Who has been your favorite artist and favorite writer this year? and what would be the one title you would recommened to someone judging on the stuff that has come out this year?
I wasn't even gonna bother with Nextwave, was going to wait for the trades but Evil Jared (now THERE'S a reference to see how (un)cool you all are!) forced #1 upon me at the counter and so I gave in, funniest comic I've read in years.
I don't think I'm quite as cool as the real evil Jared. But thanks for spelling my name correctly.
This year Loveless has been quite a revelation, shame about the fill in artist, but the story, despite being, well, er, complex, is great. Criminal is proving to be a good series. I hope it keeps up the high standard (most of Brubakers other stuff tends to boil a bit flat after a few issues, Daredevil, Captain America, Uncanny X-Men). Brian K Vaughan has continued to prove that he's, if not the best writer in comics at least high up there with Ex Machina, Y The Last Man and Pride of Baghdad. Cross Bronx, Phonogram, Nightly News, Other Side are all good mini series which have surprised me. Punisher keeps on hitting my brutal comics target every month. The new wave of Vertigo series has had a few successes too. American Virgin, DMZ, Exterminators are all great. My favorite comic artist of 2006 is Steve McNiven. He draws civil war, when he's not ill... Civil War is definately my tills favorite series of 2006, selling almost three times as many as the next best seller, and loads, I mean 100's, of people opting to buy all the spin offs, crossovers and tie ins. It's just a shame that all the unsold Ms Marvel issues have cancelled out any proffit that we would have made from the series.
My favorite single issue is DMZ 12. It's a wonderfully presented stand alone issue about the people trapped in Manhattans demiletarised zone. We've still got a few in stock. Check it out next time you're in OK.
*is supposed to be working!!* An artist I have found inspirational this year is Simone Bianchi. I love the detail in i his pencil sketches. I have had a sneak preview of Wolverine 12 (my friend Jim has access to the March solits). And I love the Bianchi`s use of colour.
Other artists this year for me are definitely Humberto Ramos because of his unique style and Joe Lisner, who did Claws 1-3. The artwork was amazing!!
Out of all the dross thrown out at comic buyers this year there's three titles that stand out for me, all well written and with good artwork. And as a Marvel reader/collector the surprising thing is they are all DC titles. Tales of the Unexpected and The Creeper (written by Niles and art by Justiniano)are excellent and well worth picking up. But the one I'm seriously looking forward to is the Sandman Mystery Theatre out this Thursday. Obviously I haven't read it yet, but the preview stuff on the DC website looks great.
I think Adrian Alphona is an artist to watch out for, his work on runaways showed an ability to draw various styles of clothes, different body types and expressive faces. My favorite single issue comic this year has to be the McCarthy issue of Solo, but a tip of the hat goes to Igort's latest issue of Baobab. It's a tie for best miniseries between The Escapists and Scarlet Traces. There were three great original graphic novel's 1) Can't Get No 2) Fun Home and 3)Pride of Baghdad. Brian Vaughn is probably the most consistant writer. There were also disapointments including Paul Pope's Batman Year 100, Acme Novelty Library 17 and the innability of Dynamic forces to get the American Flagg book out (I guess they still have 2 weeks left). In the next year I am looking foreward to Rick Veitch's Our Army @ Love, Jack Kirby's Fourth World Hardcovers, Bryan Talbot's Alice in Sunderland and all the Grendel reissues.
I enjoyed nearly all the books I bought this year and almost everybody did solid work on them.
Loveless grew into a personal favourite with its uncompromising intelligence and startling and entirely natural plot developments. It is truly shaping up into something worthy of the word "novel". I respect this book more than any I have read this year, despite liking none of the characters. The art is great comic book art too. And its got cowboys and stuff in it.
Issue 14 was a highpoint, a stand alone that was truly moving and marking a welcome return (to me anyway) of compassion, honesty and humanity to mainstream genre storytelling. This was the best single issue of any series by far.
Azzarello himself has become my favourite writer of the year. 100 Bullets continues his cyrptic crime stylings without the loss of any momentum, Loveless we know and Deathblow is funnier than anything except Nextwave.
Brubaker nearly made it, but really I wish Cap would just punch Skull into a coma already, and Daredevil faltered with a terrible Bendis moment ("No one must know Daredevil is in Europe, I must be careful!" Or just y'know not wear the bright red costume, huh, Matt?) which punctured my disbelief so bad I'm still gasping. Criminal though is great, flawless noir so far. Second place then.
Artist? Well, I'm honour bound to stick with CHAYKIN! Blade was/is damn good stuff but Guy Gardner was better. Hawkgirl? Uh, nice covers? Good work all round, but lay of the textures a bit, sir. Too busy for my old eyes. It's still true: No one draws a man in a stylin' suit as well as CHAYKIN! Let him loose on whatever he wants next year. Let the CHAYKIN! soar again.
Brian K. Vaughan and Ed Brubaker - both have done outstanding work on books including Y: The Last Man, Ex-Machina, Pride of Baghdad, Daredevil, Criminal and Captain America.
I agree. Ed Benes has totally come into is own this year, shame he's wasted on the boring Justice League of America. I've been urged to keep reading, apparently somethings going to happen in issue 14.
