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Greatest Hits (comics)
Encyclopedia
Greatest Hits is a six-issue comic book
limited series
, published in 2008 by DC Comics
as a part of the Vertigo imprint
. The series was written by David Tischman
, with art by Glenn Fabry
.
The series focuses on The Mates, a super-powered foursome from The Sixties, in the first superhero series from Vertigo since Grant Morrison
's The Invisibles
.
and each character is a pastiche of a superhero, Tischma insisted the concept was much broader than that: "The persona of the Mates is an iconic one for both superhero teams and rock bands. You are always going to have the really cute one. You are going to have the quiet one. You are going to have the spiritual one and you are going to have the goofy one. That’s the case from every group from Justice League
to 'N Sync
"
-like documentary looking back on the team directed by Nick Mansfield, the son of one of The Mates. It then relates the history of the fictional universe
's through the decades, each one bringing their own types of superhero.
and was not impressed: "the story's whole setup disappoints me." He also found the dialogue "mediocre" and the plotting "forced". However, Kris Bather at Broken Frontier felt that, while there was a lot going on, it still works well, with hints of Warren Ellis
's superhero work (in particular his series No Hero
) and the art worked well with parallels to Steve Dillon
's work. Comic Book Resources
' Timothy Callahan was somewhere in between. He liked Fabry's cleaner line work suggesting "he's just about the perfect guy for this particular job" and while he didn't struggle as much with the plot jumping about in time he felt the part in the present was not as engaging or interesting as The Mates during the Sixties, although even this fell into a predictable pattern: "Okay, it's the Beatles as superheroes, but then what?".
Troy Stith at Comics Bulletin
was positive about all aspects of the second issue. Fabry's art has "perfect feel for the story" and Tishman's dialogue "continues to capture the era and feeling of the situation." They concluded "I can only hope the art and storyline continue to carry on the way they have thus far."
Comic book
A comic book or comicbook is a magazine made up of comics, narrative artwork in the form of separate panels that represent individual scenes, often accompanied by dialog as well as including...
limited series
Limited series
A limited series is a comic book series with a set number of installments. A limited series differs from an ongoing series in that the number of issues is determined before production and it differs from a one shot in that it is composed of multiple issues....
, published in 2008 by DC Comics
DC Comics
DC Comics, Inc. is one of the largest and most successful companies operating in the market for American comic books and related media. It is the publishing unit of DC Entertainment a company of Warner Bros. Entertainment, which itself is owned by Time Warner...
as a part of the Vertigo imprint
Imprint
In the publishing industry, an imprint can mean several different things:* As a piece of bibliographic information about a book, it refers to the name and address of the book's publisher and its date of publication as given at the foot or on the verso of its title page.* It can mean a trade name...
. The series was written by David Tischman
David Tischman
David Tischman is an American comic book writer who has been active since 2000, writing for such series as American Century, Cable, Bite Club, and Star Trek.-Biography:Tischman wrote Greatest Hits at Vertigo....
, with art by Glenn Fabry
Glenn Fabry
Glenn Fabry is an Eisner Award-winning British comics artist known for his detailed, realistic work in both ink and painted colour.-Biography:...
.
The series focuses on The Mates, a super-powered foursome from The Sixties, in the first superhero series from Vertigo since Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison
Grant Morrison is a Scottish comic book writer, playwright and occultist. He is known for his nonlinear narratives and counter-cultural leanings, as well as his successful runs on titles like Animal Man, Doom Patrol, JLA, The Invisibles, New X-Men, Fantastic Four, All-Star Superman, and...
's The Invisibles
The Invisibles
The Invisibles is a comic book series that was published by the Vertigo imprint of DC Comics from 1994 to 2000. It was created and scripted by Scottish writer Grant Morrison, and drawn by various artists throughout its publication....
.
Characters
The main character team are The Mates. While there are parallels with The BeatlesThe Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
and each character is a pastiche of a superhero, Tischma insisted the concept was much broader than that: "The persona of the Mates is an iconic one for both superhero teams and rock bands. You are always going to have the really cute one. You are going to have the quiet one. You are going to have the spiritual one and you are going to have the goofy one. That’s the case from every group from Justice League
Justice League
The Justice League, also called the Justice League of America or JLA, is a fictional superhero team that appears in comic books published by DC Comics....
to 'N Sync
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
"
- Solicitor is the BatmanBatmanBatman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
of the team who has no actual superpowers but is an excellent martial artist. - Crusader is the team's SupermanSupermanSuperman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
-equivalent although, while strong and invulnerable, he lacks the power of flight. He is the result of a WWII super soldier program his father took part in, which failed but the powers appeared in his only son. - Vizier, Dr. Fate who, as a druidDruidA druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
, has mystical powers that are drawn from the Earth. - Golem takes the HulkHulk (comics)The Hulk is a fictional character, a superhero in the . Created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, the character first appeared in The Incredible Hulk #1 ....
role in the Mates and is Vizier's older brother. He leaves the team to be replaced by Zipper, and is the Pete BestPete BestPete Best is a British musician, best known as the original drummer in The Beatles. He was born in the city of Madras, British India...
figure of the group. - Zipper, the FlashFlash (comics)The Flash is a name shared by several fictional comic book superheroes from the DC Comics universe. Created by writer Gardner Fox and artist Harry Lampert, the original Flash first appeared in Flash Comics #1 ....
-style speedster of the group and the only actual mutant.
Plot
The story is told through Come Together, a Behind the MusicBehind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
-like documentary looking back on the team directed by Nick Mansfield, the son of one of The Mates. It then relates the history of the fictional universe
Fictional universe
A fictional universe is a self-consistent fictional setting with elements that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed or fictional realm ....
's through the decades, each one bringing their own types of superhero.
Reception
Martijn Form reviewed the first issue for Comics BulletinComics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
and was not impressed: "the story's whole setup disappoints me." He also found the dialogue "mediocre" and the plotting "forced". However, Kris Bather at Broken Frontier felt that, while there was a lot going on, it still works well, with hints of Warren Ellis
Warren Ellis
Warren Girard Ellis is an English author of comics, novels, and television, who is well-known for sociocultural commentary, both through his online presence and through his writing, which covers transhumanist themes...
's superhero work (in particular his series No Hero
No Hero (comics)
No Hero is a superhero comic book created by writer Warren Ellis and Juan Jose Ryp.-Plot summary:No Hero takes place in a world where superheroes have existed since the 1960s and came about as a reaction to increasingly violent police reactions to the American counter-culture movement as well as...
) and the art worked well with parallels to Steve Dillon
Steve Dillon
Steve Dillon is a British comic book artist, from Luton, Bedfordshire, best known for his work with writer Garth Ennis on Hellblazer, Preacher and The Punisher.-Biography:...
's work. Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources
Comic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...
' Timothy Callahan was somewhere in between. He liked Fabry's cleaner line work suggesting "he's just about the perfect guy for this particular job" and while he didn't struggle as much with the plot jumping about in time he felt the part in the present was not as engaging or interesting as The Mates during the Sixties, although even this fell into a predictable pattern: "Okay, it's the Beatles as superheroes, but then what?".
Troy Stith at Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin
Comics Bulletin is a website with an emphasis on the American comic book industry, updated daily with news, reviews, interviews, and editorial content. Coverage ranges from mainstream to independent/small press comic book and graphic novel publishers.-History:...
was positive about all aspects of the second issue. Fabry's art has "perfect feel for the story" and Tishman's dialogue "continues to capture the era and feeling of the situation." They concluded "I can only hope the art and storyline continue to carry on the way they have thus far."
External links
- Review: Greatest Hits #4, Comic Book ResourcesComic Book ResourcesComic Book Resources, also known as CBR is a website dedicated to the coverage of comic book-related news and discussion.-History:Comic Book Resources was founded by Jonah Weiland in 1996 as a development of the Kingdom Come Message Board, a message forum that Weiland had created to discuss DC...