2010 QB50

1. AIR (Vertigo)
The hugely unappreciated masterpiece from G. Willow Wilson (it shares the distinction with 52, which topped the 2006 and 2007 QBs, as the only book to repeat as my favorite comic during the five year existence of this list) released its final eight issues in 2010. While star-crossed lovers Zayn and Blythe finally found a chance for happiness, what really satisfied was Blythe’s accepting the reigns of her own destiny, however strange her journey has been over the course of twenty-four issues. Among the famous historical figures added to the fold in the final months of the comic was Jules Verne, who wrote a history of Blythe’s future she ultimately refused to read, a decision that helped shape her resolve. Hopefully the four trade paperback volumes that will now house this book will help readers discover AIR.

2. THE GREAT TEN (DC)
Seven issues of this comic were released in 2010, one less than the planned amount, but few people were reading this other unappreciated masterpiece (I swear, that word is not actually going to be thrown around cheaply), from Tony Bedard and Scott McDaniel, both of whom seemed born to work on this project. Following the adventures of a Chinese super-team originally seen in the pages of 52, the book explored individual members each issue (until a little creative compression saw Mother of Champions and Socialist Red Guardsman share the climactic #9), revealing a rich history and a distinct sense of character while unveiling a story thread that explored how each of them were ultimately connected, with each other and to a country that could sometimes fail to appreciate them, too.

3. G.I. JOE: COBRA (IDW)
Counting the annual released in September, there were twelve issues of this one to savor in 2010, which is not too bad for a book that was originally planned as a single mini-series when IDW acquired the rights from DDP for the Hasbro brand a few years back. The inspired choice to follow Chuckles as he explored the rumors of the emerging threat posed by Cobra proved more compelling than the company originally realized, and so last January the company launched a second mini-series, which it soon announced to be expanded into a full-blown ongoing run. Aside from Chuckles, the Paoli brothers, Xamot and Tomax, continued down their own uncertain fates, while Cobra Commander and Scoop also joined the intrigue.

4. RASL (Cartoon)
Jeff Smith released four issues of this fascinating parallel worlds project, his follow-up to the acclaimed BONE, in 2010, adding a lot more emphasis on the story’s connection to ill-fated genius inventor Nikola Tesla. The highlight, though, was #8, which saw flashbacks to protagonist Rob’s misadventures in the lab experiments that led to his life on the run, as well as a few more tantalizing clues about the nature of the bobble-headed girl who keeps showing up.

5. GREEN LANTERN (DC)
The best year of Geoff Johns’ run with Hal Jordan couldn’t have come at a better time, with BLACKEST NIGHT finally blowing the creator’s new mythology wide open, culminating in a dizzying series of questionable alliances, including Hal actually working with his arch nemesis, Sinestro, who had perhaps his most explosive issue with #52, when he was briefly the White Lantern. If you were jazzed by Johns’ simultaneous efforts with The Flash but were frustrated waiting for new issues of his own series, you could catch Barry Allen here, being brave and bold, and a little Parallaxian, too. Also of note is the LARFLEEZE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL, which ably demonstrates that Johns really has created something special with his Agent Orange.

6. GRANT MORRISON’S 18 DAYS (Dynamite)
This was not technically a comic book so much as a primer on one of Morrison’s more ambitious projects (but then, when aren’t they?), a cartoon adaptation of the Indian saga MAHABHARATA. Everything you might have wanted to know about that is included in his extensive notes, which also give you an insight into his creative process, while his vision is as impressive as the scope of this story, which he charmingly reiterates with no small hyperbole throughout this volume, which also covers the full scripts for the first few episodes.

7. WASTELAND (Oni)
While everyone started to gaga over WALKING DEAD, the comic and the TV show, the best post-apocalyptic comic continued to be WASTELAND, a fascinating glimpse at the terrible politics that will continue to plague mankind, even when everything else seems to have been lost. With three issues released during 2010 (Antony Johnston worked some mainstream comics, including SHADOWLAND material with Daredevil, to help support this project), there wasn’t a lot of material, but every page was impactful.

8. 45 [FORTY-FIVE] (Com.X)
One of the most innovative projects was clearly Andi Ewington’s interview-style exploration of a whole world of superheroes, with the exact number of the title, and the same number of artists supplying splash pages to accompany each of them, as a new father attempts to understand what his newborn can expect growing up with special abilities. Along the way, there’s a subtle arc sewn within the interviews, and you’re left hoping this graphic novel has a chance to expand further.

9. THE STAND: SOUL SURVIVORS/HARDCASES (Marvel)
This faithful and lively adaptation of the Stephen King book continued, completing two more cycles, one of which marked the midpoint of the run, bringing the intrepid survivors of the Captain Trips virus to Boulder and the beginning of the end. A must-read whether you’re a fan of King or not.

10. SUPERMAN: LAST FAMILY OF KRYPTON (DC)
It was a deceptively good year for the Man of Steel, but the biggest highlight was this Elseworlds treat from classic scribe Cary Bates, exploring the ramifications of Jor-El and Lara both surviving, along with the infant Kal-El, the destruction of Krypton, and making Earth home for the whole family, which expands and attempts to grow, adapting and becoming celebrities among humans. Even though Kal still assumes the identity of Superman and many of the familiar elements of his story fall into place, including a rivalry with Lex Luthor, there are surprises at every turn. This should become a classic.

11. BLACKEST NIGHT (DC)
From #6, in which many familiar DC faces are appropriated by the spectrum of rings (highlights include Scarecrow being drafted into the Sinestro Corps, an obvious and inspired choice, and Lex Luthor briefly sharing Larfleeze’s orange greed, which has led to a whole ACTION COMICS quest), to Sinestro briefly claiming the White Lantern in #7, to the epic conclusion on #8, in which twelve heroes and villains are resurrected, Geoff Johns did not disappoint, helping to solidify a hugely popular new era for Green Lantern.

12. BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE (DC)
Grant Morrison dips back into the tapestry style of SEVEN SOLDIERS in unveiling the epic journey of Bruce Wayne through time, helping a catatonic Batman continue to prove his impact is undeniable. Some of the impact from this book is shared by a few other titles, but taken as a whole, this is almost a little like Morrison trying to finish out FINAL CRISIS than explaining how the Dark Knight came back.

13. SUPERMAN: EARTH ONE (DC)
This absurdly hyped and bestselling “modern Superman” reads a lot like Grant Morrison’s acclaimed All Star interpretation, allowing Clark Kent to be the talented outsider looking for a way to fit in while also tweaking the exact causes for his origin, introducing antagonists who actually destroyed Krypton, something the regular books could never do, but here offers an entirely logical twist to what otherwise is pretty familiar. J. Michael Straczynski abandoned a few more projects to immediately begin work on a sequel, which I will now begin to hotly anticipate.

14. “Killer of Saints,” AZRAEL (DC)
Issues #10-13 saw David Hine assume creative control of this book, immediately punching it into high gear, embroiling Michael Lane in his own personal DA VINCI CODE and pitting him against the fanatical Crusader, whose insane mission rampaged sadistically against a conspiracy that eventually exposed Lane’s true mission, not just as the latest bearer of the Suit of Sorrows and weapon for some crazy religious order, but the new…Ah, why don’t you just read this one already? You will absolutely thank yourself.

15. THE TWELVE: SPEARHEAD (Marvel)
Remember that crack about Straczynski abandoning things I made a little earlier? Well, here’s just one of them, THE TWELVE, which was basically a story that brought a whole team of Captain Americas from the obscurity of the Golden Age and WWII into the present. After nine issues, Joe jumped from Marvel and started writing for DC. This may ending up being a coda to the uncompleted work, released last March by regular artist Chris Weston, handling the writing duties as well for the occasion, but serves as a lasting testament that the project is still well worth remembering.

16. STEPHEN KING’S N. (Marvel)
There was a lot of King floating around comics in 2010, so it bears reminding that Marc Guggenheim helped adapt a standout story from the JUST AFTER SUNSET collection, a paranoid and psychologically devastating ditty about a series of people doomed by Lovecraftian circumstances.

17. “Grim Hunt,” “O.M.I.T,” “Origin of the Species,” AMAZING SPIDER-MAN (Marvel)
I have to be somewhat specific about which issues, exactly, are must-reads for the final year of Brand New Day, because I skipped the “Gauntlet” first half of the year as pretty unnecessary, which is exactly the opposite of at least “Grim Hunt” and “O.M.I.T,” both of which were culmination points for three years worth of stories. Issues #634-637 saw the “Grim Hunt” revival of Kraven, which pushed Peter Parker and his sparingly used mythology to its limits, while in #638-641, “O.M.I.T.” finally draws back the veil on the connecting material between “One More Day” and Brand New Day, with Joe Quesada personally handling the duties. Not a lot of critical acclaim to that one, but for this fan, it worked. “Origin of the Species” ran through #642-646 and wrapped up the saga of Menace as well as finally delivered the goods on the transformed Doctor Octopus. #647 was a pretty awesome conclusion to Brand New Day as a whole, and deserves to be read even if you didn’t like the preceding arcs. #648 is brilliant, too, with Dan Slott finally officially making Peter a professional science geek, something so completely natural it should have happened a long time ago. Technically, it also kicks off the Big Time era, but you can enjoy it for that reason alone. Fifteen standout issues is pretty good for this book.

18. BATMAN AND ROBIN (DC)
The book that won Grant Morrison most of his love in recent years was pretty lively in 2010. The best issue, #8, in part of a sequence which helped make Batwoman interesting again, while the Dr. Hurt saga concludes in spectacular fashion with #13-16, with a healthy (an appropriate connotation for something associated with the Clown Prince?) dose of Joker tossed in for good measure. Paul Cornell and Scott McDaniel assume the title for later issues, introducing the new villain Absence, but the book known for putting Damian on the map still has plenty to say about him, particularly as mom Talia attempts to take control of him remotely in #11-12. If any of this had been particularly coherent as a whole, this would have landed in the top ten easily.

19. BRIGHTEST DAY (DC)
It seems weird to call this the new 52, particularly since I shamelessly referenced that book as having topped the QBs during both years of its publication, but I stand by that assertion regardless. The characters who most benefited from the first half of this biweekly series were Deadman and Martian Manhunter, who particularly benefited from artist Patrick Gleason, who should forthwith be attached to some future Manhunter project, assuming he survives this book. Anyway, Geoff Johns and Pete Tomasi are knocking this sequel to BLACKEST NIGHT out of the park. Go Aqualad!

20. IRREDEEMABLE (Boom!)
Mark Waid is entering his third decade as one of my favorite writers, and these days he owes that distinction to this book. #13 was an early indication that this would be a good year for the series, while #17, where Plutonian reveals he knows exactly what Modeus has been up to, really kicked it into high gear. Recent issues have plunged the fallen hero back into circumstances that’ve obscured his chances for redemption still further, but made the book all the more fun to read.

21. GREEN LANTERN CORPS (DC)
Early in the year this book was still playing clean-up in the crossover wars, but after Tony Bedard took over with #48, it finally started to take on a life of its own, adding new anguish to the bitter existence of Cyborg Superman while finally purging the Alpha Lanterns of their emotional defects, and then moving on to an arc with the Weaponer who forged Sinestro’s original yellow ring (and was therefore responsible for the whole spectrum corps saga, other than the Guardians, of course), and wants revenge for it. This has the effect of renewing the focus on Kyle Rayner and Soranik Natu, who happens to be Sinestro’s daughter. The pair became an item during Pete Tomasi’s extended run, but Bedard has already done more with them. Tomasi did have some pretty cool moments with the book this year, helping purge most of the red rage from Guy Gardner before GREEN LANTERN: EMERALD WARRIORS thanks to Mogo in #45, for instance, giving the planet its coolest-ever moment.

22. BATMAN, INC. (DC)
Grant Morrison’s latest Bat book really took off with the second issue, released with minutes to spare for consideration in 2010, rounding out Bruce Wayne’s recruiting of the Japanese legacy hero Mr. Unknown, who sacrifices everything gladly to join the Dark Knight’s new global crusade. I have a feeling that this book is going to be, at least for the time being, Morrison writing in the same style as his JLA more than a decade ago, just pure superhero awesome. To reach this book, however, Grant also released BATMAN: THE RETURN, with David Finch, featuring a clever metaphor with an old bat, and a myriad of talent worked on the ROAD HOME books, notably Fabian Nicieza and Scott McDaniel on the Ra’s al Ghul issue.

23. “Odyssey,” WONDER WOMAN (DC)
I flip-flopped between this and “Grounded” from SUPERMAN after my initial drafting of this list when I learned Straczynski was basically abandoning both books, dropping the latter in favor of this arc, because this story will have more lasting impact. Beyond the new costume, which everyone fixated on, “Odyssey” is a real effort at creating an iconic story for Wonder Woman, something most writers shy away from. I can’t write a whole lot about what that ultimately means just yet, but the difference between what Gail Simone was doing and what Straczynski intended could be seen in the milestone #600 issue, when both approaches were on display before “Odyssey” officially kicked off in #601. With #605, Phil Hester introduces his own particular style to the saga, which may be what it takes to punch it into the next gear.

24. MARVELOUS LAND OF OZ/OZMA OF OZ (Marvel)
Eric Shanower and Skottie Young cannot be praised enough for their adaptations of L. Frank Baum, with eight issues of charming whimsy released over the past year. #8 of MARVELOUS LAND includes a huge twist that provides a perfect segue into OZMA, a book that itself should be familiar to anyone fortunate enough to have seen the movie RETURN TO OZ.

25. SUPERMAN: SECRET ORIGIN (DC)
With three final issues scattered throughout 2010, Geoff Johns concluded his version of Clark Kent emergence as the Man of Steel, centering on his rivalry with Lex Luthor. It was difficult to continue reading this book while the regular Superman books finally stumbled into a redeeming WAR OF THE SUPERMAN under Greg Rucka and James Robinson, who couldn’t sustain the work Johns and Gary Frank had done before transitioning to SECRET ORIGIN, which in effect serves as a prequel. Rucka did the best work in ACTION COMICS, while SUPERMAN: WORLD OF NEW KRYPTON was an effective jam session with Robinson, and SUPERMAN #700 is a must-read, regardless of where you stand on “Grounded” and Straczynski. But stick with SECRET ORIGIN, EARTH ONE, and LAST FAMILY OF KRYPTON if you wanted unabashed Superman highlights.

26. “The Fourth Reich,” JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA (DC)
Bill Willingham contributes this meaningful reboot saga featuring Mr. Terrific in which he basically concludes the story he began in 2009 with Kid Karneval, letting him win and establish a whole Nazi regime that basically defeats all the heroes, until Terrific finds a loophole to undo everything. But issues #36-40 are well worth reading to see how Willingham weaves familiar faces in and out of this saga. The best JSA post-Geoff Johns.

27. HEROIC AGE: PRINCE OF POWER (Marvel)
Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente have been writing terrific Hercules comics for the past few years, but after the end of INCREDIBLE HERCULES with #141, they started in on a number of spin-off books that eventually culminated with CHAOS WAR. But the most focused and best of them was actually the one that starred boy genius Amadeus Cho in his efforts to bring his pal back from the apparent dead, little realizing that he was actually establishing his own superhero credentials in the process. What this ultimately proved to me is that Pak and Van Lente need less Herc and more Cho in their future.

28. RED HOOD: THE LOST DAYS (DC)
Judd Winick is often hard-up for a little respect, but after his “Under the Red Hood” was chosen to be adapted into an animated movie, he was given the chance to revisit Jason Todd in this mini-series, which explored the connecting material between the classics “A Death in the Family” and BATMAN ANNUAL #25, exploring how Talia, the daughter of Ra’s al Ghul, helped bring the revived former Robin back to form, with a whole new mission. It all sounds a lot more complicated than it needs to. Really, just read this book.

29. WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE WORLD’S FASTEST MAN? (Accent UK)
I haven’t typically included graphic novels in the QBs, and yet here’s the third standalone book (fourth, if you include 18 DAYS) on this year’s list, another compelling story, exploring a man who found, like Hiro Nakamura in HEROES, that he could freeze time and become a hero. Except there was a price to pay, when he decides to rescue every intended victim of a terrorist attack, living out his regular lifespan as he clears the blast area, one person at a time.

30. THE FLASH (DC)
The conclusions to FLASH: REBIRTH and BLACKEST NIGHT: THE FLASH weren’t as compelling as the return of the Scarlet Speedster’s ongoing series, as Geoff Johns combines his love of the Rogues with a time-twisting mystery worthy of Barry Allen, as the seeds for greater things yet to come are sewn. Anyone reading GREEN LANTERN in 2010 should know that they need to be in on the ground floor with this one, because it’ll only get better.

31. JOE THE BARBARIAN (Vertigo)
In many ways, RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE owed a lot more to this book than “R.I.P,” FINAL CRISIS, or BATMAN AND ROBIN, since Grant Morrison’s minimalist approach there was in full swing here, minimalist and fully epic, an evocative journey somewhat delayed thanks to the flurry of Bat books Morrison delivered at the end of the year. If you want to wait for the collection, you might as well thank yourself now, because it’ll be worth it.

32. AVENGERS: THE CHILDREN’S CRUSADE (Marvel)
It’s a shame that all the momentum from the launch of YOUNG AVENGERS some six years ago (back when Ed Brubaker started his CAPTAIN AMERICA run) has basically been lost thanks to Allan Heinberg’s busy schedule, because finally we’re reaching the culmination point, not just for this team but the true reward from Brian Michael Bendis’ “Avengers Disassembled” (not all the big events and spin-off books Bendis himself has been doing in the meantime). Anyway, this one marks the return of the Scarlet Witch, but it’s that team of Young Avengers who really command the story.

33. ATOMIC ROBO (Red 5)
The most offbeat comic being published today continues, as Nikola Tesla’s (there’s that dude again) robot creation fights monsters and dull storytelling with some of the most inspired writing in the business. In REVENGE OF THE VAMPIRE DIMENSION #3, he battles the nutty Dr. Dinosaur. In #4, he meets Thomas Edison. In the DEADLY ART OF SCIENCE series, he attempts to join the crusade of the unimpressed Jack Tarot. Robo also steals the show in Red 5’s Free Comic Book Day offering, thanks in no small part to the Giant Angry Chicken. These are primo shenanigans, folks.

34. ACTION COMICS (DC)
As noted earlier, Greg Rucka does some worthwhile stuff with Flamebird and Nightwing early in the year (grab #886 for proof), but the book really kicks off when Paul Cornell and Lex Luthor take over with #890, ushering an instant classic story worthy of Luthor and Cornell’s best comics work since CAPTAIN BRITAIN AND MI:13 (and probably better). Seriously, if you like Geoff Johns and his Green Lantern work, that’s exactly what Cornell is doing here. If that doesn’t rub you, think of Cornell and Luthor like Morrison and Bruce Wayne. That’s the amount of creator-character synergy going on here. The creepy Lois bot looks a lot like Zooey Deschanel, which works for me, too. The Nick Spencer second feature featuring Jimmy Olsen, beginning in #893, is also a good draw.

35. MICE TEMPLAR: DESTINY (Image)
Four climactic issues conclude Karic’s quest not only to revive the Mice Templar, but fulfill his something, something in this continuing, evocative look at the hero’s journey, complete with notes in every issue about influences, allusions, and explanations. The first issue of the book’s third volume, A WIDWINTER NIGHT’S DREAM, offers an intriguing look into how things don’t get any easier, even when everyone apparently gets the proof they need to believe in a miracle.

36. DC UNIVERSE: LEGACIES (DC)
Comics legend Len Wein extends his modern legacy reinterpreting classic DC stories with this limited series taking a long look back at DC lore in general, hitting the history marks and characters that have defined the company over the years. #7 is especially impactful for anyone who actually read “Doomsday” and “Knightfall,” managing to condense both storylines effectively into a single issue. It was also interesting to see “Emerald Twilight” translated in the next issue. Any doubts that how exactly Geoff Johns was able to bring Hal Jordan back by apparently ignoring this story may now safely be put to rest.

37. BATMAN BEYOND (DC)
Reviving the animated series creation, this mini-series also served as a sequel to “Hush,” one of the milestone stories of the past decade, while at the same time needling the Frank Miller supposition that Dick Grayson was destined for a bad end. You have to read it to see how Adam Beechen turns both points on their head. Breakout star: the new Catwoman. Another surprise success that turned into an ongoing series.

38. RESURRECTION (Oni)
Those jazzed by WALKING DEAD and intrigued by my earlier plug for WASTELAND may actually want to check this book out instead, a simpler and more familiar post-nightmare narrative about what happens after an alien invasion. Marc Guggenheim released eight issues of this book in 2010, exploring the ramifications of discovering Bill Clinton, the last president before the Bugs wrecked Earth, is still alive, and concluding the current volume by revealing just why the aliens came here in the first place. For those who also read Guggenheim’s excellent GALACTICA 1980 comic from Dynamite, which concluded last January, it was a good bit of intrigue all around. Now, could he just leave Earth in peace for a change? Oh, and he also debuted HALCYON from Image. Turns out that’s just as complicated…

39. ASTRO CITY: SILVER AGENT (WildStorm)
Kurt Busiek finally concluded the DARK AGE, which enabled him to tell the story of one of the most famous landmarks of Astro City, the statue commemorating Silver Agent, whose bittersweet saga is told here in its entirety for the first time.

40. DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF ELECTRIC SHEEP? (Boom!)
This straight adaptation of the Philip K. Dick novel continued, issues #8-18 tracking Rick Deckard’s progress from Luba Luft to recruiting Rachel Rosen. It’s projects like this and THE STAND that help illustrate how illustrated comics, no matter what that means, can truly be inspired.

41. AMERICAN VAMPIRE (Vertigo)
Between Scott McDaniel on THE GREAT TEN and Rafael Albuquerque on this book, it’s difficult to say which artist found a more perfect project for their talents in the past year. While everyone was gushing over Scott Snyder and welcoming Stephen King into his first original comics work, it was Albuquerque who stole the show. The first five issues, in which Snyder and King introduce Pearl and Skinner Sweet respectively, are the best ones to sample if you want to come and savor that art.

42. AGE OF BRONZE (Image)
This is a book I confess to not having had the opportunity to read from the beginning, because for a long time I was relying on local comic shops to buy my books, and this was very seldom stocked, but in recent years I’ve been able to begin remedying this oversight. I’ve been a fan of the Trojan War for years, and thankfully, at least one comic book creator, Eric Shanower, shares and exceeds my passion, as this extensive and exhaustive version proves. Two issues were released during the year, with the highlight being the tragedy of Cressida and Troilus, a tale told previously by Chaucer and Shakespeare.

43. THE ANCHOR (Boom!)
Part of what inspired me to keep “Odyssey” over “Grounded” from Straczynki’s abandoned regular DC books was the news that Phil Hester would be taking over the reigns of WONDER WOMAN. Hester is one of comics’ best kept secrets, and his signature work in 2010 was this book and its concluding five issues, a mixture of religion and heroics, heavy on heroics, light on religion (just so you don’t worry about that too much). The way Hester built his story over the course of eight issues crescendos beautifully in these issues, with gut-wrenching twists and a real emotional payoff. Hopefully this isn’t the end of the Anchor. But this is not the last time this list will be pining for a Phil Hester project to continue.

44. CHEW (Image)
This book is outrageously good. It’s been building a buzz, so you don’t really need me to confirm this, but I am more than happy to throw my hat in the endorsement ring.

45. BATMAN (DC)
Tony Daniel has rightly earned his place as a signature Batman creator (#696 helped solidify his legacy for me), so that covers that much about this book in 2010, but there’s more to talk about. Fabian Nicieza made something of a cameo with #703, completely nailing Damian (making me wish he had a commitment to write that Robin instead of Tim Drake). But Grant Morrison pretty much stole the show, and this book back for three issues, starting with the breathless #700 celebration. #701-702, “The Missing Chapter,” is pretty much his version of “O.M.I.T,” and would have single-handedly vaulted this book into the top ten, if Grant hadn’t been so busy elsewhere. Instead that nugget powers this title here, the true highlight of the year, and probably Morrison’s best overall work of the year. Makes me think I really should have ranked it higher…

46. BATMAN: STREETS OF GOTHAM (DC)
Paul Dini and Dustin Nguyen have equally been buried, continuing the legacy of Hush in this unlikely of places, far out of the spotlight. #13 was probably the strongest issue in that regard, while Two-face stole #15 with a fake-out death.

47. DAYTRIPPER (Vertigo)
This was a critical favorite, so I don’t need to spend a lot of time justifying it. Worth the experience.

48. GOLLY! (Image)
Here was Phil Hester flexing his Grant Morrisons, a surreal and fantastic escapade with an unlikely protagonist and a circus at the center, and maybe a little God thrown in for good measure. Hester has promised to resurrect this one with graphic novels. I’m keeping him to it.

49. ONE MONTH TO LIVE (Marvel)
IDW did a creepily similar project at exactly the same time, but keep this one in mind, a fable about a guy given a last chance to be a hero, and since it was produced by a superhero publisher, that was pretty literal. Five weekly issues released in September, written by Rick Remender, John Ostrander, Stuart Moore, and Rob Williams; a little heavy-handed at times, but well worth it, featuring an assortment of established characters to supplement the unknown at the center.

50. JUSTICE LEAGUE: GENERATION LOST (DC)
Guilty, guilty DC still feels like making amends to the Bwa-ha-ha League, this time under the direction of Judd Winick, in this biweekly companion to BRIGHTEST DAY. #6 spotlight on Captain Atom and #12 spotlight on Ice are the obvious highlights. A KINGDOM COME tease with Magog ends with that hero’s death in #13. A new Rocket Red is probably the ongoing highlight of the book.

Owing to the fact that I read my comics with a bit of an Internet-ordering-and-shipping delay, I have not technically read all of my 2010 comics yet, but a few last-minute revisions with the arrival of a few of the stragglers has left me with hopefully a truly representative QB50 for the year. The good news is, new comics are always being made…