Dafixers Best of 2010 Breakdown - Comics

Best One Shot

Galacta:  Daughter of Galactus #1

Penciller: Adam Warren, Hector Sevilla Lujan
Colorist: Hector Enrique Sevilla Lujan
Orig. Published: May 19, 2010 

This is the story of the hardly mention daughter of one Marvels most powerful villians.  She's just as hungry as daddy but trying to curb that hunger by only eating smaller amounts of energy and spend her days try to keep the bigger hunger in check while attempting to understand humanity - something all non-humans in fiction do for some reason if they are not trying to steal our white women or eating us or dominating us (because uber advanced civilizations need to dominate less advanced ones by destroying everything in site).  In this book she suddenly finds herself plagues with a parasite and it's totally mucking with her in a bad way.  Then again does anyone get mucked with in a good way?  Hail to those mutha-muckers.  She tries everything to understand and fight this entity, even going to some of the Marvel smartest heroes for help, which doesn't work out because she can only see everything around her, including humans, as potential midnight snacks.  In the end, like all teenagers, she's force to run home  to daddy for help and the twist on this is an interesting surprise.  Think "Secret Life of a Cosmic Teenager."   This book was overlooked by most of fandom but totally worth the read.  If you can find it online or at a dollar bin, pick it up.  It's written well, has fantastic art and the take on how a cosmic entity who looks at almost everything she see's as Kibble N' Bits is worth the price of admission alone.

Superman:  Earth One

Writer:y J. Michael Stracznski
Art by Shane Davis and Sandra Hope
Cover by Shane Davis

Strange visitor from another planet who can to Earth with powers and abilities far beyond those of modern man. . .and the similarities end there.  This is the first on DC Earth One line and there is a reason that despite the $19.99 price tag it sold out and went to multiple printings.  It was just that good.  This take on Clark Kent and his motivations, the way Lois Lane and Jimmy Olsen are portrays, the gorgeous art and the interesting twist on the destruction of Krypton leads to not only a great super hero story but a pretty strong science fiction tale as well.  JMS out does himself and if you haven't check it out yet you'll be crying in your herb tea if you miss the boat.  Run, don't walk, to your nearest comics shop or bookstore and grab a copy of one of the best comics of 2010.

Best Event

War of Supermen

Writers: Sterling Gates and James Robinson
Artists: Eddy Barrows, Aaron Lopresti, Jamal Igle, Eduardo Pansica, CAFU, Bernard Chang and others
Publication date:  May 2010

He's not only the first super hero, he's the most powerful, the hardest to relate to for the most part and the hardest dude in comics to write.  That doesn't mean there are not great stories told about the guy because when the writers are on their game, magic just happens. An example of that magic is the event that ended the New Krypton saga going on in DC from 2009 to 2010, the War of Supermen.  For a minute Krypton was the Journey to the Far Side of the Sun on crack, for a minute DC bridged the sub-plot from Legion of Super-Heroes to their modern day comics, for a minute Lucy Lane actually became both dangerous and interesting (and anyone collecting as long as this blogger has knows how many times this has never happened.)   Some forces on Earth see's the Kryptonians as dangerous, and the Kryptonians are not so sure they should even try to get along with Earth.  General Zod became a hero for a minute and Superman had a place to call home.  Even though we all knew this couldn't last - let's face the Superman origin is the origin and changing it is against the natural order of things.  But while the New Krypton lasted it produced more interesting stories then one would believe.  But we all knew it had to end and what an ending it had.  War of Supermen was that ending, and it gave us all what we like in a Super Hero comics, action, great characters, great villains and one hell of a story.  This is an action ride with more twists then a New York street pretzel.  You don't have to actually read the New Kryton stuff to understand what's going on - the beginning pretty much sums it up for you, but it's worth a look to if you're so incline.  On it's own War of Supermen stands up as an excellent story arc aimed and bring the Man of Steel back to the status quo.

Blackest Night

Written by Geoff Johns
Art by Ivan Reis & OClair Albert
Cover by Ivan Reis & Rudolfo Migliari
Publication Date:  June 2009 – May 2010

While it began in 2009, it ended in 2010 so the logic of choosing it for Best Event holds up  - so get your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty podcasts.  The dead did rise and not because of a Government monkey virus or George Romero deciding to take on the DC universe.  The dead got up because this funky power lord with a funky black power lantern started handing our rings to anything and everything that became a corpse.  The job requirements were easier then a application to McDonalds.  If you died, you got a ring.  A Black Lantern could kill your ass and you'd get a ring.  You could have died in the arms of the triple breasted whore of Eroticon Six - which I hear is a great way to die - and you'd get a ring.  This united all the colored Lanterns in a way that would make Martin Luther King smile (if he didn't get a ring and go ape-shit on some red-neck cops asses for that water hosing thing, that is.)  Calling the art spectacular is simply a serious understatement.  Ivan Ries out does himself on almost every page, and with the over the top action and scenes of horror that would make HP Lovecraft proud, you have an event worth collecting, owning and re-reading.  Again, you really don't need to go back to old Green Lanterns to get what's going on in this one. It would help, but this book pretty much stands alone, even thought it continues a greater arc.  That's why Geoff Johns has become one of the top writers in comics today, because he's just that good.

X-Men: Second Coming

Penciller:   David Finch, Terry Dodson, Greg Land,
Writer:  Mike Carey, Chris Yost, Matt Fraction,
Orig. Published:  March – July 2010

I wouldn't call this an event, but I would call it a storyline.  How ever it did effect every X-Book being printed at the time, it gave us some surprising deaths, and it put a final end to that whole "only a finite number of mutants in the world" thing.  Since that Giant Size X-Men #1, every writers who takes on these mutants feels the need to get all "One Live to Live" on their genetically powered asses.   Thank God the X-Men were created before the CW came around otherwise we'd have 5000 comics with Dawson's Creek laced with Gilmore Girl themes for 30 odd years.  Whether the soap opera themes in the X-Men is a good thing or a bad thing is up to you, but it was high time we got more of what the X-Men needed - super fucking hero action.  Second Coming gave us just that, some balls to the wall super-fucking-hero action that aimed to get us back to a place where the X-Men were about stories and action and not about who was crying about what this month.  For that alone, X-Men second coming deserves props. 

Best Artist

Jamaal Igle

His work on Supergirl and on the War of Superman stand up as some of the best pencils in comics in 2010.  Jamaal has a clean style that belongs in a Super Hero book and almost any inker or colorist can work with his detail.  There are pages and panel that are poster worthy because Jamaal Igle did them, and if you don't believe just pick up a Supergirl trade or the War of Superman and see how a master does it.  Rumor has it that he's going to Zantanna in 2011, and if that's true it will be worth checking out.

Best Mini/Maxi Series

Kevin Smith’s Green Hornet

Writer:  Kevin Smith,
Artist:  Jonathan Lau
Covers by:  Alex Ross, John Cassaday, J. Scott Campbell, and others
Published:  March 3rd, 2010

Here's a comic that surprised me, even if how bad the movie is going to be is not going to.  I was never into the Green Hornet.  I first came across the character when I was a kid and the Batman TV series was in endless syndication.  There is the episode where Batman and the ever punning Robin teams up with Green Hornet and Kato.  Later in life I learn that Kato was none other then the one and only Bruce Lee, a fact I found interesting but didn't exactly move me to go seek out copies of the TV show or radio series I heard existed.  Over the years I've seen a couple of independent publishers attempt to bring the Hornet back, but the character just seemed like a Batman rip-off and I just didn't care.  Today everyone heard that Kevin Smith was supposed to do the movie, and like his Wonder Women it didn't happen.  The movie was put in new hands, Kato was changed, Seth Rogen was given the lead which lead to me caring even less.  While the movie was no longer in his hands, the script still existed and Dynamite Entertainment decided to make it into a comic.   While Kevin Smith sucks with how late some of his comics have been, he's had two huge successes so far with his Daredevil and Green Arrrow runs, and if you love comics you need to find these trades.  So I took a chance with Green Hornet #1 by Kevin Smith and was glad I did.  It's well written, has a compelling mythos behind it, the art is excellent and each issue gives you that old serial feel with it's over the top cliffhangers.  The new Kato is a great character and adds to making this book one of the best 2010 had to offer.  The first part is already in trade, and worth getting.  While I own the floppies I'm going to hold out for a fully collect edition.   The only bad thing I can say about this maxi-series is that it put another nail in the coffin of my ever paying to see the movie.

Best First Issue

Heroes for Hire #1

Writer:  Dan Abnett & Andy Lanning
Pencils:  Brad Walker
Inks:  Andrew Hennessy
Colors:  Jay David Ramos
Letters:  Joe Caramanga
Published:  December 1, 2010

Ever since Luke Cage became he first Super Hero to charge for his services the Heroes for Hire comic has been tried a couple of times.  This new outing comes out of the sometimes hit but mostly miss Shadowland mini-event in Daredevil.  Misty Knight takes on a Oracle like role, calling one hero after another to take down various element of a Atantian drug ring.  It has a lot of action, some surprises and a really cool twist.

Mourning Glories #1

Story:  Nick Spencer
Art:  Joe Eisma
Cover:  Rodin Esquejo
Publisher:  Image Comics
Release Date:  August 11th, 2010

A group of troubled teens gets shipped off the boarding school and things get weirder then a Miley Cyrus viral viral video.  To say this book is little quirky is like saying Charlie Sheen has a slight substance abuse problem.  But what makes this a great first start is unlike some writers who go to the weird (cough. . .Grant Morrison. . .cough) you can actually follow the story.  It's a great start to what either could be a compelling horror comic or just a strange ride into the fantastic.

Here are the picks by the other members of the show:

Brightest Day #1

Green Arrow #1

Avengers Academy #1

The Hideout's list of Best Ongoing Comic Series

These are the series we've been enjoying over the past year. 

Secret Six

New Avengers

Green Arrow

Irredeemable

Incorruptible

Green Lantern Books

Legion of Super-Heroes

Avengers:  Earth’s Mightest Heroes

Best New Comics

Zantanna

Writer: Paul Dini
Penciller: Stephane Roux
Inker: Karl Story
Colourist: Pat Brosseau
Letterer: John Kalisz
Cover Artist: Stephane Roux
Published:  May 23, 2010

She always been a huge part of the DC universe.  She's a member of the Justice League, appeared in Batman, Hellblazer, Catwoman, Wonder Woman and Superman.  She was the lynch pin of the hotly debated Secret Identity event/maxi-series. Arguably she's one of the most powerful beings in the DCU.  It's about time she got her own comic, and got a writer like Paul Dini who knows the character enough to make her as interesting as she is supposed to be.  This has been a great series so far and with Jamaal Igle coming on to do art chose you can be everyone's favorite fishnet clad magician is going to only get better.

Best Event Cross Over

R.E.B.E.L.S. – Blackest Night

Writer: Tony Bedard
Artist: Andy Clark
Cover: Kalman Andrasofszky

While the cross over began in 2009 and ended in 2010, this was one of the better Blackest Night tie-ins that did not break up the fantastic Starro storyline going on in the book.   In fact it added to the plot and was used in part to end it.  It's rare for a regular monthly that gets an event imposed on it to embrace the event and become a part of it without breaking momentum.