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Best of 2010: Comics

As the year winds down I wanted to share some of my favorite comics of 2010. Hopefully it will inspire you to head down to your Local Comic Book Shop and spends some of your holiday cash.

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Creating a successful new comic series is always a challenge. This year brought the end of Ex Machina, so I was looking for a new original title to fill that non-superhero spot. Writer/Artist Jeff Lemire has created an amazing new ongoing Sweet Tooth. The series follows Gus, a human/animal hybird on a post-apocalyptic adventure. Lemire does a great job of crafting a story that is epic, but also has a small intimate feeling. This is another great title to recommend to people who don't generally read comics. The first two collections Out of the Woods & In Captivity are available in stores now.

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As someone who grew up a X-Men junkie, I'll probably always pick up the adventures of Mutants in the Marvel Universe. Peter David has managed with X-Factor to deliver a book with some of the classic X-Men magic set within offbeat mystery tales. In the last year Jamie Maddox's team have become the detectives of the superhero universe which has provided plenty of great stories. No one does a better job of writing characters and X-Factor is one of the few mainstream titles that features a gay couple. The current storyline involving Thor, Hela & Pip the Troll concluded this month an the most recent collections are Invisible Woman Has Vanished & Second Coming.

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I have to admit that Thor is one of those books that I've never really connected with. There were parts of the recent Joe Straczynski relaunch that I enjoyed, but new writer Matt Fraction has made me really excited about the title. He's managed to mix myth & science and still deliver a compelling read. Following the events of Siege Asgard has crashed down in Oklahoma tand he Norse World Tree has become vulnerable to a deadly threat. Thor is also distrated by the recent death/resurrection of his brother/super villain Loki and the imminent return of his father Odin. It doesn't hurt that Pascal Ferry is delivering gorgeous art with every issue. Only 4 issues of the current storyline have been released so far and all should be available online or at your local comic shop.

There's more of my favorite comics of 2010 after the jump...

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There are a few titles that consistently deliver a level of quality that it is easy to overlook them. Ultimate Comics Spider-man is one of those books that I know with each month I'll be getting great drama and even better characterization. The last year of this title is a great modern take of a good old fashioned superhero story and it reminds me of Geoff Johns' timeless run on the Flash. This year the book reached its milestone 150th issue and the first two collections of the rebooted series The World According To Peter Parker & Chameleons are in stores now.

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Even though we're only three issuse into the Avengers: Children's Crusade the title has managed to maintain the high quality of the original Young Avengers series. I love the focus on the openly gay teen character Wiccan which allows for some excellent moments with his boyfriend Hulkling. I can't wait to see what this title has in store in 2011 as it promises to deliver big ramifications for the whole Marvel Universe.

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J Michael Straczynski as been a controversal figure in the world of comics this year. He was behind the Wonder Woman revamp and also wrote the commerically successful Superman: Earth One orgininal graphic novel. While all that was going on he managed to creat an amazing run on DC's Brave & the Bold. The series focuses on unconventional team-up between DC characters based in any time period. As part of his run he wrote what might be the best single issue of the year, a last night out for Barbara Gordon (Batgirl) with Wonder Woman & Zatanna. A collection of Straczynski's first six issues Team-ups Of the Brave & The Bold has been released. Now word yet on when or if Straczynski will continue the series.

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Comics that fall into the "All-Ages" category are usually not my thing. I have to admit that I was drawn into Thor The Mighty Avenger by the amazing art of Chris Samnee. The book is actually a pretty good read and manages to create a continuity free book that still plays in the Marvel sandbox. The first collection The God Who Fell To Earth was just released with a second collection coming in March 2011. Unfortunately this series will end with next month's issue #8. It's sad when there isn't a place in the market for a title like this.

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Grant Morrison has been handling the reins of Batman for the last few years. Following Bruce Wayne's "death" in last year's Final Crisis Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne have been starring in the wild pop romp that is Batman & Robin. This year Morrison delivered his final three amazing arcs on that title. He also took Bruce Wayne through a trip in time in Batman: The Return of Bruce Wayne & revisited his "R.I.P." storyline in Batman. In November Morrison set up the next chapter of Batman's life with the new ongoing series Batman INC. The first two Batman & Robin collections Batman Reborn & Batman Vs. Robin are out now. In 2011 the collections Batman Must Die, The Return of Bruce Wayne & Time & The Batman will be released along with new issues of the ongoing Batman INC. series.

Comments (5)

Aerialgreen:

Ditto on the Fables suggestion, also from DC try the Secret Six - it always deliver.

Also following Young Avengers and the new Batman Inc. title (along with Dark Knight & Red Robin). Budget doesn't allow more, but I'm really happy with just those.

Garrett:

What about Unwritten?

fencerbender:

You should read Vertigo's Fables by Bill Willingham. The cover alone will leave you breathless.

OMG - I've been trying to get my hands on a copy of Sweet Tooth! So glad to see a good review about it. Must go to Amazon and order...

David B.:

Thanks for the persistent coverage of comics - you've turned me on to a number of books that have been easily lost in the many, many Marvel cross-marketing disasters as far as I'm concerned...

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on December 29, 2010 3:55 PM.

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