If I had to characterize 2006?s year in comics I guess I could sum it up by naming a couple of redheads: Medusa (below) and Gail Simone (left). One?s a Mavel comic book character (one of my favorites) who received a fair share of the limelight considering she?s been largely out of sight, or mainly seen as the wife and voice of the King of the Inhumans for the previous few years and has never really been what you would call any thing other than a ?B? at best, and most likely, ?C?-list character. The other is on of DC?s most consistent and creative writers whose work on Birds of Prey, Villains United, Secret Six, The Atom, Gen-13 and most recently, Welcome to Tranquility made her the writer to beat in 2006. Just like the redheads, the books I read can pretty much be split even between Marvel and DC, and while I would categorize Marvel as having the higher highs and the lower lows, DC scores high in consistency when it comes to a satisfying read. (Of course, I?m not exclusively a Marvel/DC whore, although last year my indy reading was limited to Terry Moore?s soon-to-be-finished Strangers in Paradise, and Peter David?s Fallen Angel, both of which fall under DC?s consistently satisfying.
2006 was a ?big event? year for Marvel and DC, and for me, neither really amounted to much with regard to either of their big events doing much for me. Over at Marvel we were treated to Civil War, a thinly-veiled, poorly-written analogy to the state of our nation right now with regard to the War in Iraq. Really it?s just an excuse for a bunch of characters to act totally out of character and for Captain American and Iron Man to beat the crap out of each other. I suppose I could say it was a step up from last year?s Marvel events, the abysmal Avengers Disassembled, Decimation, and House of M. Perhaps that?s because BENDIS! wasn?t the sole creative force behind it. (Speaking of House of M, I must admit that pitiful excuse for an event did spawn my biggest surprise of the year, the intriguing, inventive, and thoroughly enjoyable Son of M. It also created Layla Miller, a character I had no interest in whatsoever until that mastermind of the unexpected, Peter David, got his hands on her over at X-Factor and turned her into one of my favorite characters of the year. Just goes to prove the saying, “There are no bad characters, only bad writers.”)
While Civil War hogged headlines and bombastically tried to convince readers through interviews and press that it was really ground-breaking and great (despite the fact that by year?s end it was about 3 months behind schedule), Marvel was quietly releasing some quality product in the form of two ?non-events? (and I call them non-events because of Marvel?s lack of promotion for them). Annihilation was Keith Giffen?s successful attempt to breathe new life into Marvel?s cosmic characters. It featured strong writing, an exciting plot, and for me, the inclusion of another misunderstood, little-used favorite character of mine, Moondragon. Beyond came out of left field tossing together some truly unlikely characters, including a kick-ass Medusa, and a much-need-of-some-spotlight Firebird, and wove a compelling, old-school superhero comic book out of it.
DC started the year finishing up its controversial Infinite Crisis, sequel of sorts to the 1980?s Crisis on Infinite Earths, and 2005?s Identity Crisis. Their big event continued throughout the year with 52, a daring weekly comic that has amazingly suffered no delays, but did suffer a bit of a fluctuation in quality from week to week. Many fans loathed Infinite Crisis claiming that it stomped on legacy characters and sullied their long histories. Not having as much of an emotional connection to the whole Superman mythos myself, that didn?t bother me all that much. I?m not sure Infinite Crisis was necessary from a story point of view (I?m sure it was from a sales point of view) but it was an enjoyable story for me. Sure, there was some silliness (Superboy?s super-punches resetting continuity glitches? Blah!) but this is comics after all. And it launched a handful of characters and series that I have found myself enjoying, including new launches of Justice League of America, Justice Society of America, Wonder Woman, Gail Simone?s Secret Six, Bill Willingham?s Shadowpact, Martian Manhunter, the new Batwoman, and Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters.
So here?s a quick rundown of my year in comics. I?ve split it up between DC, Marvel and the Indies. I have listed the books that I read and included brief comments on them. As for 2007? I periodically ask myself if I am finally too old to enjoy comics. Much of what is popular and making money is just not at all to my liking. But watching the television series ?Heroes? still sends chills down my spine. I am captivated by the notion of superheroes. As long as that is the case, and as long as there are comics being published that I am enjoying, I will continue to read comics.
DC
- Birds of Prey ? Big shake-up at issue #100. Consistently strong. While many, including myself, will miss Black Canary on this title, I found myself thinking about the reasons she has left. When BoP got started, Black Canary had truly fallen as a character from an integral part of the Justice League of America to the mainly victimized girlfriend of Green Arrow. Now, through the work of such creators as Chuck Dixon and Gail Simone, Black Canary is back in a big way, ready to re-take her position on the Justice League of America; free from the victimized shadow of the Emerald Archer. It?s time Gail worked some of that rejuvenating magic on some other deserving heroine of the DC Universe.
- Wonder Woman ? Diana spent most of the year missing-in-action. Her series got a reboot with celebrity writer James Heinberg and debuted strongly, capturing a deservingly more widespread audience than her previous exploits. And while I?ve enjoyed the direction Heinberg has moved in, I was a big fan of Greg Rucka?s Wonder Woman and miss his grand, noble depiction of Diana. Add to that the very fact that Heinberg is a celebrity writer, and you get a title that is two to three months behind schedule; to the point where most people will say when a new issue finally appears? so?
- Manhunter ? I find Manhunter, DC?s dark horse title, just gets better and better as time goes on. Kate Spencer is a fascinatingly complex character, and writer Marc Andreyko has given her a strong supporting cast and a satisfyingly dangerous rogue?s gallery, enough to make this title one of the ones I look forward to each month. So naturally, it?s soon to be cancelled; and it?s the second time it has faced this threat. The first time, there was such a fan outcry, that DC decided to give it another chance: 5 more issues and a chance to increase its sales figures. Alas, it failed to do that so is headed for the chopping block once more. Let?s see if Kate?s fans can do magic once more time.
- Justice League of America/JLA ? Like Wonder Woman, this one?s been missing-in-action for most of the year. In its previous incarnation, JLA found itself wrapping up in a somewhat lackluster way, paving the way for Infinite Crisis and 52. Bestselling novelist Brad Meltzer took the reigns of the newly revamped title late in the year, and with tales harkening back to JLA?s silver age, knocks it out of the park. It doesn?t hurt that the first story arc features one of my perennial favorites, Red Tornado, and that another of my favorites, Black Canary, returns as a seasoned professional who is not to be messed with. I?m looking forward to a full year of this title.
- Justice ? It?s astoundingly beautiful and fun to read in a retro-throwback kind of way, but with a bimonthly schedule it has lost some of the initial excitement. When it?s all finished up, I?m sure it will make a great read from start to finish.
- Justice Society of America/JSA ? I found the final story arc on JSA to be slightly lackluster, the relaunch featuring the return of writer Geoff Johns and a repuposing of the team has launched Justice Society of America into the handful of titles I can?t wait to read. 2007 is sure to be a big year for this one.
- Hawkman/Hawkgirl ? While the idea of morphing Hawkman into Hawkgirl was exciting, Walt Simonson?s initial story arc really left me cold and forced me to drop the title. Recently I?ve been reading some interesting things about the new direction featuring Hawkman?s return and I?m considering picking up the title again.
- Supergirl ? This title turned me off with its confusing lack of direction and cheesecake pin-up art. I finally dropped the title several months ago. I?ve read that Supergirl will be getting a new creative team and I may give it another chance in 2007.
- Legion of Superheroes/Supergirl and the Legion of Superheroes ? Mark Waid?s relaunch of this title in 2005 involved a new purpose for the team that didn?t do much for me. Still, I have such an affection for many of these characters that I?ve stuck with the title despite the fact that it?s just missing something for me. The addition of Sueprgirl has been interesting, and I?m hoping for an upturn in my interest in 2007.
- 52 ? DC?s big event for 2006 features a cadre of writers and artists making the quality hit and miss. Some of the many storylines have been holding my interest while others have seemed like filler. Still, for a weekly comic that has remained on schedule, it?s doing an above average job overall. I?m with it until the end.
- Infinite Crisis ? Although many fans loathed it, I found it satisfying overall. I?m a big fan of Phil Jiminez? art, and I?m in favor of the slight retooling of tone for DC comics that has emerged, but it certainly lacked the impact of its predecessor, Crisis on Infinite Earths.
- Shadowpact ? I?m a big fan of magic-based characters, and any title that features even just glimpses of Black Orchid scores points with me. The writing and art have been strong, and the characters have been developing nicely. This one?s a keeper.
- Bulleteer ? Grant Morrison?s Seven Soldiers of Victory was choppy and suffered scheduling problems, but this miniseries was one of the better ones and I enjoyed its wrap-up.
- Secret Six ? Come on, it?s Gail Simone! Great mix of characters, compelling storylines? can we get more of this?
- Atom ? I only picked this one up because Gail?s writing it, and despite the John Byrne art, but it hasn?t really clicked with me. Not sure how long this will last.
- Martian Manhunter ? I?m a fan of the Martian Manhunter character, and this miniseries features a compelling storyline that has held my interest throughout.
- Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters ? The massacre of the previous incarnation of this team over in Inifnite Crisis seemed sensationalistic and somewhat unnecessary; and the new characters created to fill the void haven?t yet proved to be as interesting, but I am enjoying this title more than I expected and will follow it with interest to its conclusion.
- Lucifer ? John Rey Neiber?s Lucifer was been a winner since the very beginning, and the conclusion to this series maintained the high quality. I will miss these characters and the stories Neiber told so well.
- Crossing Midnight ? This new Vertigo title has started promisingly. Hopefully it will fill the void left by Lucifer?s departure.
- Y, the Last Man ? Along with Gail Simone and Peter David, Brian K. Vaughn is another writer whose work I seem to consistently enjoy. Y, the Last Man will be finishing up in 2007 and I will miss it greatly.
- Fables ? Fables is a consistently good read for me. It doesn?t generate the excitement of my favorites, but it?s always satisfying.
- Gen 13 ? I only picked this up because Gail Simone was writing it. I read the first three or four issues of this title in its original incarnation and didn?t stick with it. Gail has started over again following this group of kids and I?ve been finding it surprisingly entertaining.
- Ex Machina ? Another Brian K. Vaughn masterwork, and it?s one of my favorite titles. Beautiful art, thought-provoking stories, and always satisfying issues. Keep it coming, Brian!
Marvel
- Daughters of the Dragon/Heroes for Hire ? I loved Misty Knight and Colleen Wing during the 1970?s, and this unexpected return has proven to be a lot of fun. While much more light-hearted than the original incarnation, I?ve enjoyed following these ladies and their partners again in the new millennium. The characters could use a little more differentiation, but if it survives, I will keep reading it.
- Dr. Strange: The Oath ? Brian K. Vaughn makes the Sorcerer Supreme accessible and rather fun. The ingenious inclusion of the Night Nurse as a bit of a snarky foil for the good doctor has worked surprisingly well. I?d love to see Vaughn do a Dr. Strange ongoing series, and would love to see the return of Clea.
- White Tiger ? Fans haven?t been kind of Tamora Pierce?s new miniseries starring a new, female White Tiger, but I?ve been enjoying it well enough. I?ll follow it through to the end.
- Hellstrom – Despite initial interest, I dropped this after the first issue. Just didn?t hold my interest.
- X-Factor ? Peter David can do no wrong. X-Factor continues to delight with its combination of mutant drama, and laugh-out-loud humor. The addition of Quicksilver post Son of M was a stroke of genius, and his depiction of Layla Miller is sheer heaven. Some complain about the dark artwork, but it works really well for me. This is one of my top reads each and every month.
- Astonishing X-Men ? Joss Whedon started out strong on this title, and his continued inspired use of Kitty Pryde has been fun to read, but I find his storylines to be a little too drawn-out and having trouble keeping my interest. He writes a good story, so I?ll stick with his run until the end, but I?m not as wild about it as others have been.
- All other X-Men titles ? I?m done.
- 4 ? Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa was a find for Marvel. Despite overwhelming fan displeasure, I found his depiction of the Fantastic Four in 4 to be the best in years. For me he truly captured the character of the team and spun innovative and intriguing stories around them. The wrap up of this series was a sad experience for me given the lackluster work in the Fantastic Four?s main title. Plus, Aguirre-Sacasa was clearly as much of a fan of the Invisible Woman as I, and wrote her better than anyone since Byrne.
- The Thing ? Dan Slott did something I wouldn?t have thought possible: made a series about The Thing be near the top of my must-read list each month. Andrea DeVito?s art certainly helped, but even after his departure, I still thoroughly enjoyed Slott?s warm depiction of Benjamin J. Grimm. Using old-school team-ups and superhero action, Slott created a comic that was fun to read. I just don?t understand how it could have performed so poorly? It doesn?t make sense to me. It seemed like a winner all around. Well, it was fun while it lasted.
- Fantastic Four ? What is it about The Fantastic Four? Why has this former flagship title of the Marvel Universe had such a hard time finding its way in recent years? And what went wrong in 2006? Was it a casualty of Civil War? Or was it J. Michael Straczynski? The art was great, but the stories were just okay. It seemed that given time and room to develop, Straczynski might have been able to bring FF back to the heights it once enjoyed, but the title got mired in the Civil War event and the title lost what little focus it had. (Hello? Aguirre-Sacasa should have just taken over the title!) Well I?m hopeful that 2007 will see the fantastic foursome back living their glory days. Beyond writer Dwayne McDuffie has taken over the writing reigns from Straczynski, and given his stellar work on that miniseries, I have high hopes for Marvel?s first family.
- Ultimates 2 ? What did we get; three issues? I?m sorry, despite the strong art, and way over-the-top story, this one needs a little more consistency.
- Squadron Supreme ? What happened to the Squadron Supreme? Once the team members finally got together it seemed to suffer a bit of a lack of focus. It?s still intriguing; but feels like an afterthought. And now it seems to have disappeared? What will become of this title in 2007?
- Eternals ? I?m not sure why this should surprise me given Neil Gaiman?s track record, but I have found The Eternals to be a terrific miniseries that brings these characters firmly back into the Marvel Universe. Somehow Gaiman managed to construct a powerful story that didn?t ignore everything that was going around in the Marvel Universe around him! I know it?s not going to happen, but an ongoing Eternals title with Gaiman writing would be a must-read.
- Annihilation ? Ditto. The prelude miniseries were all enjoyable. I?m a fan of cosmic storylines, and I?ve always thought Annihilus was a great villain. So the books were a little male-heavy (Nova, Silver Surfer, Drax the Destoyer, Super Skrull, Ronan the Accuser) they did manage to provide a big part for Gamora. And the promo art for the main series did feature another of my favorites, Moondragon, pretty prominently. Coupled with Andrea DeVito artwork, and a well thought out plot from Keith Giffen, Annihilation harkened back to the cosmic titles of yore like Infinity Gauntlet and the Kree-Skrull War in The Avengers while adding a down-and-dirty guerrilla warfare feel to the conflict that made it stand out. Looking forward to its conclusion and the fall out.
- Son of M ? Biggest (positive) surprise of the year! This sequel to the misguided House of M featuring Quicksilver and his reaction to his part in the downfall of The Scarlet Witch, was something much more exciting. It was an Inhumans story. I?m a big fan of the Inhumans, and I was great to see them getting so much attention in 2006 (and on into 2007 with The Silent War.) Writer David Hine captured the tragedy of Pietro, his misguided attempts to make things right after House of M (you might say David Hine was doing the same), and his creepy turn with the Terrigen Mists and his daughter Luna, so perfectly and with real heart and emotion, all the while never forgetting that this was a comic book that needed a strong balance of characterization and action.
- She-Hulk ? Dan Slott does a great job melding She-Hulk style humor and old-school Marvel action all the while telling interesting stories and most importantly, selling books! The art, unfortunately, works against this one, and I?m sure Slott would be well-served with a less cartoony artist. An added bonus for me was another appearance by Moondragon!
- Thunderbolts ? While I enjoyed Thunderbolts overall, the title lost some of its appeal as the year progressed. I think it was another casualty of Civil War, to be honest. It seemed like the title was just a cog in the wheel of a larger story, and while the individual titles were interesting enough, the series as a whole didn?t add up to much. I?ve already passed on the first issue of its relaunch in 2007, so unfortunately, I don?t expect much from it.
- Nextwave ? While fans railed against this title as blasphemy, particularly with regard to the character of Monica Rambeau, I took it for what it was and enjoyed it as a fun, snarky title loaded with action and a character that vaguely resembled and shared the same powers as Monica. In the end, I enjoyed the issues, but really? why bother?
- Civil War ? Utter dreck. I cannot say enough negative things about Marvel?s big event of 2006? and 2007.
- Pulse ? Farewell to the one series (after Alias) in enjoyed Bendis on.
- Young Avengers ? Another casualty of James Heinberg. He?s a good writer, has great ideas, but we got three issues. Why bother? It was a risky premise that Heinberg made work, but going forward without him I can?t see it succeeding.
- Ms. Marvel ? I dropped this one early, mainly due to the direction the character took once Civil War got started. I did pick up a couple of random issues, mainly to check in on Julia Carpenter.
- New Avengers ? Bendis did what only one other writer (Rob Liefield) got me to do). He got me to drop The Avengers. I purchased two issues of New Avengers: the lackluster Spider-woman spotlight, and the surprisingly well-done Clint Barton/Wanda Maximoff story. Now 2007 will see him in charge of TWO Avengers titles, the new New Avengers and Mighty Avengers. So rather than start a second title that harkens back to the big, less, street-oriented stories and appeasing some disgruntled readers by using another writer, they decided to use their cash cow to do just that, potentially alienating the same batch of readers (like me) even further. Bendis claims that his writing style on Mighty Avengers will be radically different that that of New Avengers, and I will even check out a couple of issues to see what I think, but I?m not holding my breath. The whole exercise seems rather masturbatory to me.
Beyond – .. my wildest expectations. The initial solicitations had be alternatively scratching my head in bewilderment and jumping for joy. Medusa, Firebird, the Wasp, Hank Pym (not Yellowjacket, Ant-man, Giant-man or one of his many incarnations, but the non-costumed one I like the best) featured in a miniseries? But what?s this? Alongside Spider-man, The Hood, Kraven the Hunter, Venom, and Gravity (who I like, don?t get me wrong)? It just didn?t really seem to add up. But Dwayne McDuffie did it. He took these disparate characters and wove an action-packed, storyline featuring strong characterization that featured old-style battles with some pretty quirky opponents (Dragon Man? Space Phantom? Xenu the Titan?) It’s the first time I’ve enjoyed Hank Pym since his West Coast Avengers days, and I love the further exploration of his relationship with Firebird. And his depiction of Medusa as a take-no-prisoners, tough-as-nails-Monarch was this fanboy?s dream.
Indies
- Strangers in Paradise ? I?ve alternatively loved and hated what Terry Moore has done to and with Francine, Katchoo, David and friends in Strangers in Paradise, but I do know that as this beloved series nears its conclusion in May 2007, I will be faithfully following along to see what happens. 2006 was a tough year for me as the focus was often away from Francine, my favorite character, but she returned with a vengeance in the latter half of 2006.
- Fallen Angel ? I?m so glad Peter David found a home for his intriguing series Fallen Angel after DC dropped it. While the whimsies of independent publishing sometimes make the Fallen Angel schedule more erratic, the quality of the stories remains strong, and the artwork is just gorgeous.