REVIEW: Justice League of America #28 by Steve Orlando and Hugo Petrus

Justice League of America #28 by Steve Orlando (w) and Hugo Petrus (a).

After the previous issue of Justice League of America setup Chronos as one of the most dastardly villains in the DC Universe, this one went ahead and solidified his terror. What really did the trick for me wasn’t Chronos’ typical villain dialogue, which was well done and included both taunting the heroes and telling henchmen to shut up. It also wasn’t the way Chronos took the fight to the JLA via a literal army of sycophants from throughout history (a classic move used often at Marvel by Kang the Conqueror). What made Chronos so compelling to me was the triviality of his motives. He seemed to embrace and own his status as a straight up bad guy (a fitting motif given our current political climate but that’s another discussion…).

As I noted in my review of issue #27, Steve Orlando is a writer who really lives in the heads of characters he writes, giving his books a more well-rounded feel than most, a sense that even small lines and brief actions matter, even if it’s just to create a more robust picture of what’s happening in this world with these people. There have been signs that Chronos was a petty man from the start, that his motives were entirely vindictive, and that he was messing with the God of superheroes, Ahls, simply to humble the League and take them down a notch for being altruistic, which has been a recurring motif in this run.

By the end of this issue, Chronos all but confirms as much, with Ryan Choi subsequently noting that Chronos had started as a petty thief, a dim man with a chip on his shoulder for being degraded by the superior intellects of first Ray Palmer and now Choi. This is all very much in keeping with behavior we’ve seen from Chronos, and it’s yet another example of what I’ve often said about Orlando’s JLA: it’s a well-wrought and complex run that rewards readers for investing deep levels of focus and attention.

Another thing I’ve really enjoyed about this current arc is that it leans in to being a story of superheroes. Orlando is also a writer with real passion for the tradition of his work, often taking close consideration of continuity when scripting character interactions. This passion shows in the lack of cutesy winking found in JLA. This is a book that takes story very seriously, and, as a reader, it’s hard to not follow suit. Of the talented artists Orlando has worked with throughout this run, Hugo Petrus’ work best embraces this total buyin. There are some truly fantastic superhero panels here, including one of a battle in which Black Canary lunges from the foreground at a foe, giving us a glimpse at an immense and impressive depth of field.

Overall: Justice League of America #28 is the penultimate issue of a book that has been a real treat, and I’m sad that things have to end. Not many of the characters from this team have been teased as part of the League moving forward, with the exceptions being Batman (of course) and Lobo, who is at least involved with No Justice. Still, getting nearly 30 issues with this eclectic and disparate group has been a treat, and issues like this illustrate why. 8.8/10

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

A C2E2 Newbie Plans for the Massive Con

I’m sitting in traffic in Chicago. Apparently, it’s a mistake to be on the highway at this time of day, but my flight was delayed. Nothing like flying two states west when trying to go one state east. The Uber driver tells me we should take side streets. I oblige, he is friendly enough, but I’m eager to get to my hotel room to begin finalizing my attack plans for C2E2. For those who don’t know, C2E2 is the Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo, an annual event where people from all over flock to the Midwest in a comic book and pop culture-induced frenzy. This is my first time attending, and I’ve been plotting for months how to get the most out of my time.

I’ve been to comic conventions in St. Louis, but this is my first large out-of-town convention. I have a few reasons for attending. Chiefly, I’m a massive comic book fan. So, being able to meet a plethora of creators is irresistible, and the celebrity appearances are pretty neat, too. But, if I’m being honest, the main reason I’m here is to network. My end goal is to find work, as a writer, in the comic book industry. As far as reaching out to make those connections, there is simply no better place to start than a con. So, after my Uber ride I head to the hotel bar and start typing away, plotting my plan of attack for the show. I’ve spent a decent amount of money getting here, as I’m sure other attendees have, and I’m trying to maximize my success. Below I’ve listed the key parts of my plan so far.

1.) Plan…plan like you’re trying to overthrow the world

C2E2 is just massive. I mean truly, for a first-time attendee, the programming has been almost overwhelming to just read, and trying to meld that information into a mental visualization has been, well, let’s just say staggering. So, I’m approaching the situation with the C2E2 app. It has super useful information and it’s constantly updating. I even used it to create an in-app schedule for which creators are signing at what times, which panels occur when and where, and what photo ops are going on. Both the app and website also have printable floor maps. Those have really helped me formulate a good game plan to find artist’s alley, the DC and Marvel booths, and the panels. They also have really useful things like coat check, check-in for badges, and even a quiet room to chill and decompress during a show.

2.) And then plan some more

Most creators are apt to post their signing and appearance schedules on social media. These are really helpful in setting up a timeline for maximizing your fan time at the con. I’ve used Sean Gordon Murphy, Mark Millar, and several others to efficiently plot a course through the show floor map.

3.) Pack light

Of course, this sounds super obvious, but by pack light what I really mean is bring luggage—that’s basically empty—for the swag you purchase at the con. Nothing says “I didn’t really plan for this” more than trying to shove super sweet lithographs and original art into your carry on. Also, and this is truly where I struggled, don’t bring all of your comic collection with you to get signed. I know this is counter intuitive to the core of fandom. I spent an entire week, with stacks of my super sweet comic collection spread out on the floor around me, agonizing which books I could bring with me and which books had to languish behind. I’ve got so many books by Brian Michael Bendis and Tom King, yet I tried to keep in mind that C2E2 had 80,000 attendees last year. Yes, you want to meet your favorite creators. Yes, you want to get your books signed. But you also want to keep the creators and other fans in mind and be considerate. Most lines have a max of items you can get signed. Remember, you are just one of myriad awesome fans that want to have a personal encounter with a writer/artist/celebrity/editor/colorist/letterer/cosplayer/etc. Be mindful of the time and excitement of your fellow fan.

4.) Assume the worst and the prepare for it

I’ve learned from following the social media feeds of various creators that there is this thing called comic con gunk. Basically, if you go to a mass event, you expose yourself to massive possible instances of contamination. Accordingly, I’ve been drinking an Emergn-C daily before each leg of the convention. I’ve got too much to do to come down with a debilitating affliction during or after the convention. So, when you see folks preparing for the zombie apocalypse, don’t shrug them off. Just preemptively medicate.

5.) Have goals

This also seems obvious, but take a moment to think about why you’re attending. You’ve no doubt spent a decent amount of money to be here. Why? Is it to meet the creators or celebrities who bring your favorite characters to life? Are you here to showcase your killer cosplay outfit? Or are you here to network and try to meet people to sell you ideas to? Maybe it’s a bit of all or the above? Just remember, you’ve only got so much time at C2E2. There are a lot of panels focusing on important topics, as well as phenomenal cosplay tips. Know what you’re here for. Don’t get caught up in fandom if your goal is to find editors to pitch ideas. Again, if you’re here to solely get books signed, that’s great. If you’re here to meet potential prospects, that’s also great. Just be careful with your time. If you play your cards right, you can be a fan and a potential creator. Just do it properly.

6.) Have fun

Going to a con can be overwhelming. Just remember, at the end of the day, you’re here to have a good time. Don’t get bogged down with ideas of what you should be doing. Have fun. Go meet other like-minded individuals. Get books signed, get commissions done, and grab a photo with your favorite actor. At the end of the day this whole thing is about enjoying fandom. So, do that. Don’t let some silly list dictate what you’re going to do. Enjoy yourself, plan your con, and make some memories.

I’m posting this, but I will post a pre C2E2 post as well. I just want to share what my expectations were vs. the reality. Have a great weekend. See ya guys on Monday!

Brandon Evans is a freelance writer and comic book lover from St. Louis, MO. He is currently working to find his way into the comic book industry. You can find him on Twitter as @writingbrandon

Best Debut Comics of March 2018

There’s a special feeling at comic shops on Wednesdays when two HUGE books drop, an awareness that not only are we getting great comics, but we’re getting something else we love too: an easy Book A vs. Book B debate. In general, these types of big books are usually event stories starring flagship characters from the Big 2. In general, but not always.

Let’s look at this March, during which we got two major books on one Wednesday that were both creator-owned titles by industry titans: Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible) and Jeff Lemire (insert 20 titles here). I read and loved both Kirkman’s Oblivion Song and Lemire’s Gideon Falls and think that years from now we’ll look at March 7, 2018, awed that two titles like this launched on the very same day.

And you know what? I have no desire whatsoever to pit them against each other. Now, maybe this means I’ve evolved as a fan (unlikely), or (more likely) maybe it means there are so many high quality books lately that asserting an aggressive preference gets too tiresome, too quickly. For I am a simple man and have not come to the Internet to debate.

I have, however, come to tell you about the best debut comics for March 2018. Let’s do it!

Eternity Girl #1 of 6 by Magdalene Visaggio & Sonny Liew

Our first list falls into what I’m starting to think of as DC’s burgeoning prestige sadness category, which as of now contains basically just Eternity Girl and Mister Miracle. Magdalene Visaggio’s Eternity Girl is an eclectic book thematically, one that raises questions about suicide, disassociation from life, post-traumatic stress, malleable identities, and the always-elusive proper role one plays in the world. You can see why I’d draw a comparison to Tom King’s industry-shaking Mister Miracle. In other words, this is indeed an intriguing book. One last thing it shares in common with Mister Miracle is incredible art, this time courtesy of Sonny Liew. Have you seen some of these upcoming covers? So awesome it’s crazy, or it makes me feel a little crazy, hard to parse which is the case.

Gideon Falls #1 by Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, & Dave Stewart

In January I got a copy of this for advanced review, so I’ve already heaped mounds of praise on Gideon Falls. With that in mind, I’ll just quickly recap now why I loved the latest collaboration between Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, and Dave Stewart so much.

As I said in January, this is a book deserving of a large and devoted audience, and given the star power of its creators, it will likely find it. The intrigue of the storytelling will ultimately make Gideon Falls one to follow for the long haul. It’s got influences of David Lynch, filtered through Jeff Lemire’s increasingly sharp sensibilities, and comics don’t get much better than that.

Infinity 8 #1 by Lewis Trondheim, Zep, & Dominique Bertail

Infinity 8 #1

This is such a polished and strong debut, one that offers a clear character with compelling desires from its start, those desires here being a deep longing to reproduce. Dominique Bertail’s art is stylish and imaginative, idealizing the human form and going wild when alien designs or space debris call for it. Overall, Infinity 8 is a story conceptualized to be three arcs of three issues, plotted and directed by French creatives Lewis Trondheim and Olivier Vatine. Based on entertaining I found this one issue, I’m in for the duration.

 

 

Oblivion Song #1 by Robert Kirkman & Lorenzo De Felici

I am admittedly a Robert Kirkman fan. While I don’t watch The Walking Dead television show (and haven’t since back in season 2), I am a fan of The Walking Dead comic. I’m an even bigger fan of the recently concluded independent superhero book Invincible, and a slightly less enthusiastic fan of the ongoing Outcast by Kirkman and Azaceta, which, make no mistake, I also think is quite good.

All of that is a lengthy preamble to saying Oblivion Song is Kirkman’s best debut yet. I recently The Walking Dead #1, and most of the flack Kirkman has gotten for his early simplicity of concept and wonky dialogue isn’t misplaced, not entirely. These are issues. They are, however, not issues in his newest book, which has a layer of complexity his previous works have lacked. Word also has it that the creative team here is two years ahead. All of which seems to indicate that Kirkman is still learning and still very much excited about telling graphic stories. Very cool.

Oblivion Song #1

Shadowman #1 by Andy Diggle, Stephen Segovia, & Ulises Arreola

Valiant Comics is in a state of flux. It was recently bought in full by Chinese investors. Most the senior staff that us comic folks know and love are gone (Dinesh!), and word has it the new directive is increased focused on Valiant films. Blerg.

This is all very concerning for Valiant Comics fans, and while it may be time to worry, books like Shadowman #1 show that it’s not quite time to straight panic. It was so good to see Jack again in this book, and while this may not be entirely accessible to virgin Shadowman readers, I think Andy Diggle’s script does enough to orient while also setting up compelling questions one can only assume the coming issues will answer.

Vampironica #1 by Greg and Megan Smallwood

Veronica Lodge is a vampire, that’s the simple concept here, but what makes this book worthy of a spot among the best debut comics of March 2018 is not the concept but rather the execution. Greg Smallwood is a superstar, and his talents are especially evident when applied to the occult (see his recent Moon Knight run with Jeff Lemire). So, Vampironica is a fast and pretty read, and while I hate to use the word fun to describe a comic—so vague and reductive—that’s exactly what this series looks to be, fun and blood-soaked and cheesy and escapist and...why not?

See last month's best debuts!

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

Best Action Comics #1000 Variants (and Why We Love Them)

The first major comic I read as a kid was Superman #75. This isn’t unique to me. Released on November 18th, 1992, that book was the culmination of the Death of Superman, in which Supes and beastly kill machine Doomsday perished at each other’s hands. I was 9 and not exactly an active participant in our economy, so I had to read a copy belonging to a friend’s older brother in the basement of their house. I can still smell must mingling with that glorious new comic aroma.

It was formative. I loved Superman almost as much as I did my parents (again, I was 9). Every page in the book was a single panel; this was something special, something epic and grandiose. There had even been stories on the news—TV and print—about the gravitas of it all. Basically, it felt like we’d never see a comic so huge again, and I’d argue that we haven’t.

You can make a case for other books in the past 25 years being more influential or important, but it’s hard to argue another comic has garnered as much attention upon release as Superman #75—until now. Enter Action Comics #1000.

Landing on April 18, 2018, just shy of 80 years since the landmark Action Comics #1 launched the superhero concept, this book will celebrate all things Superman, and, in many ways, all Superman has given rise to, including superheros, shared universes, accessible science fiction, and so many allegories about hope. To mark the occasion DC has tapped a veritable army (or at least a squad) of the best artists in comics to do variant covers.

A cynical view is that DC is simply milking this achievement for every last dime, and, for sure, these variants are a sure fire way to bank. The more optimistic take, however, and the one more fitting for Superman, is that each of these artists had a moment like I did when I was 9, a moment blending an intense love of the character with a sense that his adventures were meaningful, and that these variants each represent that feeling, that formative bit of our histories put to paper.

Anyway, there’s no denying these covers look great, which is why today we’re taking a look at some of our favorites, and sharing a few thoughts about what makes them special.

Behold! In no particular order our favorite Action Comics #1000 variants:

Newbury Comics Variant by Patrick Gleason

One of the best parts of DC’s Rebirth publishing initiative (which is essentially ending with Action Comics #1000, but that’s a whole other story…) was how it revitalized Superman by putting his wife Lois and son Jon back into his life. Patrick Gleason, the artist responsible for this cover, was vital to that run, which he commemorates beautifully here, depicting Superman, Lois Lane, Jon, Krypto, and the flag of the good ol’ U.S. of A.

Newbury Comics retailer exclusive variant by Patrick Gleason.

1960s Variant by Michael Allred

Of course Michael Allred (one of my favorite artists in comics) did the 1960s variant, of course he did. His kitschy pop art aesthetic is a perfect fit for Silver Age Superman, from the beefy stature, to the colorful details, to the spiderweb of panels showing the most beloved and maligned of 60s Superman tales (Lori Lemaris!). I wasn’t a big fan of the other cartoony Action #1000 variants, largely because of my firm belief that this one is absolutely perfect.

1960s decade variant by Michael Allred.

Kings Comics Sydney Variant by Nicola Scott

One idea permeating Action Comics #1000 is that Superman is character with strong core values, but also one that remains malleable to best fit the present decade. You can really see subtle ways he’s changed from decade to decade here, be it through his hair, logo, facial structure, and, yes, The Trunks. Superman is also a character built on hope, and the Superman in the forefront of Scott’s wonderful piece looks more hopeful than any of his predecessors, as if he has learned from recent mistakes of the past (ahem, no trunks), and is still determined to make tomorrow better. That’s a thought that gives me goosebumps.

Kings Comics Retailer Variant by Nicola Scott

1980s Variant by Joshua Middleton

This cover really lives in the decade it depicts (look at Lois’ blouse, hair, makeup!), with an aesthetic best described as Deathly Sincere 80s Adventure Movie Poster. It also, however, has a timelessness to it. See the facial expressions that perfectly capture the essences of Superman (determined and brave, charging off toward peril), Jimmy (wow!), and Lois (confident and ready, pen poised). Oh, and then there’s Luthor speeding across the frame while a terrifying visage of Braniac looms high above all. Wonderful.

1980s decade variant by Joshua Middleton.

Third Eye Comics Variant by Kaare Andrews

Okay okay, so I said these were in no particular order, but I have to admit this cover is my top choice. Besides from just being straight-up gorgeous, it speaks to one of my favorite things in all of comics: the Superman-Lois Lane relationship. I’ve written about this at length, so I won’t belabor it again, but Superman without Lois Lane is hardly Superman at all. She’s been there from issue one, so having her central was always going to be a must for my favorite cover.  

Third Eye Comics Retailer Variant by Kaare Andrews.

Forbidden Planet Variant by Jock / Bulletproof Comix Variant by Gabriele Dell'Otto

I don’t really have deeper thoughts about either of these, other than “Hoo boy, look at this!”

Forbidden Planet Retailer Variant by Jock.

Bulletproof Comix Retailer Variant by Gabriele Dell'Otto.

1990s Variant by Dan Jurgens and Kevin Nowlan

I'd like this one quite a bit more (heavy Lois presence and all) if not for the Kaare Andrews cover, which I like better.

1990s decade variant by Dan Jurgens and Kevin Nowlan.

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

REVIEW: Justice League of America #27 by Steve Orlando & Hugo Petrus

Justice League of America #27 is an excellent example of why I’ve loved this too-short run (just over a year and change). The team dynamics are once again complex and logical, giving careful readers a reward for their attentions. From the start, this incarnation of the JLA has been rife with incohesion, which is fitting due to it being a wildly disparate group, and writer Steve Orlando has expertly played out the dynamics that would logically develop.

Orlando really lives in his characters heads when writing, capturing subtle bits like—this week—The Ray boasting to Batman he was in control and Batman responding, yeah, good job, or Black Canary going out of her way to show Aztek welcoming kindness. We’ve previously seen The Ray questioning his worth alongside Canary or Batman, and it’s nice to see him act in a way that calls back to that while also demonstrating his growth. That's just one example, though. The book has many.

And it’s actually this idea of varied levels of hero experience I’ve enjoyed most in the JLA’s interactions, the ways younger and newer heroes like The Ray act around the vets. It’s really created not just a sense of past for each character, but for the current DCU, something inherently absent from the team books during New 52.

This idea of past especially shines with this issue’s villain: Chronos, David Clinton, the time-manipulating arch foe of the Ray Palmer Atom. As Ryan Choi tells us, “Chronos spends ages plotting an attack in what seems like seconds to us. He’s a high-tech thief with an old school grudge.” And how do you beat him? “You don’t do it alone.”

This may as well be a thesis statement for this issue, if not the entirety of Orlando’s JLA. Batman brought this squad together while acknowledging they weren’t the Justice League proper, not the A Squad, but were still needed to address a specific incident (see the prior arc!) while the heavy hitters were otherwise occupied. JLA #27—like every other issue in this run—stuck to that theme of teamwork over inexperience, while also incorporating the lessons and history from the team’s recent past. This may not be the easiest book to dive into, but if you invest, it more than rewards you for reading, and I’ve always been a fan of superhero complexity.

As for the art, I loved what Hego Petrus did with his page layouts, using inset panels with facial closeups to convey emotion during key moments. Petrus also did an annoyingly good job of making Chronus stupid face look smug (and punchable). I am far from a violent guy, but I must admit I fantasized about taking a swing at him in the final panel.

Best Line: “I don’t want them to get hurt because of me, but I’m not going to argue with Batman. Does anyone argue with Batman?” -Ryan Choi

Overall: Justice League of America #27 is another issue in a great run driven by the complexity of the relationships between team members with disparate motivations, levels of experiences, and emotional IQs. The villain in the story is a time manipulator, which fits wonderfully with Orlando’s foundational theme of overcoming experience and living up to legacy. Add to it Hego Petrus’ fantastic artwork—especially on detail shots and facial expressions—and you’ve got an issue that makes me sad this run is ending next month. 9.0/10

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

ADVANCE REVIEW: Wasted Space #1 by Michael Moreci and Hayden Sherman

I’ve been a fan of Vault Comics for a while now, continually impressed by how the rising publisher manages to put out some of the best pure science fiction and fantasy stories in the graphic medium. I’ve written about this before, but along with Lion Forge and Aftershock Comics, Vault is slowly remaking perceptions of what indie publishers can be, exercising incredible judgement at the talent and books they promote.

Vault’s latest sci-fi book, Wasted Space—by writer Michael Moreci, artist Hayden Sherman, and colorist Jason Wordie—is yet another in a growing collection of titles that are as entertaining as they are complex. Wasted Space is set in a dystopian future where most facets of life have evolved toward their logical extremes, including technology, religion and—most importantly for our plot—drugs. I was impressed here from the first page, wherein a blip of a human form floats tethered to a ship deep in the cosmos. The narration begins: The galaxy is totally f*%#&@.

I’m an easy mark for stories about futures wherein things have gone massively awry, and I’m also prone to liking protagonists who start their hero’s journey feeling distant and defeated. Wasted Space delivers both those elements, and it delivers it well. This book’s marketing describes it as Preacher + Phillip K. Dick + Star Wars, and, to be sure, there are shades of all those properties, but Space also addresses modern concerns, as most good science fiction tends to do.

The social commentary, however, never becomes too overt, and Moreci’s script here is careful to focus on characterization. The galaxy has gotten bleak, sure, and it’s clearly due to some combination of religious extremism, greed, group think, and charismatic-yet-devious leadership, thereby forcing much of the populous to seek chemical-fueled escape. To me, this world seems more than a little familiar, and I’d wager that’s the point.

It’s also worth noting that Hayden Sherman is fast-becoming indie comics go-to artist for frenetic dystopian futures. I first noted this earlier in the year after reading Cold War #1 from Aftershock. That book, drawn by Sherman as well, is a breakneck story of a world in which cryogenic promises have been broken. Once-frozen citizens awake and are plunged by some shadowy control agent into violence. In Cold War, Sherman accomplishes some incredible world building as well as clear action in his panels.

Sherman’s work in Wasted Space again creates a set of sci-fi cityscapes that enhance the script rather than distract, and while there isn’t as much kinetic energy as there was in Cold War (I struggle to think of any recent book with as much kinetic energy as Cold War) Sherman does a pitch-perfect job of using panel perspectives to convey the tension, desperation, yearnings to escape, and loneliness that drives our characters.

Overall: Wasted Space #1 is a super solid debut issue with an incredible amount of promise. Being a vocal proponent of Vault, I’m often asked for a good title to start with, and for the sci-fi set my answer moving forward will likely be Wasted Space. Basically, Wasted Space is a sci-fi allegory for our tumultuous times, one that raises questions about demagogues, escapism, and the dual businesses of selling religion and drugs. This debut issue does a great job of setting the stage and piquing interest for future installments. Count me in. 8.5/10.

Spare Thoughts: Moreci is a graduate of DC’s New Talent program, and his work first caught my attention in the publisher’s New Talent Showcase, which featured a story of his about the White Lantern at the time. It’s also worth noting that Cold War, which we mention here, was by Christopher Sebela, another graduate of that program. Along with Moreci and Sebela, that class of creators also featured Vita Ayala, who has been co-writing Supergirl with Steve Orlando and also had a recent notable indie book of her own in the form of The Wilds. In other words, how badly would you like to participate in DC’s new talent program? Look at the careers it’s helping to launch!

Wasted Space #1 is available for pre-order now at your local comic shop, and it will be out April 18. 

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

The Legacy of Jane Foster, a Mortal Worthy of Gods

It all started with a whisper, though not a careless one, all the way back in 2014. Jason Aaron stripped Thor Odinson of the mighty Mjolnir with the simple sentence, “Gorr was right.” Three words that came with a hell of a lot of consequences. Not only could the blonde god we all know and love not lift the mystical hammer, but he lost his namesake. According to some, this was an affront to their devoted fandom. Others thought that maybe it was fine. “Things that happen in events don’t last that long,” we told ourselves. How wrong we were. Not only did Odinson lose his name, but he also lost an arm! May the uncalled-for torture of our favorite Asgardian never end? What is it that angered Jason Aaron so much about this character he had been writing?

To be fair, asking these questions is missing the point of the story. This story isn’t about the Odinson. It’s about a simple mortal. A strong woman named Jane Foster, the former love interest of the Asgardian god whose namesake she took, was deemed worthy by Mjolnir and she wielded the hammer as an uncannily adept goddess of thunder. The hammer soared for Jane in ways it had never done before, and even Odinson was in awe. It did so because Jane formed a different type of relationship with the hammer. In the past, Thor had simply used the hammer as a weapon or a tool. He undoubtedly had respect for it, but Jane viewed Mjolnir as much more.  Maybe that’s because it called to her when Odinson was no longer worthy. She heard Mjolnir’s voice in her head and was compelled to lift it and be transformed into the Mighty Thor.

The question that we should be asking though is why Mjolnir called out to Jane. Why of all the other Asgardians, or characters who’ve proven their worthiness in the past, was a woman in the midst of her own battle with cancer chosen to wield all that power?

That question is the strength of this entire run on The Mighty Thor. Issue after issue Jane proved why she deserved to be Thor. In reality, Mjolnir decided to call to Jane because Jason Aaron thought it was a unique idea. Then he gave that idea life, and boom we got one of the best runs on a Thor book we ever could have asked for. We should be grateful, and yet parts of the internet are still sour to the idea. If you feel that this shifting in the balance of Thor stories only happened because of an editorial push for diversity in comics, I won’t flat out disagree with you. It is probably a germ of where this idea came from. It certainly isn’t the reason this story happened, but it probably helped it come to publication. The point of the entire Mighty Thor storyline isn’t that Thor became a woman. The point is that Thor became a mortal who didn’t aspire to be a god.

Let that sink in for a moment and digest it. The new Goddess of Thunder didn’t want to be a god. Jane didn’t even let the gods use their magical healing abilities to defeat her own battle with cancer.  That alone is a testament to how strongly rooted in her own humanity Jane is. I’m not sure anyone facing a life-ending illness would pass up a chance to live the rest of their normal lifespan – let alone taste immortality and walk away. And yet, Jane did, leaving behind an actual sense of loss in her fellow characters and the readers who’ve been following her adventures. Although, this moment of her passing is not an unexpected one – Jane debuted as Thor already on the tough end of her battle with a terminal disease – because the last arc of her adventures has been titled The Death of Jane Foster for months now. We’ve been preparing ourselves for this, but it still hurts.

So, let’s get back to why Jane is undeniably worthy of the title she assumed. Due to his nasty little machinations, Malekith unleashed a war that literally consumed all of the realms. All the while as the realms were caught in this inescapable carnage, Odin turned his one good eye away from the whole situation. The leader of the gods refused to come off his throne and help those who would call out for his help the most. Jane saw this and plunged herself into fighting for those who couldn’t, even as each transformation advanced her aggressive cancer’s damage to her mortal body. Jane literally gave herself to save complete strangers when the gods couldn’t be bothered to help. Well most of the gods, Volstagg did his best to help and we got the incredible War Thor out of the process. His story was both heart wrenching and exhilarating to read. I’m only sad it ended so quickly when Volstagg fell to the indomitable Mangog.

The seemingly unstoppable creature with the strength of a billion billion beings – and a design that borders on ludicrous – was awakened by the war of the realms. Mangog is apparently the universe’s answer to the gods. He is their reckoning and judgement made into a single powerful being.  So, as he set about on his quest to reach Asgardia and purge the universe of all of Odin’s ilk, he destroyed the ultimate version of Mjolnir, crumbled the Bifrost bridge, laid waste to the Asgardians, and sent Asgardia itself on a collision course with the sun. Then he engaged both Odinson and Odin in a brutal confrontation.

Jane, having given up wielding Mjolnir to focus on her own health, had promised to leave all things Thor aside – it was determined that if she transformed into Thor one more time her mortal body would perish – realized that Thor was needed and lifted Mjolnir one last time. She knowingly gave her all to come to the rescue of Odin even when his unwillingness to act set about the events he was currently suffering. Jane then of course found a way to defeat Mangog, at the cost of her own life and apparently even that of Mjolnir’s. Thus, giving up any chance she had at continuing to live.

It is important to note that as Jane fought the self-proclaimed judgement of the gods, she gave the ultimate judgement to Odinson. In the midst of her mortal battle she proclaimed, “We need gods we can believe in! Tell them that! Tell all of Asgard! Tell them it’s time to earn the gift they’ve been given!” Effectively, in her last few moments, Jane laid the ground work for Odinson to believe in not only himself, but the rest of his fellow gods, again. Odinson may have to lift a new hammer, but he will be able to do so as Thor with a fresh realization on what it means to be a god. A final gift given to him by a mighty mortal.

Brandon Evans is a freelance writer and comic book lover from St. Louis, MO. He is currently working to find his way into the comic book industry. You can find him on Twitter as @writingbrandon

Why Lois Lane is My Favorite Character in Comics

For a few years, I've been under the impression that Superman was my favorite character in comics, ever since I went from feeling like an unlucky underdog (a la Spider-man) to an adult who wanted to use his position in the world to make a difference. Upon closer examination of these feelings, however, I recently realized it wasn't Superman I was relating to, no, it was actually Lois Lane.

In retrospect, I now believe Lois has been my favorite for some time; it just took a jarring threat for me to realize it.

This threat came in DC’s June solicitations. Soon, Brian Michael Bendis will take over the Superman line. Bendis has been (arguably) Marvel’s defining writer for two decades, and so him writing Superman is a huge deal and a source of much speculation. Recent Superman books have had Clark settled down with a family, with his wife Lois and son Jon, and a prevailing fear among many fans is that Bendis will undo all of the domestic happiness.

And the solicitations played right into that. Just look:

THE MAN OF STEEL #1

• Written by BRIAN MICHAEL BENDIS • Art by IVAN REIS and JOE PRADO
• A new era begins for Superman as a threat from his earliest origins reemerges to destroy the Last Son of Krypton. As Superman struggles to come to grips with what has happened to his wife and son, he must also face a new threat that’s determined to burn down Metropolis!

Read that again: As Superman struggles to come to grips with what has happened to his wife and son…

Awful. Now, smart money says nobody would tip such a major plot point in a preview, and this is simply a means of playing with our anxieties (for better or worse), but I was still shook, so shook I began to deeply contemplate what Lois Lane means to me. And the answer is an awful lot.

The reason why comes down to three main points...

Lois Lane is Human

Superman’s appeal is that of the idealized man, a pinnacle of “the American way,” but that’s not quite right. Superman is alien, and try as we might, we’ll never have his power. Lois, however, is one of us, and her best characterizations embrace this without making her meek or powerless. In fact, Lois done well is one of the most talented figures in comics, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist who does as much good with her pen as others do with freak abilities.

Lois’ power comes from hard work, fearlessness, and deep desire to make a difference. Who would I like to emulate? Superman, sure, but that’s impossible. The better answer is Lois. She isn't perfect—she’s a bit reckless at times, her dad is a cog in the military industrial machine, for years she was blind to Clark’s identity (I blame the writers), and she’s always falling off buildings (ditto)—but Lois still contributes to society in meaningful ways, both through writing and, more recently, through pushing Clark to be a better guy.

Lois is what we can be at our best, more than Superman, by virtue of her humanity.

Lois has a Rich History Rooted in Reality

Lois Lane has been around from the start, appearing in 1938’s Action Comics #1, but even before that the character was accruing a rich and compelling history. See, Lois Lane is based on a real reporter named Nellie Bly (RIP).

And Bly’s story is amazing. Like Lois Lane, Bly was a fearless reporter, and she worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, racking up some incredible journalistic accomplishments, including:

• Earning her job by writing an impassioned response to a newspaper column suggesting women were only good for having kids and keeping house.
• As a foreign correspondent in Mexico, writing about a dictator imprisoning protesters so effectively that he forced her to flee the country. She was 21.
• Going undercover to investigate brutality and neglect in the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell’s Island, later writing a book that sparked outrage and forced reform.
• Traveling alone around the world in 72 days, beating a fictional record set by Jules Verne’s Phileas Fogg (she also stopped in France to meet Verne en route).
• Eventually becoming a powerful industrialist who patented a stackable garbage can.

It's a credit to Superman's creators that way back in 1938 they had the good sense to form a character that was his equal, and, given the archaic social mores of the time, to also make this character a woman. The invention of Superman and Batman are impressive, of course, given their originality and lasting legacies, and Superman in particular was a response to societal ills, but creating Lois Lane was downright bold, and her having an actual historical basis in a figure as important as Nellie Bly endears Lois to me even further.

My Wife is a Reporter

Speaking of ways Lois endears herself to me, I should note my wife is a reporter for one of the biggest newspapers in the country, The Los Angeles Times, and that like Lois, she’s been fearless with her work from a young age. In high school, my wife reported on the disappearances of local women in the dangerous Mexican border city of Ciudad Juarez. You can’t see my face right now (obviously) but I’m beaming.

Anyway, indulge me as I draw similarities between my marriage and Lois and Clark's.

• Lois is a fearless and successful reporter; while Clark is a sometimes above average writer who could be better if not for his life as a comic book hero.
• My wife is a fearless and successful reporter; while I am a sometimes above average writer (I said indulge me!) who could be better if not for my life reading about comic book heroes.

Joking aside, we have a connection, one that makes stories about Superman's family life deeply meaningful to me.

And now Lois and Clark's marriage in the Superman books seems to be at risk. I’ve loved recent Superman, in which Lois and Clark work together to handle all the challenges that come at them, be they cosmic or domestic. All of us who have grown up and coupled can surely relate, and robust sales numbers suggest I’m far from alone here.

This recent version of Lois has had agency, participating in action sequences in extreme locales like Apokolips all while continuing to work at the Daily Planet. She’s as human and hardworking and determined to improve the world as ever.

In closing, I should note that I know this piece is a bit solipsistic and many readers have personal connections to Lois, especially young girls who didn’t have the luxury of viscerally identifying with Superman. I’m also aware many of my impressions of Lois come from the best-written versions of her, and that her depiction has at times oscillated wildly between empowered and distressed.

I get that, but I’d still like to close on an optimistic note. Bendis’ recent work at Marvel has largely been respectful in its treatment of female characters. Just look at Invincible Iron Man. Bendis has shifted the focus of that book to characters like Mary Jane Watson, Tony’s long-lost biological mother, and a young Chicago super genius named Riri Williams. Here’s hoping he writes Lois Lane the same way, the way she deserves.

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

Cover of Superman #45 by Patrick Gleason

The Miracle of Life: A Look at the Ties that Bind in Mister Miracle

It’s difficult to explain what you think is going on in Tom King and Mitch Gerads’ Mister Miracle. You might disagree, but think about it. First, you’d have to be able to convince yourself what exactly you think is going on. Try doing that, and then go back and try again. I bet you’ll create enough doubt, or straight confusion, that you won’t be able to put it together well enough to explain the overall story of the series. 

Now, of course, that isn’t to say that you couldn’t just go back and lay out the plot points as they occurred and then tell somebody what happened page by page. I mean yes, in that regard, you could tell somebody what occurred page by page. But, what is that weird thing that happens in some of the panels where they distort visually? You know, like when an old VCR had trouble with a video cassette – it kills me that some of you won’t get that reference – or when the Blu-Ray skips. Wouldn’t you call that a distortion in the reality of the series? So, go ahead and tell me what you think is happening again. 

Regardless of what is going on in the story – I’m sure we will be able to begin to piece it together soon as the series just hit its halfway mark – there is one theme that is persistent and undeniable. Whatever is going on with Scott Free, family is surely one of the most important aspects of it. You might say that yes, that’s pretty obvious, but let’s look closer at his relationships in this series. 

WARNING: Spoilers are below, so read the issues first!

1.) Highfather: Scott Free’s own biological father is notably absent in this series. He is mentioned in the first issue before being reported dead by Orion – the work of Darkseid, apparently – and sparking the final war with Apokolips, that Scott and Barda find themselves in. Nothing like daddy issues to really get a character moving, am I right?

2.) Darkseid: Scott’s adoptive father, I guess, and ruler of Apokolips. His presence can be felt throughout the entire series. Even though he is only shown in one panel – so far – Darkseid’s reach is far and strong. He is apparently the murderer of Orion, but if you ask him what he’s done he will tell you that Darkseid doesn’t do. Darkseid is. I doubt you’ll forget that powerful moment in the series. 

3.) Granny Goodness: I’m going to say this flat out, Granny is a mind f@*k in this series, so far. When she meets with Scott and Barda, she treats them with a kind and nurturing demeanor that you would expect from a good granny, but it isn’t long before she mentions her past tortures of the pair while simultaneously starving one of their comrades to death; this is all while they eat like a family. She alludes to Scott that he is actually her son and maybe, just maybe, Highfather wasn’t his real father after all. She mentions some prophecy to Scott that also insinuates that Darkseid is his real father just before Barda viciously beats her to death. Too bad she couldn’t spill any more secrets with some of her innards. Scott’s only maternal figure is taken away from him, by his wife. Which seems to fit the natural order of things for the New Gods. 

5.) Orion: Scott’s brother, although not biologically. He is the pinnacle of a dickhead. I mean, he sentences Mister Miracle to execution. He is exactly the type of character that you expect your older step-brother to be. He is harsh, demanding, and abusive. He clearly wants to lead, and briefly does but at dear costs to New Genesis’ war efforts against Apokolips – just ask Forager. He is the force that Scott must answer to for much of the story so far, and yet Scott tolerates and even defends him. His brotherly love and respect for Orion is apparent from issue 1, and his death obviously affects Scott. So much so that when he dies at the end of issue 6, we instantly get a new life in issue 7. Thus, filling the void that Orion has left. 

4.) Big Barda: Scott’s loving wife. Barda knows exactly what Scott needs when he doesn’t himself. She is soft and caring, yet stern and demanding when the time is necessary. She may not know why Scott tried to kill himself, but she certainly doesn’t seem too concerned about getting to the bottom of it either. All Barda seems to be interested in is enjoying every moment she can with Scott, whether that’s as warriors or lovers. If Scott is escaping Death in this series, I think the argument could be made that Barda is his ideal source of Life. 

5.) Jacob: The son of Mister Miracle and Big Barda. He is born at the end of issue 7 and he is just perfect. Well probably, there are some ominous things that are surrounding the new little guy. If you look closely on a heart monitor the omega symbol is present in one of the panels. This monitor was specifically monitoring Jacob’s heart before he was born. Also, Scott had to cut the cord from around Jacob’s neck with The Fahren-Knife – forged from the hide of Darkseid by Desaad – which supposedly burns you from the inside out. At the end of the issue he doesn’t seem to have any ill effects, though he does begin to cry as the chapter comes to a close. Foreshadowing much?

6.) The Female Furies: Oddly, we don’t really get to see the Furies until this point in the series. It’s incredible that they are Darkseid’s honor guard that are sworn to kill his enemies, and yet they show up to support the birth of one of their former member’s child. Their disgraced and treasonous former leader to be exact. While they don’t have a close relationship with Scott, who seems uninterested in their arrival, they do represent a lot for Barda. They are where she came from, who she used to be. The Furies operate as a great foil for her while also conveyingthe strength of the bond of family. 

The theme of Family and its importance in this story can’t be denied. In fact, every time Scott is faced with a problem, he turns to Barda. They even start a family in the middle of a New God war. It’s interesting that it’s as a family man, that Mister Miracle starts to become miraculous again and not just be the same old same old character we’ve seen for years. 

As I wrap up, I’ve noticed a few things to continue to look out for in the series:

• Barda’s eyes keep changing color from brown to blue. Scott even mentions it in issue one and he is right, they do keep changing color at interesting moments.

• The “Darkseid is.” panels seem to show up whenever Scott is making a decision. The most recent and prime example is when he decides to use the Fahren-Knife to cut the cord on Jacob and save his life.

• The Face of God that Scott isn’t supposed to see – or maybe is – keeps popping up. It’s foremost in issue one and is the last thing he sees in issue six.

• A small detail, but Scott is referred to as High Father for the first time in the same issue that his son is born. That’s either important or a very nice touch by Tom King.

Hopefully, these will begin to reveal some more about the story soon. Either way, it’s been a great ride so far, and I look forward to how it continues. 

Brandon Evans is a freelance writer and comic book lover from St. Louis, MO. He is currently working to find his way into the comic book industry. You can find him on Twitter as @writingbrandon

How to Handle Marvel’s Fresh Start: Your Guide to Re-Numbering

Marvel is renumbering its comics again this summer, marking basically the sixth time the publisher has done that in six years. Many comic fans on Twitter have no answer for this, well, aside from flipping out, getting mad, fighting, swearing things have never been this bad, and accusing Marvel, or DC, or both Marvel and DC, of ruining the business (side note, this is actually how comic book Twitter responds to everything).

That’s why today we’ve put together a guide for how to handle Marvel’s Fresh Start, which is the name for its latest re-numbering. You're going to have to learn to cope, friends. Marvel’s leadership literally said three years ago it was going to a seasonal model, which, like TV, would see their books building on past seasons each year while going in fresh theoretically new audience-friendly directions. 

So, let’s face it, Marvel is going to re-number its comics annually every year for the foreseeable future.

Here’s what you should do in response:

1. Tell everyone else on comic book Twitter you don’t like this. Tell them often, and tell them angrily.

2. Tell Marvel that you don’t like this, see above for frequency and tenor with which you should do this.

3. Assume that because 6 - 8 other people agree with you, that the entire industry is crumbling.

4. Assume that the only reason Marvel is doing this is because they hate you.

5. Don’t stop for a second to wonder if a multi-million dollar corporation knows more about business than you do.

6. Forget all of this ever happen for the next 6 - 12 months.

7. React the same way in 6 - 12 months when Marvel announces the start of its next publishing season.

8. Continue to buy (or at least talk about angrily) Marvel comics.

Okay, so that’s all a joke (obviously), but what you should actually do is pretty simple.

Just ask yourself, do you read and enjoy any of Marvel’s comics now? If you said yes, go ahead and continue reading those Marvel comics. At the moment, it looks as if many of Marvel’s top books will continue with little changed, or at least with the same writers (see Black Panther and Thor). Also, if you like the sound of some of Marvel’s new creative teams--as I do with Avengers, Venom, and the rumors about Captain America--go ahead and hop on those books, too.

If you said no, and you are not currently reading any Marvel comics, or if you don’t like the sound of the new creative teams, either carry on or go ahead and stop reading those comics and instead read something else. There are some great Image and indie books around these days, or so we've heard. 

This is all not to say that there aren’t legit questions about this seasonal method Marvel is forcing upon the industry. Change is scary like that, and there is a sizable number of fans, as well as retailers, who are quite vocal about how they don’t like this (over and over). But, again, that’s how change works. So, buy the stories you like and don’t buy stories that you don’t like, which is just what comic fans have done for decades; the market will naturally sort out whether Marvel's model is viable.

What you shouldn’t do, however, is continue to read Marvel comics, forget that this seasonal model is here to say, and then react with frustration and outrage, as if doing so could change anything. Or, if you're not reading Marvel comics, continue to throw a ton of negativity into the ether to be heard by the fans who do enjoy them, like some kind of super dick-ish molotov cocktail of dickery. Anyway if you did that, you’d be behaving the exact same way and expecting different results, which is, my friends, the definition of insanity.

Is the New Age of DC Heroes Good?

This site is not a destination for news. We update twice a week, generally with content that is more analytical than informative. Yet, in January when DC launched its 8-book publishing initiative New Age of DC Heroes, a dozen readers on Twitter asked me what the deal was with these books, specifically if they were any good.

There was anticipation, doubt, and curiosity, and it was all understandable. These books follow a roughly 18-month-long period during which DC deliberately avoided large-scale new book rollouts. Now, all of a sudden, they’re doing eight. I responded:

I admire DC for trying new things, but 8 books at once seems like too much, especially when none star a bankable character (you could say Plastic Man but I’d say that’s stretching, then I’d laugh at my pun until everyone got uncomfortable). My guess is the art will be incredible, but, overall, I’ll be surprised if most of this line lasts 20 issues.

Three of the books have now dropped, and, the thing is, I’m still hearing questions, although not as many. Some fans are reading the damn things (good!) and others have moved on to asking about Scott Snyder’s Justice League or Brian Michael Bendis’ Superman.

For those still curious, however, today I have some brief impressions of the three live titles, plus updates on my thinking about the five that are yet to come.

The Known Knowns

Damage by Robert Venditti & Tony S. Daniel: One of the conceits of New Age of Heroes is some books are basic Marvel ripoffs, this character the most. Damage is The Hulk, if Banner had been a foot soldier rather than a scientist, a military pawn rather than architect of his own trauma. The first issue was a Hulk story, albeit one that hinted at deeper exploration of the modern military industrial complex. The art was good and the story did enough to get me to read #2.
Next issue: 02/21/2018

Silencer by John Romita Jr. & Dan Abnett: I wasn’t expecting much here because I’ve never found stories about vigilantes with guns compelling, due to lack of escapism and excess of uncomfortable reality. I know they can cautionary, but they also walk a line between glorifying the behavior they examine. It’s especially too much right now given the power the NRA wields in Congress. I don’t want to spoil anything, but this book is actually a far cry from that brutal brand of vigilante justice, although part of me wonders if it’ll get a bit closer as the first arc progresses.
Next issue: 02/28/2018

Sideways by Kenneth Rocafort & Dan DiDio/Justin Jordan: Sideways is my favorite so far, although I should note I’m a sucker for Kenneth Rocafort art and teenage superhero origin stories. Still, this one is especially well-done. As many have pointed out, Sideways has Spider-Man vibes, but that’s fine. Youth culture has changed dramatically since the last Spider-Man origin overhaul was done in the Ultimate books by Bendis, so there’s ample ground to explore, and I’m game to explore it through visuals as lush as these.
Next issue: 03/14/2018

The (So Far) Unknown Knowns

Terrifics by Ivan Reis and Jeff Lemire: This book is a blatant DC take on the Fantastic Four, swapping Reed Richards for Plastic Man, The Human Torch for Mister Terrific, and so on. It’s also written by Jeff Lemire and drawn by Ivan Reis. This is, to be clear, my most anticipated book of the line, so much so I openly insist you all read it. All of you.
First issue: 2/28/2018

Curse of Brimstone by Philip Tan & Justin Jordan: The title of this book put me off at the start, because it sounds like a Hardy Boys novel. The description, however, is intriguing. It’s about a man making a deal with the devil to save his struggling small town. If this plot goes into the withering Midwest, the opioid crisis, the brain drain challenges plaguing smalltown America, it could be really good, or at least relevant.
First issue: 04/04/2018

Immortal Men by Jim Lee & James Tynion IV: Jim Lee, one of the industry’s best and tardiest artists, is drawing three issues of this book, the first of which has been delayed...and delayed...and then delayed. I think the debut will come out, eventually, but I have no idea whether two more Jim Lee issues will ever drop at this rate.
First issue: 04/11/2018

New Challengers by Andy Kubert & Scott Snyder: This book is an update of Challengers of the Unknown, one of Jack Kirby’s many creations. Embarrassingly, I have zero familiarity with it. However, it doesn’t seem like I’ll need any, as the previews make clear this is about new characters. Challengers Mountain was mentioned in Carter’s journal during the Metal event, so this is also poised to have a direct Metal connection. Overall, I’m a Scott Snyder fan, plus the character designs from Andy Kubert are intriguing. If Snyder really lets his psyche roam, we could be in for some fantastic adventures.
First issue: TBD

The Unexpected by Ryan Sook & Steve Orlando: When this book was announced, Steve Orlando (a MASSIVELY underrated writer) described it as Seven Samurai meets The Dark Tower. Okay, cool! And from what I understand, some characters have already been introduced, during Metal or via connections to more prominent stories. That said, it seems any of them will be notable enough to pull in readers. What may do that, however, is Orlando writing another team books with a disparate group struggling to cooperate. See Justice League of America to observe how skilled he is at that.  
First issue: TBD

New Age of DC Heroes Overall

Maybe I’ll lose any cred I had as a discerning comic book reader, but I think this line is kind of cool. The books are $2.99 and there are no variant covers, which allays (a bit) my suspicions of  cash grabs and gimmickry. I’ve also genuinely liked two of the three books so far, and the next one coming is from Jeff Lemire, easily one of my favorite writers.

And really, what should DC be doing instead? More alternate takes on Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman? More books with new lenses through which to see obscure characters? We’re getting enough of both those things. DC is confident and exciting right now, more than it has been in many years. Good for them for looking in new directions, even if they lead to failure.

Whether these books last hinges on sales, but sales never tell whole stories of success and failure. Upcoming solicits show an effort to integrate these characters with existing DC properties. The cynical view sees this as desperation to move more books. My sunny optimist view, however, is that it’s actually commitment to the concepts long-term, regardless of whether they sell. They say you should always end your writing with a cliche (right?), so...I guess in the end, only time will tell…

Back Matter

I’ve been burned out on X-Men and had zero interest in X-Men Red, until some smart readers told me this one was different. Now, I’m adding my voice to that chorus. Even if you’ve become X-Hausted, this first issue is worth a read. It hems closer to the central metaphor than any X-Story in years, rightly picking Jean as true caretaker of Xavier’s legacy. Plus, there’s a twist!...The literary writer Mat Johnson is one of my favorite accounts on Twitter. He’s witty, sharp with his politics, and prolific. Incognegro Renaissance is one of the smartest and most subtle comics this year, understated in a way that is often difficult for the medium. Johnson takes risk with nuance and they all land...Finally, Milk Wars has been great. The first round of Young Animal valued aesthetic oddity over deep meaning AND accessibility. I prefer my odd visuals with one or the other, otherwise it feels like showing off, kind of like Terrence Malick’s lesser movies. This event, though, is odd, accessible and might have some deeper meaning, too. Plus, it’s worth reading for the story line in part 2, within which Batman is a preacher and his congregation is a bunch of mini Robins with big shotguns.

Best Comics to Buy Your Significant Other

Valentine’s Day falls on Wednesday this year, which, of course is also new comic book day. So I figure, what better time to discuss something I suspect all comic fans think about from time to time: how do I get the person I love to also love my hobby?

I know I think about this. In fact, last year I bought my wife a trade in hopes she’d start to read comics. And guess what? I had some success! I went with the first trade of Snotgirl, which I’ve described as Clueless for the Instagram generation with a sinister twist.

Now, my wife is a reporter at one of the three biggest newspapers in the United States, and she spends quite a bit of time contemplating personal branding, audience trust of media personalities, and just generally how one presents themselves online. She’s also quite stylish and moderately obsessed with Instagram fashion models who wear her type of clothes.

I suspected she’d appreciate Bryan Lee O’Malley’s scripts and thematic interest, and she did! What surprised me, though, was she also absolutely LOVED Leslie Hung’s art. Now, I’m a fan myself, but it never occurred to me someone who’d never read an entire comic book would be drawn more to art than to text.

While my wife didn’t run down to our local shop and start her own pull list (she’s content trade-waiting for Snotgirl) she did gain a new appreciation for the medium and for my hobby, which, aside from her and my day job, takes up most of my time. Ultimately, this understanding brought us closer together, making us stronger as a couple. Aren’t comics wonderful?

I hope you find a book from my suggested list that will wow your loved one, too. Oh, and happy Valentine’s!

Comics to Buy Your Significant Other

This list is in alphabetical order, and, if you’ll notice, there’s no Batman, Superman, Spider-Man. In other words, it eschews the mainstays of comics. It’s not that I don’t love those characters (ahem, what’s the name of this site), or that I think it’s impossible to use stories like The Long Halloween or All-Star Superman or Ultimate Spider-Man to show the brilliance of comics. I just think they are a bit too highly stigmatized and obvious to be illustrative of the medium’s nuances. Simply put, if your significant other was going to get hooked based on one of these three, chances are it would have already happened, as they’ve likely known their core stories since they were a kid.

It should go without saying that I LOVE every book on this list, by the way.

Hawkeye by Matt Fraction & David Aja
This is a story about humanity more than anything else, about a guy who has a job and an apartment and plenty of flaws and bad habits, but still wants to do right anyway. Oh yeah, and he also happens to be an Avenger but in this story that’s secondary.
For: The significant other who loves PBR, black-rimmed glasses, and acting like comics aren’t hip enough for their time (this is all a nice way of saying buy this book if you’re dating a hipster).

Monstress by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
I met Marjorie Liu at a comic book store in Austin soon after this book launched, and I remember her saying this series grew from a vision she had of a young woman that was absolutely furious. Monstress is a great choice because it starts with a first issue that’s among the best debuts in recent memory, and while yes, the fury that inspired it does cool down, Lie and Takeda replace it with some of the best world-building in any medium.
For: The significant other who likes Final Fantasy, anime, Kill Bill, Empire Strikes Back, revenge, or any story the puts strong female protagonists and antagonists alike front and center.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples
This is my favorite comic book, to be blunt, and its title is as simple and effective as its plot. Two lovers from species that have been at war with each other for generations fall in love and have a child. This is the story of their family.
For: The significant other who loves both Shakespeare and Star Wars, or maybe even just Star Wars and Game of Thrones.

Sandman by Neil Gaiman & Various
Sandman is steeped in dark mythology that spans history and our modern day, ultimately creating an effect that delves deep into the human mind.
For: The significant other who majored in philosophy and also likes to meditate (or to expand their mind in less wholesome ways).

Sex Criminals by Matt Fraction & Chip Zdarsky
Awwwwwww, yeah.
For: Oh, don’t act like you don’t know what this one would be for, you dirty dog (this book is more about relationships than it is about a couple getting raunchy, although it is also about a couple getting raunchy).

Snotgirl by Bryan Lee O’Malley & Leslie Hung
Lottie Person is an Instagram model with a large fan following, secretly severe allergies, and a pension for putting too much stock in appearances as well as for brushing up against the macabre.
For: The significant other who loved Clueless, takes pictures until they get the perfect shot for the ‘Gram, and is content to re-watch Scott Pilgrim over and over and over again.

Transmetropolitan by Warren Ellis & Darick Robertson
Billed as a cyberpunk transhumanist comic book (uh yeah, okay, let’s just go ahead pretending that’s a perfectly normal way to bill something) Transmetropolitan has a central protagonist named Spider Jerusalem, who is a renegade gonzo journalist in the future, navigating a dystopian world suffering from corruption and U.S. presidents who abuse their powers.  
For: The significant other who shudders when politics come up and is still hurt and reeling from the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Warning, this is risky title to start with due to its density, probably best left to fans of political dramas and deep sci-fi.

Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
A superhero deconstruction that doubles as a cautionary tale about mutually assured destruction, common threats, and the Cold War. It’s a great fit for the more literary set, requiring only a cursory knowledge of superheros to be appreciated.
For: The significant other who reads The New Yorker and is always bugging you to read their short stories.

X-Men: God Loves, Man Kills by Chris Claremont & Brent Anderson
This original graphic novel does the difficult work of encapsulating the X-Men with minimal need to know the characters’ long and convoluted back stories. The X-Men have one of the best central metaphors of any ongoing property in fiction, and this story makes it accessible.
For: The ‘90s kid who loved the animated series, or for anyone concerned with the equality inherent to the characters’ central metaphor.

The Ultimates by Mark Millar & Bryan Hitch
I recently re-read The Ultimates for years and was struck by how blatantly this story was a blueprint for the Marvel Cinematic Universe as we know it. This didn’t come as a surprise, as so many folks in media love to point this out, but it was still fascinating to go back and read it now that we’re a bajillion movies in.
For: The significant other who loves Marvel movies but has always seen the comic books as too geeky or ridiculous to bother to read.

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

The Best Long-Running Image Books (We Take for Granted)

Something shiny and new is almost always more attractive than something reliable you can depend on. This is a concept so worn out it’s become a cliche, ending hundreds of TV marriages and sparking many a mid-life crises.

But as with most cliches, there’s truth to it, especially in our beloved world of comics. As we’re all aware, the path to big profit in the comics industry has long been paved with new #1 issues, and, really, this cliche is a big part of why.

Comics and capitalism are inextricably tangled; it’s part of what makes comics such an American art form. We all love the idea that a #1 we buy for $3.99 could net a few hundred bucks later. Also, it’s just so much easier to understand a story when you read it from its start.

Reasons aside, fans buy more #1 issues and reviewers tend to write about #1s more as well. Meanwhile, there are amazing books in their 30s, or 50s, or even their 170s that we’re barely acknowledging. We know these books will be good, every damned month. They’re on our pull lists and we’ve maybe even bought them to reread in trade, and yet it’s the new #1s that drive us crazy.

Not me, man. I want to give older books some love, specifically those at Image, before the spring comes and the publisher launches another wave of new creator-owned work, work like Steve Orlando and Garry Brown’s Crude, Robert Kirkman and Lorenzo De Felici’s Oblivion Song, Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino’s Gideon Falls (read our advanced review), and David F. Walker and Sanford Greene’s Bitter Root (read why we’re excited).

So, today we’ll be looking at why these new books are so awesome and sexy and good and so fricking cool and totally worth all your money and mine—gah! Wait a minute, that’s not what we’re doing at all! Damn this attractive newness!!

Ahem. Today we’re looking at our favorite dependable titles, the ones deep in their runs and still going strong. Sure, they’re not as mysterious or full of possibilities as they once were, but these books are part of us. We’ve been through so much together, we’ve grown together, and we care for each other deeply. Or, we would if they the books sentient, instead of flimsy paper.

Anyhoo, let’s get to our look at the best long-running Image books we all take for granted!   

The Walking Dead, Outcast and Invincible

The Walking Dead is the epitome of an excellent long-running book that’s so dependable it gets ignored. Take #175, for example, which *SPOILER* contained an intriguing status quo shift along with a twist for a major character so powerful it made me tear up. This deep in a run, that’s quite an achievement. Robert Kirkman and Charlie Adlard’s monthly pace on this book is also torrid, and I can’t even remember the last delay! (We’re in for a long post this week, but we should also note that Kirkman’s Outcast is fantastic and Invincible is headed towards a killer ending.)

Potential to end soon: Low. Kirkman says nothing is eminiment, but he knows how the book will end. The book also sells like gangbusters (hey, 1923 called, they want their hacky adjective back). So, we don’t envision an ending coming before issue #200, which is more than 2 years away right now.

Descender

Descender is a true sci-fi adventure with a varied cast and a plot heavy with well-constructed secrets. Frankly, this is one of the most compelling mystery stories in comics. As I’ve noted in the past, we’re nearly 30 issues in, and I have little idea about this book’s end game, even though I can tell there have been ample clues.The art is also incredibly special. One of the things I enjoy most about Lemire’s titles is he works with artists who fit his stories, and Dustin Nguyen is no exception. Descender’s robots and their relationships with humanity raise questions about the nature of existence, and Nguyen’s lush watercolor pallet steeps these questions with a fitting existential haze.

Potential to end soon: High with an Asterix. Lemire recently teased a “last arc” on Twitter, before quickly noting he didn’t mean the end of Descender. So an “ending” might be coming, but it’s probably won’t be an ENDING.

Saga

Saga is, quite simply, my favorite, and yet, it landed at #8 on my best of 2017 and has only been in my monthly best of list once in the five months I’ve done them. Why? Well, it’s partially because I’m human, and I love me some newness. But also, it’d be boring if every best of list was: Oh, look at that, Saga wins again. Yawn. Anyway, Saga is amazing, and Brian K. Vaughan is basically the writer equivalent of the comic book we take for granted, too, because he’s just so reliable. He’s at a point in his career where his two ongoings, Saga and Paper Girls, brim with ideas, three-dimensional characters, and chingos of plot twists, so much so we all just expect it. Really, it speaks to the number of amazing comics that are around nowadays that we have the luxury of taking a writer as good as Vaughan for granted.

Potential to end soon: Super low. Vaughan says he wants Saga to go forever, which, okay, is probably over-ambitious because while the spirit is willing, the flesh is weak and dies between ages 80 - 100, if we’re lucky. However, I could see another decade of Saga, following the life of its narrator, Hazel, in near-real time. What a glorious thing that would be.

The Wicked + The Divine

I’ve long thought of The Wicked + The Divine as a foundational title for modern Image, one that should be at the forefront of any conversation about the wave of varied and diverse creator-owned work from the publisher. Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie are one of the best teams in comics (shout out to Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips), having also teamed together on Young Avengers at Marvel and multiple Phonogram stories. Wic + Div (as us REALLY hip folks call it) though, is their opus, a stylish and perfectly-executed epic about music fandom and fame and a pantheon of fleeting gods destined to be destroyed.

Potential to end soon: High...Probably. I haven’t gone back to look, but I’m pretty sure Kieron Gillen has said he’s winding this book down about three times now. Thus the PROBABLY. The HIGH, meanwhile, is because after the latest issue, it really does seem like an end game is in motion. The last arc was loaded with action and punctuated by a surprise so shocking it sent me to my back issues to read this book from the start. It all makes sense, and it’s all fantastic.

East of West

East of West reads like a complex alternate history of the U.S., as told by someone from an alternate dimension. I’ve used that last descriptor—as told by someone from an alternate dimension—to describe Jonathan Hickman’s work in the past, and if the early issues of The Black Monday Murders are any indication, I’ll probably be using it again in the future. This book has gotten better with time. I found it convoluted until the creators included a timeline that laid out the political machinations of the involved nations, but from that point on I’ve been riveted. I should also note artist Nick Dragotta is creating phenomenal comics here, both with his line work and the stunning dystopian world he creates on each page.

Potential to End Soon: Hickman. That’s right, my exact prediction for when this ends is Hickman. I mean, can you even predict something as precise as an ending with a writer as dense as Hickman? No. You can’t. So, just greedily take the story as it comes and relish the other worlds he manifests for you.

Other Contenders

Last, I’d just like to note this was a tricky list, because how does one quantify a long-running book? In the end, I went by issue number not by debut, which disqualified Southern Bastards, Monstress, and Sex Criminals, three of my favorites that were a little short (this where an aside about the word short would be in Sex Criminals, btw). I know Descender only has a few issues on Sex Criminals, but for some reason it seems a bit more mature (this is where Sex Criminals would do another funny aside).

Moving forward, there are a host of books at Image with potential to reach “long-running and taken for granted status.” I’d put the aforementioned Southern Bastards, Monstress, and Sex Criminals there, as well as newer titles such as Black Monday Murders, Paper Girls, Redneck, Royal City, Seven to Eternity and Snotgirl. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if Oblivion Song or Gideon Falls ascend to this conversation, and I haven't read past the first issue of either.

In closing, go forth and be nicer to your bosses and significant others and co-workers and families...all those people in your life who may not be new but are sturdy and dependable and loving and vital. Not to be solipsistic, but I think how we treat those who become routine to us says a great deal about our character. Basically, we must bag and board them for proper storage, just with our thanks and affection rather than with cardboard and plastic (good lord, I’ll stop, I’m so so sorry, what the hell was that last metaphor, was I serious?!).

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

Celebrating an All-Time Great Green Arrow Run

A few years ago, I went to a writer’s conference in Portland, Oregon run by the literary magazine Tin House. It was great, both personally and creatively. I made writer friends who I’m still in touch with to this day, I learned too much to recount, and I met some of my favorite writers, including Green Arrow scribe Benjamin Percy, who was yet to start writing comics way back then.

Each night at Tin House, after we’d finished our morning workshops, lessons, and craft lectures, we all went down to an outdoor amphitheater along a river to listen to the accomplished writers read, and one of those evening readings featured Percy.

I remember so clearly how at the podium he told everyone in a gruff voice that he’d grown up obsessed with werewolves and that now, as an adult, he’d written a novel about them, a grisly epoch with shades of commentary on terrorism called Red Moon (which is a great read, btw). Then he read the first harrowing chapter.

This was eye-opening for me. To that point, I’d never seen a capital-A Author let their childhood fascinations bleed (werewolf pun, eh? okay, I’ll stop but you have to give me some time to be a better person) into the serious adult work of literature, certainly not so directly. It was refreshing and freeing and incredibly inspirational to see a writer I admired and respected do this, and it’s a lesson I’ve kept with me as I've given myself permission to re-indulge my lifelong love of comics.

It’s a lesson I’ve also been thinking a lot about in the past 24 hours since news broke that Percy’s last installment of Green Arrow would come in March. I've been on board since the start, since the New 52, and Percy’s run, quite simply, has been among the all-time best on the character, with each arc acting as a chapter in a rich novel, upping the stakes as it heads toward a climax. I can’t call it THE best ever yet because I haven't seen the end, but my guess is that it lands in the conversation.

I also think Green Arrow has been foundational to Rebirth’s success, arguably the book fans and critics point to most when praising the way the initiative rehabilitated characters and brought back core elements. Percy assures us another killer team is taking over after the April-May two-issue fill-in arc, and he’s cryptically hinted he’ll be on a new DC book soon, saying he’s headed to “the zip code where a dark sensibility like mine belongs,” which is totally Gotham, right? Right. So, we have that to look forward to.

Today though, following 24 hours of mourning a Green Arrow book I’ve loved for the past 3 years, I want to celebrate Benjamin Percy’s time on Green Arrow, and I also want to throw out a wild prediction for who takes over the book next, before ending with a literary reading list for comic book fans who also enjoy literary fiction.

Let's do it!!

Part 1: The All-Time Great Green Arrow Run

The Voice

One of my favorite things about Benjamin Percy’s Green Arrow is the staccato captions of its narration. Nowhere else in these comics is it more evident that Percy is a writer with vast experience in prose. His captions in Ollie’s voice are generally short, sometimes funny, sometimes beautiful, and always pitch perfect for what’s about to unfold, so subtle you might read through them without giving a second thought to the utter precision of the language guiding you. It’s a beautiful thing.

The Setting

Readers of Percy’s novels and short stories likely recognized the geographic fit right off. Percy is seemingly as fascinated with the Pacific Northwest as he is with werewolves, which says a lot. Few heroes in comics are as associated with a real world city (one that isn’t New York, anyway) as Green Arrow is with Seattle, and Percy just gets Seattle, the glimmering side of it as well as the rainy melancholia that lies beneath. This understanding of the setting really came through in his work on this book, especially in the recent Rise of Star City arc *SPOILER* that turned it into a post-capitalist hellscape known (perfectly!) as Star City (what a statement).

The Art

Right from the start, Percy worked with fantastic artists on this book, including the incredibly consistent and underrated Patrick Zircher during the New 52, plus guest pencils by the downright sinister Szymon Kudranski, whose work I've long admired. Then, in Rebirth Percy was joined by one of the best 1-2 punches of the entire line: Juan Ferreyra and Otto Schmidt, whose styles are as distinct as they are varied, yet somehow seemed to sync up around the stories. I'm excited to see the work they go on to do, hopefully with even bigger marquee books at DC, but I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t hurt to think I won’t get to regularly see Ferreyra's action work or Schmidt's all-time best depictions of Black Canary.

The Goatee

An alternate title for this section could be “The Love of the Character,” but I think that love is best summed up by The Goatee. Oliver Queen’s unabashed return to his trademark facial hair at the start of Rebirth was played for laughs in Percy’s script, but there was also serious truth behind it: somewhere along the way the essence of the character had been lost and Percy was hellbent on finding and restoring it, starting with the goatee and following close behind with the return of Ollie’s relationship with Black Canary, which Percy depicted better than any Green Arrow in quite some time (to be fair no other writer has even written the Canary-Arrow relationship in quite some time because in New 52 it never existed).

The Growth

Like Ta-Nehisi Coates in Marvel’s Black Panther, Benjamin Percy in Green Arrow was a writer you could see growing with his proficiency in the comics medium on the page. There were early missteps in the New 52 Green Arrow, to be sure, which is why I think this ended up being the Rebirth book that enjoyed the most successful resurgence. You could practically see Percy learning as he went, maturing into the skilled comic book writer many of us are sad to see moving on now.

Part II: What’s Next

I threw this out on Twitter after hearing the Percy news, but I'd like to once again call my shot: the next permanent Green Arrow writer will be Brian Michael Bendis. I had this hunch back when the Bendis news broke. Green Arrow is the exact sort of street level character Bendis has always written to great success at Marvel. He’s also a hero with a definite sense of humor who can alternate between gritty and witty. Plus Jessica Jones, who is arguably Bendis’ most famous creation, owes some of her look and attitude to Black Canary, now doesn’t she?

I’m calling it: BENDIS.

Part III: More Books Without Pictures

Comics and literature have always been linked for me. In high school, I got heavily into them both, reading as many comics each Wednesday as my part-time job allowed while going to the public library to discover work from Michael Chabon and Jonathan Lethem and Chuck Palahniuk. As I got older and went to college, my interest in comics waned (gah! I’m a cliche!), but nonetheless I found myself drawn to literary writers who loved or dabbled in the medium. If some or any of this sounds familiar (heck, even if it doesn’t), then you may enjoy some of the following books, none of which have pictures.

The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz: All of us are Oscar sometimes.

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon: Especially recommend for those who love the Golden Age of Comics.

Fortress of Solitude by Jonathan Lethem: Growing up with comics and adversity.

The Broken Earth Novels by N.K. Jensen: Modern classics. 

Loving Day by Mat Johnson: This book has two characters who buy a big stack of new comics every Wednesday, possibly making it the most well-known book in literary fiction to have this.

The Changeling by Victor LaValle: LaValle wrote an excellent series for Boom! last year. Also, this was my favorite novel of 2017.

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel: Don’t read this when you’re home sick like did, but read it literally any other time, it’s that good.

The Hannish Cycle Novels by Ursula K. Le Guin: Start with Rocannon’s World, which would make a brilliant comic book adaptation, but end with Left Hand of Darkness or The Dispossessed, a pair of masterpieces.

Red Moon by Benjamin Percy: You know this guy.

Voodoo Heart by Scott Snyder: You really know this guy.

Zack Quaintance is a career journalist who also writes fiction and makes comics. Find him on Twitter at @zackquaintance. He lives in Sacramento, California.

Top DC Rebirth Comic and Character Rebounds

Although the stories and good work of DC Rebirth are likely to continue, today’s release of Damage #1—the first book of DC’s fresher initiative, New Age of DC Heroes—marks a next phase for the publisher, similar to how the New 52 segued into DC You.  

There are plenty of questions about this new phase, including whether the books will last, whether the superstar artists will stay past the early issues, and whether the publisher is forgetting that Rebirth succeeded by paring down and simplifying its line. These discussions are likely to continue long into the coming weeks and months, but, in our opinion, what they boil down to is whether DC is risking throwing away what worked in Rebirth for the sake of newer books.

With that in mind, we think it’s important to look at what worked best in Rebirth. The New 52 was unwieldy and inconsistent, and by the end of its run it sold poorly and failed to generate even passing interest in some of the greatest characters in comics.

Part of why DC Rebirth became such a critical and commercial success was that it took a long view and went back to basics, rehabilitating the universe and the publisher. Our list today looks at which characters and books benefited most from this. You won’t find Batman or Justice League, or any of the handful of other books that were doing just fine at the end of the New 52. No, what we’re discussing is which heroes and titles went from dysfunctional and forgotten, to books we now look forward to each Wednesday.

Superman / Action Comics

Superman is a great place to start. I was enjoying some of the work being done with the character toward at the end of New 52 by creators like Greg Pak and Gene Luen Yang (whose excellent New Super Man would be on this list if it wasn’t entirely new), but a problem was that Superman had undergone too major of a reimagining at the start of the New 52. Basically, of all the characters in the DC Universe, it was easiest to think of New 52 Superman as something entirely separate from the character we’d known.

Perhaps most frustrating was the loss of his romance with Lois, foundational as it was to the mythology for so many fans, both in comics and the mainstream. Considering this alone, it’s no surprise to me that bringing back the pre-Flashpoint Superman, as well as his family, has been foundational for Rebirth. That move sums up the initiative’s back-to-basics approach, as well as its deliberate decisions to preserve old continuity that had seemingly been lost (ahem, like red-headed Wally West).

Lastly, while I know others have consistently cited differences in quality between Superman and Action Comics, I haven’t seen that. I think Superman opened stronger, and that Gleason and Tomasi are a great team, but Action has also done some interesting things under one of the best Superman writers of all time, Dan Jurgens. I don’t separate them much in my head, not the way I do Batman (solo book) and Detective Comics (team book), even though I know Superman generally focuses on Clark and his family. Don’t @ me, I like it all!

Super Sons

Super Sons being next gives us a natural transition, because half of this two-hero team didn’t even exist at the start of the New 52 (that half being the current iteration of Superboy, Jonathan Kent). To be blunt, I love all things Super Sons. This book takes the classic Batman-Superman dynamic and boils it down into volatile and childish pre-teen form (is Damian 13 now? hey! stop being a stickler, you’re losing sight of what matters). It does a great job with humor and the heart strings, and Jorge Jiménez’s art here is among the best in superhero books right now, if not THE best.

Super Sons pulls double duty, appealing to what I’ve long seen as the two sides of the comic fan coin: kids looking for escape, and adults looking for escape from the pressures of having kids, or, in my personal case, preparing to have kids. With this book, you get all the teen hijinx, and you get characters you grew up with, Batman and Superman, in the background learning to be dads. This is a really special book, and I’m far from the first to say this, but I hope Brian Michael Bendis taking over writing duties on Superman soon does not disturb this title.

Green Arrow

Green Arrow is an odd book when discussed in the context of Rebirth, as it kept the same writer from the New 52 and still seemed to undergo a significant increase in quality. My theory is that Benjamin Percy, a fantastic novelist and short story writer (who I actually was lucky enough to meet at a writer’s workshop several years ago and can attest that he’s also a nice guy), took over Green Arrow so late into the New 52 run, that Rebirth was practically on the horizon, about 18 months away, thus limiting what Percy was able to do at that time with the title. Also, when Percy came onto Green Arrow, the book was in a weird place, having been forced into a closer approximation of the CW show Arrow, which, love it or hate it, is a far cry from the Oliver Queen of the comics. My suspicion is that he wanted to go straight back to basics all along, but was told to save his ideas.

He’s said in interviews that he wanted to bring back Ollie’s relationship with Black Canary and was told to wait, which corroborates my theory. In the early days of Rebirth, Green Arrow was described by many as the biggest surprise, but I think if you read Percy’s very first (and best) New 52 arc, you see all the qualities that have made the new book such a success, ie the cultural commentary, the distinct sense of place, the top-notch villainy. The only thing that seems to have changed in Rebirth is the guidance and backing from editorial, which kudos to DC for recognizing what it had and not dumping Percy off the book just to stir up some hype.

Green Lanterns / Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps

The Green Lantern concept is almost tailor-made for today’s comic market, particularly the idea that holders of the ring are members of an ancient intergalactic police force, which allows DC to bring in new Lanterns without a major deal being made about honoring legacy or whatever. That concept, however, wasn’t being used effectively enough toward the end of New 52, with the Green Lantern corner of the universe being dominated almost exclusively by Hal Jordan.

Both of the Lantern books in Rebirth are among my absolute favorites in the line, and they take arguably the biggest risks in concept. Baz and Cruz as rookie Green Lanterns is certainly a new one, while Hal Jordan and the Green Lantern Corps. Feels so grandiose and liberated, so creatively untethered that it at times reads like it was written by a bunch of comic fans sitting around saying, dude you know what would be awesome? And I mean that as a huge compliment. Both Sam Humphries and Robert Venditti have done awesome work with the Lanterns, and Tim Seeley’s stuff after trading Nightwing to Humphries for Green Lanterns has been promising as well, particularly his early characterizations of Simon and Jessica, the latter of whom has quickly become one of my favorite Lanterns.

Deathstroke

Deathstroke by Christopher Priest is one of those books that has been so good it’s hard for me to write about without sound like—excuse my language—a kiss ass. After a convoluted start (which paid off for careful readers, I can attest to that after revisiting it for this piece), Priest has elevated this book to a rare place for superhero fiction. Deathstroke feels at once accessible and complex, rooted in the new continuity of the character as well as his past with the Teen Titans while at the same time also pushing forward with fantastic new ideas, like Defiance.

I read an interview where Priest, who was essentially out of monthly comics when he got the call for Rebirth, said that for a long time he used to get calls from DC or Marvel asking him to write a character, one that was always a person of color, and he would refuse them. Priest told CBR that somehow overtime he’d gone from being a writer to being just a black writer. When DC called to ask him to right Deathstorke, he had to double check and ask them if the character was black. When they said no, he said keep talking.

And for us fans, it’s a great thing they did. Priest, who’d been out of monthly comics for almost a decade, is now writing Justice League, arguably DC’s biggest book behind Batman. This anecdote about Priest, and the incredible stories that have grown from it, is really encouraging as this new initiative moves forward. It suggests DC is determined to recognize and reward good work, and to also hold onto its talent. The rise of Priest’s stock within the company in lieu of one of the best solo Deathstroke stories of all-time shows that the publisher seems to have learned from some of its past snafus with talent, as well as from some of its stumbles with managing its books, and that it is now hyper aware of what it has to learn from past mistakes. It is indeed a new age at DC.

The Best Marvel Comics Since Secret Wars (2015)

Marvel Comics is struggling, readers are losing interest, journalists are writing think pieces about what’s up, and some retailers have linked a downturn in the industry to poor Marvel sales. I’ve made my own theory known: these struggles stem from an ongoing obnoxious cash grab wherein Marvel over-connects its comics to its movie/TV premieres, and wherein it also cancels and reboots books before creators can execute the long-form serial storytelling that’s been a hallmark of the medium.

I’m writing more about Marvel’s struggles later this week, but what I’d like to do first is highlight some quality stories that have been told amid the strife, particularly in books shorter than 20 issues. For simplicity’s sake, I’ll say the troubles began at the end of the 2015 line-wide event Secret Wars, which narratively “destroyed” the Marvel Universe. Marvel had been relaunching titles for a few years before that, but it seemed to step up in the aftermath. Fans seemed willing to play along with All New, All Different Marvel, but the second Marvel Now! launch of the decade less than a year later was just too much.

SPECIAL NOTE: Runs like Jason Aaron’s The Mighty Thor, Dan Slott’s Amazing Spider-Man or Saladin Ahmed’s Black Bolt are not on here because those books are still alive, as are Brian Michael Bendis’ titles (I’d put Infamous Iron Man on here, but it’s an offshoot of a continuing Invincible Iron Man run, not its own thing). Furthermore, I’m not putting Dan Slott and Mike Allred’s Silver Surfer on here, because I’ve lauded it twice now, once in my Top Comics of October 2017 and again in my overall Top Comics of 2017. That run on Silver Surfer is truly special work, one of my all-time favorites, but writing about it three times in four months is excessive. That’s it, though, no other rules. Let’s do this!

The Ultimates (1 and 2) by Al Ewing and Kenneth Rocafort / Travel Foreman
There’s been a void at Marvel ever since a contentious movie rights negotiation (allegedly) resulted in the end of books about the Fantastic Four. This is partially because Marvel’s First Family contains some of the most iconic characters in comics, but also partially because there’s been a lack of ambitious cosmic adventures grounded in science. The Ultimates ultimately filled this gap a bit, with a lineup of varied, powerful characters, most of which were geniuses. This team took on the big problems in the Marvel Universe, such as satiating Galactus, and it ran in two iterations, both of which were fantastic, even if it did seem like Ewing had some longer-term plans cut short by the cancellation and maybe also disrupted by the 2016 event Civil War II.

Spider-Woman by Dennis Hopeless and Javier Rodriguez
This was an incredibly sweet book that started with Jessica Drew being a pregnant superhero before turning into book about Jessica Drew being a single mother superhero. There was really solid character-work, combined with a fresh premise, which gave Spider-Woman a warm and unique feel throughout its 17 issues. This book was an example of some of the highs that can be reached by taking a different approach to traditional Big 2 storytelling.

Scarlet Witch by James Robinson and various
This 15-issue run saw James Robinson team with a new artist each issue, including some of the best in the industry. In these stories, Wanda Maximoff wandered the globe on missions of self discovery and redemption, and the mostly self-contained tales felt like watching Wanda grow away from her tumultuous past. The sad part, however, is there likely won’t be any lasting effect on the character moving forward.

Black Widow by Mark Waid and Chris Samnee
Mark Waid and Chris Samnee just know good comics, from pacing to continuity to action sequences, and reading their work together often feels like watching a masterclass in superhero storytelling. Like the excellent run on Daredevil that preceded Black Widow, that’s how this book felt. I was shocked when it ended after a year of publication. The good news is that the band is back together, giving its same expert treatment to the traditional Steve Rogers iteration of Captain America. Their three understated issues have already been more interesting than the entirety of the Secret Empire event, which I was lukewarm on in terms of both concept and execution.

Moon Knight by Jeff Lemire and Greg Smallwood
This run was so good I haven’t been able to read a panel of Max Bemis’ current run on the character (which I’ve heard here and there is also pretty good) because I’m not ready to let go of the madcap yet introspective story Lemire and Smallwood told. The team really took hold of Moon Knight and his pliant mythos, and these 14 issues contained twist after twist, diving into ideas about mental health and then running laps around their fringes, looking gorgeous all the while due to Smallwood’s (and other contributing artists’) visual contributions.

Nighthawk by David F. Walker and Ramon Villalobos
This run only lasting 6 issues was an absolute tragedy. From the artwork to the thematic content rooted firmly in current events, this book was a fantastic read. Much was made when it died of whether fans properly supported Nighthawk, but the real conversation should have been about Marvel’s role in supporting its own books, and also about whether the book was lost amid the publisher flooding shops and over-shipping too many titles. Did we really need books about Black Knight, Weird World, Hercules, Web Warriors, Drax, or Starbrand and Night Mask? Would worthier books like Nighthawk have gotten a fairer shake without so much over saturation? It’s impossible to tell now, although DC’s modest Rebirth line serves as a glimpse to what could have been (however, I should also note that Nighthawk may not have existed at all if Marvel pulled a Rebirth, as the most obscure character during that launch was, arguably, Blue Beetle).

The Vision by Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta
This book was Marvel’s peak since Secret Wars, and, in my opinion, it ranks as a classic that ought to be remember among the best the medium has produced. It also marked Tom King’s arrival as a major writing talent in comics. In fact, before the 12-issue run had ended, DC snapped him up on an exclusive contract, a development then-Marvel E-I-C Axel Alonso seemed none too thrilled over. Through Gabriel Hernandez Walta’s excellent clean and emotive artwork, King’s scripts went to some truly dark and heartbreaking places.

As with Spider-Woman, The Vision also serves as a prime example of the good that can come from Marvel’s unrestrained editorial approach. It’s a quirky concept (a superhero in the suburbs! Superman + American Beauty!) executed by creators operating with total freedom, and it’s all about an often-minor character given a chance to star. Marvel’s milked the success of this book since it ended, putting out director’s cuts and hardcovers and all of that, but what if the publisher had had less titles, less relaunches, less series that looked exactly like their movies? Maybe books that were worthy, like The Vision, Nighthawk, The Ultimates or Spider-Woman would have found wider readership and hung around.

SPECIAL NOTE PART TWO: Later this week, we’ll look deeper into some of Marvel’s struggles, including what will possibly happen to Miles Morales with his name changing and Bendis stepping away, and how Marvel could be more successful by caring more about rewarding readers and less about swindling them into opening their wallets.

Most Anticipated Comics of 2018

If there’s one thing this site hasn’t done enough of, it’s definitely lists. Sure, midway through December we posted our always-late Top 5 Comics of November 2017, and then more recently we posted our surprisingly-on time Top Comics of 2017: part 1, part 2, and part 3, plus a list detailing how 2017 was the year Marvel’s bad habits finally caught up. Oh, and sometime next week we’ll have our always-late Top Comics of December 2017 (hey, gotta take time to make careful choices, right?). But can you ever really have enough lists? Lists!

Anyway, this list looks toward the future, specifically at our most anticipated comics of 2018. Obviously, more exciting books will be announced soon, and we really don’t know much about either Marvel or DC’s plans at this point. Just think, the comics that shaped much of 2017 were totally off the radar at this time last year, including the major events Secret Empire, Marvel Legacy, Dark Nights Metal, and Doomsday Clock.

This list is a collection of announced books we know a little bit about. Enjoy!

Abbott by Saladin Ahmed / Sami Kivela

Saladin Ahmed’s work on Black Bolt has been one of the rare successes at Marvel lately, surprising much of fandom because the Inhumans just can’t seem to find an audience, even with Marvel once pushing them as an alternative to the X-Men (curse the movie marketing machine!). This book, however, took hold, with an almost cult following (but not major sales success).

Abbott looks intriguing, too, and it’ll mark Ahmed’s first creator-owned work in the medium. The book, illustrated by Sami Kivela, is about a woman investigating and attempting to destroy dark forces, which is close thematically to Ahmed’s Hugo Award-nominated fantasy novel, Throne of the Crescent Moon. It’s also being published by Boom!, which has quietly been putting out some top-notch indie books (Giant Days, Mech Cadet Yu, Victor Lavalle’s Destroyer, etc.) as of late.

Bitter Root by David F. Walker / Sanford Greene

I LOVED David Walker and Sanford Greene’s Powerman and Iron Fist, which came to a sour end at the hands of the Marvel marketing machine (THAT’S a subject for a future post, though). This book reunites that team for a creator-owned story that sounds like a perfect fit for the duo’s aesthetic. It’s a story set during the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, and a legendary monster hunting family that has fallen from glory must get it together to stave off an epic threat. Please please take my money and give me this book.

Doomsday Clock by Geoff Johns / Gary Frank

The first two issues have had the Herculean task of justifying the integration of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ classic Watchmen characters into the DC Universe, and, at least in my mind, they’ve largely accomplished that. Now, this isn’t to say that when the story ends I’ll still feel that way, but early indications are that Johns is using Watchmen, respectfully, to craft a new DC classic. We should be getting 10 issues next year, and I for one plan to savor every one.

Gideon Falls by Jeff Lemire / Andrea Sorrentino

We’ve never done the math, but Jeff Lemire could be the writer we praise most (apologies to Donny Cates and Tom King). So, it probably comes as no surprise that we’re stoked for his new creator-owned book Gideon Falls, which will reunite him with his Green Arrow and Old Man Logan collaborator Andrea Sorrentino. The reason for this excitement (besides it being new Lemire) is simple: this team worked at DC, it worked at Marvel, and chances are it will work at Image. You can find the info elsewhere, but this story sounds awesome. Here’s a snippet from the press release, “Rural mystery and urban horror collide in this character driven meditation on obsession, mental illness and faith.”

The Next Step for Miles Morales / Jessica Jones / Riri Williams

With the exception of Jessica Jones, we’re actually more nervous than excited to see what becomes of these characters. With her own Netflix show and established fan following, Jessica Jones is firmly entrenched in the Marvel Universe. The same can’t quite be said of the other two, although Miles is closer, but simply put, they are both legacy heroes who might flounder without a champion within the publisher who has as much clout as their creator Brian Michael Bendis did.

In a perfect world, these characters would be written and drawn by creators with similar backgrounds who understood their experiences, and, if the stories merited it, they’d get their own monthly books, but it’s very very very hard for new characters to take hold in comics, ever, which is why we’re still reading about so many heroes created so long ago. Only time will tell if Miles and Riri have staying power, but the year to come will give us a solid indication.

Superman by Brian Michael Bendis

Bendis has been saying for years he has a plan in mind if he ever gets to write Superman. Well, now according to swirling rumors (Bleeding Cool), he’s about to do just that. We believe it, too. There’s no way DC acquires a name like Bendis (who’s jump to the company merited an analysis piece in the Washington Post) without promising him keys to one of its best cars, and the Batman books are too good to touch right now.

Making this even more intriguing is that over the past year Bendis has been doing outstanding work at Marvel, almost as good as any in his career. He’s got some writing ticks that get out of hand (Writing ticks? Writing ticks. Ticks. That’s right. Writing-Ticks, that’s what I said), and DC strives for a semblance of consistency in art and voice throughout its titles. Bendis, however, is a pro and knows this going in, and we think he’s eager to play nicely at DC.

The Terrifics by Jeff Lemire / Ivan Reis

Oh, what a surprise, more Jeff Lemire. This time it’s for a book at DC, specifically The Terrifics, which takes a handful of b-list characters and turns them into a group that has a passing resemblance to the Fantastic Four. I have a bit of trepidation about the wave of books launching alongside The Terrifics as the New Age of DC Heroes, because launching one book with a new character is incredibly hard, let alone a half dozen at once. Plus, this kind of mass rollout of new stories runs directly counter to the measured back to basics approach that put DC on top of the market with its Rebirth titles, only like 3 of which have been canceled. If anyone can make this work, however, it’s a writer like Lemire.

Unannounced Marvel Projects by TBA

It’s pretty clear that 2017 was not great for Marvel. Hope, however, springs eternal, so we’ll keep talking about Marvel’s output (even if we’re not buying as many as their books as we used to). With that in mind, a number of Marvel’s creators have been teasing big announcements that they can’t yet talk about, including Donny Cates, Matthew Rosenberg, and Al Ewing.

Meanwhile, rumors are swirling (via Bleeding Cool again) of an extended run on Captain America by the untouchable duo of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee, followed by National Book Award Winner Ta-Nehisi Coates taking over the character. There are more rumors swirling (again via Bleeding Cool) about Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley taking over Amazing Spider-Man and Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic taking over The Avengers. We’re A LOT more excited about one of those books than the other, but no telling which! Go ahead and guess, just like we’re doing with Donny Cates next project (Wolverine? Please be Wolverine! Preferably set entirely in West Texas).

X-Men Grand Design by Ed Piskor

X-Men Grand Design has real potential to change the way comics records continuity, serving as an epic and stylish doctrine of how to do it right. This book is that ambitious in scope, and as I’ve noted in one of the best comics of the year features (and as I’m preparing to note in Top 5 Comics of December 2017), this book could be an all-timer. One issue came out in 2017, and if I’m not mistaken we’re about to get another 5 over-sized glorious issues from writer / artist Ed Piskor in 2018. What a thing that will be.

Top Comics of 2017, Pt. 3 #1 - #5

Picking the 5 best comics of the year was difficult, with God Country, Saga and Wic + Div all making aggressive arguments for why they should be included. I powered through, though, but the thing was, once I had a top 5, it was even harder deciding on an order. Changes were literally being made as recently as this morning. Making comics is tough, sure, but ranking comics is, well, slightly less tough but still pretty hard.

Anyway, this speaks to how good comics were in 2017, powered largely by a renaissance at DC. Whether this keeps going in 2018 is a matter of discussion best left to a future post, but as you’ll see here, 2017 really was a great year for DC Comics. The industry, however, also needs Marvel in order to comfortably sustain the thousands of small retail shops that sell books every Wednesday, but, again, that’s a matter of discussion best left for a future post.

Let’s get out of the future and into the past! That sounds good, right? I mean, if you spend as much time as I do reading about heroes created decades before you were born, the past is probably an interest of yours. But okay okay, no more rambling. Let’s do the thing.

The Top Comics of 2017

5. The Flintstones by Mark Russell / Steve Pugh
I remember openly laughing at this book when it was announced: a realistic monthly comic adaptation of The Flintstones. This was before Rebirth, when DC was still short on goodwill and almost every choice the publisher made was wrong. Man am I embarrassed by that laughing now. In time, it was my dopey pre-publication mockery that proved to be as thick as Barney Rubble.

With The Flintstones, writer Mark Russell and artist Steve Pugh created an incredible satire, one that used a prehistoric setting to examine so many issues that matter today, issues like religion, warfare, employer dominion over employees, gentrification, materialism, whether true happiness can be found in success, and the list goes on. Every issue was packed with more ethos and questions than a freshman philosophy course. It’s a shame that in June it had to end, but stop crying! Who's crying? I'm not crying, you're crying! Anyway, Mark Russell returns this month with a new book in the same vein, Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles, which some critics are already calling the best new book of 2018.

4. Black Hammer (Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil) by Jeff Lemire / Dean Ormston & David Rubin
Jeff Lemire’s work is difficult to describe. It's a special type of storytelling, so intriguing and layered that the entire scope of what drives it is rarely evident, even long after a story has ended (I still think about Plutona, like, often). Lemire is a nuanced writer who has supreme confidence in the worthiness of his stories, and nowhere is this more evident than in creator-owned books like Descender or Royal City.

What Lemire has done with Black Hammer, however, is even more impressive. He’s created a superhero universe unlike any we’ve ever seen. It has a similar mythos and many of the same tropes from those we know, but the world of Black Hammer is defined by a central tragedy in which the biggest superheroes inexplicably disappeared. It's a concept that would stem from a Big 2 event, before being quickly undone in order to return our heroes to the status quo. In Black Hammer, however, the heroes have never reappeared. Our story instead finds them aging and in a strange small town they can't escape. The tone is dour, the characters deep, the themes varied. Sometimes the story seems to be about family, sometimes contentment, sometimes duty, sometimes something I can't even guess.

The main storyline has paused for a moment while we digress into an auxiliary book, Sherlock Frankenstein and the Legion of Evil. This spot, however, is for the entire Black Hammer concept, which was one of the most original superhero takes of not just 2017, but of any year in recent memory. This might be a deconstruction of superhero deconstruction, but you'd have to ask Lemire to know for sure.

3. Batman by Tom King / Various
Tom King had such big shoes to fill when he took over this title. Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo had just stepped away after a 51-issue run during the New 52 era that ranks as one of the greatest in the history of the character, and, meanwhile, Scott Snyder was sticking around, playing the Jay Leno to King’s Conan by doing All-Star Batman while King was still working to find his way and his audience.

Unlike Leno and Conan’s dumpster fire of a situation, however, King’s and Snyder’s seems as if it has been mutually beneficial, pushing both writers to do some of the best work of their careers. While Snyder strings together one of the best events in recent memory with Dark Nights Metal, King has become a rock star at the height of his powers, putting out hit after hit after hit. He’s done multi-part arcs like The War of Jokes and Riddles, and he’s done stirring romance with issues like Batman Annual #2, which was the second best standalone issue of any comic this year, and Batman #37, the double date with Superman issue. Speaking of the best comic this year, that would be King’s Batman and Elmer Fudd special, an imaginative take on both of those characters that dove deep into their core conceits and emerged as a poignant and entertaining one-off.

I remember when Tom King was first announced as Scott Snyder’s successor on Batman at the DC Rebirth live stream launch event during Emerald City Comic Con. Someone (either Geoff Johns or Dan Didio or Jim Lee) asked Snyder how it felt to have King take over, and Snyder said you always kind of hope the next guy will be Hacky McScripty, but, ego aside, he was glad the character would be in good hands with King. At this point, I think all of comic fandom agrees (apologies, of course, to Hacky McScripty, a dirty sonofabitch who owes me money).

2. Mister Miracle by Tom King / Mitch Gerads
It’s nice that in a year of so much polarization and national discord, the entire comics industry and fandom could agree on Mister Miracle as one of the best books of the year. In fact, as I write this I’ve just come from Twitter where someone noted that Mister Miracle has been awarded best comic of 2017 more than any other book. Readers of the series understand why.

Mister Miracle has the makings of a modern masterpiece, just as King and Gerads’ Sheriff of Babylon was before it, just as King’s work on The Vision and Omega Men was before that. Like all of King’s best work, Mister Miracle turns its titular superhero into a lens through which we as readers are forced to view ourselves, evaluating our own reputations, skills, and struggles with malaise and depression. It’s a dour book that also has a sense of humor; it’s a bleak story with heart; it’s a tale of ugliness and suicide and betrayal that also brims with beautiful art.

It’s a study in contradictions, a story perfectly suited for our times, for the heavy examination we as Americans are doing in this chaotic era where norms are being broken and our country often can’t agree on even minor issues or concerns. Where facts themselves have been called into question. At the end of 2017, this book is just shy of halfway done, and based on what we've seen, I'm confident enough now to predict that its second half will make it one of the most praised books of 2018 as well.

Finally, I'd like to note that deciding between Mister Miracle and the final entry on the list was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do as a critic.

1. Silver Surfer by Dan Slott / Mike Allred
Silver Surfer ranks as the best comic of 2017 and one of the best runs of all-time on any well-established superhero comic character. The final issue of Slott and Allred’s phenomenal collaboration ran in October, capping a story that started back in March of 2014 and saw the duo put out 29 phenomenal issues, some of which were innovative (the endless Silver Surfer #11 from the Marvel Now! era comes to mind) and all of which were filled (as I noted back in October) with Slott’s ambitious emotional concepts and Allred’s utterly unmatched eye for pop art.

Throughout its run, Silver Surfer was often delayed, but when it finally arrived it was immediately evident the extra time (which Slott says was his fault, always) had been put to good use. I’ve never read a book with such a unique feel. It was like watching a deep romance, an unfurling love story between The Surfer and Dawn Greenwood of Earth. The book was sweet and funny and sometimes even sexy. As I also noted in October, I’ll really miss it, and, to be honest, I can't intellectualize much more beyond that.

This Silver Surfer run accomplished one of the most difficult feats in modern superhero comics: it gave us an ongoing story that was driven by character but was at the same time satisfying on a monthly basis. It was this medium at its best: a mosaic of contained chapters that wove a larger tapestry but could also be appreciated for their individual merits. My favorite issue was the penultimate Silver Surfer #13, which was about our human desire to share our lives with a deeply beloved partner, all while knowing that time will eventually claim one of us, knowing how painful that day will be and deciding that loving another person is worth it anyway. It drove me to tears with its beauty.

Pt. 1, #16 - #25

Pt. 2, #6 - #15

Top Comics of 2017, Pt. 2 #6 - #15

Long-running books like Saga and The Wicked + The Divine NOT cracking our top 5 comics of 2017 has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of those books. No, in fact, Saga is as good as always, while Wic + Div is reaching new and awesome heights, propelled by epic twists that have changed this story of music and gods as we know it.

Those books didn’t make the top 5 because, as you’ll see when part 3 drops (hopefully tomorrow!), 2017 was a killer year for comics, at least critically (sales is another story). In our top 5, we’ll have a truly phenomenal Marvel series with a perfect ending, and we’ll have one of the industry’s best writers doing great things on multiple books and characters over at DC. But hey, we’re getting ahead of ourselves! Let’s save it for the next post.

Besides, the crop we have here is pretty great. So, let’s quit fiddling around and check out 6 - 15!

15. Doomsday Clock by Geoff Johns / Gary Frank
We predict Doomsday Clock will end up higher on next year’s list once it's get further into the story, but at the moment we’ve only seen two of the twelve issues. Those issues, however, were quite promising, setting up a tale likely to have ramifications throughout the DC Universe. With Geoff Johns and Gary Franks leading the way, we’re in for some real good comic booking.

14. X-Men: Grand Design by Ed Piskor
As with Doomsday Clock, X-Men: Grand Design will likely be higher on next year’s list. We’ve only seen one of six issues, but this might just be a masterpiece. Reading this book is like watching a perfectly-executed historical documentary, one informed by massive amounts of research. Ed Piskor, the auteur behind Grand Design, did the same thing on his last book, Hip Hop Family Tree, which traced the history of that music genre as Grand Design traces the X-Men. Simply put, this is an unprecedented and artful attempt to streamline decades of convoluted stories, and Piskor is nailing it. If he’s willing, Marvel should have Piskor produce similar books about Spider-Man, The Avengers, Hulk, Iron Man and so on and so on, etc, forever.

13. Secret Weapons by Eric Heisserer / Raul Allen
There was a cinematic quality to Secret Weapons, a Harbinger offshoot that ended up being the best Valiant book this year. That cinematic feel is likely owed to writer Eric Heisserer, who also penned last year’s excellent film Arrival. Secret Weapons is about a team of underdogs who learn to use seemingly useless powers to combat a threat that is hunting them. The plot doesn’t break new ground, but the characters’ powers are fresh, the script is compelling, and the art is top-notch. I'm becoming exhausted with Valiant not letting series grow into themselves, but this mini was satisfyingly self-contained.

12. Deathstroke by Christopher Priest / Various
Deathstroke has been a highlight of DC Rebirth. It's written by PRIEST, an all-time great creator who returned to monthly comics to helm this, and man, are we lucky he did. The plotting and character work in Deathstroke is more complex and nuanced than almost any other superhero title today, and PRIEST is consistently planting seeds that payoff later. His work here has been so good that DC allegedly offered him the Batman editor gig (which he allegedly declined) before giving him its flagship team book, Justice League. Smart moves, all around.

11. The Wild Storm by Warren Ellis / Jon Davis-Hunt
We’ve gone two whole spots without saying this, but The Wild Storm is yet another book likely to be higher next year. There is an incredible amount of complex track being patiently laid here by writer Warren Ellis. In fact, before this book launched, Ellis said he’d plotted exactly what would happen and when (and which books would spin out of the title), and this intricate planning shows. Also, Jon Davis-Hunt is one of the most underrated artists in comics. His facial expressions are almost photographically realistic, and The Wild Storm #9 had a samurai sequence that ranks as the best graphic action storytelling of the year. We can’t wait to see where this goes.

10. Royal City by Jeff Lemire
Royal City is a personal and introspective book, easily the most personal and introspective book appearing monthly in almost every shop. What’s especially impressive for such an introspective book is that the story here is also relatable, rich as it is with family dynamics, economic struggles, addiction, etc., and it's told with a really cool ‘90s grunge vibe, super familiar to readers of a certain age. Also of note is that Royal City is written AND drawn by Jeff Lemire, whose Google Calendar must be INSANE because he’s writing a half dozen other books always.

9. Supergirl: Being Super by Mariko Tamaki / Joelle Jones
Supergirl: Being Super gives the titular character the reimagined out-of-continuity origin story treatment, a concept that has previously resulted in great stories about more prominent characters, mostly Superman and Batman, over and over and over. It's nice to see it now applied to Supergirl. All four of the glossy oversized issues that make up the run of this book were killer, and Joelle Jones’ art was so good it often felt like watching a great teen drama that was heavy on emotion. 

8. Saga by Brian K. Vaughan / Fiona Staples
Saga has been a favorite throughout its run, and we’ve given it to friends and co-workers who don’t read comics (harshly judging any who did not respond with praise), and we never miss an issue. Recently, @SageTerrence described this book on Twitter as “Star Wars and Romeo and Juliet combined,” which is a good starting point for explaining Saga. Taking it further, this is also a book about a family fighting to survive a galactic conflict that is so polarized and entrenched many of those engaged in it have lost sight of the cost, becoming blinded to what's productive and only focusing on whether they're right. This, sadly, was a tragically-relevant theme for 2017, a drag-ass year if ever there was one. Here’s to a better 2018, in which Saga continues to be this good.

7. God Country by Donny Cates / Geoff Shaw
Donny Cates was a talented up-and-comer when 2017 started. Then God Country dropped. Now, as 2017 ends, Donny Cates is a bonafide comics star. If you’ve read God Country, this makes total sense. The book was so good, my LCS now orders all of Cates stuff, marking the first time this particular shop has stocked AfterShock Comics or Vault Comics titles (because of Babyteeth and Reactor, respectively). Like all of Cates’ best work, this book is powered by a mix of unique concept and clever scripting, with a healthy coat of pure Texas, Cates native state.

6. The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen / Jamie McKelvie
It’s been easy to forget The Wicked + The Divine in recent years, not because the book hasn’t been good or memorable, but because it’s been so reliable. It’s like the friend you take for granted because he or she is always there. This year, however, Gillen and McKelvie took the story to new places with a blockbuster arc that paid off events from the first issue that pretty much anywhere realized would come back to be relevant. This year's incredible arc was easily Wic + Div’s best, no minor feat for a story that’s 30-some issues old. The end game is coming for this book, and while we're sad to see it end, we have total faith that the finale will be spectacular. 

SPECIAL NOTE: The exciting conclusion, complete with the Top 5 Comics of 2017, is coming tomorrow!

Pt. 1, #16 - #25

Top Comics of 2017, Pt. 1: #16 - #25

Nearly a year ago to the day, Civil War II #8 came out with a pitiful whimper, eliciting mostly shrugs from fans and lackluster reviews online. At the time, Marvel must have thought, well, it’s a new year soon, we can regroup, and things can only get better from here.

Without going into detail about Marvel’s troubles, things did not get better. Things, in fact, got worse—much worse. So epicly worse that earlier today the Hollywood Reporter published a piece about how almost everything that could go wrong for Marvel in 2017 went for Marvel in 2017, like the House of Ideas was suddenly Jurassic Park, battling Ian Malcolm’s Chaos Theory.  

And my Top Comics of 2017 reflects this. A scant 3 of 25 spots on the list went to Marvel. By comparison, 10 went to DC and its various imprints, and 11 went to independent publishers, with Image unsurprisingly leading the way with 6 books. But this list is supposed to be celebrating the good! So, enough about problems. I’m sure much will continue to be Tweeted and blogged about Marvel’s ongoing struggles anyway. 

So, let’s get to the obsession that, if you’re anything like me, drives you to some storefront every Wednesday for a stack of floppy comics, a medium that blends of art and capitalism better and more directly than anything else this great nation of ours has conceived.

Here are 16 - 25 of the my top comics of 2017. Enjoy!

25. Infamous Iron Man by Brian Michael Bendis / Alex Maleev
I’ve said this on Twitter and been met with silence from my admittedly modest following, but one of the most interesting things about Brian Michael Bendis ending a nearly two-decade run at Marvel is that in 2017 Bendis quietly did great work for the publisher. Jessica Jones, Defenders, Spider-Man and Invincible Iron Man were all engaging, character-driven stories. Spider-Men II didn’t work for me, but the rest were A+, and none was better than Infamous Iron Man, 12 excellent issues that tackled ideas of public redemption and also featured Doctor Doom cleaning house.

24. Catalyst Prime by Lion Forge
I’ve dug Lion Forge’s Catalyst Prime books, an ambitious attempt at a new superhero universe. It doesn’t have iconic characters like Marvel or DC, obviously, and because of this, at times the stories can be fuzzy and dull. That’s just the cost of doing business in a world where there are really only 8 - 10 good superhero narratives. What Catalyst Prime does at its best is provide alternative takes on these narratives, positing questions like what if an alienated teen hero had a disability, or what if a suave rich guy hero got an unglamorous power rooted in mindscapes and introspection? Within this line, I like Superb and Astonisher the best, with Noble close behind. The art in Accell is strong and Summit is promising after only one issue.

23. Clean Room by Gail Simone / Jon Davis-Hunt & Walter Geovani
This book was so good for its entire run, but it seemed like nobody paid attention. I get that Vertigo had fallen on hard times, but Gail Simone is one of the best writers in the industry and Jon Davis-Hunt’s art is Frank Quitely-esque yet still wholly his own (Walter Geovani also did an admirable job when Davis-Hunt left for The Wild Storm). Anyway, since I feel like the only one who read this, I want to implore you now to please please please pick this up in trade, so we can get another volume of Clean Room at some point.

22. Grass Kings by Matt Kindt / Tyler Jenkins
Grass Kings is a beautiful and deliberate book, rich with Matt Kindt’s interest in the effects of malfeasance or neglect through time and Tyler Jenkins blurred, almost abstract watercolor artwork. It’s a book that feels real, from the things the characters do and say to the ideas about independence and transparency and the cost of preserving a larger community even if it means sacrificing safety of those inside. At least, that’s how I’ve read it so far anyway. This is a bit of a mystery book, the scope of which is yet to be made entirely clear.

21. Snotgirl by Bryan Lee O’Malley / Leslie Hung
There are few books as stylish or obsessively in the moment as Snotgirl, a tale of a vapid Instagram model in LA, who is only concerned with personal growth if that growth leads to a reduction in the severity of her super gross allergies. This book is a smart take on us as a social media generation, as well as a meditation on the personality disorders constant social media validation is likely creating.

20. Victor LaValle’s Destroyer by Victor LaValle / Dietrich Smith
Victor LaValle is one of my favorite literary writers, and, in fact, I may write a post early next year about how his novel The Changeling is a good choice for fans of modern suspense and horror comics. But that’s later. If you’ve already read the Changeling, I can tell you Destroyer’s plot has far more action and sci-fi, but it also has the themes of parenthood, being the other and technology that powered The Changeling, glossed with a layer of mythology culled from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. Trust me, it works.

19. Super Sons by Peter Tomasi / Jorge Jimenez
Super Sons did an impressive job telling a story about new characters and a new situation (Batman and Superman mutually raising adolescent sons) while also creating a nostalgic, classic feel that so many fans enjoy, myself included. This book was filled with fresh stories that felt familiar, and although we’re only 11 issues in, the scripts by the criminally underrated Peter Tomasi made this book feel as if it had been around for years. I love all things Super Sons, and I hope this rumor about Brian Bendis taking over Superman doesn’t rock the boat (Bendis never seems to write just one book about a character, see Iron Man, see X-Men). And Jorge Jimenez's impossibly clean lines are a perfect fit.

18. Aquaman by Dan Abnett / Various
Dan Abnett’s Aquaman has been a great book since before DC Rebirth, depicting Arthur Curry as a global diplomat constantly juggling a desire to do the right thing for Earth, to placate the nationalistic populism of his people in Atlantis, and to soothe the fears and concerns of the equally nationalistic populist surface dwellers. This book, however, has really become something special now that *SPOILER* Abnett has taken Arthur off the throne and put him in Atlantis’ underworld, where he leads a timely resistance effort against the leader that schemed to replace him. Oh, and Stjepan Sejic dual work as artist and colorist since June has been something to behold. His aesthetic is a fantastic fit for the character.

17. Think Tank by Matt Hawkins / Rahsan Ekedal
Think Tank, now on its fifth volume since launching in 2012, was as sharp as ever, taking writer Matt Hawkins dense scientific research and insatiable curiosity about the military, and distilling it into stories about global dynamics, all while telling the personal story of Dr. David Loren. What I like so much about Think Tank is every arc essentially tells three stories at once: one about the protagonist’s personal life, one about technology, and one about global affairs. It never becomes unwieldy, which is a testament to Hawkins’ deft plotting and Rahsan Ekedal’s crisp art.

16. Extremity by Daniel Warren Johnson
Aside from the gorgeous artwork, strong family dynamics and earned big twists, one of the things that endeared Extremity to me was artist / writer Daniel Warren Johnson’s earnest back matter, in which he explained this story is about his greatest fear: losing his drawing hand. It’s a personal premise, and Johnson does a great job of weaving a rich sci-fi / fantasy around it.

SPECIAL NOTE: Tomorrow I'll be posting my Top Comics of 2017, Pt. 2: #6 - #15, and Sunday I'll be posting my Pt. 3: #1 - #5.