Playback STL 10 best GNs and comics

This is not Chad. It's the other guy who occasionally posts here, mostly just to link to his other reviews elsewhere, Steve.

I write comic reviews for Playback St. Louis, and they just recently published my ten best list of both comics and graphic novels of 2008.

Here you can find my list of the ten best comics.

And here's my list of the ten best GNs.

When I wrote the lists, they were countdowns from 10 to 1, because that's what a ten best list should do in my opinion, create suspense as it leads up to what the author of the list thinks is the best of the year. But my editor didn't like it that way, so he changed the books around. That occasionally makes a couple of the paragraphs not make so much sense, so my apologies to you all for that. Plus, you click on the link and you automatically know my best book of the year, but oh well.

the rundown:

*I totally cheated on my comic list and put eleven books on, but it makes sense why two books share my number ten spot
*I also included a worst comic and two worst GNs on my lists
*DC and its various imprints have three books on my GN list (including the best GN of 2008) and six on my comic list
*Marvel had only one book on either list, and it was from an imprint, not the proper Marvel universe
*Drawn and Quarterly had three on my GN list as well, and Top Shelf two
*Indie books also get three of my comic spots, including the number one position
*Brian Wood has three books on my GN and comic list combined, clearly making him one of my favorite creators of 2008
*Two books on my comic list are written and drawn by the same person, whereas six of my GNs are

Read 'em and give me feedback.

CBR's Top 100 Books of 2008 Part Five (20-1)

Well, CBR has conclused its countdown of the top 100 books of 2008 with the top twenty--in which the remaining six of the top ten list I submitted appear: Omega the Unknown (#15), Casanova (#13), Batman (#11), Captain Britain and MI:13 (#10), Scalped (#3), and Criminal (#2).

So, that does it for CBR's list, but, soon, I will be my end of 2008 series of posts including an updated top ten list (where sadly, one book was bumped for another), a look at Joe Casey's 2008 books, and maybe a post or two spotlighting some books that didn't make my top ten but were still pretty damn good.

CBR Review: Punisher War Journal #26

I recently reviewed Punisher War Journal #26 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Castle spends Christmas perched on a roof across from the bar he blew up way back in issue four, listening to a bunch of small-timers fight over a newly purchased Stilt-Man suit. And whose roof is he perched atop? Why, the Rhino’s roof, of course! What ensues is the Rhino pointing out why this series never quite worked. He tells Castle, 'You punish the guilty, Frank. Not the stupid.' Those two sentences sum up why War Journal never really worked, because Castle spent much of the time dealing with the stupid and treating them like they were threats."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Incognito #1

I recently reviewed Incognito #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Something doesn’t click in this debut issue of Incognito. The elements are all there: Ed Brubaker’s street level perspective, Sean Phillips’s exquisite art and storytelling, a complex and morally questionable protagonist. It just doesn’t work nearly as well as you’d expect. It reads like a book that someone who was trying to copy Sleeper and Criminal might make, and cannot come close to the originals."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Captain America #45

I recently reviewed Captain America #45 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Captain America is just about as consistent a comic book as you’re likely to find today. Each issue is very much like the last in quality, even going so far as to have an unimaginably consistent look despite numerous artists handling those duties. The book is so consistent that it’s difficult to find new and interesting things to say about it. It's almost easy to forget about this title as it is taken for granted that, each month, Captain America will come out and be quite good."

You can read the rest HERE!

(Also, there was confusion in my original review and Augie tried to fix it, but, when I talk about the art, what I meant was that Ross's art looked rushed and that, as a result, Butch Guice did a few pages, not that Guice's art was poor. Figured I'd clarify that.)

CBR's Top 100 Books of 2008 Part Four (40-21)

CBR has put up part four of its countdown of the top 100 books of 2008 covering #40-21. This bunch contains one book from my top ten, Young Liars at #22. Tomorrow, we'll see what the CBR staffers voted the top twenty books of 2008, so don't miss it.

CBR's Top 100 Books of 2008 Part Three (60-41)

CBR has posted the third part of its countdown of the top 100 books of 2008, and nothing from my top ten is in this bunch. But, since my taste is pretty good, it's not surprising that many of my picks may end up closer to the top, right? (I kid... sort of.)

CBR's Top 100 Books of 2008 Part Two (80-61)

The second part of the top 100 countdown over at CBR has been posted and three of my top ten (at the time) have made it: glamourpuss (#76), Captain America (#67), and Aetheric Mechanics (#64). So, check it out and, tomorrow, they will post the next twenty books.

Random Thoughts (Dec. 29 2008)

* Go read Tom Spurgeon's interview with Tucker Stone. It's long, but it's damn good stuff. In fact, he may have referred to me as a lunatic with regards to my positive-leaning review of Secret Invasion #8 (which, if he is referring to me at that point, he's completely correct in doing so--it's the one review I've done for CBR that I would go back and change, because I fucked up). The interview focuses on Stone's thoughts on "mainstream" comics and it's all very smart and very interesting.

* Where are all of the hardcore Rann-Thanagar Holy War fans bitching that I gave the final issue half a star in my CBR review? What's "funny" is that I will totally be buying Strange Adventures despite it almost certainly being just as bad as Holy War... Does that seem odd? It shouldn't since Jim Starlin is like Joe Casey in that I will buy anything he writes--although, I should add that I'll buy any of his cosmic work--if only to think about it and relate to the rest of his work. I mean, comparing Holy War to any of his Marvel cosmic work would be amazing. Why exactly is he unable to make the DC stuff work, while, at Marvel, he writes brilliant stuff? I think it has to do with having some core characters at Marvel like Warlock and Thanos that make up the foundation of every story, and not having the same type of characters at DC, but there's got to be more to it. Also, Starlin is doing some of the art in Strange Adventures. That's enough in and of itself. (By the way, I noticed in Marvel's March solitics, the second "Marvel Masterworks" hardcover featuring Adam Warlock is coming out and it contains Starlin's amazing run on the "book" (as it was over several titles) and is something you should definitely think about buying. I have reprints of those comics and I'm considering it.)

* I'm looking forward to this week's comics.

CBR's Top 100 Books of 2008 Part One (100-81)

Well, today, the first of five parts of CBR's Top 100 Books of 2008 has gone up and none of my top ten books have made the list yet. We'll see what happens over the next five days. In the mean time, enjoy books 100 through 81 and look for 80-61 tomorrow.

CBR Review: Rann-Thanagar Holy War #8

I recently reviewed Rann-Thanagar Holy War #8 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences that helped contribute to what my editor called setting "the new LOW bar for reviews of very very bad comics": "I would say that the best thing about this issue is that this series is over, but with Strange Adventures on the horizon, neither DC nor Starlin have gotten the message that it’s not that no one cares, it’s that anyone who did care has simply stopped."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: What If? Spider-Man Back in Black #1

I recently reviewed What If? Spider-Man Back in Black (godawful title for a comic, by the way) for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following: "What comes through in this issue is intelligence and thought as Grant considered exactly how Peter Parker really would react to an event like this. Not how he would have to act to fit the constraints of the genre and editorial mandate, but how he would act. Some may disagree with Grant’s conclusions, but the final pages demonstrate that he thought everything through, including Parker’s obsession with responsibility. While revenge may drive the character here, he isn’t stupid and he doesn’t expect to walk away if he gets it."

You can read the rest HERE!

I Bought Comics: The First Three Weeks of December 2008

[In which I deliver thoughts and musings on comic books which I have read, but have not reviewed for CBR. Not really reviews, so don't take them as such. Unless you want to. Okay?]

I haven't done this for a few weeks, which makes sense since at least half of what I get each week is for reviews, so letting it accumulate makes sense. I will be doing this in chronological and then alphabetical order. As well, included are two graphic novels I received for Christmas on Tuesday. Yeah, we did ours on Tuesday since both of my sister had to work today. It actually didn't change much since the actual date of Christmas is pretty arbitrary and doing it two days sooner isn't really all that different. It also meant that when I woke up this morning at quarter-to-nine, I'd slept in compared to my previous 24 Christmases. Weird.

Final Crisis #5

Well, Tim and I discussed this in a cross-blog Splash Page, so I'm not sure if there's much to add. I dug this issue quite a bit and it's fun to see how Morrison's overall plan is unfolding. Tim and I didn't discuss it, but I didn't find the art changes distracting or annoying in any way.

Secret Invasion: Dark Reign

Didn't really impress me. It's nice to see that the villains weren't planning this, this is just Norman Osborn trying to make his life easier. I actually looked at New Avengers: Illuminati to compare/contrast and, wow, Alex Maleev's art sure has changed. Namor, in particular, suffers. His Osborn also has normal hair. What the hell? I'm actually not that enthused over "Dark Reign," but that's a pretty easy stance to take when you thought Iron Man was an asshole post-Civil War. I do like the reversal, but nothing I've read including the end of Secret Invasion, this and the most recent issues of the two Avengers books has convinced me that I should give a fuck. But, more on that towards the end.

Ghost Rider #30

This book loses me more with each passing issue. What began as a quirky grindhouse horror comic has become another book about various versions of the same character with a stupidly cliche villain that's playing the turncoat for a chump. The fall of this book in my esteem has been drastic and I'm very close to dropping it. What comes down to is, I'm bored when I read it. I don't care about the International Spirits of Vengeance, I don't care about a renegade angel, and I really just don't care about this book. I may give the run so-far a reread and let that decide its fate.

Hellblazer #250

Though I buy this book in trades, random one-off or two-part fill-in issues pop up from time to time and it's an excuse to pick up a floppy adventure of John Constantine to hold me over until the next trade comes out. This holiday/anniversary special isn't bad. It isn't great either, but rarely are these fill-in issues, especially when creators are limited to short stories. That said, who cares, it's good stuff. Brian Azzarello's story was witty and, thankfully, didn't tie into his run on the book. Peter Milligan takes over next issue and his story shows promise. I'm this close to picking up the book on a regular basis with Milligan on board. Really, this book is a great pairing of skilled writers and artists, and just a joy to read. Not the best thing ever, but good enough.

Invincible Iron Man #8

Salvador Larocca's art pisses me off. It's butt-fuck ugly in a lot of places as he doesn't know how to draw a damn face/head. Add to that a plot that I don't care about. The more I think about it, the more I find the idea of Norman Osborn in charge just because he got in the shot that killed the Skrull Queen, the more I find the whole idea a waste of my goddamn time. This book is back to being officially dropped.

Punisher: War Zone #2-3

I don't know if you've noticed this, but, over at CBR, there are six comic book reviewers. Now, I like a good "gimmick," so I thought "Six of us, six issues of a new Garth Ennis/Steve Dillon Punisher book... we should each review an issue!" I sent an e-mail to Augie (reviews editor and columnist) and he thought it was a good idea, but wondered if it could work (I did too), but I mentioned it to the gang and they liked the idea. What I find very interesting is that reviews for the first three issues are up and each of us has given our respective issue four stars out of a possible five. Now, if that isn't an indication of the level of quality that Ennis and Dillon are delivering, I don't know what is. And we're all different, us reviewers (the two closest in taste would probably be Tim and myself, I think)... yeah, this is a four-star series. It's as good as it can be. The goofier aspects both add and detract (not equally, but close enough), and it's weekly, so it reads very well. I like that Marvel is releasing this book that way and wish they'd line up various minis by high quality teams to release this way. DC has it's mediocre-to-utter-shit weekly book and Marvel can have its various weekly minis that are quite good.

New Avengers #48

Did anything actually happen in this issue? No? Didn't think so. With the price going up by a buck (a buck-twenty for Canadians thanks to the exchange rate) next issue, I think I'm done with this book. Again, the new line-up isn't really all that different and the new status quo doesn't wow me. There are two reasons why I'd keep buying this series:

1. Because I have all of Bendis's Avengers work to this point. And that reason has a pull, but not a good enough one. Really, it's not even close to good enough.

2. Because I want to see what happens with Danielle Cage. This reason is almost good enough. It's very close, because I've become attached to Luke and Jessica, but I can always pick up trades or find out what happens online. It's not worth nearly five bucks each month (exchange rate, you whiny Americans!).

I do believe I will buy the first issue of Dark Avengers to see what it's like, but, that may be the end of me and Brian Michael Bendis's Avengers work. But, in January, I'm thinking I might start a series of posts looking at his run(s) on the book(s). Fun.

The Little Man: Short Strips, 1980-1995

One of the two graphic novels I received for Christmas. I've been a fan of Chester Brown for a few years now, but this is only the third book of his I've gotten. I first picked up I Never Liked You back in my second year of undergrad and, then, Louis Riel in hardcover shortly after, but, since then... nothing. This collection is nice and ranges in quality, most of the strips only two or three pages. I always enjoy collections like this, because I enjoy seeing how a writer/artist/whatever changes and grows over the years... not just in style and technique, but in their subject matter of choice. Considering that my first exposure to Brown's work was I Never Liked You, it's not surprising that my favourite strips were "Helder" and "Showing 'Helder,'" both very autobiographical. I haven't read all of the notes yet, but plan to tonight. One sour note: after only one read-through, the binding has come unglued... pages haven't fallen out yet, but it's not that fun to have a book fall apart so quickly. Ah well, it will make seem more read if anyone should ever browse my collection and make it seem like I'm a bigger fan of Brown than I am.

The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard

Eddie Campbell's annual graphic novel was my second Christmas graphic novel (if only I'd thought to put the new ACME Novelty Library on my list!) and it's a very renjoyable read. One of the pleasures of each new Campbell OGN is how he presents it--in this one, he's chosen a square(-ish) layout, often divided in four with other bits above and below the "main" panels. It's a really nice way to present the story as well as other information... I actually wish he and Dan Best (his co-writer) had utilised that space even more. Of course, that they used it sparingly makes each use pack that much more of a punch and seem that much more important. The story itself is nice and engrossing, but I always try and appreciate Campbell's work on another level, if I can. It's always difficult for me since I'm more focused on words than pictures, even with comics, and have difficulty really appreciating what an artist is doing. This was one of the books that I thought may alter my top ten of 2008 list, and I'm not sure that it has yet for sure... definitely the top twenty. But, 2008 isn't over yet, so I'm not thinking about it too much. If you haven't, though, check this book out.

That does it. Merry Christmas.

CBR Review: Batman #683

I recently reviewed Batman #683 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "And, so, Grant Morrison’s run on Batman possibly comes to end. While the final page may say “Follow the Dark Knight to his last adventure in Final Crisis #6,” this issue does offer a satisfying conclusion to Morrison’s two years or so on the book and does fill in the gap between 'Batman R.I.P.' and Final Crisis, showing that Bruce Wayne was never thought dead... but he may just wind up that way soon."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Thor #12

I recently advance reviewed Thor #12 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following spoiler-free sentences: "J. Michael Straczynski enjoys making you see events you think you know in a new way, to make his viewer or reader realize that things didn’t happen as they seemed, that things are far more complex than that. He added the Spider-totem elements in his Amazing Spider-Man run, played around with time travel in Babylon 5 and, now, reveals the true origin of Loki."

You can read the rest HERE!

Lesser Known Joe Casey Comics: Full Moon Fever

[Another "lesser known" comic by Joe Casey which I will discuss and, then, ask and answer the question "Should it remain forgotten?"]

This graphic novel was published by AiT/Planet Lair in the early fall of 2005, if I recall correctly. I remember it being then, because I had a cold when I bought it (which affected my appreciation of it) and that cold nearly prevented me from heading to Toronto to see the White Stripes (yes, going to a concert and having to blow my nose every two minutes is not my idea of a good time). I didn't really dig this book when I first got it and hadn't read it again until yesterday. It does have one notable fact, though: Casey co-wrote it with Caleb Gerard. I can't think of another work that Casey co-wrote beyond "grey areas" like scripting over another writer's plot, using the "Marvel style" of writing, or collaborating on crossover events. But, none of those are really "co-writing" in the way that most people use the term. Scripting over another writer's plot is probably the closest, but since there's no agreement on the final results, it's more Casey finishing a job someone else began, whereas co-writing implies a certain level of collaboration and agreement on the final product that none of those other methods have.

The presence of a co-writer presents certain "difficulties" in judging/analysing this work, because it's not purely Casey's work... Then again, it doesn't really read like it. Full Moon Fever is rather mundane and straight forward for Casey. There's a space station on the moon and a team of plumbers have to go and fix some plumbing problems. Only, the ship can't land, because no one is answering their hails. When they do land, they find the place in shambles, eventually, discover bodies, and get killed off one by one by werewolves. There's nothing special about it at all. It's entertaining and well-done, but it's all high concept with few surprises and pretty much what you'd expect once you hear the high concept.

It begins with our main plumber, Zeke Kirby (who we later learn was once a solider, thereby giving him the right skills to survive) getting a birthday gift: a pen that writes in zero gravity that has (surprise, surprise) silver in it! It ends with the revelation that the plant being experimented upon's common name (since they're told the scientific classification) is wolfsbane. There are scenes concerning corporate sponsorship and bureaucratic bullshit that could be considered satirical, but are pretty tame and unoriginal. The dialogue is harsh and almost witty with none of the characters seeming to like one another.

The art by Damian Couceiro is serviceable and works decently well in black and white. He draws clearly, for the most part, and doesn't get in the way. His action scenes are dynamic and convey speed/movement better than a lot of superhero artists that are quite popular.

Should this book remain forgotten?

Probably not. As a piece of entertainment, it's a good popcorn flick. Something kind of brainless to just kick back and enjoy. It doesn't aspire to be anything more, so that's not an insult. It may bore anyone interested in Casey's more progressive concepts and ideas, but it's not bad by any stretch of the imagination. It's werewolves on the moon... not much else to say.

CBR Review: X-Files #2

I recently reviewed X-Files #2 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Okay, so I only gave the first issue of this series 1.5 stars in my review of it last month, but I wanted to give the book another chance since I would be buying it for my X-Files fan girlfriend -- who loved the first issue and still hasn’t gotten over my scathing review of it. I’m happy to report that the second issue is an improvement and a strong finish to the story."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Doktor Sleepless #10

I recently reviewed Doktor Sleepless #10 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Despite Ellis’ fascination with emerging technology, when it comes to his detectives, he always shuns advances in technology and embraces human intelligence. Singer is able to talk to the man and get him to open up, because of the things she observes about him, altering her approach to suit those needs. Much of her technique goes unsaid, simply presented to the reader. The interrogation of a suspect is about getting the knowledge through any means necessary and, sometimes, that means being polite. That Ellis keeps having his detectives act that way goes against the usual hard-nose-beat-it-out-of-them approach other fictional detectives invariably use."

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Thor God-Size Special #1

I recently reviewed Thor God-Size Special #1 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "After a trio of specials and a Secret Invasion tie-in, Matt Fraction concludes his year of Thor with a God-Size Special focusing on Skurge the Executioner and his place among the mythic gods of Asgard. While most comic readers no doubt remember Skurge as a member of the Masters of Evil, the Skurge focused upon here is the man who gave his left to defend a bridge from the hordes of Hela. Or, is it Skurge the poet? Or Skurge the cobbler? Or Skurge the old crone who lived near a well?"

You can read the rest HERE!

CBR Review: Mighty Avengers #20

I recently reviewed Mighty Avengers #20 for CBR and, in the process, wrote the following sentences: "Cheung illustrates five pages recapping the events that occurred since Pym was replaced by the Skrulls, complete with a small reaction panel of Carol Danvers and Pym on each page. The larger images are quite good as Cheung does the montages well, not making them look cluttered. The choice to use a single image for the death of Captain America is quite smart. The reaction panels try to be original and dynamic with each event, but since each is Danvers and Pym in the back of a car, there’s only so many variations he can use."

You can read the rest HERE!