As iv said quite a bit recently its a
damn good time to be reading comics. In my humble opinion the quality
of both marvel and dc's output has increased. Ayes the marvel now
campaign is a pretty shameless attempt to cash in on the new 52 but
fair play likes most of what I have read of it has been genuinely
entertaining. The one big casualty has been the loss of high
numbering for books and the loss of history that come with it. Yeah
that just ain't right.
First up I have to give an honorary
mention to mudman. Mundan is mind brakeingly amazing. Some the finest
comics I have ever read. I don't have the words to praise it high
enough. Nooooot sure if there will be an issue of it out in 2013 so I
don't think it should go on the list proper. Like aye it probably
should go the list now that I think about it. Nah. Its fine here. In
first place. Not really. But aye.
All new x men
In its short wee life all new x-men has
brought the world a truly wonderful thing. Bendis back on form. Holy
fucking defoe is that a beautiful achievement. It seams being free of
the avengers books has reminded auld bendis that he's actually a
pretty good writer. Every things just done soo well. I admire that
bendis is aware of Cyclops and his massive cuntness. Big magneto is
still the voice of reason on team Cyclops. Try to understand that for
a moment. Not only did mad auld Mr genocide have the moral high
ground over Cyclops during A vs X. He STILL HAS IT. Now to get me to
read a x men book you'd have to do something pretty special. I don't
particularly hate the x men. I just don't have the time to learn
about there own wee corner of the marvel universe. No one really
dose. What it being a huge god damn corner. A wee universe into its
self. All new x men succeed though with its quite fantastically
gimmicky plot of time travelling young scot summers to to talk some
sense into his future self. Cyclops being soo far off the deep end he
wont listen to any reason. not even when its him self. Aye. You've
hooked me. Also beast is kinda dieing. He's fine though. The
production rate is wonderfully fast. Its been like a month and were
at issue five. So quantity AND quality. All new x-men has a fair bit
of both.
Amazing spider-man
So there's this wee book called amazing
spider-man. Its had a surprisingly long run. Over the last two or so
years its probably been the best thing on the shelves. Aye fair play
it might just not be your thing. It has to be said though AMS has
been consistently amazing for all of dan slotts run. Now that's
really something for its twice a month schedule. Aye its a had a few
not so amazing issues. But only a few. Like maybe three or so issues.
Its a shoncky time to be singing this books praises what with amazing
spider-man having controversially ended this past boxing day. Issue
700 is something you'll have to read and make up your own mind on.
Personally I thought it was quite well written. Hitting all the
tropes that make spider-man who he is. In bizarre and probably
unnecessary way ill admit. Everything before that in slotts run
though. Utter gold. Spider-man at his most spider-many-est. That's a
recurring thing with me. I quite like it when characters are written
as themselves. Being all there capable of being. So aye the books
currently on skakey ground what with not existing so id HIGHLY
recommend checking out everything from the start of the big time arc
onwards.
Aquaman
Now yes. This new version of aquaman
isn't the brave and the bold version. Yeah. I know that hurts to
here. Its a gut kicker all right. The new 52 reboot was the perfect
time to insert him into actual canon. Fuck knows what the dc big wigs
were huffing. Somewhat fair play in that goff johns run has ran with
the aquman is a joke thing. Aquaman isn't quite the lad he should be.
If you can get past that though there's a lot in this run to like.
Namely its amazingly Saturday morning cartooness. Its johns special
technic to be sure but there are issues latter on that really get it
across. Basically. Atlatian millennium items. Aye. See that happy
soul you now have. Thank aquaman and the fact he has a book again.
There's actually an aquaman event kicking off right now crossing over
with justice league. Its damn niffty stuff. Epic wide screen
blockbuster action movie niffty at that.
The flash
Now I might be incredibly wrong and if
so disregard everything I'm about to say or for that matter have ever
said. But I feel the current run of flash dosent get as much love as
it should. Its another one of them very comicy comic book. Lots of
super heroics and fun plot happenings. What really sets this book
apart is the FANTASIC art. Now a lot of books out there have terrific
art and a lot of them have grate writing to full that art. Flash's
book is one you could probably sell on the strength of its art alone.
It makes me very happy that the writing here is as fun as the art. Iv
read few books ware the writing was shite but the art was melt your
eyes beautiful . I'm looking at you early red hulk. Barry allan
became a bar tender for an issue. I feel I speak for the human race
as whole when I say this should be Barry allans default civilian job.
Fuck police work. Tending bar is the man's SOUL ! It was a rogues bar
to boot. See that's the kind of thing that gets you on a prestigious
list like this. Also there's this gorilla invasion thing happening.
But mainly its the bar tender thing. Go read it. You'll completely
understand me.
Iron man
Right now iron man is basically tough
act to follow: the comic. Surprisingly I think to everyone. Its been
going quit well. The last run of iron man was a big deal as a far as
I can tell. What can I say. I was late to the party. This marvel now
run of the book has been brilliantly enjoyable in its surprisingly
goodness. A sure fire way to make a wee house in my heart made of
stone and discarded deary lee tubs is the monster of the week plot.
Basically bolt power rangers to your book and you've got me hooked.
Now yes I should probably address the poorly drawn elephant in the
room. Aye greg lands on art duties. Annnnnnnnnnnnnd at the risk of
being shot before the council of the internet. Ahh dinny think the
arts alllll thhhhhat bad. Like it is. But I don't really care. The
armour bits work fine its just the whole human thing that might be a
bit off putting to human readers. If you can get past that your set.
Special mention has to go to issue two. Which might just contain in
its controversially drawn but fantastically written pages. The seeds
of the future. Here me out on this one. Its amazingly shonen.
FF
FF is one of them new young uns iv been
reading from marvel. Now aye its not really all that new as its just
a renumbering. It has to be said though with the new creative team
the books shooting for something completely different. That being
wacky silver age fun with modern day banter. Now aye its for too
early to say how that's worked out or if it will continue with that
vibe in mind but I do quite like it as it stands. Plot wise its a
sort of a buddy cop book to the main fantastic four book. A new
fantastic four has been assembled to look after the earth as the real
fours off universe hoping instead of curing cancer or working on that
whole super villain problem. Fair play the true fours only meant to
be away for four minutes in our time but of course something go's
wrong. Its a book that had a fair bit of buzz in my local area.
Mainly because of the super cool silvery age looking art. Have to say
the first issue didn't really do it for me with its almost bendisie
talking heads but issue two more than made up for that in my opinion.
Again its one of those young books but it makes this list with the
great amount of potential its shown so far.
Batman
What more can be said about Scott
Snyder's current run on batman ? Its pretty much perfect after all.
Possible the biggest barnstormer of a comic of the last two years or
so. Definitely the big mainstream book to read and the one to suggest
to new people just entering the world of comics. Its perfect for
that actually. Its just the right level of awesome and batmmanyness
to entice new readers in. It started off strong with the court of
owls arc and hasn't really faltered along the way. I may have some
personal grievances with it but there really not justified in any
factual way. Batman really is the A bat book. Since the re launch
its the best written and has the best art as well as haveing far and
away the most Zeitgeist to it. Its a shame really. Synders success
has taken away morrisons crown of being the head batman guy. Some
would say fair play. Batman incs probably to silly for a lot of
people. I get that but it is a damn shame. I had some concerns at the
start of the run that this new younger rebooted batman couldn't fully
live up to the bat god of the recent past. I think I was almost
completely proven wrong on that about mid way threw last year when
batman metaphorically / sort of kinda actually hulked out into the
bat god. That was a crazy issue likes. My only concern at the moment
is the current story line with the return of the joker. I'm just not
digging it. I get that its well written I'm just not digging the vibe
of batman actually having to try. Blisteringly good read despite
that. Id advise you to pick up the run quick. The first printings are
selling for silly money these days.
One piece
Now yes this is kinda cheating. One
piece is a manga and the rest of this list is about comics. Iv
betrayed you I get that. Just a except this and move on. See if your
not reading one piece right now or if you've never read one piece or
even if yon just not a fan of any manga. Go read one piece. Like
right now. I don't mind how. Just go and read it. It'll be good for
your soul. Barring that ill be good for your well being. I'm not
sufficiently levelled up to describe to just how perfect one piece
is. But understand this. It IS perfect. Like in every single way.
Now aye I here saying its just a wee shonen manga. Nothing special
Naw pal. That's amazingly wrong. The problem here is. I genuinely
don't have the words to describe to you its perfection. Just go out
there in to big world and find some one piece to read for yourself.
And I feel like that's another important factor. I feel you need to
experience it for yourselves. Own your own. Its not something I can
hype up for you and make you want to read. So ether go out and find
volume one or if that dosent fully absorb you, mad bastard that you
might be then go out and get volume fifty. And then if you don't like
it please get yourself checked out. Because you night not have a
heart.
Green lantern new guardians
Yes. A fairly controversial choice ill
give you that. From issue one iv gone on about how the lantern ranger
book Is just a wee bit shite. And aye it was a bit shite to be fair.
But here's the thing. It got FUCKING AMAZING. The story of New
guardians fills my broken auld heart with almost pure joy. Books can
change likes. They can surprise you. Just cause there shite for like
a whole year dosent mean they'll be shite forever. I'm being harsh of
course. For most of its run its wasn't properly shite. It just wasn't
living up to its full potential as a lantern team book. That and the
art while not bad was a bit generic. Which was endearing ayes. But
towards the end of the first year got to me a bit and its charm sort
of wore off. So id recommend you pick up new guardians from its zero
issue onwards and join kyle rayner on his quest to become a master of
all the lantern spectrum. It may also be worth picking up again for
all of you that dropped the book early on. I thank my mad dedication
for helping me endure the first arc.
Saga
Gonny just read saga. Like just gonny.
No matter who you are. You'll probs love it. That's been my
experience of it. For example. I love it. Concerning its more mature
content I should probably hate it. But there's the thing. I do love
it. Aye there's some bleak bits here and there and there's a fair few
bits of it that are too far out for my likening. Its most likely
because its just written so damn well. Soo much banter. Like every
ware on every page. If you like banter this is the comic for you. Aye
space banter. Its gid though. Now I could be wrong but I think this
is my first experience of indi book doing quite well. Now aye its
image so you may not call that indi. I would but your mileage may
vary. Its nice though. To have a trendy wee book hitting the big time
and being universally loved. I might just be speaking for my self but
I think its something we as a comic book community need. From time to
time at least. If this list was a proper count down saga would
probably be down here at number one. Its just soo comic booky that it
deservers it. Well its earned it actually. Id recommend you pick up
the first trade. Its out the now and its only about seven pound. So
bargain there.
Right so there you have it. My list of
ten or so comics you should probably take a gander at this year. All
of them are books I'm currently reading and get a kick out of. I hope
you take a wee peek at a few of them. Give one a flick threw in the
shop if can.
Byes !
