I went shopping again, in part because Christian Mock got a letter in a comic book, and so I'll be heaping further praise on Tom King's masterful Omega Men, plus some other thoughts.
First, a word on Comic Shop News. This is a free weekly newsletter you can find in most comic book shops (although I've had a rough time finding it in recent years with a lot of stores simply not making enough to give away stuff like this). It's basically the last print source for fans in the age of the Internet, which is probably what killed Wizard. While its interior content is more or less superfluous these days, its main articles are an excellent resource, the rare all-inclusive source for notable projects throughout the medium. Without it, for instance, I may never have heard of Andi Ewington's breakthrough 45. I'm talking about it at all because I picked up a copy, which turned out to be #1,500, which is a milestone if there ever was one. The cover feature this issue concerns Paul Dini's forthcoming graphic novel Dark Night: A True Batman Story, which looks like an amazing project.
Before I get into the comics I bought, it's also worth noting that Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice is opening this weekend, and the merchandising blitz is in full force, including select cereal boxes including mini-comics. Most of these mini-comics aren't much to write about, but Jeff Parker's "Playground Heroes" turned out to be a pretty good one. In it, he explores Superman's impact on a boy struggling with how to respond to bullies. It's a worthwhile character study where these things tend to be fairly generic storytelling. Presumably, the other three mini-comics in the set are equally worth reading.
Plus, y'know, that movie they're technically hawking is a pretty big deal. As a fan of Man of Steel, I'm glad the Justice League franchise is spinning out of it. Even if fans still prefer the irreverent hijinks of the Avengers and Deadpool at the box office, this is still some of the best superhero material on the big screen, ever.
Anyway, onto the comics proper:
Dark Knight III: The Master Race #3 (DC)
I nearly bought the deluxe version of the second issue. In my more limited comics experience these days, I won't read the complete story until the eventual collected edition. I previously read the first issue digitally. As of this issue, I would equate DKIII with DC's previous Before Watchmen, with Brian Azzarello once again stepping up to help make it a reality. Frank Miller's voice is still there, but there's clearly a filter this time around. I decided to pick up this issue because the mini-comic this time features Green Lantern, apparently from the perspective of the ring itself rather than Hal Jordan. It's interesting stuff.
Martian Manhunter #10 (DC)
I figured I had to revisit this series when the cover boasts, "The Secret Origin of J'onn J'onzz," which otherwise means Rob Williams is getting around to explaining exactly what's been going on, and that's exactly what this issue is all about, a new version of Mars mythology and origin of the Martian Manhunter, how J'onn is involved, and why he ended up splitting himself up into a variety of guises, including Mr. Biscuits. I liked it. Should anyone be interested in expanding on these concepts, they could easily once again tie in Bloodwynd with the rest of it, as confused readers two decades ago...
The Omega Men #2, 4, 5, and 9 (DC)
While accidentally duplicating my print collection of #5, now I'm only missing #3, which I'd read previously in digital form. I can't get over how brilliant this series is. Tom King obviously got to write the greatest non-Geoff Johns Green Lantern story of the New 52 era by making the ostensible leads the terrorists/freedom fighters Omega Men, making alien politics as realistic and intriguing as possible, and featuring a heavy dose of Kyle Rayner to move the narrative along, including #9 finally featuring him reuniting with the white ring. I think Omega Men represents what DC has routinely done better than Marvel, which is to look deeper into the superhero narrative, looking for alternatives in storytelling approach. Marvel does it on occasion, like Frank Miller's Daredevil, Matt Fraction's Hawkeye, and King's Vision, but more often than not it clings to the tradition more than anything else, even in the Ultimate Comics experiments. DC, meanwhile, routinely pushes the boundaries of literature storytelling, not as exceptions but increasingly as the rule. It frustrates fans to no end. They want simplicity and familiarity above everything else. They want what they always had. Omega Men flies in the face of all the rules. Nine issues in and we're still waiting for Kyle to pick a side. Shouldn't it be obvious? Isn't it obvious? And yet King is writing something truly great here, buried in a series that has some of the worst sales of DC's whole catalogue, which DC itself saved from cancellation in order to give King the chance to complete his story. Because, as I've said time and again, DC knows better than the readers what it has with Omega Men, and King. Word is that King will be writing Batman once the full details of DC Rebirth are revealed. I couldn't be happier.
Robin: Son of Batman #5, 6 (DC)
These are the remaining issues under Patrick Gleason's creative direction (although I guess I missed #4) in the follow-up series to his and Pete Tomasi's brilliant Batman and Robin. The more issues I read, the more I'm convinced that Gleason had more creative input in Robin: Son of Batman's predecessor than previously thought, because he proves a deft hand as writer, so similar to and in the same spirit as it that it's a seamless continuation. These issues features Damian's reunion with his mother Talia, confronting the matter of what happened in Grant Morrison's Batman, Inc. while also exploring Goliath's secret origin and rounding out Maya Ducard's story. I have no idea why fans wouldn't embrace this series.
Superman #50 (DC)
Gene Luen Yang's final issue is a big one, concluding both the 'Truth" and "Savage Dawn" arcs. I follow two blogs that both savaged (heh) the issue, and weren't particularly keen on Yang's run in general. For me, putting aside my incomplete reading of it to this point, it was a natural extension of Geoff Johns' (it's rare when two different writers can do this; previously I can think of Chuck Dixon and Devin K. Grayson in the pages of Nightwing, and...really, that's about it, except for maybe Karl Kesel and Stuart Immonen in the Superman comics). The whole point of it, taking away Superman's powers, was to provide one of those extreme situations that the '90s did on a constant basis. And in fact, Superman lost his powers in the '90s, too (in the wake of The Final Night). This time, however, his identity was exposed at the same time. He began to feel hounded, and no longer knew who to trust. For a lot of readers, this didn't feel true to character. Yang's fight club, I think, was what most alienated readers. It's a common trope, but as far as I could tell from the issue that debuted it, Yang's version was uniquely positioned to explore Superman's insecurities, kind of like if he'd ended up in the Bottle City of Kandor instead, or some other environment where he had to rediscover what being Superman means. Because that's really what it was all about. It was a place where he was safe when he felt unsafe everywhere else, both because of the powers and the identity being compromised. So this issue has him dealing with Vandal Savage, who presents him with further options, ultimately forcing Superman to once again affirm what he does and why he does it. At the end of the issue, he's reunited with Lois (and Jimmy), who tell him, "Go be Superman!" and, "Go be Clark." Because far too often, there's confusion as to which he is. When he's really both. Which, again, was the whole point of this crisis. We've become too comfortable with the notions of Superman and his secret identity. The modern era has been trying to dismantle that for twenty years. I guess it'll have to keep trying.
All-New Wolverine #5 (Marvel)
Mock's letter appears in the letters column of this comic. It's one of those letters from a fan who has found a comic that's let them be a fan again. Mock as been a reader longer than I have. He's probably a different kind of fan than I am. Which is fine. This is another of the many Marvel series in recent years featuring a new character in a familiar guise. It's an old DC trick but one Marvel has only recently begun to embrace. A lot of them have been about switching the gender. This is one of them. Since Death of Wolverine (which some have interpreted as Marvel's campaign to undermine the X-Men movies by removing the most popular mutant from the comics landscape, except in the pages of Old Man Logan), classic Wolverine has remained dead. In his place is now the character formerly known as X-23 Laura Kinney. This particular issue reminds me a great deal of Valiant's Bloodshot Reborn, which features a character who is very much a Wolverine variant himself. I can't say I find this to be a bad thing, because it's always nice to see the big guys pay attention to the competition, and to have a comic that pays attention to mythology in general. I can't say the issue made me want to read the series faithfully (all told, I guess I'm more interested in Bloodshot Reborn), but it was certainly worth reading at least once. Cheers, Mock!
I guess, if there's an overall lesson to be learned from this particular post, it's that I'm always going to be a fan, no matter how my readership evolves.
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Monday, March 7, 2016
Quarter Bin 69 "Eight Below"
As always, "Quarter Bin" is a figurative term. This is a back issues feature.
The title of this edition comes from the fact that I bought the following comics from the store Five Below (basically another dollar store), two different packs of four comics each. These are not the first comics I've gotten from Five Below, and not even the first bargain packs I've picked up in the last few months, but there's one excellent, and several good ones, reason to write about this set first (I'll get to the others later). Namely, it gave me my first look at one of Grant Morrison's Marvel projects I hadn't gotten around to yet. Without further adieu, let's dive in:
New Avengers: Illuminati (Marvel)
From September 2006.
Civil War was kind of better in a handful of one-shots specials than it was for the event itself or the comics that followed it. Here I'm mostly thinking about the ones concerning the death of Captain America (I'm sorry, "death"), but this is another of the literate stories Marvel let slip through, Brian Michael Bendis getting to write about the Marvel landscape in frank terms, setting up a cabal (that kind of went nowhere but was intended to be more significant), a meeting of the heads of the big guns before everyone started to become Avengers (even before the movies made it cool). I guess I'll never understand why Namor has been such a tough nut for Marvel to crack, I guess just too difficult to reconcile with the more juvenile instincts of the company, even though he's one of its founding creations. He's a standout here. Conspicuous by his absence? Captain America.
Daredevil #253 (Marvel)
From April 1988.
I thought this would be a Frank Miller issue (shows how much I know, I guess), but it ended up being Ann Nocenti, one of the more long-lived female comic book creators who has been involved in DC's New 52 initiative recently, writing Green Arrow and such. She writes about what you'd expect from Daredevil. It's telling, what fans were thinking, or at least what Marvel was thinking, from the letters in the back lamenting the grim turn in then recent years, which would be the Frank Miller era, which was not yet completely over. The editor suggests to readers still searching for a good Kingpin story Daredevil: Love and War, Miller's graphic novel from two years earlier. Well, anyway, what's perhaps best to talk about is the debuting artist in the issue, none other than John Romita, Jr., at least as described in the letters column (which was always months behind), actually three issues into his run at this point. Romita would go on to make quite the name for himself (probably known at the time very much as "Junior"), and a distinctive style. Which is hard to find in the work here. So I spent perhaps more time trying to find the Romita I know than to anything else. But it was still worth checking out for all three reasons.
DC Universe Presents #11 (DC)
From September 2012.
James Robinson, just starting his comeback, though everyone seemed to ignore The Shade (despite its generally excellent quality), writing a Vandal Savage arc, uniquely featuring him as something other than the villain, trying to make peace with a rebellious daughter while trying to avoid the sins of his past. As the antagonist of Legends of Tomorrow and having apparently resurfaced in the Superman titles recently, Savage is experiencing a renaissance of significance lately. He's a compelling character, and Robinson certainly helps sell him better than the norm.
Fantastic Four: 1234 #4 (Marvel)
From January 2001.
I assume Marvel did a roundabout second printing of this, because the copyright fine print says "Vol. 2" and the cover features a 9/11 memorial logo, even though the publication date still lists it as the beginning of the year...Either way, this is the first time I've read anything from this Grant Morrison's project. Morrison's Marvel work is better known for his New X-Men and Marvel Boy, but there's also this to consider. And now having read some of it firsthand, I would almost consider it his response to Marvelman/Miracleman, a dystopian twist on a traditional superhero property. Aside from a classic comic book twist that undoes it, the issue features Dr. Doom turning the team against each other, against themselves, all of that, in ways Alan Moore's opus never adequately explained, except that he just didn't understand superheroes anymore and wanted them to "grow up." This is a whole thing among fans, the relationship between Moore and Morrison, how Morrison tried to write in his own contribution to Moore's work on that property (to be printed years later by Marvel), and how they've been "rivals" ever since. It's a fairly one-sided creative conversation, though. Morrison did his version of Watchmen in Pax Americana (within the greater Multiversity construct). But few observers seem to have perceived 1234's commentary. It even makes Dr. Doom credible for the first time...ever. So that's good to read, too. Now on to Skrull Kill Krew!
Force Works (Marvel)
From January 1995.
The Image explosion caused chaos across the board, and one of the weirdest effects was forcing (heh) Marvel and DC to try and ape the style approach, which meant as much about the art as the less subtle storytelling (which eventually gave way to more subtle storytelling, so on the whole it was probably a good thing). DC created a Justice League that starred in the series Extreme Justice, Marvel created an Avengers called Force Works. I originally learned about the latter in a calendar I had as a teenager. I admit, I liked the title. So now I read an issue for the first time ever. Scarlet Witch is taken semi-seriously, in a kind of stripper-with-a-heart-of-gold kind of way. U.S.Agent is in a costume I don't recognize. There's a Mandarin story that doesn't really feature Mandarin all too well (Iron Man 3 wants its plot back!), and Tony Stark is being a shmuck. On the whole, seems about right.
Hawkeye #11 (Marvel)
From August 2013.
I think I've read this issue already. Or maybe Matt Fraction used the dog gimmick again later? Either way, this is the dog gimmick issue, which features a dog and the only words the reader gets to read are the ones in the dialogue the dog would understand. Otherwise, it's the various associations the dogs would make, conveyed via icons. I don't want to underestimate the uniqueness of the artistry, certainly in a mainstream work, that Fraction manages to bring to Hawkeye. In any other era, this would have been hailed as the second coming of Frank Miller. For whatever reason, that just never happened with this series. I don't think anything groundbreaking was achieved, except to highlight that no one really has a definitive Hawkeye story they figure is worth telling (except, you know, that he debuted as a villain?), which even the movies acknowledge, so that Fraction literally could do anything, like this dog issue. But that's still a breakthrough for a mainstream superhero comic.
Prime #3 (Malibu)
From December 1995.
I used to think that Prime was basically a Captain Marvel) (DC version) ripoff, but after this issue, I guess he's kind of more like the Spectre, a powerful entity that needs a human host to anchor it. Which obviously was otherwise poorly conveyed. In hindsight, Prime is just too comically overmuscled. I mean, was that deliberate?
Professor Xavier and the X-Men #1 (Marvel)
From November 1995.
I think I got this comic back in the '90s. I guess it doesn't particularly matter. It's a '90s version of the early X-Men years. It still baffles me that Marvel has never considered using Jean Grey more productively. Here's a character who used to be known as Marvel Girl. She's the center of one of the most famous X-Men, if not Marvel in general, stories ever in "The Dark Phoenix Saga." And even the movies had her as second lead after Wolverine. She's the lead character in this issue, too. And still...Nothing. Talk about missing a golden opportunity.
The title of this edition comes from the fact that I bought the following comics from the store Five Below (basically another dollar store), two different packs of four comics each. These are not the first comics I've gotten from Five Below, and not even the first bargain packs I've picked up in the last few months, but there's one excellent, and several good ones, reason to write about this set first (I'll get to the others later). Namely, it gave me my first look at one of Grant Morrison's Marvel projects I hadn't gotten around to yet. Without further adieu, let's dive in:
New Avengers: Illuminati (Marvel)
From September 2006.
Civil War was kind of better in a handful of one-shots specials than it was for the event itself or the comics that followed it. Here I'm mostly thinking about the ones concerning the death of Captain America (I'm sorry, "death"), but this is another of the literate stories Marvel let slip through, Brian Michael Bendis getting to write about the Marvel landscape in frank terms, setting up a cabal (that kind of went nowhere but was intended to be more significant), a meeting of the heads of the big guns before everyone started to become Avengers (even before the movies made it cool). I guess I'll never understand why Namor has been such a tough nut for Marvel to crack, I guess just too difficult to reconcile with the more juvenile instincts of the company, even though he's one of its founding creations. He's a standout here. Conspicuous by his absence? Captain America.
Daredevil #253 (Marvel)
From April 1988.
I thought this would be a Frank Miller issue (shows how much I know, I guess), but it ended up being Ann Nocenti, one of the more long-lived female comic book creators who has been involved in DC's New 52 initiative recently, writing Green Arrow and such. She writes about what you'd expect from Daredevil. It's telling, what fans were thinking, or at least what Marvel was thinking, from the letters in the back lamenting the grim turn in then recent years, which would be the Frank Miller era, which was not yet completely over. The editor suggests to readers still searching for a good Kingpin story Daredevil: Love and War, Miller's graphic novel from two years earlier. Well, anyway, what's perhaps best to talk about is the debuting artist in the issue, none other than John Romita, Jr., at least as described in the letters column (which was always months behind), actually three issues into his run at this point. Romita would go on to make quite the name for himself (probably known at the time very much as "Junior"), and a distinctive style. Which is hard to find in the work here. So I spent perhaps more time trying to find the Romita I know than to anything else. But it was still worth checking out for all three reasons.
DC Universe Presents #11 (DC)
From September 2012.
James Robinson, just starting his comeback, though everyone seemed to ignore The Shade (despite its generally excellent quality), writing a Vandal Savage arc, uniquely featuring him as something other than the villain, trying to make peace with a rebellious daughter while trying to avoid the sins of his past. As the antagonist of Legends of Tomorrow and having apparently resurfaced in the Superman titles recently, Savage is experiencing a renaissance of significance lately. He's a compelling character, and Robinson certainly helps sell him better than the norm.
Fantastic Four: 1234 #4 (Marvel)
From January 2001.
I assume Marvel did a roundabout second printing of this, because the copyright fine print says "Vol. 2" and the cover features a 9/11 memorial logo, even though the publication date still lists it as the beginning of the year...Either way, this is the first time I've read anything from this Grant Morrison's project. Morrison's Marvel work is better known for his New X-Men and Marvel Boy, but there's also this to consider. And now having read some of it firsthand, I would almost consider it his response to Marvelman/Miracleman, a dystopian twist on a traditional superhero property. Aside from a classic comic book twist that undoes it, the issue features Dr. Doom turning the team against each other, against themselves, all of that, in ways Alan Moore's opus never adequately explained, except that he just didn't understand superheroes anymore and wanted them to "grow up." This is a whole thing among fans, the relationship between Moore and Morrison, how Morrison tried to write in his own contribution to Moore's work on that property (to be printed years later by Marvel), and how they've been "rivals" ever since. It's a fairly one-sided creative conversation, though. Morrison did his version of Watchmen in Pax Americana (within the greater Multiversity construct). But few observers seem to have perceived 1234's commentary. It even makes Dr. Doom credible for the first time...ever. So that's good to read, too. Now on to Skrull Kill Krew!
Force Works (Marvel)
From January 1995.
The Image explosion caused chaos across the board, and one of the weirdest effects was forcing (heh) Marvel and DC to try and ape the style approach, which meant as much about the art as the less subtle storytelling (which eventually gave way to more subtle storytelling, so on the whole it was probably a good thing). DC created a Justice League that starred in the series Extreme Justice, Marvel created an Avengers called Force Works. I originally learned about the latter in a calendar I had as a teenager. I admit, I liked the title. So now I read an issue for the first time ever. Scarlet Witch is taken semi-seriously, in a kind of stripper-with-a-heart-of-gold kind of way. U.S.Agent is in a costume I don't recognize. There's a Mandarin story that doesn't really feature Mandarin all too well (Iron Man 3 wants its plot back!), and Tony Stark is being a shmuck. On the whole, seems about right.
Hawkeye #11 (Marvel)
From August 2013.
I think I've read this issue already. Or maybe Matt Fraction used the dog gimmick again later? Either way, this is the dog gimmick issue, which features a dog and the only words the reader gets to read are the ones in the dialogue the dog would understand. Otherwise, it's the various associations the dogs would make, conveyed via icons. I don't want to underestimate the uniqueness of the artistry, certainly in a mainstream work, that Fraction manages to bring to Hawkeye. In any other era, this would have been hailed as the second coming of Frank Miller. For whatever reason, that just never happened with this series. I don't think anything groundbreaking was achieved, except to highlight that no one really has a definitive Hawkeye story they figure is worth telling (except, you know, that he debuted as a villain?), which even the movies acknowledge, so that Fraction literally could do anything, like this dog issue. But that's still a breakthrough for a mainstream superhero comic.
Prime #3 (Malibu)
From December 1995.
I used to think that Prime was basically a Captain Marvel) (DC version) ripoff, but after this issue, I guess he's kind of more like the Spectre, a powerful entity that needs a human host to anchor it. Which obviously was otherwise poorly conveyed. In hindsight, Prime is just too comically overmuscled. I mean, was that deliberate?
Professor Xavier and the X-Men #1 (Marvel)
From November 1995.
I think I got this comic back in the '90s. I guess it doesn't particularly matter. It's a '90s version of the early X-Men years. It still baffles me that Marvel has never considered using Jean Grey more productively. Here's a character who used to be known as Marvel Girl. She's the center of one of the most famous X-Men, if not Marvel in general, stories ever in "The Dark Phoenix Saga." And even the movies had her as second lead after Wolverine. She's the lead character in this issue, too. And still...Nothing. Talk about missing a golden opportunity.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Reading Comics #180 "A Brief Check-in"
I think I can, I think I can...
So I went back to Hampton, VA's friendly Heroes & Villains comic book shop last week. It was my first visit this year. I was sorely tempted to buy the deluxe copy of DKIII #2 available, but I didn't. I've been keeping tabs on what's going on in comics since I wrapped up my most recent ongoing readership experience last fall. Marvel's preparing an official Civil War II (I contend readers will find a perfectly good follow-up in the Secret Wars spin-off), while DC is still in the midst of unveiling its latest brand revision under the Rebirth banner (which includes bringing Action Comics back to its original numbering in time to let the series reach #1,000 without looking like another cheap publicity stunt). This is a period where I will be happy, as a reader, to begin reading in the trades. Yes, it finally happened. Although obviously I'll have to keep informed to know what's worth reading in the trades...
So every now and then, I have to check back in! So, here's what I read. Mostly, it was checking in with previous favorites or things I was merely curious about. Without further adieu:
Captain America: White #5 (Marvel)
The final issue in the latest Loeb/Sale collaboration left me wishing there was more than simply Cap pining for the lost Bucky, but the Loeb/Sale Marvel titles have all been written in some way under that model. It's a reminder, at the very least, that there was a considerable period in Cap's history where he truly did believe Bucky was gone forever. So this is a useful testament all the same. At some point I will read the complete story.
Earth 2: Society #7-8 (DC)
The first issue is Daniel H. Wilson's last on the series. Honestly, I think fans didn't care for his run because they're still unaware that Wilson is technically a big deal. His breakthrough novel, Robopocalypse, was optioned instantly by Spielberg (whether it's been in development heck because of Spielberg's association with the Transformers movies I can only speculate), and has subsequently lost the luster of, say, The Martian, which obviously became a very successful movie in the meantime. I've argued his Earth 2's merits previously, and Society's in particular. It's a fascinating concept, but it's bound to irritate traditionalists, especially ones who saw Earth 2 begin under the auspices of the far better established James Robinson. However, Wilson's day is now done. The second issue is the first under Dan Abnett's tenure. Abnett is best known in his collaborations with Andy Lanning, but as a solo act I previously found his Conspiracy scintillating. His opening pages with Hawkgirl, and then concluding ones where Hawkgirl meets Fury, are some of the things that affirm what a great idea Earth 2 and Society remain. So that was all good to experience.
Huck #4 (Image)
I belong to the Millarworld message board community these days. This is the first issue of Huck I've caught. To me, it's clearly a Superman analogy, if based on nothing but the evidence in this issue. But no less an authority than Mark Millar himself insists otherwise, that it's actually a Captain America metaphor. The empirical evidence certainly disagrees further. Maybe Millar is more sarcastic than I previously knew...
Omega Men #7-8 (DC)
This is me literally picking up where I left off. These issues bring Kyle Rayner forcibly into the team's plans, by showing him what happened to Voorl, why they recruited him in the first place. It also features a typically tragic origin for another member, Doc, who was originally programmed to enact the Voorl tragedy itself. That's the kind of writing from Tom King that has made me a bona fide believer.
Robin: Son of Batman #9 (DC)
Patrick Gleason's final issue as writer/artist returns the series full-circle to its Batman & Robin origins, having Damian realize that now he's the one that's been left behind, just Batman was before him. It's depth that was probably unexpected and unwanted by readers who just wanted to see Robin being a smart aleck, as is still what most fans know about him. Even though I missed a few issues, I'm glad to see that Gleason also wrapped up his Maya arc in a satisfactory manner. I don't know if there ended up being a Goliath origin story somewhere in there, but this is a series I will be proud to add to my trade collection, alongside its predecessor, as one of the great experiences I've had in comics.
Superman #45 (DC)
The most recent new issue that the shop had was also the next issue after the last one I'd previously read, which was pretty neat. Readers apparently took poorly to Gene Luen Yang's run, but I found it fascinating. This issue began the Mythbrawl arc, sort of the traditional underground fighting trope mixed with Neil Gaiman's ideas from American Gods. Which, needless to say, I found fascinating. To have Superman included in such an idea is novel, and takes in the concept to a greater scope than most writers often consider. Too often he's dismissed by fans as being too godlike in his abilities. (Never mind that the New Gods are hardly ever presented as godlike at all!) Here's an example of taking that concept to its next logical step. Cheers, Yang. Bonus points for Howard Porter on art!
Telos #3 (DC)
Jeff King's Convergence spin-off was quickly dismissed as roundly pointless by fans, but I find it to be a continuation of DC's interest in expanding its space mythology, which is often relegated to the Legion of Super-Heroes, Adam Strange, and Green Lantern. Along with Omega Men, I think Telos does a good job of filling that gap, not only in further expanding the Brainiac narrative, but by including the New 52 versions of Captain Carrot and Captain Comet (the latter of which last seen in Grant Morrison's Action Comics). I think Telos as a new character fails for the same reason Bloodwynd failed in the '90s, because his origins are deliberately cloaked in mystery. Fans don't tend to like that. They like the instantly iconic. It worked with Wolverine mostly because fans didn't even realize or care that Wolverine appeared without origins. He was just cool, and was different enough from the rest of the Marvel landscape (he debuted in the pages of a Hulk comic, remember, not X-Men) that he stood out without needing everything spelled out immediately. It doesn't stop me from liking characters like Telos and Bloodwynd, but then, I'm a crazy person who actually took Mark Millar's sarcasm seriously at first...
So I went back to Hampton, VA's friendly Heroes & Villains comic book shop last week. It was my first visit this year. I was sorely tempted to buy the deluxe copy of DKIII #2 available, but I didn't. I've been keeping tabs on what's going on in comics since I wrapped up my most recent ongoing readership experience last fall. Marvel's preparing an official Civil War II (I contend readers will find a perfectly good follow-up in the Secret Wars spin-off), while DC is still in the midst of unveiling its latest brand revision under the Rebirth banner (which includes bringing Action Comics back to its original numbering in time to let the series reach #1,000 without looking like another cheap publicity stunt). This is a period where I will be happy, as a reader, to begin reading in the trades. Yes, it finally happened. Although obviously I'll have to keep informed to know what's worth reading in the trades...
So every now and then, I have to check back in! So, here's what I read. Mostly, it was checking in with previous favorites or things I was merely curious about. Without further adieu:
Captain America: White #5 (Marvel)
The final issue in the latest Loeb/Sale collaboration left me wishing there was more than simply Cap pining for the lost Bucky, but the Loeb/Sale Marvel titles have all been written in some way under that model. It's a reminder, at the very least, that there was a considerable period in Cap's history where he truly did believe Bucky was gone forever. So this is a useful testament all the same. At some point I will read the complete story.
Earth 2: Society #7-8 (DC)
The first issue is Daniel H. Wilson's last on the series. Honestly, I think fans didn't care for his run because they're still unaware that Wilson is technically a big deal. His breakthrough novel, Robopocalypse, was optioned instantly by Spielberg (whether it's been in development heck because of Spielberg's association with the Transformers movies I can only speculate), and has subsequently lost the luster of, say, The Martian, which obviously became a very successful movie in the meantime. I've argued his Earth 2's merits previously, and Society's in particular. It's a fascinating concept, but it's bound to irritate traditionalists, especially ones who saw Earth 2 begin under the auspices of the far better established James Robinson. However, Wilson's day is now done. The second issue is the first under Dan Abnett's tenure. Abnett is best known in his collaborations with Andy Lanning, but as a solo act I previously found his Conspiracy scintillating. His opening pages with Hawkgirl, and then concluding ones where Hawkgirl meets Fury, are some of the things that affirm what a great idea Earth 2 and Society remain. So that was all good to experience.
Huck #4 (Image)
I belong to the Millarworld message board community these days. This is the first issue of Huck I've caught. To me, it's clearly a Superman analogy, if based on nothing but the evidence in this issue. But no less an authority than Mark Millar himself insists otherwise, that it's actually a Captain America metaphor. The empirical evidence certainly disagrees further. Maybe Millar is more sarcastic than I previously knew...
Omega Men #7-8 (DC)
This is me literally picking up where I left off. These issues bring Kyle Rayner forcibly into the team's plans, by showing him what happened to Voorl, why they recruited him in the first place. It also features a typically tragic origin for another member, Doc, who was originally programmed to enact the Voorl tragedy itself. That's the kind of writing from Tom King that has made me a bona fide believer.
Robin: Son of Batman #9 (DC)
Patrick Gleason's final issue as writer/artist returns the series full-circle to its Batman & Robin origins, having Damian realize that now he's the one that's been left behind, just Batman was before him. It's depth that was probably unexpected and unwanted by readers who just wanted to see Robin being a smart aleck, as is still what most fans know about him. Even though I missed a few issues, I'm glad to see that Gleason also wrapped up his Maya arc in a satisfactory manner. I don't know if there ended up being a Goliath origin story somewhere in there, but this is a series I will be proud to add to my trade collection, alongside its predecessor, as one of the great experiences I've had in comics.
Superman #45 (DC)
The most recent new issue that the shop had was also the next issue after the last one I'd previously read, which was pretty neat. Readers apparently took poorly to Gene Luen Yang's run, but I found it fascinating. This issue began the Mythbrawl arc, sort of the traditional underground fighting trope mixed with Neil Gaiman's ideas from American Gods. Which, needless to say, I found fascinating. To have Superman included in such an idea is novel, and takes in the concept to a greater scope than most writers often consider. Too often he's dismissed by fans as being too godlike in his abilities. (Never mind that the New Gods are hardly ever presented as godlike at all!) Here's an example of taking that concept to its next logical step. Cheers, Yang. Bonus points for Howard Porter on art!
Telos #3 (DC)
Jeff King's Convergence spin-off was quickly dismissed as roundly pointless by fans, but I find it to be a continuation of DC's interest in expanding its space mythology, which is often relegated to the Legion of Super-Heroes, Adam Strange, and Green Lantern. Along with Omega Men, I think Telos does a good job of filling that gap, not only in further expanding the Brainiac narrative, but by including the New 52 versions of Captain Carrot and Captain Comet (the latter of which last seen in Grant Morrison's Action Comics). I think Telos as a new character fails for the same reason Bloodwynd failed in the '90s, because his origins are deliberately cloaked in mystery. Fans don't tend to like that. They like the instantly iconic. It worked with Wolverine mostly because fans didn't even realize or care that Wolverine appeared without origins. He was just cool, and was different enough from the rest of the Marvel landscape (he debuted in the pages of a Hulk comic, remember, not X-Men) that he stood out without needing everything spelled out immediately. It doesn't stop me from liking characters like Telos and Bloodwynd, but then, I'm a crazy person who actually took Mark Millar's sarcasm seriously at first...
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Reading Comics 179 "Flash Appreciation Day"
As established in the Justice League Unlimited episode "Flash and Substance" (and borrowing heavily from the comics, which have long celebrated the Scarlet Speedster's popularity in his native Central City), today is Flash Appreciation Day.
So yeah, I'm going to join in the festivities. I've previously called Mark Waid's "The Return of Barry Allen" my favorite comic book ever (read about it here), a perfect story for long-time fans of superheroes. It happened to be my introduction as a fan to the Flash, and it couldn't have been better or harder to live up to in subsequent years, but there were certainly contenders, such as the seminal Flashpoint (both of them; look it up here).
I remember the TV advertisements for the 1990 TV series, and later getting to enjoy this unique contribution to live action superhero lore. Recently, I've gotten into the new show in a big way. I can't speak highly enough about it. Whereas Smallville or the Justice League cartoons or even the series of Avengers movies continuing to play out in theaters have done an excellent job conveying the richness of superhero lore to more mainstream audiences, I don't think any of them compare to what The Flash is doing. Even with companion shows like Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow further expanding the same vision, neither has the heart or depth of Barry Allen's, arguably, greatest adventures, currently in their second season. Playing off continuity previously established by Geoff Johns in the comics, Barry's life is complicated by the Reverse Flash manipulating time so that Barry grows up without a mother, and his father convicted for her murder. More clever still, his would-be mentor Harrison Wells was replaced by the Reverse Flash, and in the second season Wells is once again compromised, but in an equally clever way. It keeps everyone on their toes, and also makes the character of Vibe the best he's ever been.
The Flash will also be involved in the upcoming Justice League movies, and there's no way to know if he'll have as impactful a showing there as well (but it's likely easy to assume so). At this point, he's easily DC's fourth guy, after Superman and Batman, who have had numerous live action incarnations over the years, and Wonder Woman, who's celebrating her impending cinematic debut as well. This will be Flash's third live action incarnation, which is pretty significant.
You can see more of how today has been celebrated here, and also take Speedforce.org's recommendation and consider checking out Hero Initiative to see how you can give back to creators who have helped breathe life into legends like the Flash.
So yeah, I'm going to join in the festivities. I've previously called Mark Waid's "The Return of Barry Allen" my favorite comic book ever (read about it here), a perfect story for long-time fans of superheroes. It happened to be my introduction as a fan to the Flash, and it couldn't have been better or harder to live up to in subsequent years, but there were certainly contenders, such as the seminal Flashpoint (both of them; look it up here).
I remember the TV advertisements for the 1990 TV series, and later getting to enjoy this unique contribution to live action superhero lore. Recently, I've gotten into the new show in a big way. I can't speak highly enough about it. Whereas Smallville or the Justice League cartoons or even the series of Avengers movies continuing to play out in theaters have done an excellent job conveying the richness of superhero lore to more mainstream audiences, I don't think any of them compare to what The Flash is doing. Even with companion shows like Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow further expanding the same vision, neither has the heart or depth of Barry Allen's, arguably, greatest adventures, currently in their second season. Playing off continuity previously established by Geoff Johns in the comics, Barry's life is complicated by the Reverse Flash manipulating time so that Barry grows up without a mother, and his father convicted for her murder. More clever still, his would-be mentor Harrison Wells was replaced by the Reverse Flash, and in the second season Wells is once again compromised, but in an equally clever way. It keeps everyone on their toes, and also makes the character of Vibe the best he's ever been.
The Flash will also be involved in the upcoming Justice League movies, and there's no way to know if he'll have as impactful a showing there as well (but it's likely easy to assume so). At this point, he's easily DC's fourth guy, after Superman and Batman, who have had numerous live action incarnations over the years, and Wonder Woman, who's celebrating her impending cinematic debut as well. This will be Flash's third live action incarnation, which is pretty significant.
You can see more of how today has been celebrated here, and also take Speedforce.org's recommendation and consider checking out Hero Initiative to see how you can give back to creators who have helped breathe life into legends like the Flash.
Friday, January 1, 2016
Overrun #1-4 (Treemundo)
artist: Paul Green
I've previewed this upcoming comic previously, from creator Andi Ewington (best known for his brilliant 45, an interlocking portrait of superheroes), so having a look at the mini-series itself was a shear pleasure. As outlined before, Overrun is a story that takes advantage of computer terminology and gaming in a way that you'd have to somehow combine the more esoteric bits of The Matrix and Wreck-It Ralph to have experienced before. It's insanely clever.
It's also a heck of a well-paced adventure story, somehow managing to chug along and keep everything fluid at the same time (which is harder than it seems), sometimes in pages of sheer visual momentum and as the various characters collide in its narrative, centered around the unwitting protagonist Cooper Hudson (though his role is more complicated than that).
You don't have to keep everything straight to know Overrun synthesizes the experience common to most games, without the clumsiness that can be apparent in, say, your average Hollywood adaptation. The language of Overrun itself is probably its biggest selling point, creating a mythology out of what has been a part of our everyday culture without anyone having previously thought of it. In execution, it's kind of like how Star Wars and Indiana Jones breathed new life into the serials of days past, creating what has become modern cinema in the process.
Which means that Overrun has literally created a new genre, out of exceedingly familiar terms. That's a rare accomplishment indeed. And the whole thing is about as fun as you can get. What more could you ask for?
Check out weareoverrun.com for more about it.
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Reading Comics 178 "Tom King, the Breakout Talent of 2015"
I've been chattering a lot about Tom King lately. Well, it's official: he's my favorite breakout talent this year.
After lavishing his Omega Men with repeated praise, it felt like time to check out more of his recent work. The first came by accident, looking inside the Justice League: Darkseid War - Green Lantern special and realizing that he was the writer. With all due apologies to Robert Venditti and IDW's Star Trek/Green Lantern, this is now my favorite 2015 Green Lantern. King handles Hal Jordan like a pro. He's the first writer since Geoff Johns to get him so clearly. Which is to say, if you loved Johns' Hal, you'll love King's.
I've been reading good stuff about King's Vision over at Marvel (don't you let him get away, DC!), and so had a look at its first two issues. Very literate, more like sci-fi prose than superhero comic. It's the latest version of comics evolving past their stereotype (which will of course always have hopeless devotees, as these things tend to go). DC (and Brad Meltzer, in the pages of Justice League of America...several volumes ago) tried doing this sort of thing with Red Tornado. But bringing out a true "other" perspective from the Vision is exactly what you can expect to find here.
Lastly, King's Sheriff of Baghdad from Vertigo, which draws on the writer's own background, flashing back to the chaotic early days of the Iraq War. As Eastwood's immensely popular film American Sniper did before it, Sheriff imagines a Western vibe to the events. Like his Omega Men, you might need a few issues to get your bearing, but it's another example of King separating from the rest of the pack with vital writing that is among comics' best.
This guy will be one of the biggest names among a lot of fans soon enough...
After lavishing his Omega Men with repeated praise, it felt like time to check out more of his recent work. The first came by accident, looking inside the Justice League: Darkseid War - Green Lantern special and realizing that he was the writer. With all due apologies to Robert Venditti and IDW's Star Trek/Green Lantern, this is now my favorite 2015 Green Lantern. King handles Hal Jordan like a pro. He's the first writer since Geoff Johns to get him so clearly. Which is to say, if you loved Johns' Hal, you'll love King's.
I've been reading good stuff about King's Vision over at Marvel (don't you let him get away, DC!), and so had a look at its first two issues. Very literate, more like sci-fi prose than superhero comic. It's the latest version of comics evolving past their stereotype (which will of course always have hopeless devotees, as these things tend to go). DC (and Brad Meltzer, in the pages of Justice League of America...several volumes ago) tried doing this sort of thing with Red Tornado. But bringing out a true "other" perspective from the Vision is exactly what you can expect to find here.
Lastly, King's Sheriff of Baghdad from Vertigo, which draws on the writer's own background, flashing back to the chaotic early days of the Iraq War. As Eastwood's immensely popular film American Sniper did before it, Sheriff imagines a Western vibe to the events. Like his Omega Men, you might need a few issues to get your bearing, but it's another example of King separating from the rest of the pack with vital writing that is among comics' best.
This guy will be one of the biggest names among a lot of fans soon enough...
Friday, December 11, 2015
2015 QB50 - The Year's Best Comics
Reasonably speaking, this will be my last QB50, at least for the foreseeable future. It'll round out a full decade of keeping track of my favorite comics (although in the '90s it would be pretty easy to guess which titles would top such a list, from Mark Waid's numerous contributions in the pages of The Flash, Impulse, and Kingdom Come to other favorites like Ron Marz's Green Lantern, Chuck Dixon's Robin and Nightwing, Karl Kesel's Superman and Superboy, Stuart Immonen's Superman, Jeff Smith's Bone, Grant Morrison's JLA, and other offbeat choices like Extreme Justice, Sovereign Seven, Joe Psycho and Moo Frog...), and that's a good thing for someone who likes round numbers. I've already begun new duties as my sister's live-in nanny, and I'm more than happy to leave comics (to a certain extent) on an incredibly high note, because 2015 was very, very good.
Without further adieu:
1. Annihilator (Legendary)
The final issues of Grant Morrison's latest big concept (a Hollywood screenwriter meeting his own creation, who's looking to find for death) were everything I hoped they'd be. Annihilator was already my favorite comic last year, and its repeat status puts it in elite company (52 repeated in 2006-2007, Air did likewise in 2009-2010). It fully deserves that status. As far as I'm concerned, it's Morrison's best-ever work.
2. Wasteland (Oni)
A perennial favorite throughout the decade, Wasteland ended its epic run on an incredibly high note. Hardly the easiest series to find in physical stores, Oni stuck with the series despite limited cult success, and was endlessly rewarded with a vision that matched its obvious ambition from the start. Antony Johnston completely outdid himself for the final arc.
3. Superman (DC)
Geoff Johns concluded his run just in time for the Convergence hiatus that hit the DC line-up early in the year, unleashing a dangerous new power that led to drastic changes in the Man of Steel's status quo. That's a logline that's fit for the '90s, but Johns and succeeding writer Gene Luen Yang found the ideal voice for the arc, creating a dynamic new Superman with the aid of John Romita, Jr.'s fresh eyes. Put aside the rest of the creators working on the arc in other titles, and you have some of the best material this icon has ever had.
4. The Omega Men (DC)
I came very late to this one, but it's one of the binges I undertook to considerable enjoyment and reward this year. A radical reinvention and remarkable relevance makes Tom King's work some of the best stuff DC has published in the New 52 era. Years from now this will be regarded as a classic.
5. Divinity (Valiant)
This was the year I discovered Valiant, and perhaps not coincidentally the year Valiant put out it best work ever. Divinity is the kind of superhero comic usually reserved for Marvel and DC's best - think Marvels or Kingdom Come. Because that's what this is. Thank you, Matt Kindt. But more on that a little later.
6. The Sandman: Overture (Vertigo)
I came very, very late to Neil Gaiman's magnum opus. I'm still in the process of collecting the complete annotated collections, so I can read the original series, but I'm glad I read this follow-up, because it's absolutely breathtaking, and it's another concluding title that nailed the ending.
7. Supreme: Blue Rose (Image)
Usually when I take a recommendation, it has to be so glowing I know the source is being sincere. This was one of those cases. Warren Ellis's new vision of the classic Image creation was unspeakably brilliant, and joined the class of 2015's concluding tales with high honors.
8. Descender (Image)
I latched onto Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen's new series early and emphatically. Lemire is a writer I've been working toward fully appreciating for years. This is career work for Nguyen. Can't say enough good things about it.
9. MIND MGMT (Dark Horse)
Here's Matt Kindt again, and my first great binge discovery of the year, plus the last of the great 2015 finishes (so, I discovered it just in time!). Chock-full of great psychology, this was easily the most unique series I've read, and one of the closest I've come to full literary in comics, especially for an effort that didn't try to be literary. It just was. And it was great.
10. Prez (DC)
Mark Russell and Ben Caldwell took what could easily have been a terrible gimmick (which it was, in previous incarnations) and made pure gold out of it, a political and social commentary that was among the vanguard of DC's recent efforts to revitalize its approach to comics.
Star Wars: Lando (Marvel) #11 - The best of Charles Soule's considerable efforts and the best of the Star Wars comics I read this year...The Dark Knight III: The Master Race (DC) #12 - I honestly hope it's a big seller for DC, because it epitomizes what separates the company from Marvel...Bloodshot Reborn (Valiant) #13 - The best example of Valiant's ability to present fresh stories from its refreshed world of superheroes...Saga (Image) #14 - Still one of the best and most innovative comics being published...Justice League (DC) #15 - Geoff Johns is still creating some of the best event comics in the medium...The Multiversity (DC) #16 - Grant Morrison did his best work in this grand effort last year. That can't be helped. But the rest of it was still pretty good...Robin: Son of Batman (DC) #17 - Patrick Gleason proves he was paying attention all those years merely illustrating Peter Tomasi's work...Civil War (Marvel) #18 - Ironically I love the Secret Wars version a great deal more than its Mark Millar predecessor. Credit again goes to Charles Soule...Martian Manhunter (DC) #19 - Throughout the decade this character has elicited some of the best material of his history, a trend that obviously continues...The Legend of Wonder Woman (DC) #20 - Hopefully this portends a bold new era in DC's digital first line...Captain America: White (Marvel) #21 - Incredibly, everyone seemed to forget how awesome Loeb/Sale are. So it's a good thing this series is finally being published...Batman and Robin (DC) #22 - The end of Tomasi's grandest arc was so inevitable that it's almost easy to take it for granted. Almost...The Valiant (Valiant) #23 - Not since Marvels has a company titled an event so obviously and been justified...The Unwritten: Apocalypse (Vertigo) #24 - Had I been a regular reader of Unwritten, this would probably have ranked higher...The New Deal (Dark Horse) #25 - Jonathan Case continues to prove that he's one of the great graphic novelists working today...Strange Fruit (Boom!) #26 - It feels good to see Mark Waid finally return to form...Ms. Marvel (Marvel) #27 - I've cooled on this series considerably, but it's still been a pleasure to be a part of the movement. And to witness G. Willow Wilson at last get her just reward...Mister X: Razed (Dark Horse) #28 - This is the first time I've read original serialized releases for Dean Motter's signature creation...Batman: Earth One Volume 2 (DC) #29 - Geoff Johns continues to redefine the Dark Knight. It's strange and yet somehow appropriate that this is the way the two have finally come together...Earth 2: Society (DC) #30 - A series with plenty of haters. I'm definitely not one of them...Batman (DC) #31 - If "Endgame" had been Scott Snyder's only Dark Knight effort, I would probably have listed it much higher...Tuki (Cartoon) #32 - Jeff Smith continues to digitally serialize his third great adventure...Django/Zorro (Dynamite) #33 - This shouldn't have worked at all. Except Matt Wagner was at the helm...Swamp Thing (DC) #34 - Charles Soule left his greatest DC work last...Grayson (DC) #35 - Has never quite reached the incredible heights of its Futures End issue, but still one of the leading series revolutionizing the DC landscape...G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes, Agent of Cobra (IDW) #36 - Mike Costa sneaks in a follow-up to his masterful work with the franchise...18 Days (Graphic India) #37 - This adaptation of Grant Morrison's epic vision of the greatest epic to come out of India does the thing justice...Convergence: Detective Comics (DC) #38 - The best of the would-be fever dreams of DC geeks everywhere is a more than worthy follow-up to the landmark Superman: Red Son And that wasn't even the leading story...Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (IDW) #39 - A big present for Douglas Adams geeks...Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire (IDW) #40 - Robo's return to print, with a far more prominent publisher, will hopefully make him the cult icon he's long deserved to be...The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage (Valiant) #41 - My favorite discovery from the continuing comiXology backlog, and the reason I finally started reading Valiant...Convergence and Telos (DC) #42 - Jeff King's fresh eyes on the DC landscape created something new out of a lot of familiarity...Superman: American Alien (DC) #43 - Speaking of which, revisiting the Man of Steel's origins was once again a good thing...Doctor Who: Four Doctors (Titan) #44 - Perennial favorite Paul Cornell inevitably writes a very British icon. A bunch of them...Red Lanterns (DC) #45 - Landry Q. Walker did the unthinkable: Make me continue to care about this series after Charles Soule's departure...Klaus (Boom!) #46 - Grant Morrison wasn't all magic this year. I came very close to hating Nameless. But I loved this...We Are Robin (DC) #47 - Strip everything else away, and this is finally Duke Thomas in the spotlight after too many teases...Star Trek/Green Lantern (IDW) #48 - Hey, it was easily the best Star Trek and Green Lantern I've read in a few years...Justice League: Gods and Monsters (DC) #49 - Have yet to see the animated film for which these comics were to created to support, but they were more than good enough to stand on their own...Convergence: Blue Beetle (DC) #50 - Ah, Scott Lobdell, someday the fans will love you...
So long, 2015, and thanks for all the fish. And great comics!
Without further adieu:
1. Annihilator (Legendary)
The final issues of Grant Morrison's latest big concept (a Hollywood screenwriter meeting his own creation, who's looking to find for death) were everything I hoped they'd be. Annihilator was already my favorite comic last year, and its repeat status puts it in elite company (52 repeated in 2006-2007, Air did likewise in 2009-2010). It fully deserves that status. As far as I'm concerned, it's Morrison's best-ever work.
2. Wasteland (Oni)
A perennial favorite throughout the decade, Wasteland ended its epic run on an incredibly high note. Hardly the easiest series to find in physical stores, Oni stuck with the series despite limited cult success, and was endlessly rewarded with a vision that matched its obvious ambition from the start. Antony Johnston completely outdid himself for the final arc.
3. Superman (DC)
Geoff Johns concluded his run just in time for the Convergence hiatus that hit the DC line-up early in the year, unleashing a dangerous new power that led to drastic changes in the Man of Steel's status quo. That's a logline that's fit for the '90s, but Johns and succeeding writer Gene Luen Yang found the ideal voice for the arc, creating a dynamic new Superman with the aid of John Romita, Jr.'s fresh eyes. Put aside the rest of the creators working on the arc in other titles, and you have some of the best material this icon has ever had.
4. The Omega Men (DC)
I came very late to this one, but it's one of the binges I undertook to considerable enjoyment and reward this year. A radical reinvention and remarkable relevance makes Tom King's work some of the best stuff DC has published in the New 52 era. Years from now this will be regarded as a classic.
5. Divinity (Valiant)
This was the year I discovered Valiant, and perhaps not coincidentally the year Valiant put out it best work ever. Divinity is the kind of superhero comic usually reserved for Marvel and DC's best - think Marvels or Kingdom Come. Because that's what this is. Thank you, Matt Kindt. But more on that a little later.
6. The Sandman: Overture (Vertigo)
I came very, very late to Neil Gaiman's magnum opus. I'm still in the process of collecting the complete annotated collections, so I can read the original series, but I'm glad I read this follow-up, because it's absolutely breathtaking, and it's another concluding title that nailed the ending.
7. Supreme: Blue Rose (Image)
Usually when I take a recommendation, it has to be so glowing I know the source is being sincere. This was one of those cases. Warren Ellis's new vision of the classic Image creation was unspeakably brilliant, and joined the class of 2015's concluding tales with high honors.
8. Descender (Image)
I latched onto Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen's new series early and emphatically. Lemire is a writer I've been working toward fully appreciating for years. This is career work for Nguyen. Can't say enough good things about it.
9. MIND MGMT (Dark Horse)
Here's Matt Kindt again, and my first great binge discovery of the year, plus the last of the great 2015 finishes (so, I discovered it just in time!). Chock-full of great psychology, this was easily the most unique series I've read, and one of the closest I've come to full literary in comics, especially for an effort that didn't try to be literary. It just was. And it was great.
10. Prez (DC)
Mark Russell and Ben Caldwell took what could easily have been a terrible gimmick (which it was, in previous incarnations) and made pure gold out of it, a political and social commentary that was among the vanguard of DC's recent efforts to revitalize its approach to comics.
Star Wars: Lando (Marvel) #11 - The best of Charles Soule's considerable efforts and the best of the Star Wars comics I read this year...The Dark Knight III: The Master Race (DC) #12 - I honestly hope it's a big seller for DC, because it epitomizes what separates the company from Marvel...Bloodshot Reborn (Valiant) #13 - The best example of Valiant's ability to present fresh stories from its refreshed world of superheroes...Saga (Image) #14 - Still one of the best and most innovative comics being published...Justice League (DC) #15 - Geoff Johns is still creating some of the best event comics in the medium...The Multiversity (DC) #16 - Grant Morrison did his best work in this grand effort last year. That can't be helped. But the rest of it was still pretty good...Robin: Son of Batman (DC) #17 - Patrick Gleason proves he was paying attention all those years merely illustrating Peter Tomasi's work...Civil War (Marvel) #18 - Ironically I love the Secret Wars version a great deal more than its Mark Millar predecessor. Credit again goes to Charles Soule...Martian Manhunter (DC) #19 - Throughout the decade this character has elicited some of the best material of his history, a trend that obviously continues...The Legend of Wonder Woman (DC) #20 - Hopefully this portends a bold new era in DC's digital first line...Captain America: White (Marvel) #21 - Incredibly, everyone seemed to forget how awesome Loeb/Sale are. So it's a good thing this series is finally being published...Batman and Robin (DC) #22 - The end of Tomasi's grandest arc was so inevitable that it's almost easy to take it for granted. Almost...The Valiant (Valiant) #23 - Not since Marvels has a company titled an event so obviously and been justified...The Unwritten: Apocalypse (Vertigo) #24 - Had I been a regular reader of Unwritten, this would probably have ranked higher...The New Deal (Dark Horse) #25 - Jonathan Case continues to prove that he's one of the great graphic novelists working today...Strange Fruit (Boom!) #26 - It feels good to see Mark Waid finally return to form...Ms. Marvel (Marvel) #27 - I've cooled on this series considerably, but it's still been a pleasure to be a part of the movement. And to witness G. Willow Wilson at last get her just reward...Mister X: Razed (Dark Horse) #28 - This is the first time I've read original serialized releases for Dean Motter's signature creation...Batman: Earth One Volume 2 (DC) #29 - Geoff Johns continues to redefine the Dark Knight. It's strange and yet somehow appropriate that this is the way the two have finally come together...Earth 2: Society (DC) #30 - A series with plenty of haters. I'm definitely not one of them...Batman (DC) #31 - If "Endgame" had been Scott Snyder's only Dark Knight effort, I would probably have listed it much higher...Tuki (Cartoon) #32 - Jeff Smith continues to digitally serialize his third great adventure...Django/Zorro (Dynamite) #33 - This shouldn't have worked at all. Except Matt Wagner was at the helm...Swamp Thing (DC) #34 - Charles Soule left his greatest DC work last...Grayson (DC) #35 - Has never quite reached the incredible heights of its Futures End issue, but still one of the leading series revolutionizing the DC landscape...G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes, Agent of Cobra (IDW) #36 - Mike Costa sneaks in a follow-up to his masterful work with the franchise...18 Days (Graphic India) #37 - This adaptation of Grant Morrison's epic vision of the greatest epic to come out of India does the thing justice...Convergence: Detective Comics (DC) #38 - The best of the would-be fever dreams of DC geeks everywhere is a more than worthy follow-up to the landmark Superman: Red Son And that wasn't even the leading story...Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (IDW) #39 - A big present for Douglas Adams geeks...Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire (IDW) #40 - Robo's return to print, with a far more prominent publisher, will hopefully make him the cult icon he's long deserved to be...The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage (Valiant) #41 - My favorite discovery from the continuing comiXology backlog, and the reason I finally started reading Valiant...Convergence and Telos (DC) #42 - Jeff King's fresh eyes on the DC landscape created something new out of a lot of familiarity...Superman: American Alien (DC) #43 - Speaking of which, revisiting the Man of Steel's origins was once again a good thing...Doctor Who: Four Doctors (Titan) #44 - Perennial favorite Paul Cornell inevitably writes a very British icon. A bunch of them...Red Lanterns (DC) #45 - Landry Q. Walker did the unthinkable: Make me continue to care about this series after Charles Soule's departure...Klaus (Boom!) #46 - Grant Morrison wasn't all magic this year. I came very close to hating Nameless. But I loved this...We Are Robin (DC) #47 - Strip everything else away, and this is finally Duke Thomas in the spotlight after too many teases...Star Trek/Green Lantern (IDW) #48 - Hey, it was easily the best Star Trek and Green Lantern I've read in a few years...Justice League: Gods and Monsters (DC) #49 - Have yet to see the animated film for which these comics were to created to support, but they were more than good enough to stand on their own...Convergence: Blue Beetle (DC) #50 - Ah, Scott Lobdell, someday the fans will love you...
So long, 2015, and thanks for all the fish. And great comics!
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