What is or was your touchstone book?

[KC]

It was Green Lantern and Aquaman when I started to pick-up comics weekly.

[Hol]

Flash. My favorite character, it was simply mandatory that I read it, I always had to know what was going on with the Flash family. That stopped around 2012-2013. I gave New 52 a shot; it was okay at first, but I eventually lost interest. When I stopped needing to pick that up, my desire to follow titles regularly pretty much disappeared until Rebirth. Pretty happy to be back on the train.

Ok I am 100% this. Word for word.

[Proto Man]

I would say I was in sort of an interesting situation with this topic. When I seriously got into following DC, I wasn't following then-current titles. I would buy JLA, but I didn't think it was that great at the time. I was mostly attracted to back issues and leaned towards ones from the 1980s and early 1990s.

I was really into Superman. I read the John Byrne Man of Steel trades from my library and loved that as well as the triangle-era comics I got my hands on. My older brother had the trades for Death of Superman and Death of Clark Kent, so I ate those up and I went hunting for other Superman comics from that era.

Regarding Batman, I read the Blind Justice trade from my library which collects Detective Comics from around the...early 600s, I believe. I dug it and got into reading other Batman comics from the era, notably Alan Grant Detective Comics. I was a real back-issue bin diver. It was a lot of fun trying to fill holes in the stories that I was reading and reading them all over again when I would get another piece of the story.

Another one I liked was Green Lantern. I began collecting the Gerard Jones comics, and then bought a massive lot of back issues from eBay, which had a lot of the volume 2 1960 series. All in great shape, too. I got really into it with the Steve Englehart stuff. That was really freakin' awesome.

[ERON]

Green Lantern from the time of Kyle Rayner's debut all the way through the Geoff Johns run.

The Flash up until Barry's return, and now again since Wally's back in the lead role.

[Jim Kelly]

Most of the time was my go-to publisher--but there were times when another publisher's title became my touchstone.

Archie comics in 1969 - 1970. Charlton's E-MAN by Nicola Cuti and Joe Staton in 1974. Warren's THE SPIRIT by Will Eisner in 1975. Marvel's HOWARD THE DUCK by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan in 1976. Marvel's IRON MAN by Michelinie, J.R. jr. and Layton in 1979. Comely's CAPTAIN CANUCK by George Freeman and Jean Claude St. Aubin in 1980. Marvel's THE UNCANNY X-MEN by Chris Claremont and John Byrne in 1981. Marvel's DAREDEVIL by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson in 1982. Marvel's ALPHA FLIGHT by John Byrne in 1983. Marvel's SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK by John Byrne in 1989. Caliber's BIG BANG COMICS by various in 1994. Marvel's THE AVENGERS by Kurt Busiek and George Perez in 1999.

[SJNeal]

Having been a "Wednesday Warrior" since ~1993/4, I've experienced several slumps over the years where I had to force myself to hit the LCS. The first occurred around 2004/2005. I'd been doing this long enough to feel like I'd seen it all, and nothing really changed in this medium (both in-universe and IRL).

What kept me coming back was Rucka's Wonder Woman and Adventures of Superman, and Johns' Green Lantern. Those books kept the hook in until Infinite Crisis and its vast lead-up reeled me in wholeheartedly again. I was intrigued at the concept, and once the pieces started to fall into place I couldn't wait to hit up the shop every week again.

But in true industry fashion they shat upon so much great work with "One Year Later" and almost lost me again.

[K7P5V]

https://i.postimg.cc/fRC6pj8w/supermandcnational.jpgMost of the time was my go-to publisher--but there were times when another publisher's title became my touchstone.

Archie comics in 1969 - 1970. Charlton's E-MAN by Nicola Cuti and Joe Staton in 1974. Warren's THE SPIRIT by Will Eisner in 1975. Marvel's HOWARD THE DUCK by Steve Gerber and Gene Colan in 1976. Marvel's IRON MAN by Michelinie, J.R. jr. and Layton in 1979. Comely's CAPTAIN CANUCK by George Freeman and Jean Claude St. Aubin in 1980. Marvel's THE UNCANNY X-MEN by Chris Claremont and John Byrne in 1981. Marvel's DAREDEVIL by Frank Miller and Klaus Janson in 1982. Marvel's ALPHA FLIGHT by John Byrne in 1983. Marvel's SENSATIONAL SHE-HULK by John Byrne in 1989. Caliber's BIG BANG COMICS by various in 1994. Marvel's THE AVENGERS by Kurt Busiek and George Perez in 1999.

Awesome! Since other publisher's titles are allowed, these would be My Top Favorites:

• Avengers (Conway/Shooter/Pérez)

• G.I. Joe (Larry Hama)

• TMNT (Eastman/Laird)