Francis Davis
NEXTWAVE: AGENTS OF HATE: This Is What They Want
Writer: by Warren Ellis
Artist: Stuart immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger.
Publisher: Marvel Comics
Hi my name is Frank, and my less than secret love comic for 2006 is Nextwave. It gives me everything I need as a reader. Clever, yet lowbrow jokes, heroes who win, villians with no dignity. Nextwave is a comic about 5 D-level superheroes who suck. These washed up heroes including the people formerly known as Captain Marvel, Machine man and Boom-Boom know they suck. The world knows they suck. They suck so much that the beyond corporation thinks that they are dumb enough to test out their bizzare weapons of mass destruction. After the team discovers the plot, they go and make things kick and ’splode. Sometimes a comic like any piece of art should have literary and artistic merits. NEXTWAVE forgoes these in favor of offering deranged behavior, extreme comedy, stupid people and giant dragons with purple underpants.
The creative team of Warren Ellis, Stuart Immonen and Wade Von Grawbadger offer the closest approximation of crack cocaine in a paper form. (The crack analogy may be the only reason that explains why Warren Ellis used Tabby Smith again in a Marvel comic, that is unless he loves her in unpure ways.) It is not good for you, but it is a comic with such unbounded joy and enthusiasm for debauchery, bad behavior, defilement of sacred cows. ( I miss you Fin Fang Foom, my heart will go on.) It is also the type of comic that you can have anyone read and understand. No messy continuity, just comedy and action. The storytelling in the first six issues of NEXTWAVE ( reprinted in sturdy hardcover) read like they were created by men in a bar who drank without eating before hand. It is strangely delusional, yet remarkable lucid in its desire for fun. I for one mourn its untimely end, but the comic exist as a symbol of all that is good in comics in 2006. After writing this I need to go take my meds, so go and love the Nextwave!
John Davidson
Lucifer - Morningstar
Writer: Mike Carey
Artist: Peter Gross, Ryan Kelly, Collen Doran and Michael Kaluta
Publisher: by Dc (Vertigo) in the US and Titan in the UK
This was it, the penultimate chapter in Mike Carey’s epic study of the first of the fallen. As creation crumbles around the protagonists in the absence of God; Lucifer and Elaine Bleloc, along with the new lord of hell, Mazikeen, and all the characters from earlier in the series do battle with the Lilim; the host of heaven and the hordes of hell. The Silver City falls and everything and everyone is doomed. Or is it? Perhaps the devil has one or two tricks left.
Carey has been setting this story up one issue at a time since the original 3-part mini, and here he delivers a phenomenal climax to a landmark series. Except it isn’t the end..there is one more book to go.
Horror, mythology, religion, characterisation and downright clever plotting all combined in a comic book. What more do you want?
Ali
Seven Soldiers of Victory (2005/2006)
Writer: Grant Morrison
Artist: J.H. Williams III, Sinome Binachi, Cameron Stewart, Ryan Sook, Frazer Irving, Yanick Paquette, Doug Manhnke, Pascal Ferry
Publisher: DC Comics
I hate Grant Morrison, but for all the right reasons. He can take an age-old dusty comic or idea and give it a brand new interesting twist, and just to top things off he’ll smile at you and bow, disappearing in a cloud of sparkly confetti.
The Seven Soldiers of Victory originally appeared in Leading Comics #1 in 1941, and the idea of a team of seven heroes has cropped up again and again in different DC stories and with different team members ever since. Grant Morrison and J.H. Williams III launched this retooled version as a sort of mega-series, with seven interconnected miniseries and two main book-ended titles that make up the whole story.
This version of the team though are not your usual type of ’super hero’ members: Shining Knight, Manhattan Guardian, Zatanna, Klarion the Witch Boy, Mister Miracle, Bulleteer and Frankenstein. To make things even more unusual, they don’t even know that they are part of the ‘Seven Soldiers’. They all fight for the same cause (thanks to the machinations of the Seven Unknown Men of Slaughter Swamp), but they never meet each other and so its a team that doesn’t actually know its a team. The overall story is an epic never-ending battle against an alien horde called the ‘Sheeda’ who are systematically invading us at different points in time and space.
It is an ambitious and (largely) successful idea, and it shows that comics can be both commercial and experimental.
RossS
DMZ
Publisher: DC/Vertigo
Writer: Brian Wood
Artist: Riccardo Burchielli & Brian Wood
It was a close run for me between this and another Vertigo title of last year, The Exterminators, but in the end DMZ won out. I’ve always liked Brian Wood’s work since Couscous Express and Demo, he has an eye for action, an ear for dialogue and a design asthetic that sets him apart from other writers in my mind. His stuff is just somehow cooler, more chilled, more natural. He seems to always have fun doing what he does.
DMZ is his first on-going series, since all his other work has been limited series or self-contained graphic novels. It tells the story of a very near future Manhattan, which has become the DMZ in a new American Civil war. In Brian Wood’s own words
“Midwestern militia groups revolt against their local governments in protest of rampant U.S. adventurism overseas and, in the absence of the National Guard, are able to gain far more ground than they thought possible. Small insurgent groups pop up in towns and cities across the country, and a sizable force, the Free States Army, pushes toward Manhattan. The city proves too big for them to take, and also for the U.S. Army to defend. The war stalls there, a stalemate, neither side being able to shift things”.
The main protagonist of the story is Matty Roth, a young photo journalist who ends up dumped in the DMZ by his news crew. It is through Matt’s day to day life as the only journalist in the DMZ that we, the reader, get to explore this alternative Manhattan. A Manhattan of rooftop spies, special ops zoo keepers and tight knit community. Wood’s writing and ideas, as well as his fabulously designed covers, are totally spot on, and Burchielli’s art is an intriguing combination of life like detail and cartoony extremism; somewhat like a lighter Brian Azarello.
DMZ has completed two story arcs now, and is just beginning a third. The initial story arc is available in collected form, and the second will be on its way soon. Honestly there’s just no excuse not to read this comic.
Ben Crofts
Star Wars Legacy 1
Writer: John Ostrander
Artist: Jan Duursema
Dark Horse Comics
Some months back, I was becoming decidedly jaded with the Star Wars stories, especially those told in the books. On the other hand DHC’s line of comics had been pretty consistent, even improving the Prequel Trilogy with its Republic series. Of the teams they had on that title, Ostrander and Duursema have built themselves a very good reputation, but when I heard of their new project, I was sceptical. Intrigued but sceptical.
I’d heard this before: new Empire, new Sith, new Jedi, far future setting, oh great, this’ll be good. So it was I got utterly blindsided by the best comic I’ve read this year! Oh there’s lots of close contenders, quite a few issuing from the pen of Ed Brubaker, but Legacy gets it because it restored my enjoyment of Star Wars stories, which was where I started collecting US comics some 13 years back with DHC’s Dark Empire series.
Good as Republic was, it could only ever end on a bad note. Here, with a very well constructed new setting, all bets are off. I’ve become very suspicious of Star Wars authors due to the stories they’ve delivered, but here I find myself just sitting back and enjoying the ride! No mean achievement!
I wouldn’t say it’s for everyone, more for Star Wars fans, but it’s wholly accessible, so maybe worth considering.
James Dodsworth
Ultimates Vol.2
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Bryan Hitch
Publisher: Marvel
This is the comic run people will be talking about in 20 or 30 years times. Bryan Hitch’s artwork is so insanely detailed it almost beggers believe, no one can deny that the man is the greatest living comic book artist, and I will fight you if you say otherwise. Everything about The Ultimates is great, I don’t care if it’s been late or the dialogue is a bit hokey, this is the most amazing thing you will see for a long time. Two masters of the scene at the top of their games is a reason to celebrate. Buy the hardcover when it comes out and hand it down like a precious heirloom, because it doesn’t get any better than any issue of this series.
Russell Hillman
Runaways
Writer: Brian K Vaughan
Artist: Adrian Alphona
Publisher: Marvel
Despite some strong competition from Captain America, She-Hulk and Nextwave, in the end there could only be one winner for me. Runaways is a title that continues to go from strength to strength. From the conclusion of the New York storyline, through to the return of the Pride and the unfortunate loss of many people’s favourite Runaway (Including mine), this has been another amazing year.
Even the side-stories, the free comic book day one-shot X-Men/Runaways and the Civil War: Young Avengers/Runaways miniseries have been decent. Brian K Vaughan’s writing is as strong as ever, and the only reason most of the fans aren’t sad about his leaving the title next year is because his replacement, Joss Whedon, may be almost as good. Yes, almost; and that comes from an obsessive Buffy and Angel fan. Runaways is that good.Pick it up in singles, tidy little trades or the huge hardcovers, but pick it up.
Casey Cosker
Ultimates Vol.2
Writer: Mark Millar
Artist: Bryan Hitch
Publisher: Marvel
Is it just me, or do all my favorite books take forever to come out? Astonishing X-Men comes out whenever the editors feel they can put it out, Fell comes out whenever Warren Ellis gets around to writing it, and Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse is taking a hiatus. That said, my favorite book on the market, and one of the most-delayed, is Ultimates 2. Sure, Bryan Hitch’s art is insanely detailed, and Mark Millar’s dialogue is incredibly smart. But the best thing about this comic is how these two creators mix to form a team that can only be described as genius. Millar’s story is astonishingly complex and political, and Hitch visualizes it with cinematic detail and realism. When the action starts, it doesn’t let up in intensity, but it continues the thematicism and social commentary that the rest of the story held. I hate having to wait the months that I do for this book, but whenever it comes out, the wait is always worth it.
I’d love to have an original opinion, but I have to second what James said. Ultimates 2 is the best book out there. I can’t wait for the oversized hardcover whenever that comes out.
Mark Peyton
As readers of the monthly 52 column know it is with a heavy heart that I do not vote that my comic of the year on the basis that I’ve even read Transformers comics I enjoyed more. There are quite a few books that should be competing for this next year with that boy Fraction doing very well with his first issues on new Marvel comics, but alas with only one issue out it is a little early to be naming them. My comic of the year is:
Phonogram
Writen by Kieron Gillen
Drawn by Jamie McKelvie
Image Comics Monthly
Just pipping DMZ and Ultimates, Phonogram is the comic that has made me think and comment the most of any book this year. A trip through the British Indie scene of the nineties in the form of a magical mystery set in the present day. This is a book that touches on who I was and who I am now. It’s amazing that I can enjoy a glossary at the back of a comic explaining who obscure (and not so obscure) indie bands were and still have hatred after all these years for Kula Shaker.
There is a spark and wit that has been present in Gillen’s work over the years on the small press scene, but this really put it into the spotlight, helped by the great visuals from McKelvie. The covers are lovingly rendered reworkings of classic album covers, but which still fit the work inside beautifully. This is an England I recognise and indeed we think there is a pub crawl to be had following it around.
With a thoroughly unlikeable lead the creators have managed to sell indie music to the comic crowd. If they offer you a bridge for sale then beware.