Well, there is nothing like a timely end of year list that arrives a quarter into the following year. I gotta do better. So the world kind of opened back up in 2022. I read just as many books this year if not a few less. However, my time to read them was scattered and I read in waves. That's what having a kid does to you. As much as I read comics, there were so many damn comic book based movies and shows that occupied my time. This blog became more of a movie review site instead of comics. So in 2023 I will try to swing it back in that direction. There was so much that I read, it's going to be hard to remember what actually stood out. Guess I'll need to consult the ol' list of books I read. For those curious, the final count of issues I read this year was 551.
I don't think my reading preferences changed that much. I still read a ton of Marvel. DC has started to fallen by the wayside. Wasn't as much Image as I usually do. Will this swing the other way in the new year? No idea. I will say that my patience has begun to wane with all the X-Books. I initially loved this new direction, but I've grown tired of most of their books. It feels like it is treading water.
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 2022.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:
- Green Lantern - DC
- I Am Batman - DC
- Detective Comics - DC
- Amazing Spider-Man - Marvel
- Defenders Beyond - Marvel
- Marauders - Marvel
- Wolverine - Marvel
- X-Force - Marvel
Wakanda Forever (Marvel) - I already said a lot about this movie, so I won't go into detail. This movie had an uphill battle and I think it succeeded. This was as good as it could have possibly gotten. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
Honorable Mentions: The Batman
Worst Comic Book Movie of 2022
Morbius (Marvel)- I knew I shouldn't have, but I had to see for myself just how bad this movie was. Let's say I lost valuable hours of my day to this movie. I also talked about this at length. It is such a dumb movie. There were quite a few bad movies this year, but this one won hands down.
Honorable Mention: Black Adam (DC)
Favorite Comic Book TV Show of 2022
Peacekeeper (DC) - Marvel went hard with the quantity of shows this year. While I loved Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk from Marvel, pound for pound, Peacekeeper wins this award. Look, I'm not going to link to all my old posts for everything I say here. Just kidding, here you go. Just know this, the show was a lot of fun and I think John Cena found the perfect role and cast surrounding him.
Honorable Mentions: She-Hulk (Marvel), Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
Worst Comic Book TV show of 2022
Harley Quinn - Season 3 (DC) - There were a lot of comic book based shows and there are even more I didn't watch. But when I Think about the most disappointing, this show popped to the top of the list. For all the complaining I did about Moon Knight, it didn't make me feel the way this show made me feel. I still need to do a post, but between season 2 and season 3, the writers got up their own asses or something. American animation has leaned hard into this adult themed content for the sake of doing it. This show toed the line before, but now everything about this season was overkill. They gave me less of what I want (Kite Man, King Shark, Dr. Pyscho, Sy Borgman, Commissioner Gordon) and increased more Batgirl, Joker and Clayface. The mix was just off. Nothing felt as funny as the previous two seasons. Don't get me started on the Valentine's Day special they released a few weeks ago. I can't even and Harley is becoming borderline unlikeable.
Honorable Mention: N/A.
The “Oh you still come out and I buy you” of 2022
Lazarus Risen (Image) - This was a book that I loved immensely when it came out. It was by one of my favorite writers at the time, Greg Rucka. There have been ridiculously long delays between issues in this book. It went from monthly, to bi-monthly, to quarterly to whenever. This is the problem with books from Image. There's no real editorial oversight, so there is no one to keep these things on a schedule. I have completely lost the thread on this book and I'm unwilling to go back and re-read anything. With these kind of delays, you need to have a detailed, "Previously in...".
Favorite New Artist of 2022
Carmen Carnero - She came in like a force of nature on Captain America. It's the best art I've seen on his book in a while. Marvel's art lately has been feeling very bland lately, so I'm glad to have her around. Her art is so fantastic. It's like a Steve Epting look, but I feel it is less rigid at times. My only worry is that she is so good that she will get poached by Mark Millar as well and then we won't see her in books I actually read. Enjoy it while you can. I can't wait to see her blow up more and get on some bigger projects. She's worthy of it.
Honorable Mentions: Dike Ruan (Shang-Chi)
Worst Artist of 2022
N/A - Unfortunately like last year, I read so much, 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. (Editor's note: You made this promise last year and you didn't stick to it. Don't make promises you can't keep)
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Favorite Artist of 2022
Dan Mora - Detective Comics (DC), Once & Future King (Boom Studios), World's Finest (DC), Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II (Boom Studios) - He wins for the second year in a row for me. Look at his body of work in ONE CALENDAR YEAR. This guy is not human. No one in the industry puts out art like this, but here he is doing it. And it is all consistently good. I've become such a huge fan of his, that I get delighted when I see him on a title. He is another artist that can sell a book for me.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Samnee - Firepower (Image), Pepe Larraz -X-Men (Marvel)
Favorite New Writer of 2022
Tochi Onyebuchi - Captain America: Symbol of Truth (Marvel) - I am so glad to see many new black writers popping up in Marvel (and DC. Hell ALL the companies). I know I have complained about novelists coming into comics, but it seems that lately the ones that do genuinely love comics. I don't have to worry about their stories, it's just how do they adjust to the medium? Do they overwrite too much? Do they at least come with fresh ideas? I think Tochi has come up on the latter side of this. His first 10ish issues of Captain America (the Sam Wilson one) has been great. The twist of African-Americans immigrating to Wakanda and being turned away due to Sam's actions is heavy stuff. I don't think I've seen that angle before and it's that kind of fresh thinking is why he's my favorite new writer of the year. Can't wait to see what else he brings.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Worst Writer of 2022
John Ridley (Black Panther, I Am Batman) - I don't take pride in putting this brother here, but you've heard me rant about the current run of Black Panther. I don't think I've ever been so pissed off at the way a comic has been written in a long time. Go read that older post if you want more. You've read enough already!
Honorable Mentions: N/A. (I can't remember anyone else that should be on this list)
Honorable Mentions: The Batman
Worst Comic Book Movie of 2022
Morbius (Marvel)- I knew I shouldn't have, but I had to see for myself just how bad this movie was. Let's say I lost valuable hours of my day to this movie. I also talked about this at length. It is such a dumb movie. There were quite a few bad movies this year, but this one won hands down.
Honorable Mention: Black Adam (DC)
Favorite Comic Book TV Show of 2022
Peacekeeper (DC) - Marvel went hard with the quantity of shows this year. While I loved Ms. Marvel and She-Hulk from Marvel, pound for pound, Peacekeeper wins this award. Look, I'm not going to link to all my old posts for everything I say here. Just kidding, here you go. Just know this, the show was a lot of fun and I think John Cena found the perfect role and cast surrounding him.
Honorable Mentions: She-Hulk (Marvel), Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
Worst Comic Book TV show of 2022
Harley Quinn - Season 3 (DC) - There were a lot of comic book based shows and there are even more I didn't watch. But when I Think about the most disappointing, this show popped to the top of the list. For all the complaining I did about Moon Knight, it didn't make me feel the way this show made me feel. I still need to do a post, but between season 2 and season 3, the writers got up their own asses or something. American animation has leaned hard into this adult themed content for the sake of doing it. This show toed the line before, but now everything about this season was overkill. They gave me less of what I want (Kite Man, King Shark, Dr. Pyscho, Sy Borgman, Commissioner Gordon) and increased more Batgirl, Joker and Clayface. The mix was just off. Nothing felt as funny as the previous two seasons. Don't get me started on the Valentine's Day special they released a few weeks ago. I can't even and Harley is becoming borderline unlikeable.
Honorable Mention: N/A.
The “Oh you still come out and I buy you” of 2022
Lazarus Risen (Image) - This was a book that I loved immensely when it came out. It was by one of my favorite writers at the time, Greg Rucka. There have been ridiculously long delays between issues in this book. It went from monthly, to bi-monthly, to quarterly to whenever. This is the problem with books from Image. There's no real editorial oversight, so there is no one to keep these things on a schedule. I have completely lost the thread on this book and I'm unwilling to go back and re-read anything. With these kind of delays, you need to have a detailed, "Previously in...".
Favorite New Artist of 2022
Carmen Carnero - She came in like a force of nature on Captain America. It's the best art I've seen on his book in a while. Marvel's art lately has been feeling very bland lately, so I'm glad to have her around. Her art is so fantastic. It's like a Steve Epting look, but I feel it is less rigid at times. My only worry is that she is so good that she will get poached by Mark Millar as well and then we won't see her in books I actually read. Enjoy it while you can. I can't wait to see her blow up more and get on some bigger projects. She's worthy of it.
Honorable Mentions: Dike Ruan (Shang-Chi)
Worst Artist of 2022
N/A - Unfortunately like last year, I read so much, 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. (Editor's note: You made this promise last year and you didn't stick to it. Don't make promises you can't keep)
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Favorite Artist of 2022
Dan Mora - Detective Comics (DC), Once & Future King (Boom Studios), World's Finest (DC), Mighty Morphin Power Rangers/Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II (Boom Studios) - He wins for the second year in a row for me. Look at his body of work in ONE CALENDAR YEAR. This guy is not human. No one in the industry puts out art like this, but here he is doing it. And it is all consistently good. I've become such a huge fan of his, that I get delighted when I see him on a title. He is another artist that can sell a book for me.
Honorable Mentions: Chris Samnee - Firepower (Image), Pepe Larraz -X-Men (Marvel)
Favorite New Writer of 2022
Tochi Onyebuchi - Captain America: Symbol of Truth (Marvel) - I am so glad to see many new black writers popping up in Marvel (and DC. Hell ALL the companies). I know I have complained about novelists coming into comics, but it seems that lately the ones that do genuinely love comics. I don't have to worry about their stories, it's just how do they adjust to the medium? Do they overwrite too much? Do they at least come with fresh ideas? I think Tochi has come up on the latter side of this. His first 10ish issues of Captain America (the Sam Wilson one) has been great. The twist of African-Americans immigrating to Wakanda and being turned away due to Sam's actions is heavy stuff. I don't think I've seen that angle before and it's that kind of fresh thinking is why he's my favorite new writer of the year. Can't wait to see what else he brings.
Honorable Mentions: N/A
Worst Writer of 2022
John Ridley (Black Panther, I Am Batman) - I don't take pride in putting this brother here, but you've heard me rant about the current run of Black Panther. I don't think I've ever been so pissed off at the way a comic has been written in a long time. Go read that older post if you want more. You've read enough already!
Honorable Mentions: N/A. (I can't remember anyone else that should be on this list)
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