Is it worth it Wednesdays:The Midnight Horror Collection volume 4

Media-DVD
Title-The Midnight Horror Collection volume 4
Company-Echo Bridge Home Entertainment
 Price-$5

 The Last Vampire on Earth-This is a really low budget,horribly acted Twilight ripoff. Not even worth watching for "So bad it's good" appeal.

Night Shadow-Well the last film was a low budget Twilight ripoff,this one is a low budget Howling ripoff. But at least the acting was better than the last film. But still it isn't worth watching.

Kraken:Tentacles of the Deep-This film obviously has a higher budget than the last two. Cause this one has two "names" in the cast. If you count Jerry O'Connell's little brother Charlie as a name. And Victoria Pratt,who has never been a big star.This movie feels like one of those Syfy Channel originals. And if you like those you will enjoy this. It isn't horrible. But I doubt I ever watch it again.

Bloodlock-This feels like a low budget horror film mixed with a Lifetime Original movie. We get a wife and husband that buy a new house. The wife invites her sister to come live with them. Not knowing the husband is banging the sister.And the husband is only staying with the wife for her money. This film is a great example of one where the poster is 100 times better than the film.

Blood Red Moon-Hey look another low budget Twilight ripoff.This one is slightly better than The Last Vampire on Earth. But that is like saying getting shit on one shoe is better than getting shit on both shoes.Either way you got shit on you.

Howling IV:the original Nightmare-This is the reason I bought this pack. I saw Howling IV years back late one night on Showtime and remember enjoying it. Re-watching it now it isn't as good as I remembered. But is still the best film on this pack. It has decent transformation FX work. And the acting isn't that bad. If you like werewolf films and are looking for one to watch you haven't seen give Howling IV a shot.

Raging Sharks-Like Kraken this film has two "names" in it. First you got Corin Nemec aka Parker Lewis. And then there is Vanessa Angel. Who I will always remember from the Weird Science TV show. Also like Kraken I bet this is another Syfy Original film. I have never been a fan of shark films. Even Jaws,which it seems everyone loves,is a film that I don't really care for.

Vampegeddon-This is a film that would be perfect for MST3K. First you got teenagers who look to be in their late 20s/early 30s. One of them looks like she has a wooden tooth. The entire film feels like it was dubbed in post production. Which is strange because from reading the actors lips they are all speaking English. And all the vampires have super obvious bald caps on. You know a multipack set sucks ass when something like this is the second best film on the set.

So was it worth it?-Unless you have to own Howling 4. Want to see some of the worst Twilight ripoffs ever. Love Syfy original movies about killer sea creatures. Or if you must see one of the worst vampire movies I have ever seen. I would say skip this one. It is not worth the $5 it cost.

Top 5 Movie villains

Thanks to Hagsin for this idea.

 

5.Stan Gable

Revenge of the Nerds is one of my favorite comedies. And Stan Gable is a great villain. He is the perfect douche bag jock. You know the one that made sure to pick on everyone in school. There is some deleted scenes from the film where you learn that Stan's brother is a nerds and I am happy these scenes were cut. They humanize Stan way too much.

4.Henry Lee Lucas

Michael Rooker's early role and one of his best is as infamous serial killer Henry Lee Lucas. Lucas in the film is pure evil. He knows what right and wrong are and doesn't care. Rooker's wife has talked about how when the movie was being filmed she found out she was pregnant and didn't tell Rooker because he got so deep into character.

3.Leatherface

At least in the original film Leatherface is like a kid gone wild. He shows no remorse and seems to be nothing but a raging ID. The later films have tried to change this somewhat. And that is part of the reason they are held in as high a regard as the original.

2.Porky

Porky is the perfect movie version of the big fat ass loud mouth southern guy. Who has way too much power because a family member is sheriff. By the end of the first film you are cheering for the guys from Angel Beach High to destroy Porky's place.

1.The Tallman

The best villains do not think they are villains. And also the best villains are never truly explained.Which describes the Tallman perfectly. We never get a good explanation for why he does what he does.And even in the fourth film when we get a partial origin for him,we still do not fully understand his motives.

Late X-mas presents

I ended up with a bunch of giftcards to Amazon and Walmart this past X-mas. So of course I ended up using them to get a bunch of DVDs and some comics.

This first item I actually ordered before X-mas. A good friend sent me an Amazon giftcard.

 I first found out about the dvd thanks to Video Watchdog. It is a time capsule based around the old Spook Show theatrical gimmick. Last year I rented it from Netflix. Well I went to buy a copy and it was out of print. Then the weekend before X-mas I got an Amazon giftcard and found a used copy of this super cheap. Paid more for shipping than the dvd cost. Best thing is it came with the booklet and 2 pairs of 3d glasses. I have watched Monsters Crash the Pajama party and half of the second feature,Tormented, and really enjoyed them. Plus the dvd is packed with all kinds of extras.

 Then one of my relatives gave me a Walmart giftcard. So I went digging through the Walmart $5 bin.

 I have no idea why I hadn't bought this film before. But since last week I started reading the novel I figured it was time to grab the dvd. Plus for $5 I couldn't pass it up.

 I haven't seen this film since it first hit dvd what 10 years ago. But I did enjoy it. Sadly the commentary with Method Man and Redman was kind of crap.

When this show premiered a few years ago I watched 3 or 4 episodes. But had a feeling it wouldn't last more than one season so I stopped watching it. When I saw it in the $5 I figured it was in there by mistake. But took a chance. Over the past 2 days I have been marathoning the series and pleasantly surprised with how good it is.Sure sometimes it gets a little cheesy,but it is a pretty decent show.


Then X-mas day I got another Amazon giftcard.So I went through my wishlist and grabbed some stuff.

 I discovered Hack/Slash last year when I got 10lbs of random comics. I read 4 or so issues and really enjoyed it. I have been wanting this omnibus for awhile,but the cover price was $30. So I found it used on Amazon for half that. Earlier this week I had a doctor's appointment and ended up reading almost 3/4ths of it while waiting. If you are a horror fan this is one of the better horror comics on the market.

 Ever since Shout Factory put on Freaks and Geeks I have been a huge fan of the company. I was looking for some cheap horror dvds. Saw this set and I have been wanting to see The Dungeonmaster and Cellar Dweller for years. Plus the price was great for 4 films.

 I had got all 5 seasons of this sitcom when Anchor Bay put them out. But someone stole them. So I had been buying the Mill Creek releases. Which are $5 a season. Then I saw that I could get all 5 seasons in one set for $10. I grabbed it. I am not normally a fan of family based sitcoms,but this one appeals to me.

 Another cheap 4 pack of films from Shout/Scream Factory. This one I bought for The Vagrant. But the other 3 films sound interesting.

 I already own Buffy seasons 1,2,3,6,7. And this was super cheap used on Amazon. I am not a big fan of the seasons when the Scoobies where in college. But for what I paid it is worth it.

I heard all the hype about this film when it came out a few years ago. Plus with David Schow writing it I had to at least try it out. I rented it and loved it. Well I had a few bucks left on the giftcard and this was cheap. I just finished watching it and it more than holds up to a second viewing. Just more proof that all the people saying horror has "been shit for the past 15 years" are ignorant.

Is it worth it Wednesdays:Family Favorites 10 movie collection from Universal

Media-DVD
Title-Family Favorites 10 movie collection
Company-Universal
Price-$8
One thing I love is that since Blu Ray has started becoming more and more popular,lots of companies are putting out sets like this. Where over 4 DVDs we get 10 movies.Sure there is no extras. But at such a cheap price I didn't expect any extras. When I saw this on the shelf I grabbed it because Matinee and Sgt Bilko are in the set. It wasn't until I got home that I realized it had 5 total films on it I had seen and liked.

Cloak and Dagger-This was a film I really wanted to see when it came out. But for some reason I just never rented it. It is a damn fun film with Henry Thomas of ET fame as a young kid who just recently lost his Mother. So he gets heavy into the Cloak and Dagger RPG and video game.While I do enjoy it seeing it as an adult I bet if I had seen this as a kid it would have been a film that I watched over and over again.

The Wizard-When this film came out,while I was really into video games and the NES,I was outside the movie's target demographic.And over the years since then all I heard is how it is a 1 1/2 hour commercial for Super Mario Brothers 3 disguised as a movie. I watched it and it isn't horrible. But it isn't something I see myself watching again.

Cop and a Half-And another film I had never seen.This came out in the early 90s. And I wasn't watching "comedy" films aimed at young kids. Plus outside of Smokey and the Bandit and the sitcom Evening Shade I have never been much of a Burt Reynolds fan. I tried to give this film a fair chance. But after sitting through 30 minutes and not laughing once I turned it off.

King Ralph-I find John Goodman very under-rated.And Peter O'Toole is usually pretty funny.Before buying this set I had seen King Ralph one time years ago on Showtime. So when I saw it was included in this set I was pretty happy.The film actually holds up.Goodman is great as the everyman who thanks to a freak accident becomes British royality.Sure it is your typical fish out of water story.But Goodman and O'Toole cause it to rise above the tropes of a very common film genre.

Matinee-Being a fan of William Castle I have loved Matinee since I saw it at the buck theater about a month after it had come out.I missed out on it's previous DVD release.And that version started selling for more than I am willing to pay.Set in south Florida during the Cuban missile crisis,this film is a nice blend of comedy and drama.And it has a great cast.John Goodman as the very William Castle like Lawrence Woolsey. Kellie Martin,who I have always thought is so under-rated,is so good as Sherry. And I love that Dick Miller shows up in the film with in a film Mant!

Sgt. Bilko-Thanks to my father I grew up watching reruns of The Phil Silvers Show. When this film came out I wasn't going to go see it. Then about a year later I was in Hastings and wanted something to watch. Sgt. Bilko had already hit the 50 cent rental rack. I figured since it has Steve Martin and Phil Hartman it should be worth at least a few laughs. I was majorly surprised when I watched it and laughed so much my ribs were hurting.

Ghost Dad-I have a weird love/hate relationship with Bill Cosby. I love him on I Spy and the late 90s TV show Cosby. But The Cosby Show and all his films I haven't really cared for. I never watched this before buying this set.And after watching it,I doubt I ever watch it again. It was a very bland,safe,90s family comedy.

Ed-Outside of Top of the Heap I have not cared for anything Matt LeBlanc has done. I had not even heard of this mid 90s comedy before. One lazy day I put it on and even though I was barely paying attention,I had it on while I was on the computer,after 15 minutes I just gave up and shut it off.Again it might be because I am not who the film is targeted at.

A Simple Wish-This mid 90s fantasy/comedy really surprised me. I went in not expecting much at all from it. And got a fairly well done film. Martin Short is great as a fairy godmother in training. And Kathleen Turner is great as a former fairy godmother now turned into an evil witch. While I was watching the film I kept thinking that the young girl looked very familiar. So I looked her up on IMDB and realized I know her from Ms Doubtfire.If you have kids that are into the Harry Potter films this is a film they also might enjoy.

The Borrowers-Ok I just realized that 3 films on this set have John Goodman in them. Until The Secret World of Arrietty  this was the best adaptation of the classic children's novel. I didn't notice till re-watching this months ago that Hugh Laurie is in it. This is just a fun family film.

So was it worth it?-Yes,6 of the ten films are good or great. The other 4 are either total crap. Or stuff I will never watch again.6 good or great films for $8 is a good deal in my eyes.

Top 5 TV shows that it surprises people when I tell them I am a huge fan of

5.Disney's Jungle Cubs

I am not a Disney fan. And was never a fan of The Jungle Book. I didn't even know this Muppet Babies like prequel series was out. Then one Saturday morning I had just gotten home from a Friday night party. I was fucked up and couldn't sleep  so I was flipping channels and saw this. Something about it caught my attention. And for the next 2 seasons I had my VCR set to record it. I can not explain what about it appeals to me. But if this got a DVD release I would buy it the day it came out.

4.Saved by the bell

When this started airing on the NBC Saturday morning line up I was in my mid teens and sleeping in each Saturday. Plus I have never been a fan of American made shows about high school. So I rarely saw this show and when I did I didn't care for it. Then in the early 2000s I was working a job where I got home at 5am. I would kick back relax and watch 1 hour of SBTB on TBS. And I totally changed my opinion about the show. Sure it is cheesy. And most of the main cast is horrible. Still I love it. What amazes me is how most guys that grew up watching it find Kelly to be the prettiest of the 3 main females. To me she was the least pretty. With Lisa Turtle being the hottest and Jessie right behind her.

3.Gilmore Girls

I have never cared for most US broadcast dramas. So even though plenty of people had told me how good this series is I skipped it. Then in the mid 2000s ABC Family started showing reruns of it 2 episodes a day. One day I was busy on the computer and had been watching Step By Step reruns on ABC family. When it was over I didn't change the channel and started listening to Gilmore Girls. And saw how well done the dialogue is. Over the next 3 years I managed to see almost all the episodes and it is a show I still see here and there in reruns.

2.Power Rangers SPD

When Power Rangers started back in the early 90s I watched the first season and found it a Ok way to waste 30 minutes. Then in 2005 ABC Family was showing an hour of Power Rangers each weekday. And After watching Saved by the Bell  I would watch Power Rangers SPD. I was very impressed by how the story was done. This group lasted only 1 season. And they wrapped up pretty much every storyline by the final episode. Also I love that they brought in Beth Allen for a few episodes. I have been a huge fan of her since seeing her on The Tribe. This season was  a great blend of comedy/action/drama and science fiction.

TIE

1.7th Heaven

I am not a religious person. And I hate almost every modern family based dramas. The only reason I started watching this was reruns aired around the time I ate dinner. I was flipping channels and saw Jessica Biel. Who I still think is one of the most gorgeous women on the planet. So I started watching it almost every day while eating dinner. Then I got hooked and started recording the 2 or 3 episodes that aired each day. Once Ms Biel permanently left the show I stopped watching. But for about 3 years I saw at least an episode each day.

1.Grounded for Life

I hate most modern sitcoms. And ones about a Mom and Dad trying to raise kids are the ones I hate the most. For some reason when this show first started on FOX I watched it. I love how it was so different than most family sitcoms from it's era. Most episodes began in the middle of the story. Then would flashback to show you how they got there before resolving the issue. Then add in that the entire cast was great actors. Plus they had great chemistry. Once the show left FOX I stopped watching. But thanks to reruns and DVDs I have now seen every episode. Now the production company has done a deal with Mill Creek you can get each season for $5. Worth checking out if you love family based sitcoms.

Top 5 US based comedic shows

The reason I said comedic instead of sitcoms is that a least one show on my list wouldn't be considered a sitcom. But it is one of the funniest shows I have ever seen.

TIE

5.Roseanne

Lasting 9 seasons this ABC sitcom was one of the first sitcoms to fairly accurately portray how a working class family lives. For a prime-time sitcom the show did address issues that most other shows would never mention. What made the show stand out even more for me was how great the cast was. Sadly the final season of the show took a major turn in direction. And then the final episode's last 10 minutes was a huge fuck you to all the fans. If not for those two things this show would rank much higher.

5.King of the Hill

Lasting 13 seasons,this was my favorite of Fox's Animation Domination line up. It seems like a show that either you love it or you hate it. Most of the people I have talked to that hate it never lived in a small rural southern town. I have lived most of my life in areas like that so I can identify with the characters and situations on the show. I love how quirky most of the main cast is. I got a neighbor that is just like Dale. And have known so many "Bills" in my lifetime. Once the show was cancelled I haven't watched anything on Fox. And even though I have seen almost every episode 3 or 4 times, I will still go rewatch them when I catch reruns.

TIE

4.Married with Children

For 11 seasons this sitcom was my favorite show on Fox. MWC was one of the original shows on Fox. And their first hit. I started watching the show when it premiered and up until the final season made sure to watch it each week. While Roseanne was one of the first shows to accurately portray how a working class family lives,MWC was the first I know of to have a working class family as the leads.I really enjoyed how wacky the comedy was on this show. And she never gets enough credit for this but Christina Applegate has great comedic timing. This is another show that even though I have seen every episode multiple times, I will still watch them again. For almost a year I was watching the 4am reruns of it that TBS was showing. And every X-mas eve I make sure to watch "It's a Bundyful life". Which is my favorite X-mas episode of any US based show.

4.Arrested Development

I am noticing a pattern here. Lots of the shows on my list all aired on Fox. Arrested Development is a show that I didn't get into until after the first season had aired. I had so many people tell me they thought I would enjoy it. So the summer between the first and second seasons I got a hold of the first season. Watched it in 3 days and loved it. From then till it was canceled I watched each episode as they aired. And have went back and rewatched each season. Each viewing I find jokes that I hadn't caught before. I still need to see season 4 which was made for Netflix streaming. Once it hits DVD/Blu Ray I will buy it. This is another show that like Roseanne the cast has great chemistry. It really feels like they are actually related. Before the show I had never really thought of Jason Bateman as a good actor. To me he was always that guy who was the lead in Teen Wolf Too. Now I know he has a major talent for subtle comedy.

TIE

3.All in the Family

Lasting 9 seasons and airing on CBS,All in the Family is a perfect example of a show that while I enjoyed it as a child,when I got older I saw that the show had a deeper level. It is also one of the few things my maternal grandfather and I  have bonded over. He is 99 and lives by himself. Earlier this year I went to go spend the night with him. Since I knew how much he loves the show I had brought my portable DVD player along with seasons 1 and 2 of All in the family. After we had dinner I hooked the player up. And put in the first dvd. He looked at me and asked "Newt I thought you said we were going to watch Archie Bunker. Why are you putting a CD into that box?" I explained to him that a dvd was a cd that had video on it. We ended up watching 6 hours of All in the family. I haven't seen him laugh so much in years. This show was so good at not only being funny but also talking about various social issues. From the generation gap between Archie and Meathead. To Archie's racism. One of the highlights of my trip to the Smithsonian American History museum was getting to see Archie and Edith's chairs.

3.Night Court

Like All in the Family,Night Court is a show that I loved as a kid. But going back and watching it now I see how lots of the show went over my head. Starting in 1984 as a mid season replacement,this NBC sitcom lasted 9 seasons. It was part of NBC's Thursday night line up. And while Cosby show,Different World and Cheers have pretty much stayed on the air in syndication or reruns on cable. Night Court has disappeared from the airwaves. I was so happy when just today I discovered that Encore Classics is now showing it everyday at 4pm central. The first 3 seasons were of a more realistic style of comedy. But after that the show became this great mash up of realistic and slapstick style comedy. My podcast just recently did a indepth talk about Night Court. Asshat Podcast episode 23 is the episode. The Night Court talk is the middle segment.

2.Eastbound and Down

As of the time of me writing this Eastbound and Down's 4th and final season has finished airing not that long ago. I hope we get another season. But if it is truly ended I will say it had a great ending. I came into this show very late. For years I was having people tell me how much they thought I would love this show. But many times before I have had people tell me how great various HBO shows are. And when I went and watched them I was disappointed. Back in March I rented season 1 from Netflix. Then watched it in one sitting. Quickly put the discs into the mailbox and moved seasons 2 and 3 to the top of my Netflix queue. In about a week I saw all three seasons. At the time season 3 was suppose to be the last season. It is a fairly simple story. Kenny Powers is a retired Major League baseball pitcher. Who's anger and drug issues caused the end of his career. And now he is trying to learn how to live a normal life. Kenny is the biggest asshole I have ever seen on a TV show. Another thing I love about the show is my father and I have very little in common. But we have bonded over this show. With a sitcom all I ask is 2 good laughs each episode. With this show usually with in the first 5 minutes I have laughed at least 3 times. There is certain scenes where I have seen them 4 or 5 times and I still laugh so hard at them my sides are hurting.

1.Freaks and Geeks

I remember during the summer of 1999 hearing about this new show that was going to air on NBC. The pilot was getting rave reviews. Hearing a short description of the plot I knew I had to watch it. Set in a suburb outside Detroit in 1980,the show follows two groups of friends. Our main star is Linda Cardellini as Lindsey Weir. She was for years this geeky young lady. Then the death of her grandmother causes her to change her life. She starts hanging out with the so called "freaks" of the school. The other group the show follows is Lindsey's little brother Sam. And his two best friends Bill and Neil. All three of them are huge geeks. When the show first hit the airwaves it aired at 7pm central time on Saturday nights. And I would not leave the house to go out partying or whatever until after it aired. And not only is this show my favorite US based comedic show,it is my favorite TV show ever.What appeals to me about the show is how for the first time with an American show set in high school they try their best to be honest and truthful. This isn't Saved by the Bell or 90210. Sadly the show got shitty ratings. So NBC moved it to Monday nights at 7pm. It aired in that slot for a short time. Then was yanked off the schedule. The official reason was low ratings. But I have heard for years the real reason was the following. The last episode to air on a Monday was about how Lindsey's boyfriend Nick is a huge pothead. For over a week he can't find any pot. Finally he gets some and Nick and Lindsey go back to his place and he gets high. She makes a comment on how she finds it sad that the highlight of his week is getting high. And how she thinks he is addicted to pot. He tells her "Really you think I am addicted. Here take it!" Then he throws her his bag of weed. He also talks about how can she judge him for this when she has never tried it. She leaves and goes back to her house. And we get a long scene where she is trying to roll a joint. She smokes it. And then is reminded by her father she is suppose to babysit one of the neighbor's kid that night. She does the smart thing and gets a sober friend to come with her. I have heard from many sources that NBC got a bunch of calls and letter complaining about this episode.Saying that it was promoting drug use. I don't see it that way. We see Lindsey having a bad time while she is high and in no way did the show glamorize smoking pot. Well after the show was taken off the air it go nominated for all kinds of awards. NBC tried to get the cast to sign for another season. But lots of them had already gotten new jobs. Sometime in May of 2000 NBC one night aired 3 of the 4 episodes they hadn't aired. The following fall Fox Family picked up the rights to air the show. And the show became fairly popular. Since then the 18 episodes have aired on various channels. The DVD set has been a huge seller. I love how the show was great at blending comedy and drama. Really there is so many moments in this show that stand out to me. But I have rambled way too long about Freaks and Geeks. If you haven't seen it currently it airs on FXX. And last time I checked it was on Netflix streaming. Go check it out.

Top 5 comic books every comic fan should read

There are certain comics that every comic fan has at the very least heard of. Stuff like Watchmen,Dark Knight Returns and Crisis on Infinite Earths. But there is so many comics that I think every comic fan should read,but so many haven't. So here is a quick Top 5 list of some of these.

5.Megaton Man

Written and drawn by Don Simpson,Megaton Man first appeared in 1984. Published by various companies it was one of the earliest of the 80s parodies of the superhero tropes. Sadly the series got over-shadowed by The Tick. Simpson has tried many times to bring it back. But these revivals never last long. Simpson has long stated he thinks Ben Edlund stole the basic idea of Megaton Man and slightly changed it with the Tick. And I can see why he might think that. They have many similarities. As far as I know there is no trades or hardcovers reprinting the various series. But I do see the issues in the cheap bins fairly often. If you like the Tick or just comedy/parody comics this is one to track down.

4.Ms. Tree

Created by Max Collins and Terry Beatty,Ms Tree first appeared in the early 80s. Not too long after her first appearance she got a long running series that was mostly published by Renegade comics. Michael Tree is a female PI. Who not too long after getting married her husband is killed by the mob. It wasn't until this past spring that I got into Ms. Tree. I had heard of the series for years. Then at a con I got close to 30 issues for around a quarter an issue. Most issues have two chapters of the current storyline. Then at least one or sometimes two 2 or 3 page short mysteries. This series became known for tackling controversial issues. And you can see how Frank Miller and Brian Michael Bendis were influenced by it with their film noir/mystery/crime comics of the 90s.

3.Brat pack

Created,written and drawn by the highly under-rated Rick Veitch,this early 90s mini series was fairly controversial when it came out. But over the years it seems to have been forgotten. Veitch took the concept of teenage sidekicks and went to a very dark place. For years various articles had been published speculating on a possible homosexual relationship between Batman and Robin. Well in Brat Pack Veitch addresses that. With the Batman analog Midnight Mink and his sidekick Chippy. This along with Maximortal was suppose to be the first 2 parts of a 4 part series of interlocking mini series from Rick Veitch. As of 2013 the other 2 parts have not been published. But if you loved Watchmen and Dark Knight Returns this is a series to check out.

TIE

2.1963

This 6 issue mini series is the best thing to come out of the first 4 years of Image comics. Written by Alan Moore. 1963 was a homage and a parody of the silver age of comics. With each issue focusing on 1 or 2 heroes or teams. You had the Fantastic Four like Mystery Inc,the Spider-Manish Fury and others. Each issue was made to be a stand alone read. But if you read all 6 you could see there was a underlying plot. Which was suppose to be wrapped up in the never published 1963 annual. I have heard many stories and lots of speculation as to why the annual never came out. And now Alan Moore and another of the creators of this great unsung gem have had a falling out. So the chances of this getting reprinted as a trade or a hardcover are very slim. But thankfully this series came out in the early 90s boom so finding the issues cheap won't be a problem.

2.Squadron Supreme

Starting in the summer of 1985 this was a 12 issue mini series. Where Mark Grunwald took Marvel's JLA parody and got dead serious. The last time the Squadron had appeared their world was devastated.So they took over the USA and set about a plan to create a Utopia. And over the course of the series we how a Utopia will never work. To me this is as good if not better than the much better known 12 issue mini series Watchmen. And I wouldn't be surprised if Alan Moore didn't read this and become inspired. I have seen how over the past decade this series is finally slowly starting to get some of the praise it has deserved.

1.Marvelman/Miracleman

In 1982 Alan Moore took Marvelman,a UK ripoff of Captain Marvel, and revitalized him. This story was serialized in the acclaimed UK comic anthology Warrior. But Warrior went under. Thankfully over in the States Eclipse comics picked it up and continued the series. Alan Moore and various artist did 16 issues. By issue 16 the now known as Miracleman had created a perfect Utopia. And that is where Moore ended his run on the series. He handed the writing duties off to at the time an almost unknown Neil Gaiman. Gaiman plotted out 3 storylines. Each to run 6 issues. The first was called The Golden Age and dealt with Miracleman and the rest of the world dealing with the new Utopia. The next storyline,titled the Silver Age, only had 1 issue printed before Eclipse went bankrupt. And for years it felt like this series was forgotten. Then Todd McFarlene tried to bring Miracleman back in his Spawn comic. But it turns out that Neil Gaiman and others own part of the rights to the character. So for years and years it looked like not only would this amazing storyline not be finished but also wouldn't be reprinted. Finally this year Marvel comics announced they had all the rights issues sorta out and sometime in 2014 they will start reprinting the 24 issues. And then Neil Gaiman will get to finish what he started back in the 90s. While with Alan Moore his Swamp Thing and Watchmen work gets so much praise,to me this is the best thing he has ever done. And with Neil Gaiman,Sandman gets all the hype and praise. But that is shit compared to what he did on Miracleman. Maybe now that it can be reprints more people will read what I consider one of the best comics of all time.