I think we can all agree that 2021was ALSO a crap year. I had some big personal changes in my life during the year. I also read a TON of books. Probably more in a year than I ever have. Good thing I use a service to track my collection and I made a conscious effort to track all my books this year, specifically. Looking over the list, I forgot half of this stuff came out and I read it. For instance, DC had this Future State event that I completely forgot. I forgot that Marvel had it's King in Black mini-series as well!
This year did feature a return of movies to movie theaters, so I did venture out to see a few. As you can guess, they were all Marvel movies. There were also a lot of TV shows. I have been crushed under the weight of them, specifically DC. So I am way behind all of them except for Superman & Lois.
So let's get into it. What did my old man brain come up with? Without further ado, here is part I of my review of 2021.
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:
- Wonder Woman - DC
- Challenge of the Super Sons - DC
- Anything Captain America - Marvel
Spider-Man: No Way Home (Marvel) - I already praised this movie earlier, but in a year that had a bunch of comic movies come out, this one wins out. Before this, I would have said Shang-Chi. It was a respectful treatment of the past couple of decades of Spider-Man. It was also surprisingly emotional and full of heart. Don't think I've been able to say that about any of the Spider-Man movies before this.
Honorable Mentions: Shang Chi (Marvel)
Worst Comic Book Movie of 2021
Zack Snyder's Justice League (DC) - I originally had Eternals in this slot, but then I remembered that this movie happened earlier this year to great fanfare. This is technically an old movie, but this new uncut version was treated as a new movie. It could be argued that it was so different that it WAS a new movie. However, this movie only proved why you need an editor on a movie or have someone to tell a director no. There is creative freedom and then there is just an unchecked ego that makes art that is fulfilling only to the creator. This movie was excessive in just about every way. It's greatest crime was that it did it all poorly. This movie has it's fans, I'm clearly not one of them.
Honorable Mention: Eternals (Marvel), The Suicide Squad (DC)
Favorite Comic Book TV Show of 2021
Superman and Lois (CW) - Marvel had a lot of shows this year and they were all good. However, I have to pick one show and this show wins, hands down. I have fallen off practically all the other CW shows, but this one I actively watched. This is the best interpretation of Superman on the small screen. I would dare say that behind Christopher Reeves, this is the best Superman, period. I go into more detail here.
Honorable Mentions: Invincible (Amazon), Falcon and Winter Soldier (Marvel)
Worst Comic Book TV show of 2021
Don't got one - My time was limited and thankfully what I watched and made it through was good. Now I wanted to do worst anime tv show, it would be that new Cowboy Bebop. But if I make it through the rest, I WILL have thoughts.
Honorable Mention: N/A.
The “Oh you still come out and I buy you” of 2021
Deadly Class (Image) - To be fair, I am still enjoying this book and I will keep buying it. However, it's schedule has been iffy all year and it comes out when it comes out. Problem is, I can't really remember what happened between issues most of the time. I'm glad I have this on my pull list, otherwise I would never remember to keep up. Sadly, the TV show didn't make it past one season and I wonder if that took some of the heat off this book. It hasn't made me want to drop it yet, so there's that going for it. Editor's Note: Yes, this is word for word what I said last year. This holds for this year too.
Favorite New Artist of 2021
Dike Ruan - Shang-Chi (Marvel) - Not only has this series been an absolute delight, it's been paired up with stunning visuals from Dike Ruan. I never heard of him before, but I hope he gets more work after some time on this series. His anime-ish, cartoony style is a look that real looks. He's a better looking Leinil Francis Yu to me. Has the same kind of scratchiness, but his art is dynamic too. It has to be given that it is a book about a martial arts character. Everything is rendered so well and all the Marvel Characters he has drawn so far are fantastic. I will be keeping an eye on him.
Honorable Mentions: Luca Maresca (Marvel)
Worst Artist of 2021
N/A - Unfortunately, I read so much this year, I didn't mark down the bad art I saw. I know it's out there, I just can't remember any of it, so this will be unfilled for now. Next year I will mark it down so it is easier to remember.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Favorite Artist of 2021
Dan Mora (Detective Comics (DC), Once & Future King (Boom Studios)) - He wins for his sheer body of work and consistency between TWO different titles. I don't know how he does it. Not only is he doing two different books, but it's also extremely good. He is a name that sells a book for me, despite the characters in it.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Samnee - Firepower (Image), Pepe Larraz -X-Men (Marvel)
Favorite New Writer of 2021
Jed Mckay - (Moon Knight, Death of Doctor Strange, Black Cat) - Now the spirit of this category is not that this is a brand new writer. They are just new to ME. I didn't read much of their work before this year and now I'm kicking myself for not jumping on the Jed McKay train a lot sooner. He also wrote one of the few GOOD Amazing Spider-Man issues this year and it featured one of my favorite teams of Misty Knight and Collen Wing, the Daughters of the Dragon. There is a sense of fun to the delivery of his dialogue in all his books. He is now a name that will move books for me.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Worst Writer of 2021
Nick Spencer (Amazing Spider-Man - Marvel) - It pains me to put this here, because Nick Spencer is a good writer, but some things miss with me. I didn't like his Captain America or the Standoff Stuff he did. I liked this book at the start when it was a fun, classic Spider-Man feel. Then he had to go and decide that he also had a spin on Norman/Harry Osborne and we ended up with Kindred for like 40 issues. The fact this book moved to a more bi-weekly schedule and we started to get more exposed to this. This Kindred stuff, his sinister six, Kraven, all of it had classic Spider-Man elements, but it got too dark and overwrought. I wish him luck on the next thing he does, but I was close to dropping Spider-Man again.
Honorable Mentions: N/A. (I can't remember anyone else that should be on this list)
Honorable Mentions: Shang Chi (Marvel)
Worst Comic Book Movie of 2021
Zack Snyder's Justice League (DC) - I originally had Eternals in this slot, but then I remembered that this movie happened earlier this year to great fanfare. This is technically an old movie, but this new uncut version was treated as a new movie. It could be argued that it was so different that it WAS a new movie. However, this movie only proved why you need an editor on a movie or have someone to tell a director no. There is creative freedom and then there is just an unchecked ego that makes art that is fulfilling only to the creator. This movie was excessive in just about every way. It's greatest crime was that it did it all poorly. This movie has it's fans, I'm clearly not one of them.
Honorable Mention: Eternals (Marvel), The Suicide Squad (DC)
Favorite Comic Book TV Show of 2021
Superman and Lois (CW) - Marvel had a lot of shows this year and they were all good. However, I have to pick one show and this show wins, hands down. I have fallen off practically all the other CW shows, but this one I actively watched. This is the best interpretation of Superman on the small screen. I would dare say that behind Christopher Reeves, this is the best Superman, period. I go into more detail here.
Honorable Mentions: Invincible (Amazon), Falcon and Winter Soldier (Marvel)
Worst Comic Book TV show of 2021
Don't got one - My time was limited and thankfully what I watched and made it through was good. Now I wanted to do worst anime tv show, it would be that new Cowboy Bebop. But if I make it through the rest, I WILL have thoughts.
Honorable Mention: N/A.
The “Oh you still come out and I buy you” of 2021
Deadly Class (Image) - To be fair, I am still enjoying this book and I will keep buying it. However, it's schedule has been iffy all year and it comes out when it comes out. Problem is, I can't really remember what happened between issues most of the time. I'm glad I have this on my pull list, otherwise I would never remember to keep up. Sadly, the TV show didn't make it past one season and I wonder if that took some of the heat off this book. It hasn't made me want to drop it yet, so there's that going for it. Editor's Note: Yes, this is word for word what I said last year. This holds for this year too.
Favorite New Artist of 2021
Dike Ruan - Shang-Chi (Marvel) - Not only has this series been an absolute delight, it's been paired up with stunning visuals from Dike Ruan. I never heard of him before, but I hope he gets more work after some time on this series. His anime-ish, cartoony style is a look that real looks. He's a better looking Leinil Francis Yu to me. Has the same kind of scratchiness, but his art is dynamic too. It has to be given that it is a book about a martial arts character. Everything is rendered so well and all the Marvel Characters he has drawn so far are fantastic. I will be keeping an eye on him.
Honorable Mentions: Luca Maresca (Marvel)
Worst Artist of 2021
N/A - Unfortunately, I read so much this year, I didn't mark down the bad art I saw. I know it's out there, I just can't remember any of it, so this will be unfilled for now. Next year I will mark it down so it is easier to remember.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Favorite Artist of 2021
Dan Mora (Detective Comics (DC), Once & Future King (Boom Studios)) - He wins for his sheer body of work and consistency between TWO different titles. I don't know how he does it. Not only is he doing two different books, but it's also extremely good. He is a name that sells a book for me, despite the characters in it.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Samnee - Firepower (Image), Pepe Larraz -X-Men (Marvel)
Favorite New Writer of 2021
Jed Mckay - (Moon Knight, Death of Doctor Strange, Black Cat) - Now the spirit of this category is not that this is a brand new writer. They are just new to ME. I didn't read much of their work before this year and now I'm kicking myself for not jumping on the Jed McKay train a lot sooner. He also wrote one of the few GOOD Amazing Spider-Man issues this year and it featured one of my favorite teams of Misty Knight and Collen Wing, the Daughters of the Dragon. There is a sense of fun to the delivery of his dialogue in all his books. He is now a name that will move books for me.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Worst Writer of 2021
Nick Spencer (Amazing Spider-Man - Marvel) - It pains me to put this here, because Nick Spencer is a good writer, but some things miss with me. I didn't like his Captain America or the Standoff Stuff he did. I liked this book at the start when it was a fun, classic Spider-Man feel. Then he had to go and decide that he also had a spin on Norman/Harry Osborne and we ended up with Kindred for like 40 issues. The fact this book moved to a more bi-weekly schedule and we started to get more exposed to this. This Kindred stuff, his sinister six, Kraven, all of it had classic Spider-Man elements, but it got too dark and overwrought. I wish him luck on the next thing he does, but I was close to dropping Spider-Man again.
Honorable Mentions: N/A. (I can't remember anyone else that should be on this list)
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