411’s best and brightest continue to tell you what the best and brightest in comics has been so far this year…
Matt Morrison (Looking To The Stars writer, 411 reviewer)
-BEST PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics
Because of their excellent TP release schedule.
-BEST ONGOING SERIES: JSA
For making old-school superheroics cool again.
-BEST WRITER: Geoff Johns (JSA, The Flash, Hawkman, Avengers)
For doing the impossible and writing four excellent books a month, including two team books which give all the characters time in the sun. Other writers may do better on occasion, but nobody can match Johns for steady, on-time output.
-BEST PENCILLER: Mark Bagley (Ultimate Spider-Man)
For doing the most soulful eyes ever on Ultimate Spider-Man.
-BEST CREATIVE TEAM: Jeph Loeb & Jim Lee (Batman)
The real dynamic duo.
-BEST MALE CHARACTER: Peter Parker
Who hasn’t had a bad story in his regular titles in months.
-BEST FEMALE CHARACTER: Typhoid Mary
For being sexy, creepy and just plain dangerous yet oddly likable even as you feel sorry for Mary Walker.
-BEST VILLAIN: The Kingpin
For showing new levels of ruthlessness in the Daredevil series recently.
-BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER: Gwen Stacy
In Ultimate Spider-Man, for proving that a guy and a girl can live together and just be friends.
-BEST NEW CHARACTER: Amon Sur
For having the most interesting concept of any villain to show up in Green Lantern since Fatality.
-BEST TEAM: JSA
For more reasons than I can list comfortably.
-BEST LIMITED SERIES OR ONE SHOT: BLOOD AND WATER
For being the most original vampire story in any medium.
-BEST MOMENT: Mary Jane and Peter kiss (ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #41)
-BEST FIGHT: Batman vs Superman (BATMAN #612)
If you have to ask why, read the damn issue!
-BEST GUEST APPEARANCE: Dr. Doom (AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #50)
For giving us all a good laugh at the best bad guy there ever is, was and will be.
-BEST PUBLISHING INITIATIVE/DECISION: Marvel Comics, for cutting the horrendous Spider-Man: Get Kraven mini-series short by one issue. 6 was too many, but 7 would have been an act of terrorism.
Dave Graham (411 reviewer)
-BEST PUBLISHER: DC Comics
It pains me to say this as a life-long Marvelite, but when trying to find my favourite title I found myself with a list of DC books. In the standard DCU you have Loeb and Lee on Batman, Detective Comics has been of high quality under Brubaker, Gotham Central is an excellent title created by Brubaker and Greg Rucka, and the 12-issue maxi Superman: Metropolis is an intriguing comic book. The re-launch of Astro City, the quality work that goes in to Out There and the excellent Sleeper show the quality of Wildstorm. Fables, Y-The Last Man and the mini series Beware The Creeper are fine cases of excellence from Vertigo. Responding to the past couple of years of Marvel domination, DC have made some excellent decisions that have really come to fruition over the last six months.
-BEST ONGOING SERIES: GOTHAM CENTRAL
Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka’s examination of the Gotham City Police Department has been nothing short of great. In the last six months we have had Brubaker’s first solo “night shift” arc and the start of Rucka’s “day shift”. The stories are more an examination of the police officers than the crimes themselves, and this allows for more scope to the book. Michael Lark’s art has given the book continuity during the change in writers that, quality wise, could have easily passed un-noticed. Whilst other books may get more attention, Gotham Central has maintained a very high standard during it’s short life span and during the last six months has been the most consistent book in the quality stakes.
-BEST WRITER: Ed Brubaker (DETECTIVE COMICS, GOTHAM CENTRAL, SLEEPER)
There were quite a few contenders here and my final decision quite surprised me. Bendis obviously, but the issues of Ultimate Spider-Man that came out during the last six months have been below par. Chuck Austen has written a variety of titles, but his quality has wavered, culminating in the dreadful issues #423-#424 of Uncanny X-Men. Other possibilities were Brian K Vaughan and Jeph Loeb, but ultimately my decision is Ed Brubaker. His work on Gotham Central has been excellent. Sleeper is a brilliant comic book. His arc on Detective Comics was very good, better than the sister title, Batman, in places. In the past six months he has written three of my top 10 books, two of my top 5. It’s that simple.
-BEST PENCILLER: Sean Phillips (SLEEPER)
Again, lots of choice here, but it came down simply to whose work I enjoyed the most. As the regular penciler on Sleeper, Sean Phillips has impressed me greatly. His layouts are quite simply superb, leading the reader through the story with panache. The complex stories that involve many flashbacks are easily distinguished through the art, and the pacing of the book is always well governed by the visuals. Sean Phillips gives Sleeper a distinctive visual style which sets the comic apart from the other books on the shelf.
-BEST CREATIVE TEAM: Brian K. Vaughan & Pia Guerra (Y-THE LAST MAN)
Between them, Vaughan and Guerra have created a whole other world in the pages of Y-The Last Man. They complement each other greatly, with Guerra’s simple style working well with Vaughan’s sometimes complex story. Guerra’s pencils also add scope to the book, giving the story more depth. There is also a sense of isolation present that greatly enhances Yorick as a character, which comes from both the writing and the visuals. Y-The Last Man is a success because of the work of both creators, that is why they deserve this.
-BEST MALE CHARACTER: Yorick
Being the only male character left in the world, Yorick is an obvious choice here. Vaughan has written him as a wonderfully complex person, dealing with an extraordinary situation. He has a mother who is the make-shift President of the USA, his sister is a homicidal cult member, he is travelling across the States to be cloned, and all he wants to do is get to Australia to be with his sort-of fiancée. He has the ultimate responsibility for the species and he carries that load with reluctant skill.
-BEST FEMALE CHARACTER: Barbara Gordon
Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon have really fleshed out the formative years of the original Batgirl in Batgirl: Year One. Babs is portrayed as a confident young girl who is in a situation that she doesn’t feel wholly prepared for. Her hard work and need to prove herself, both to her father and to the Batman, make her a great character who stands out amid comicdom’s female leads.
-BEST VILLAIN: Magneto
This was a tough category for me as I simply couldn’t think of any really evil villains, in the books that I read, that have to the fore in the last six months. The other major contenders were “Hush” in Batman, but to be honest they haven’t done anything overt yet, and Dr Doom in the pages of Fantastic Four. Doom lost out because again, he hasn’t made a major impact as of yet. So, Ultimate Magneto came back to Ultimate X-Men and did what he does best – tries to take over the world. His scheme involved mass-genocide, a kooky plot, and he went out in a great last stand (blowing up a nuclear power station on the East coast of the USA), what more could you ask from a super-villain? And now, in the final issue of the arc, he is locked away yet still has no remorse, he remains the evil genius.
-BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER: Annie Ghazikanian
The new school nurse of the Xavier Institute has been stirring up the pot since she turned up in the pages of Uncanny X-Men. Having looked after, and falling for, the comatose Alex Summers, she joined the institute with her telepathic son. Still pining for the younger Summers brother, she has acted as an Agony Aunt to the messed up mutants, particularly when it comes to matters of the heart. She has been part of some very humorous moments in the book, providing both comic relief and some deeper insight into lives of the X-Men. A special mention goes out to Sammy the Squidboy, who came ever so close in this category.
-BEST NEW CHARACTER: Holden Carver
This complex character is the reason that Sleeper works so well. In his role as a deep cover agent he has to commit acts that go completely against his nature, or at least against his own personal moral code. He is a lost soul, not knowing where he stands in the world – he is cut off, becoming the man he is pretending to be. Despite this he is still working from the inside to disrupt the plans of the organisation he has infiltrated. His alien-imbued powers, allowing him to inflict pain that is caused to him, are a curse to him.
-BEST TEAM: The Uncanny X-Men
The only team books I read are X-titles, so I’m pretty limited in my choice here. The current incarnation of the team in Uncanny X-Men however, is the most interesting. Perennial favourites, Nightcrawler, Iceman, and Archangel are all present, and the recent addition of my favourite mutant, Havok, makes the team certainly formidable. Recent stories have had newer members of the team, Husk and Northstar, coming to the forefront which adds depth to the team. Under Austen the Uncanny X-Men are currently the most interesting they have been in a long time, the dreadful issues #423-#424 not withstanding.
-BEST LIMITED SERIES OR ONE SHOT: BATGIRL: YEAR ONE
This was by far the hardest category for me with some excellent contenders. Marvel has had the great Gus Beezer one-shots, Image has had the angst ridden Firebreather and the dark Parliament of Justice, and even Dark Horse has had a major contender in the enjoyable Judge Dredd/Aliens: Incubus. However, Batgirl: Year One has been a mini that has consistently impressed me and kept me eager to read the next issue. The quality of the writing has been amazing, and on a book that has two writers (Scott Beatty and Chuck Dixon) that has been maintained through each issue. The art as well has been spot on, giving the book a retro feel fitting to the time period. This is not just the best mini, but one of the best titles out there, period.
-BEST MOMENT: Goldilocks shoots Snow White in the head with a sniper rifle (FABLES #9)
This event was the culmination of the excellent “Animal Farm” story arc, which saw a militant Goldilocks leading a rebellion of non-human fairytale characters. It happened as the rebellion was quashed and Snow White was delivering the plenary to the story. It came out of the blue and was shocking. There are some things that you don’t expect to see in your life, and Snow White’s head exploding in a mass of blood is one of them. Mark Buckingham and Steve Leialoha excellently rendered the single page sequence, and the lead into it was well scripted by Bill Willingham. A shock event that I just didn’t expect.
-BEST FIGHT: Batman vs Superman (BATMAN #612)
The only major competition for this came from the pages of Ultimate X-Men #31, the melee between Magneto and the entire X-Men. Although, Cyclops unloading on an expectant Wolverine in the following issue was also an excellent, if short, battle. My pick here is the age-old DCU battle, and it was given a refreshing spin in the pages of Batman. The battle sequence was excellently rendered by Lee, and choreographed splendidly by Loeb. There is just something special about these two characters when they do battle. Having no love for Supes it is also a plus that the Batman used his smarts to outwit the Man of Steel, taking him down for at least a short while so as Bats’ plan could come to fruition. This sequence was well thought out, well executed, and was fun to boot.
-BEST GUEST APPEARANCE: Superman (BATMAN #611-#612)
Having Batman travel to Metropolis on the trail of Poison Ivy was an interesting idea, and it allowed this guest appearance to occur naturally. Superman had his own place in the issues, both as an unwilling villain and as a partner to Bats. Jeph Loeb wrote him as someone who was familiar with the character and gave him a fitting voice. The interaction between the two DCU heavy-hitters was handled well, and made for an interesting appearance of the Man of Steel.
-BEST PUBLISHING INITIATIVE/DECISION: Tsunami
The Marvel Tsunami line received a fair amount of scepticism when it was first announced (with Marvel’s now ubiquitous teaser images), but after the first “wave” of releases I think most of that has been quashed. Nearly all of the titles have been excellent, I certainly intend to pick up at least five of them regularly. Marvel has teamed up quality writers with artists that deliver interesting visuals. Each title appears to be totally accessible to new readers which will certainly be an asset when they are packaged for the bookstore market. Whilst the final results are yet to be seen, kudos have to go to Marvel for trying out a new idea.
Jim Trabold (Marvel News & Views, The Marvel Handbook writer)
-BEST PUBLISHER: Marvel Comics
Marvel has done a lot of stuff this year. It brought back Epic and created another new
line in Tsunami. Less mistakes this year than in the past and tons of great titles out this year. Also count in the Marvel movies and this company is at a high.
-BEST ONGOING SERIES: X-TREME X-MEN
This title is the best X-Title right now. The
writer and artist that have done this the longest have brought back many fans of the franchise. One of the best titles out today.
-BEST WRITER: Brian K. Vaughan (Y-The Last Man, Mystique, Runaways)
Vaughan is doing an excellent job with everything
he’s been handed. We’re not just talking Marvel either. Y- The Last Man did well with him and Runaways and Mystique have already started good runs for Tsunami. 411 did well with him, as did the X2: Movie Prequel Wolverine. Excellent job Mister Vaughan.
-BEST PENCILLER: Salvador Larocca (X-TREME X-MEN, NAMOR) His art has brought a lot of fans to X-Treme X-
Men. He’s one of the most popular artists working for Marvel today. He moved on to Namor because of a request and will be coming back to Uncanny X-Men soon.
-BEST CREATIVE TEAM: Chris Claremont & Salvador Larroca (X-TREME X-MEN)
This team has
brought real life to the X-titles. With CC and Salvador working together the title was at it’s best. I’m hoping it will stay that way without Salvador but they’ve worked together perfectly and X-Treme X-Men is the best because of it.
-BEST MALE CHARACTER: Wolverine
Wolverine is the best at what he does and this
year he’s proved it. Not just in comics either. In X2 he was one of the best characters there. This character has been used to help all the X-titles work well and even guest-starred in many other titles with a great showing.
-BEST FEMALE CHARACTER: Elektra
Elektra’s series is doing well and the true
reason why is because the character herself is one of the most interesting in comics. Every issue has brought excitement to the readers and Elektra kicked ass in the Daredevil movie as well.
-BEST VILLAIN: Doctor Doom
Can you say the most evil SOB in comics? Right now
he’s proving that in Fantastic Four. He’s the main foe in what’s being called “Unthinkable” because he’s doing stuff that no villain would dare do. He is one villain that you know when he appears something will go wrong.
-BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER: Valeria and Franklin Richards
These two are a
tag team. They’re the children of the Fantastic Four and have been used a lot this year to bring a lot of storylines together. They’re even featured in “Unthinkable” greatly.
-BEST NEW CHARACTER: Juston Seyfert
This character actually is
pretty fun so far. He’s made Sentinel one of the best new series that came out so far this year. He’s the center of the title and a great one at that.
-BEST TEAM: The Avengers
The Avengers have always been one of Marvel’s premiere
teams. With the talents of Geoff Johns and various artist the title has a punch. The team keeps growing but most of the core stays the same. They are Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.
-BEST LIMITED SERIES OR ONE SHOT: MEKANIX
This limited series
took Kitty Pryde to college where she met new and old friends alike. Also had to solve a mystery by herself. Leaving the X-Men for awhile she did well on her own.
-BEST MOMENT: Havok waking up from his coma
This story actually was pretty
good. The return of one of Marvel’s favorite mutants to some. Havok was greeted by shock of all that happened while he was away, happy to see his brother and the other X-Men and even get engaged to Polaris.
-BEST FIGHT: Punisher vs Wolverine
This battle impacted both titles a good amount
this year. Would happen to do with a writers war because one writer made fun of anothers character. It wasn’t just one of the better ones in comics but in the media because of the writers. One not many will forget this year.
-BEST GUEST APPEARANCE: Kitty Pryde (X-TREME X-MEN)
Right now in X-Treme X-
Men we’re getting the sequel to “God Loves, Man Kills”. Kitty has brought something more to this storyline by coming back to help her friends.
-BEST PUBLISHING INITIATIVE/DECISION Restarting EPIC Comics
This was one of
the better ideas Marvel had this year. Epic will bring some new blood into the comics world and I know the fans of the original line should be happy to see it. So far we’ve got a few titles and they all look like they may be interesting, beginning with Trouble, possibly the true origin of Peter Parker.
