I heart Peter David. These are ten of his best stories, in honor of his September birthday! My focus is, of course, on his Marvel work. Honorable mentions include his Aquaman run, his terrific innovations on “Young Justice,” and, more recently, Avengers: Back to Basics.
10. Supergirl #70-80 (2003)
Teamed with Gary Frank, Peter David took a character that many people could have cared less about (Supergirl) and then had her deal with a character people cared even less about: The original Supergirl! David’s run serves as a kind of shout-out to the Silver Age, while wrestling with issues of identity, maturity, competition, birthright, etc. It also showed what David would do with lesser-known characters, which he perfected during his work on X-Factor.
He has said that he wrote this book for his daughters.
9. X-Factor #200-203: Invisible Woman Has Vanished (2010)
I could probably make a top ten list with nothing but X-Factor volumes on it, and including this one instead of many others may only serve to irritate XF fans. But I loved this story. After a lot of trauma and drama, the mutant private detective team returns to New York City and is in desperate need of a client. Who should show up to hire them but Franklin Richards, who wants them to find his mommy. This volume combines the humor Peter David does so well with a lot of the “inside baseball” Marvel jokes that X-Factor is known for. A great story that you can read even if you’ve never read an issue of X-Factor before.
8. Incredible Hulk #340 (1988)
Is it fair to vote for an issue that was as much artist Todd McFarlane’s as it was Peter David’s? I dunno. But the fight between Hulk and Wolverine was fantastic, and it’s the first time we learn that Hulk has his own healing factor.
7. SpyBoy: The Deadly Gourmet Affair
Maybe it’s an acquired taste, but the first SpyBoy series (I haven’t read the others yet) is one of my favorite Dark Horse series ever. It has a manga feel, and focuses on a bullied kid whose head shares space with a super-spy sleeper agent. Only he doesn’t know it.
6. X-Factor #1-6: The Longest Night (2005)
Reprinting the first six issues of X-Factor volume 2. On the heels of a noir-ish Madrox mini, Peter David relaunches X-Factor as a mutant private eye group investigating what caused all the mutants in the world to be depowered after House of M. The hook—and genius—of the early issues of this book were its unapologetic focus on B-list (C-list) characters, and how someone like “Strong Guy” must feel in a universe where Hulk and Thor get all the attention and glory. It’s the ultimate outsiders superhero book.
5. Incredible Hulk #467: The Lone and Level Sands
Peter David’s run on Hulk is brilliant practically from beginning to end. This issue was his last issue on Hulk, and goes over everything that happened during his massive, bizarre run, and teases all the ideas he had for the future (he left the title under somewhat bad terms with Marvel).
David is best at telling long, ongoing stories—his work on X-Factor is a testament to that—and with this issue, he proved why he will always be the Hulk storyteller to beat. So much imagination and so many concepts crammed into this one little issue!
4. X-Factor #87: X-aminations (1993)
The whole team sees a shrink. And of course the shrink is Doc Samson. It’s been often imitated since it was created.
Oh, and: Best. Portrayal. Of Quicksilver. Ever.
3. Hulk: Future Imperfect (1993)
Peter David is actually better known for his Star Trek novels than his comics. Here, he cribs a title from an old Trek episode to tell a tale of Hulk vs. Lunatic Future Hulk. David’s long run on The Incredible Hulk was nothing if not experimental and quirky—and at times uneven—but this is one of the highpoints of it. And having George Perez do the art doesn’t hurt a bit
2. The Amazing Spider-Man #267 (1985): The Commuter Cometh
This is the great issue in which Spider-Man can’t afford bus fare.
It may not be an “Important” Spidey story, but #267 is a true gem. Spidey has a cold, and has to deal with an eely garden-variety burglar, a barking dog, no buildings to swing off of (in the suburbs) and the need to commute to Scarsdale…Without a Spider Mobile!
A very funny, character-driven done-in-one.
1. Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man: The Death of Jean DeWolff (1985-1986)
Of course this is #1.
Appearing in the pages of Peter Parker The Spectacular Spider-Man, a book widely (and wrongly) discredited as the lesser-brother of The Amazing Spider-Man, this was really the first time Peter David made his mark with the character by killing off fan favorite police captain Jean DeWolff, and having Spidey get really, really pissed. Featuring Daredevil as the Voice of Spidey’s Conscience (now there’s some irony, given how DD himself has circled morality’s drain on so many other occasions) and featuring Rich Buckler on the art—a man who cut his comic teeth way back in the Roy Thomas Marvel Bullpen.
RE:” Peter Parker the Spectacular Spider-Man: The Death of Jean DeWolff” would anybody by chance know where I could purchase/download a digital version of that? You’re not the only one with comics coming out of every crevice of your home Ekko! 😉
And not to be snarky but,”Teamed with Gary Frank, Peter David took a character that many people could have cared less about (Supergirl) and then had her deal with a character people cared even less about: The original Supergirl!” between that and the simple fact that the cover artwork doesn’t impress me at all, pretty much kills any chance of my reading that comic (I’m a sucker for getting drawn in by good artwork, but the reverse is also true)!
Good post (you might just lure me into a comic book store again – and I’m still trying to thin down the comic collection I have)!