Most overrated / Most undevalued Graphic Novels & Collections

[doolittle]

Overrated:
Saga - I tried it twice but just couldn't get into it.
The Ultimates (from the Ultimate Marvel line, not the newest comic) - I'm not saying it's bad. Just that it's not as great as a lot of fans say it is.
Watchmen - Yeah, I said it. This book is probably THE most overrated series ever.

The Ultimates? Deffo. Maybe it's that I can't stand Millar's stuff or that I was looking for the classic characterizations of the characters and getting the reimagined versions, but I really didn't enjoy The Ultimates. Never understood all the love.

Watchmen, though? I can see hating the ending, but there's a ton of great stuff in there. Issue #4, I think it is, Dr. Manhattan's origin issue? Best comic I've ever read. You've got cool sciencey stuff happening, strong emotional stuff. It's awesome!

[Balakin]

The Ultimates? Deffo. Maybe it's that I can't stand Millar's stuff or that I was looking for the classic characterizations of the characters and getting the reimagined versions, but I really didn't enjoy The Ultimates. Never understood all the love.

Watchmen, though? I can see hating the ending, but there's a ton of great stuff in there. Issue #4, I think it is, Dr. Manhattan's origin issue? Best comic I've ever read. You've got cool sciencey stuff happening, strong emotional stuff. It's awesome!

for me personally at that time it was the closest thing to an Avengers movie. While the characters were not that pleasant compared to their original versions I could see them as characters on the big screen, the whole storytelling and aesthetic was just cinematic and the involvement of SHIELD and the whole thing as a military operation was just new to me. Loved the first fight with Hulk when the military cleared the streets and locations so they can fight and Giant man was carried with planes and I donno, just the whole thing seemed like a realistic take but with the spectacle of the comics.
Of course since then we seen this so many times it's tiresome and the Avengers movie managed to incorporate the elements of the ultimates that worked while channelling the original characterization but I will always have a special place in my heart for the Millar Ultimates.

[doolittle]

for me personally at that time it was the closest thing to an Avengers movie. While the characters were not that pleasant compared to their original versions I could see them as characters on the big screen, the whole storytelling and aesthetic was just cinematic and the involvement of SHIELD and the whole thing as a military operation was just new to me. Loved the first fight with Hulk when the military cleared the streets and locations so they can fight and Giant man was carried with planes and I donno, just the whole thing seemed like a realistic take but with the spectacle of the comics.
Of course since then we seen this so many times it's tiresome and the Avengers movie managed to incorporate the elements of the ultimates that worked while channelling the original characterization but I will always have a special place in my heart for the Millar Ultimates.

I guess I did read it years after it came out, so any sort of innovation was lost on me. Your points definitely make sense and I can see them in the story. Maybe the story would have hit with me more if it didn't come along with tired jokes about France and Hulk's rage at one point being driven by someone insinuating he might be into guys.

[krylox]

Invisible Republic - Buy the first trade. It's incredible. I hope this goes on forever.

Absolutely!! I was blown away how good that was. Sadly the sales are not very good, and I hope they get to tell their 30+ issues like they intended to do. Please people, give this masterful (imho best) Image series a try!

[TomSlick]

Interesting. Lot of hate for Ultimates. I personally loved it, but Millar isn't for everyone.

I've got an overrated one - in my opinion: I've never understood the love for Morrison's Arkham Asylum.

Admittedly I'm probably in a minority here cause that sucker has been reprinted a ton of times.

[PLEDGE]

Interesting. Lot of hate for Ultimates. I personally loved it, but Millar isn't for everyone.

I've got an overrated one - in my opinion: I've never understood the love for Morrison's Arkham Asylum.

Admittedly I'm probably in a minority here cause that sucker has been reprinted a ton of times.

Totally with you on this...I remember reading this and thinking what all the fuss was about. It's been a while since I last read it though, I might have to give it another go and see if my opinion changes.

[mtop2036]

Totally with you on this...I remember reading this and thinking what all the fuss was about. It's been a while since I last read it though, I might have to give it another go and see if my opinion changes.

Same. Even the art for me is just no. Although I did kinda of enjoy gothic.

[Dayle88]

Had to chime in and say I'm a huge fan of the Ultimates. It presented me with a version of Cap that I could understand. A genuine soldier and a realistic take on what fighting for your beliefs really means sometimes. Plus they were just two really cool stories and part of the fun was some of the twists with classic characters.

I think Green Arrow (pre-52) is massively underrated by DC in general. He's a character that works on the superficial level of what casual film viewers enjoy about Tony Stark while having a very different but equal level of depth underneath, he has a great back story, he genuinely cares about the man on the street and he isn't afraid to make a stand when it comes to social and political disputes. The older, going back to basics version of a hero is also something you don't see often but when it is done well that particular book usually sits at the top of peoples favourite comics lists (Grell and DKR two easy examples.)

How many times over the years have DC really tried to put a great creative team on the book? People rightly go crazy over Daredevil, who is one of the best characters around, but there has been just as many terrible runs on the character as there have been great ones. Green Arrow has never had anything like the names DD has had though and so hasn't had the opportunity to move to that next level of popularity.

I don't count Arrow as faith in the character when it isn't really the Oliver Queen I'm talking about. I think that's fair when you see how many people comment on it as Batman-lite regardless of how good or bad it is.

[TomSlick]

Totally with you on this...I remember reading this and thinking what all the fuss was about. It's been a while since I last read it though, I might have to give it another go and see if my opinion changes.

Agreed. Maybe I should give it another go.

Same. Even the art for me is just no. Although I did kinda of enjoy gothic.

The first 100 or so issues of Legends of the Dark Knight were pretty good reads. Although I don't recall the "Gothic" story line, it was early on, so I suspect it wasn't bad.

How many times over the years have DC really tried to put a great creative team on the book? People rightly go crazy over Daredevil, who is one of the best characters around, but there has been just as many terrible runs on the character as there have been great ones. Green Arrow has never had anything like the names DD has had though and so hasn't had the opportunity to move to that next level of popularity.

Good point. Another underrated run. I think most of us agree that the Grell stuff was pretty awesome, but that whole volume # 1-137 was great, so I'd put everything after Grell as underrated greatness, particularly Chuck Dixon's stuff.

In fact, Chuck is pretty underrated. The guy always turns out a solid read. Granted, he's no Alan Moore, but I never felt like I wasted my money when I bought his DC stuff. Heck, the guy pretty much wrote the entire run of Nightwing and Robin and good chunks of Batman!

[Mr`Orange]

Surprised you didn't like hickmans FF. Honestly surprised by the dislike of hickmans FF/A/NW/SW on this board.

I for one loved it, think its the best work put out by Marvel in years.

[PLEDGE]

Same. Even the art for me is just no. Although I did kinda of enjoy gothic.

Yeah the art is not my cup of tea either. Gothic on the other hand, is one I really like...one of Morrison's most underrated stories.

[Judge Dredd]

Overrated: A good amount of Alan Moore's work such as LOEG (He does have some great stuff like V and Ballad of Halo Jones)

Underrated: Probably only in America it is underrated, but anything from John Wagner or Alan Grant (The Bogie Man, Strontium Dog, Button Man, Ace Trucking Co, Robo-Hunter)

[Balakin]

Interesting. Lot of hate for Ultimates. I personally loved it, but Millar isn't for everyone.

I've got an overrated one - in my opinion: I've never understood the love for Morrison's Arkham Asylum.

Admittedly I'm probably in a minority here cause that sucker has been reprinted a ton of times.

I think it's one of those stories that were just so new and unusual at the time that they got famous but since than they lots their novelty.
And I'm a massive Morrison fan but Arkham is probably one of my least favourite books from him.

[Balakin]

Overrated: A good amount of Alan Moore's work such as LOEG (He does have some great stuff like V and Ballad of Halo Jones)

Underrated: Probably only in America it is underrated, but anything from John Wagner or Alan Grant (The Bogie Man, Strontium Dog, Button Man, Ace Trucking Co, Robo-Hunter)

I think LoEG is actually underrated and gets a bad rep because of the movie. V and Watchmen are well known even for non readers and casual fans can usually at least remember he did a famous Swamp thing run but I mostly get blank stares when I mention LoEG.
It is critically acclaimed and well known among fans but wouldn't call it overrated.
Also, it is one of the best things ever created and you are wrong

[Mr`Orange]

Overrated:
Underwater Welder - really didn't get the hype over this book.
Batman Incorporated - Currently reading this and not enjoying it at all.


Underrated:
The Killer -Amazing book and really flew under the radar.
Moriarty - Daniel Corey
Deathlok - Joe Casey