Dearly Departed (The Comics I dropped this year)
Before I get into the rest of my list, a moment of silence for the number of comics that I dropped this year after giving a good go at it:
- Zero - Image
- Wytches - Image
- Bitch Planet - Image
- Wonder Woman - DC
- Cowl - Image
- Powers - Icon
- Pretty Deadly - Image
Daredevil – Netflix - I had a previous post about this show back in March and even though many shows came on during the year, it is still my clear cut favorite comic book TV show of the year. I thought it was paced very well, had great action scenes and a very likable cast. The show had a good, consistent look about it. I won’t go into more detail, since my previous post covered all this. There were other strong contenders like Jessica Jones and the Flash this year.
Honorable Mentions: Jessica Jones, Flash, Supergirl
Worst TV show of 2015
Powers – Playstation - I had only watched two episodes of this series, but that was all I needed to declare Powers as the worst comic book show of the year. I still do not want to go back and finish it. This is exclusive to the Sony Playstation and let’s hope it stays that way. The show looks like it had no money behind it. Agents of Shield looks better than this show and that is saying a lot. It looks like it was filmed on a camcorder. I like Sharlto Copley, but he is badly miscast for this show. Also, at the end of the day, the show is just really boring. I won’t give any more words to this show to say how bad it is. Watch for yourself if you feel brave.
Honorable Mention: Agents of Shield
The “Oh you still come out and I buy you” of 2015
Trees – Image - Maybe it was the shipping schedule, but I absolutely forgot that I was still buying Trees by Warren Ellis and Jason Howard. What initially started as a fun series is slowly grinding to a halt for me as my interest has waned. I’m starting to forget why I was interested in this book in the first place. It has a few more issues to grab me or it is off my list permanently.
Honorable Mention: East of West - Image
Favorite New Artist of 2015
Russell Dautermann – Thor - This award doesn’t mean the artist is new to the industry. This just means it is my first exposure to them. For this award, it goes to Russell Dautermann. I was first introduced to his work with the new Thor series and the subsequent, “Mighty Thor” series. There is such a kinetic energy in his art. This really helps with all the lightning he has to draw for Thor. What I also mean is that all his characters look distinct, so you don’t feel like he used one model to draw them. I hope this is only the start of his work on Marvel and that he moves up to bigger titles. Thor is definitely made more enjoyable with him on art.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Fabok – Justice League
Worst Artist of 2015
Salvador Larroca – Star Wars: Darth Vader - The only reason the artists of Zero, by image didn’t win this title is because it was a number of people, not one person, so this easily goes to Salvador Larroca who drew Star Wars: Darth Vader. It seems like many moons ago when I liked Larroca. That was then and this is now. Although he kept up with a monthly schedule on this book, the only thing that has looked good has been Darth Vader himself. Really, anyone with a FACE looked pretty terrible. Overall, his art just started to look more and more rushed.
Honorable Mentions: Collective Artists of “Zero”
Favorite Artist of 2015
Sean Murphy - Chrononauts, Tokyo Ghost - Normally I would choose Stuart Immonen or Matteo Scalera because I always love their art. In the interest of fairness, I will choose someone else. To that end, I choose Sean Murphy as my pick of the year. He did both Tokyo Ghost and Chrononauts this past year. After seeing his work on “The Wake” last year, I’ve grown to really love his art and always look forward to it.
Honorable Mentions: Wes Craig – Deadly Class, Emmanuela Luppachino – Starfire, Stuart Immonen – Star Wars, Captain America
Favorite New Writer of 2015
Tom Taylor - All New Wolverine - This was difficult because there weren’t a lot of new writers that I came across this year. I guess I’ve stuck to my guns. There was one new name that emerged at the end of the year that has a book I’m currently reading right now. Tom Taylor wrote a handful of books that I read this year. One of them was the Secret Wars one shot for the Agents of Atlas, which is a soft spot of mine. The other is the “All-New Wolverine” that just started. Technically a few issues came out last year, so I can easily say that I like his take on X-23 turned Wolverine. Maybe I’ll encounter some more of his work later this year.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Worst Writer of 2015
Marguerite Bennett - Years of Future Past, A-Force - As a whole, I enjoy what I read. So it was hard to remember any writer that I didn’t like. Then I remembered A-Force. Although it was co-written with G. Willow Wilson, whom I enjoy, I didn’t feel like it was her voice that ruined the A-Force mini-series. In lieu of anything else (and combined with my general feeling of “meh” to the Years of Future Past mini) this made the decision easy. I think the clunkly feel of a lot of the dialogue led to her winning this category for me. A lot of what characters say feel too ingrained in pop culture to work in the alternate realities in which those books were based. Now that I think about it, this was an easy decision.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Favorite Writer of 2015
Rick Remender - Black Science, Tokyo Ghost, Low, Deadly Class - I think last year, my writer of the year was Jason Aaron. This year, I will have to say it is Rick Remender. I’ve been meaning to write a long post on him, but never got around to it. I’ll say a little bit here. I don’t think anyone has been more prolific than Remender this year. What I really enjoy about his writing is that everything feels so personal. You may not agree with his views, but you can see that he puts a little of himself into each of his books. Between Deadly Class, Low, Black Science and Tokyo Ghost, you get a different piece of Remender’s ideals. All of these series have been wildly imaginative and have featured fully formed universes. Not working for the big two has done wonders for Rick, as he has had complete control over what he is doing. You can tell that he is enjoying the stories he is telling and I am enjoying reading them.
Honorable Mentions: Jason Aaron, Greg Rucka
Pleasant Surprise of 2015
Doctor Strange – Marvel - If you told me a few years ago that I would be reading a Doctor Strange comic and enjoying it, I would call you a liar. Never in my life have I read a Doctor Strange book. Then the team of Jason Aaron and Chris Bachalo came along and I knew I had to give it a chance. This book has not disappointed. These two go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly. Dr. Strange is all about crazy magical wackiness and Chris Bachalo puts so much detail into his art that he handles this very well. More amazingly, is he handles the coloring of the art, so he is able to use different color queues to great effect.
Honorable Mentions: Archie – Archie Comics, Paper Girls – Image, Chrononauts – Image, Starfire - DC
Worst Mini-series of 2015
Archie vs. Predator – Archie Comics - I will be one of the first to praise Archie Comics and how they are always willing to take risks. Then there is this book. Really, it’s my own fault for buying it. I have no one to blame, but myself. One paper this combination is the last thing that would pop into your mind. Then the book actually came out. Part of the problem I have with this book is that it involves violence with Archie characters that you don’t normally see. It just does not fit. Combine that with boiling the characters down to laughable charactures of themselves and you can see why I don’t like this book. It offended me on every level of my Archie fandom. This is the kind of book that you get mad at for existing because it sullies your childhood.
Honorable Mentions: Some of the Secret Wars books
Favorite Mini-series of 2015
Master of Kung Fu - Marvel - I think my favorite mini-series of the year is “Master of Kung Fu” that spun out of the Secret Wars event. I’m choosing this because this book felt like an old Kung Fu movie. I thought the art from Dalibor Talajic was fantastic in this book. It also helps that I have a soft spot for Shang Chi. This book also featured alternate takes of Iron Fist and a number of other Marvel characters, in the Kung Fu.
Honorable Mentions: We Stand on Guard – Image, Amazing Spider-man: Renew Your Vows
Favorite New Series of 2015
Archie – Archie Comics - I was looking forward to the new take on Archie and this book did not disappoint. With a super team like Mark Waid and Fiona Staples how could it? Oddly enough, I do like the kind of mockumentary style that they use, ala The Office or Parks and Recreation. Also, the town of Riverdale has been modernized, which is something Archie comics have never been accused of. What also helps this theory is that the dialogue feels authentic. With an older guy like Waid writing young characters, the fear is always that it would be an approximation of how young people talk…in a fantasy world ran by old people. The only downside is this is only a monthly book. I think the comic industry has spoiled us into expecting double shipping on books!
Honorable Mentions: Jughead – Archie Comics, Tokyo Ghost - Image, Ringside - Image
Worst Series of 2015
X-Men 92’ – Marvel -This one was surprisingly difficult. Thankfully I avoided most of the bad books out there, but I’m only human. However, I think I have decided on X-Men 92’. This is a book that was made purely to appeal to the nostalgia we had for the Blue Team/Gold Team days of the X-Men. I hate to go all elitist nerd here, but I had a lot of issues with this book. First of all, the Blue Team they were going for did not contain Storm. Then they try to cram in other 90’s characters such as the cast of X-Force, which was also wrong. What this makes this a bigger affront to me is that this started as a web series, which they then sold at full price. The capper is it was written in the style of a 90’s comic, meaning it was wrought with lots of expositional dialogue. Current me hates that sensibility that was used in the 90’s. Wow, I wrote way more about this than I thought I would. Guess this was pretty easy after all.
Honorable Mentions: Ultimate End – Marvel, Uncanny Avengers - Marvel
Favorite Series of 2015
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – IDW -This was a year full of many good books, but finding one that I liked all year long turned out to be more difficult than I thought. I went with my gut and chose the book that was consistent, but also provided some genuinely shocking moments.
My favorite series of 2015 was Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I can’t believe I chose a licensed property, but hear me out. This series has taken what we’ve all known about the Ninja Turtles growing up and has put in enough twists to make this all fresh. Characters such as the Fugitoid, Bebop and Rocksteady and the Mousers were introduced over the past year. We had a major death with one of the Turtles. I would say which one it was, but I don’t want to spoil in case you want to read it at some point. The death was visceral and truly heart wrenching when it happened.
Then you have a final confrontation between Shredder and Splinter that does not end quite like how you think. The status quo has been constantly changing and they have built up a huge cast of characters. The art remained consistent and the same writers have been on the book since its inception.
The more I think about this, it truly is my book of the year. If you haven’t read this book, I think it is worth checking out. It does help if you like the Ninja Turtles, of course.
Honorable Mentions: Star Wars, Deadly Class, Lazarus, Daredevil
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