Favorite One Issue Stories

I have been re-reading some old Batman issues I own and I came across this issue and I for got how good it was. I love how it adds an extra layer of guilt to Batman’s origin.

So it got me thinking, what is the best single issue story, my personal favorite is Swamp Thing #34, but what do you guys think

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Excellent post, I am going to really have to think on this one…

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I have always loved Shadow of the Bat #13. I have read it more times than I can count.

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Darkseid War: Green Lantern #1
An excellent one-issue Hal Jordan character piece with beautiful art by Evan Shaner.

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Detective Comics ('37) #826 by Paul Dini is a personal favorite. #0 and #703 of the same series (both by Chuck Dixon) are also very good for gimmicky event tie-ins.

Batman ('40) #251 by Denny O’Neil is another classic.

Shifting away from Batman a little (but not too much), Nightwing ('96) #51 (also by Dixon) and Birds of Prey ('99) #8 (Dixon strikes again - what can I say, the guy does a good oneshot) also come to mind.

Outside the Bat-Family, Wonder Woman ('87) #20 is excellent. There are probably other good non-Bat-ones that I’ve read but I’m drawing a blank at the moment. I’ll edit as I think of things.

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I need community help. Mine is a Batman title about Batman & Robin (Grayson) I thought was called The Boys. I can’t find it on google & it’s in my 1st notebook I can’t find. It was all about Bats showing him the ropes thru the years. I know it had boys in the title.

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The Paul Dini Detective comics run are fantastic.

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I have heard that, and yet not many talk about it

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I think part of it is that it didn’t have much in the way of long-term consequences. Most of the stories are pretty self-contained. Which I actually like. Dini doesn’t need to break anything to engage you, he can be interesting with just the status quo, which also makes disruptions more meaningful by comparison.

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My choice is The Brave and The Bold (1955) #197, which I just read for the first time last week. Maybe the best single issue I’ve read so far. A fantastic, emotionally charged story of the Earth-Two Batman and Catwoman, as they battle Scarecrow, deal with their personal histories, and face down their own fears and demons, ultimately making a fateful decision that will change both of their lives forever. Excellent characterization, art, story, and dialogue: everything that makes comics great. And there are two panels in particular that I will never forget. Highly recommended. Read it if you haven’t already.

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Thinking. Gonna have to hit up @DeSade-acolyte. He might know.

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Is it the Secret Origins issue from N52? I seem to remember one with a Robin/Batman origin thing, but I remember it being with Damian… Either way, that’s where I’d look first.

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It was a one shot I believe Detective Comics but that could be way off. I remember Grayson using Bats’ training in flashbacks & real time. They were on top of a train & he was reverting back to his earlier training. It was all about their relationship thru the years. I’m 99.9% sure it had Boys in the title.

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Maybe a Nightwing issue? Do you remember if Robin was there?

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I’m no good for you here. The only Dick Grayson stories I can remember that included training are “A Lonely Place Of Dying and “Year One.” Sorry, man.

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This is absolutely one of the best Superman issues, like the dive into more unknown Superman stories

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It was all Grayson & Bats flashing back since when he became his ward. You know what? It might’ve had Damian in it like @Batwing52 said. I should know more for it being my favorite pick, lol. I found it on a list of best one-shots probably a year ago on here. I loved it & I swore it was called The Boys, but it might’ve had more in the title then just that? I tried to google it & cant find it. I’ll have to find my 1st notebook, it’s in there somewhere.

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Hmm… it probably was Detective Comics… I found that issue I was talking about and it was nothing like you were describing. Ergo, I was wrong. If you say it might’ve had Damian in it, it could’ve been from Tomasi and Gleason’s Batman and Robin. That run was really good and had a bunch of one-shots. I haven’t read it in a while though so my memory is a bit fuzzy.

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I just found my notebook. I think I marked it. I’m searching slowly so I can spot it. Thanks everyone. Hopefully I can dig it out.

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