This week’s 2 part question:
1. Who has done a better job entertaining you with their comics this year: Marvel or DC?
2. Who was your favorite independent publisher this year?
My answers:
1. I think it’s fairly obvious who I think has done a better job between Marvel and DC. Hint: It’s not Marvel. I really felt like DC have definitely delivered the quality this year. From Batman: Reborn to Blackest Night to Wednesday Comics to R.E.B.E.L.S. to The Unwritten to the Blackest Night Ring promotion, DC Comics had something great for everyone. It was also nice to see DC editorial step up their game. Continuity in their books has been pretty strong since the whole Countdown/Final Crisis/Death of the New Gods debacle of last year. DC also have what I think is undoubtedly the best comic package of the year: Detective Comics.
2. I am going to have to go with Image Comics on this one. Invincible made it out on time every month while still managing be one of the best comics in the industry. The Luna Brothers continued to produce some of the best work of their careers with The Sword. Jeff Parker and Steve Lieber’s Underground was a welcomed addition to Image’s line-up as was the sleeper hit of the year: John Layman and Rob Guillory’s Chew. And even though I didn’t enjoy it very much The Haunt #1 managed to sell over 60,000 copies which isn’t too shabby.
I do want to mention that Dark Horse Comics and Boom Studios did their part by putting out some great stuff this year as well.
J.
DC… Most of the books that I’ve been buying are put out by Vertigo/Wildstorm so I’m going to include that in DC. And Detective Comics, Batman & Robin (when Quitely was on it) and Wonder Woman have all been really good. I haven’t been buying any Marvel comics on a regular basis this year.
Image has been my favourite indie publisher. The Sword, The Walking Dead, Underground and Chew (and that one issue of Red Mass for Mars that Hickman managed to put out over the last 12 months!) as you listed have all been great.
It would be nice to see Red Mass and Phonogram actually end sometime soon.
J.
Red Mass is only meant to be 4 issues too! I think it started in 2007. He can’t be that busy being a big guy at Marvel… Maybe I should just read his Fantastic Four.
I totally forgot to mention Phonogram. Probably because its also not been out for ages.
His Fantastic Four stuff is incredibly good. You should check it out. There have only been 3 issues so far.
J.
I’m down to super slim pickings due to no job, so I can’t really make a fair statement in regards to DC vs Marvel. Marvel gets props from me for Invincible Iron Man and the 3 issues Hickman has done on FF. DC gets props for the first 3 issues of Batman and Robin, Whatever happened to the Caped Crusader?, and the first 3 issues of Action Comics. Dark Horse for putting Gabriel Ba and Fabio Moon on BPRD.
I didn’t really come out for either one over the other, but that’s what each company did for me this year.
I would, however, like to give credit to CCW. As well as being entertaining, you guys stopped me from buying the last issue of Old Man Logan, and I appreciate that a lot.
I meant to say the first 3 issues of Adventure Comics, not Action Ccmics
You’re welcome.
J.
Right now I’m gonna say DC. Blackest Night, Detective Comics, Green Lantern, Batman: Reborn, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern Corps have all been wonderful and consistantly good. My main problem with Marvel right now is their books are so inconsistant (w/ the exception of Invincible Iron Man, Hickman’s FF, and Agents of Atlas). I’ve had to drop three books of Marvel because A). I didn’t like what they were doing to the characters and B). There are better books that deserve my money.
I’ll have to say Image as well just because Invincible is the best indie comic book out there. I haven’t read Underground or Chew yet… (prepares for firing squad) but it’s on my to read list.
I also would like to add that if it weren’t for CCW I wouldn’t be saying these things. So thanx to CCW for making enjoying comic books more fun!
You’re welcome too.
J.
Talk about a 360, I was a DC guy as a youngster, for about 2, maybe 3 years, my first subsriptions were Brave and the Bold, JLA, and I think the Legion. Then somewhere between seeing a FF comic prominitely featuring Blackbolt and GS All New All Different X-men No#1, I was a loyal Marvelite until about 3 months ago when I switched back to DC. What a long and winding road, huh? So yeah I’m gonna have to say DC. (TMI?)
As for independent, I think this might be 08, but bleeds into 09,so I’m going to say AbstractStudios. TerryMoore’s Echo is a seldom talked about gem that I believe is only scratching the surface of how great it can be!
k…0..
DC for me because it doesnt take advantage of the consumers and there BN event is really enjoyable. i love secret six, batman and robin, detective, the superman storylines and especially rebels!!
dynamite, this company needs more reckonistion. they have great stuff IMO
1. DC hands down. For obvious reasons.
2. I have to go with Image. I don’t have very many indi books on my pull list, I pick most of that stuff up in trades, but Chew and The Sword have found their way on to my list and are two of my favorite books right now. And from what I’ve heard about Invincible and Walking Dead, I really need to get on those trades some time soon. (I’ll forgive them for Haunt).
I’m bucking the trend and saying Marvel. Just cause the DC books I like to get changed drasticly and didn’t engage me anymore. Plus Marvel has X-Factor.
Indy comics I gotta go with Prism Comics. Ed Luce forever. Lurves me some Wuvable Oaf and the greatest band ever, Ejaculoid.
http://prismcomics.org/displayImage.php?reduce=&img=assets/3297.jpg
Why you got to be a trend bucker, Micah?
J.
Uh, Duh, cause I’m awesome.
Ah, yes. I forgot about that. Fair enough.
J.
Well, not sure if I should even comment on this question since I just started collecting again a couple of months ago. I will say this however, DC had made a real good impression on me so far. Back in my old collecting days I was a Marvel fanboy in every way. I rarely picked up anything DC, I thought DC was for kids and Marvel was for more mature readers. Hey! before you start ripping on me, I was young, give me a break!
So far everything I have read from DC has been very entertaining, Admittedly, I have been very careful about what I have picked up some far, just a few titles, but I think it speak volumes for DC that a person like me, who has not traditionally collected DC comics, can jump right into the action and get into the flow of things to get maximum entertainment with minimum bullshit. I would also like to give special mention to DC big crossover event, Blackest Night is a huge event that could have easily gotten out of control and become a bloated mess like Dark Reign, but the DC editorial staff has kept the BN train on it tracks and running on time.
Instead of ripping on Marvel this time around I will try to be positive. I have enjoyed the hell out of Hickman Fantastic Four so far and I think Invincible Iron Man is a comic I will be digging in the future.
So DC get my vote so far as company of the year.
Image get my vote for the independent company of the year. That is based solely on Chew, a great comic that took me total by surprise, it is one of those books if someone tried to explain it to you it would sound like shit.. “Seriously, it a comic about a guy who can see things by tasting them and he is a detective for the FDA! He investigates food related crimes.”.. but it works on every level.
OK, well, once again, another bloated post from me, but I hope someone finds it interesting.
IM
I did.
J.
Thanks for the mention. Hope to be your number 1 indy publisher in 2010.
Best,
Chip
BOOM!
I was getting around to some of the books from you guys. Irredeemable looks very interesting, but I am sort of coming in late on the series. Does Boom! put out trades? Just wondering.
IM
They do. There is a trade for Irredeemable that collects the first 4 issues and if I remember correctly issue #5 was only 99 cents. Hope you don’t mind that I answered your question IM…it’s the retailer in me.
J.
Not at all Jose, it’s total cool. thanks for taking the time to respond!
IM
totally that is.. wow, too much beer tonight! =)
IM
IRREDEEMABLE V. 1 is only 9.99! Collects the first 4 issues. And then you can get issue 5 for 99 cents.
We aim to please.
Chip
BOOM!
Earlier this year I started reading comics again. I’m still going through a sampling phase to understand what’s what. Boom is a nice surprise because it wasn’t around when I stopped reading comics.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Muppet Show, Unknown… some of my favorite comics. Even Die Hard Year One (which sounds so uninteresting) is really good. Looking forward to Dingo and Incorruptible.
Thanks.
Great to hear! When did you stop reading comics?
DINGO proof is on the desk right next to mine. Can’t wait to see the response. It’s going to mess people up!
Chip
BOOM!
I stopped reading around 1994. Too much bad stuff.
And I’m waiting to get messed up.
That’s when I stopped too for a bit or at the very least stopped reading mainstream comics in general. I do think that right now is one of the most exciting time to be reading comics. There is so much quality material being produced, especially by the big two, that it is just nuts. That, plus the diversity of the material in the independent comics scene and the webcomics scene, is just outstanding.
Oh if you could only just see this DINGO proof in my hand here! :p
Chip
BOOM!
Tough one, Marvel has Bendis write almost all of their top important Dark Reign tie-in’s, D.C.has Tony Daniel turn Batman into a laughing stock.
To answer the question now:
1. D.C.
2. D.C. They didn’t try to get all the money they could from you, and Blackest Night is a whole lot better than Dark Reign. Generally my answer would be Marvel, but not this year, not by a long shot.
1. Who has done a better job entertaining you with their comics this year: Marvel or DC?
It’s a toss up, I’ve been enjoying Blackest Night, Detective Comics and everything Green Lantern so DC actually has the edge, but Marvels Project, ASM, Fantastic Four and Ironman have been firing on all cyclinders. The blight of Loeb & Bendis gives DC the win.
2. Who was your favorite independent publisher this year?
Avatar,,,Avatar,,,Avatar Warren Ellis is banging out some great stuff and if I look on my shelf for none big two books it’s mostly Avatar
DC.
Fables,House of Mystery,Scalped,The Unwritten,Sweet Tooth,Power Girl,Doom Patrol,Wonder Woman, Green Lantern,Detective Comics, GLC, Batman & Robin, Some Superman titles,etc have all been pretty damn good.
Marvel has turned me off in the way they have been handling this whole Captain America thing.
And as for the Indie publisher i am gonna say BOOM!
The Muppets books have been pretty good and so have some of the Disney titles.
Another person for BOOM! Thanks!
Chip
BOOM!
1. – Its pretty easy to answer to this question, DC has been far superior to Marvel this year. Despite forays into DC stuff (some lengthy, some not) I’d always been Marvel for the last 21 years but this year due to their trying to insult my intelligence with outrageous money-grabbing antics like their 3.99 22 page books, shitty Dark Reign tie-ins and horribly lazy writing from Bendis, Loeb, Millar and now even Brubaker seems to getting tainted by them. Only Hickman, Parker, Slott and Chris Eliopoulos come out with kudos.
DC on the other hand has had a huge event book (Blackest Night) with a solid solid lead in from the two Green Lantern books, an excellent (and frankly unlikely before the event) relaunch of the Batman family of books which Tony Daniel aside have ranged from solid (red robin, Sirens) to brilliant (Detective comics)
Plus DC has launced some lower tier books like R.E.B.E.L.S which has been brilliant and Warlord which has been solid as a rock. Books like JSA with Willingham show potential and Rucka and Robinson have been doing good quality work on the Superman family of books.
2. Its between Dark Horse and Image here. DH for Conan the Cimmerian, Kull, Solomon Kane and Beasts of Burden and Image with Invincible, Godland, Jersey Gods, Dead@17, Chew and King City. I’ll give it to Image based on the sheer quantity of good stuff they’ve had this year.
Boom gets a mention for launching a kids line, I hope it does well. I may buy some of the Carl Barks and Don Rosa hardcovers.
yay! another one reading rebels!!!!!
Don’t forget Loeb has his stinky paws on Greg Pak
Kids line is going great guns. Wouldn’t be without you all’s support.
Chip
BOOM!
Thats good to hear, getting the next generation of potential comics readers interested is something to be commended.
I totally agree with DC as publisher of the year. I’ve been a Batman fan all my life, and everything that’s going on post-Final Crisis has been very entertaining. Detective comics should be title of the year – I really really wish Rucka and JH stay longer doing this series. I will also make an unpopular choice as favorite Bat title – Streets of Gotham is fucking awesome.
For indie, i’m gonna have to go with Avatar. I’m originally a Vertigo fan, so Warren Ellis gets my vote.
1.) DC, they have Geoff Johns and Grant Morrinson. I just been enjoying Blackest Night and Detective is already winner for next year Eisner awards.
2.) Devils Due, because Hack/Slash is prue awesome.
1. Mainstream DC & Vertigo has done a better job entertaining me highlights the Superman family of titles + Superman Secret Origin,Batman rebirth (Rucka/Winick/Dini), Blackest Night & GL/GLC/BN minis (minus the Batman one). The weakness of DC this year (so far) are the long delays of Legion of Three Worlds & Flash RE————BIR—–TH. From Vertigo, Fables & the new Cinderella miniseries & Scalped trades (thanks Jose for recommendation). With Marvel w/ the bleeping increase, I am buying less & less & limited interest in their titles. The only thing from Marvel that entertained me greatly was Amazing 600. I look forward to the return of Powers.
2. My favorite indie publisher is Image w/ Walking Dead. That title trumps a DC, Marvel, or other indie books when it comes out that week. I want to know what happens next w/ Rick & Co. ASAP.
Matthew
I didn’t start buying current comics until Batman R.I.P. and Dark Reign (because only Marvel I read was Thunderbolts so Dark Reign sounded awesome) I tried to keep up with both companies at once and after the Deadpool/Thunderbolts cross over, I was done. Now I only read DC and indie comics. Boom Studios is my favorite indie publisher and I can’t wait for Incorruptible.
Thanks, man! We are working our collective butts off everyday to please you all and it’s great to hear feedback like this!
Chip
BOOM!
Well i like marvel characters better and marvel has put osme decent and great stuff out this year , but they have LOEB writing the hulk and i havent been interested on the dark reign stuff at all. DC has put out the batman titles and those are really nice. Even thoguh Tony daniel has done some issues overall they are my favorite books this year,
I live in peru and the books here are more expensive the 2.99 books are 3.99 and the 3.99 are 4.99 and so on so i have to hoose carefully and i havent bought any dark reign books this year NONE.ive been buying marvel trades and the dark tower miniseriess and the wonderful wizard o f oz and im only buyiong dc issues (batman books especially) because honesly i dunno why marvel lets loeb ruin the hulk in such a horrifying way
It’s definatley DC. The Bat-Titles, REBELS, Green Lantern Titles, The Blackest Night, Warlord, JLA; it’s all just great stuff!
DC. Mainly cause I can afford them!
Plus, World of New Krypton, Wonder Woman, and The Unwritten have been terrificly fun titles that I’m constantly looking forward too.
For Indie I’ll say DYNAMITE. The Lone Ranger is one of my favorite comic books.
Would you consider DARK HORSE indie? If so they’re up there too.
DC and Marvel each get approx 35% of the direct market share, the next biggest are Dark Horse and Image with 4% each, then IDW, Boom, Dynamite and then all the rest.
I guess technically the real independants (ie self publishers) would be the likes of Aardvark-Vanaheim, Broadsword comics, Basement comics etc but in the broad sense I guess these days any publisher that isn’t owned by a multinational corporation would be counted as Independant and Dark Horse definitely qualify.
1) Marvel vs. DC….
Marvel canceled four titles which I had quickly grown used to (Atlas, Captain Britain, Exiles, & Ghost Rider). I found out that Marvel doesn’t know when to write Steve Rogers so they removed him from their universe for awhile. Fraction’s Uncanny X-Men. Three Deadpool titles. Creepy comic with someone named Peter Parker who acts nothing like the famous Peter Parker when it comes to sexual relationships.
Good things from Marvel… Fraction’s Iron Man, Remender’s Punisher & Dr. Voodoo, Marvel Adventures, Hercules & Amadeus Cho, Hickman’s FF, PAD’s X-Factor, … DnA’s cosmic stuff …
—
DC is canceling the Mighty.
Good things from DC… Blackest Night (+ the rings + the revived titles in January), all of the Batman comics (excluding Azrael, I think we all know that’s going to suck), Metal Men (and Doom Patrol is good too), Supergirl, Powergirl, Wonder Woman, Rebels (no idea why people don’t pick this up), Adventure Comics… Wow if we include Vertigo and Wildstorm… Astro City, Ex Machina, Fables (+ related stuff), Scalped, Air, Madame Xanadu, Unwritten, House of Mystery, Greek Street … uh … Sweet Tooth …
—
DC wins.
2) Everyone (minus Marvel/DC) vs Everyone (minus Marvel/DC)
Devil’s Due… Hack/Slash
Boom… Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Irredeemable, Muppet Show, Unknown & Die Hard
Dark Horse… Citizen Rex, Buffy, Beasts of Burden, B.P.R.D., one-shot-wonders, Star Wars: KotOR & Aliens
Image… Invincible, Underground, Chew & Sword
but… Haunt & Image United seem to be terrible
Avatar… Absolution, Ignition City & Gravel
IDW… G.I.Joe, Dr. Who & Grim Jack
Dynamite… Ash Saves Obama, Buck Rogers, Lone Ranger, Red/Queen Sonja & Zorro
Dark Horse wins, Boom & Dynamite tie for second place.