Nothing is recession-proof. Not even the Nexus Awards. Last year’s event was a big budget, all-star gala event. But given the current economic climate we at the Nexus didn’t feel it would be appropriate spend so lavishly and opted to have a stripped down and subdued affair this year.
And thus, the Nexus Awards.
BEST MALE LEAD – (Tie) All-Star Superman
Greg Manuel: A timeless interpretation of the Man of Steel, a man with a heart big enough to hold the entire galaxy…and so perfectly drawn by Frank Quitely, too – this is everybody’s big brother…the one who will always look out for you, no matter what…a man who bullets cannot stop, but at the same time looks like he gives hugs that can melt any problem away.
Cyclops
Greg Manuel: Between Joss Whedon’s definitive run on ASTONISHING X-MEN and the events spinning out of HOUSE of M (who knew?!), Scott Summers is finally playing the role he was born to play – mutantkind’s best hope. If there’s anybody who can lead them from the abyss, make no mistake – it’s Scott Summers. Look him in the eye and try to tell him different.
BEST FEMALE LEAD – Emma Frost
Let’s look at the year that Emma Frost had. First she announced to the world, of mutants that San Fran would be a haven for mutantkind in “Divided We Stand”. Then she dealt with the Hellfire Cult and went toe to toe (mind to mind?) with Xavier in “Manifest Destiny”. She even had time to join Norman Osborn’s Cabal. But let’s not forget how she aided Kitty Pryde in Astonishing X-Men. Emma was a truly, fully realized character in 2008.
BEST SUPPORTING CHARACTER – Beast
Greg Manuel: He cured the Legacy Virus, now he seeks to reverse the Decimation. All that was needed to get our furry blue genius back on track was a minor design tweak courtesy of John Cassaday and Hank McCoy is ready to restore the mutant population…and get him some alien hybrid action while he’s at it. You sly…cat-man, you!
BEST VILLAIN – Black Glove
Alex S: Yes the way they ended up was a little disappointing, but The Black Glove have been an intimidating force in Batman for quite some time now. Not knowing who he/she/they were or what they’d do was often genuinely unnerving. And, really, we still don’t know.
BEST TEAM – (Tie) Astonishing X-Men
Greg Manuel: Under Joss Whedon and John Cassaday, this was the team you went to for that classic X-Men feel. Now under Warren Ellis, it’s got that funky, sci-fi flavor that is guaranteed to blow your mind. Cyclops. Beast. Emma Frost. Armor. Wolverine. Colossus. Storm. It’s the core team, folks. Recognize.
The Rogues
Graham: It took three issues for these guys to go from an unfortunate jobber status to the creme de la creme of teams. That’s just the magical touch of Geoff Johns those, the man who redefined these blue collar bad guys during his run on Flash. They’re smart, cohesive, and driven by their own morals and beliefs. It’s almost unfortunate that, as a team of Flash villains, they could most likely never support their own ongoing title…but at least there’s the promise of Johns writing them more in 09!
BEST WRITER – Ed Brubaker
Greg Manuel: New blood with old school roots, Ed Brubaker approaches his work with the one key element that I look for in all comic book creators – he gets whoever it is that he’s writing. His Batman isn’t Ed Brubaker’s interpretation of Batman. It’s BATMAN. Same for Captain America. Same for Daredevil. Same for his time on Iron Fist…in a time when Bendis and Millar seem to have their mark all over the comic book landscape, you can count on the Bru to show you how it’s REALLY done.
BEST ARTIST – John Cassaday
Greg Manuel: Joss Whedon’s partner in crime…I’ve been loving his work ever since Captain America went to Marvel Knights and I have been unable to get enough of it since – Planetary/Batman, on to Astonishing X-Men, where his costume designs managed to visually convey their bizarre, outcast nature in a fashion that’d been missing from their corner of the Marvel Universe for almost 20 years.
BEST EDITOR – Mike Marts
Greg Manuel: He kept Grant Morrison on track during his run on Batman. That’s about all I can say there. Heck, that’s all you NEED to say, wouldn’t you agree?
BREAKOUT TALENT – Jason Aaron
Jason Aaron was everywhere in 2008. He wrote Ghost Rider, Wolverine, Black Panther as well as his creator owned Scalped. Plus he wrote an excellent Penguin tale and had time to pay John Constantine a visit on the pages of Hellblazer. Personally, I felt Scalped was his strongest work, but I was also impressed how he managed to make what could have been a boring Secret Invasion crossover in Black Panther read like something fresh. What’s scary is that 2008 was his breakout year, I can’t wait to see what his 2010 is going to be like.
BEST SINGLE ISSUE – Y the Last Man #60
Grey Scherl: When the first month of the year contains a book that, once you read, you say to yourself “I wont read another comic this incredible for the rest of the year” and it’s actually true, you’re onto something special. Brian K. Vaughan gave his long running series about the last man on Earth a fitting send off, giving us a chance to say our goodbyes to our favorite characters one at a time before it was finally over.
Alex Spencer: Touching and unexpected, a fitting send-off to my favourite comic ever. BKV promised he had that last page etched out from the start, and who would’ve guessed the King of Cliffhangers would leave us without something so simple yet beautiful? We’ll miss you Yorick.
BEST GRAPHIC NOVEL – Joker
Joker was many things. It was a thematic follow up to both Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermerjo’s excellent Lex Luthor: Man of Steel. It was also a follow up of sorts, certainly in tone, on Heath Ledger’s performance in The Dark Knight though the two characterizations were created independently of each other. It also happened to be one of the scariest, most brutal depictions of the Joker in recent memory and just because it wasn’t in continuity doesn’t diminish it at all. To me it ranks up there with The Killing Joke in terms of definitive Joker stories.
BEST COLLECTION – Starman Omnibus
Grey Scherl: A few years back, as a slightly younger man in his second year of college, I finally gave Starman a shot. Admittedly, it was through bootlegs (which I wasn’t proud of), but I completely fell in love with it. Unfortunately, when I went to try and get the book in trades I found it rather….difficult. Several issues were omitted, others placed out of order, oh, and the third volume in trade is $120 used. So when DC announced the oversized hardcovers they made it available for readers of a new generation to read this incredible story.
BEST MINI – Umbrella Academy
Alex Spencer: The man from My Chemical Romance can write comics. I mean, no, he really can. Try building a time machine, travelling back to ’06 and telling yourself that. Tell them you wouldn’t mind shaking his hand if you met him in the street now. No, really.
BEST STORYLINE – Captain America
Greg Manuel: First, They shot and killed the Red Skull (sort of) in the very first issue. THEN, they brought Bucky back as a brainwashed Cold War assassin. THEN, they shot and killed Steve Rogers (maybe?), using Sharon Carter as a brainwashed assassin. THEN they gave the shield to Bucky. You KNOW for all of this to happen, it had to happen JUST RIGHT. And by god, Brubaker and company pulled it off. This remains one of the best comics Marvel is putting out and I still cannot get enough.
BEST CROSSOVER – Final Crisis
Greg Manuel: This has the feel that a major comics event SHOULD have: a well-contained core story surrounded by supplementary tales that you can take or leave, and stakes that are off the charts. You can FEEL the direness of the situation. You almost want to scream at the comic book in your hands, and cheer the heroes on to victory…and most importantly…there’s a feeling of doubt that the heroes won’t prevail this time. That’s how you get Greg’s money, people. Make me feel it.
BEST WEBCOMIC – Penny Arcade
Alex Spencer: Quietly dignifiedly funny at best, hilarious crude silliness at its worst, this comic was two months of my life at the start of the year. I’ve since fallen from the faith, but Father Onstad, I shall repent.
BEST MARVEL TITLE – Captain America
Greg Manuel: I don’t know what else I could add here, that I didn’t already mention under “Best Storyline.” I love the political thrill-ride feel of the book, which I haven’t really felt since Mark Waid wrote “Operation: Rebirth” through to “Man Without a Country.” The action is nonstop, the heroes are noble, the villains are despicable and that is a recipe for a reading experience that just pulls you in.
BEST DC TITLE – All-Star Superman
It was a book that didn’t ship monthly and was self-contained. Yet it was also hands down the best thing that DC put out in 2008. All-Star Superman managed to live up to it’s own hype and the expectations put upon it by rabid fans. The stories were full of what makes comics great, imagination. And the art by Frank Quietly was breathtaking as always. All-Star Superman might quite possibly be the most perfect comic book every created. It’s certainly one of the most cherished titles in my collection.
BEST INDIE BOOK – Umbrella Academy
Ilias: Umbrella Academy is a fine example that a person can be multi-talented, and if given the opportunity we can have exemplary results. Gerard Way should be happy and comic book fans with him and his idea.
BEST COMPANY/IMPRINT – Vertigo
Ilias: Though 2008 was a sucking year for 99.8% of the planet, it must have been good for Vertigo, one of the DC Imprints. Vertigo found again her good old self that was about trying new things and concepts, reinventing old characters etc. That’s inticating from the success of the new Madame Xanadu title and the reimagining of an old title House of Mystery. Of course, we have to mention that the end of the American Virgin title was a sad thing because it was something different but good. And because the nature of the Vertigo universe they don’t have to do crappy, “skrully” or “crises” events.
And that’s it. That’s all. Those were the aspects of comics that we here at Comics Nexus enjoyed, loved and cheered the most in 2008.
We can’t wait to read your feedback.
Oh and hopefully next year we’ll return to our gala-erific ways of days gone by. Toodles.
