Redartz: Good day, and welcome! One of the great strengths of the medium of comics is the versatility it displays. No less than film, books or television, comics can entertain, educate, shock, inspire, tug at the heart and tickle the funny bone. It's the last two that we are dealing with this time.
More specifically, the subject is to consider the ability of our favorite characters to star in both stories of drama and stories of humor (hence our title above, with a nod to Steven Sondheim). I'm sure that all of us could , given a character, come up with a stirring dramatic story featuring said character. The challenge is to also recall an entertainingly humorous tale as well! As an example, I'll start off. And the subject of my picks are my old favorite, Spider-man.
Spider-man is ideally suited for this subject. At various times, and by different creators, the character has ranged from comic to tragic, usually blending both in the same story. Some of you may bring up other examples from Spidey's backstory, but I'm going with "The Kid Who Collects Spider-Man" as my dramatic entry. A short story, half of ASM 248; but with volumes of impact. Without spoiling anything (in case any of you haven't read it), the story tells of Spider-man's meeting with a young fan. The tale, by Roger Stern , Ron Frenz and Terry Austin, perfectly captures the essence of Peter Parker's heroism and humanity. And I defy you to read it without getting a lump in the throat before you're through.

On the other hand, my humorous pick is a comical gem. "Untold Tales of Spider-Man" Annual from 1996, by Kurt Busiek, Mike Allred and Joe Sinnott, is a perfect example of Spidey's capacity for fun. The story of Peter's date with Sue Storm caps a hilarious battle of egos between Pete and his friendly nemesis, the Human Torch. Some of you might recall that I did a full review of this book some time ago; the book is worth another mention. Brilliantly written, and perfectly illustrated, "A Night on the Town" is guaranteed to give the reader a giant size dose of laughs.
And that's just one (two, actually) example of a character who carries tears and laughter equally well. What others can you think of?