Blogger Dick Hyacinth, who’s far more patient and determined than I, has compiled a list of the top 100 reviewed comics of 2007 by applying an arcane formula to countless best-of lists. What he came up with is pretty varied, and definitely interesting:
1. Exit Wounds
2. Shortcomings
3. All-Star Superman
4. I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets
5. Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together
6. Criminal
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8
8. Alias the Cat
9. Perry Bible Fellowship: The Trial of Colonel Sweeto
10. Powr Mastrs
11. Jack Kirby’s Fourth World Omnibus
12. Chance in Hell
Superspy
14. The Arrival
15. The Blot
16. Immortal Iron Fist
17. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier
18. The Professor’s Daughter
19. Shooting War
20. Essex County series
Follow the link for the full list, which includes commentary by Hyacinth.
February 29th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Criminal: hell yeah.
February 29th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Well, I’ve at least heard of 6 comics in the Top 20.
February 29th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
I see Brubaker got props for Criminal (I’ve never read it, but perhaps I’ll give it a try). But… No Captain America in the top 20? Puh-leeze!
Is it just me, or is it hip to be into comics now but not superhero comics (esp. from the Big Two)? Personally, I’d have Cap and Green Lantern at the top of my list right now. Probably Detective Comics too, though I admit this hasn’t been the best period ever for Batman reading. But ‘Tec’s a solid book, and Batman & The Outsiders is off to a great start.
All-Star Supes is great fun, if (perhaps) a bit overrated, while I think both Iron Man and New Avengers have been seriously underrated books. And I’m enjoying Madame Mirage too, when it comes out.
February 29th, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Wow… And here I thought I didn’t know much in the top 20. I know very few on the rest of the list! I’m so woefully mainstream, I guess. I just don’t have the time or cash to go trying more esoteric fare.
February 29th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
Interested thing about Exit Wounds…
I have heard amazing things about this book, but I can’t find it anywhere. Not that I have spent hours looking, but the few times I have been in the mood to buy something, nobody has this book. Including
My local shop, Kindgom Comics her in Baltimore
Both Barnes and Nobles in my area
Midtown comics in time square, when I was there 2 weeks ago
Tales of Wonder online
Mile High Comics online
Again, I know if I spend some solid time I could find it, but I’m not THAT interested. (I did just look on Amazon and they do have it. But still, a lot of good credible locaitons seem to have dropped the ball on this one.)
Kind of sucks for suck a well reviewed book.
March 1st, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Whereas I’ve at least heard of all the titles, and I’ve read 66 of them. I read a lot of graphic novels and comics. But I have an unfair advantage – my job entails reading lots of graphic novels. Last year I read more than 2,000. This year, at least 60 per month so far.
Captain America is #42.
March 1st, 2008 at 4:56 pm
“Is it just me, or is it hip to be into comics now but not superhero comics (esp. from the Big Two)?”
Well, by and large the better Indy comics are gonna be better than the better mainstream comics.
I think it’s a TIME thing, more’n a talent thing, or a genre thing. Barring, say, Dave Sim, Jeffery Brown, and Beto Hernandez most independent creators, lacking monthly deadlines, have more time for revision and editing. Hence better work.
And there’s the whole “personal connection” thing, too. It is GENERALLY (not always) easier to tell personally meaningful stories if you start from the ground up and don’t have to integrate past continuity and the basic thematic elements
of corpratized characters…
Plus you’ve got greater financial incentive to make a work that’s good enough to stay in print for a long time.
(That said:
(A) I REALLY like Daredevil and Criminal,(Haven’t read Brubaker’s Cap) and I hated A Complete Lowlife, and
(B) The worst Indy comics are quite a bit worse than the worst of the mainstream Marvel/DC/Dark Horse books. There are plenty of independent comics who AREN’T rejecting the corporate culture for a uniquely personal vision, but simply ain’t good enough to get hired by the majors.
March 1st, 2008 at 5:48 pm
to answer Scott Normington about exit wounds- i also was interested in buying this book about three months ago, than i found out that my comic book shop never got any copies of it.
Than i found the gn in “previews” for march,and i gladly made an order, but later on they moved it to may.
So, you can still order it from last months “previews” catalog.
i personally just cant wait to read it
January 17th, 2011 at 9:25 pm
Wow, what a great read! Thanks so much for your fantastic writing, i’ll be reading regularly from now on.