In this week's Five for Friday, Tom Spurgeon asked for four issues that could have been the end of the series/character but weren't (for whatever reason) along with an explanation for one of your choices. I really liked the idea and wanted to expand upon my list with some new picks and explanations for all of them.
1. Dreadstar #31: The final issue that Jim Starlin wrote and illustrated. Vanth nearly died fighting the Lord High Papal and spends two years in a coma and wakes up to some big changes. The character is immortal, basically, so this seemed like a good place to end things. His life would always be a cycle of victories and losses...
2. The Authority #22: The Authority, having become bloated and corrupt in their own way are killed by the governments they pissed off and replaced with a group that will cater to the Powers that Be. That always seemed like an appropriate and fitting ending for the book that pushed the boundaries a little and had its share of controversies and would, eventually, die a death of slow mediocrity.
3. Transmetropolitan #24: Spider uses all of his power to help oust the Beast from power, but, in the process, put in someone worse. A downbeat ending, sure... Every time I reread Transmet, this always seems like a natural breaking point for the series and, had it ended there, it would have been disappointing... and appropriate to an extent.
4. Adventures of Superman #623: Superman reflects on his role, his marriage, and it ends with a moment of him recognising his effect on the world, and leaving his relationship with Lois ambiguous enough that you can interpret it as the end of their marriage or them reaffirming their love. (Also, assume that ever 'last issue' of a Joe Casey run gets its own pick...)
5. Fantastic Four #513: The Fantastic Four go to Heaven to bring the Thing back, meet Jack Kirby, and receive a drawing them older and happy...
6. Punishermax #22: Frank Castle is dead and I can't honestly think of another Punisher story that needs telling... or anything left to say with the character that hasn't been said.
7. Spectacular Spider-Man #229: Peter gives up being Spider-Man to be a husband and father, handing the mantle over to Ben Reilly. Peter finally gets to become an adult and Spider-Man still exists.
8. Hellblazer #215: John Constantine has doomed his sister to hell, ruined his friendship with his best friend, and then delivers the best sober 'drunk' speech ever to a bunch of magicians. It's a glorious 'fuck you' to magic and the life he's chosen... and you know it won't end there.
9. Batman and Robin #3: Bruce Wayne is dead, but Batman and Robin will never die...
10. Marshal Law #6: None of the follow-ups really said anything that this hadn't. They expanded on the character a little and made some funny jokes, and never hit nearly as hard as the finale to the mini-series.
Later
Storm #2 annotations
4 hours ago
