What Should Be Octos Next Comic Book Deep Dive?

[Octopus Prime]

Hi! I’m Octo!

Im just about done scrutinizing the whole of Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's run on Fantastic Four (three issues left as of this posting). A project I started about 3 years ago. And that was a follow up to me reading all of the Fourth World on the previous forum. And I ain’t done getting enthusiastic about old comics yet! And I don’t know what to follow it up with! I’d prefer focusing on stuff on Marvel Unlimited, for convenience sake. Sticking with the 1960s isn’t a requirement. Right now my top contenders are;

The Stan Lee/Steve Ditko run of Spider Man
Walter Simonsons Thor
What If… (original run)
Alan Davis’ Excalibur
Just keep going with FF until I hit the present day
DCs One Million crossover

Or if anyone has another idea, lemme know

 

[Torzelbaum]

Write in vote for What The--?!

 

[Jeanie]

I voted Excalibur mostly because Davis' art is amazing. But if I could throw in a write in vote that I know won't win, I'd say the 1998 Spider-Girl series.

 

[Lokii]

I think you need to learn about asgard and the people of asgard

 

[Ixo]

If you don’t mind a switch to DC /Vertigo, I think an Octo Deep Dive of Doom Patrol would be a great match.

 

[Rascally Badger]

I'm going to vote you keep reading FF. For revenge. You know what you did.

 

[Olli]

Write in vote for What The--?!

Agree

 

[Peklo]

Simonson's Thor run is an easy vote in terms of Good Comics that you'd enjoy reading, but for the purposes of a commentary project, especially if it's to lean on riffing and reveling in the inexplicable that occurs, it's maybe not the most relevant pick as it is so consistently and plainly good. Post-Kirby Fantastic Four however is a wild and messy frontier, but you also might just get tired of comics in general if you're stuck in workmanlike gruel for too long. Something to weigh.

 

[Octopus Prime]

For clarity sake, this would be a reread of Simonsons Thor. I am well familiar with the ballad of Beta Ray Bill.

But it also doesn’t lend itself great to my style of recapping.

 

[ghosttaster]

How about Simonson's Fantastic Four? It kicks ass and people aren't as familiar with it as his Thor stuff

 

[Octopus Prime]

Oooh, I was considering jumping ahead to Byrnes FF, but I like this idea too

 

[ghosttaster]

It's my personal opinion that the Byrne FF is the next-best run after Kirby/Lee's, but it's also quite long (and in my opinion really drags ass at the end when Byrne is clearly over it), and Byrne himself is also a divisive figure these days (on account of his being... generally offensive in like every regard).

Either way whatever you choose I'll support you [silently; infrequently]

 

[gogglebob]

I can't remember where and how it was mentioned elsewhere on this very forum, but I want to say do What If, and then follow it with the "Blink" Exiles run, which is basically "What If with an overarching plot/loveable characters". It is pretty fun!

 

[Jeanie]

I can't remember where and how it was mentioned elsewhere on this very forum, but I want to say do What If, and then follow it with the "Blink" Exiles run, which is basically "What If with an overarching plot/loveable characters". It is pretty fun!

A Blink Exiles run is kinda tough to not do as there's only two times she's not on the team. It's easier to say read until Claremont takes over, then skip to the Jeff Parker miniseries, then read the most recent miniseries by Saladin Ahmed.

 

[Johnny Unusual]

I voted for Fantastic Four but only because I like the idea of you doing deep dives on other things, then coming back for a few runs. I say do the Lee/Buscema run, take another deep dive into another series, do a dive on the Thomas/Buscema run and so on.

But I also agree with I agree with Ixo: Doom Patrol. Not even the Vertigo version... (yet) but classic Doom Patrol by Arnold Drake. Its very charming.

Also, I'll say while its less Octo, I do highly recommend original Deadman, also created by Drake. Feels like a precursor to the kind of storytelling that Frank Miller is credited with bringing into vogue but more fun and also kind of like Quantum Leap with less social commentary but also less problematic.