What is the single best single comic book issue of all time?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Because you demanded it!

No, not a series, not a franchise, not a trade paperback collection.

Just one issue. And if you have to read 47 comics to enjoy the comic (Hickman, I'm looking at you), maybe that's not the single best comic book issue of all time.

My nomination: The half-length (!) Astro City #1/2: The Nearness of You.

 

[soviet]

GI Joe 21 - Silent Interlude

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

GI Joe 21 - Silent Interlude

Is that the wordless duel issue?

That reminds me of another true flex of an issue: Hawkeye #19, which is from the point of view of Clint, who's lost his hearing aids at this point, and can't understand a lot of the dialogue and uses sign language throughout. And #11 from the same series, all from the point of view of Lucky the Pizza Dog, who of course doesn't speak English at all, was even more amazing.

 

[Greg K]

Hmmmm... off the top of my head, I would pick either the X-Men graphic novel, "God Loves, Man Kills" or Green Lantern (/Green Arrow) vol.2 #85 "Snowbirds Don't Fly".

 

[billd91]

Avengers Annual #10 is always a standout for me. Art by Michael Golden. Rogue's first appearance. A knockdown fight between the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants and the Avengers. And Chris Claremont basically castigating the writing team of Avengers 200 for the rape of Ms Marvel (Carol actually slaps Thor for being a clueless dumbass.). It was, quite frankly, brilliant on multiple levels.

 

[Kobold Stew]

So many ways to answer this question: drawing just from the big 2 in North America, both The Anatomy Lesson (Swamp Thing 21), or The Man This Monster (Fantastic Four 51) both have a strong case for standalone stories, as does Sound of Her Wings (Sandman 8) or any of a half dozen issues of Sandman.

There's several issues of Daredevil I could pick out (most written by Miller or Brubaker or Bendis) but they all need context.

So for my pick, I'll say Micronauts #5 by Bill Mantlo ("The Prometheus Pit!"), because it was the first comic I bought for myself (along with Daredevil 158, I think) when I was a kid, and started me on an amazing road of reading and loving comics.

 

[Reynard]

"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow."

Runner up: Peter David's X-Force #87

2nd Runner Up: Astro City #1\2

 

[Cadence]

If it was the best five pages in a comic book, then it's the five in Thor 362 (you either know them or you freaking need to find a copy of Thor 362 to see them). For a full issue though, the rest of the issue isn't quite there.

@billd91 's nomination of Avengers annual 10 is a strong one going for a single issue for me. Avengers is my team since 1981, and if pressed for just one issue from them, I think that's it.

@Greg K 's choice of God Love's Man Kill's is not unreasonable at all either, but it's stronger in my mind than it is on reread.

Dark Knight Returns issue 4 and Watchmen issue 9, but the entire Watchmen should go in best limited series and TDKR is in the best Superman story category (yeah, I said it).

For just one issue from Sandman, Three Septembers and a January?

(How many things open up with two issues instead of one? Days of Future Past, Future Imperfect, ASM 121-122, Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow. If you make it four would I really have to take TDKR over JLA/Avengers).

Augh! It's hard to pick just one I'm distracting myself from the question. Why can't Avengers Annual 10 have a classic cover to put it over the edge!?! Even for that layout style it's crap compared to the cover of 189 or 197.

 

[Cadence]

"Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow."

Runner up: Peter David's X-Force #87

2nd Runner Up: Astro City #1\2

Isn't Whatever Happened over two issues, Supes 423 and Action 583? :-/

 

[Reynard]

Isn't Whatever Happened over two issues, Supes 423 and Action 583? :-/

It was later repackaged as a single issue (not a trade paperback) so I think it qualifies.