Into the Longbox

Let's carry on with Part II of my year in review. Now we get on to favorite writers, mini-series, events and favorite series. I have also started to read more graphic novels, so I now have a category for that as well. Favorite Writer of 2020 Dan Slott - Fantastic Four (Marvel) - I may be telegraphing my pick here, but I loved the Fantastic Four book so much this year. I am biased because it is my favorite super hero team, but Slott has infused some of the old with the new. Clearly he has a reverence for these characters and it comes through and how he has brought back old, classic feeling tales of the four. He has the voices for everyone and I am glad to see that not only has he progressed Ben Grim and Alicia's relationship, but also that of the Franklin children as well. There are a lot of characters now, but he juggles those relationships well here. I was not convinced with him on this book at first, but he's turned me around. What can I say? Honorable Mention: Chip Zdars...

I think we can all agree that 2020 has been a crap year. I don't think I have anything else to say that could more accurately capture that. Instead of focusing on all of that, let's get to my Best and Worst List of 2020. There was a pause in the comic industry at the beginning of the pandemic and then things picked back up. So even in the industry it was unprecedented. In trying to think back on this year with my old man brain, I will try to summon up my memories to capture them here. I do know that my reading of Marvel Comics has continued to go up, while the number of DC titles have diminished to only really sticking with the Trinity of Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman. Outside of Far Sector by N.K. Jemisin, I'm out of DC for now. I continue to read more and more independent comics from the other companies such as Image, IDW, Boom!Studios, TKO Studios etc. I even found myself funding a number of Kickstarter projects this year to support black creators. This year, I even ...