Category Archives: Best of the Year

20 Worst Comics of 2019

Posted on by

Another look back at the comics of 2019. Today it’s the 20 worst comics. (Based on books I actually purchased in 2019). ‘Worst’ is subjective, so I understand others’ milage may vary.

No photo description available.

1. Avengers: No Road Home #10 (Marvel – 04/17/19) ★
Writer: Mark Waid, Jim Zub & Al Ewing / Art: Sean Izaakse / Colors: Marcio Menyz with Erick Arciniega / Cover: Yasmine Putri
WTF was with that ending? A nine week build up for that? A Marvel homage issue? Terrible. I want my money back.

2. Absolute Carnage: Separation Anxiety #1 (Marvel – 08/14/19) ★
Writer: Clay McCleod Chapman / Art: Brian Level / Colors: Erick Arciniega
So many questions. How many symbiots does it take to capture a tween? A bit too cute by half, this one. It’s like they were hardly trying (the writers and the symbiots).

3. Iceman #5 (Marvel – 01/09/19) ★ (Final Issue)
Writer: Sina Grace / Art: Nathan Stockman / Colors: Andreas Mossa & Federico Blee / Cover: W. Scott Forbes
There was a decent story buried in the muck of this book. Poor design and art just killed it. Also, jokes are okay, but the ones in this book are just stupid. Bobby’s an adult, not a tween.

4. Death’s Head #4 (Marvel – 10/30/19) ★
‘Jailbreak’ (Final Issue)
Writer: Tini Howard / Art: Kei Zama / Colors: Felipe Sobreiro / Cover: Nick Roche & Felipe Sobreirp
Underwhelming, rushed and confusing finale for this up and down series. No laughs, no suspense, no real action, just lots and lots of talking. Big disappointment, yes?

5. Venom #15 (Marvel – 06/12/19) ★
‘War of the Realms’ Tie -In
Writer: Cullen Bunn / Art: Iban Coello with Alberto Alburquerque & Roberto Poggi / Colors: Andres Mossa / Cover: Kyle Hotz & Dan Brown
Messy, noisy, subpar book. May be good for regular Venom readers. Not so as a ‘War of the Realms’ tie in. Also Alburquerque’s art ruins any book he touches. Dude’s awful.

6. Legion Of Super-Heroes #1 (DC – 11/06/19) ★
Writer: Brian Michael Bendis / Art: Ryan Sook & Wade von Grawbadger / Colors: Jordie Bellaire / Cover: Ryan Sook
A jumbled mess. Lots of exposition and characters talking over each other in lame attempts at “youth humor”. I just don’t see a point or need for this book. Also, have I mentioned how much I hate aged up Jon Kent? It’s not working.

7. Captain America #14 (Marvel – 09/25/19) ★
‘The Legend of Steve – Part 2’<br>Writer: Ta-Nehisi Coates / Art: Niko Walter / Colors: Matt Milla / Cover: Alex Ross
A by the book rescue mission with few, if any real surprises. The narrative a was a bit confusing and a bit of an unpleasant read as well. This title continues to stumble along. Not sure how long I plan on sticking with it. (And I collect Cap books).

8. Amazing Spider-Man #16 (Marvel – 02/27/19) ★
‘Hunted – Prelude’
Writer: Nick Spencer / Art: Ryan Ottley, Alberto Alburquerque & Cliff Rathburn / Colors: Laura Martin, Brian Reber & Carlos Lopez / Cover: Cully Hamner & Justin Ponsor
Still no fan of Ryan Ottley’s art, but Alburquerque’s is some of the worst art I have ever seen. Ruined this book for me.

9. War of the Realms: Uncanny X-Men #1 (Marvel – 04/24/19) ★
‘War of the Realms – Part 1 of 3’
Writer: Matthew Rosenberg / Art: Pere Perez / Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: David Yardin
A confusing mess of a battle book. The art makes it difficult to tell who’s speaking, and the whole thing just feels unnecessary.

10. Age of X-Man: Apocalypse and The X-Tracts #1 (Marvel – 03/13/19) ★
Writer: Tim Seeley / Art: Salva Espin / Colors: Israel Silva / Cover: Gerardo Sandoval & Israel Silva
This book made very little sense. The mutants they’re coming up with are basically stupid. Horse Head Girl? Eye Boy? Please. Best thing was the cover.

11. Uncanny X-Men #10 (Marvel – 01/16/19) ★
‘Disassembled – Part 10: Conclusion’
Writer: Matthew Rosenberg, Kelly Thompson & Ed Brisson / Art: Pere Perez / Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Giuseppe Camuncoli, Roberto Poggi & Jason Keith
Not the most satisfying conclusion to the ‘Disassembled’ story. It’s big, overblown, and has a questionable ending. Please, no more telepaths and Uber-Mutants. They’re boring as hell.

12. Age of X-Man: Alpha (Marvel – 01/30/19) ★
Writer: Zac Thompson & Lonnie Nadler / Art: Ramon Rosanas / Colors: Triona Farrell / Cover: Phil Noto
An incomprehensible prelude to another Mutant crossover EVENT!. No thank you.

13. Wolverine: Infinity Watch #2 (Marvel – 03/20/19) ★
Writer: Gerry Duggan / Art: Andy MacDonald / Colors: Jordie Bellaire / Cover: Giuseppe Camuncoli, Roberto Poggi & Dean White
No story, just unrelated fight sequences. It ends on something like a story beat, but overall it’s a mess.

14. Uncanny X-Men #14 (Marvel – 03/20/19) ★
‘This Is Forever – Part 4’<br>Writer: Matthew Rosenberg / Art: Salvador Larroca / Colors: Guru-eFX / Cover: Salvador Larroca & Rachelle Rosenberg
A muddled, incoherent mess. I couldn’t understand anything that was going on. The final reveal was a plus, but overall this issue was another misfire.

15. Flash #78 (DC – 09/11/19) ★
‘Death and the Speed Force – Part 3’
Writer: Joshua Williamson / Art: Rafa Sandoval & Jordi Tarragona / Colors: Arif Prianto / Cover: Sandoval Tarragona & Tomeu Morey
Less action and more… lots more… talk in this issue. There’s some decent dialog, but overall its a bit of a bore.

16. Domino #10 (Marvel – 01/30/19) ★
‘Soldier of Fortune – Part 4: Conclusion’ (Final Issue)
Writer: Gail Simone / Art: David Baldeon, Michael Shelfer, Alberto Alburquerque & Anthony Piper with Victor Olazaba, Ed Tadeo & Michael Shelfer / Colors: Carlos Lopez / Cover: Gang Hyuk Lim
So Domino ends not with a bang, but with a fizzle. The story tries really hard, but it’s a very unpleasant book to look at. Of the four artists, only Balderon’s work was any good (don’t get me started on Alburquerque). A sad way to go out.

17. Uncanny X-Men #18 (Marvel – 05/15/19) ★
‘We Have Always Been – Part 2’
Writer: Matthew Rosenberg / Art: Carlos Villa, Juan Vlasco & Craig Yeung / Colors: Guru-eFX / Cover: Whilce Portacio & Erick Arciniega
Taking the murdering mutants theme to the extreme in this one. I fail to see the point of this overly grim storyline.

18. Avengers #17 (Marvel – 03/20/19) ★
‘The Kingdom of Vampires’
Writer: Jason Aaron / Art: David Marquez / Colors: Erick Arciniega / Cover: David Marquez & Matthew Wilson
A bit of a jumbled mess. What was this story all about? Where’s the resolution? Such a disappointment.

19. Conan the Barbarian #3 (Marvel – 02/06/19) ★
‘The Life & Death of Conan – Part 3: Cimmerians Don’t Pray’
Writer: Jason Aaron / Art: Mahmud Asrar / Colors: Matthew Wilson / Cover: Esad Ribic
The magic’s of the return of Conan is already wearing off a bit, and it’s only the third issue. This was just a straight-up murder-porn story. Nothing to write home about.

20. Year of the Villain #1 (DC – 05/01/19) ★
‘Doom’
Writer: / Scott Snyder / Art: Jim Cheung / Colors: Tomeu Morey‘Leviathan’Writer: Brian Michael Bendis / Art: Alex Maleev / Colors:Tomeu Morey
‘Justice’
Writer: James Tynion IV / Art: Francis Manapul / Colors: Francis Manapul / Cover: Greg Capullo & FCO
Big EVENT! kick-off. Another one where all the heroes fight all the villains (sigh). More of a promo than a collection of true stories. It’s all stuff we’ve seen before, dozens of times. Yawn.

Top 20 Comics of 2019

Posted on by
No photo description available.

1. Daredevil #5 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (05/15/19)
‘Know Fear – Part 5’
Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Marco Checchetto / Colors: Sonny Gho / Cover: Julian Totino Tedesco
So good it hurts. You can feel the emotions coming off the page. Incredible writing and art to match. This series will go down in legend.

2. Batman #79 (DC) ★★★★★ (09/18/19)
‘City of Bane – Part 5’
Writer: Tom King / Art: Clay Mann & Seth Mann / Colors: Tomeu Morey / Cover: Tony S. Daniel & Tomeu Morey
A perfect Batman book. This comic has it all. Gorgeous art, snappy dialog. Great action scenes. Romance. Humor. I love Bat & Cat together. Aces.

3. Immortal Hulk #24 (Marvel)★★★★★ (10/02/19)
‘The Steel Throne’
Writing: Al Ewing / Art: Joe Bennett with Ruy Jose, Balardino Brabo, Marc Deering & Roberto Poggi / Colors: Paul Mounts / Cover: Alex Ross
Sweet Christmas. This book went places I did not see coming. The end of Fortean and the possible emergence of a new kind of Hulk. Big things are definitely brewing. Oh, and the ending? I have no words. I have lost all my words.

4. Spider-Man: Life Story #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (03/20/19)
‘The 60’s – Chapter 1: The War at Home’
Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Mark Bagley & John Dell / Colors: Frank D’Armata / Cover: Chip Zdarsky
Amazing. Great art, brilliant storytelling. Perfect.

5. Guardians of the Galaxy #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (01/23/19)
‘The Final Gauntlet – Part 1 of 6’
Writer: Donny Cates / Art: Geoff Shaw / Colors: Marte Gracia / Cover: David Marquez & Dean White
A perfect book. Great art, a interesting story, big moments, and fun to read. Outstanding.

6. Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #11 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/28/19)
‘Friendly Neighborhood Mary Jane’
Writer: Tom Taylor / Art: Juann Cabal / Colors: Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Andrew C. Robinson
Outstanding. Sparkling dialog.. complete with callbacks. Spot on art with lots of great little bits of business. A surprise guest star. Practically perfect in every way.

7. Daredevil #7 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (06/19/19)
‘No Devils. Only God – Part 2’
Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Lalit Kumar Sharma & Jay Leisten / Colors: Java Tartaglia / Cover: Chip Zdarsky
Beautiful. Just… beautiful. I love scruffy Murdock, and the religious elements really moved me. There was even a surprise. This may be a perfect book.

8. Cano #5 (IDW) ★★★★★ (10/02/19)
Writer: David M. Booher / Art: Drew Zucker / Colors: Vittorio Astone / Cover: Drew Zucker
Six pages of wordless battle and the end of Canto’s quest… or not the end? Beautiful storytelling and one of the most heartbreaking pages I’ve ever read (second to last page, I read it three times). Wonderful book.

9.Secret Warps: Arach-Knight Annual #1 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (07/24/19)
‘Part 4: Supremeuniversal’
Writer: Al Ewing / Art: Carlos Gomez / Colors: Carlos Gomez / Cover: Carlos Gomez & Edgar Delgado
’A Terrific Tangle’
Writer: Jim Zub / Art: Carlo Barberi & Juan Vlasco / Colors: Ruth Redmond
Best book in the ‘Secret Warps’ series, by a mile. Beautifully drawn with with writing so fun I laughed out loud several times. Both stories are practically perfect, in every way.

10. Daredevil #12 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (10/02/19)
‘Through Hell – Part 2’
Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Marco Checchetto / Colors: Nolan Woodard / Cover: Julian Totino Tedesco
Gritty, dirty and brutal – twice. The fact the Murdock fight takes place in daylight makes it even more visceral. You could almost feel the punches. The Fisk scene… holy… yikes. Awesome book.

11. Immortal Hulk #19 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (06/12/19)
‘Butterfly’
Writer: Al Ewing / Art: Joe Bennett with Ruy Jose & Balardino Brabo / Colors: Paul Mounts & Rachelle Rosenberg / Cover: Alex Ross
Holy Christmas, that was something! Grisley, cruel, shocking… amazing. Just wow.

12. Doom 2099 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (12/11/19)
‘2099 – Part 10’
Writer: Chip Zdarsky / Art: Marco Castiello & Vincenzo Acunzo / Colors: Chris Sotomayor / Cover: Tomm Coker & Michael Garland
Outstanding Doom/Richards story. Zdarsky & Castiello combine for a near-perfect one-shot. The surprise of the 2099 EVENT!

13. Invisible Woman #3 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (09/11/19)
Writer: Mark Waid / Art: Mattia De Lulis / Colors: Mattia De Lulis / Cover: Adam Hughes
Outstanding. From the cover to the final page, this is a spy thriller done right. I love Sue as a bad-ass spy… and with a new power set too. Awesome stuff.

14. Fantastic Four #13 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/14/19)
‘The Fight of Your Life’
Writer: Dan Slott / Art: Sean Izaakse / Colors: Marcio Menyz / Cover: Esad Ribic
That was crazy good. I don’t think I have never seen the Thing get beat up that badly. Loved the way the fight was portrayed. Loved the ending. Loved the coda. Loved everything.

15. Amazing Spider-Man #18.HU (Marvel) ★★★★★ (04/03/19)
‘Hunted’Writer: Nick Spencer / Art: Ken Lashley / Colors: Erick Arciniega / Cover: Greg Land & Frank D’Armata
Sublimely dark and grim. Beautiful and sad. Wow.

16. Sharkey the Bounty Hunter #4 (Image) ★★★★★ (06/05/19)
Writer: Mark Millar / Art: Simone Bianchi / Colors: Simone Peruzzi with Matteo Vattani / Cover: Simone Bianchi
Excellent book. Betrayal, spies, living asteroids. Great stuff. Vatanni’s assist on the art provided a special kick. Just awesome.

17. Martian Manhunter #6 (DC) ★★★★★ (06/26/19)
‘We Plan Escape’
Writer: Steve Orlando / Art: Riley Rossmo / Colors: Ivan Plascencia / Cover: Riley Rossmo
The fall of Mars as our story comes full circle – sort of. The fall of J’onnz is portrayed masterfully. The betrayal and loss. Beuautiufully written and brutally ilustrated. Awesome.

18. Silver Surfer: Black #3 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/14/19)
‘Black – Part 3 of 5’
Writer: Donny Cates / Art: Tradd Moore / Colors: Dave Stewart / Cover: Tradd Moore & Felipe Sobreiro
Visually stunning throughout (that cover!) This issue has a directness and tight narrative that really improves the story. Surfer is valiant and strong, as opposed to previous issues where he displayed many of his flaws. I prefer this version.

19. King Thor #2 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (10/23/19)
‘Chapter 2: Gorr and the Last of the Gods’
Writer: Jason Aaron / Art: Esad Ribic / Colors: Ive Svorcina / Cover: Esad Ribic
The Gorr/Loki/Thor dynamic makes for an incredible read. Aaron’s writing in this issue is simply amazing. The visuals are grim, brutal and sublimely beautiful. An awesome book. What a rebound. Wow.

20. Immortal Hulk #22 (Marvel) ★★★★★ (08/07/19)
‘Who’s There’
Writer: Al Ewing / Art: Joe Bennett with Ruy Jose & Balardino Brabo / Colors: Paul Mounts / Cover: Alex Ross
Oh man, that ending. For a relatively quiet book, this was a riveting read. The intensity keeps building, until… BOOM!

Best of 2018: Top 20 Comic Book Covers

Posted on by

2018: Top 20 Comic Covers

Top 20 favorite comic book covers for 2018:

1. Marvel Two-In-One #8 Sep-18 (Marvel)
Art: Jay Anceleto & Romulo Fajardo Jr
2. Amazing Spider-Man #796 Apr-18 (Marvel)
Art: Alex Ross
3. Teen Titans #23 (Variant) Dec-18 (DC)
Art: Alex Garner
4. Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man #308 Oct-18 (Marvel)
Art: Chris Bachalo
5. Exit Stage Left: The Snagglepuss Chronicles #1 Mar-18 (DC)
Art: Ben Caldwell

6. Moon Knight #198 Oct-18 (Marvel)
Art: Becky Cloonan
7. Fantastic Four #1 (Variant) Oct-18 (Marvel)
Art: Alex Ross
8. Quicksilver: No Surender #3 Sep-18 (Marvel)
Art: Martin Simmonds
9. Journey Into Mystery: The Birth of Krakoa #1 Nov-18 (Marvel)
Art: Greg Smallwood
10. Fence #10 Sep-18 (Boom! Box)
Art: HamletMachine

11. Flash #56 Dec-18 (DC)
Art: Dan Panosian
12. Ant-Man and the Wasp #3 Sep-18 (Marvel)
Art: David Nakayama
13. Sandman Universe: The Dreaming #1 Nov-18 (DC: Vertigo)
Art: Jae Lee & June Chung
14. Astonishing X-Men #17 Jan-19 (Marvel)
Art: Greg Land, Jay Leisten & Frank D’Armata
15. Best Defense: The Silver Surfer #1 Feb-19 (Marvel)
Art: Ron Garney & Richard Isanove

16. The Fighting American #2 May-18 (Titan)
Art: Andie Tong
17. Heroes in Crisis #1 Nov-18 (DC)
Art: Clay Mann & Tomeu Morey
18. Immortal Hulk #1 Aug-18 (Marvel)
Art: Alex Ross
19. Multiple Man #1 Aug-18 (Marvel)
Art: Marcos Martin
20. Action Comics #1000 Jun-18 (DC)
Art: Jim Lee, Scott Williams & Alex Sinclair

Best of 2018: Top 10 TV Series

Posted on by

2018: Top 10 TV

With News, Sports, and YouTube, I don’t watch a lot of episodic television. That said …
My Favorite TV Series for 2018.

1 – Silicon Valley (HBO)
2 – The Good Place (NBC)
3 – Aggretsuko (Netflix)
4 – Will & Grace (NBC)
5 – Titans (DC Universe)
6 – The Kids Are Alright (ABC)
7 – Barry (HBO)
8 – The Orville (Fox)
9 – The Connors (ABC)
10 – Superstore (NBC)

Best of 2018: Top 10 Comic Series

Posted on by

Top 10 Comics - 2018

1. Peter Parker: The Spectacular Spider-Man (Marvel)
Chip Zdarsky signed off from his run on this title with three excellent stories, “Amazing Fantasy”, “No More” and my Books of the Year, “Cracked Hourglass”. It all culminated in the Brilliant issue 310 “Finale”, written and illustrated by Zdarsky. Joe Quinones and Adam Kubert’s art in “Amazing Fantasy” and “No More” paired perfectly with the storytelling. Chris Bachalo’s work in “Hourglass” pushed this title to the top. Sean Ryan and Juan Frigeri maintain the high standard with their Spider-Geddon stories at years end. Great stuff!

2. Amazing Spider-Man (Marvel)
Similarly to PP:TSM, longtime writer Dan Slott ended his run on Amazing Spider-Man with the brilliant “Go Down Swinging” storyline, and the “There For You” coda. Stuart Immonen’s artwork is always a pleasure, and it worked beautifully in this story. The title relaunched after issue 800 with the new team of Nick Spencer and Ryan Ottley. After a shaky first issue they found the right tone and the title took off with “Back to Basics”. Beginning with issue 6, Humberto Ramos supplied the art for “Trivial Pursuit” and “Heist” taking the title to even greater heights (I may be biased, with Ramos being my favorite current artist). Ottley returned at the end of the year for “Lifetime Achievement”, and while I’ll miss Ramos, if Spencer continues the great stories, I’ll be fine with that.

3. Extermination (Marvel)
This five issue Limited Series sought to realign the X-Men universe by returning the original 5 X-Men back to their own time. Writer Ed Brisson and artist Pepe Larraz made the book so much more than that with some of the best action in any title all year.

4. Daredevil (Marvel)
Beginning with the “Mayor Fisk” storyline and continuing through “The Death of Daredevil” this book was pure political thriller, with some heroics thrown in. Charles Soule’s stories were grim, tension filled adventures filled with ninjas, supernatural beings and… Mike Murdock. Soule’s ‘everything but the kitchen’ sink approach made for a title that continually kept me guessing issue after issue. The parade of artists Stefano Landini, Ron Garney, Mike Henderson and Phil Noto throughout the year was a bit jarring at times, but each of them brought something unique which kept the story fresh.

5. Batman (DC)
Coming in this title mid-year for the Wedding event that wasn’t, I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was a gritty gripping narrative by Tom King in the “Cold Days”, “Beasts of Burden” and “Tyrant Wing” stories. The standouts being issue 54, “The Better Man”, along with issue #55, both among my books of the year. The musical chairs of artists Mikel Janin, Lee Weeks, Matt Wagner, Tony S. Daniel and Travis Moore throughout the run was a bit frustrating, but you can’t have everything, and at least they didn’t change mid-story.

6. Fighting American (Titan)
This second Limited Series, “The Ties That Bind” featuring Jack Kirby & Joe Simon’s Golden Age hero picked up where the first series left off, with our heroes the Fighting American and Speed Boy adjusting to life in the 21st century. Some wonderfully funny moments including the elder Fighting American admonishing the younger Speed Boy not to be taken in by the sins of the modern world, a satirical look at sensationalist media and comically golden age bad guys, make this book a delight. Writer Gordon Rennie and artist Andie Tong do a masterful job of combining golden age camp and modern comic storytelling. Four issues isn’t enough.

7. Fence (Boom Box)
Writer C.S.Pacat and artist Joanna the Mad bring us this story of the students of Kings Row, a private high school, and their tryouts for a place on the school’s fencing team. The series focuses on two students, Seiji, a champion, and the other, Nicholas, on scholarship. The series does take the time to highlight each of the prospective team members. The art is a western anime style and works rather well in the context of this story. There were a few cheat issues, which felt like they were there just to pad out the story, but overall this has been a very enjoyable read.

8. Marvel 2-In-One (Marvel)
The return of Marvel 2-In-One was one of the highlights of 2018. Writer Chip Zdarsky brought out all the feels in the early “Fate of the Four” issues, as Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm dealt with the loss of the Richards family. Artists Jim Cheung and Valero Schiti provided beautiful and moving artwork that really sold the emotional side of the story. Along the way we got Doom, a trip through the Multiverse, and the eventual, if a bit drawn out, reunion of the First Family. Artist Ramon K. Perez handled the post “Fate” stories, and provided the series with some truly spectacular visuals.

9. Adventures of the Super Sons (DC)
This 12 Issue “Maxi-Series” follows the adventures of Jon Kent and Damian Wayne as they attempt to return to Earth after being abducted by alien versions of Lex Luthor, Joker, etc. As silly as it sounds, this is a great read. Writer Peter J. Tomasi and artist Carlo Barberi provide an entertainingly funny adventure. The interplay between Jon and Damian is spot on, and the art is consistently outstanding.

10. Fantastic Four (Marvel)
Perhaps a bit of a cheat, considering there were only five issues published in 2018, but the FF are my favorite heroes and I waited a long time for their return. Despite Marvel
bungling the debut release, overlapping the end of 2-In-One, thus lessening the impact of the overall story, I thoroughly enjoyed these 5 issues (6 if you include the Wedding issue). Writer Dan Slott has a great feel for the characters, and the stories bringing us through the reunion and wedding have been very enjoyable reads, with plenty of feels thrown in. The art by Sara Pichelli, while not mind blowing, has been quite good. Later issues by Stefano Caselli (#4), Aaron Kuder (#5) and Laura Braga (Wedding Special) have me a bit concerned that they won’t have a consistent team going forward. We shall see.