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Best And Worst Comics Of 2007From: bookgasm.com Posted: January 12, 2008 You are going to see the name "GENE SIMMONS" quite a bit on this list. No, it’s not a mistake. You see, while other comic critics’ lists will have maybe one or two superhero books, they are all usually filed with one-shots or graphic novels, all drawn "stick-figure"-style and feature plots about young women who are Tori Amos fans, cut themselves and ruminate non-stop about how much they hate George Bush. And let’s not even get into the ones with titles like MALIK TRIUMPHANT: AN ORPHAN’S JOURNEY OUT OF DARFUR. No one honestly "enjoys" reading those types of comics. Critics feel like they have to put them on their lists because they are "important," in their never-ending quest to find the next MAUS. With SERIOUS ISSUES, I say "screw that." I read comics for fun. Yes, fun. So, in accordance with that ideal, why wouldn’t my year-end list be made up of comics that I thoroughly enjoyed? These are issues and story arcs that brought me a great deal of pleasure, and while they are in no danger of winning a Pulitzer (or even possibly an Eisner), they earned something even better: my hard-earned dollar. And if I know GENE SIMMONS, that’s all he wants anyway … The five best books of 2007 5. GENE SIMMONS’ DOMINATRIX (IDW) I know this isn’t going to win me any fans, but normally I hate comics featuring, um, "strong female characters." Not because I have anything against strong women, for the most part, but mostly because they are always written by guys who have no idea how to write women – they replace "courage" with a ball-bustering, unlikable attitude, all wrapped in a bosom-heaving package, delivered in the name of faux-feminism. And while at first glance this is exactly what DOMINATRIX is, the difference is that this is all done without pretension. It knows it’s a goofy book, acting as a satirical take on those big-breasted mythos without any apologies. Add to this the fact that Dominique who, while being a dominatrix, is actually a sweet and likable character in between the action, and you have a book that demands a second look. Appearances, in this case especially, can really be deceiving. 4. ACTION COMICS (DC) This long-running Superman title has eschewed all seriousness in favor of a fun vibe that is the truest, purest depiction of the Man of Steel in years. When Richard Donner’s take on the return of General Zod, and as a Bizarro story (with art by THE GOON’s Eric Powell), were over, I was sure that the book was going to return to mediocrity, but writer Geoff Johns proved me wrong with an exciting crossover with The Legion of Super-Heroes, set in a future where Superman’s history was rewritten to paint him as an alien-hating isolationist. This is how Superman is supposed to be written: no angst, just high-flying good times. 3. NEXUS (Rude Dude) / BADGER (IDW) Mike Baron has been one busy fellow over the course of the year, with the releases of THE ARCHITECT and ESSENTIAL PUNISHER: VOL. 2 – as well as the just-released THE COMPLETE BADGER: VOLUME ONE – but no one was prepared for the return of his two famous creations the cult duo of stellar sci-fi assassin Nexus and the multiple personalities of The Badger. In 2007, we not only got a new Nexus, but also the long-awaited origin issue – teaming once again with artist Steve Rude – while IDW released the hilarious Badger one-shot BULL!, the appetizer for the upcoming, ongoing series BADGER SAVES THE WORLD. No tweaks or revampings here – these are blissfully the same characters you remember. 2. THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD (DC) Every month or so, when our editor Rod reviews a classic title from DC’s SHOWCASE collections, it stings a little to know that the fun, freewheeling, ultra-wacky DC style of yore is dead … or is it? With the return of the team-up title THE BRAVE AND THE BOLD, those insane plots and bizarre crossovers with giant-eyed villains return. In the first year, we’ve had issues with stalwarts like Batman, Blue Beetle, Supergirl and Wonder Woman, to classic where-are-they-nowers like Blackhawk, The Boy Commandos, Dial H for Hero, Metal Men and Doom Patrol. These are fun stories that are pure – dare I say "wholesome" – escapist entertainment. 1. GENE SIMMONS’ HOUSE OF HORRORS (IDW) I would never – I repeat, never – recommend a comic book with a $10 cover price unless I didn’t think it was worth it. And boy howdy, is this book worth it. Proving that the first issue’s awesomeness was no fluke, issue 2 upped the ante, with Lovecraftian sea monsters piloting downed WWII aircraft, a delicious tale of cannibalism that fans of torture-porn films will cream themselves over and a dark rocker filled with Robert Johnson-style diabolism. Not only is HOUSE OF HORRORS the best horror comic around in a getting-crowded field, it’s also the best comic around period. Everything is short and to the point, with not a single page of filler, combined with top-notch writers and artists who are precise and clear in their storytelling, just like the good ol’ E.C. days. And that’s something for which I’d gladly pay $100 an issue. (Wait a minute, I’d better retract that, lest I give Gene any ideas …) Other comics I loved throughout 2007 PUNISHER WAR JOURNAL (Marvel) Sorry, Ennis, but your constant ultra-violent take on The Punisher has grown into an unfunny, one-note joke. On the other hand, writer Matt Fraction has not only made The Punisher fun again, but also delivered some actually unique storylines. The latest? The son of Kraven capturing and creating a zoo made up of animal-based supervillains. SIMON DARK (DC) Steve Niles’ latest creation of SIMON DARK, the new dark knight of Gotham, is a (possibly) Frankensteined misunderstood monster who – even after three issues – is cloaked in secrecy and mystery, but in a compelling (and stylish) enough way to keep you reading. I hope it catches on with readers. MARVEL ZOMBIES VS. ARMY OF DARKNESS (Marvel/Dynamite) / FREDDY VS. JASON VS. ASH (WildStorm/Dynamite) Either you love this stuff or you don’t, and I sure as hell do. The ones to look out for in 2008 BAT LASH (DC) Acclaimed Western writer Peter Brandvold (along with Sergio Aragones) brings back the classic Bat Lash character, with a love-lost revenge story in what’s shaping up to be the next JONAH HEX. Minus all the rape, of course. GENE SIMMONS’ ZIPPER (IDW) One issue in, and I’m still clamoring for the next. A gelatinous goo-man sealed in a leather-zipper suit with chains escapes death on his planet, finding himself on Earth while tentacle jellyfish aliens search for him. They had me at "gelatinous goo-man." The three worst comics in 2007 TALES FROM THE CRYPT (Papercutz) How dare this lame, kiddie-friendly anthology take the name TALES FROM THE CRYPT? Issue three hit a new low with an AMERICAN IDOL parody. Is this the best you guys can do? William Gaines would be spinning in his grave, but he’s too soggy from all the piss that you’re squirting on his corpse. SPIDER-MAN: ONE MORE DAY (Marvel) This is the biggest cop-out in the history of comics. Basically, Peter Parker makes a deal with Mephisto that his marriage to Mary Jane never happened, in order to save the life of Aunt May, who is 156, by the way. Whatever happened to "With great power comes great responsibility"? Go to hell, J. Michael Straczynski. CHUCKY (Devil’s Due) Brian Pulido, who is erroneously called a "horror master" on the cover of this cinematic spin-off, is best know for creating such retarded characters like the dead metalhead Evil Ernie and a whole squadron of big-tittied spank-bank characters like Lady Death, Purgatori and Chastity. He brings the same level of subtlety and class to this project, which is to say none. What a waste. –Louis Fowler |
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