So, I got a big stack of comics from Comic Quest yesterday, and it made me think about the comics I've been reading this year, so here's my Comics Reading List. I think I did this earlier in the year (around June maybe), so this may be a bit redundant. Anyway, here's what I'm reading:
Bravest Warriors: Why I Read It- I really like the cartoony artwork, and there's a fun manic energy to the book. It also serves as something of an oddball companion piece to Adventure Time. Plus, they're not afraid to create something wild and goofy and imaginative. Which I like.
Adventure Time: Why I Read It- Besides the fact that I'm a HUGE fan of the show, the comic is really great. It's fun and silly and a nice breather from some of the darker comics I read. I like the little micro-messages hidden at the bottom of the pages.
The Savage Dragon: Why I Read It- I've come into the Savage Dragon very, very, very late. Which is half the fun. I don't really know the characters or the situations very well, so reading the comic is like assembling a big crazy puzzle. Blindfolded. And yes, that is my idea of fun. It's also a really cool time to be reading the Dragon as the original Dragon has been "retired" and his son, Malcolm, is now assuming the role, thus creating a grand multi-generational epic. Which I think is very, very cool. And ambitious for that matter.
BPRD: Why I Read It- Everyone likes Post-Apocalyptic comics, but the BPRD is a DURING THE APOCALYPSE comic. You get to watch as the desperate and valiant soldiers of the BPRD are desperately trying their best to hold together a world that's falling apart. Crazy new religions are emerging. Every day a horrible, giant monster emerges from nowhere. Entire cities (like New York) have vanished from the face of the earth. Actually taking a moment to think about it, BPRD is probably the most underrated comic available right now.
BPRD: Vampire: Why I Read It- This offshoot, flashback mini-series of the BPRD documented the fall of a BPRD agent as the darkness consumed him. It had artwork by those brothers with different names who did the Umbrella Academy. Which means it was pretty, while still being dark and creepy. A nice little mini.
Abe Sapien: Why I Read It- Poor Abe Sapien has never been particularly lucky, and in this new ongoing series, Abe is wandering the Apocalyptic Landscape looking for his own answers in a world gone mad. In many ways, it's like Kamandi with a Spiritual Quest angle. Starring a Fishman. So, yeah, I like it. Art's good too.
Lobster Johnson: Why I Read It- There's been some Lobster Johnson one shots and minis this year. I've read em all, because I really enjoy the 20s-30s environment. And Lobster Johnson is AWESOME. And people get shot in the head. Oh, and there was that thing with the monkeys.
Sledgehammer 44: Why I Read It- The latest addition to the Hellboyverse is a walking death tank powered by a ghost that shoots lightning. So yeah, I like it. I need more of Sledgehammer. Also, great name.
Hellboy in Hell: Why I Read It- Uh. Mike Mignola artwork. Nuff said.
Copra: Why I Read It- I ran out of cash and haven't picked up the final three issues of Michael Fiffe's excellent Copra series. Which sucks, because it's been really great. Copra features a massive and interesting cast of characters, and I love the color work (how is he doing that? Colored pencils?). I wanna see how it ends. Maybe I can use some Christmas cash to buy the last three issues...
Satan's Soldier: Why I Read It- Tom Scioli's lengthy "Evil Superman" webcomic came to a rather abrupt conclusion this year. It was utterly crazy and beautiful and weird. I loved it. Again, if I wasn't broke I would have acquired the rest of the series in print off of Scioli's website at http://www.ambarb.com/. I did score a print copy of Scioli's Utterly Brilliant "Final Frontier", which was Scioli's wild take on the Fantastic Four. As far as I'm concerned the best comics this year were either produced by Tom Scioli or Brandon Graham. Everyone else (including myself. Sigh) tried their best, but there's no real comparison to the work these two are doing right now. Speaking of which...
Godland Finale-- Godland wrapped up... last week... with a huge, insane, mind-blowing, eye melting issue of infinite awesomeness. It's almost too much. Which is what makes it great. Even if you've never read Godland ever before, I encourage you to track down the Finale and just immerse yourself in it. Best Comic of the Year, if for no other reason that we need more Cosmic Comics like this. Also it's beautiful.
East of West: Why I Read It- My buddy Boolah loves Jonathan Hickman, but I can't get into his work at all. But East of West. East of West is a damn fine comic. Set in an Alternate History Wild West America full of robot armor, the Four Horsemen, Cthulhu-esque monsters, and pretty much everything else I like jammed into a sprawling, epic comic. With really pretty artwork. So, yeah, I'm reading East of West.
Saga: Why I Read It- Speaking of Really Pretty Artwork, I give you Saga, probably the prettiest comic on this list. What I like about Saga is that even though the actual story can move kinda slow (seriously, we've been in that lighthouse for awhile now), there's always some strange new thing in every issue. I like novelty, and no one does novelty quite like the Saga crew. Now, if only Fionna Staples didn't need to take a break every six months or so (Curse the limits of the human body!).
Multiple Warheads: Why I Read It- Uh, this one did come out this year, right? I dunno, I have the memory of a Goldfish. Anyway, Brandon Graham is awesome. Multiple Warheads makes absolutely no sense at all, and it was still one of the best comics of the year. That one issue with the Air Whale was better than everything Marvel and DC did all year. Graham has blatantly abandoned anything resembling a traditional narrative with this series and yet somehow it still works. I can't wait for the next edition of Multiple Warheads. Oh, and as an added bonus we got Multiple Warheads: Downfall, which featured all of the pre-Image Multiple Warheads stories (including that hardcore porno issue, uncensored! Sorry honey).
Prophet: Why I Read It- Prophet was better than anything else that came out this year that wasn't the Godland Finale. The two issues I read last night were just... breathtaking. Best Regular Comic of the Year. My Current High Water Mark for How Comics Are Done Right. Y'know, I've haven't explained why. Let's see: Living Planets, Wars Through Time, Bioships, Spacesharks, Outer Space Survival, Clone Armies, Breeding People to be used as WarMachines, Robots trying to remember what it was like to be human thousands of years ago, Bizarre Weapons, and some crazy new thing on every damn page. Like the Godland Finale, it's almost too much. But shouldn't that be the point?
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