The Inevitable Best and Worst List of 2020 - Part II

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 Zdarsky (Daredevil), Saladin Ahmed (Miles Morales: Spider-Man), Donnie Cates (Thor)

Pleasant Surprise of 2020
Doctor Doom (Marvel) - I already sang some praises for Christopher Cantwell above that writes this book. When I picked this book up, it was done so primarily because I'm a huge Fantastic Four fan and I like Doctor Doom. I figured at best this would be an interesting mini-series. I did not expect to love the characterization of Doom and the general story of this book. Doom is spot on in this book.

Honorable Mentions:  Wonder Woman (DC)

Shocker of 2020
X of Swords (Marvel) - How exhausting it is - This is the best and worst of Hickman. When I heard about this initially I was kind of excited. We are back to the days of epic X-Men crossovers. Instead you are left wondering, did this REALLY need to be 22 issues long? That is asking a lot of people. It doesn't help that it is decompressed story telling at it's worst. I'm sure it will make a great trade. Also, he doesn't do a good job of explaining who the people are, so I am completely lost on why I have to care. Also, the choice of X-Men used leaves a lot to be desired.

Worst Mini-series of 2020
Empyre (Marvel) - I put this here because it was more disappointing than anything. I am also tired of these big events. This one was no exception in that you had to read like 5 other tie in books to get the gaps filled in. The main book should do that and it felt disjointed. What should have been a big deal with the Kree/Skrull aligning themselves turned into everyone fighting nameless plant monsters. SNORE. Also, I don't see this changing things long term at all. Maybe I will be wrong.

Honorable Mentions: X of Swords (Marvel)

Favorite Mini-series of 2020
Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (IDW/Boom Studios) - For pure fun, nothing is beating this book. Watching the turtles ride in Zords wearing variations on the power ranger costumes? Pure bliss. Watching each of the characters pair up and talk to each other like you imagined they would? Also cool. Who cares about the cockamamie way you combine these universes, it just works. A whole lot of fun. I like both properties, so I'm clearly biased. It's like this was written for me. To be clear, these were the OG Rangers. There's been so many variations over the years I feel like I need to clarify here.

Honorable Mentions: Batman: Three Jokers (DC), X-Men / Fantastic Four (Marvel), Amazing Mary Jane (Marvel), Outer Darkness/Chew (Image)

Favorite New Series of 2020
Strange Academy (Marvel) - I initially picked this up solely based on the creative team of Skottie Young and Humberto Ramos. However, I was quickly sucked in because I am a sucker for teen team books and that is what this is. This is like a mystical new mutants or teen titans or any other variation of a teen based book. Like X-Men, you get older characters as the faculty. So for now, this is how I will get my fix of Doctor Voodoo for example. I think the closest book I would compare this to is the "Wolverine and the X-Men" book from nearly ten years ago. Same kind of vibe. It is a lot of fun.

Honorable Mentions: N/A

Favorite Graphic Novel of 2020
Kodi (Top Shelf) - With this year being devoid of joy, I NEEDED this book. I think you all need this too. It is a sometimes sad, but charming and delightful book about a little girl, Katya that befriends a bear she meets in the woods. What follows is a charming tale about friendship between Katya and the bear she calls Kodi. This is like those classic 80's or 90's films about kids and their pets. To say any more would give it away. It is written and drawn by Jared Cullum. I am also at the point where I try to think about what kind of books I can have for my future kids and this is something I think I can share with them and would love to even read to them. I implore you, go pick this up.

Honorable Mentions: Shadow of the Batgirl (DC)

Favorite Maxi-Series
Ghosted in LA (Boom! Box) - I will admit that I created this category just so I can give this series some love. It is a simple slice of life book that involves ghosts. I'm being reductive, but I loved the writing and the art of this book. Sometimes instead of reading about super heroes in capes, I just want every day life books about people. I would prefer if they didn't have a super natural element to them, but this book is different because there is not any evil involved. Just people being people. It is absolutely delightful. Sina Grace is quickly becoming a writer that I am starting to follow.

Honorable Mentions: Ronin Island (Boom! Studios)

Worst Series of 2020
Action Comics (DC) - I initially liked all of the Superman stuff that Brian Michael Bendis was putting out. It had focused more on the daily planet side of Superman's life. Then over the past few months, Action Comics became a slog. It was not fun to read. Combine that with the old school art of John Romita Jr. and I was over this book. I respect him and the work he has put in the last thirty plus years. Now though, his style does not work anymore. It really doesn't. I'm not sure what happened, but I lost interest in this book, even when Bendis tried to handle the fact that our pre-New 52 Superboy is now in this universe. It was too little, too late.

Honorable Mentions: Excalibur (Marvel)

Favorite Series of 2020
Fantastic Four (Marvel) - Look, I am as shocked as you are. As I noted above, I'm a huge Fantastic Four fan. However, the comic has been over the past few years when it's not cancelled, mediocre at best. This is Marvel's first family and a lot of tales have been told over the years, so it is hard to keep things fresh. What Dan Slott has done with this run and especially this year is to blend old classic heroes/villains with some different takes. In the middle of this run, we were told that the cosmic rays that hit the FF were not random, but targeted by this planet of aliens. I hated the retconning. Afterwards though, we moved past that and he went back to his stories. We have seen these characters grow. Ben/Alicia now have a little family comprising of a pair of kids (one a skrull, one a kree). Their story was tragic and seeing the turn it is taking has been nice. The Richards and their kids are continuing to grow up and now Val and Franklin have something to do. Even Johnny Storm has someone. So the family feel of this book has never been stronger. They continue to add more cosmic threats which is this book's bread and butter anyway. Sorry to gush so much, but it just lets you know how much I've enjoyed this title. It is always the first book I read when I get my stack of new comics. As I thought back on the series that gave me joy, this popped to the top of the list.

Honorable Mentions:  Wolverine (Marvel), Firepower (Image)