TGIT!!!!!!!!
Ok, you folks know what time it is. Time for another mystery post about topic I give a shit enough about to well, post.
Today's topic should be a fun romp inspiring endless debates. And with a topic like this, why wouldn't it?
Basically I bitch enough(and with good cause more and more everyday) about DC's NU52 reboot. I don't like it and it feel it wasn't really necessary. Sure sales spiked at first due to consumer curiosity. And well yes initially that helped the business, those numbers quickly leveled off, and have stayed right around the same numbers of sales as pre-reboot sales.
But what about the reboots in the past that not only were successful, but also dreadfully needed?
Well, here's my attempt and picking out the best creative reboots of all time, and why.
Feel more than free to agree or disagree with me afterwards.
5).
Grant Morrison's reboot of the X-Men:
Ah Grant Morrison. He pops up again later on this list. But it's not hard to figure out why. The man can write his superheroes, and he writes them very well, and always with one foot in the Silver Age.
Grant came along in a very timely opportunity. The first ever X-Men movie was just coming out, and the leather costumes became all the rage for a couple of years.
Well Grant decided he wanted to change things up from the usual incestuous mix of members and storylines that continued to pervade the characters as a default setting ever since Chris Claremont left.
Grant felt it time for a change, both in the X-Men's look, mentality, and mission statement.
Soon, Xavier's school for gifted youngsters actually looked and felt just like a school again when it opened its doors to a huge amount of new students. Who knew that concept could work again? Well Morrison did.
He even decided the Marvel Universe had too many mutants, and did something about it long before Bendis had the Scarlet Witch do it, by having new and weirdly modified sentinels wipe out most of Genosha Island.
And it all happened before the X-Men could stop it.
After that, Morrison finally resolved the long-standing love triangle of Cyclops, Jean Grey, and Wolverine, by killing of Jean(again) and making a new couple out of an unlikely pair of Emma Frost and Cyclops. Shocking and blasphemous to most when it all happened, commonly accepted now.
He made Magneto a villain again in of the most cleverest turns for that character, introduced new allies and foes, and dared to give us a new bad future for the X-Men. What's not to like?
Unfortunately Marvel, because after Morrison's 3-year run was over, the only contribution that was allowed to last, was the White Queen and Cyclops knocking boots. Everything else, from Magneto's heel turn and death, Xorn, and even the leather costumes were all gone and/or revamped in a years' time.
Horrible really.
4). Kurt Busiek and George Perez's reboot of The Avengers:

I remember this time period pretty well. The Jim Lee/Rob Liefield experiment didn't work out near as good as both Lee/Liefield and Marvel thought it would. Fan outrage, internal bickering, and poor sales, along with the looming and very real threat of bankruptcy all conspired together to make sure the "Image" makeover of Marvel's popular characters was a bust. Even to this day, almost two decades after it happened, and it still leaves a bad taste in the mouths of Marvel fans everywhere.
So what happened to make things right again?
Namely Kurt Busiek and George Perez.
Basically it took two old pro's and their old-school mentality to come in and save the day, along with other writers and artists that were likewise supposed to redeem the failed Image founder experiment. It it worked. The Avengers finally became the flagship title for Marvel after many years of settling to for the #2 or #3 spot thanks to the X-Men.

Busiek and Perez worked their magic, bringing back old friends and foes, while creating/introducing new ones, all the while the story mattered, in turn making the Avengers matter again.
In other words, the Avengers were rightfully returned to their former glory they seemed to lose after 1992 with the conclusion of the
Operation: Galactic Storm story-line.
From 1997-2001, Kurt Busiek(Perez left around '99) steered The Avengers back and track, quickly helping to erase the stench of the failed Heroes Reborn, and make the Avengers bad-ass again. I shudder to think if not for them, what would the Avengers look like without them.
3).
Grant Morrison's JLA Run:
I told you the man was on here twice. 1997 for DC was starting to look like Marvel's 1996, until Morrison stepped on the scene, and behind the helm of DC's premier franchise book. Well, at least it was during and after Morrison's run.
Morrison brought back not only fun, but serious threats and the big guns: Superman, Batman, Flash, WW, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and the Martian Manhunter. Yep, for first time in a long time, the original big guns(even if in name only since Wally and Kyle took over from their predecessors)
All it took was the big guns returning and Morrison's fertile imagination to return the JLA to its former glory, both sales- and popularity-wise.
With stories heavily influenced by the Silver Age and Jack Kirby, Morrison(and under-rated artist Howard Porter) took the readers and the JLA on a wild and crazy-ass ride through colorful and inventive enemies like Darkseid(and a taste of Final Crisis) the CSA, The Lex Luthor-led Injustice League, an invasion from the 5th dimension, and a seemingly impossible battle against an old war god. Only Morrison could write the stories he did, and put such a nice and shiny coat of paint on a fixer-upper like the JLA was at the time.
Trust me, to truly get the most out that run, you had to be there when it all happened. Fortunately I can say that, because I was there. And still love what he did to this day.
2).
Chris Claremont's X-Men Run:
Sure it seems silly to say now, but without Chris Claremont, there'd probably be no X-Men. Or at least nowhere near what they look like now. Maybe there'd be no Nightcrawler, Storm, Colossus, Kitty Pryde, or even a Wolverine without Claremont's influence. Thankfully we'll never have to know. And that alone, speaks volume for just how important Claremont is and was to the X-Men. I won't go into detail about all he did for the franchise, because most of you already know, or should know by know. I'll simply sums up by saying you should all thank your God that Chris Claremont was allowed to do what he did to a franchise that was never really that popular until he took it over. Yes, even papas Stan Lee and Jack Kirby never made the X-Men as popular as it is now. Think about that one for a minute or two.
1).
DC's CRISIS On Infinite Earths:
It wasn't the first revamp, but it was truly the first REBOOT. It was one of a kind for its time, a true successful comic event in an era before comic events were ever heard of.
Crisis revamped the DCU in 1985-86, and in doing so, set a dangerous and seemingly irresistible precedent that DC loves to repeat every few years. Case in point the latest reboot.
Thanks to Marv Wolfman(and numerous other writers and editors) and George Perez, and legendary comic event occurred, seemingly riding itself of the numerous multiple earths that had sprang up over the years. The powers that be wanted a cleaned up, streamlined continuity for their cash cows to play in, and Wolfman and Perez obliged them creating a 12-issue mega epic that will forever go down in history for what it accomplished and for the numerous deaths it caused. The original Flash, the original Supergirl, and countless golden age duplicates of the current bronze age heroes all died, with only Barry Allen ever really coming back.
All in all, Crisis has become so influential, it's repeatedly ripped off and/or lampooned. But one can never, or should never, forget what real first even brought about the current all-consuming wave of endless comic events, because the CRISIS started it all.
Here's some other famous reboots/revamps that didn't make the list, but are no less important to know:
-Frank Miller's run on Daredevil
-Denny O'Neil/Neal Adams' run on Batman and GL/Green Arrow
-Warren Ellis singlehandedly saving the Wildstorm imprint with his new take on Stormwatch, which led to the Authority and Planetary.
-Walt Simonson's run on Thor
-Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing
There's a lot more I'm sure, but you get the gist. Feel free to comment on what you think, and what reboot/revamp you like and why.
Have a good weekend people:)