So sad to hear that we lost Peter David. He was a great man and brilliant writer. The comic book world is much, much better because of his influence and he will be sorely missed.
Here below, as always in no particular order, are my Top 5 storylines from across comicdom written by the late, great PAD (Peter Allen David).
Spyboy
When I first picked this comic up I didn't really notice who wrote or drew it I just picked it up because it looked cool. Boy am I glad I did! Very funny series with great characters and a fantastic premise. I mean, S.H.I.R.T.S. versus S.K.I.N.S.? The story orf Peter Parker if he became a spy instead of a super hero. If you haven't read it, you should!
Death of Jean Dewolff
You know, I hate to admit it, but I cried after reading this. Usually when I cry after reading a comic it is because it was a Rob Liefeld book and I am lamenting the time that I wasted reading it. This time however I was crushed. I thought Jean was an amazing character and always kind of hoped that she and Petey would get together. Alas, not to be.
Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect
The Maestro. What else can I say. Only a two issue arc but man what a ride. Old Man Rick Jones living in a museum of Avengers relics? Dr. Doom's Time Machine? Dystopian Mad Max type future? That's me.
Spider-Man 2099
The 2099 Universe had it's hits and misses. This one was a hit. Can't believe how much I liked it! Way better than the Clone Saga that began around the same time. Anyway, I thought that Miguel O'Hara was an amazing Peter Parkerish type character. Alchemax was a great foil for him and I loved his A.I. assistant Lyla, which was well before Siri debuted. I loved the world building that Peter David did here.
Incredible Hulk: Ground Zero
When I started this thread I didn't have a list ready I just went off the top of my head. Did not intentionally put two Hulk stories on the list because there are so many other great things that PAD orchestrated. Young Justice, Supergirl, Captain Marvel, Fallen Angel, X-Factor....shoot, I could easily do a Top 5 just of Hulk stories. But I went ahead and added this just because it was so iconic. Stripped the Hulk back down to his basics. Gray. Cunningly intelligent. Surly. A bit of a prick honestly but still with some shred of decency. Very complex and a welcome change from "Hulk Smash Puny Humans!". More of the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde vibe that Stan Lee and Jack Kirby had in mind when creating him. Not to mention Todd McFarlane art!
So there you have it! I hope you like this list and if you haven't checked out some of these titles I suggest that you do so. Mr. David definitely had an impact on my life and my perspective on the world around us and I thank him profusely for doing so. It is a shame that we no longer have him around but it is also such a privilege that we are able to remember him through his works.
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