The Big Five: Marvel Comics Recommendations

[Pav]

It got me thinking, if I or someone else were to recommend just 5 runs for a respective character. Which ones would be picked?

If you want to read about the SLINGERS -- and why wouldn't you?! -- these are the comics you'd probably want to read:

1) The Identity Crisis Spider-Man Crossover -- the origins of the Slingers costumes (though not in-story)
2) Slingers 1-12 -- the definitive Slingers storyline
3) Civil War #6 / Avengers: the Initiative / Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt -- lots of focus on Prodigy throughout this era of comics
4) Avengers Academy -- Ricochet is a background character but does get some screentime, including a reunion with Prodigy
5) Ben Reilly: the Scarlet Spider / Spider-Man: Beyond -- the Slingers become embroiled in the shenanigans of Ben Reilly

Other than a few minor appearances, reading these issues would provide you with an almost complete history of the Slingers!

-Pav, who did like their basketball game vs the New Warriors in Contest of Champions II...

[Marvell2100]

IRON MAN 5:
Micilinie/Layton (both runs)
O’Neal
Kamanski
Busiek
Fraction

I would rank Cantwell’s run as well.

While it was just a mini I would add Iron Man: Extremis by Warren Ellis as an honorable mention.

[Tony Stark]

While it was just a mini I would add Iron Man: Extremis by Warren Ellis as an honorable mention.

Oh definitely brother! I just didn’t state it because as you said it was only 6 issues, but it changed the very fabric of Iron Man from that point on!

[Marvell2100]

Oh definitely brother! I just didn’t state it because as you said it was only 6 issues, but it changed the very fabric of Iron man from that point on!

No doubt about it.

[Doctor Know]

If you want to read about the SLINGERS -- and why wouldn't you?! -- these are the comics you'd probably want to read:

1) The Identity Crisis Spider-Man Crossover -- the origins of the Slingers costumes (though not in-story)
2) Slingers 1-12 -- the definitive Slingers storyline
3) Civil War #6 / Avengers: the Initiative / Fear Itself: Youth in Revolt -- lots of focus on Prodigy throughout this era of comics
4) Avengers Academy -- Ricochet is a background character but does get some screentime, including a reunion with Prodigy
5) Ben Reilly: the Scarlet Spider / Spider-Man: Beyond -- the Slingers become embroiled in the shenanigans of Ben Reilly

Other than a few minor appearances, reading these issues would provide you with an almost complete history of the Slingers!

-Pav, who did like their basketball game vs the New Warriors in Contest of Champions II...

Thank you for this list.

I was just telling someone about Peter's 4 alternate personas during the 90s, the other day. They didn't believe me until I pulled up the pictures.

Good times.

[JohnnyPresley21]

Captain America:

1)Ed Brubaker
2)Rick Remender
3)Jack Kirby
4)Ta-Nehisi Coates
5)Toni Onyebuchi

[Pav]

Thank you for this list.

I was just telling someone about Peter's 4 alternate personas during the 90s, the other day. They didn't believe me until I pulled up the pictures.

Good times.

What's funny is that the Slingers costumes are often said to have come from Peter Parker via Black Marvel, but this is contradicted by the comics themselves: in issue #6 (I think), it's revealed that the Identity Crisis suits worn by Peter were still safely up in the attic of Aunt May's house. The problem, I think, is that we never got a definitive answer WHY the Black Marvel / Mephisto felt the need to copy those specific suits to give to the Slingers, so someone just made up an "answer" that doesn't really answer anything.

-Pav, who figures at this point Mephisto's involvement with the Slingers is just related to all the other Spider-related shenanigans he's pulled...