Every year, I tell myself that I will have this up by January. And every time it comes a few weeks into the year, after the point a best of list should have already happened. Looks like I have a resolution for 2018!
Anyways, last year I talked about how my interest in DC had waned. This year, with DC Rebirth, I have jumped back on to a couple of titles. The reboot (not reboot) has seemed to energize them. On the other hand, the delay of Civil War and everything in it’s hemisphere has made me question a lot of my choices over at Marvel.
I have not been a fan of the double shipping that both companies have been employing this year. This quantity over quality is causing the art to suffer on a lot of books and that is a problem. Since they keep making money, I’m afraid this is a practice that will continue.
This year I think I have finally started to get more selective with my books. I cut a number of fringe books, especially if I feel like they are a chore to read.
We also had a glut of comic book related movies this year and if we’re being honest, a couple of them were downright atrocious.
Anyways, without further ado, let’s pour one out for…
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:
Favorite Comic Book TV Show of 2016
Luke Cage – Netflix – This was actually a tough pick for me this year. I still really like the joy that is found in Supergirl. Arrow has gotten back to basics and we did get a second season of Daredevil that featured the Punisher. However, if I follow my heart, it was Luke Cage. It was a show that spoke to me. It had a great soundtrack, great black actors, topical without being too preachy and Rosario Dawson! It is a show that drags in the middle and I still hate Diamondback’s stupid costume, but I’m judging this as an entire package. I’m keeping this short because I already talked about this show in length.
Honorable Mentions: Supergirl
Least Favorite Comic Book TV show of 2016
Daredevil Season 2 – Netflix – Now you may be thinking, “But Kevin, you listed it in your contender’s list of favorite shows!” Yeah… So I REALLY loved that first season of Daredevil. It is my favorite of the shows we have so far. That is why this season was such a disappointment. The Punisher was a great edition, but he really runs his course in the first six episodes. Then he becomes extraneous. Elektra shows up and her story line gets extraneous too. I guess what I am really trying to say is this show should have stopped while it was ahead. It limps across the finish line. And I know I am talking about a show based on a comic book, but apparently including the Hand, a clan of Ninjas that can come back from the dead, was my breaking point. Is this show terrible? No. This is here because I was so disappointed. I could easily fill this spot with “Agents of Shield”, but that’s such an easy target.
Honorable Mention: Agents of Shield (Picking this would have been too easy)
The Fond farewells of 2016
Chew – Image – This category is really an excuse for me to talk about Chew. I meant to make a post about this and just never did. After a couple of years, this book came to an end. It was a sixty issues series that was written by John Layman and drawn by Rob Guillory. It was a dark comedy that was unlike anything I have ever read. It was clever, it packed a lot of emotional weight and it was full of so many sight gags that I would pour over each issue looking for them. It had a style onto itself and there will not be anything like it. To be brief, the premise is this. You have a federal agent (the FDA is completely different in this world) that has the power to get a psychic imprint of anything he eats. This helps him solve crimes, but you can see how this would be a curse. This is set against the back drop of a world where eating chicken has been outlawed due to alien writing in the sky and some other stuff. If this sounds outlandish, it is, but this book toes that line spectacularly. I even forgive it for the emotional roller coaster it put me through and it will be missed.
Honorable Mention: Velvet, Tokyo Ghost
Favorite New Artist of 2016
Brittney Williams - Goldie Vance - This was a tough choice, because there were two new artists I discovered this year. I'm going to give the nod to Brittney Williams and her work on the series, Goldie Vance from Boom Studios. It is a cartoony style that I'm a sucker for. What elevates it is the design of the characters, the "acting" found in good cartooning. The background work is even nice as well. Due to the success of the book, it went from being a mini-series to an ongoing series. This means I will get to see more of Williams' work in the new year.
Honorable Mention: Daniele Di Nicuolo - Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Pink
Worst Artist of 2016
Adam Kubert - All New Avengers, etc. - In the mid to late 90's Adam Kubert was one of my favorite artists. I'll spare my long, history and jump to the point. His art is not as good as it used to be. Are there worst artists out there? Absolutely. He's here more for my extreme disappointment at his downfall. Everything looks super rushed now. When I see he's on a book, I don't get excited. I just sigh. That's never a good thing. I don't want to waste any more space here.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Favorite Artist of 2016
Valerio Schiti – Guardians of the Galaxy – There was a lot of great art this year, but I’m picking Schiti. This is based purely on the fact that his art elevated the Guardians of the galaxy with his great paneling. Also, the art has remained consistent while also having a workman like quality in a good way. Not many can stick to working on long arcs at a time. I also like Schiti's facial acting as well.
Honorable Mentions: Wes Craig – Deadly Class, David Marquez – Civil War, Cliff Chiang - Paper Girls
Favorite New Writer of 2016
David Walker – Power Man and Iron Fist – This year was my first exposure to David Walker's writing. I would not have discovered him if he had not been writing a comic based on two of my favorite characters. That would have been a shame. What I like about his writing in Power Man and Iron Fist is it has been very grounded, as far as super hero comics go. I like that it has been set almost exclusively in and around Harlem. The voices he uses for the characters feel authentic. I didn't like how he wrote Danny Rand at first, which is contrary to how he used to be, but it worked in the grand scheme of things here. When most writers try to use slang, it comes off as stilted and awkward. It's as if they watched the "The Wire" too many times, without actually understanding it. Walker has a command of it here and that's what ultimately makes this book work. The sense of humor is also great. I like that he's had a chance to explore this corner of the Marvel Universe.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Worst Writer of 2016
Adam Hughes – Betty and Veronica – I only read two issues of this book, but that was more than enough to cement this as the most poorly written book I read this year. I like to think that I am pretty tolerant of bad comic book writing and it takes a LOT to make me hate it. This was that book. If there was ever a text book case of poorly written teenagers by an old man, this book is exhibit A, B and C. I already ranted on this in length, so I won’t rehash here. Just trust me that this was one of the worst comics I’ve ever read.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Favorite Writer of 2016
Jason Aaron - Mighty Thor, Unworthy Thor, Doctor Strange, Star Wars - As you can see, Jason Aaron is a very prolific writer. He wins my award because even though he is writing all of these series at once, they are all distinct from each other. This is an accomplishment because I don't traditionally like Thor or Doctor Strange and over the past few years he has made me care about both. Doctor Strange has not dipped in quality at all and Mighty Thor continues to be great. These alone would win the title, but then you have the very fun Star Wars series that he is working on too.
Honorable Mentions: Tom King - Batman, Tom Taylor - All New Wolverine, Peter Tomasi/Patrick Gleason - Superman, Sam Humphries - Green Lantern
Pleasant Surprise of 2016
Superman – DC – Around 1992, I was really into Superman because of the Death of Superman event. I hung around for a couple of years and then dropped off. After that, I jumped onto Superman every now and then when something special was going on whether it was being drawn by Ed McGuinness or Jim Lee. I even checked out Grant Morrison’s All Star Superman run. Even with all of that, I have not truly enjoyed a Superman book until this year. What has made this book so great is that it is a book about Clark Kent and his family, his wife Lois and his son Jonathan. This book is dealing with his role as a father to a son coming into his super powers and their role in the new world they find themselves in. Peter Tomasi has been writing a fun book and has me liking this version of Superman. I never would have imagined this was possible.
Honorable Mentions: Goldie Vance – Boom, Green Lanterns - DC
Worst Mini-series of 2016
Civil War II - Marvel - The ONE issue of "Cage!" I read was going to win this easily, but I had to choose Civil War II due to the overwhelming disappointment that I felt. Not only did massive shipping delays ruin this book, but the writing didn't help it. I used to really like Brian Michael Bendis, but over the years, I've slowly started to turn on him. I figured there would be no way this book was going to stick the landing, but never did I feel that it was going to turn out and be ultimately inconsequential. The last two issues were insults to my comic sensibilities. I also greatly resent how they have tried to force the Inhumans down our throats. The art was great in this series, but the writing did not.
Honorable Mentions: Cage! - Marvel, Death of X - Marvel
Favorite Mini-series of 2016
Aloha, Hawaiian Dick – Image - It was good to see this book back and honestly, I didn't have a big pool of mini-series to pull from this year. The story at points was messy, but I really like the supporting characters in this series and they got some more attention. The way the series ends up is a heartbreaker. I just wish B. Clay Moore could commit to making this book an ongoing series. There are not any other series set in Hawaii that I'm reading about, so it is a refreshing setting to read about.
Honorable Mentions: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink
Favorite New Series of 2016
Power Man and Iron Fist – Marvel - I gave the writer credit for this book earlier, so now I'm giving credit to the book as a whole. The writing, combined with the art of Sanford Greene/etc. gives this book a high quality, urban feel you do not get with any other books. What is even better is that it doesn't feel insulting in it's portrayal of a mostly minority cast. The humor is well written and it is street level, which I appreciate. There are no typical Marvel comic super heroics here. No world ending threats, just the immediate threat to the characters and their surroundings. This is always the book I read first when it appears in my Wednesday pickups. That's how I know this wins my prestigious, new series of 2016 award.
Honorable Mentions: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers - Boom Studios,
Worst Series of 2016
Extraordinary X-Men - Marvel - Out of all the series I read this year, this is one that I dropped after it just got to be too much. I don't know what they are doing with the X-Men right now, but this book is a shining example of what's wrong. There is a weird mix of X-Men here with a story that is really not moving the needle for me. At first this book seemed promising, but it hasn't delivered on that. Honestly, it's just boring and it has been a chore to read. Having Apocalypse show up should be a reason to celebrate, but not here when it's centered around some of the newer X-Men that I have not been invested in. Maybe if there were bigger name X-Men in this book, I would like it a lot more.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Favorite Series of 2016
Jughead - Archie Comics - I have to give it up for this book. Between two writers, it has remained consistently funny. The Archie Comics reboot has really done wonders. The wacky stories of Jughead have been a delight. The humor has been second to none. It's a good counterpoint to the serious tone of the main Archie book. When Ryan North took over, he introduced hilarious comments at the bottom of each page. It's like having funny editor's notes on each page. This has added to the fun. Also, each writer would introduce old Jughead strips with a short essay on how wacky this comic was back in the sixties during it's inception. The all over the place nature of the stories may at first may not be for everyone, but if you are willing to ignore reality, this is the series for you.
Honorable Mentions: Superman – DC, Ultimates – Marvel, Ms. Marvel – Marvel,
Anyways, last year I talked about how my interest in DC had waned. This year, with DC Rebirth, I have jumped back on to a couple of titles. The reboot (not reboot) has seemed to energize them. On the other hand, the delay of Civil War and everything in it’s hemisphere has made me question a lot of my choices over at Marvel.
I have not been a fan of the double shipping that both companies have been employing this year. This quantity over quality is causing the art to suffer on a lot of books and that is a problem. Since they keep making money, I’m afraid this is a practice that will continue.
This year I think I have finally started to get more selective with my books. I cut a number of fringe books, especially if I feel like they are a chore to read.
We also had a glut of comic book related movies this year and if we’re being honest, a couple of them were downright atrocious.
Anyways, without further ado, let’s pour one out for…
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:
- Avengers – Marvel
- Justice League – DC
- East of West – Image
- Outcast – Image
- A-Force – Marvel
- Nowhere Men – Image
- Uncanny Inhumans - Marvel
Favorite Comic Book TV Show of 2016
Luke Cage – Netflix – This was actually a tough pick for me this year. I still really like the joy that is found in Supergirl. Arrow has gotten back to basics and we did get a second season of Daredevil that featured the Punisher. However, if I follow my heart, it was Luke Cage. It was a show that spoke to me. It had a great soundtrack, great black actors, topical without being too preachy and Rosario Dawson! It is a show that drags in the middle and I still hate Diamondback’s stupid costume, but I’m judging this as an entire package. I’m keeping this short because I already talked about this show in length.
Honorable Mentions: Supergirl
Least Favorite Comic Book TV show of 2016
Daredevil Season 2 – Netflix – Now you may be thinking, “But Kevin, you listed it in your contender’s list of favorite shows!” Yeah… So I REALLY loved that first season of Daredevil. It is my favorite of the shows we have so far. That is why this season was such a disappointment. The Punisher was a great edition, but he really runs his course in the first six episodes. Then he becomes extraneous. Elektra shows up and her story line gets extraneous too. I guess what I am really trying to say is this show should have stopped while it was ahead. It limps across the finish line. And I know I am talking about a show based on a comic book, but apparently including the Hand, a clan of Ninjas that can come back from the dead, was my breaking point. Is this show terrible? No. This is here because I was so disappointed. I could easily fill this spot with “Agents of Shield”, but that’s such an easy target.
Honorable Mention: Agents of Shield (Picking this would have been too easy)
The Fond farewells of 2016
Chew – Image – This category is really an excuse for me to talk about Chew. I meant to make a post about this and just never did. After a couple of years, this book came to an end. It was a sixty issues series that was written by John Layman and drawn by Rob Guillory. It was a dark comedy that was unlike anything I have ever read. It was clever, it packed a lot of emotional weight and it was full of so many sight gags that I would pour over each issue looking for them. It had a style onto itself and there will not be anything like it. To be brief, the premise is this. You have a federal agent (the FDA is completely different in this world) that has the power to get a psychic imprint of anything he eats. This helps him solve crimes, but you can see how this would be a curse. This is set against the back drop of a world where eating chicken has been outlawed due to alien writing in the sky and some other stuff. If this sounds outlandish, it is, but this book toes that line spectacularly. I even forgive it for the emotional roller coaster it put me through and it will be missed.
Honorable Mention: Velvet, Tokyo Ghost
Favorite New Artist of 2016
Brittney Williams - Goldie Vance - This was a tough choice, because there were two new artists I discovered this year. I'm going to give the nod to Brittney Williams and her work on the series, Goldie Vance from Boom Studios. It is a cartoony style that I'm a sucker for. What elevates it is the design of the characters, the "acting" found in good cartooning. The background work is even nice as well. Due to the success of the book, it went from being a mini-series to an ongoing series. This means I will get to see more of Williams' work in the new year.
Honorable Mention: Daniele Di Nicuolo - Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers: Pink
Worst Artist of 2016
Adam Kubert - All New Avengers, etc. - In the mid to late 90's Adam Kubert was one of my favorite artists. I'll spare my long, history and jump to the point. His art is not as good as it used to be. Are there worst artists out there? Absolutely. He's here more for my extreme disappointment at his downfall. Everything looks super rushed now. When I see he's on a book, I don't get excited. I just sigh. That's never a good thing. I don't want to waste any more space here.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Favorite Artist of 2016
Valerio Schiti – Guardians of the Galaxy – There was a lot of great art this year, but I’m picking Schiti. This is based purely on the fact that his art elevated the Guardians of the galaxy with his great paneling. Also, the art has remained consistent while also having a workman like quality in a good way. Not many can stick to working on long arcs at a time. I also like Schiti's facial acting as well.
Honorable Mentions: Wes Craig – Deadly Class, David Marquez – Civil War, Cliff Chiang - Paper Girls
Favorite New Writer of 2016
David Walker – Power Man and Iron Fist – This year was my first exposure to David Walker's writing. I would not have discovered him if he had not been writing a comic based on two of my favorite characters. That would have been a shame. What I like about his writing in Power Man and Iron Fist is it has been very grounded, as far as super hero comics go. I like that it has been set almost exclusively in and around Harlem. The voices he uses for the characters feel authentic. I didn't like how he wrote Danny Rand at first, which is contrary to how he used to be, but it worked in the grand scheme of things here. When most writers try to use slang, it comes off as stilted and awkward. It's as if they watched the "The Wire" too many times, without actually understanding it. Walker has a command of it here and that's what ultimately makes this book work. The sense of humor is also great. I like that he's had a chance to explore this corner of the Marvel Universe.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Worst Writer of 2016
Adam Hughes – Betty and Veronica – I only read two issues of this book, but that was more than enough to cement this as the most poorly written book I read this year. I like to think that I am pretty tolerant of bad comic book writing and it takes a LOT to make me hate it. This was that book. If there was ever a text book case of poorly written teenagers by an old man, this book is exhibit A, B and C. I already ranted on this in length, so I won’t rehash here. Just trust me that this was one of the worst comics I’ve ever read.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Favorite Writer of 2016
Jason Aaron - Mighty Thor, Unworthy Thor, Doctor Strange, Star Wars - As you can see, Jason Aaron is a very prolific writer. He wins my award because even though he is writing all of these series at once, they are all distinct from each other. This is an accomplishment because I don't traditionally like Thor or Doctor Strange and over the past few years he has made me care about both. Doctor Strange has not dipped in quality at all and Mighty Thor continues to be great. These alone would win the title, but then you have the very fun Star Wars series that he is working on too.
Honorable Mentions: Tom King - Batman, Tom Taylor - All New Wolverine, Peter Tomasi/Patrick Gleason - Superman, Sam Humphries - Green Lantern
Pleasant Surprise of 2016
Superman – DC – Around 1992, I was really into Superman because of the Death of Superman event. I hung around for a couple of years and then dropped off. After that, I jumped onto Superman every now and then when something special was going on whether it was being drawn by Ed McGuinness or Jim Lee. I even checked out Grant Morrison’s All Star Superman run. Even with all of that, I have not truly enjoyed a Superman book until this year. What has made this book so great is that it is a book about Clark Kent and his family, his wife Lois and his son Jonathan. This book is dealing with his role as a father to a son coming into his super powers and their role in the new world they find themselves in. Peter Tomasi has been writing a fun book and has me liking this version of Superman. I never would have imagined this was possible.
Honorable Mentions: Goldie Vance – Boom, Green Lanterns - DC
Worst Mini-series of 2016
Civil War II - Marvel - The ONE issue of "Cage!" I read was going to win this easily, but I had to choose Civil War II due to the overwhelming disappointment that I felt. Not only did massive shipping delays ruin this book, but the writing didn't help it. I used to really like Brian Michael Bendis, but over the years, I've slowly started to turn on him. I figured there would be no way this book was going to stick the landing, but never did I feel that it was going to turn out and be ultimately inconsequential. The last two issues were insults to my comic sensibilities. I also greatly resent how they have tried to force the Inhumans down our throats. The art was great in this series, but the writing did not.
Honorable Mentions: Cage! - Marvel, Death of X - Marvel
Favorite Mini-series of 2016
Aloha, Hawaiian Dick – Image - It was good to see this book back and honestly, I didn't have a big pool of mini-series to pull from this year. The story at points was messy, but I really like the supporting characters in this series and they got some more attention. The way the series ends up is a heartbreaker. I just wish B. Clay Moore could commit to making this book an ongoing series. There are not any other series set in Hawaii that I'm reading about, so it is a refreshing setting to read about.
Honorable Mentions: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Pink
Favorite New Series of 2016
Power Man and Iron Fist – Marvel - I gave the writer credit for this book earlier, so now I'm giving credit to the book as a whole. The writing, combined with the art of Sanford Greene/etc. gives this book a high quality, urban feel you do not get with any other books. What is even better is that it doesn't feel insulting in it's portrayal of a mostly minority cast. The humor is well written and it is street level, which I appreciate. There are no typical Marvel comic super heroics here. No world ending threats, just the immediate threat to the characters and their surroundings. This is always the book I read first when it appears in my Wednesday pickups. That's how I know this wins my prestigious, new series of 2016 award.
Honorable Mentions: Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers - Boom Studios,
Worst Series of 2016
Extraordinary X-Men - Marvel - Out of all the series I read this year, this is one that I dropped after it just got to be too much. I don't know what they are doing with the X-Men right now, but this book is a shining example of what's wrong. There is a weird mix of X-Men here with a story that is really not moving the needle for me. At first this book seemed promising, but it hasn't delivered on that. Honestly, it's just boring and it has been a chore to read. Having Apocalypse show up should be a reason to celebrate, but not here when it's centered around some of the newer X-Men that I have not been invested in. Maybe if there were bigger name X-Men in this book, I would like it a lot more.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Favorite Series of 2016
Jughead - Archie Comics - I have to give it up for this book. Between two writers, it has remained consistently funny. The Archie Comics reboot has really done wonders. The wacky stories of Jughead have been a delight. The humor has been second to none. It's a good counterpoint to the serious tone of the main Archie book. When Ryan North took over, he introduced hilarious comments at the bottom of each page. It's like having funny editor's notes on each page. This has added to the fun. Also, each writer would introduce old Jughead strips with a short essay on how wacky this comic was back in the sixties during it's inception. The all over the place nature of the stories may at first may not be for everyone, but if you are willing to ignore reality, this is the series for you.
Honorable Mentions: Superman – DC, Ultimates – Marvel, Ms. Marvel – Marvel,
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