BEST COMIC BOOKS OF 2008

So this post comes in just about a month ahead of last year's "Best of" and also has the distinction of being the first post SINCE the 2007 list. Um, whaaaat? I liked reading comics and ranting about what I think, but the time for these blog things are just not there in a way that I would like. Kudos to all those that are timely with these things for years on end. Still, here I am talking about 2008, and who knows maybe I will post more in the upcoming year.

The geeky rules:

#1. Last year I had a strict at least four issues must come out of an ongoing series for it to make my list. Nothing of the sort this year, because that left really good books like Hine's STRANGE EMBRACE and Way's UMBRELLA ACADEMY off of the list. This year, its TWO ISSUES! Seriously, as long as you have a couple of books come out (ongoing, mini or maxi) you will be considered.

#2. This is for weekly floppies only. I read a gang load of OGN's this year, but in MY head, those belong on a different list.

#3. As always, these are my FAVORITE books. Yeah, I said "Best" up there, but it always rings false to me to make a list of the "best" of anything when who am I to make that kind of declaration. These are my favorites, and hopefully some of them are good.

***

MY FAVORITE COMICS OF 2008
(in reverse order this year)

#10 MOUSE GUARD: WINTER 1152
(w/a. David Peterson)

You know what's bullshit about this series? Is that unless my calculations are wrong, we only got two issues of this wonderful series in 2008. Mr. Peterson's fantasy series about mice, is not just a great story and not just great art, its a fucking clinic on good comic booking. There is no doubt in my mind that it will move up the accepted canon as time goes by. (I hope that ASP being bought out doesn't delay the last two issues of this mini too much longer.)

#9 LOCAL
(w. Brian Wood, a. Ryan Kelly)

This book has been slowly trickling out over the last few years,releasing the final two issues in 2008 as well as the beautiful hardback collection of the entire series. The hardback got a lot of attention when it came out, and rightfully so: the series is pretty damn good. It follows our heroine Megan from ages 18-30 with each issue being a different year of her life in a different American city. This year's #11 was one of my favorites of the series, with Megan meeting a stand-in for her younger self, and we get to see how much this girl has grown over the course of the series.

#8 WASTELAND
(w. Antony Johnston, a. Christopher Mitten)

This book just keeps getting better and better. I fear that the floppies might be losing folks, but if that's the case, I hope its because they are reading it in (the far more friendlier form) TPBs. The fantasy series gets more complex with its religion and social structure with each arc, and the cast of characters that I care about only grows. The way the art shows flashbacks can be confusing at times, but Mitten is turning into a brilliant artist.

#7 100 BULLETS
(w. Brian Azzarello, a. Eduardo Risso)

You are either still on board with this book and loving it, or you long ago tossed it aside as too confusing to read in floppies. And both reactions would probably be right. I love this series, it was made for me. Azzarello is slowly bringing this series to a close and with only two more issues in 2009 (I've read one of em!) I am going to be extremely sad that this book isn't coming out anymore. Eduardo Risso is one of my favorite artists in comics.

#6 FABLES
(w. Bill Willingham, a. Mark Buckingham and a couple of others)

2008 saw the end of the best story of the series in "Good Prince" and then the series went and had the climactic battle between good and evil with "War and Pieces" and now we are in the aftermath. Its an odd place to be because the first 75 issues built to that climax, but Fables has proved that the cast of characters is too good, and the source material too great for it to lose any luster. The book is as good as its been with no real signs of letting up. (Now if only I could say the same about JACK OF FABLES.)

#5 CRIMINAL
(w. Ed Brubaker, a. Sean Phillips)

Or technically, CRIMINAL VOLUME 2. This series is as steady as they come right now in comics. When you open an issue, its just going to be good. This volume increased the page count, giving Brubaker and Phillips more room to do their craft and I'm not complaining. From the first three stand alone issues to the 4-issue "Bad Night" centered on a cartoonist, we got the best most compelling crime comic on the stands. And I fucking love the back matter, leading me to great Noir in book, film and television.

#4 NORTHLANDERS
(w. Brian Wood, a. Davide Gianfelice, Dean Orstron and Ryan Kelly)

This book has catapulted up my favorite books, because like 100 Bullets this is another book that was just made for me. First "Sven: The Returned" wrapped up, with a surprising yet well crafted final issue, then Wood hits us with a little two-parter before rocking me with the first issue of my favorite arc to date, "The Cross + The Hammer." All these arcs star different characters and are in different time periods. Yeah, an anthology book basically, which so far so great. Wood's LOCAL co-hort Kelly comes on board and shocks the hell out of me with a gritty in your face style, which you can obviously make as the same artist that did LOCAL; but who the fuck knew that his art would be so perfect for THIS series!

#3 ALL-STAR SUPERMAN
(w. Grant Morrison, a. frank Quitely)

The genius series closes out its run with the last three issues in 2008. #10 was argueably the best single issue of the series, and in fact of 2008, period. Simple enough, these two guys made a classic. Far better brains than mine will go into the details of how-where-why, but things I do know: it will go down as one of the best Superman stories ever, and yeah, one of the best Super Hero stories of all-time. Quitely is a master comic book artist at the top of his game, and although Morrison's other super hero work this year was muddled and confusing (BATMAN, FINAL CRISIS) this series was near perfect. I miss it, and I want more.

#2 LOCKE AND KEY
(w. Joe Hill, a. Gabriel Rodriguez)

How is it that more people are not talking about this book? Seriously. Joe Hill (son of some guy) and Gabriel Rodriguez are doing a pretty fucking awesome comic. In fact, its the only book that got my "Book of the Week" every single week that it came out. The plot of this thriller, with the spooky house and the keys is great, but Hill gets this right by making the characters so damn good. You hear it every once in a while about a guy that comes in from another medium, but Joe Hill gets comics. His use of panels, the turn-of-the-page and cliffhangers is like a seasoned comics pro.* Gabriel Rodriguez's art is the shit. His people have a distinctive style and his choice of camera angles is always dynamic and fitting. Something must also be said about the presentation of the book itself, because the covers are all brilliant, and the quality of paper is top. So it's not just the story, the entire package is great. The new series has already started in 2009 and it's already taking names too.

*At ComicCon he talked crap about his only other comic work, an 8-page Spider-Man story he did for Marvel. I tracked it down and read it; he is way to harsh on himself. The story was fun and perfect for Spider-Man as well as perfect for the late, GREAT Seth Fisher.

#1 SCALPED
(w. Jason Aaron, a. R.M. Guera & others)

Another year, another #1 from me for Jason Aaron and R.M. Guera's SCALPED. This is only the third year I've ever done a Top 10 list, but my guess is this would be the first time a series has gotten #1 on back-to-back years since the TRANSMETROPOLITAN or PREACHER days. Who the fuck knows. What I do know, is Jason Aaron conitnues to kick all sorts of ass on this book. He got the Marvel bug this past year working on GHOST RIDER, WOLVERINE and a short run on BLACK PANTHER,* but that didn't affect this book any, accept I hope, the sales from some of the Marvel zombies taking a glance. As for the art, its funny to think that at the start of this series the one thing I wasn't sure about was the art, and now 20-some odd issues in, when its not R.M. I'm really bummed. He's critical for the book. Anything else I say here would be repeating what I said last year, but the powerful stories make this my favorite book of the year.

*Just thought this should be noted on a year with SECRET INVASION and FINAL CRISIS dominating everything, but Black Panther #39-41 witten by Jason Aaron was the coolest thing to come out of SECRET INVASION by far. No contest. Awesome superhero story.

BOOKS FROM LAST YEAR'S TOP 10 THAT MISSED:

#3 Y: THE LAST MAN - This book only had one issue come out in 2008, and that was the fantastic final issue. One issue, even as good as this one was, doesn't have enough weight for me to let it on.

DMZ - No judgment on this series that was so high last year, but off this year (it barely missed). I just had other favorites (including two other Wood books).

IMMORTAL IRON FIST - This book made me sad this year. So damn good under Brubaker/Fraction. Their last storyline fizzled a bit, but was still good. The final issue was one of my favorites of the series, but then the creative team change gutted the book. Shitty. I tried to stick with the new team, but just this week I finally stopped getting the series. The magic was just gone.

POWERS - The series that barely comes out, just misses the ten despite closing out its big storyline in style. Really good stuff, and broken record time: this is still my favorite Bendis and/or Oeming production (MICE TEMPLAR got unbearable, and was dropped.)

USAGI YOJIMBO - The long-eared ronin is still one of my favorite books of all time, but slipped a little this year for me. Though the December issue centered on Gen was classic Sakai. Awesome, and didn't even have the bunny in it.

OTHER BOOKS THAT MISSED, THAT I REALLY LIKED:

WALKING DEAD - And man, did it JUST miss. For the frst 20 issues of this series, it was easily one of my favorite books. The middle part of the series dragged, and Kirkman's clunky on-the-nose expository dialogue stood out a bit more. The climatic showdown at the prison in issue #48 was much needed, and breathed new life into a series that was fumbling . The cast has been sliced in half (thank you!) and the post prison-era is responsible for possibly my favorite issue in the series: Issue #51 with Rick and the surprising phone call. It was one of my favorite single issues of the year in any comic.

FOUR EYES
I KILL GIANTS - Two indie books done by a sorta of "renaissanced" Joe Kelly. I KILL GIANTS was a touching story of a kid, dealing with her mother's sickness. But for me, FOUR EYES, the story of a depression era kid getting a job at the underground dragon fights was the biggest surprise of the year for me. Excellent comic. Too bad there was only one or it might be above.

OMEGA: THE UNKNOWN - Written by novelist Jonathan Lethem, this was almost on the Top 10 as well. I think some of it went over my head, but what didn't go over my head is that it was BAR NONE the most original and interesting thing that Marvel has published in as long as I can remember. Too bad it didn't sell very well in floppies, but Marvel was committed to the book and the collected edition should get more notice in book stores. In fact, I've already given it as a gift!

THE TWELVE - I really love the pace and style J. Michael Straczinski is handling this series with. Just coming out too slow. Curious to see how these characters are treated in the Marvel Universe post this series. And there is no doubt that this series will get a lot more love once it is eventually collected.

ECHO - This is moving up my pile with each issue. Terry Moore is a master storyteller. Great art. Fun story.

PAX ROMANA
TRANSHUMAN
RED MASS FOR MARS - All three books by Jonathan Hickman deserve to be mentioned. They were all well written, drawn and most importantly original comic works. TRANSHUMAN was one of my girlfriend's favorites of the year while PAX was probably the one closest to the Top 10 for me. Hickman is a unique comic talent and one to watch, especially with some Marvel work coming his way.

YOUNG LIARS - I don't know what is going on most of the time, and I really don't care. It moves up my read pile, just because its engaging me. Dave Lapham's Vertigo series was a surprise just because it is so odd.

And oh yeah, don't Marvel and DC publish Super Hero comics?

ACTION COMICS - My favorite in-continuity DC super hero book. Johns did a great job with the studly Gary Frank drawing the best Superman out there. The highlight of the year was the Braniac story.

THOR - My favorite in-continuity Marvel super hero book. The pace is slow, but I'm loving Straczynski's take on the character. And the art has been great. I fear what happens to this title when J.M. leaves, but I do know that Matt Fraction (based on the one-shots) kind of HAS TO BE the new writer.

***

For my comic-reading friends, girlfriend and 2 guys unlucky enough to have googled their way here some how, thanks for reading.

leap year day (aka my favorites of 2007?)

When I returned from my "break" in late January which I spent out of the city/country since mid-December, I knew that I wanted to return with a "Best of 2007" post, because, that's why you do one of these things, right? Well, it took me for-fucking-ever to catch up on the insane amount of comics that accumulated while I was away. Now, it's juuuust about fucking March (thank you Leap Year Day) and it's way late, and I really don't care because I'm doing one anyway.

Good news is: I finally got caught up on my comics. Meaning, last week, I actually had no more new comics waiting to be read when Wednesday came around. Hopefully I return again with some regular updates.

And now that people have stopped talking about 2007 and moved on to something more important (2008), here we go with the late-as-shit list:

**********

MY FAVORITE TEN COMICS OF THE YEAR

(Comics that are eligible for me: an ongoing comic that has put out at least four comics in the calendar year.)

#1 SCALPED
(w. Jason Aaron, a. R.M. Guera)

Some people might lump this in as a "Best New Series" candidate since it's new to 2007, but for me, that would just be redundant (see below for my version). This was not my favorite new series, it was just my favorite series, period. It's often been called "The Sopranos on a Reservation," but that's not really fair to this series because it's definitely its own beast. It began as a story about an undercover FBI agent returning to the reservation where he was raised, and with each character that is introduced, and with each dramatic wrinkle that Aaron adds, it just gets better. Whether it's a fair and balanced view of Native Americans, I can't judge, but the dark world that Aaron presents has been an engaging one for comics. The Chief Red Crow issue (#7) and the look into Catcher (#9) were the highlights for me. At first, the art was the weak link: A bit hard to follow and confusing, but as the series has continued, Guera's look for this world has become as important as Risso's to 100 BULLETS or Dillon's to PREACHER.

With the excellent Vietnam series OTHER SIDE and now SCALPED, Aaron is definitely one to watch. It was only a matter of time before the "mainstream" superhero editors came a-calling, as Marvel definitely noticed, grabbing him for 2008 gigs on WOLVERINE and GHOST RIDER. With Y: THE LAST MAN over and the excellent 100 BULLETS heading into its last story, I'm ecstatic that this comic has emerged. Vertigo is in good hands.

#2 ALL-STAR SUPERMAN
(w. Grant Morrison, a. Frank Quitely)

Unofficially, this was my #1 for 2006 even though I wasn't putting things on the internet yet. But what's to be said about this title that many others haven't said? Basically nothing. So I'll rinse and repeat: Grant and Frank continue their epic run, which (when it comes out) is the best super hero comic on the stands. The time-traveling father issue (#6) and the first Bizarro issue were excellent.

#3 Y: THE LAST MAN
(w. Brian K. Vaughan, a. Pia Guerra)

**SPOILER WARNING** Although as of writing, the final issue has come out, at the end of the year we were still one shy. And the final year, and the final arc especially, have been amongst the series best. From the near perfect reunion issue with Beth, to the touching Agent 355 issue which ended in her surprise death, it has all been great. Since then, I have read the final issue, and I'm sad to see this title go.

#4 DMZ
(w. Brian Wood, a. Riccardo Burchielli)

This was a book high on my list last year (#3), and it still is this year. With the ending of "Public Works" and the awesome "Friendly Fire," this continues to be one of my favorite comics on the stands. "Wilson," one of the done-in-one's at the end of the year, especially stood out for me. I want to see more of him.

#5 CRIMINAL
(w. Ed Brubaker, a. Sean Phillips)

Another new book this year, and another comic that exposes my interest in comics that are crime-oriented. Brubaker is just getting started with this series, but both "Coward" (my favorite) and "Lawless" have been excellent stories to start with.

#6 FABLES
(w. Bill Willingham, a. Mark Buckingham - mostly)

The fourth Vertigo series on the list. I guess I'm a fan or something. As fun and as good as this series has been over the years, it has gone up another level. On the heels of the excellent Frog Prince origin story in 1,001 NIGHTS OF SNOWFALL, Willingham gives us the longest and best Fables storyline to date. The best thing about "The Good Prince" and why it works as well as it does, is because it DID have all of the issues that came before it. And that makes me happy.

#7 IMMORTAL IRON FIST
(w. Ed Brubaker & Matt Fraction, a. David Aja & Various)

Um, yeah, so I was late and oh-so-wrong about this title. After getting Issue #1, I didn't think it was good enough to add. After hearing others rave, I ebayed up the books at #8 and read them all in one sitting. So like I said, oh-so-wrong. Brubaker and Fraction are writing a bad-ass super hero comic and I'm glad that I jumped back on. The current storyline with an old-fashioned Kung Fu fighting bracket makes me giddy like a kid, but issue #7, where we focus on Wu Ao-Shi, the first female Iron Fist (formerly known as the Pirate Queen of Pinghai Bay), was my favorite.

#8 100 BULLETS
(w. Brian Azzarello, a. Eduardo Risso)

Another Vertigo book, and a book that would probably have been on my Top Ten for the last eight years. It was another year of mystery and some confusing plot advancement, and mixed in some of the best-drawn crime stories anywhere. The issue where one of Lono's victims (#85) enacts her own kind of revenge has been one of my favorites of the series.

#9 POWERS
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Michael Avon Oeming)

This series jumps back on my Top Ten list for the first time in a couple of years. Mostly because the publishing schedule seems to be getting back on track, but also because Volume 2 has been a really nice burn to the current point of the series. The ongoing soap of Deena and Christian has sucked me back in, and although I know I say it all the time, I still think this is the best thing Bendis writes.

#10 USAGI YOJIMBO
(w/a. Stan Sakai)

Back on my list with a really strong year for this series. In the aftermath of the amazing run where Usagi was traveling with his son Jotaro, the title took a step back from its own high standards, but with the series hitting the century mark (at Dark Horse), things have ramped back up. Sakai teased us for issues culminating in an epic battle vs. Shizukiri in #102, and then went right into the excellent Origin of Jei two-parter. The year ended with the multi part "Sparrows" which continues the Jei storyline, as the demon cements himself as the series' arch-enemy.

**********

MY FAVORITE "NEW COMIC" OF THE YEAR

(Basically, my version of the award is: a new title that has its first 3 or fewer issues in the calendar year, so I can't gauge it for best ongoing, but deserves to be recognized as one to watch.)

NORTHLANDERS
(w. Brian Wood, a. Davide Gianfelice)

This was a rather weak year, as last year (again, unofficially) I had a tie between CRIMINAL and LONE RANGER who both had just a couple of issues on the stands by the end of the calendar year 2006. NORTHLANDERS was the only new series to show promise and generate "fucking cool!" reactions from me. It does help that I've become a big Brian Wood fan, and that this has been one of my most anticipated books all year. Exhibit A. So far, I have read two more issues and I'm still really enjoying the opening arc.

**********

COMICS THAT MISSED THE LIST AND WHY

WASTELAND - Only missed because I think the ten ongoings above have had a better year. I'm really happy with what this book is doing.

LONE RANGER - The origin storyline that started out the series was great, and although the second arc had its moments, it wasn't as good, bumping it under the books above.

X-FACTOR - Probably the best Superhero team book that I'm reading. The Isolationist story was a nice culmination of character work that Peter David had been building to since the beginning.

ASTONISHING X-MEN - This is really an excellent title, but the publishing schedule and its furthering distance from main X-Men continuity have hurt it for me.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER - A really fun comic book continuation of the famous TV series. Not good enough however.

BATMAN - The three-issue J.H. Williams arc, "The Island of Mr. Mayhew" was as good as any super hero story I read all year, but at the start of the year, the publishing schedule was still erratic, and it ended with the awful Ra's al Ghul crossover, killing its chances for the list.

FELL - The best comic book not to make it on my list (#2 last year), but it was hurt by the fact that it only had two issues to come out all year. I look forward to more content in '08.

**********

MY FAVORITE SINGLE ISSUES OF THE YEAR

(My favorite single issues. Spoiler Warning in case you haven't read the issues and you wait for the trade on some of these titles.)

#1 SCALPED #7
"Down on the Killing Floor"

This was originally part 2 of the 6-part "Casino Boogie" storyline, but these six issues were essentially one shots that concentrated on individual characters in the book. This issue was the "big bad" issue, as the title's villain, Chief Red Crow, takes center stage. On the night of the grand opening of his new Casino, we get a glimpse into his past and his head and how he rationalizes decisions that he makes. The final sequence, and the last page were perfect.

#2 Y: THE LAST MAN #57
"Why and Wherefores, Chapter 3"

This actually came out the same week as the book above (what a week!), but it was still good enough for #2 on my list. The five years-in-the-making reunion of Beth and Yorick was somehow exactly what I wanted, expected and needed and Vaughan and Guerra expertly gave it to me. Awesome.

#3 100 BULLETS #85
"Red Lions"

The controversial and unpredictable Lono is my favorite character in the series. With that said, a victim of his from an earlier issue makes a surprise return, enacting revenge in her own way, exposing him for the monster that he is. Azzarello and Risso have created a comic with such unpredictability, that it actually got my heart rate up as I was tricked into thinking that this was his end. Good good issue.

#4 Y: THE LAST MAN #58
"Why and Wherefores, Chapter 4"

On the heels of the Beth issue, comes this issue where Yorick and Agent 355 talk about their feelings for each other, what it all means, and then when you are actually rooting for this and happy, Vaughan stuns you with her death. One of the things I was never sold on, was Yorick and 355 having feelings for each other. Slowly they won me over, and by the time I was half way through this issue I was sold, making the ending all the more tragic.

#5 ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #6
"Funeral in Smallville"

This issue was the done-in-one Time Travel issue where Superman comes back to his farm (with a couple of other traveling Supermen) to save the past from a monstrous threat. The art by Quitely is amazing as always, and Grant does Silver Age in the present so damn well it looks easy. There are some really nice moments between Clark and his dad.

#6 SCALPED #9
"A Thunder Being Nation I Am"

This was Part 4 in the "Casino Boogie" storyline. This issue focused on the mysterious Catcher, who up until this point had only been seen a few times. Usually cryptically, usually on a horse. We see that he is a bit of a joke, we see that he is Oxford-educated, and we see that like everyone else in this comic, he is complicated and surprising. Granny Poor Bear gets some extended panel-time as well.

#7 UMBRELLA ACADEMY: APOCALYPSE SUITE #1
"The Day the Eiffel Tower Went Berserk"

Since I didn't do a FAVORITE MINI-SERIES this gets no love there, but what a wonderful little surprise this was. Gerard Way, creator of lame-ass music, writes a wall-to-wall kick-ass fun comic. Including, but not limited to: Time Travel, a so-cool-could-be-a-villain Dad called Monocle, Zombie Robot Gustav-Eiffel as the first issue's villain, and not one, but count em, TWO monkeys. Well, it's one half-ape and a chimp, but still. Gabriel Ba, artist of the first arc on CASANOVA, shines here in full color. Not as original as some people claim it to be, but still really good, and one of the funnest single comics I read all year.

#8 CRIMINAL #5
"Coward Part 5 of 5"

The final part of this arc was definitely my favorite. This was the last part of the first series, where our main character Leo puts a huge spin on the arc's title. He was scared, but only scared of the monster within himself. Not only is this my favorite issue, "Coward" has been my favorite arc and this issue cemented the quality of the crime stories to come.

#9 USAGI YOJIMBO #104
"The Darkness and the Soul, Part 2"

This was part 2 of the two part Origin of Jei, and it was damn good. Jei has become arch-nemesis of our Yojimbo, but he is a demon and not an actual human. This issue we get more of the great samurai-turned-priest that is first possessed by the demon and you feel really sorry for what came of this man. Then we are invited to the pure fury of this demon unleashed, as an entire town falls at his spear when he is angered. Testament to this title and the brilliant Stan Sakai, this issue doesn't even feature the title character.

#10 RIPCLAW PILOT SEASON #1
"The Harrowing"

An odd choice for sure. From my original reaction, Jason Aaron is of course the writer:

What is such a unique Vertigo voice going to do with RIpclaw? The often derided character for being a Wolverine rip-off couldn't be interesting or worth your time, could he? Well, yes, yes he can. Aaron gives us a Ripclaw that for unknown reasons is being haunted by spirits, spirits that have unfinished business that Ripclaw needs to take care of. For this issue, it leads us to Japan and a small odyssey as Ripclaw has to fight through various levels of the heavily guarded headquarters of Boss Yamamoto. Ripclaw is quiet, violent and basically an uber bad ass. There were some levels of this place that were only hinted at, leaving me really curious what exactly Ripclaw even fought! Jorge Lucas's art is detailed and gritty, and what really struck for me about this book was that as violent as it was, aside from the final showdowns, a lot of the fights happened off panel.

The caveat to this series was of course that it was to be voted on for a possible ongoing series (which it inexplicably lost -- WTF Top Cow fans!?), and although who knows how it would have worked for ongoing, for one issue, this was one kick ass comic book.

**********

And that's all. I wanted to do more, such as BEST WRITER, BEST ARTIST, BEST STORY ARCS, BEST MINI-SERIES and BEST GRAPHIC NOVELS, but being sooooo late, maybe next year.

Since I referenced them so much (read: posterity's sake), my Top Ten Ongoings of 2006 were:

1. ALL-STAR SUPERMAN
2. FELL
3. DMZ
4. ASTONISHING X-MEN
5. LOVELESS
6. NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF H.A.T.E.
7. Y: THE LAST MAN
8. 100 BULLETS
9. DAREDEVIL
10. LOCAL

new book: CRIMINAL and LONE RANGER

the top 25

For those that don't know, I'm a BIG list guy. Top 10s, Top 100, Top Writers, Top Directors, whatever. I love em. Even when I hate the content, I love em. I started this blog in April with a long list of the books I was reading, complete with my current Top 25. Here is the quarterly update, which I've been working on for the past week and was finally able to finish with the Potter book done.

So going into Comic-con, these are my favorite books currently being published. Three months later, there is not much change at the top, but that is because it's harder to earn those spots as my favorites.

The List:

#1 ALL-STAR SUPERMAN
(w. Grant Morrison, a. Frank Quitely)

Previous Ranking: 1
Even though the most recent issue of the series was probably its weakest-- weakest for this title is still better than most books out there. Morrison and Quitely are continuing their stellar run, and this continues to be the first book off my pile regardless of what else comes out that week. REGARDLESS.

#2 FELL
(w. Warren Ellis, a. Ben Templesmith)
Previous Ranking: 2
It still reigns as the best thing Warren Ellis currently writing.

#3 100 BULLETS
(w. Brian Azzarello, a. Eduardo Risso)
Previous Ranking: 3
As Azzarello writes us into the final stretches of this great series, he has created an atmosphere where anything-can-happen, which is both exciting and scary (for my favorite characters). Some people have been tough on the book because its details are hard to follow, and although I can agree with that (I get lost too!) it has been worth it so far, and I think it will all pay off handsomely in the end. Plus, Eduardo Risso is brilliant.


#4 Y: THE LAST MAN
(w. Brian Vaughan, a. Pia Guerra)
Previous Ranking: 5
The most recent issue was its best in recent memory, finally paying off a plot point from the very first issue.

#5 USAGI YOJIMBO
(w/a. Stan Sakai)
Previous Ranking; 4
The long time comics auteur, Stan Sakai, just keeps on quietly putting out good comics.

#6 SCALPED
(w. Jason Aaron, a. R.M. Guera)
Previous Ranking: new
This title wasn't even ranked three months ago, and now it is not only one of my favorites, its just one of the best comics on the stands, period. That's why its jumped all the way on to my Top 10. Sopranos on a Reservation makes me cringe, but it is somewhat accurate. One-by-one, Aaron and Guera are giving each character depth, the most recent, a brilliant issue concentrating on the series' main villain.




#7 CRIMINAL
(w. Ed Brubaker, a. Sean Phillips)
Previous Ranking: 10
This book has been rock solid, starting with the great opening arc, and continuing to the even better second arc called "Lawless." Brubaker got a lot of buzz this last year for his Captain America surprise, but this has really been his butter. Not just a great crime comic, its just a great comic.






#8 ASTONISHING X-MEN
(w. Joss Whedon, a. John Cassaday)
Previous Ranking: 6
Drops a couple of notches, but that's more to blame on the books above it, rather than any judgment on its own quality. The shipping schedule is the thing that bugs me the most, but mostly because as an X-Fan, this title seems to exist in its own pocket universe. We are promised that soon it will all work out. The announcement of the new team looms at con.



#9 THE KILLER
(w. Matz, a. Luc Jacamon)
Previous Ranking: 7

#10 LONE RANGER
(w. Brett Matthews, a. Sergio Cariello)
Previous Ranking: 11
Damn right its in the Top 10, because Mr. Matthews and Cariello are doing one of the better comics on the stands for my dollar.

#11 BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
(w. Joss Whedon, a. Georges Jeanty)
Previous Ranking: new
This book jumps on to my Top 25 like I knew it would after finishing the first issue. Might be a bit of a "What the fuck?" for non-Buffy fans, but man what a good time I'm having. I do wish the art was better, but Georges Jeanty has been doing a good job, and his commitment to Season 8 is more important to me than a "big name."



#12 THE BOYS
(w. Garth Ennis, a. Darick Robertson)
Previous Ranking: 12
Hughie is one of my favorite Garth Ennis characters to date. I'm really happy this is back.

#13 BATMAN
(w. Grant Morrison, a. Andy Kubert)
Previous Ranking: 8
Dropped a bit, but I'm still digging Morrison's take on Batman.

#14 POWERS
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Mike Oeming)
Previous Ranking: 13
No one is talking about it these days, but I'm still a really big fan of this book.

#15 CAPTAIN AMERICA
(w. Ed Brubaker, a. Steve Epting & Mike Perkins)
Previous Ranking: 24
First, Brubaker does the UNTHINKABLE: He brings Bucky back to life. THEN, he goes and kills comic icon Captain America, drawing national attention and forever putting his name in the old history books. Amidst all of that, Bucky aka The Winter Soldier became one of the coolest and fascinating characters in the Marvel Universe, and the only thing that has happened to this title, is that it has improved as it goes along. Really good comic right now.


#16 DMZ
(w. Brian Wood, a, Ricardo Burchelli)
Previous Ranking: 16
This book is rock solid in its second year.

#17 FABLES
(w. Bill Willingham, a. Mark Buckingham)
Previous Ranking: 23
This book makes a move up for me, basically because the most recent storyline is one of my favorites of the series thus far. The series is at a point where the large cast has been so well developed, that Willingham can just have a lot of fun with the sandbox he's created. As always, the James Jean covers are amongst the best in the industry.



#18 X-FACTOR
(w. Peter David, a. Pablo Raimondi)
Previous Ranking: 14
I wasn't into the X-Cell storyline very much, but David's character work has been spot on, the most recent issue a case-in-point.

#19 WORMWOOD GENTLEMEN CORPSE
(w/a. Ben Templesmith)
Previous Ranking: 17
Dropped a couple of spots only because of the hiatus, one of the surprise books of the past year for me.

#20 LOVELESS
(w. Brian Azzarello, a. Werther Dell'Edera)
Previous Ranking: 7
I'm a bit surprised that this book fell here, because in ways I think its better than it was. The thing that has been missing however: Wes Cutter. So the quality is still high, I'm personally just not as invested. With his health returning and Ruth starting to be discovered, the next few months should be more interesting.




#21 NEW AVENGERS
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Leinil Yu)
Previous: 18
I don't mind the Skrull thing, and I'm willing to see where the story takes us.

#22 WASTELAND
(w. Antony Johnson, a. Christopher Mitten)
Previous Ranking: 20

#23 X-MEN
(w. Mike Carey, a.Chris Bachalo & Humberto Ramos)
Previous Ranking: new
If I was making this list when I was 14, this book would have been near the top. Today, I'm happy and surprised that it has crawled its way back into my good graces and makes it here. Carey gets the X-Men and it shows. Meanwhile, I'm torn with the art because I really like Bachalo, but Ramos doesn't always work for me on this title.


#24 THE WALKING DEAD
(w. Robert Kirkman, a. Charlie Adlard)
Previous Ranking: 21

#25 DAREDEVIL
(w. Ed Brubaker, a. Michael Lark)
Previous Ranking: 25

Fell Out:

#15 AUTHORITY: The first two issues were intriguing, but it might not ever come out again.
#19 MIGHTY AVENGERS: Good so far, but just not good enough to make this cut.
#22 GIRLS: Ended.

Books on the rise:

STRANGE EMBRACE, BLACK SUMMER, NEW WARRIORS

weekly loot: april 11

It was a pretty big week, as far as I am concerned, so I'll get right to it. And as it turns out, there wasn't much drama at all as to what my favorite book of the week was.

ALL-STAR SUPERMAN #7
(w. Grant Morrison, a. Frank Quitely)
What can I say? It was another magnificent installment for a series that is having a legendary run. I'm almost a little sad that it wasn't a done-in-one issue, but that's just because of the wait between issues. Grant's take on Jimmy Olson continues to be one of my favorite things in the series,and I would without a doubt pay for an All-Star My Pal Jimmy Olson. (Or, Jimmy Olson, Agent of P.R.O.J.E.C.T.) Frank, one of the industry's best by far, dazzles again. Loved the bit with Superman releasing his pet Sun-Eater. Awesome. BOOK OF THE WEEK, easily.

FELL #8
(w. Warren Ellis, a. Ben Templesmith)
This was not my favorite issue of the series, but it was another really solid one. The gimmick worked for the most part, although it really felt like more of a taste of a story rather than a complete story. But that’s okay, especially with Warren’s intentions with the series. I continue to be interested in this good man in a bad world. The last page was great, especially on the heels of last issue, where we saw a hint of his hubris.

LOVELESS #17
(w. Brian Azzarello, a. a. Werther Dell’Edera)
This was part 2 of “Blackwater Falls” and so far, it's looking like it could be the best arc since the first. Recently, it seems that Azzarello has been playing the book more straight-forwardly than it has been in the past, but that’s fine, because he has done it without losing any of the book’s depth. The new villain that has been introduced is scary, and the drama of our main three characters continues. It looks like Werther has settled in as the new artist, which as I’ve said before, this book really needed. But I’ve been frustrated that there has been no mention of what happened to Frusin. I miss him.



NEW AVENGERS #29
(w. Brian Bendis, a. Leinil Yu)
This was an odd issue, since nothing really happened and we are exactly where we were at the end of #28. We spent the entire issue in a flashback about how the guys got away, even though we already know that they got away since they are on a mission in Japan. Still, I suppose some people want to SEE Tony’s Avengers actually trying to find the “law breakers,” and Dr. Strange came off as a bad ass which is always cool. Nice Yu artwork once again.




WASTELAND #8
(w. Antony Johnson, a. Christopher Mitten)
After a perfectly good one-shot drawn by Carla Speed McNeil we are back with part 1 of a new arc. And whew, a damn good one it is. The main characters are back front-and-center, although after arriving in New Begin and sold as slaves, they have been completely separated. We are introduced to new characters, which are melded with the old, and everyone has new motivations that play off of each other beautifully. Johnson places the chess pieces expertly, as this multi-layered fantasy epic turns into a hidden gem.



FABLES #60
(w. Bill Willingham, a. Mark Buckingham)
Another series that is back to its main characters, and it's all the better for it. Ambrose the Flycatcher is the focus here, and after his tragic tale in 1001 Nights of Snowfall, I’m ecstatic. The short was gripping, and his response has been, to say the least, a bit surprising. Will he kick some ass, or will his story end even more tragically? The rest of the cast is picking up on old plot threads themselves, with the two witches Baba Yaga and Frau Totenkinder both getting key scenes. And for anyone that hasn’t, please read the highly recommended 1001 Nights, as recent events with Bigby and the current plot threads with Flycatcher and Frau are playing off of those stories.


UNCANNY X-MEN #485

NEWUNIVERSAL #5

STORMWATCH PHD #6: I’m going to be sad to see Doug Mahnke go

THUNDERBOLTS #113: Osborn-type crazy is fun, but Ellis’ Bullseye-type crazy is why I’m paying the admission price, where was he?

SHE-HULK #17 – I don’t mind that she sleeps around, just her choice in men.

IRON MAN #16

NEW X-MEN #37
(w. Craig Kyle & Chris Yost, a. Scottie Young & Niko Hendrichon)
As a fan of the X-Universe, I’ve been pleasantly surprised with this book of late. Truthfully, it's been ALL OVER the place since House of M, with characters dropping like flies and plot arcs centering on the still mostly annoying X-23 character. But still, some little fun things have come through amongst the different characters and their interactions. (Granted I’m a sucker for the teen X-Book.) The new arc promises some of the fun secondary students more panel time: Pixie, Match, Anole and even Blindfold from Whedon’s Astonishing book. One of the best decisions of recent memory is to add Skottie Young (and his redesigns) to the title. I was always hesitant about his panel work in comics (his covers and pin-ups are awesome, stylized fun), but I think his youthful creative style fits these characters. I hope he sticks, honestly. And for this issue, Niko Hendrichon of Pride of Baghdad fame, was excellent in his scenes.


PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL #6
(w. Matt Fraction, a. Ariel Olivetti)
This book was just so-so for me. In truth, I’ve been a bit confused by the series completely, but I guess that could be my bias towards the MAX take that Ennis gives us month-to-month. So far we’ve had a really good issue (#4) sandwiched between a few average issues doing Civil War from Frank’s POV (#1-3) and a couple of average books leading into Captain Punisher (#5-6). I’m in for the duration of this storyline (and the odd Captain Punisher outfit), but it’s going to be an uphill climb for this book for me. Again, my MAX Punisher bias might be too strong.


THE LONERS #1
(w. C.B. Cebulski, a. Karl Moline)
I’m in for the mini-series even though it didn’t blow me away. Cebulski does good dialogue, and Moline’s art is good enough, but the story so far is pretty much average superteenhero fare. I like a couple of the characters (Mattie and Darkhawk especially), but unfortunately so far the coolest thing about the book is the cover homages to 80’s Teen Movies. And was it me, or was there a lot of crying?





NOVA #1
(w. Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning, a. Sean Chen)
Aside from the Annihilation Prologue, I’m yet to read anything from the crossover. But with bits and pieces here and there from online, I know the gist of what has happened. So I wasn’t lost at all here, but I don’t think I would have been anyway. It's rather simple, Nova is the last of his cop-kind and now, really powerful. We see that he’s extremely busy, and he needs a rest. Enter an Earth which has gone through a lot of changes since Nova has ben home. So it was GOOD, just not anything special. I’m in for the two earth issues (the Speedball reunion), but since I don’t read the Annihilation stuff, I might jump off before #4. (Fans of cosmic Marvel must be stoked: they are really pushing it, and doing their best to make it cool.)


GEN 13 #7: Um, I know that it’s the nature of the book, but the T&A was extra silly this time, and I kind of wish Simone would go in a different direction with the characters sometimes.

GRIFTER/MIDNIGHTER #2: All this does is make me yearn for a regular Authority series. (And a regular Wildcats series for that matter.)

WOLERVINE: ORIGINS #13: How long will I read this? Bets are being taken.