Number 10: Watchmen #12"A Stronger Loving World" (DC Comics, October 1987)
Most comics fans probably agree that Alan Moore's Watchmen miniseries changed the face of comics. The 12-issue limited series ran from 1986 to 1987 and was set in the heady days of the Cold War amidst the threat of imminent nuclear Armageddon. Moore's Watchmen tells the tale of how the world might have evolved had super heroes really existed, exploring their likely roles in politics and war.
The story is likely one of the most complex and multifaceted tales to have been portrayed in a comic book format at the time of its publication. Along the way, Moore introduces readers to some of the most amazing and intriguing characters in comics history, including the likes of Rorschach and Dr. Manhattan.
Issue 12 is, of course, the final chapter in the series. One might think that the conclusion of a story would generally tie up most of the loose ends. But Watchmen really did break most of the rules in the comics world and the conclusion of the story is certainly no exception. Readers are left with a host of questions and moral dilemmas on a scale so vast that it’s simply impossible to do the tale any justice whatsoever with a short and simple summary.
The complete Watchmen series is available as a one-volume trade paperback. If you have read this far and you don't already own a copy of the book, you should probably go ahead and buy it.
Further Reading
Watching the Detectives: An Internet Companion for Readers of Watchmen
Number 9: Swamp Thing #32"Pog" (DC Comics, January 1985)
I had long considered this selection to be one of my "obscure" favorites, and perhaps it is relatively obscure compared to some of the other books in my favorites list. But I did a quick Google search before writing this piece and I was surprised to find that this issue won the Kirby Award for best single issue story of 1985. It also seems to regarded as somewhat of a classic in its own right, even garnering a mention in the Wiki entry for "Swamp Thing." So it seems as if plenty of folks out there have appreciated this issue at one time or another.
This is another Alan Moore work and once again, it is not a typical comic book story. The story is an homage to Walt Kelly's legendary comic strip "Pogo" and it features a cast of Pogo-like characters and dialogue written in the Okefenokee swamp dialect (from the original Kelly strips). In Moore's adaptation, "Pog" and the other swamp characters have fled their native planet after it was overrun by the intelligent but violent creatures known as "The Loneliest Animals." With the help of Swamp Thing, "Pog" and the crew of his ship, Vivi-Quinquereme, soon learn that "The Loneliest Animals" — humans — also rule the planet of Earth. Heartbroken, "Pog" and his crew assemble to depart Earth and continue their quest, but not before one of the expedition's crew meets an untimely and unfortunate demise.
Further Reading
Walt Kelly's Pogo official site
