Best Comics of 2010

Glad to see King City getting some love. Adore that book. For me Strange Science Fantasy and Supergod would have to also be added for my top books of 2010.

Ex Machina for sure. Gonna have to think about this some more.

I haven't had the chance to read a lot this year, but I'd certainly have to put Acme Novelty #20, Weathercraft, and X'ed Out at the top of the list. Also Darwyn Cooke's The Outfit, somewhere below there.

From the mainstream, I've enjoyed Landridge and Samnee's Thor: the Mighty Avenger and...er...

The Unwritten stayed strong. Unknown Soldier went out strong.

Also: The successful resurrection of Alpha Flight was a high point.

paul Cornell has been doing great work for a long time, marvel really fucked up by letting him sign an exclusive for DC.

Weathercraft is amazing. Never seen anything like it. It's not the best of the year, but I really enjoyed irredeemable. Other than that I havent read anything from this year since there's older stuff I'm finishing first. Got the Unwritten waiting for me.


On a side note, does anyone read comics on an iPad?

I haven't read as many comics this year as I'd like, so this isn't a proper list. But of the ones I've read, I've enjoyed comics written by proper talent revitalizing and adding great new perspective to old properties (Dark Avengers, Action Comics/Jimmy Olsen), upped the insanity quotient to a whole new level (Ghost Rider: Heaven's on Fire, Punisher, Wolverine: Weapon X) and were free to be whimsical and brave enough to tell good storytelling without the need for crossovers and other handicaps (Strange Tales II, Thor: Mighty Avenger). But like any year, the best stuff I found was outside the mainstream action stuff.

3 - Chew: Genre-bending and hilarious and gripping and inventive. I can't get enough of this noxious mix of fantastic writing and amazing visuals. I can't recommend it enough.

2 - Scott Pilgrim: A great ending that elevates the whole series to a new level. Character growth and an emphasis on choices rather than just punching made it something quite special. I'm going to love going back and reading the whole saga, a definitive story about letting go and growing up.

1 - Ex Machina: That ending was something. Pretty shocking until you take the time to look to the beginning of the series, and realized that it was nothing but inevitable. A comic about a superhero that pushes the question of what it really takes to make a positive difference to a degree I've never seen in comics before. It's a newly formed classic, and one that will easily stand with a Watchmen or a Dark Knight Returns.

Also Greendale from Neil Young and Joshua Dysart.

S.H.I.E.L.D. I love. It reminds me in some ways of Planetary and right now seems to have about the same relationship to the Marvel Universe that Planetary had to the Wildstorm Universe: its there, but it very much feels like an alternate take.

Chew is fun and the creators are really nice.

I'm going through S.H.I.E.L.D. and all I got to say is hot damn! It feels like an epic after a handful of issues. After reading his Ultimate Thor, I have to say its why I like Hickman. He writes comics like they're finite, and the what happens to the characters in them mean something. He writes like an author.

Best comic I read this year that came out this year, would have to be The Sword!!!!  I also read Luna brothers' Girls, which was also amazing.  If you guys haven't read Girls or The Sword, please do.  I promise you won't be disappointed.

 

Also very much enjoyed Supergod.  Although, it is extremely similar to other Warren Ellis comics, like Black Summer and No Hero.  I like that they all end pretty much in the same manner too.  Warren Ellis just has this uncanny ability to put a fresh twist on the same genre. 

I think that was a bit of the point withthose three series. Ellis was commenting onthe same thing just in different ways. They form a trilogy of their own.

I think you're totally right about that.  But I also get the feeling, he made them for the money.  I mean, all three of those series are very short.  Not that I mind that he's treading the same ground, since they're all very enjoyable. 

 

The character designs in No Hero are amazing.  But it's probably my least favorite in the trilogy.  I might have to say Black Summer was my favorite of the three.  It's just a very well plotted page turner.  He always manages to create some device for these superheroes to exist, thats just really cool, and it allows him to create interesting abilities.  Usually, interesting ablities is the last thing I'd care about, seriously.  I mean, Superheroes isn't my perfered genre in comics, but Ellis does manage to create fresh characters in a saturated and generally tired genre.

 

Other Warren Ellis comics can be quite hit or miss.  I think, the comic I was most surprised by was Red.  Because it was just so mediocre, and standard.  I was afraid I must've missed something when I read it.  However, I've read enough Warren Ellis to know he's not infallible.  I was excited to see him tackles zombies, but Blackgas was a bit disappointing in the end.  Doktor Sleepless was pretty good, very reminescent of Transmetropolitan.  There's still a ton I haven't read, the most obvious being Planetary.  I have the first trade of it, but there's just too many things to read in my pile before I get to it.   

 

Also on a side note, I've read a few Paul Pope comics recently.  And god, this man's art is superb. 

Have you tried Ellis' Scars?

I have not read Scars dude.  But I just added the trade in my amazon que.  It sounds pretty interesting.

 

You know which 2010 comic I forgot to mention?  Warren Ellis' FreakAngels.  Its a free webcomic that is also published in trades.  Its easily one of the best works of Warren Ellis.  Check it out.

 

Paul Popes cover for this Solo comic, is too good.

 

gotta say that I love SHIELD too, but I had to stop reading it in floppy form so that i can enjoy it, in full, in TPB. It has a cute marvel/lxg feel and the art really compliments it.