Best of 2011

I'm the last in line for this week's theme, so it's entirely possible someone else will have picked the same thing, but not likely for the same reason.

After much thought, I'm picking the New 52 as the best of 2011. I only read a fraction of what came out in this magnum of number one issues in September, and only 1 issue of any of the books for any of the big players (Batman, Superman, Green Lantern, JLA). I don't budget like Mr Deep Pockets (you know who I mean), who bought all 52 first issues. As a result, it can easily be argued that at least half of the 52 titles are ought but crap. I wouldn't know.

The Best of 2011

Looking back I realize this year was fairly different from the previous year for me because I drifted away from the memoir, slice of life stuff.  This year there was so much Euro material out there that I was really drawn back into the science fiction and fantasy story lines.

My favorite publisher in 2011 was Humanoids.  Much to my local stores chagrin, I think I actually ordered every single book they solicited this year.   Yes, even the ridiculously expensive ones that I picked in the monthly indie previews.  While not every one was a winner, I experienced so many new stories and styles of art that I loved it.  Second place has to go to Fantagraphics for continuing to publish the best comix out there, and third goes to IDW for making sure I still had a full plate of classic stuff and horror books too.

Of course, one of the joys of having a blog is having an accurate record of everything you read in the previous year. Or semi accurate at least. I have a list of 67 books that I read over the past year that doesn’t include the ones I read prior to July. I can figure it out but it’s just too much effort right now and I figure that 67 is large enough sample size to pick a best of from.

Below the break, I separate all 67 books in a couple of catagories...

Best of the Year

The best book of 2011 has to be Mark Waid, Paolo Rivera, and Marcos Martin's Daredevil.

2011 - Gwen

Ever since I took a new job as a teacher I've had little to know time for "just for fun" reading. Comic books at least have the merit of being quick reads so I have managed to squeeze in some reading time here and there.

My favorite comic book stuff for 2011 as follows:



Batgirl - before the new 52




Not that I don't like Babs as Batgirl traditionally but I would have embraced the move more wholeheartedly if they hadn't finally gotten Batgirl right after so many years and then wiped away Stephanie Brown underneath the cape with the DC relaunch. I had a lot of fun with Stephanie as Batgirl. I felt that not only had DC finally found a good place for Stephanie but they had also made Batgirl a fun and interesting character again. I don't have anything against Cassie but I could never relate to her the way I did to Babs when I was a kid. Stephanie was easy to relate to and I started to love reading Batgirl again because of her. I think because of this I've found it difficult to fully embrace Barbra Gordon back under the cape after all these years. I think that's it's a shame that we saw so very little of Stephanie as Batgirl.

Best of 2011 (Matthew’s Picks)

It’s funny. Lee told all of us that it was time for our annual Best of Lists, but searching the blog archives, I didn’t see that we’ve ever each done one before, other than Jim of course. And although Thomm has already queued up his list (to be posted Saturday), I’m not going to peak at it ahead of time to see how he set up his categories. So, it’s likely going to be a free-for-all this week, with Top 10 lists, Oscar nominees, etc. Anyway, here’s my picks for 2011 (format subject to change in ensuing years).

2011The Year in Review

So Lee has been driving the blog as taskmaster and has commanded that a year in review be done. I’m curious to see if any of this rather disjointed and opinionated bunch will follow through, but since I stared this puppy lo those many years ago and was taskmaster for a long time I know being the big cheese is not always easy.

All years when looked at in retrospect have a lot happening. I sold my house, in the middle of a move to Florida, lost my beloved dog and have a new grandson as of December 22, 2011 Connor Jacob McLaughlin. Of course I don’t think Lee wants the Christmas letter that people send out he wanted more of a year in review of what happened in the comic book world.

The big things are Joe Quesada and Dan Didio are both kicked upstairs and we officially have Alex Alonso and Bob Harras running the day to day show and that impact is going to felt slowly over the coming months and years since their predecessors did not leave their influence will take more time to be visible.

Of course the biggest event of 2011 was the new DCU. The unprecedented re-launching of the entire DCU that culminating with 52 brand new series and temporary put DC on top of the sales charts. We are only on month 4 and while I have dropped 15 of the titles to date, that means I’m still reading 37 series from the DCU which is a good sign. I’m unconvinced this was needed and also not convinced it was a great idea. While the short term marketing gimmick worked like any gimmick it can only be played out for a short period of time.

The List - December 2011

Righty-o. Another short turn around month, but I 'll do the best I can to get something worthwhile written up here. I don't think I mentioned it as official policy, but I'm not putting trades and such on The List. It's just the singles, and the other stuff will get write-ups as warranted. So, in addition to this month's singles, I read trades for Sweet Tooth, Loveless, 100 Bullets, Kill Shakespeare, Love and Rockets, and Essex County. Gotta love half price sales.

On to the show.

1. Spaceman 3 - The more I read of this limited series, the more I love it. Azzarello's dialog alone is a joy. He's taking English as we know it and moving it into a possible evolution, or devolution, in a future of maybe 100 years distance. Then there are the references to the banalities of our own pop culture as well as the vast quantity of literal garbage we produce, now objects of possible treasure. And that doesn't even get into the meat of the story of Orson and Tara, rescuer and and kidnap victim, each carrying baggage that keeps them from coming forward with her rescue. Now we have a former astronaut crewmate of Orson's coming into the picture and complicating matters. Well, not yet, but that appears likely. Risso's art is really capturing this future composed of our junk, giving the whole thing the right atmosphere of discarded objects, living and inanimate.