Over the last two weeks, we’ve done our annual Best Of series in which we do our best to look back in the year and remind you of all the great stuff that happened. It’s a rather exhaustive process that David Harper spearheads, getting Top 10 lists from everyone in each category and then calculating it all to create the lists we’ve put out — which he then has to corral all of the staff into doing write-ups for. Phew! So if you’ve enjoyed these articles, send him an e-mail with a smiley face. He likes those.
Next week Multiversity will very much be on auto-pilot as folks go out to celebrate Christmas and I sit here alone with my unlit Menorah, but there are certainly things to look forward to! We’ve still got some End Of The Year stuff headed your way — 4 Color News and Brews is doing a big final show of the year, The Hour Cosmic next week will feature the Naughty and Nice List with guest star Joshua Dysart (which is exactly what it sounds like), David will most likely do another annual Multiversity 101 looking at his favorites of the year that didn’t make it into any of these lists, and I’m currently putting together the annual Holiday Wishlist articles. It’s all good stuff, assuming that the content we put out on a regular basis fits your qualification of “good.”
So with all this in mind, I thought it might be nice to look back at our big 2012 In Review endeavor and to highlight all of the winners this week as our Friday Rec. Is it a bit like cheating? Yes. Is it still nice to have all the best of the year (according to us as a collective whole) in one place? Definitely. I’ll also throw down my two cents on the below, in case for some reason the write-ups we slaved over didn’t convince you about any of our choices.
I’ve linked each individual one below, but you can find all of our 2012 In Review articles right here.
The Work of 2012’s Breakout Artist: James Harren
James Harren is definitely one of the most exciting talents to really emerge in comics this year. He’s been doing work for a few years now, having illustrated a very kick-ass Abe Sapien mini last year, yet this year he truly showed us the colossal talent he has – whether it be the exciting and action-packed visuals of “BPRD Hell on Earth: The Long Death” or the staggering landscapes of “Conan” with Brian Wood. Wherever James Harren pops up in 2013 is definitely going to be a book to watch.
The Work of 2012’s Breakout Writer: Landry Walker
When you think of the name Landry Walker, you’re probably not likely to think of “Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the 8th Grade!” Why would you? You probably didn’t read it, right? And yet, the six issue series that ran as part of DC’s diminished all-ages line was fun, adorable and incredibly accessible, making it a very quiet hidden gem in the comic world. Then came this year, where Walker and artist partner Eric Jones came smashing out of the gate with “Danger Club,” and holy shit what a book! With every issue Walker proved two things: the versatile nature of himself as an author and his clear definitive love for the medium, and while it has hit some delays every issue of “Danger Club” is an exciting and well plotted read that never lets down. I can only hope that 2013 brings more from Walker, both in terms of the return of this book and more from him as a writer, and if DC really wants their “Teen Titans” book to mean something again they’d do well to get Walker to give it the “Danger Club” treatment.
Anything from 2012’s Best Publisher: Image Comics
It should really have been no surprise to anyone that Image won the Best Publisher award from us this year. I mean, how could they not have? The smash success of “Saga,” the new hits like “Manhattan Projects” and “Revival,” the record making “Walking Dead” #100, the relaunch of Liefeld’s Extreme comic line with “Glory,” “Prophet” and more — not to mention the continued success of books like “Morning Glories” and “Chew.” And really, that’s just lightly scratching the surface! There has been so much excellence from Image this year that it’s shocking to not see a market domination from them to the same extent as Marvel or DC — yet with 2013 already looking to be huge as big name creators take their work to Image, I would be hard pressed to believe that the scales don’t tip even further in Image’s favor next year.
Continued below2012’s Best Graphic Novel: “The Underwater Welder” by Jeff Lemire
If there’s one thing you can be sure of Jeff Lemire, it’s that when he’s fully in charge of a book it’s going to be great. This isn’t to say his DC Comics work isn’t good — in fact, it rather decidedly is — but when you look at his past work with things like “Essex County” and “Sweet Tooth” (which is about to wrap), its impossible not to fall in love with his work. His storytelling is personal, his passion is clear and his sequential work is astounding. All of this and more is present in “The Underwater Welder,” and when your eyes have cleared up by the time you reach the end you’ll find it tough not to recommend this as avidly as we do.
2012’s Most Overlooked Book: “Rachel Rising” by Terry Moore
It feels funny to have the word “overlooked” so close to the name Terry Moore, and yet for whatever reason “Rachel Rising” isn’t the smash hit it should be. I’m not sure why, honestly. It’s a terrific horror comic, dark as the night sky yet as personable as any of Moore’s work in the past and just as beautifully illustrated to boot. Taking the personality of “Strangers” and the genre-pushing storytelling of “Echo,” “Rachel Rising” is the latest and greatest from Moore as he continues to grow and evolve as a creator, always finding new ways to bring out his characterrs and spin an elaborate mythology you can’t help but get sucked into. Is “Rachel Rising” the most overlooked book of 2012? Yes. But it better not be in 2013.
2012’s Best New Series: “Saga” by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples
Prepare for some more heavy “Saga” love. At the same time, though, don’t be surprised. Really, anyone who has read “Saga” by now can tell you that it is the best new series of 2012, and both the widespread critical acclaim or the sales for its first arc should prove that. A sci-fi story like none other, this tale of brand new parents on the run in a galaxy full of treachery is fun, innovative and easily the most entertaining read any given month it comes out. We’ll get into the how’s and why’s in the columns below, but the most important thing to take away from all this is that you need to read “Saga.”
The Covers of 2012’s Best Cover Artist: Yuko Shimizu
Yuko Shimizu’s work can be found every month with “The Unwritten,” one the last remaining ongoings at Vertigo Comics, and can usually be summed up very nicely with a single word: “Wow.” That word then takes on a life of its own: “Wow, this cover is beautiful.” “Wow, the stylistic representation of the story inside is amazing.” “Wow, this succinct and engaging prelude to a great read is the best way to kick off any sit down that involves this title.” “Wow, I could buy any of these as prints and hang them on my wall as artwork.” And, of course, “Wow, that Yuko Shimizu is a talent among talents.” That she doesn’t do interiors on a regular basis is a wee bit of a shame, but we’re lucky to have these covers every month.
The Work of 2012’s Best Artist: Fiona Staples
Looking at Fiona Staples’ work in “Saga” and revisiting her work in the past – “North 40,” “Mystery Society” – it’s very peculiar that she didn’t blow up before this title. Her work is full of personality, with each character easily displaying a wide variety of emotion, and her ability to so effectively capture the mood alongside the dialogue of her characters is uncanny. In fact, I’d find it hard to believe that there isn’t any aspect of the emotional spectrum that Fiona couldn’t capture at this point. Top it all off with a wild imagination that sings with every new issue of “Saga,” from the insanity of the Sextillion to the various species, aliens and ghosts that fill up the pages or that giant crusty ballsack in the latest issue, it’s fair to say that there is nothing Fiona Staples can’t do. Heck, it’s clear that there is nothing Fiona Staples won’t do! And that’s all we could ever ask for in the artist of the best series of 2012.
Continued belowThe Work of 2012’s Best Writer: Brian K Vaughan
Part of me feels like I could just shrug, point to the name and say, “Come on.” I mean, it is Brian K Vaughan, after all. This man has worked on LOST, he’s the co-creator of at least two books that should be staples in every collection (“Y: The Last Man” and “Ex Machina”) and he’s the guy who, alongside Adrian Alphona, gave us “Runaways.” It kind of goes without saying that a comic by the BKV is one to pick up and celebrate. And yet, the incredible thing is that no matter how good his past work has been, his latest is always something else – something new, something different and something that clearly sees him pushing himself as a creator. “Saga” is just that, and the stories intimate nature is instantly recognizable. Gone are the days of pop-culture references tossed out a dime a dozen, but we still get a cast of characters who are as recognizable and affable as ever. Only a guy like Brian K Vaughan could write a story that takes place so far out in the depths of space yet feels so wonderfully down to earth.
2012’s Best Issue: “Saga” #1 by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples
So we’ve talked about how Fiona Staples is a great artist, and we’ve talked about how Brian K Vaughan is a great writer. Should it be any surprise that the first issue of their book, which also won best series, is the best issue of the year? Because at this point it really shouldn’t, and I’m having trouble thinking of new ways to convince you of things you probably already realize. Yet, I’ll give it just one go with a single sentence: “Saga” #1 is the best issue of 2012, kicking off the series with passion and character in a jam-packed single issue that would be foolish to have missed out on.
2012’s Best Mini-series: “Punk Rock Jesus” by Sean Murphy
We all knew Sean Murphy was quite good. Whether it be his old graphic novel “Off Road,” the more recent mini with Grant Morrison “Joe the Barbarian” or his “American Vampire” spin-off with Scott Snyder ‘Survival of the Fittest,’ Murphy is definitely one of the most talented artists around. Yet, we didn’t realize just how good Murphy really was until “Punk Rock Jesus” hit us this year, and boy howdy, what a book this has been. With intense cultural commentary and a scathing yet intimate look into the world of religious doctrine — not to mention fan-fucking-tastic artwork — Murphy has really blown us all away with this mini. And it’s all for the best, honestly: what once was a graphic novel got expanded, and with that expansion Murphy is able to pack a ton into the story, with each issue itself being full to the brim with storytelling. When you take into consideration that this book truly is a labor of love, and that Murphy turned down work elsewhere to be able to specifically work on this, it all just becomes that much better. When this gets collected next year it’s easily going to be one of the best graphic novels on stands, but being able to read it in incriments has been an extreme pleasure as well.
2012’s Best Series: “Saga” by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples
OK. Honestly, how many more times do I have to say “read “Saga”” before you do? One more time? Ok.
Read “Saga.”
And that’s a wrap! Stay tuned next week for some more fun and games from us, and we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming in 2013. Have a merry Christmas, a kwazy kwanza and a very solemn Ramadan.
Oh, and a happy new year. Congrats on beating the apocalypse, you magnificent wonders.
