wolverine's past, particularly the adamantium bonding process, while also adding yet another mystery. I also think that the bone claws made Origin possible or at least more interesting, and they should stay for that reason alone.

I also second NFL Superpro(my mom bought it for me because it was a #1 and she thought that made it special) and Ruins.

Posted by CaptainMarvel221 on 2008-08-27 11:30:47
My Picks
Hmm, worst ever? I'll throw out the three that come to mind: NFL Superpro (how many people's relatives bought this for them? I think this title's sales were entirely relative-based), Thor Vikings (a truly awful MAX title from a few years ago), and, last but certainly not least, Team America, a supremely awful comic from the '70s that might even be able to give NFL Superpro a run for its money.

Posted by DigitalGonzo on 2008-08-27 11:37:33
NFL SUPERPRO!
I vote NFL Superpro as the worst Marvel comic of all time. Out of all of these, I would nominate the Superbowl Special. Here is why.

-By the numbers plot.
-Selling out with such a blatant product endorsement as to be called indecent.
-Having to bribe the creator of the comic with NFL tickets just to make it.
-A terrible origin with holes in its logic. Why any mad scientist would think that any NFL team would pay $5 million per custom made supersuit is anyone's guess. But to somehow make that custom, one of a kind fits one person in the universe supersuit somehow fit random joe-ex football player coming over to do an interview... see the inconsistencies?
-Really bad football puns. Especially with villains like Instant Replay and Quick Kick.
-And did I mention the maker of that comic was selling out for NFL tickets?

Posted by DRock1 on 2008-08-27 11:48:37
wolverine - evolution!
i veto the previous veto of jeph loeb wolverine arc. I can do that right? Well I think that it should be considered the worst comic because it was published in 2007 but this much cheesy writing and awful retcons don't even belong in the 90s - and i still can't understand any connection between the mystic sasquatch and lupine mutant characters. seriously marvel, loeb may be a big name but check the quality of the pitch before publishing. and the dialogues were awful too; rahne saying "i dinnae can say"?? i'm not a native english speaker but even i wouldn't write such a line. although the art was surprisingly good, bianchi's good work makes me think that he is only suitable for solo title since AXM looks a bit weird. stil,l this kind of writing in a modern title is really shameful



Posted by tusbat on 2008-08-27 12:23:41
The Draco
Uncanny X-Men #433

Paul O'Brien at X-Axis says it better (and more entertainingly) than I ever could.

http://www.thexaxis.com/uncannyxmen/uncannyxmen433.htm

Posted by hayeshenderson on 2008-08-27 12:37:31
X-Men First Class
X-Men First Class Volume 2's issue with the Continui-teens was the most horrific comic ever.  I tried on 3 different occasions to read it and never was able to make it past the 7th page.  It was a terrible idea and didn't fit in with comic storytelling.  It's a shame because the rest of the series has been very well done.

Posted by weasel21385 on 2008-08-27 12:53:12
Dark Claw
I am going to veto Dark Claw, it was a cool comic

Posted by Oasx on 2008-08-27 13:07:46
Amazing Spider-Man vol 1 #1.

Just kididng :)

NFL Suporpro #1 defo.

Posted by coconutphone on 2008-08-27 13:13:27
ROM Spacekight #53
Find it. Flip through it. Ditko and Russell art was RUINED by a newbies coloring job. It's horrendous. And beyone that, it was the culmination of the whole run!!! Where the heroes fight the Dire Wraiths and finally win! It's the most horrible looking think Marvel's ever put to paper.

Posted by pmpknface on 2008-08-27 13:36:09
oops!
My mistake - Dont' know how I posted 2x...

but it was ROM 65. I just located it on comicvine. The cover isn't bad, but the interior is vomit inducing.

Posted by pmpknface on 2008-08-27 13:42:37
The Eternal #1
Chuck Austen and Kev Walker's MAX attempt at remaking the Eternals. Sickening on SO many levels.

Posted by Alan M. on 2008-08-27 13:43:19
oops!
My mistake - Dont' know how I posted 2x...

but it was ROM 65. I just located it on comicvine. The cover isn't bad, but the interior is vomit inducing.

Posted by pmpknface on 2008-08-27 13:43:34
2nd suggestion...
...this one from a friend. NIGHTCAT. Actually based on a real person:

http://goodcomics.comicbookresources.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/11/nightcatcover.jpg

Good Jusko cover tho!

Posted by pmpknface on 2008-08-27 13:44:31
Sorry weasel, but I gotta veto your X-men: First Class choice. I really liked the Continui-teens issue. I thought it fitted in perfectly with the whole whimsical feel of the series.

Posted by cjmcaree on 2008-08-27 13:55:05
Worst Marvel comic
Civil War Frontline #11. I suppose there must be someone to whom Sally Floyd's rant made sense. There's plenty of drunks and people in asylums.

Posted by izzatrix on 2008-08-27 13:59:38
without an once of hesitation....:
'Daredevil: Father'

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-08-27 14:05:33
'Sins Past'
ASM 509-514.

Simply vile.




Posted by R Nitelight on 2008-08-27 15:41:36
You can't veto a veto.

I gotta veto Daredevil Father, which was good, Sins Past, which was great (except for the last issue), and Civil War Frontline #11, which was brilliant.

Posted by Fetsur on 2008-08-27 15:59:20
no, it wasn't.

Posted by bulgarianyogurt on 2008-08-27 16:10:54
oh well, too bad i can't delete my previous post since i can't un-veto loeb's wolverine. the second worst comic i had in mind was "the sins remembered" arc in Spectacular Spider-Man 23-26. terrible story that takes place in Paris with the most awful examples of french (language that is) i have ever seen.

Posted by tusbat on 2008-08-27 16:55:08
I wouldn't say OMB or BND
As far as writing and art, OMD and BND are okay for a secondary or tertiary character. They weren't however, high spider-man quality, they simply made a secondary or tertiary character...this imitation of spider-man.

I veto the first Secret Wars.

I submit Spider-man #17, a shameless tie in to the Infinite Guantlet, The art was terrible and it only served to bridge between two much, much better story lines.

Thanos was bad @&*@&@#% but not here, maybe we could've used the infinite guantlet to right the ship for ASM

Make mine (Iron Man #55) marvel,

and

Publish Both in '09

Posted by coolhanddave on 2008-08-27 16:55:11
wait
does, Un-Peter Paker acknowledge the existence of a deal with Mephisto?

Posted by coolhanddave on 2008-08-27 17:17:40
VETO !
-Ruins. Anything by Warren Ellis, actually
-Sins Past. Good Lord, its only Gwen Stacy, she's not a deity - she's a fictional character
-The Eternals. (Austen and Walker)
- Chuck Austen's Uncanny X-Men run. I have that entire run bound and i LIKE IT.

Posted by Dave James on 2008-08-27 17:47:33
I also super-veto Thor:Vikings, which kicked ass.


Posted by entzauberung on 2008-08-27 18:07:59
You saw it here first: coolhanddave vetoed One More Day. Obviously he's come to realise that it isn't all that bad after all.

Posted by Fetsur on 2008-08-27 19:51:13
I veto everything nominated so far except for Loeb's Wolverine, Liefeld's Onslaught, One More Day, Avengers: Disassembled, Chuck Austen's X-Men, Civil War: Frontline, and Sins Past.

Posted by CylverSaber on 2008-08-27 21:03:51
Of those you list, all but "Onslaught Reborn" have already been vetoed, Matt. (Is it possible to blanketly veto "everything", anyway? Kind of defeats the purpose of the game...)

Posted by Fetsur on 2008-08-27 21:14:37
Not really... the purpose is to narrow it down to a book that we can all agree is worthy of being called the worst... I don't think any of the other ones nominated are quite bad enough.

Posted by CylverSaber on 2008-08-27 21:40:59
I thought about this some more and want to nominate X-Force #1 (volume one).

The story was weak even back then. The artwork, while not as bad as some Liefeld-haters might say, hasn't aged well. The book changed the New Mutants to a degree that made the characters unrecognizable and in some cases unlikable. And it propagated the whole speculator craze, damaging the whole industry in the long run.

Posted by Michael Heide on 2008-08-27 23:28:44
Veto X-Force #1.
Nominate "World's End" : Uncanny X-Men #455-#459. Not Chris Claremont or Alan Davis's best work...
(Every time, that NFL comic comes up.)
Veto Chuck Austin's X-Men because compared to the other main X-book that was coming out at the time (Morrison), Austin's was the lesser of two evils. (As in it was actually readable.)

Posted by Thomas More on 2008-08-28 00:59:13
Btw... I think these moments really show us just how different everyone's personal tastes are. What I hated, is probably on someone's "best comic of the week" list. What I loved ten years ago, is still being mocked and ridiculed on message boards that didn't exist back then.
We should have a "What would you retcon?" or "What would you change?" poll. (NO BND or OMD, you folks need an entire poll, universe to yourselves, respectfully...) Mine would be Morrison, and the Scott-Emma thing, it just pisses on forty years worth of history as if it were nothing. Either that or it was just a plot setup for a big-ass, "You implanted what into my head!" fight between Mr. and Mrs. Summers. (Sorry Spidey readers, the X-Men are allowed to age, unlike Parker (it actually all makes sense to a non-spidey reader!)).
One More Thing! I checked out Spider-Girl just to see if all the free press it had been getting was deserving, and wow, talk about some really crappy stuff. Now I understand why the Spidey readers didn't switch to it...

Posted by Thomas More on 2008-08-28 01:19:04
Actually, on second thought, the X-Men began to go downhill very quickly after "The Hunt for Xavier". X-Men #85 and Uncanny X-Men #366 up until the pre-stuff to Messiah Complex, (Condition Critical and Blinded by the Light). That's mid '99 - mid '07. Really sad thing is that a lot of the X-Stories in between those eight years could have been really good (the 12 I'm looking at you), but were instead worse then Christmas day let-downs. And the artwork! Wow! From Kubert to Alan Davis in just one issue...
P.S. Before anybody throws Astonishing at me, just because Whedon can write character dialogue better then others, doesn't make Danger-Room-Girl-who-in-fact-is-yet-another-bad-thing-from-Professor-Xavier's-past, a clever or even good idea.

Posted by Thomas More on 2008-08-28 02:03:15
People always bring up "The Draco" and Loeb's Wolverine arc. Is there a "We Hate Chuck Austin" club that I'm unaware of? The Draco's prologue issue was good. Everybody just upset that Nightcrawler has an inter-dimensional demon for a father? Or was it the plot lines that were just going somewhere that hadn't necessarily been figured out yet?
As for Loeb's Wolverine... Until this WHOLE Romulus thing plays out (which could be years and years, maybe even decades at this rate), I'm reserving judgement on the death of Sabretooth's clone. Wait, did I say clone, I meant Sabretooth, they haven't retconned it yet have they?



Posted by Thomas More on 2008-08-28 03:36:37
Marville #7
Well, that's a really interesting exercise and i'd really have to flip through my whole collection but have no time. Still i'd have to go with Marville #7. It is not a diss at Jemas who along Quesada definitely jump started things at at Marvel after the terrible 90's. But this issue is a 2.99$ comic that simply is NOT a comic but a submission guideline to epic, a creator owned line by Marvel that eventually didn't even come to pass!!!!!! So that's kind of real lame in my book.

Posted by baxtos on 2008-08-28 09:26:26
Loeb's Wolverine
I think someone vetoed it already, but if they haven't I'll do it again cuz Wolverine called Cyclops a douchebag in #55, I think, so I veto 55. That was worth the price of admission, but what a sh*tty story. If I'm Dan Way, I finish up my series and quietly depart. Forget Romulus. Who the hell's that anyway? Oy.

Get Guggenheim back on Wolverine!

Posted by hulkspants on 2008-08-28 09:35:10
Man, sometimes I should think more before I p
A caveat to my demand to have the Gugg back on Wolverine: Don't let him to stories based on other stories. The Civil War story was brilliant, but the Chaykin one didn't do it for me. Prolly cuz I didn't read the stories it was based on.

Posted by hulkspants on 2008-08-28 09:38:26
About all which was published under the title ' Alpha Flight ' since the issue 50 of the first series. I have never seen anywhere so much will to kill a title. Even if you make errors several times, you are relatively sure to produce at will hits, but there, it's as if it had been said that this title would never succeed, as if it was condemned.
do you see what I mean ?

Posted by notapotatoe on 2008-08-28 10:38:48
why do you punish us ?

Posted by notapotatoe on 2008-08-28 10:39:13
Headmasters!!!
I am going to nominate for your consumption a book that I bought in 7th grade...

Transformers: Headmasters #2. This comic was so woefully bad that it had me regretting the expenditure of the 75 cents and I did not touch another Transformers book again. There was no redeeming element to this book. The art was poor, the story was...bad. The coloring was dreadful. Stupid, stupid book.

Posted by bigdaddyhub2 on 2008-08-28 10:41:39
Maximum Carnage
I nominate all issues of Maximum Carnage. According to another blog called "the life of Reilly" the writers and artists were pretty much forced to do Maximum Carnage by the Sales and Marketing division, and these writers, artists, editors themselves even referred to it as "Maximum Garbage" at the time.

Posted by Mardochaeus LXX on 2008-08-28 10:49:44
Probably not the worst ever...
...but the worst comic i've read since i returned to comics was the Civil War "Thing goes to France" issue of Fantastic Four. on a whole, JMS' fantastic four run was pretty flat, but this issue was just beyond bad, from the French Justice League Knock-offs to the lame joke that required an intentional misspelling on the page to make sense. JMS on Civil War was baffling to me: Amazing Spider-man was soooo good and FF was SOOOOO bad. and sometimes they were the same story from different viewpoints!?!?! it honestly felt like 2 different writers... I generally like McKone too, and his art seemed flat/dull/uninspired on this run too.

Honestly though, i bet the worst ever is some licensed junk from the 80s or a movie adaptation or something.

Oh and veto Avengers 503. In case anyone on the internets hasn't been paying attention this is an obsession, not a rational debate. And even if you didn't like the story, it's still got great art.

Posted by artiepants on 2008-08-28 10:54:19
People will hate me for this but...
I'm going to go with a newer comic that just came out because for me it soured me on the whole ultimate universe. Ultimate X-men #96. I know it's an ultimatum cross over and Ultimate x-men which I followed loyally since the begining, but it feels more like a 90's comic both art and story. The idea is good, but the follow through doesn't work for the ultimate universe. it's a growing trend in the ultimate universe, the art and story of alot of their line (ultimate spiderman and ultimate origins being the exception) feels like 90's, and those comics that came out in the 90's will have a place in my heart, but lets not go back there, especially when Marvel has been producing cutting edge stuff lately... So hate me if you want, but that's what I'm nominating. I'm sure it will be vetoed very quickly...

Posted by Canyon Boy on 2008-08-28 11:04:29
Someone must have mentioned the Draco, right?


Posted by MattDiCarlo on 2008-08-28 11:17:52
Most Definitely
Ultimates 3 #4.

What. Were. You. THINKING?

Posted by The Gecko on 2008-08-28 11:39:34
But, Based On The Idea Of It Being Bad At Eve
Ultimate Power #9. The whole plot and story went all over the place, the dialogue was atrocious, and the art - Jesus, the art. Christopher Bird says more about it than I ever could here: http://mightygodking.com/index.php/ultimate-power-2-very-naughty-edition/

Posted by The Gecko on 2008-08-28 11:43:40
Veto Ultimate Power #9, Ultimate X-Men #96, Maximum Carnage, "Thing Goes to France", Transformers: Headmasters #2, Alpha Flight since #50, and all the X-Men comics Thomas More nominated.

So what's still un-vetoed?

Posted by CylverSaber on 2008-08-28 12:32:00
My pick for worst ever
2003's MAX Rawhide Kid #1 - horrendous book - no plot, boring art, poor scripting - lots of hype and controversy over nothing worth reading, much less buying

Posted by ncmtntop on 2008-08-28 14:37:21
Trouble.
I was going to say "The New Eternals", but somebody already mentioned it.

So, I say "Trouble". And veto to X-Men first class Vol. 2. I love that series.

Posted by freyes2000 on 2008-08-28 14:59:49
worst book ever
have you forgoteen the late 1990s? But the worst ever---USA1- it was about space truckers cira 1982. Truck drivers in space. The bad guy was called the midnight runner who turned out to be the hero's brother. bad bad bad.

Posted by jaffy on 2008-08-28 15:49:27
jeph loeb
it's funny - all this hate on jeph loeb recent stuff... why is it that his books sell through the roof, if its so hated? i'd love Marvel to put out a book by him, but NOT promote the crap out of it, and DON'T give him an A list artist. then we'll see how much he actually sells.

Posted by irate snowman on 2008-08-28 17:16:25
worst comic
after years of not buying X-Men comics, i bought a .25 chuck austin uncanny issue. 1st couple pages, he senslessly killed a few of my favorites from Generation-X, then all of a sudden Angel has healing blood powers that were never known of or mentioned before? i threw that book in the trash and didn't pick up another x-men book for a few years

Posted by irate snowman on 2008-08-28 17:32:44
In my opinion
Sorry, probably shouldn't post late at night, meant to say in my opinion to everything.
(Wasn't nominating everything between 99 and 07 either, I was just saying that I didn't really care for them too much. So, CylverSaber, can I have my UXM 455-459, "World's End" nomination back please? Specifically Uncanny X-Men #456, where Rachel Grey turns into a dinosaur. Please.

Posted by Thomas More on 2008-08-28 18:08:21
TPB of Inhumans' Origin from Thor ?
Tom,

When are we going to see a reprint of the early Lee/Kirby/Sinnott stuff on the Inhumans, especially the back stories from Thor #146-152 ? Note: these stories weren't reprinted in the Thor Masterworks, and it would be great to see them again!

PS: Got anything lined up for Dr. Strange in his own book ?

Posted by Mon Morn Lunatic on 2008-08-28 18:25:41
Maximum Clonage
I also nominate Maximum Clonage. There are parts of the Clone Saga that were individually done well. Maximum Clonage was not one of them.

Posted by Mardochaeus LXX on 2008-08-28 18:42:02
some questions and ideas
1) What are your top favorite character changes/progressions since you've been an editor? Example: "Dr. Strange starts dating Night Nurse"
2) What status quo change/idea did you really want to pull off but the Fickle Fan Community just rejected? I don't think Spidey counts, jury's still out on that one.
3) Which old Marvel comics (pre-2000) do you re-read the most?
4) Can you explain the current cover philosophy at Marvel? I was actually a fan of the iconic cover era, and the current hybrid era seems to be lacking those "wow" covers - with the occasional one coming along once a year, instead of five times per month. Personal opinion, I know.
5) When editing, do you try to cater a specific colorist to a specific artist more, or a specific title/character more, or both? Do you ever tell colorists that the finished art is "too shiny" or "too dull" and make them do it over, or is that solved earlier?
6) What is your favorite non-comic-book-related movie?
7) What is your favorite non-comic book?

Hopefully some of these ideas might help you get out of your blogging slump. -Eric

Posted by stuckinazkaban on 2008-08-28 19:16:37
Specifically Uncanny X-Men #456, where Rachel Grey turns into a dinosaur.
Ok, I won't veto that, and it's technically a new nomination since you previously nominated the whole arc.

Posted by CylverSaber on 2008-08-28 20:10:49
Marvel needs to do a contest!
I've noticed that there haven't been all that many new characters over the last few years that have gained any traction with the fans. Most new characters fall to the wayside pretty quickly and very few even make out of the C-List.

I was thinking now might be the time for Marvel to hold a "hero" and/or "villain" creation contest - perhaps just on Marvel.com - and see if the fans can come up with something new (perhaps even serveral character ideas) you guys think could be the next A-List hero(es)/villain(s).

Posted by Hrungr on 2008-08-28 22:52:46
veto and some questions
I respectfully veto the reference to the issue of Uncanny X-Men where the Generation X kids die. To me, it makes sense in the context of the run.

A few questions: What do the best Marvel comics have in common? How about the worst? What do you were think were some of the best and worst editorial decisions made before and/or during your time at Marvel? I particularly have in mind changes of status quo.

Posted by ted_dahlman on 2008-08-29 00:18:34
my votes
I nominate Soldier X 6. I'd nominate the whole run, but if I had to pick one issue that was the worse, that was it.

I'm vetoing Uncanny X-Men 456 and World's End (the infamous Rachel becomes a dinosaurs). It was awful, but not the worse comic Marvel has ever published and nowhere near as most of Chuck Austin's rubbish.


Posted by Rachel__Summers on 2008-08-29 03:03:28
Worst comic
My choice for worst comic ever would be one of the Venom limited series that were published in the nineties. They were pretty much all bad, but let's pick one and say Knights of Vengeance. Horrible art, horrible art and a horrible team-up with Vengeance. Who's a horrible character. Man, I bought a lot of crap when I was a teenager.

Veto: Thing goes to France issue of the Fantastic Four. It was not amazing, but it wasn't that terrible either.



Posted by wvantuinen on 2008-08-29 07:52:50
Worst arc
I´d go with Chuck Austen´s run on UXM. He tried hard but most of it was boring and senseless. Draco arc is an example of that. I like his late X-men run but his UXM is the worst.

Another that I´d go is OMD. I know nobody cares but for me it´s one of the worst, not because of the unmarried thing but the deal itself. The first chapter was okay but the rest, totally boring and just to erase the unmasking, aunt May´s condition and the marriage. Don´´ t get me wrong and I´m not trying to bring that subject back, but without the deal, OMD could have been good.

Posted by claudio pahl on 2008-08-29 10:44:12
Difficult choice.
Though Brand New Day wins the price hands down for worst arc ever in the history of comics due to the destruction of Peter Parker in it. I'd have to go with another one for the worst comic, separately.

I'd have to go with What if, the Punisher killed the Marvel Universe.

This issue is just crap, it has Garth Ennis' Gary Stu kill off every single superhero in the Marvel Universe, ignoring that most of them should be easily capable of kicking Castle's ass. I like Frank Castle as much as the next girl, but seriously, that issue sucked and was just one more display of Ennis insane hatred against superheroes and mancrush on the Punisher.

Posted by liliaeth on 2008-08-29 14:23:47
RULK SUCK!
Hulk #5. Not only has Loeb failed to give us a reason, however pitiful, for this "Rulk's" strength, but he takes a great, classic character like Thor and has him get the crap beaten out of for no reason other than Loeb wanting his character to be the most powerful in the MU. Who's next? Galactus? Living Tribunal? It wouldn't suprise me. Honorable Mention includes BND for destroying a bunch of Spidey's continuity and Ultimates 3 for taking a good series and completely destroying it.

Posted by sampson77 on 2008-08-29 16:01:24
Put this to vote the right way
This is a skewed sample since not everyone reads this blog every day. Put it on the front of mavel.com so everyone can see it. The fact that Leob's Hulk crap isn't on the list clearly shows not everyone voted.

Posted by kevinmarvel on 2008-08-29 18:11:06
i would like to say you can't veto an opinion on a opinionated based question on a blog. so i vote hulk 5 and silver surfer in thy name arc.

Posted by chulo313 on 2008-08-29 18:59:02
A few questions
Beyond Iron-Man: The End, do you have any plans for Michelinie and Layton on Iron-Man or other projects? They would have been good on something like a Fantastic Four Secret Invasion type of thing.

2. What is the progress on recoloring classic comics?

3. Do you think that today's comics are better than the 80's?

4. Have you ever considered asking us for topic ideas?

Posted by Dusty. on 2008-08-31 02:43:50
Artists
I don't know where to write this so that I can get a response from MARVEL and I have limited time on this computer so here goes nothing. 1.Why hasn't MARVEL assigned its best Artists on The Twelve,Avengers/Invaders,Secret Invasion and Captain America? 2.Why hasn't Jim Cheung,Alan Davis,Tom Grummett been assigned to some of those books? 3.Where is Kerry Gammill( Marvel Team-Up # 128--his Captain America rivals George Perez's,John Byrne's,Jim Lee's,Alan Davis' and a young John Buscema's( Avengers vol.1# 56 & 58 ),Travis Charest and Greg Capullo ( to bad Carlos Pacheco is busy at DC COMICS )? 4.I have other questions like why didn't a MARVEL editor stop the "writer" who did the origin of the CLOAK OF LEVITATION and say why aren't you letting the ANCIENT ONE put the enchantment on the CLOAK OF LEVITATION after all he is the Sorcerer Supreme?Why didn't someone who has read a SPIDER-MAN comic say,wait a minute SPIDER-MAN who be the last hero to join the PRO-REGISTRATION side and unmask after what happened to the White Tiger,Daredevil,Aunt May and Gwen Stacy.

Posted by John Holstein on 2008-09-02 14:38:58
I again nominate
Obnoxio the Clown VS the X-Men #1.

Posted by horstdewurst on 2008-09-02 16:24:56
Just as a reminder.
Any vetoes made her since the posting of Brevoort's August 29th blog, do not count... Just thought to say that just in case.

Posted by Aziroth on 2008-09-02 16:36:17
Surely we get just one veto each?
In which case, can we have Avengers 503 unvetoed? As Kyle said, it was dreadfully untrue to character and continuity. And what was that someone said about the terrific art? Who could tell, with all the red tones in that storyline (yeah, yeah, Scarlet, we get it).

Posted by Volthoom on 2008-09-03 08:53:37
yet another opinion
I have to say I was a die hard marvel comics fan since I was a young child. I really thought that the whole House of M was a mistake. Now you have a few heroes left and a lot of Batman wanna bees. The New Warriors for example. I have to admit during this terrible period in my marvel universe I reverted to a lot of DC titles. And I must say I believe that the DC universe has caught up with marvel. I have found some great storylines that make a lot more sense than house of M and Civil War, You killed cap, I mean you really killed Cap. Need I say more. I hope you will get marvel back on track. I miss the Old Avengers, X-MEN, I feel like Marvel knows they screwed the universe up so they came up with the Ultimate Universe to try and start over. I'm sill a marvel fan but I'm disappointed in what has happened over the last several years.

Posted by nathanl4248 on 2008-09-15 21:15:08