Comics: A Year In Review
Best Comics-Related Book: Watching The Watchmen by Dave Gibbons and Chip Kidd
I haven't finished reading it, but my god what an impressive book. It's essentially a coffee table book with pieces of art related to Watchmen (early sketches, alternate costume designs, promotional materials, etc). Along with Gibbon's insightful commentary on the evolution of Watchmen from early ideas to the published issues, it's both a great behind the scenes look of the greatest comic book mini series came together and a collection of some fantastic artwork.
Best Cover Artist: Marko Djurdjevic (Daredevil, Secret Invasion)
He's been doing a ton of covers for Marvel lately and I think the pictures posted here really speak for themselves. His work has this great, Alex Ross-like realism, but with a way better sense for stuff like composition and symbolism. His cover for Daredevil #100 is what got me buying the book.
Best Penciller: George Perez (Final Crisis: Legion of Three Worlds)
Perez has always been one of my top 3 comic book artists and it's impressive how the quality of his work hasn't dropped at all over the years. Legion of Three Worlds is proof of this and, jesus, is this a well drawn book. Theres no one else in the industry better at drawing large groups of people than Perez and that along with his brilliant use of panels makes this the best drawn book of the year for me.
Best Graphic Novel (Reprinted Material): The Immortal Iron Fist volume 2: The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven by Ed Brubaker and Matt Fraction, Tony Aja and others.
Runner up: The Daredevil by Brian Michael Bendis Omnibus
This list is going to be pretty Brubaker heavy, so all I'll say is that The Seven Capital Cities of Heaven is what happens when you take Enter The Dragon and The Karate Kid they make a beautiful, beautiful baby. The fight sequences in this are stunning and the way Brubaker and fraction balance the tournament with the background conflict of unrest in K'un L'un and Hydras attempt to destroy the city by HITTING IT WITH A MAGNA-TRAIN LOADED WITH EXPLOSIVES. Definitely the best new purchase I made this year and I can't wait to pick up the next trade soon.
Best Digital Comic: Dinosaur Comics by Ryan North, www.qwantz.com
Dinosaur Comics is consistently the funniest and most entertaining webcomic I read and this year was no exception.
Best Humor Publication: Perry Bible Fellowship: The Trial of Colonel Sweeto and Other Stories by Nicholas Gurewitch
PBF is on a hiatus of some kind for awhile, but this collection of nearly every PBF strip is a great package and a must have for anyone who's a fan of the strip. The unused strips with commentary are pretty cool and the candy land inspired design of the book is lovely. I might be biased because I got this signed by Gurewitch, who is the nicest guy ever.
Best New Series: Incredible Hercules by Fred Van Lente and Greg Pak, Khoi Pham & Stephane Peru and misc other artists.
Runner up: Secret Six by Gail Simone and Nicola Scott
It's the adventures of a greek demigod, a 15 year old asian super genius and his pet wolf cub. It's shaping up to be a great series and not only that, but its tie ins to the the two big Marvel events of the year were much better than the events they were tying into.
Best Limited Series: Age of The Sentry by Jeff Parker and Paul Tobin,Nick Dragotta
Ramon Rosanas and misc artists.
Runner up: Final Crisis: Rogues Revenge by Geoff Johns and Scott Kollins
This is maybe the funniest comic I've read from Marvel in years. Parker and Tobin perfectly parody the ridiculousness of silver age Superman comics and the concepts they introduce (Truman Capote: Daily Bugle Reporter, Harrison Oogar, the Caveman of wall street) are brilliant and hilarious. Not only that, but the subtle way the reader's been introduced to the fact that there is non-humorous plotline connecting the stories gives the whole mini a level of depth that is truly impressive and suprising.
Best Continuing Series: Captain America by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting
Runner up: Daredevil by Ed Brubaker and Michael Lark
It's a testament to how great a writer Brubaker is that he can kill off Captain America, bring back Bucky and have him become the new Captain America and make it the best on going storyline in comics. His run on the book is going to be remembered as the best in the character's 60 plus year history. Captain America is like a great spy movie and I can't wait to see where it'll go next.
Best Single Issue: Amazing Spiderman #579 by Mark Waid and Marco Martins
It's kind of sad that, in a year full of "big" Spiderman stories like One More Day, the best story the character's been featured in came out a few weeks ago. But that said, this two part story is not only the best Spiderman story of the year, it's the best story of the year. It manages to distill every great Spiderman story element into two issues. This is issue is the second part and you have highlights like an exhausted Spiderman pulling a dozen people up a subway shaft while covered in rats or J.Jonah Jameson running to meet his father, only for him to disappear before he can. Marco Martins' art, which I've been a fan of since his work on Dr.Strange: The Oath, is eye-popping and fluid. It's a pitch perfect comic and I would kill to see this creative team get their own run on ASM instead of a two issue fill in.
Best Writer: Ed Brubaker (Captain America, Criminal, Daredevil, Immortal Iron Fist)
Ed Brubaker has, over the last year, become my favorite writer in comics. He write suspenseful, action driven comics with an intelligence and depth that isn't seen very often in mainstream comics. The one series I didn't get to talk about as much as I'd like in this wrap up is Criminal, which is maybe the man's best work, combining brutal noir stories with some really fascinating articles on crime fiction. Brubaker is probably the best writer Marvel has right now and he's writing some truly amazing work for them.
Tomorrow? My top 10 films of '08!