Image - August 1995
Writer - Kurt Busiek
Artist - Brent Anderson
When it started, it became clear that Astro City was going to be an important comic book; co-created by Kurt Busiek and Alex Ross, it was a world of superheroes, much like the Marvel and DC Universes, but one centred around newly created characters, each of them similar to a character from the Big Two in some way. The first issue follows The Samaritan, a Superman analogy who protects the world from disasters, throughout a single day. There's a wonderful emotional connection established with the character right away, mainly in regards to his ability to fly; he doesn't get to enjoy the experience, being that when he flies he's normally heading to combat danger. It's a wonderful way to look at a superhero and Busiek pens the character perfectly. The art by Brent Anderson is rough around the edges, but captures the beauty of the story perfectly in every panel.
DC - September 2009
Writer - Grant Morrison
Artist - Frank Quitely
It's one of those strange experiences when you read a book and instantly flip back to the front and read it again. This book was the first regular buying experience comic book that's ever had this effect on me; I re-read it twelve times the day I bought it and have re-examined it many times since. The central chapter of Grant Morrison's first arc featuring Dick Grayson and Damian Wayne as Batman and Robin was the masterpiece of the series; the action was perfect, the choreography was insane and the characterisations were some of the best in modern comics. As well as that, the threat of Professor Pyg, only teased in the first issue comes to the forefront with some truly unsettling moments and a cliffhanger that still sends shivers down my spine.
DC - March 2001
Writer - Joe Kelly
Artists - Doug Mahnke & Lee Bermejo
This was the moment when Superman went dark. Faced with the threat of the villainous Elite, a group of heroes who kill rather than capture, Superman finds the world turning against him and goes to drastic and brutal methods to prevent the Elite from gaining support for their unruly and inhumane methods. It's a frightening thought to comprehend Superman losing his cool, for even a moment, and when he does it turns into one of the most frightening moments ever printed in a comic book. The Elite themselves are a play on the Authority and the hyper-violent, cinematic style of comic book that was becoming commonplace in the early 2000s. After this, though, Superman has never managed to be as interesting or as poignant.
DC - March 2002
Writer - Geoff Johns
Artist - Scott Kolins
When Geoff Johns took over the Flash it became obvious that the book was on it's way to returning to the glory it enjoyed during Mark Waid's titanic run, and as Johns developed the series the Rogues were given their own individual one-shots to flesh out their characters and add depth to foes who were still somewhat stuck in the Silver Age. This issue, exploring the character of Captain Cold, is the greatest single issue of Geoff Johns' career and will probably never be beaten in terms of sheer quality; Cold is portrayed as both hero and villain, given moments of clarity and humanity and his actions are given harsh justification, something many Flash villains lacked until Johns got his hands on them. As well as that, Cold is a brutal individual; his methods for seeking revenge are disturbing to say the least and the sequence where he explains just how horrifically he plans to kill everyone around him in a room is sensationally electrifying.
Marvel - October 2000
Writers - Brian Michael Bendis & Bill Jemas
Artist - Mark Bagley
Honestly, could it be anything else? This is the issue that started it all; Ultimate Spider-Man was an experiment to try and modernise Spider-Man for the youth of the day and create a separate continuity, and the first issue gives every indication that this was going to become the biggest thing to happen to comics in years, particularly with the emphasis on decompressed storytelling and character development, giving a truly definitive characterisation of the often mishandled Uncle Ben. There's a high level of skill and craft behind the book, and it demonstrates just how capable Bendis would become as a writer; Bagley's artwork compliments the story in every way, blending a classic Spider-Man style with modern sensibilities. This is the first comic book I ever read, and without it I would not be reading comic books right now; the series left a stamp on me that expanded to my love of the medium. This is the beginning of everything good about comic books today, and there is no possible contender for the spot of "Best Comic Book of My Lifetime."
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