10 Comic Book Story Arcs EVERYONE Hated

Those story arcs everyone wishes Thanos would snap out of existence.

Secret Empire
Marvel Comics

Watching the Hulk smashing a monster through a building or the Avengers battling aliens in space sounds like the coolest thing in the world at first, but you'd be surprised how quickly readers get desensitised to this sort of spectacle.

To keep the fans invested, publishers regularly release story arcs that aren't just epic, but bold, zany, and a little bit controversial.

Sometimes, these storylines work. In The Infinity Gauntlet, Thanos wiped out half of all life in the universe. In Crisis on Infinite Earths, the Anti-Monitor ended all realities save for one. Not only were these events amazing, they helped shape the world of comics for years to come.

But more often than not, these daring story arcs drop the ball. Sometimes creators try to do something ambitious but go too far, creating a plot that's non-sensical, convoluted, or downright disrespectful. These series can be so abominable, they have tarnished a given comic's legacy, ended a whole line of comics, or put the publishing company on the verge of bankruptcy.

Here are 10 comic story arcs that most comics readers just absolutely detest.

10. Amazons Attack

Secret Empire
DC Comics

When Wonder Woman was held in a detention centre by the US government, her mother, Hippolyta, saw her imprisonment as a declaration of war. This inspired the Queen of Themyscira to order the Amazons to invade Washington D.C.

As a concept, that plot synopsis sounds totally fine.

But when the first issue opens with Amazons slaying innocent civilians (including children), you know Amazons Attack was doomed from the beginning. Because Hippolyta acts uncharacteristically cruel, readers naturally assumed she was a supervillain posing as Wonder Woman's mother, especially since she was considered dead at this point. Even when we learn this is the one and true Hippolyta, you may assume the story can redeem itself if it turns out she was mind-controlled.

But she wasn't. Hippolyta slaughtered thousands of innocent people of her own volition.

Not only that, Wonder Woman barely appears in the story. (She only appears in the first issue for one page.) Amazons Attack may not be the worst DC comic but it is a shoe-in for one of the worst Wonder Woman comics for sure.

Contributor
Contributor

James Egan has written 80 books including 1000 Facts about Superheroes Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Horror Movies Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about The Greatest Films Ever Made Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about Video Games Vol. 1-3 1000 Facts about TV Shows Vol. 1-3 Twitter - @jameswzegan85