Riddle Me This! What Are Your Favorite Comics of the Year?

http://panelsonpages.com/?p=30796

For me, 2010 was the year of Green Lantern again. Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps and Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors was always at the top of my reading pile. I also very much enjoyed Batman and Robin and Red Robin. Flash was also a favorite.

BPRD has been strong.

I'll throw in Scarlet, JL: Generation Lost, Secret Six, Rucka's Detective Comics run (Batwoman), Gotham City Sirens, Unwritten and I, Zombie. You know, the usual. Scarlet's still fresh but came out of the gate strong. And, other than GCS's bump in the road with that 2 issue story-arc with Sister Zero, all these titles have been consistent with quality storytelling, IMO.

I'd probably say Walking Dead and Fables, just that I get them by the trade and by default am behind.

^ Yeah, I'm WAY behind with Fables. I'm only up to the fifth trade.

BlueMaxx wrote:BPRD has been strong.

I'll throw in Scarlet, JL: Generation Lost, Secret Six, Rucka's Detective Comics run (Batwoman), Gotham City Sirens, Unwritten and I, Zombie. You know, the usual. Scarlet's still fresh but came out of the gate strong. And, other than GCS's bump in the road with that 2 issue story-arc with Sister Zero, all these titles have been consistent with quality storytelling, IMO.

I'd probably say Walking Dead and Fables, just that I get them by the trade and by default am behind.

I love you..

Im gonna also go with Witchblade, and Artifacts..

I think my number 1 would be Daytripper. I thought it was superb and I love a comic that really makes me feel something.

Others would include Unwritten (probably my favourite right at the moment), Joe the Barbarian (although I'm now very disappointed in the delays with this - it's lost its momentum in my opinion - which I think is the bane of modern comics) and Madame Xanadu.

From a superhero perspective I'd probably say SHIELD has been superb and Greg Rucka's Batwoman/Detective Comics I absolutely loved, Secret Warriors and FF (yep anything by Hickman really), Dark and Secret Avengers, Green Lantern (although I didn't think this year was as strong as last year) and GL:Emerald Warriors and for me the surprise comic of the year....Justice League: Generation Lost.


I also love Fables and Walking Dead but I'm getting those in trades and am way behind this last year but I'm sure if I was getting them as monthlies they would have been great this year too.

My favorite book this year is without a doubt Red Robin. I love that book so much. Batgirl is a close second. I’ve also loved Green Lantern: Emerald Warriors, Captain America, Secret Avengers, Ultimate Spider-Man, Ulimate Enemy, Ultimate Mystery, New Avengers, Birds of Prey, Green Lantern, The Flash, Green Lantern Corps (when Tomasi was writing it), Avengers Academy, Justice League: Generation Lost, Darkwing Duck, Transformers, and Red Hood: Lost Days.

I was also enjoying Daredevil until Shadowland started.

I have gotten way behind on it, but Secret Warriors is also great.

Stuff of Legend has been a "flying under the radar" hit for me.

Spazzy wrote:
I love you..

I know.

Aussiemandias wrote:
I think my number 1 would be Daytripper. I thought it was superb and I love a comic that really makes me feel something.

Oh fuck! I forgot Daytripper. That was the most beautiful story I'd read all year. That includes everything I've read, not just comics.

Aussiemandias wrote:
Others would include Unwritten (probably my favourite right at the moment), Joe the Barbarian (although I'm now very disappointed in the delays with this - it's lost its momentum in my opinion - which I think is the bane of modern comics) and Madame Xanadu.

From a superhero perspective I'd probably say SHIELD has been superb and Greg Rucka's Batwoman/Detective Comics I absolutely loved, Secret Warriors and FF (yep anything by Hickman really), Dark and Secret Avengers, Green Lantern (although I didn't think this year was as strong as last year) and GL:Emerald Warriors and for me the surprise comic of the year....Justice League: Generation Lost.

Generation Lost was surprising. I just had room and gave it a chance, and it's paying it forward.

You're right about Joe the Barbarian. Loving it but the stalling is frustrating. I've actually stopped at issue...4(?) for issue 8 to come out, so that I can read them all at once. :/

Debaser77 wrote:^ Yeah, I'm WAY behind with Fables. I'm only up to the fifth trade.

Wow. But look on the bright side, you are in for a treat. Homelands is a really big mile...hell, every story-arc is a milestone. Heh.

Stuff of Legend is AMAZING

S.H.I.E.L.D. immediately stands out in my mind...or anything written by Hickman for that matter like Fantastic Four and Secret Warriors. But a lot of really good books this year.

Uncanny X-Force, Secret Avengers, Batman & Robin and Astonishing Spider-Man/Wolverine.

Spazzy wrote:

Stuff of Legend is AMAZING

Listen to this woman!

I am pretty smart!

The Unwritten
Strange Tales II
American Vampire
Stuff of Legend
Artifacts

Aussiemandias wrote:I think my number 1 would be Daytripper. I thought it was superb and I love a comic that really makes me feel something.

Others would include Unwritten (probably my favourite right at the moment), Joe the Barbarian (although I'm now very disappointed in the delays with this - it's lost its momentum in my opinion - which I think is the bane of modern comics) and Madame Xanadu.

From a superhero perspective I'd probably say SHIELD has been superb and Greg Rucka's Batwoman/Detective Comics I absolutely loved, Secret Warriors and FF (yep anything by Hickman really), Dark and Secret Avengers, Green Lantern (although I didn't think this year was as strong as last year) and GL:Emerald Warriors and for me the surprise comic of the year....Justice League: Generation Lost.


I also love Fables and Walking Dead but I'm getting those in trades and am way behind this last year but I'm sure if I was getting them as monthlies they would have been great this year too.

Oh I also need to add Secret Six to my list. It's always good.

Secret Six
Secret Avengers
Big Time Amazing Spider Man
Billy the Kid and His Old Timey Oddities
All of Morrison's Batman
Birds of Prey
Thor: For Asgard
Thor
Transformers

For me its defiantly Artifacts!!

Well on the american side we've got Fables and Unwritten which are both fantastic

but in my opinion the only other comic that could rival them this year was my very own 2000ad and in perticular Nikolai dante

in the space of one storyline

Spoiler:

http://deadlldo.blogspot.com/2010/05/david-reads-comics-moment-of-silence.html

sniff I still cry...

I posted this on the facebook and the tumblr

WARNING: There are some spoilers in this. Read at your own risk.


My Top 10 Comics of 2010

10. Batman and Robin #10-16 by Grant Morrison (writer), Andy Clarke (artist), Frazer Irving (artist), and Cameron Stewart (artist). Published by DC.
2010 was the year of the Bat for DC. Even though Brightest Day was going on the real focus was on Dick Grayson as Batman and the eventual return of Bruce Wayne. Personally I found Morrison’s issues of Batman and The Return of Bruce Wayne miniseries to be pretty sucky overall (more confusing than entertaining). Batman and Robin managed to tell a good story even with the confusing stuff associated with Morrison books. The reveal at the end of issue 13 was one of the best moments of the year. While I would have preferred a more consistent artist it worked out for the best here. Batman and Robin was the most fun Batman book on the shelves in 2010 and was a fitting end to Morrison’s run on this title.


9. PunisherMAX #1-5 by Jason Aaron (writer) and Steve Dillon (artist). Published by Marvel.
I’ve never been a huge fan of the Punisher, but the team of Jason Aaron and Steve Dillon made me want to check this book out. Sadly it’s been plagued by delays as of late, which actually worked pretty well with my decision to trade-wait this series. If you thought Aaron’s work on Wolverine and Ghost Rider was good, you need to be reading this. The first five issues tell a story that focuses more on the Kingpin than it does on the Punisher. At first you might not be into that, but once you start reading, you will be sucked in. This is a more realistic take on the Punisher that is rooted in the real world. Any superhero qualities that the Punisher has in other books are stripped away leaving a gritty and incredibly violent comic. PunisherMAX is a well written and drawn crime comic at its core. This is what a Punisher movie should be.


8. Amazing Spider-Man #617, 625 (Rage of the Rhino, Endangered Species) by Joe Kelly (writer) and Max Fiumara (artist). Published by Marvel.
The big story in Amazing Spider-Man in the beginning of this year was The Gauntlet. These two issues were parts of the whole story where Spidey’s old villains returned. ASM issues 617 and 625 were my two favorite single issues of the year. These issues told the heartbreaking story of the Rhino. He was done with the supercrime world until the “new” Rhino dragged him back in. By the end of Endangered Species the new Rhino is dead as is the original Rhino’s wife. These two issues got a fair amount of critical acclaim, but were soon forgotten because of the sheer amount of issues of ASM that were released this year (33 in total). The writing is what really shines here, but that’s not to say that the story doesn’t look great. These issues made the Rhino into a character that I actually cared about and was the best Spider-Man story of the year.


7. X-Force: Sex and Violence #1-3 by Chris Yost (writer), Craig Kyle (writer), and Gabriele Dell’Otto (artist). Published by Marvel.
If this was a movie and I was writing the description for the DVD I might call this “a sexy, action packed romp.” This miniseries was as fun as it was beautiful and hot damn was it beautiful to look at. Gabriele Dell’Otto is one of the most talented painters in comics. The art is worth the price of admission alone. There could be no words in this book at all and it would still be great. Sex and Violence was the story that I had wanted X-Force to be; Wolverine and Domino killing a bunch of people. This wasn’t a thought provoking story, it was just fun. One nitpick that I have is that this wasn’t a MAX book, which didn’t allow the creative team to completely cut loose. Overall, I really enjoyed this and I can’t say enough how pretty it is to look at.


6. Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers Unleashed #1-4 by Chris Eliopoulos (writer) and Ig Guara (artist). Published by Marvel.
One of these things is not like the others. One of these things is Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers Unleashed. This is the only all ages title on my list. A lot of people overlook the all ages books, but if you do you are missing out by not buying this. LATPAU is the second installment in the series of Pet Avengers miniseries. It tells the stories of the adventures of the super animals of the Marvel universe. While it is written for a younger audience the miniseries can be enjoyed by everybody. Compared to everything else that I read this year no other comic made me laugh out loud more. Ig Guara makes fantastic looking art here which makes a great story even better. Jaded comic fans who need a dark story to enjoy something won’t like the Pet Avengers, but if you get the chance to read this, do it. I assure you that you’ll enjoy it; you may even get choked up at some point.


5. Black Widow #1-5 by Marjorie Liu (writer) and Daniel Acuna (artist). Published by Marvel.
Black Widow was a book that was destined for cancellation the second it was announced, but I still checked it out. I’m really glad that I did. The first story arc told a fantastic spy story. It was a very easy series to get into regardless of whether you knew a lot about the character going in or not. Marvel books about B and C list characters are hit or miss, but this was a hit for sure. Black Widow had a strong female lead written by a female writer, how many books can say that? It started off as a book that was completely off my radar until I started to hear very positive things about it. I picked it up and was very happy with what I was reading. The first five issues were as good and suspenseful as the best spy books or movies out there. Daniel Acuna’s bright art contrasted the dark tone of the story. Sadly this creative team was only on this title for the first five issues, but they were a great five issues.


4. Criminal: The Sinners #1-6 by Ed Brubaker (writer) and Sean Phillips (artist). Published by Icon.
I will start this off by saying that not every issue in this miniseries was released in 2010. That being said, I could not ignore this because of that. The Sinners brings back Tracy Lawless from volume two of the series. Criminal is some of the best crime fiction being created currently. Put it up against anything else out there and I assure you that Criminal is better. Ed Brubaker crafts a story that sets up several plots and has them all converge by the end of the series. He makes you sympathize with a man who kills people for a living, ran away from the army, and sleeps with his boss’s wife. It can’t be the easiest thing in the world to make this guy likeable. Sean Phillips art is looking its best here. The art is very gritty, but also manages to be very detailed. Phillips use of shadows and low lighting is unmatched. The Sinners is completely new reader friendly, but offers a richer experience to those that know the series and its characters. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how Criminal is the book most worth its cover price on the stands. No ads and bonus content (letters page, painting by Phillips, and an essay usually about crime films) make this well worth the $3.50. Criminal is a comic that any fan of hardboiled crime fiction can enjoy.


3. Elephantman #24-29 by Richard Starkings (writer) and a whole lot of artists. Published by Image.
Elephantmen is the best series that you’re not reading. This under the radar indie book is a perfect mix of sci-fi and noir. Elephantmen is a book about a group of human/animal hybrids that were made as soldiers who are now trying to adjust to living with the rest of society. Issues 24-29 are all of the issues that were released this year and were the first six parts of the Questionable Things storyline. Each issue is its own one-off story, but they work as one long story as well. There isn’t one consistent artist on the book, but it works here. Certain artists will works on stories about certain characters. For example the artist Marian Churchland does the art on stories that focus on the character Miki. The 25th issue of the series was told entirely in splash pages and had 27 different artists working on it. This book isn’t just good for its art, which is a very high point of it. The writing is just as good. Richard Starkings finds a way to perfectly balance this book between dialog heavy issues and action packed issues. The Elephantmen cast contains some of the most human and complicated characters in comics. This book never has an off issue and if you need a jumping on point, start at issue 25 and then go buy them all once you’re done reading it. Elephantmen is a series that does one thing (among many others) very well; it examines what it really means to be human.


2. Scarlet #1-3 by Brian Bendis (writer) and Alex Maleev (artist). Published by Icon.
Scarlet is a series that got a lot of people talking. The creative team behind the book is the same team that made what might be my favorite run on a comic of all time with their work on Daredevil. Here this team did not disappoint. Scarlet tells the story of a girl who is going to start a revolution in America, whatever that means in this day and age. She is set off after almost being killed by a case of police brutality. When she is able to respond, she doesn’t respond by blogging about politics or by going to rallies, she responds with shocking acts of violence. Issue three ends with Scarlet picking off police officers with a rifle, all the while recoding the events in an attempt to rally supporters behind her. Bendis challenges the readers to see if they can get behind what she is doing. In Scarlet, Brian Bendis employs innovative storytelling techniques, such as completely tearing down the fourth wall and having Scarlet talk to the reader. Bendis writes some of the best dialog in comics and Scarlet is no different. Alex Maleev’s photorealistic style fits perfectly with the story that is supposed to take place in our world. The art is some of Maleev’s best and is some of his most experimental at the same time. Scarlet is a comic that will make its readers think regardless of whether they want to or not.


1. The Outfit by Darwyn Cooke. Published by IDW.
It feels odd saying that my favorite comic was a graphic novel over a series, but I can’t deny the quality of The Outfit. This book is an adaptation of the book of the same name by Richard Stark. It is part of the Parker series of novels and is the second in a series of adaptations that Cooke is working on. The story follows the story of a criminal named Parker who plans on taking on the mob aka the Outfit. Cooke does everything for this book. He adapts it, he does all the art, and he does all of the lettering. Cooke takes an already great book and makes it better. He tells the story, but it doesn’t fall into the trap of being overly faithful. Several vignettes are used to tell the tales of several heists with all of them having a different style from the main story of the book. The art is truly a time machine back to the 60’s. It has a look that is completely unique to it in today’s comic industry. It wasn’t unusual for me to find myself spending a while admiring a page long after I finished reading it. He does so much with so little. It isn’t overly detailed and the coloring isn’t what you get out of most comics. Cooke does something with The Outfit that is wonderfully different. Perhaps the best thing that Cooke is doing is that he is introducing the Parker series to a new generation, myself included. This was one of the nicest printed books released this year with a sturdy hard cover and heavy paper. The Outfit is a book that you’ll read in one sitting no matter how long it takes you to read it. Cooke hit a homerun with this one; it really shows a master at work.