2012 Comics" The Year So Far...

As I see it, this year has been an AMAZING one for comic books. Not your everyday superhero books, many of which have been pretty good, but the OTHER comics. There are some really enjoyable and very well-crafted books being made these days, and I am going to share some of my favorites with you, as well as some of the creators that iI feel are at the top of their game.

Firstly, kudos to Image comics(yes, THAT Image comics) for having the balls to put out some really cool stuff. They first caught my attention with Luther Strode- Tradd Moore is an amazing talent, and the story pulled me in from page 1. It seems that Image, specifically Jim Valentino's Shadowline, has realized that superheroes are pretty much played out. Books like Revival, Harvest, Prophet, Manhattan Projects...they are weird, strange, non-traditional, and VERY FUCKING COOL. Unique story ideas, cool art, and well-produced.

America's Got Powers-great premise and perfectly executed. Bryan Hitch has always been an amazing artist, but he is at the pinnacle right now. Storywise it's genius.

Fatale- No surprise here. Brubaker and Phillips have been hitting homeruns for years now, but this book might be their best ever.

Saga- Have you seen it yet? Original, creative, and a blast to read since issue one.

A.K.A.- Rob Reilly draws his ass off, and has a unique and original style and the balls to pull the look off. A grindhouse tour-de-force at 95 miles an hour. Pick his book up, and enjoy it.

Planet of the Apes- Daryl Gregory has created a world within the POTA world that is more engrossing and more complex than you can imagine. Carlos Magno is the perfect artist for this series, and has been killing it for 2 years now. Not to take anything away from the other Boom! POTA books, but THIS one is the cream of the crop.Even if you have never heard of POTA, this stands alone as a superior work of fiction. Book of the Year in my opinion. Daryl's background as a sci-fi writer shows through as the world he creates is as believable as our own.

Only Living Boy- David Gallaher and Steve Ellis are hitting their stride on this little monster. Having read a bunch of their previous collaborations, I was impressed. But OLB is phenominal. One of the funnest reads I've had in a while, and I'm hoping for more from these two maniacs. Had a blast hanging out with them at NYComicCon 2012 as well.



There are some amazing creators making books right now that are at the top of their game. Writers first...

Scott Snyder- Clearly the architect of the future of DC comics. If you aren't reading Batman, please just leave. Scott and Greg Capullo are not making comics, they are creating a legend. And don't miss Scott's other titles- American Vampire and Swamp Thing are alive in their own worlds, and I often feel less like a reader and more like a rider when I pick these books up.

Jeff Lemire- One of the oddest, most unique and creative writer/artists around today. His DC stuff (Animal Man, Justice League Dark) are truly...weird. Underwater Welder is one of the most engrossing, engaging books I have ever read. 20 years ago, Jeff would have been an underground comics legend. Thankfully, in 2012, he is one of the most accepted writers around. Did I mention Sweet Tooth? If you haven't read his stuff yet, go read some. NOW.

Jimmy Palmiotti has been making comics for as long as I can remember. Having made the move to full-time writer, Jimmy has not slowed down a bit. He is writing one of the best of the New 52 books, All-Star Western, and, with Justin Gray, is creating magic every month. And it's not just on that book, it's on EVERYTHING he is writing. DC clearly knows what they are doing by keeping Jimmy in their arsenal, and allowing him to pursue his other projects as well (Creator-Owned Heroes anyone?). Not only a very talented writer/inker/creator, but also one of the nicest guys in the business. And his podcast is a fucking pisser! Anything jimmy writes or talks about should be on your list of things to consume...

Culleen Bunn- 6th Gun? A shitload of different Marvel books? READ HIS STUFF. I have not put down one single book he has written without going "Yup. He's got it."

I met Sean Murphy a few years ago at NYComicCon, and I was aware of his art on things like Joe the Barbarian and Off-Road. He showed me pages from PRJ, told me a bunch about the story, and we talked for what seemed like hours. Fast-forward a year to NYComicCon 2012- Sean is a superstar, and Punk Rock Jesus is being called "Book of the Year", being nominated for many awards, and yes, it lives up to the hype. Not only is the art some of the best I've ever seen, the story is a non-stop action/adventure ride, rife with lots of fun and more shots at the current state of the world than you can handle. Sean deals with a LOT of current issues and disguises his awareness of how fucked up the world is in the characters in the story. The first 4 issues have been tremendously fun to read and follow, and I hope he finds time in his hectic schedule to finish this thing soon.


Rick Remender has been making comics for what seems like forever, and has always been fun to read. However, now Marvel has tapped into his brain and is letting him run wild in the Marvel Universe. Pick up ANYTHING he has written in the last year and see what I'm talking about.

David Lapham has been perfecting the art of making comics since waaaaaaaaaaaay back when. Age of Apocalypse, from Marvel, has basically been spinning in it's own alternate-orbit from the rest of the Marvel University for 7 issues now, and it should be left right where it is. Set in a dark alternative-future, David has created one of the coolest X-Men stories yet, filled with familiar-yet-different characters you already (think) you know and scenarios that ring a bell, but aren't quite the same as the way you remember them. Not to be limited to just doing superhero stories, David is writing Werewolf stories, horror stories, weird stories...and he is one of the most diversified master craftsman of our times.

Now aside from those Artists I just spoke about, there are some guys whose work I will pick up no matter what book they are on. I even read some of the books with a bit of interest, but the main draw for me is the guys sitting at home making pictures all day in a room by themselves, or maybe with a cat, as their only companion. In no particular order...

Mike Deodato- Genius. Master. Creator. Innovator. ANYTHING Mike draws is a lesson for me. Knowing his technique, and his approach, have helped me learn more than any other artist out there. And he's a genuinely nice dude.

Alan Davis- I don't care is he is drawing a story about 3 men talking in a room, he will make it look amazing. Simply put, he is the most underrated guys around, and he has been around forever.

Ron Garney- Rock-solid and at the top of his game. Look at some of his earlier stuff, and realize he has been doing it right since the beginning.

Michael Lark- Mike should have been a film director. His camera movement is magic to watch. It doesn't matter if he's drawing talking heads or gritty superheroes, it's gunna look amazing.

Tony Moore- Walking Dead? Nah. Tony has made the seamless move  from underground to mainstream with no ill effects. Go ahead, check out his Venom or upcoming Deadshot.

Stuart Immonen- just amazing.

Jimmy Cheung- one of the best cover artists in the Marvel stable, but I sure do miss him working on interiors. If you never saw Scion from Crossgen, you are missing out.

This is by no means a comprehensive list of my current comic-book state-of-affairs, and I will add more in time. This is just an off-the-top-of-my-head rambling, but please-read the stuff I just wrote about. You may be swept up in the "Marvel NOW" and "New 52" hype, but remember...just because something doesn't get a lot of hype does NOT mean it's not just as good, if not better.

Got A New Toy this Past Weekend...

A Cintiq21UX. Mmmmmm. Drawing on the monitor itself. 2 hours to install and nail down my method. Pics to follow. To say this has re-energized me is an understatement. I have so many ideas to put down on paper, and now I can. While I love the ability to work digitally and save a LOT of time working this way, I still like to "feel" my artwork, my finished product. Therefore I will be doing all of the basic drawing on the Cintiq, in Photoshop, and the final inked for-print artwork will be done in marker and ink on real boards. Can't wait to show off some stuff!!!