2010 in Review: Most Overlooked Title

In the next segment of 2010 in Review, we’ve got a look at the most overlooked title of the year. This year has been filled with a lot of really passionate fans out there that were truly upset about the conclusion of one of their favorite series prematurely. Of course, they were cancelled because of flagging sales, but that isn’t to say their limited audience wasn’t a passionate one.

Find out what we thought the most criminally underrated books of the year were after the jump. Warning: there are a crazy amount of ties. Apparently we all had different ideas on what was the most overlooked book.

5 (tie). Thor: The Mighty Avenger by Roger Langridge and Chris Samnee

Why It Was Underrated (Josh): Despite the fact that I myself almost let this one slip through the cracks, it very quickly weaved it’s way into my heart. The fantastically structured all ages title featured a wonderfully fresh take on Marvel’s eponymous Thunder God. Focusing not on the gloom and doom of a destroyed-revived-destined again Asgard, this book focused simply on the joy of the growing relationship between Thor and Jane Foster and the impact of that relationship on the humbling of Thor himself. The charming, largely one and done issues took the greatest aspects of the silver age and combined them with modern storytelling techniques to make Roger Langridge one of the most profound and consistent writers in the business. On top of this, the career defining art of Chris Samnee was a wonder to behold. However, instead of the long and vibrant run it deserved, this book will become just another cautionary tale after it’s cancellation with it’s 8th issue. The lesson to be learned from the tale is obvious: only buying books that “matter” to mainstream continuity will ultimately kill every growing book of value that gets released and will ultimately result in the watering down of the medium we love, making it just as predictable as the worst soap operas. In short: try new books, kids.

5 (tie). Phonogram: The Singles Club by Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie

Why It Was Underrated (Matt): Phonogram: The Singles Club told the story of one single night through the eyes of several young British adults as they danced the night away during an Girl Singers Only set by Seth Bingo and the Silent Girl. The night was full of magic (which broke the third rule) and music as the DJs crafted their set list and we watched the various reactions taking place, and with each issue Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie managed to utilize different styles of both presentation and scripting to show us unique looks into the lives of the various individuals. The comic was so good that not only did we at MC never stop talking about, but when the final issue was wrapped and we had digested it, I personally wrote an e-mail to Kieron Gillen thanking him for the comic as it really reminded me just how amazing music can be (I would have e-mailed Jamie too, but he never responds!).

The idea that music is magic is one that we have all felt at one time or another. Music plays an incredibly important role in all of our lives, from when we’re very little and our parents sing quietly to us at bedtime until we’re all grown up and listening to music by ourselves in the privacy of our own rooms as we work or read. Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie took that idea and ran to it in a way that solidified the very definition of what a music inspired comic needs to be, and for that we should probably hate them. However, instead we choose to celebrate the little comic that could (at least in the eyes of the fans), and with the second story wrapping up and being collected in trade this year, Phonogram manages to effectively sneak it’s way onto our list where we can only hope that it reaches you at home.

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5 (tie). King City by Brandon Graham

Why It Was Underrated (David): Brandon Graham’s “King City” is the definition of underrated. Over the past year, Graham very quietly concluded his series in which Joe the Catmaster and his pet/weapon named Earthling JJ Cattingworth the Third find themselves amidst a world of trouble and dismay as they return to Joe’s home of King City. It seems this city is the epicenter of a whole lot of bad (amongst other things, a demon king of sorts), and Joe does everything he can to keep himself flush with tasty foods and shapely women while negotiating that city.

But really, when you get down to it, this book works because it’s about real characters existing in a truly original world that is unlike anything we’ve ever seen in comics. King City is a place that isn’t just beautifully rendered by the Darrow-esque art of Graham, but one that is filled to the brim with characters that don’t just fit into archetypes but feel like people you’d meet if you lived in a world that had Owl gangs and Catmasters. Graham has a gift for world creation, and that he tells us a story in the process that isn’t just about getting from point A to point B in the most traditionally thrilling way possible, but tells us a story that organically grows from the characters…well, you can see why this book was underrated. Those ideas are foreign in mainstream comics. But in Graham’s world, they are the foundation of a great, great book.

3 (tie). Supergirl by Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle

Why It Is Underrated (Walt): If you told me a few years ago that Supergirl was going to become one of my favorite DC titles, I probably would have laughed at you with as much incredulity as I could muster. Not because “girl superheroes are dumb” or anything juvenile like that, but because not even industry greats like Joe Kelly or Greg Rucka could figure out what to do with the character. Various writers tried their best to make the character work through a variety of different methods, leading to inconsistent characterization and an all around bumpy ride for anyone who wanted to like the character. For all intents and purposes, it looked like Supergirl was going to face cancellation upon the end of the New Krypton crossover.

Enter Sterling Gates.

When Sterling Gates became the new writer of Supergirl, he was pretty much an unknown figure. He had done a few tie-ins for The Sinestro Corps war and its aftermath, but that was about it. I figured he was just going to be a placeholder while the book was involved in New Kryptonm, and that he and the title would disappear with the crossover’s end. As I was really into the Superman books at the time, I picked up the title to get the full New Krypton experience, and I am glad I did. I found myself enjoying the Supergirl issues of the crossover just as much as the other books. Once the titles split for the World of New Krypton era, Gates was going toe-to-toe with giants Greg Rucka and James Robinson (say what you will about his JLA, his Superman was great), and matching the two legends in terms of quality. The last issue of Gates’ stay on the title comes out today, and while I’m sad to see it go it wouldn’t be his work if it didn’t end well. Gates knew exactly what to do with this floundering title, and if you missed his run for the same reasons I almost did then I implore that you pick up some trades and see what you missed.

3 (tie). Stumptown by Greg Rucka and Matthew Southworth

Why It Is Underrated (Walt): I’ve never made a secret out of how much I enjoy Greg Rucka’s work. In fact, my first article for Multiversity was a Character Spotlight on Renee Montoya that also functioned as an ode to Greg Rucka in disguise. Stumptown was a four-issue mini that began in mid/late 2009 and ended in mid 2010. Sure, that’s a lot of time for four issues, but I’d rather wait for a great comic than get a so-so comic once a month, every month. Stumptown takes two things that we expect Greg Rucka to handle well — a strong female lead and a crime-based story — and does exactly that, set to beautiful artwork by Matthew Southworth. Why, then, could I never find anybody at my local comic shops that was reading this book? In all my casual chat with comic readers that I know in person, I never once found someone that had picked the book up, and no matter how much I recommended it and how often someone said “sure, I’ll give it a look,” that number never changed. It got a good amount of love on the internet, but there’s something different between hearing how much people enjoy a title on the internet and actually talking about it with someone you know. I’ll admit freely that I don’t support the indie comic industry as much as I should, but if you mainly read superhero comics and find a writer that you greatly enjoy, be sure to check out their creator-owned work. Trust me, it will be worth your time.

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2. Strange Science Fantasy by Scott Morse (with a little Paul Pope in there)

Why It Was Underrated (Brandon): One man created what amounts to one of the most creative and original books of the year and how much buzz does the book get? Outside of my ranting, I haven’t seen a whole lot. It’s a shame if you ask me. Scott Morse’s one man epic weaves together some of the most unique characters of the year by telling one and done issues for each. Then in the end, he ties them together in a way that also speaks on the importance of stories to humans as creatures.

I guess what I’m trying to say is this book had both style and substance. I don’t have to tell you guys that this isn’t always a guaranteed pair do I? Well, throughout this series it was fanpeeps.

If you didn’t read this book you at least need to check it out in trades. Then after you’ve gazed upon the originality that Scott Morse provides you’re senses you can look him up and apologize to him for not supporting the book in single-issue form. I’ve been praising this book since issue one and if anyone has seen my reviews that’s saying something. I don’t hand out glowing reviews like hand jobs in Tijuana but with this book you might as well call me a prostituto.

1. S.W.O.R.D. by Kieron Gillen and Steven Sanders

Why It Was Underrated (Gil): Have you ever read that book that deserved much better than it got? Well, S.W.O.R.D. was one of those titles. Despite its origins, which spun out of the wildly successful “Astonishing X-Men” by Joss Whedon; and its creative team, which featured the incredibly talented Steven Sanders on art and the new co-X-Architect Kieron Gillen on the script; never took off, and it was canceled after two issues. While there was a small consolation in the fact that we got the full first arc, we still pine for what could have been.

What was to blame for this book failing? Perhaps the system of pre-orders killed it (a system by which smaller books live and die, pun intended), or the lack of confidence on behalf of Marvel, who never promoted the book to best of my knowledge. But that’s neither here nor there. We do have that book to look back on and enjoy. So if you didn’t read it, I’m not going to shame you. I’ll simply encourage you to pick up the trade and see what you were missing.

Until then, we fans can maybe hope for a back-up starring the S.W.O.R.D. members in Uncanny X-Men, which is likely never to happen, but a guy can dream, right?

Individual Lists
David