After the blockbuster months of July and August, September was a realtively quiet month for comics and I’m rather glad for it. While that does mean there were no real pants-wettingly exciting announcements (for me, at least, anyway), it also means there wasn’t really a big controversy stir-up this month and I think we can all agree that that was for the best. While the internet is a great tool for coming together and standing against all the crap in the world, it just feels good to say “Nothing awful happened in comics this month.”
And, actually, there was one really great thing that did happen near the end of the month: it was announced that the heirs of Jack Kirby and Marvel settled their differences. What this exactly means is unclear at present, but I really can’t see this as a bad thing.
Between this and Alison Bechdel recieving the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant, I would chalk this down as a good month for comics.
We also saw what could become a major turning point for the New 52 and a buttload of TV news. Like, just a whol buttload. So let’s rundown this stuff: Supergirl is heading to CBS, Lucifer is heading to FOX, and Scott Glenn will be playing Stick in the Marvel/Netflix Daredevil show in 2015.
Oh, and The Rock will be playing Black Adam in a Shazam film. Yeah, that’s a thing that is happening.
Best Issue: “Annihilator” #1
We gave “Annihilator” #1 a high 10/10, something you don’t often see around these parts, and I can’t say I disagree. While his work with “The Multiversity” launched last month and continued this month to great acclaim, I still find it very emblematic of his superhero work as a whole. “Annihilator”, however, speaks to the anti-authoritarian, exposition-less Grant Morrison of early Vertigo that brought us work like “The Invisibles” and “Doom Patrol”. Combining that with a collaboration with Frazer Irving at his career best bringing mood and atmosphere to every page, this was the book that proves Legendary Comics to be a publisher to watch.
Best Writer: Ryan Browne
Sure, I could keep on talking about why I love Grant Morrison, but I’ve done that enough already and there was a writer that really stood out to me this month: Ryan Browne. Writers as creators, it can be said, literally make something from nothing. What impressed me about Ryan Browne this month is how he made something good into something great. In transferring his acclaimed webcomic “God Hates Astronauts” to a printed ongoing published by Image Comics, Browne took a book that was hilarious and built on a foundation of absurdist comedy, but which ultimately placed story second to the comedy, and built a genuine and even heartfelt opening to a series. Ryan Browne was already an excellent artist, but he has really shown himself as an excellent writer too this month.
Runner-Up: Grant Morrison on “Annihilator” #1
Best Artist: Robbi Rodriguez
Again, this was a category that I could easily have just praised “Annihilator” more, but much with Ryan Browne, there was one stand out artist this month. Not only was “Edge Of Spider-Verse” #2 a genius idea, but it was perfectly executed thanks to Robbi Rodriguez. With insanely vibrant colours by Rico Renzi, Rodriguez’s artwork was vibrant and hyper-kinetic and fun. It had a lot of personality, building the feeling of an entire ongoing series in only one issue, and didn’t take itself too seriously, but it allowed the emotional moments in Latour’s script to breathe thanks to excellent storytelling.
Runner-Up: Frazer Irving on “Annihilator” #1
Best Cover: “Hexed” #3
Reading Emma Rios’ work on the original “Hexed” miniseries and then looking at the covers of the new series, you can see her evolution as an artist. Not only has her use of line become incredibly precise and measured, but her sense of design has really developed over time and that’s only full display here. With the surrealist landscape in the blood, the contrasting colours between the grey and brown at the top of the page and the vibrant and warm colours at the bottom of the page, this is a really stand out cover from a great artist for an overlooked series.
Continued belowSaddest Farewell “Adventures Of Superman” #17
Gone, but not forgotten. RIP in peace.
Best Combat Pragmatism: “The Multiversty: Society Of Super-Heroes – Conquerors Of The Counter-World” #1
This is what we waited six years for. God bless.
