It’s time for an 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 April 30, 2003. The number one film in the box office is the cerebral thriller Identity starring John Cusack, Ray Liotta and Amanda Peet. Doesn’t ring a bell? Well that’s probably for the best. 50 Cent’s “In Da Club” is still the number one song on the radio and these are some of the comics at your local comic book shop.
The Legion #19
By Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning, Chris Batista, Mark Farmer
The Avengers #66
By Geoff Johns, Olivier Coipel, Andy Lanning
JLA #80
By Joe Kelly, Duncan Rouleau, Aaron Sowd
Marvel: The End #4
By Jim Starlin, Al Milgrom
The Filth #10
By Grant Morrison, Chris Weston, Gary Erskine
Ultimate X-Men #32
By Mark Millar, Adam Kubert, Danny Miki
Superman: Red Son #1
By Mark Millar, Dave Johnson, Andrew Robinson, Paul Mounts
Rawhide Kid #5
By Ron Zimmerman, John Severin
Batman #614
By Jeph Loeb, Jim Lee, Scott Williams
And that was the week of April 30th, 2003. Did you read any of these books? If so what did you think of them? Let us know! It should be noted that Batman #614 was the highest selling comic of this month. It was in the middle of the Hush storyline which was very, very, very popular at the time.
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Ah the Rawhide Kid….If I remember it’s Josh’s favorite comic series! (In reality I’d avoid it at all costs)
It definitely looks like the comics are getting better as this feature goes on. Johns Avengers, the last good Loeb comic, Superman: Red Son (with atrocious title graphics).
The Filth though? Yeah I’d like to forget about that book.
pfft, the Filth is great –
I actually just pulled The Filth out of a long box to reread it — I remember not loving it 10 years ago, but I also had only read Morrison’s JLA and New X-Men at that time, and was on a “try new Vertigo books” kick after loving Y and 100 Bullets.
I’m curious to see what I think of it now that I’ve read The Invisibles and other Morrison stuff, not to mention the fact that I’m much older and maybe a bit smarter.
Ah 2003 with all that buzz about Colin Farrell and the box office
The Filth was awesome. A more condensed version of some of the craziness that he put into the Invisibles. Well worth a go.
rawhide kid has john severin art, which is worth checking out all on its own. and even though zimmerman wrote, it’s a pretty decent read.
Superman: Red Sun was amazing. One of the best Elseworlds ever. Great trip down memory lane.
agreed
That Batman cover is one of the best covers ever. Actually, all of Hush had pretty amazing covers.
Rawhide Kid? That’s the beauty of Marvel in the early 2000s, they really just threw everything at the wall and see if it stuck. Morrison/Milligan/Casey on the X-books? Sure! War Machine Max? Why not! Marville? Lets see it! Rawhide Kid? Couldn’t be too bad, right?
Some are better then others, but I love that era’s unrelenting creativity and imagination.
Is Geoff Johns’ Avengers any good? I’m not sure what I find weirder, the idea of him writing Avengers, or Bendis having written an issue of Batman.
It’s nothing amazing, but it’s what the Avengers should be. The end of the first arc in Geoff John’s Avengers sets them up in a very interesting place. Plus you have Ivan Reis, Coipel, Gary Frank, and Scott Kollins doing art work for his run.
It’s a sold run overall.
Yup. It’s a good run. Red Zone is far and away my favorite of the time.
Insert “last time the Avengers were good” joke here.
I recall it being a pretty short run, right? It’s been a while. Then Austin came on and I dropped the book.
I kept my Geoff Johns Avengers books and got rid of my Bendis. And I didn’t hate Bendis.
I just read Johns run recently. Wasn’t anything special. Barely felt like Johns. It was clearly before he hit his stride as a writer. Not to mention, he doesn’t have the same connection with Marvel characters the same way he does DC. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. Unless you’re a huge Johns fan and want to read all his work. It’s pretty run of the mill. And yeah, the Austin stuff after was terrible.
Red Zone was excellent if a bit brainless with who the hidden villain was. The Jack Of Harts story was really strong too but the rest of the run was very middling. Nothing to write home about to be honest.
Batman Hush good times & The Filth by Morrison was awesome too.
Read most of these. Avengers and Red Son were great and I enjoyed Hush and Marvel The End quite a bit too. Anytime Starlin feels like writing Thanos again, I’m there.
Is this run of Thanos collected anywhere?
It’s not really a concentrated run, but if you pick up the life and death of captain marvel and the infinity gauntlet you’ll get all the best stuff.
I remember the Johns Avengers run only slightly. Coipel’s art has definetley improved since then though. It wasn’t bad in that run, but his newer stuff is much better.
Man, I tell you. That Legion run, with DnA on lead and Olivier friggin’ Coipel on drums was killer. They finally collected Legion Lost, but the follow up series had a killer first year too.
Love Red Zone. Just bought it on the iPad. Well worth it if you have any Black Panther love.
Agreed: That run was really the only time I could get into the Legion.
By far the best Legion books. Legion Lost is where I started and have waiting for Legion to be that good again.
Don’t care about the Legion but Abnett and Lanning in space stuff? I may have to hunt for a trade.
I read almost all of these. And loved them.
What’s going on in that Legion issue? “The White Rage?”
I meant “League” issue – as in JLA… not Legion…
Millar writing books at both DC and Marvel. That sure doesn’t seem to happen anymore in today’s exclusive contract market. Wonder if we’ll ever see that again.
The Legion was a outstanding book. My favourite version of the LOSH for sure.
The Avengers Red Zone was great, I enjoyed that storyline, I didn’t get Part 2 tho but Part 4 & 5 were really good, and the only ones I got. Nice art too.
JLA #80 was also good, I had a liking for Duncan Rouleau art back then and Joe Kelley was also kicking up a storm on JLA…this storyline was centered around Faith.
Again missing that issue of Hush and got a few other issues in that run.
Red Zone was awesome. Johns really nailed Panther
lol i remember Marville, red son was great!
The “Legion” series was one of my favorite Legion series in the last years. Coipel on “Legion Lost” led into it and that’s where I discovered him. LOVED him on his too short avengers run.
Still have my issues of Hush and and this run of Ultimate X-men. Both very good.
Also had just got back into JLA with this storyline. It’s okay but Joe Kelly’s following storyline with the JLA vs. Fernus is much better.
That Kelly and Mahnke run on JLA was the stuff of legends.
I get why you always flashback to 2003, I just don’t “get” it.
Wouldn’t it be fun to look at some other years every once in a while?