Hector lives!!!!
My list is skewed abit, because virtually all of my Marvel stuff I tend to pick up in trades and hardcovers, and tend to not have read as of yet. DD, Cap, and the like.
Best Ongoing Series (US):
Marvel: Ultimates 2
DC: Allstar Superman
Other: G
odland (Image)
Best Mini Series (US):
Marvel: Livewires
DC: Seven Soldiers: Manhattan Guardian (that last issue clinched it)
Best Ongoing series (World): Allstar Superman
Best mini series (World): Seven Soldiers: Manhattan Guardian
Best web comic: N/A, but can I just say the Colbert Report is the funniest thing I've seen since Arrested Development, which was the funniest thing I'd seen since the Mighty Boosh, last year's champ. It works better than the Daily Show, in that it's always 'on' and funnier.
Best epic or event: Seven Soldiers. My 6 favourite comics of the year (#0, Manhattan Guardian #3, #4, Frankenstein #1, Klarion #1, Shining Knight #4) that I can easily state just off the top of my head. And the JLA Classified prequel was running into 2005 I can remember (so long ago
), which I loved as well. Neh-Buh-Loh!
I'm liking the way Infinite Crisis is shaping up, but so far we've just got the recap, or a bit of the State of the DC Universe, rather than getting straight into it, like a DC One Million did. Next issue is when it should kick up to 10th gear, and it could maybe compete with the ending of Seven Soldiers next year for best of the year.
Most original series: And every issue was just quality Before this Billy Dallas Patton and Ferry stuff, artwork was always top knotch. Guardian in particular was just firing: the Newsboy Army, Subway Pirates, Ed and the paper, Jake Jordan! Issue #3 in particular, was fantastic from cover, all the way through. That credits page spread at the back was probably one of my favourite images/moments of the year, along with 'that' page in #0, the Shilo meeting Metron in the Black Hole credit page from Mister Miracle #1, the Terrible Time Tailor and the suits page from MG #4, Ystin chopping Galahad from Shining Knight #4. Each series has had some great moments.
Best writer this year: Grant Morrison. JLA:Classified, Seven Soldiers, We3, Vimanarama, Allstar Superman. The work speaks for itself. I would have given him the nod last year, with New X-Men, Seaguy(!) and We3, but has easily bettered that this year as well.
Best artist this year: God, also known as Frank Quitely. Hyperbole does not do the man's work justice.
Best character revamp or reinvention: It's got to be Klarion. Virtually worthless before, totally viable character now. This was the one Seven Soldiers book I was worrying about, but that was needless.
Most Improved writer this year: Joe Casey. I grapped a whole bunch of the Intimates one time, when there were still a few issues left to come out. Really liked them, even though the book was apparently falling apart behind the scenes.
G
odland's also been good so far, not quite yet the shite, but well on it's way to getting there. I was hoping it would have started a bit more cosmic-psychedalic than more retro-semi-cosmic at the start. I've only been starting to get into Kirby's New Gods stuff, and the Jimmy Olsen (!??!) stuff is brilliant, with a really timeless and current feeling to it, moreso than say Jack and Stan on Fantastic Four, etc. Godland at the moment seems more on the Lee/Kirby FF level channeling, not quite yet at the impact of the Jimmy Olsen/New Gods stuff. But it is getting there.
Casey has done some quality stuff before, but as I can remember Duncan saying once, he does talk the talk, but doesn't always quite end up backing it up. It's looking like he's addressed that.
Most improved artist this year: Ryan Sook. I can remember when he started out with a bit of a faux-Mignola style going, but he has really come on. His work in Zatanna is beautiful.
Best New Character: I'm going to have to go with two here. Zor, the Terrible Time Tailor and Neh-Buh-Loh. The TTT stole the show in MG #4, and did so again in Zatanna #4, and was just such an entertaining character.
Neh-Buh-Loh, just the concept, the smackdown in JLA: Classified, that awesome animation look he had to him when Ed McGuiness drew him, then JH and Bianchi did some great work with him as well. Morrison tends to make or revamp some fanatstic villains (Solaris the Tyrant Sun and Prometheus being possibly my favourite ever villains) and Neh-Buh-Loh and Zor are another two for the list. Even the Mood-7 Mind Destroyer was great.
Best new supporting character: Basil Cronus from G
odland. He's just brilliant. He has the best lines in each issue, and the feel that the story has when he's on-screen is what I want from G
odland. The G
odland story in the Image Holiday Special this week just clinched it.
Basil goes to the North Pole to Santa's workshop. Busts in with a killer line ("Greetings and salmonella!") and proceeds to steal the show. Turns out he's brought something for Santa with him, to ensure he gets a present because he's busy on the 25th. In the true 'changed perceptives' ways of Basil, he and Santa proceed to sample the product as you would say, with Saint Nick uttering the line of the year, "This is even better than those cookies McCartney leaves for me." It was the line of the year, and it could only have been considered for such if it was only used with Basil Cronus. With him, it resonates, with any other character it wouldn't have.
Best Publisher: DC. They've finally came back and answered that 'New' Marvel impact from 2001. They've got the initiative now. Although, Marvel do seem to be gearing up consciously in a big way again, and seem a bit reminiscent of DC a few years ago when they were doing the same thing. Plus, Millar, Brubaker, Bendis, Ellis, Milligan, these guys I rate better than Johns, Rucka and Winnick. They've got the talent for sure. Millar's
Civil War should be pretty decent, especially if he can bring his Ultimates 2 level of writing.
Favorite New Writer: Eric Powell. The Goon is brilliant, both writing and artwise. His Devil Dinosaur vs Hulk was great as well. I really like his style, especially his art, but he shines when he's writer/artist.
Favorite New Artist: Frazer Irving. Klarion was beautiful. It was break-out work. He played a big part of the book's success.
Joe Casey on an Iron Man mini? Possible sale. Joe Casey and Frazer Irving on an Iron Man mini?Definite sale.
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), which I loved as well. Neh-Buh-Loh!
