For a month lacking a major comic convention, February brought a large amount of comic news. The big highlights include Geoff Johns and John Romita Jr. taking over “Superman” with June’s issue #32. DC also announced their plans for this year’s “September” event, as well as a third weekly series. Marvel began promoting their own summer event, the Jason Arron penned, Mike Deodato illustrated “Original Sin.” The publisher’s All-New Marvel Now initiative began in earnest, with nearly a dozen new series launching, many to high critical praise. However, if you agree with Image Publisher Eric Stephenson, none of this really matters anyway.
Mostly,February 2014 might go down in the history books as the month when comic book related adaptations reached critical mass.
Unsurprisingly, Marvel led the way with the first Guardians of the Galaxy trailer. Marvel has been known to eschew overly serious takes in their super hero films, but Guardians’ self-deprication and off beat musical choice look to take that to another level. However, DC made a big splash in the television department, announcing new series based on major Vertigo properties “Preacher” and “DMZ.” The big two aren’t the only ones getting on the cross-media game either, with Ales Kot announcing a “Zero” television series is in the work.
Furthermore, casting news from both Marvel and DC rocked stirred the pots of internet controversy. Both Fox’s Fantastic Four and DC’s Man of Steel sequel set the interwebs aflame over the casting choices of the Human Torch and Lex Luthor, respectively. Enough has been said on both matters, and the lesson learned is that we should all just calm down a bit.
But enough of that stuff, let’s look at the best comics had to offer in February 2014.
Best Book: “She-Hulk” #1
In a month that had a ton of new books, all vying for readers’ attention, “She-Hulk” #1 became the ruler by which I rated them. A la “Hawkeye,” Charles Soule and Javier Pulido give us a glimpse of what Jennifer Walters does when she’s not out hero-ing it up. The art direction on the book is spectacular, from Kevin Wada’s gorgeous cover to Javier Pulido’s slick layouts and comedic timing. Plus, the idea of a comic book writing lawyer on a super hero lawyer book is just too good.
Best Writer: Greg Pak
It can’t be overstated how much good Greg Pak is currently doing for Superman comics. Between the extremely fun Clark and Lana team up in “Action Comics” and the Finest of two worlds meeting up in “Batman/Superman,” the writer is crafting some of the best Superman stories this side of the New 52. If you’ve felt burned by the ever-shifting creative teams and questionable story choices, now’s the time to get back on board.
Best Artist: Adrian Alphona
There’s not much more to say about Adrian Alphona’s work on “Ms. Marvel” besides “Whoa.” Bringing a considerably different style than the one used on his recent work on “Uncanny X-Force,” Alphona resolidifies himself has one of the comic industries’ power players.
Runner Ups: Matteo Scalera, Aaron Kuder
Best Cover: “Adventure Time” #25 Jeffery Brown Variant
Jeffrey Brown is a terrifically fun artist, and this cover for the special “Adventure Time” #25 blends that energy with the franchise’s own whimsy. Homage covers are often hit and miss, but Brown’s blend of subject matter is both appropriate and hilarious.
Runners Up: Punisher #1 by Mitch Gerads, Fantastic Four #1 Variant by Alex Ross
Biggest Comeback: “Batman/Superman” #8
After Greg Pak and Jae Lee’s fantastic opening arc led into the relatively average second, it looked like the series’ best days were already behind it. However, Lee made an early return to the series with this month’s issue, and the team picks back up without missing a beat.
Best Collection: “Zero” Vol. 1
If you frequent this site with any degree of regularity, you already know the staff at Multiversity is absolutely obsessed with Ales Kot’s spy-thiller, “Zero.” February saw the release of the first trade, collecting issues 1-5 for a paltry $9.99. Word on the street is Kot is in the process of adapting the book for television, so now is definitely the time to jump on this bandwagon.
Continued belowBest New Series You Probably Overlooked: “The Royals: Masters of War #1”
As a big Vertigo fan, I try to give most every book under the imprint a fair go. Sometimes I’m left underwhelmed, but sometimes I’m pleasantly surprised. After reading “The Royals” #1, I found myself experiencing the later. Rob Williams and Simon Coleby craft a fun revisionist history book with lots of “Authority” style super heroics for good measure. The book is also quite beautiful, thanks to Coleby’s lush widescreen layouts. It’s not the shiniest new car on the block, but it definitely deserves your attention.
