2007: Crap in Review part two

Best Single Issues

World War Hulk #1: This event opened with a thunderous first chapter with the Hulk attacking Blackbolt on the moon (and basically handing him his mute butt) and ended with one of the best fight scenes of the year. Hulk and Iron Man beating each other senseless is one thing but this fight was so well choreographed it beat out nearly every epic battle seen in comics this year. If only the end of the series could have maintained this level of intensity.

Justice Society of America #7: I don’t have the issue in front of me right now so it’s a little hard for me to recall exactly why I loved this one as much as I did. I think Citizen Steel in one issue managed to become one of the most sympathetic and likable characters in comics. I may not remember much about the specific issue but I remember this was what made me love the character.

Green Lantern: Sinestro Corp. Special: By far, the best thing I read all year. Maybe the best single issue of a comic I’ve ever read. So many great moments, from the reciting of Sinestro’s Oath, to the reveal of Anti-Monitor and his posse. I would have put the final issue of the Sinestro Corp War arc on this list as well but I would have been forced to leave off a great issue of another title so I’ll just stick with this one and say that the final issue of the arc is nearly as good as the opening. Ethan Van Sciver drew the best looking comic of the year and Geoff Johns can’t get enough praise for his work here.

Ultimates 2 #13: Another great “fight” issue with a lot of just flat out cool moments. Thor handing Loki his butt, some cool Cap moments, the Hulk and Hawkeye both getting chances to shine. I have to admit I hated the first half of the second volume of Ultimates; however, the second chapter more than made up for it. I just can’t get enough of wall to wall fight sequences with trillions of characters squeezed onto every page.

52 #52: The finale to 52 was joyous, depressing, hopeful, sad, and awesome. It also was capable of giving me goose bumps with alarming frequency. My favorite page of the whole series was that one with Ralph and Sue finally together again and Sue’s line to Ralph was perfect. I love this series, I love these characters and I love the cap on the whole thing.


Biggest Disappointments

5: World War Hulk #5: So you’re telling me I just sat through four issues of senseless (if entertaining) violence, only to sit through a final issue that just repeats what came before? I really dug the first three issues of this series but man did it end with a whimper.

4: One Year Later: DC’s One Year Later jump was handled well by some (Geoff Johns, Pete Woods, Paul Dini) and not so well by others (Geoff Johns and Dick Donner, Alan Heinberg, Judd Winnick). This seemed to be due to either delays or just a lack of direction for where they wanted their particular titles to be headed. Mind you some brilliant books came out of the One Year Later leap (Detective, Batman, Justice League and Society), it’s just a shame the rest couldn’t match that level of quality.

3: Thor: He’s back! And no one except Iron Man seems to give a rip.

2: She Hulk: I once thought this was the most fun you could have with a comic book. Somewhere along the way it just kinda lost that sense of fun. By the time this title had hit the marriage of She Hulk story I just lot interest. From what I’ve heard the Dan Slott-to-Peter David hand off has not gone very well either.

1: Countdown to Final Crisis: Boring as watching an elementary school basketball game. Nothing for the first 20 some issues. I anxiously await Final Crisis but I dropped this title around week 23. What a sad way to follow up 52.





Best Collections/Graphic Novels

Planet Hulk: This hardcover made me fall in love with the Hulk for the first time. I’ve always liked him but until I read this story I just never really “got” him. Kudos to Greg Pak for writing an epic story with a fantastic character arc. The price tag on the hardcover is a little steep but it contains something like 13 or 14 issues plus the Planet Hulk guide so it’s more than worth it.

Captain America by Ed Brubaker Omnibus: I already owned all the issues individually of Brubaker’s run but something about having them all together in one attractive, over sized edition was just too much for me to pass up. Sure it’s got the “Death of...” issue but all the stuff leading up to that is what makes this such an awesome collection. There’s also a bunch of extras that make it even more of a steal at a measly 40 some bucks on Amazon. Plus it makes a great door stop. The thing’s huge.

Tellos Colossal: I think a lot of comic fans may have overlooked this one back in October but it’s well worth a look. For one thing you have the beautiful work of Mike Wieringo. That alone would more than make it worthy of a purchase but it’s also accompanied by a fun, original fantasy story. Sure it isn’t exactly Tolkien but it is entertaining and gorgeous to look at. It also contains some decent extras including looks at some of the unfinished penciled pages. Seeing Wieringo’s work without an inker is always a treat.

Best Characters

Bucky/Winter Soldier: What a difference a few decades can make for a character.

Red Tornado: Slow paced as the Tornado’s Path story arc in Justice League was, it also made you care about this guy.

Booster Gold: His starring turns in 52 and his own series have helped catapult a favorite of mine back into the spotlight. Which, let’s face it, is exactly where he would wanna be.

Citizen Steel: I already mentioned my love for this character when talking about Justice Society #7. I love his look and his back story and his powers. A great, slightly tragic character.

Hulk: From Fugitive to Dope to Slave to Gladiator to King to Worldbreaker. What a character arc that is. It was the year of the Hulk after all.


5 Favorite Writers

Ed Brubaker: There isn’t much more to say about Captain America or Daredevil that hasn’t already been said elsewhere and more eloquently. His writing improves every year and that’s saying something for someone who was writing fantastic books like Catwoman, Gotham Central and Detective Comics just a few years ago. His work with Matt Fraction on Immortal Iron Fist and his solo outing with the Uncanny X-Men prove he is capable of more than just noir tinged crime books masquerading in spandex.

Dwayne McDuffie: He’s on the list because, in my opinion, he returned Fantastic Four to where it was when Mark Waid left. Namely, in position as Marvel’s funnest, (no I don’t care if it’s not a real word) adventure-filled superhero book. His grip on the way the characters talk, act, and react is nearly flawless. McDuffie has also done a decent job in his stint on Justice League. Sure it is a little slight but at least we see the league doing something other than stand around a table talking for two issues at a time.

Robert Kirkman: I was torn on whether or not to have him on the list. He would have made it on here easily in recent years but anymore the only things I read by him are Invincible and the odd Ultimate X-Men trade I pick up at the library. The later comic is not exactly his best work. Not by a long shot. Still, Invincible remains the best, original creator owned superhero book out there. His ability to juggle an ever expanding cast of characters and subplots remains impressive. Also, the book is fast approaching its 50th issue and continues to see increasing sales and awareness. With a slew of trades, and collections out there, Invincible is one of the easiest books to jump into. Kudos to Kirkman for continuing to put out a great book. Now get it on a monthly schedule... please?

Grant Morrison: All-Star Superman, and Batman. That’s all he’s writing at DC right now (aside from the oncoming behemoth that is Final Crisis) and still he manages to astound me. Where on earth he gets the ideas he shoves at us issue by issue of both those titles I’ll never know (or want to know) but I’m awfully glad he has them. I believe the best way to describe this guy is by simply saying he is endlessly creative. By this time next year we’ll all be talking about the insanity that Final Crisis will bring with it and it’s all thanks to the mind of this wacky guy.


Geoff Johns: He wrote Sinestro Corps. War. I mean, yeah he also writes Justice Society, Action Comics, Booster Gold and earlier this year was still hard at work on 52 but c’mon. It’s Sinestro Corps. War. That was the best non-event event comic ever written. He’s been my favorite writer for three years and I don’t see any sign of that changing any time soon.

5 Favorite Artists

Bill Crabtree: His coloring and inking on Invincible help set the tone and lay the atmospheric groundwork for that book nearly as well as the pencils. I’ve never considered a colorist such an integral part of a titles success before but seriously, if Crabtree ever left the book I just don’t think it would be the same.

Ivan Reis (and Ethan Van Sciver): I realize it’s a bit of a cheat but I think it’s fair. Without Ivan Reis Green Lantern wouldn’t have made it’s shipping schedule as well as it did throughout the S.C.W. and it’s thanks to him that it achieved the kind of intense, epic look that it did. His work has been this solid for a long time, and he’s drawn another epic space war comic (Rann/Thanagar) and a handful of GL issues already but he outdid himself over the last 7 issues. Van Sciver handled the art chores on the spectacular Sinestro Corps. Special and lended a hand with the final issue to that arc. I wish he worked a little faster but the reward is always worth the wait.

George Perez: It’s so awesome to see Perez back to drawing a monthly title again. Brave and the Bold is a two man show (Waid/Perez) and without either one of them I’m just not sure the book would be as good. Perez has been around forever it seems like, and he draws epic, superhero books better than anyone. The multitude of heroes and villains he can cram into a single panel never fails to astound and B&tB gives him the perfect showcase for his abilities. He’s also a heck of a nice guy.

Dale Eaglesham: When I found out he would be handling the art on Justice Society I was ecstatic. Villains United was far and away the best looking of the Countdown to Infinite Crisis minis and his issues of 52 managed to cast a shadow over the lesser issues of that series. His work so far has been more than I could have hoped for. His rounded pencils make a perfect compliment for a book about golden age heroes shepherding in the next group of heroes. Also more than capable of balancing action with quieter character driven moments and exceptionally good at expressions Dale Eaglesham goes down as the best Justice Society artist of the modern era.

John Cassaday: I have him on this list for the only thing I’ve read that he’s drawn this year; Fallen Son #5. The funeral of Captain America was superbly captured from the rain swept skies to the sea of umbrellas to the faces of the men and women gathered to mourn. I’ve gotten to see his cover work on Astonishing X-Men as well but being the Marvel trade waiter I am, I’m waiting for the hardcover collection before I read the second volume. Cassaday’s attention to detail and ability to bring to life iconic characters is unmatched. I can think of about five pages in Fallen Son alone that would dwarf the entire output of 90% of the artists in the industry. I can’t wait for that hardcover collection of Astonishing, mostly because I know it’ll be a sight to behold.

Booty!!! ARRRRRGH!

I was blessed with an abundance of gifts for Christmas this year and I've had a chance to play, read or watch just about everything now. Being the conceited person that I am I thought it might be fun to list some of the stuff I received.

I got the Blade Runner: Final Cut but I haven't had a chance to watch it just yet. I'm waiting for the perfect mood to strike before I sit down and take it all in. There does seem to be a wealth of extras and four different versions of the movie so that's cool.

I also received Hot Rod and Bourne Ultimatum as well as the final season of Seinfeld. I've seen all of these before and love 'em all which was why I was screaming with giddy excitement when I opened them. Hot Rod was one of the dumbest movies released ever and that may be the reason I love it so. It's hysterical but I think you have to be able to regress to a 12 year old intellect to really enjoy it. Bourne Ultimatum is a fun action movie. Very enjoyable and though I don't exactly love the other two I have to profess no small amount of admiration for the latest. I still hate Matt Damon though.

This was the year of the graphic novel for me. My sister bought me over 90% of my Amazon wish list. This included the Captain America Omnibus, the Fallen Son premier HC and the Death of Cap premiere. Fallen Son fell short of being good although issues 4 and 5 were both pretty excellent. The Death of Cap storyline drug a little and for some reason lacked emotional resonance. The Omnibus is awesome though and I will discuss it more in my forthcoming massive best of 2007 list.

I also got the Goon: Chinatown graphic novel which I started last night. Its not comedic but it is great so far and as usual Eric Powell does not disappoint. I still love his work. Grant Morrison's Batman and Son hardcover was also given to me and though I already own all the issues, I felt this was one I'd want to own. It reads better all in one fell swoop.

Also got the Artemis Fowl graphic novel which reads well only if you've already read the book. It's definitely a little hard to understand at times and I found myself lost as to what was going on due to some poor visual story telling. Still rather enjoyable.

I also got the Stephen King on Writing book. I read it about a month ago and asked for it for Christmas because, frankly it's the most helpful book on the craft that I've ever read. Like a creative writing class in under 200 pages.

My niece Penny also saw fit to buy me the new Spiderwick book. Haven't had a chance to read it yet but I'll get to it some time here. I love those book and eagerly anticipate the movie.

Video game wise this year I was given Call of Duty 4 and the Orange Box. So far I've only played Team Fortress and a tiny bit of Half Life. I love Team Fortress so far but my Internet is being screwy so my 12 month LIVE subscription hasn't been getting as much use as it otherwise would. Call of Duty 4 is awesome.

It was a good Christmas all in all even though I spent it in abject misery due to my horribly mangled ankle. The lying around did allow for a handy excuse to do nothing but read and play my gifts. I hope your Christmas was a good one. What all did you get?

2007: Crap in Review part one

Well, that's another year down. One step closer to death.

It was a good year for my personal favorite hobby. A lot of good comics were made and read by moi, and a lot of talented people deserve to get a lot of credit for the swell stuff they created. I've always been a big fan of "best of" lists -really just lists in general- so I thought it would be fun to come up with a somewhat comprehensive list of my favorite (and least) things (and people) of the past year.

One thing to bear in mind is that I don't claim to judge these things on any basis other than the fact that I like 'em. They might not be the best written or the most thought provoking things out there but I'm grading everything on how much I enjoyed or was moved by it rather than the craft involved though in most cases there is a considerable amount of genuine talent involved.

My 17 Favorite Titles of 2007

As it is I'm leaving a lot of good stuff off here. The titles listed are my personal favorites of the year and are in no particular order. If I had to pick my absolute favorite I'd probably go with Green Lantern. It just didn't get any better than that this past year.

Batman: This has been a decent comic since Grant Morrison took over with touches of greatness thrown in along the way. I thought the Batmen murder mystery story was exceptionally strong and have really dug some of the issues individually. Taken as a whole though this is a good title simply because Morrison gets Batman/Bruce Wayne better than any writer in the last 10 years. I love the James Bond meets Sherlock Holmes meets Bruce Lee vibe of the whole thing.

Ultimate Spider-Man: I'm not a huge Brian Michael Bendis fan, and I really don't see the need for the Ultimate universe as a whole but golly do I love this title. I actually backtracked this past summer and read the entire series from the start all over again and I enjoyed it twice as much the second time. This past year saw the end of Bagley's run as artists, the start of Immonen's, the awesome Marvel Knights story arc, and the release of the Clone Saga trade. Clone Saga was just spectacular. If you haven't read that trade run out and pick it up.

Booster Gold: Geoff Johns is my favorite comic book writer and Booster Gold is one of my favorite characters so naturally this title was an easy fit for me. I love the time traveling antics and the done-in-one-but-not-quite story telling but most of all I just love the super heroics. This is pure superhero fun. The Killing Joke issue (#5 I believe) was one of the best comics released this past year and the upcoming 10 years late Zero Hour crossover is the comic I'm most looking forward to this month. I love this book, and so should you.

Fantastic Four: I'd never read anything Dwayne McDuffie had written until his Secret War sequel who's name escapes me. After that, Justice League and Fantastic Four I've become a fan. I also love Paul Pelletier's work on this book. It's good to see him on an ongoing after he left She Hulk. Fantastic Four should always be about family, exploration and adventure. Mark Waid got it and so do this creative team.

Thunderbolts: One of the first series' I went back and collected floppies of was the original Kurt Busiek run on Thunderbolts. Up until the midpoint of the Nicieza relaunch I had read pretty much everything they had appeared in. Ellis gets the team's concept better than even Busiek did. I was expecting this book to be incredibly dark and though at times it is, I really like the whole feel of it. Like the Dirty Dozen meets Justice League.

All Star Superman: Another Morrison title. First off, the artwork by Frank Quitely is evocative of every silver age Superman story ever told while doing something completely, bizarrely different. Grant Morrison has this way of throwing insane, off the wall ideas at you one after the next and making them stick. I love the silver age wackiness. I love the more heartfelt moments like the death of Pa Kent. I appreciate the respect paid to the characters. I also have to give credit for the coloring of Jamie Grant. This book has such a unique look. Familiar but brand new at once. This is the best Superman book currently publish

Invincible: The last year wasn't especially kind to Invincible fans in terms of the release schedule. However, the quality of the book continues to rise issue by issue. The whole book seems to be coming toward another major turning point and the approaching Viltrumite threat is looming like a hurricane. There isn't much you can say about this title that hasn't been said a hundred times before. Great art by Ryan Ottley, wonderful writing by Robert Kirkman and fantastic coloring as usual by Bill Crabtree. This was actually the first comic that I really paid attention to the color palette and I continue to be impressed every issue.

Immortal Iron Fist: I'm a trade waiter when it comes to most Marvel books these days (mostly due to financial reasons), so I'm coming to this title late in the game. I love it. I've already recommended it to friends and family. The pencil work by David Aja perfectly suits the kung fu action and word perfect writing by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction. Danny Rand, for the first time to me, is finally a cool character. I love the history they've created for the Iron Fist legacy and I personally thought the Orson Randall character from the Death of an Iron Fist story arc was one of the coolest characters of the last year.

The Brave and the Bold: It's Mark Waid and George Perez writing old school superhero stories with everything thrown in 'cept the kitchen sink (which may very well be floating around in one of those insanely detailed pages Perez draws) and starring practically every character in the DCU. It's not for everyone, you almost need to have either grown up on the old stuff or have a love for that style of storytelling, but in terms of talent involved you can't beat this title.

Fables: Consistently my favorite non-superhero book. Like a Disney movie for adults with dense plotting, strong characters, beautiful artwork (including most of the fill in artists) and the most gorgeous covers in comics. Bill Willingham has created probably the richest and deepest worlds in fiction. His ability to take previously created characters in crazy new directions in incredible. Bigby, Snow White, and Boy Blue have all had fantastic starring turns along with characters like Aladdin and Mowgli. Frankly if you're not reading this book it's a crime.

Daredevil: Brian Michael Bendis did a lot to wreck the life of Matt Murdock/Daredevil, from marrying him off to outing him in the press to killing off members of the supporting cast. Now it's Brubaker's turn and he has proved in his first year and a half that he is more than capable of screwing up the guy's life just as well. From "killing" Foggy to giving back Murdock's secret identity back to him by way of putting him in debt to Kingpin things just aren't looking up for our poor hero. That's just the way I like it. Also, Brubaker brings something to the table that was sadly lacking through much of Bendis' run... a sense of fun. I can't leave out the work of Michael Lark who I've been following since Gotham Central. As much as I hated to see him leave that title, seeing him on this one more than makes up for it.

Action Comics: Geoff Johns and Dick Donner's initial arc still hasn't come to a close but the subsequent stories have been fun. The beautiful work of Eric Powell on the Bizzarro World story more than made up for the underwhelming storyline and the current Legion of Superheroes arc is one of the best Superman stories in years. If nothing else the art of Action since the new creative team took over has been among the best I've seen. Kubert, Powell, and now Gary Frank have all done an amazing job on the title. Plus, Geoff Johns just gets Superman and what makes a good Superman story and that's what makes me think in the next year this book will become the best ongoing Superman book out there.

Captain America: Like Johns with Superman, Brubaker gets what makes a good Captain America story. Apparently it's his death. Though I'm still not entirely sold on the need to kill of Steve Rogers this title is consistently amazing. Steve Epting, and Mike Perkins deliver beautiful visuals, Brubaker writes incredible, action packed, mystery tinged stories and they do it all with the title character not even appearing in the book. This is a first right? It'd be like making a John Wayne movie where the Duke never makes an appearance yet gets top billing. And they make it work.

Justice Society of America: I've loved this book since James Robinson and David Goyer were writing it and the one year later relaunch has only amplified those feelings. The legacy characters (Flash, Wildcat, Green Lantern) get a chance to shine, newer characters are stepping to the forefront (Citizen Steel, Damage, Cyclone) and there is a sense of history involved with this book that no other has. It's been this way since it launched back in the late nineties. That's really something. I hope Geoff Johns never leaves this book. I'm gonna mention Eaglesham's work later in this massive tome so here I'll just say that the cover work by Alex Ross is probably the best work he's ever done. He has a love for these characters that shines through. This is actually my favorite book and at the rate it's going I don't see that changing any time soon.

Green Lantern: I really hadn't been all that impressed with this title until the One Year Later jump. I don't know what it was about that leap in time that made Geoff Johns step up his game but Green Lantern has been smacking pretty much every other book on the stands on the back of the head since. The Cyborg Superman story was great, followed by the Wanted: Hal Jordon story which was preceded by the Star Saphire story and then Sinestro Corps. War. I make no attempt to hide the fact that the later story actually gave me goose bumps and nearly brought me to tears on more than one occasion. Any book that can turn me into a blubbering, neanderthalic, geek has to be worthy of the word "great".

Justice: Like Ultimates this series was slow to release but never failed to disappoint. Alex Ross turned out the best painted work of his career probably thanks to the fact that he didn't handle the pencil work this time around. The story was campy as all get out, reminding me more than anything of a modernized Superfriends story but then again that was probably the point. This would be the book to give some kid who loves the Justice League based on the cartoon and the old Superfriends show. It's idealized, mythical, and fun.

52: There wasn't a chance I would leave this series off this list. I've already written about it here so I don't have too much more to say. Mark Waid, Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, Greg Rucka and Keith Giffen should all be given some sort of medal for this project.