It’s time for iFlashback! A weekly feature in which we take a look at some comics that were on sale nine years ago. Why nine years and not ten? Well because our Mondays in 2012 sync up with the Wednesdays of 2003.
So jog down memory lane with me. The date is July 9th, 2003. The number one film at the box office was Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and these are some of the comics at your local comic book shop.
Fantastic Four #500
By Mark Waid, Mike Wieringo, Karl Kesel
Nightwing #83
By Devin Grayson, Rick Leonardi, Jess Delpedang, John Lowe
The Punisher #29
By Garth Ennis, Cam Kennedy
Emma Frost #1
By Karl Bollers, Randall Green, Rick Ketcham
Fables #15
By Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha
Human Torch #4
By Karl Kesel, Skottie Young, Joe Seung
Domino #3
By Joe Pruett, Brian Stelfreeze
Fallen Angel #1
By Peter David, David Lopez
Spectacular Spider-man #1
By Paul Jenkins, Humberto Ramos, Wayne Faucher
That was the week of comics July 9th, 2003. Some interesting books came out. Fantastic Four 500 was especially good plus some early Skottie Young Marvel work. Did you read any of these books? If so let us know what you thought of them!
Find us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
Subscribe to our RSS Feed
Some rights reserved.
Poor Emma Frost.
“This book is pretty interesting. Please, please don’t ever let anyone see me looking at it.”
Just read the first issue on MDCU and it *is* good. But what’s the deal with the covers?
so, we’re all in agreement that that’s jenna jameson, yeah?
Yeah, No Kidding! It’s hard enough to get people to take comic books seriously without the occasional pornesque character design. Maybe a discussion worthy of an article?
I get that the target audience most books are trying to grab appreciate the T&A but it could be done with a little more moderation and I wouldn’t complain at all. I appreciate it when the comic has some of the women drawn like NORMAL WOMEN! If every female form looks like the same ridiculous Big Breasted Barbie (BBB), I get bored with the art. Just as in real life, variety is the greatest spice.
It’s particularly unnecessary with this series since the young Emma Frost portrayed within the pages of this book is the exact opposite of the cover. The discussion about this cover is interesting when paired with the discussion last week about Trouble.
That Emma Frost series was part of the Marvel Tsunami imprint, a line of comics meant to appeal to younger, manga-oriented boys and girls. Which only makes the series’ covers that much more confusing!
I loved the Emma Frost series. It was actually pretty good. Just hoped there were variant covers at the time…
When Fables was really good!
Fables is still better than most things out there. Even if it’s not as good as is was 9 years ago.
wish i was into the artists and fables back then, wish randall green was around now, what is he working on now. picked up human torch issues and all fables tpb a couple of years ago, for the early skottie young, not into the human torch character or story from what i read. i would like to pick up the emma frost to see randy greens art and spectacular for ramos art.
Whatever happened to Devin Grayson? She was a DC stalwart in the late 90s/early 00s, then just seemed to disappear sometime when I wasn’t reading comics. Was there a minor controversy about her publishing slash featuring DC characters, or am I just making that up?
That Waid/Ringo FF run is one of my all-time favorites, and the one that got me buying issues regularly. I also remember reading that Spectacular Spider-Man and really hating Ramos’ art, but now I kind of dig it.
The Unthinkable Prologue, just a few issues before FF 500, is one of my favorite single issues ever. Got it signed by Waid (but, sadly, not Ringo…).
I think you guys (ie. writers of this column) should aim back further! 2003 was just when I was getting back into comics, and, honestly, doesn’t feel that far back for me. (Does that show my age?) What about 18 years ago?
Finding out what was released on a weekly basis just in 2003 is already hard. If you can find a quality site that does the same for further back in time, I would look into it.
Wow that Torch cover is awful
I was on a comics hiatus at the time (except for Hellboy and BPRD), but I remember most of these covers. That Emma Frost is scandalous!
Spectacular Spider-Man and Fantastic Four. I still love Humberto Ramos’ art.
Dat emma frost cover…. chicka chicka ya! new background for the laptop 😛
I loved that Human Torch series. Loved it
Who did that cover for Nightwing? I really like it. is it Rick Leonardi or someone else?
That Emma Frost cover is on the front of my local shop’s poster section….
That Waid and Ringo run is, my favorite Fantastic Four run ever and that series had some truly great runs over the years.
God was that Nightwing run awful. The first few issues were great and then it took some of the hardest downturns I’ve ever seen on a book. Its also one of the few times I’ve gotten a book just for the art since they brought on Phil Hester later in the run.
That issue of Spectacular Spider-man is one I see all the time because I gave it to my son a couple years ago when he first found my comics. I was afraid of what he might pull out if he snooped too much so I let him have that issue not realizing just how many times I would have to read it too him. I really do like the art but not a great story.
I love this story.
I was in 3rd grade when these books came out. Well technically I was just out of 2nd grade and going to 3rd after Summer break.