The Homies 2012
As we’re about to hit the end of the year, we’re thinking about our next episode, which will be our end-of-year wrap-up. As part of this, we’re going to be inaugurating House to Astonish’s own awards – the Homies – where we’re going to hand out gongs in eight categories. The best part is, we want YOU to help – Paul and I are each going to select our winners in the following categories, but we’re also going to read out what our listeners think on the next episode. So check out the categories below, and let us know who or what you’d award each glittering prize to if you were us!
BEST NEW SERIES
This one’s pretty self-explanatory – any comic whose first issue was published between 1 January 2012 and the date of broadcast (likely to be the 29th or 30th of December) is eligible. What new series got your attention the most this year?
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
This one’s a little less self-explanatory – what series, again first published between 1 January and date of broadcast, did you think was best, with the proviso that it has to be something where the property wasn’t in existence prior to the start of 2012. We’re counting re-use of titles as well as concepts, so Prophet, X-Men Legacy or Dial H wouldn’t be eligible, but (for example) Saga would.
MOST WANTED
This is for the comic, series or graphic novel that saw print this year which you’d want to see more of, whether that be a book that was cancelled before its time, a one-shot or mini that just begs for a follow-up, or an OGN that you’d love to see a sequel to.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
It may have seemed unappealing when you read about it online, and those preview pages may have looked unremarkable, but when you finally got the winner of this category in your hands you were ready to eat your words. What comic, series or graphic novel did you find yourself enjoying much more than you thought you would?
STIFF DRINK AWARD
This award will go to the comic or graphic novel that most made us gasp with surprise – an unexpected plot twist, a daring cliffhanger or a shocking denouement will stand a book in good stead here.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Here we’re looking for the most egregious example of bad gender relations in the comics world, whether that’s a disservice done to female characters or to a female creator(s) or participant(s) in comics fandom.
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
What move did a comics company or creator make this calendar year that had the effect of most making you want not to read a particular book or buy a particular company’s comics? We’re looking for abrasive interviews, ridiculous variants and counterproductive advertising here.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
This is exactly what it says – which creator, creative team or publisher really knocked it out of the park this year?
Let us have your picks in the comments thread below, along with your thinking on each one – we’ll read out a range of the responses on our big end-of-year show. Happy nominating!
BEST NEW SERIES
Hawkeye
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Saga
MOST WANTED
More Doctor Strange: Season One, in whatever form.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Prophet
STIFF DRINK AWARD
The big twist in The Manhattan Projects Vol 1.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Here we’re looking for the most egregious example of bad gender relations in the comics world, whether that’s a disservice done to female characters or to a female creator(s) or participant(s) in comics fandom.
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
Everything to do with Before Watchmen.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Image, for so many great new series.
Bah, forgot to delete that paragraph of text. I’ll come back to that question later.
Best new series: Bandette
Most wanted: can we say more JIM / Loki, even though he’ll be in YA?
New Coke: anything from DC
pleasant surprise: gambit
Shouldn’t DC win the Joe Chill award for, well, continuing to be DC?
About the only DC “bad gender relations” news would surprise me would be if cops raided the place and found actual women stored in actual refrigerators.
BEST NEW SERIES
Dial H
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Saga/The Manhattan Projects/Bandette
MOST WANTED
The New Deadwardians/Bulletproof Coffin
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Doctor Strange – Season One: I knew the art would be stunning but I was surprised how much I was sold on a character I’ve never really found interesting before.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Phantom Stranger #1: I was shocked and horrified that there was going to be another issue.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
When Joe Quesada said “he’d love to make a tentpole movie with a female lead, but that he really doesn’t think there is an actress right now who could carry it, or a character that would work either.” From http://www.aintitcool.com/node/55873
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
DC shilling Before Watchmen in Joe Kubert’s obituary was particularly horrendous.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Image seemed to keep soliciting more and more stuff that sounded and was often great (The Manhattan Projects, Saga, Bedlam , they’ll have paupered me by Christmas next year…
BEST NEW SERIES
I’ll throw in another vote for Hawkeye. Way better than I ever thought a solo Hawkeye book could be, and I say that as a Hawkeye fan.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Somewhat embarrassingly, I can’t even think of anything I read that was completely brand new this year.
MOST WANTED
More Avengers Academy by the original team (in other words, not Avengers Arena) would be wonderful, thank you very much.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
I’m not sure whether they debuted in 2011 or 2012, since I only picked up the first TPBs a few months ago, but I’ll go with the two current Transformers books. Robots in Disguise if I have to pick one. They’re the best Transformers comics I’ve read in decades, and the first TF books that have felt remotely original in a very long time.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
I unfortunately had this spoiled, but I’m sure I would have found the climax of the big Court of Owls story pretty shocking had I been able to stay off the Internet for a few days like I should have.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Gail Simone, the only reason anyone would have for wanting to read Batgirl, gets yanked off of Batgirl, via e-mail no less. Smart AND classy.
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
The marketing behind Avengers Arena wins here. “See your favorite characters die cheaply! Okay, sure.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Hands down, this goes to the new Valiant. Every book so far has at least been decent, and a few have been excellent.
BEST NEW SERIES
Hawkeye
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
I guess I’m too boring because I can’t think
MOST WANTED
This is for the comic, series or graphic novel that saw print this year which you’d want to see more of, whether that be a book that was cancelled before its time, a one-shot or mini that just begs for a follow-up, or an OGN that you’d love to see a sequel to.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
It may have seemed unappealing when you read about it online, and those preview pages may have looked unremarkable, but when you finally got the winner of this category in your hands you were ready to eat your words. What comic, series or graphic novel did you find yourself enjoying much more than you thought you would?
STIFF DRINK AWARD
This award will go to the comic or graphic novel that most made us gasp with surprise – an unexpected plot twist, a daring cliffhanger or a shocking denouement will stand a book in good stead here.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Here we’re looking for the most egregious example of bad gender relations in the comics world, whether that’s a disservice done to female characters or to a female creator(s) or participant(s) in comics fandom.
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
What move did a comics company or creator make this calendar year that had the effect of most making you want not to read a particular book or buy a particular company’s comics? We’re looking for abrasive interviews, ridiculous variants and counterproductive advertising here.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
This is exactly what it says – which creator, creative team or publisher really knocked it out of the park this year?
Let us have your picks in the comments thread below, along with your thinking on each one – we’ll read out a range of the responses on our big end-of-year show. Happy nominating!
BEST NEW SERIES – Hawkeye
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES -Saga
MOST WANTED – They could probably manage another mini of New Deadwardians
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE – Hawkeye. I mean come on, he’s a guy in a purple leotard who shoots boxing glove arrows. And yet, the comic’s awesome.
STIFF DRINK AWARD – Journey into Mystery – the link between Hela and Leah, and how Hela’s Loki’s daughter in the myths. Oh crap, just realised the name’s an amagram.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS – pass, I try not to read those comics
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING – Young Avengers, as featured in the next big linewide crossover event!
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT – Vaughan and Staples on Saga.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Kieron Gillen, for his work and closure on Journey Into Mystery. I never thought I’d care as much about a book featuring Loki, as a child no less. But Gillen’s work was funny, clever and inventive, totally refreshing Loki’s character all the while he still operated in a Loki-esque fashion.
And the last issue was actually kind of heartbreaking. Proof that the less Marvel editorial seems to interfere in a book, the better it can be. Here’s to those little titles that could.
BEST NEW (& ACTUALLY NEW) SERIES – Saga
I feel semi-compelled to give Hawkeye a nod, but since Saga fits the criteria for both and is the best-best, I’m going to say Saga for both. Hawkeye gives me tons of joy and should be talked about– issue 5 made me laugh aloud in a chair in a musty comic shop– but Saga is too good. Everyone has read it, right? The scope of it astounds, yet they hit the little notes right. There’s a lot of humanity in that book. And imagination. And beautiful art.
MOST WANTED: Zaucer of Zilk!
Great 2-issue story with beautifully colorful art and a genuinely moving narrative underneath all the psychedelia. Great cast of characters, great language, tons of imagination. Thanks Paul and Al for the recommendation.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE: Captain Marvel or Dial H
Picked up back issues of both recently based on recommendations after I had ignored both initially– the former because I didn’t dig the covers/new costume and the latter because I didn’t know about it. Both are very good comics.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS:
You guys can talk about the Tony Harris thing more, if you want, I guess. The Gail Simone thing sounded bad, but I think that was lousy business directed at a human-who-happened-to-be-female, whereas the Tony Harris thing was… Well, you’ve read it.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: Team Daredevil!
Comic still blows me away every month, and the credit goes to everyone. Waid is doing his best work, everything in the Wacker Office is good these days (heck, you could talk about the Wacker Office for OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: he has Hawkeye & Daredevil! & Captain Marvel & Punisher!!!), Rivera does the best covers, Samnee draws beautifully, Allred’s issue was great, & Javier Rodriguez might be the unsung-hero, as his colors are not only terrific but have given the book a tonal consistency with changes in artist. What a comic.
BEST NEW SERIES
Hawkeye
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
I guess I’m too boring because I can’t think of anything brand new property-wise that I bought this year. Have to take a look at that in 2013.
MOST WANTED
Daniel Acuna drawing the X-Men. Those AvX tie in issues were gorgeous.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
The fact that Angel & Faith has consistenly blown Buffy Season 9 out of the water. Pound for pound, Christos Gage’s book has outperformed even the few issues written by Whedon himself
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Opening pages of hawkeye #1: ‘Okay, this looks bad…’ As he Clint falls down toward the street and get seriously banged up. Honorable Mention to Groo’s groo-some headshot ‘death’ in Wolverine & the X-Men’s final AvX issue..
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Tony Harris ‘bravely’ speaking out against those dastardly pretty cosplay ladies who don’t know everything about the characters they impersonate. ‘They’re not REAL fans! Rogue, they don’t love you like I love you!’
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
All the hoopla about the Point One one-shots/ ‘Get The Point!’ ‘The next big story starts here!’ I’ve skipped them and don’t feel as if I’ve missed out on anything.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Fraction and Aja have really got something different going in Hawkeye. However, if we are talking old school style points, I have to say that The Rocketeer: Cargo of Doom was an all around excellent package.
Sorry about the double post with incomplete nominees above. I was typing on my iPhone and accidentally posted before I was done with my post.
BEST NEW SERIES – Dial H
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES – Revival was this year, right? Pretty sure.
MOST WANTED – I’m going to say Hellblazer, because HOW DARE THEY CANCEL IT. Argh.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE – America’s Got Powers
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS – Everything on the Escher Girls tumblr?
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING – All of the crossovers in the DC 52. They’ve been driving me insane.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Archaia for releasing Tale of Sand and other Henson properties in amazing ways. All of their books are beautiful AND wonderfully bound.
I read most things as collections so it’s difficult to piece together if X come out this year, did its issues, and so on.
Best New/Actually New Series – same answer for both, Manhattan Projects
Most Wanted – I don’t think I’ve read anything that I felt that way about. If it’s just a sentiment of wishing there were more, I think Age of Bronze had one issue published this December … two years after the last one. :-/
Most Pleasant Surprise – Prophet. The sheer dissonance of seeing Ellis recommend this particular horrendous 90s property made me sit up and take notice.
Stiff Drink – For unexpected, I’ll go with LoEG Century’s ultimate antagonist as well as savior.
New Coke – Shilling the revolting Before Watchmen in Joe Kubert’s obit is hard to top for tone-deafness.
Outstanding Achievement – This was Image’s year. One attractive and inventive new series after another by high profile creators.
BEST NEW SERIES/BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES – Manhattan Projects, easily.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS – I managed to avoid an entire year’s worth of misogyny. Why is this named after Joe Chill, by the way?
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING – Phantom Stranger #0. Would I like an explanation of a character who’s name is based on his remit of being mysterious? Not particularly.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT – Johnathan Hickman. He managed to turn The Ultimates into a readable comic again. Sam Humphries received all the momentum and promptly turned the book into crap again, but it’s the Ultimate Universe. I’m used to that by now.
Best New/Actually New series would be Zaucer of Zilk – really different and interesting concept executed perfectly.
Most pleasant surprise would be 2000AD’s Trifecta cross-over running through three separate series that weren’t obviously connected at first (Judge Dredd, Simping Detective and Dirty Frank). A great use of the classic weekly format to include a twist that would not be possible in any other format.
Outstanding achievement would second Kieron Gillen’s JIM series.
I’d need to sit down and think for a lot of these, but I do want to make a call out for TRANSFORMERS: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE. It probably doesn’t get a lot of read around here, but it’s probably the best ongoing Transformers comic ever – James Roberts (an ascended fan who grew up on Simon Furman’s UK comics) fills every issue to the brim with an interesting plot, characterization, plot twists/reveals, and funny little references. He’s taken characters who have barely ever appeared in fiction (such as Swerve) and made them fan-favorites. Alex Milne’s art is also crisp and expressive.
Best (Actually) New Series: The Manhattan Projects
Most Wanted: Journey into Mystery
Most Pleasant Surprise: Prophet
Stiff Dirnk Award: Amazing Spider-Man 698
Outstanding Achievement: Jason Aaron and Jonathan Hickman
BEST NEW SERIES
“Love and Capes: What to Expect” by Thom Zahler
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
“The Manhattan Projects”
MOST WANTED
Gillen’s Uncanny X-Men run. The only casualty of Marvel NOW that I really miss.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Daredevil: I knew Mark Waid was going to be good, but I thought that managing the baggage would be a bit much for him.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
To be honest, this is kind of a cheat, but I finally got around to reading NextWave on the comixology sale (which happened in 2012). I thought it was going to be utterly snide about comics and yet relying on massive amounts of comics knowledge, and it turned out to be funny with incredible fight-scenes.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Tony Harris, although he did allow for that brilliant summation on the podcast “Why would anyone dress up as Vampirella who *didn’t* care about the character? That sounds like the 9th circle of tackily dressed hell.”
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
Whorely Quinn. One of my favourite characters loses everything that separated her from all the other DC villainesses.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Gillen. GillenGillenGillen. Gillen. Keiron Gillen. For Journey into Mystery, Building Cyclops “Magneto” arc to a satisfactory conclusion, and his blog. He’s now one of those writers where I actively seek out his work on comixology.
Best new/actually new series: Supurbia (or, if I absolutely have to call it by it’s full title, ‘Grace Randolph’s Supurbia’).
Sure the mini tailed off a bit toward the end with slightly confusing writing on the action scenes, and it’s a concept with a relatively small built-in audience I would suspect, but it’s the most excited I’ve been about a new comic in as long as I remember.
Service to Refrigerators: The comics-world/blogosphere stuff this year seems to have completely eclipsed any in-story stuff for me. There’s quite a few to choose from, but I’ll go with Gail Simone’s removal from Batgirl, if only for that very worrying tweet about the reasons for it that she posted.
Ill-Judged Marketing: Avengers Arena. I don’t think a comic’s pre-release advertising has ever offended, angered and annoyed me as much as the lead-up to this has. Ugh. Go away now.
Most pleasant surprise: Sword of Sorcery. In a year where several comics seem tailor-made for me (I’d add X-treme X-Men to the two I’ve already mentioned), the idea of Christy Marx, creator of my childhood popstar fantasies, writing Amethyst was always going to be something I’d buy. I wasn’t though expecting it to be any good. So I was happily surprised when it turned out to be eminently readable, and a concept so completely right up my street that it’s slightly embarrassing. And it’s so purple!
“THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS”
Shouldn’t there be an I’M AWESOME, YOU’RE AWESOME AWARD FOR SERVICE TO TEAM GIRL-COMIX marking the silliest piece of gush emitted by a female creator or (more likely) feminist blogger?
Dear Joe,
No
Sincerely
Thom
BEST NEW SERIES: Hawkeye, an object lesson in storytelling and just a joy to read every month
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES: Saga, a pretty stunning return for BKV
MOST WANTED: Defenders, cancelled before its time (or a Zenith collection because we’ve got Flex Mentallo now so obviously it’s not entirely beyond the realms of possibility)
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE: Prophet, a comic that reads like a seventies SF epic movie from Czechoslovakia with a budget of billions
STIFF DRINK AWARD: Kieron Gillen’s final issue of Journey Into Mystery (honourable mention for the brilliant reveal in 200AD’s Trifecta)
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS: The original #0 cover for Catwoman was pretty horrendous
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING: DC’s press release about what a tragedy Joe Kubert’s death was and also would you like to buy this recent Watchmen comic he inked?
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: Image, for a pretty stellar year of new releases
@Joe Do you have a write-in vote or an example in mind? Because I had to choose between Harris, Simone, Starfire and every third comics cover without breaking a sweat.
BEST NEW SERIES
Hawkeye, quite comfortably. David Aja is doing phenomenal things with storytelling. I’d say more, but I’d be spoiling my own write-up for ComicsAlliance and that would be foolish.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
All of Marvel NOW has been punching above the weight of its puffery, but I think Dan Slott’s Superior Spider-Man, which seemed like such a terrible idea in the promotion (and which was promoted with a ridiculous degree of obnoxiousness), has turned out to be a really strong and appealing story that I’m very happy to read.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Catwoman #0 cover. The perfect encapsulation of the industry’s contempt for women. You know my thoughts on that one. http://wheelr.tumblr.com/post/25059946061/dear-sir-regarding-your-affection-for-a-compacted
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
Well, everything DC has done this year probably deserves a mention. Setting up a stall to sell bankrupt derivatives on Joe Kubert’s freshly dug grave has already been mentioned, and the Gail Simone debacle deserves a nod, but I’d give my nomination to DC’s attempt to sell the quiet dismantling of Vertigo as a good thing by replacing Hellblazer with a DCU-friendly alternative. It didn’t get quite the response I think they were hoping for.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Archaia has had a wonderful year. They put out many of the most interesting and most beautiful books I’ve bought in 2012, including Siegfried and Tale of Sand.
BEST NEW SERIES: Archer & Armstrong
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES: Saga
MOST WANTED: I know Secret isn’t canceled, just on long hiatus, but I have the feeling I’ll be left wanting it for a while.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE: Gambit
STIFF DRINK AWARD: Chew #30
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS: Anyone who complains about “fake geek girls”.
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING: Creator-Owned Comics
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: Layman & Guillory for Chew
BEST NEW SERIES: Saga
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES: Saga
MOST WANTED: Defenders
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE: All New X-Men
STIFF DRINK AWARD: Amazing Spider-Man 700
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS: Tony Harris’s cosplay rant
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING: Gail Simone’s firing from Batgirl
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples
BEST NEW SERIES – Hawkeye
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES – Saga
MOST WANTED – Zaucer of Zilk
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE – Revival
STIFF DRINK AWARD – Coyote in Daredevil
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS – Ed Benes drawing Batgirl
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING – New Coke Constatine
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT – Stephen Wacker for Hawkeye, Daredevil and Spider-man
BEST NEW SERIES
Fatale. Brubaker and Phillips team ups still going from strength to strength.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Saga because it’s such a refreshing change, and beautiful looking.
MOST WANTED
Resident Alien, I wasn’t expecting much, but thoroughly enjoyed it, and would happily read more. Or New Deadwardians for the same reasons.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Prophet, they made a silk purse out of a sow’s ear with that one.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
The Walking Dead #100. Lucile *Sob*.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Can’t think of anything I actually read myself.
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
The new Constantine, killing off the Hellblazer book. Or just DC Editorial in every interview ever, particularly Before Watchmen.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Image comics, for putting out something new and interesting almost every week his year.
My nomination for the Fatale award for Best New Series and the Fatale award for Best Actually New Series is Fatale.
Most Wanted – more Bulletproof Coffin, please.
Most Pleasant Surprise – That the Superman titles would be so bad – excepting Action, which inhabits its own weird prequel space – that a Smallville tie-in comic would be the closest thing to a straight-up Superman book.
Stiff Drink Award – I’m sure I’m forgetting something obvious but in the absence of original thought I’ll say Walking Dead #100 too. Nasty and lingering.
Joe Chill award – DC’s entire editorial policy all bloody year.
New Coke Award – Marvel trying to persuade us that going back to the polluted well that was the Loeb/Bianchi run on Wolverine was a good thing.
Outstanding Achievement – Image. Far too many good titles out this year, to the extent that I have a backlog of series where I’ve read the first issue or arc and really, really want to catch up when money or time allow.
BEST NEW SERIES
Prophet / Glory – Admit it, if somebody told you, more than a year ago, that of the best comics you can read would be a relunch of Rob Leifeld creations you would not only league at their faces but would not be able to take them seriously ever again. And yet here we are…
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Mind MGMT – for doing the impossible and making me buy a monthly series for the first time in ten years. Well played Mr. Kindt, well played.
Second place goes for Luther Strode (of the series-of-miniseries school).
MOST WANTED
Seeing as how DC finished their re-prints of Hitman (which is possibly the best ongoing series I’ve ever read) I now want them to do the same to Ennis’ run on the Demon
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Adventure Time comics – I thought it would be a cash on the surprising popularity of the show, but from what I’ve read so far (which, granted, is not a lot) it develops into a fine work of its own. Good Job!
Also – the transformers books (especially More than Meets the Eye).
STIFF DRINK AWARD
The end of Prophet’s first story arc when you realize –”wow, the scope of this thing is so much bigger than I anticipated)
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Happily I avioded any such works this year
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
The whole of Before Watchmen was basically a dick move but DC comics using the death of Joe Kubert to promote it was a dick icing on a trurly dick-y cake. What a bunch of Dicks.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
It will probably take me a lllloooooonnnngggg time to finish it but the fact that Building Stories even exists is a testimony to how insane (in the positive sense) Chris Ware is.
BEST NEW SERIES
Deadpool or Hawkeye.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Erm, Saga?
MOST WANTED
I’d like to see more of Kid Eternity and Rose & Thornn from those National Comics one-shots.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Well, I only got to read Uncanny X-Force this year and after the murky-murky-gloom-death of the previous X-Force series, it was a pleasant surprise. Struggling to think of anything strictly from this year. Hawkeye, I guess. I’m not a massive Fraction fan, so I had low expectations.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Can’t think of anything.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Got to be Tony Harris’ cosplay rant, though I’m sure something similar happened earlier in the year with someone else whom I’m completely forgetting about. I don’t think gender was really an issue in Gail Simone’s firing.
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
I think the entire angle of Avengers Arena has been pretty awful. “Hey look, it’s a book for all those third tier teen characters a few of you love a lot but we always forget about. Why not buy it so you can see them all DIE” was not an appealing hook.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
James Roberts and Alex Milne on Transformers: More Than Meets The Eye. I would have put this as ‘pleasant surprise’ given the quality of IDW’s preceding TF comics, but I had high hopes for Roberts getting an ongoing and he’s definitely delivered.
Best New Series: Hawkeye. He was my favorite superhero when I was a tiny lad, and I still really miss the ridiculous, unfilmable swashbuckler costume, but this is the best Fraction book I’ve ever read, and Aja is phenomenal.
Best Actually New Series: Saga. The greatest living comic book writer returns with something utterly unique and strange. With gorgeous artwork.
Most Pleasant Surprise: Marvel NOW, in general. Quality-wise, they’ve left the New 52 in the dust.
Stiff Drink Award: Amazing Spider-Man #698. Think how brilliant that cover is, in retrospect. The most re-readable single issue of the year.
Joe Chill Award: Gail Simone removed from Batgirl through e-mail. Classless.
New Coke Award: Before Watchmen. Don’t announce your intention to match the original for quality when you have JMS writing instead of Alan Moore. Just don’t.
Outstanding Achievement: Steve Wacker’s editorial office (Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil, Hawkeye). That those three titles are all coming from the same office is extraordinary.
BEST NEW SERIES
Prophet.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
The Manhattan Projects
MOST WANTED
Defenders (We hardly knew thee….)
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Prophet, again.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Not sure if this counts per se, but the “New Gods” at the end of Wonder Woman #12 was unexpected and re-energised my enthusiasm for that book.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
That Catwoman cover….
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
Another vote for that mention of “Before Watchman” in DC’s disgracefully short, initial note on Joe Kubert’s passing.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Steve Wacker, partly for editing some great titles but mostly for trolling a good portion of internet’s comments sections and message boards.
BEST NEW SERIES
Uncanny Avengers
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Saga
MOST WANTED
Really, I want more Last Airbender OGNs from Dark Horse.
That and a Remender Uncanny X-force Omnibus.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
I’d been putting off reading Walking Dead for years. I finally dove in, and it was actually pretty great.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
I’m sure there are plenty but my mind is a blank at this second. (And most of my purchases have been old stuff).
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Here we’re looking for the most egregious example of bad gender relations in the comics world, whether that’s a disservice done to female characters or to a female creator(s) or participant(s) in comics fandom.
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
I didn’t want to read Avengers Arena because of the marketing and interviews–it was also perfectly announced, with the right amount of controversy and promises of shock. But I ended up doing it because of the bitching on the internet. I have no idea if I am doing the right thing or not.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Marvel for me. I know there was a lot of hate for Avengers vs X-Men, but I didn’t get it. So far Marvel has just consistently entertained me, and Marvel NOW! is a far bigger success than normal.
@Martin Smith
That depends on whether Simone was joking or not when she said her being fired involved not putting enough women in refrigerators.
Best New Series:
Dial H
Best Actual New Series:
Danger Club
Most Wanted:
–to be honest, I have no idea, I am not looking forward to anything THAT much that is not currently still on the roster–
Most Pleasant Surprise:
Prophet
Stiff Drink Award:
Batman, Inc #04/#05
The Joe Chill Award for Services to Refrigerators:
The Amy Reeder/Batwoman debacle, what the heck happened there?
The New Coke Award for Most Ill-Judged Marketing:
Within the eulogy for Joe Kubert we find an unsubtle nudge towards buying Before Watchmen
Outstanding Achievement:
Saga
MOST CATEGORIES
I can’t really vote on them as I don’t read modern comics – or rather, I read previews at CBR and elsewhere and that’s enough for me.
MOST WANTED
A complete collection of THE CLOAK, even if it does have to be scanned from old copies of POW.
SILLIEST, WORST TASTE BLOG POST
That post that called Joe Kubert “a scab artist who chose a paycheck over decency” for working on BEFORE WATCHMEN.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
I was almost curious enough to get hold of a copy of PHANTOM STRANGER #1 after hearing it reviewed on House to Astonish.
BEST NEW SERIES
More Than Meets The Eye
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Saga
MOST WANTED
Well they had that DHP reprint one-shot out this summer so I guess it counts: I want a new Beasts of Burden miniseries already.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
That I really, really liked AvX Consquences, the Scott stuff especially.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
That thing with Broo maybe?
And there’s no “maintaining its high quality” category, but I’d give an honorable mention to Unwritten. I know you guys think it has finished its story and kept going, but that’s not my take on the book at all.
MOST WANTED: More Glyn Dillon comic book work.
After experiencing how much emotion Dillon could elicit with a single full-page panel in last year’s Nelson (young Nelson on her bicycle contemplating a buxom pin-up lady), my expectations for The Nao of Brown couldn’t have been higher. I’m used to ruining my own fun with such hype so it was with much pleasure that I found my expectations being more than met. More Glyn Dillon please!
I haven’t been reading as many titles as most of the people here, so I can’t really comment on most of the categories. I would rather like to offer a few possibilities for MOST WANTED though:
More Captain Britain and MI:13 from Paul Cornell
A sequel to Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. from Warren Ellis
A new Agency X series from the recently liberated Gail Simone
A new OGN from Grant Morrison based on his original characters
And, last but certainly not least,
For American comic book publishers to finally figure out how to build a new, larger audience. Manga has shown that it can be done, so there’s no excuse to not make it happen.
BEST NEW SERIES
Bandette – very charming European style digital comic from Monkeybrain, just lovely art.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Saga, as everyone else notes – the story is fantastic and the art a revelation.
MOST WANTED
I will miss John Rogers and Andrea DiVito’s Dungeons & Dragons series, a sword and sorcery comic with a good sense of humour and great characters.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Thief of Thieves, a heist comic that is really well done, would not have expected to like it but I did.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
The ending to Uncanny Avengers #1 was a surprise.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
The Tony Harris “rant” would seem to plummet to the bottom here but a fair bit of competition this year.
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
This may be a matter of opinion but charging $3-4 for a 20 page digital comic seems to make no sense at all if you’re trying to expand your readership in the online age (songs go for $1 after all).
Honourable mention to Marvel for it’s continuing efforts to pillage it’s existing customer base via major price hikes without making much effort to expand it.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Saga was really, really good –
BEST NEW SERIES
Prophet–Thank you Rob for introducing me to the talents of Brandon Graham.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Saga
MOST WANTED
More O.M.A.C.! Just think, had this not been cancelled, Didio might not have had the time to write Phantom Stranger.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
Dan the Unharmable–David Lapham and Raphael Ortiz’s tale of a King Buzzo inspired, amnesiac, private detective is a consistently entertaining comic. I’m glad I took a chance on this one despite the lackluster previews.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Black Kiss 2 #1
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
Tarot: Witch of the Black Rose (Hall of Fame)
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
$3.99 double shipping comic books.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Image–They have provided plenty of quality alternatives to the Big Two titles I’ve dropped this year.
BEST NEW SERIES
Hawkeye: looks like Fraction suffers from Bendisitis, he really can’t do events or team books but stick him on a solo series with Aja and he is golden.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Saga
MOST WANTED
A different second series of Stumptown, not the gaudy mess we got.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
After a wobble with that stupid Omega event Daredevil is still going strong
STIFF DRINK AWARD
I’m kind of amazed at the twist Dan Slott has pulled off in Spiderman, pun intended. Can’t be long till the magic reset button is pushed but I’m along for the ride.
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
Everything about the entirely lamentable Before Watchmen
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Image
BEST NEW SERIES: National Comics’ KID ETERNITY: Amid a sea of DCnU missteps, this was a smart little revamp
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES: SAGA: Because, Brian K Vaughan. Runner Up: AMETHYST
MOST WANTED: National Comics’ KID ETERNITY: Amid a sea of DCnU missteps, this was a smart little revamp
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE: AvX wrapping up years of mutant story lines, and positioning Scott Summers as more bad-ass than Wolverine.
STIFF DRINK: The good: Gillen’s work with Kid Loki. “Kid Loki” – a concept that shouldn’t work – totally does! The bad: Everything about RAVAGERS — horrible series.
JOE CHILL AWARD: Still, the DCnU Starfire
ILL-JUDGED MARKETING: Before Watchmen. Can you say “Cash grab?” To make matters worse, DC pushing “Before Watchmen” in Joe Kubert’s obituary
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: AVENGERS ACADEMY was the little Avengers book that could, and did, monthly. Best Avengers book on the stands, with an excellent wrap-up by Gage & company. Tremendous series!
Runner Up: MARVEL NOW! Is doing a great job with relaunches – everything DC NEW 52 should have been!
@Ferris: A second Beasts of Burden mini was announced at NYCC: http://evandorkin.livejournal.com/289553.html No idea when it’ll actually come out though.
BEST NEW SERIES: Hawkguy. There’ve been some great new series but none compare to Hawkguy.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES: Yeah, I’ll join the herd and pick Saga.
MOST WANTED: Probably Matt Fraction’s version of The Defenders, which I loved. Of course, I’m the guy who still misses The Order, so…
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE: As tempted as I am to say Hawkguy again, I have to go with The Scarlet Spider. Who on earth would have thought that the *Scarlet Spider* – featuring *Kaine* of all characters – would be the comic with the most entertaining Spidey stories out there? It feels more Spider-Man than Slott’s Spider-Man, to me.
STIFF DRINK AWARD: The Phoenix Five in AvX. That series had its problems, it’s true – but of all the things I saw coming, ‘The Phoenix breaks into five pieces and inhabits these five characters’ was not one of ’em. That was a bona fide curveball.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD: Starfire’s depiction in Red Hood and the Outlaws.
THE NEW COKE AWARD: Dan Slott’s Twitter Account And Online Presence. When you show up to the John Byrne Board, of all places, to have a slapfight with people who interpreted your work “wrong” instead of, you know, owning the work you did… I know some people will say that there’s no such thing as bad publicity but I think they’re wrong.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT: Kieron Gillen. The conclusion of Journey Into Mystery was astonishingly good. Fraction and Remender, two other contenders, had a few missteps in 2012, but Gillen’s been spot-on all year.
Best Actually New Series
Saga, Fatale, The Massive.
Outstanding Achievement, I have to agree with Shwan, Gillen’s had an incredible year
BEST NEW SERIES
Archer & Armstrong. Van Lente knows his superhero buddy books.
BEST ACTUALLY NEW SERIES
Saga. Although if “limited series” is acceptable, Colder is a contender, based just on the two issues out so far.
MOST WANTED
Avengers Academy. I didn’t realize how invested I was in this series until it was gone.
MOST PLEASANT SURPRISE
The Adventure Time comics. It’s rare that TV adaptations can capture the magic of the show, but the comics do it nicely, while still clearly being their own thing; see, for example, the recent choose your own adventure issue.
STIFF DRINK AWARD
Chew 30. If you read it, you can guess why.
THE JOE CHILL AWARD FOR SERVICES TO REFRIGERATORS
I’ll go with the Tony Harris debacle, as I have some friends who were personally involved in the fray.
THE NEW COKE AWARD FOR MOST ILL-JUDGED MARKETING
Not to harp on this, but the Avengers Arena marketing was extremely annoying.
OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT
Is this an appropriate place to give a sort of “life time achievement” designation to Karen Berger for her Vertigo work? Because if it is, then that’s my vote.