The year 2003 is halfway over and the staff here at 411 has picked the best and brightest at the six month mark.
Ben Morse (Editor-In-Chief of 411Comics, writer of The Watchtower)
-BEST PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics
So here’s the thing: I buy probably twice as many DC Comics a month as I do those from Marvel. All my favorite titles are from DC, and, on the whole, I enjoy the creations of the DC Universe more than their Marvel counterparts. However, this isn’t “Best Company To Put Out Comics & Characters That Ben Morse Likes,†it’s “Best Publisher,†and in the first six months of 2003, that is without a doubt Marvel. Most prominently of course is Marvel’s incredibly successful foray into the mainstream, where the success of Daredevil & X2 has made them a major player. Within the field of comics itself, Marvel has made some risky moves, in particular the launch of Tsunami, and the expansion of the amount of titles its putting out, but with the first few months in the can, the gamble appears to have paid off. But the move that seals the deal in my mind is the re-launch of Epic; with this shrewd maneuver, Marvel has not only provided a springboard for new ideas and gained more solid footing with its fans in one fell swoop, it has virtually assured that the next big names in comics will get their start under the Marvel banner.
-BEST ONGOING SERIES: The Flash (DC Comics)
There is no other comic I consistently look forward to as much as The Flash. I think Geoff Johns is doing the best work of his career on this criminally underrated book; not to mention Scott Kollins art, which in addition to being gorgeous (and wonderfully augmented by the work inker Doug Hazlewood and James Sinclair, for my money the best colorist in the business today) is also unlike any style you will find anywhere else in comics. Johns’ re-imagining of Flash Rogues like Captain Cold, Weather Wizard, and most recently Professor Zoom, has revitalized some of comics’ classic characters. The supporting cast is interesting and diverse on a level not seen since the Lee/Romita years of Amazing Spider-Man. Wally West is a great character that has enjoyed some fabulous creative teams over the past decade, but this may be the best one yet. The Flash is a book with action, humor, drama and beautiful human dynamics and relationships; it has it all.
-BEST WRITER: Geoff Johns (JSA, The Flash, Hawkman, Avengers)
Geoff Johns has become the “Mr. Fix-It†of comics. He made the “un-cool†Justice Society hip again, he sorted out the “impossible†continuity of Hawkman and he made a villain called The Top actually seem remotely threatening. Whether he’s writing high octane action team books, a romantic saga that stretches through the centuries, or the almost retro-fun adventures of a Scarlet Speedster, Johns is consistently on top of his game, making dull characters interesting and giving the cool characters even cooler stuff to say. He appeals to the continuity-obsessed superfan or the casual reader. The next challenge for Johns will be to fix DC’s once-proud Teen Titans franchise, and as hardcore Titans fan, I can’t wait.
-BEST PENCILLER: Jim Lee (Batman)
It’s been years since an artist generated so much excitement and success for a book. Last time I remember was over a decade ago on a book called X-Men with a guy named Jim Lee…hmm…sounds familiar. For anybody who thought Mr. Lee had lost a step or that Batman was too dark or too complex for him, think again. This is the Jim Lee of his prime, with thoughtful and detailed pencils that simply look gorgeous (and those flashback sequences are to die for). Here’s hoping that once “Hush†(and whatever is coming after that) concludes, Jim doesn’t retreat back behind his desk at Wildstorm for too long.
-BEST CREATIVE TEAM: Brian Michael Bendis & Mark Bagley (Ultimate Spider-Man)
In a business where consistency and timeliness are often dirty words, the team of Bendis & Bagley are coming up on having produced nearly fifty straight issues of Ultimate Spider-Man with no skip months and no fill-in creators. In this day and age, that’s a feat practically unheard of. This alone would inspire a round of applause, but here’s the kicker: this is also one of the best books on the stands. No small part of the reason why Ultimate Spider-Man collects so well in trade paperbacks and has the kind of continuous and ongoing epic feel that books like New Teen Titans and X-Men had in their prime is because month in and month out, the same guy is writing, the same guy is drawing, and they’re at the top of their game.
-BEST MALE CHARACTER: Spider-Man
After the unprecedented success of the Spider-Man movie, Marvel was under tremendous stress not to drop the ball with a character that now had more name recognition than ever. Marvel (and specifically the aforementioned Ultimate Spider-Man team as well as J. Michael Stracynski, John Romita Jr., Paul Jenkins and others) rose to the challenge and is currently putting out books featuring an endearing Peter Parker (both Ultimate and regular versions) who will make fans laugh with his antics, make them cry with his pain and inspire them with his heroics. Spider-Man was created in part to be a role model for the comic book reading nerd who was picked on by the “cool kids;†now even those kids think Spidey rocks.
-BEST FEMALE CHARACTER: Wonder Woman
For a character that has been around over sixty years, Wonder Woman may be experiencing some of the best years of her existence just now. Phil Jiminez’ extremely underrated run on the title came to a fun and poignant conclusion. Walt Simonson & Jerry Ordway’s mini-stint is drawing rave reviews. And from what I’ve read in interviews, Greg Rucka has some exciting plans for the Amazon Princess. Couple this with great stories in JLA presenting Diana as both the girl you’d dream to be with and the woman you’re terrified to piss off (witness an alien ambassador calling her a whore in JLA #79 for one of the funniest moments of the year so far), as well as a sub-plot exploring a potential romance with Batman of all people, not to mention regular exposure on the Justice League cartoon, and WW is all over the place. After nearly seven decades, creators are just now learning that Wonder Woman is one of the most multi-dimensional characters in comics (beautiful yet tough, confident yet naïve, etc.) and so are fans.
-BEST VILLAIN: The Gentleman Ghost
The creepy reappearance of “Gentlemen†Jim Craddock in the climactic arc of Hawkman to date and his ingenious new ties to the past of the Hawks were one of early 2003’s nicest surprises. GG has never been a villain who is interesting because of his power, it’s his persona that makes him, and the suave and unnerving demeanor is still there. But a new quiet intensity and a motive that the reader almost has to feel is completely justified makes another villainous triumph for Geoff Johns.
-BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER: May Parker
This nod is going to the good ol’ 616 version of Aunt May, not the Ultimate incarnation. Whereas the old May had become one-dimensional (if classic), Brian Michael Bendis’ decision to have the sweet old lady discover the secrets behind her nephew’s double life has reinvigorated the character. May has become both a strong and funny character while retaining the sense of pain and vulnerability that makes her both realistic and beloved. Her interaction with Peter and Mary Jane has strengthened their characterizations, which is exactly what a good supporting character is supposed to do. I much prefer Aunt May as a shrewd if eccentric pillar of strength to the old hostage waiting to happen.
-BEST NEW CHARACTER: Zoom
Two issues in and I’m already blown away by Geoff Johns’ newest creation. We still don’t have the full back story on the new incarnation of old Professor Zoom, but one insightful origin issue plus, only a few brief but brutal panels of action, and Zoom has already become one of the most fleshed out and chillingly intense new characters in a long time. Johns has struck the perfect balance between creating a bad guy who you can feel sympathy for, but have no trouble remembering how completely insane he is; plus, let’s be frank, super speed is like the coolest power ever, and the new ways Zoom is using it just rock, plain and simple. Scott Kollins’ killer (literally) update on the old Reverse Flash suit is just icing on the already tasty cake.
-BEST TEAM: JLA
A lot of people questioned Joe Kelly’s risky move late last year to separate the “big seven†Justice League for the first time since Grant Morrison brought them back together seven years ago…actually, pretty much the whole reading world is still questioning it. But I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the current eclectic mish-mash of big guns like Superman and Wonder Woman with second stringers like Major Disaster and Firestorm and new characters like Faith and Manitou Raven is the shot in the arm JLA has needed since Morrison departed. The current team is capable of both witty banter and some damn cool cohesive teamwork. I may be in the minority, but I’m loving the JLA right now.
-BEST LIMITED SERIES OR ONE SHOT: JLA: Secret Origins
Kinda slim pickings on the LS/one shot front so far this year. But if there’s one thing you can count on, regardless of the year, it’s quality Alex Ross art. Combine that with the classic origins of awesome characters like Superman, Batman, The Flash and the rest and you’ve got a surefire winner.
-BEST MOMENT: Tie-Ollie’s secret (GREEN ARROW #21)
For five issues of “The Archer’s Quest,†Brad Meltzer created an intriguing mystery surrounding Green Arrow, his friends and family and his past. Nobody could figure out quite what the payoff would be (though there was speculation aplenty), but most assumed nothing could live up to the hype; they were wrong. Now, I’m not saying the revelation that concluded “The Archer’s Quest†pleased everybody…it certainly polarized fan reaction (and I’m not going to spoil it here for when it comes out in trade in case folks want to check it out), but it also got a reaction out of everybody, and that’s what counts in the end. It was a touching, powerful conclusion to an awesome storyline; a moment to remember.
-BEST FIGHT: Timber Wolf vs The Fatal Five (THE LEGION #15-16)
Obvious choice here is Batman vs Superman, right? Wrong…at least from where I’m standing (sitting rather). Bats vs Supes was cool and all…but, been there, seen that. Timber Wolf is an old classic (Wolverine before Wolverine was around) who got reintroduced into the Legion of Super-Heroes in style: taking on Tharok, Mano, Validus, Persuader & Mano all by his lonesome. Not only did T-Wolf kick ass berzerker style and make it look good, he even used his noggin to put the finishing touches on. Kev Walker’s gritty artwork made this fight perfectly brutal.
-BEST GUEST APPEARANCE: Captain America in AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #50
Captain America is like Superman: he’s so iconic that just about any guest appearance he makes is guaranteed to have that “neat-o†feel to it. But he was certainly used to his fullest on the occasion of Peter Parker’s heartfelt reunion with Mary Jane. There are those who think that using Cap (or Supes for that matter) in the capacity of father figure makes him uncool, but J. Michael Stracynski showed here that, done right, it can show just why he’s thrived for six decades.
-BEST PUBLISHING INITIATIVE/DECISION: Epic
See my answer to Best Publisher. The creation of this new brand is truly a can’t miss for Marvel. They’ve won the fans over and they’ve set the table to dominate in the discovery and development of new talent. Brilliant move, and the rest of the industry is going to have to work hard to counter.
Kyle Litke (411 CrossGen News & Views reporter, reviewer)
-BEST PUBLISHER: Crossgen
So far this year, Crossgen has launched Code 6, the line that has brought us Demonwars, Crossovers, and the now sold out Lady Death. They launched Brath, an excellent barbarian book. George Perez has returned to a monthly book with the recently launched Chimera. They’ve launched the Bridges program, to help get kids to read. They’ve released Chimera, featuring Brandon Peterson’s unique artwork. They’ve announced new ways to read comics, and have tons of movies in the works. Crossgen keeps growing, and to date, the compendia seems to be their only failure. Look for even bigger things from them for the remainder of 2003.
-BEST ONGOING SERIES: Negation
This one was probably the easiest pick on the whole list. Negation #14, which started off the year, ranks as one of my favorite single issues of any comic, ever. While the other issues didn’t quite reach that level, they’ve still been far better than most of the comics put out by any company. Y:The Last Man, Fables and Batman are all close, but Negation is too good for me to not pick it.
-BEST WRITER: Tony Bedard
Tony is writing three of the best titles in comics today. He is the writer of Route 666, an excellent horror book, something rarely seen in comics today. He took Mystic, which he had been struggling on, and turned it into one of my favorite comics. And oh yeah…he writes some other book I like. I think it’s called Negation. I believe I’ve called it the best book in comics today.
-BEST PENCILLER: Jim Lee
I don’t think there’s any real contest here. As great a writer as I think Jeph Loeb is, it’s Jim Lee that is most talked about on Batman, which has been the #1 comic since he started pencilling it. It’s been a rare occurance that I’ve been able to honestly say I think the #1 comic deserves to be there, but with Jim Lee pencilling Batman, this is one title that deserves to be #1.
-BEST CREATIVE TEAM: Jim Lee & Jeph Loeb (Batman)
Although this was a very close race between them and the team of Brath. A gripping story combined with the best artwork around equals the best creative team in comics today. Scott Williams and Alex Sinclair (on inks and colors, respectively) are doing an excellent job backing them up, too.
-BEST MALE CHARACTER: Batman
Jeph Loeb and Jim Lee have been doing an excellent job making an already great character even better. The latest issue was a big one too, and continues to show just what makes Batman great.
-BEST FEMALE CHARACTER: Giselle
Although you might call this a most improved female character. She literally went from someone I didn’t care about at the beginning of the year to one of the strongest female characters in comics today. The only one approaching her in my mind is Sephie of Meridian, who comes in a very close second.
-BEST VILLAIN: Charon
He’s extremely powerful, and the God Emperor of the Negation Universe. What really makes Charon interesting, though, is it’s hard to say whether he’s really such a bad guy. He’s definitely a villain, as he opposes the heroes and is looking to take over their universe like he did the Negation one, but he’s doing it because he wants to bring order to everything. He really thinks he can make everything better. With the impending Negation invasion of various worlds, Charon will probably rise to even greater heights by years end, especially once the remainder of the Mark of Charon miniseries plays out.
-BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER: Catwoman
First, keep in mind that I haven’t yet read Catwoman’s series, so I’m going by her supporting appearances in the Batman title. She’s doing an excellent job playing off of Bruce and making him consider a serious relationship with her, and the latest issue sealed it for me. Corrin of Negation is a close second, due to her performance in the absolutely awesome Negation #14. Had she done much the rest of the year, she’d be #1, but as it is, Catwoman edged her out.
-BEST NEW CHARACTER: Andra Radiant
Although we don’t know much about her past, she’s already a very intriguing character. To be honest, I couldn’t really come up with many new characters this year, so Andra Radiant is an easy pick for me.
-BEST TEAM: The Negation team
Although this isn’t really a “team” book, the group in Negation are some of the most diverse characters in comics today (which is even better considering they were all created by the same person). Atlanteans, Sigil Bearers, a Saurian, a goddess, and even normal humans make for a very interesting team.
-BEST LIMITED SERIES OR ONE SHOT: Chimera
If you haven’t seen this yet, you need to take a look. Brandon Peterson’s art is breathtaking, and Ron Marz is writing a very interesting story. At the time of this writing, the final issue is due out next week, and I’m looking forward to it.
-BEST MOMENT: Batman and Catwoman kiss (BATMAN #610) After building it up for 2 issues, Batman #610 finally had the payoff. This, of course, led up to Batman #615, and the only reason this beat out what happened in #615 is that the kiss helped set it up.
-BEST FIGHT: Superman VS Batman
Sure, it didn’t last too long, and some may have been disappointed in the end, but for me, it was great to finally see Batman and Superman fighting it out, in continuity. No imaginary tales, no futuristic story…the actual fight.
-BEST GUEST APPEARANCE: Superman in BATMAN
We finally got to see an in continuity battle between Batman and Superman, with Batman managing to win out in the end (although this was mostly due to pure luck). A great job by the whole team using Superman.
-BEST PUBLISHING INITIATIVE/DECISION: Crossgen releases Travelers To be fair, I can’t think of too many publishing initiatives and decisions I’ve been impressed with this year. I have a feeling a lot of people will think of Marvel relaunching Epic, but so far, I’ve been unimpressed with their announcements concerning it. Crossgen’s Traveler editions, however, are a great idea. Many people who don’t read comics wouldn’t be quick to pick up a huge trade for 20 dollars, but a smaller sized trade at 10 dollars (or less!) isn’t a bad investment at all.
Mathan Erhardt (writer of Who’s Who In The DCU)
-BEST PUBLISHER: DC Comics
From the optimism of Astro City to the nihilism of The Authority, from the realism of Y the Last Man to the surrealism of The Filth, no other publisher offers such a variety of thrilling titles (and I didn’t even mention the core DCU titles).
-BEST ONGOING SERIES: 100 Bullets
Crime, noir, drama, mystery, soap opera. These are all genres that could describe what is continually the best book on the market. It has a cast of characters that will grow on you, and plot that will leave you perplexed. Collect the TPB’s, then get the current issues, and then hunt down the back issues.
-BEST WRITER: Geoff Johns
Geoff pulls off an amazing balancing act every month. Every thirty days I get the super speed adventure of The Flash, the barbaric soap opera that is Hawkman, and the wide screen action of JSA. And every month he never fails to surpass my imagination.
-BEST PENCILLER: Pia Guerra
Yorick lives in the real world, albeit one completely devoid of males. Pia renders that world and all of its characters with a unique realism that makes her stand out in the crowd. It will be a sad day when she takes a break, but she deserves one.
-BEST CREATIVE TEAM: Dave Johnson, Brian Azzarello, Patricia Mulvihill, Eduardo Risso, & Clem Robins (100 BULLETS
It doesn’t matter what their jobs are individually, they are the best team in comics. Together they are greater than the sum of their individual parts. Their styles compliment each other beautifully, and on a monthly basis they give us a glimpse of perfection. Here is another bonus; starting in November you can see their rare brand of alchemy on the title Batman for a five-issue stint.
-BEST MALE CHARACTER: John Constantine
To paraphrase Michael Corleone “every time he thinks he’s out, they keep pulling him back in.†That is the story of Constantine’s life. I don’t even know what motivates him other than the thought that this time might be the last. Because of his family ties he is currently in the middle of an adventure he wants no part of. Poor Johnny.
-BEST FEMALE CHARACTER: The Creeper
Great name. Great costume. Great catchphrase. Great comic. A complete enigma. Ah, the feminine mystique.
-BEST VILLAIN: AOL/Time Warner
But you say, “They publish your favorite comics.†True, but they used to publish two more of my favorite comics: Supergirl and Young Justice. The former was ended because of poor sales and to introduce a new Supergirl character. The latter was ended in order to relaunch a new book to capitalize on the impending success of the Teen Titans cartoon. Canceling two fan favorite books, that sounds like the work of a dastardly villain to me.
-BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER: Ampersand
I actually care more about Tony the cat in The Filth, but I’m allergic to cats. Plus Ampersand is a monkey, and I love monkeys. I have the Planet of the Apes boxed set on DVD.
-BEST NEW CHARACTER: The Hero Dial
The Hero Dial is by far the most interesting character in the book HERO. I actually care about what is going to happen to it. What is it going to do next? Will it go bad? I need to know. Granted there isn’t too much room for character growth there, but c’mon how much has Bruce Wayne aged in the past 60 odd years? Ok then don’t say anything about my choice.
-BEST TEAM: The Doom Patrol
I really like the fact that they haven’t done too much as a team for the last, oh six months. This title is really turning the convention of a “team†book on its head. Perhaps that’s why it’s been canceled. “You finally really did it. Damn you, best villain, damn you all to hell.â€
-BEST LIMITED SERIES/ONE SHOT: JSA: The Unholy Three
Tony Harris is one of the best in the business. Seeing this Elseworlds version of the JSA in action had me frothing at the bit. The story is great, the art is better. Why wasn’t this longer?
-BEST MOMENT: Lono’s Alive
Pretend for a moment that you never read the Vertigo X preview, thus you were never privy to the information that Lono wasn’t dead. Seeing 100 Bullets resident bad ass alive and well at the end of issue #43 would have kept you up at night. It was a great moment.
-BEST FIGHT: Batgirl vs Deathstroke (NIGHTWING #81)
Sure the fight didn’t last long. But it was a beautifully rendered, slightly comedic fight. Its fluidity amazes me still.
-BEST GUEST APPEARANCE: The Shade (JSA #48)
Being the diehard Starman fan that I am, seeing the Shade on the last page of this issue made my pulse race. Sure technically it is more of a cameo, it was a pleasant surprise nonetheless.
BEST PUBLISHING INITIATIVE/DECISION: Canceling THE TITANS
This book was going nowhere. Tom Peyer is usually a great writer, but can you blame him for not putting his best foot forward on a book he knew was going to get canned? Thank you for canceling the book, because being the dedicated fan that I am I would still be buying that crap today. See even dastardly villains can show mercy sometimes.
Check out part two, coming later this week!
