What's Your Best of 2006?

[goman]

Well it's slow and I'm bored, so in the spirit of years end, I thought I would ask:

What's your favorites of 2006?

I'll give a start of books and other things I can think of off the top of my head. Feel free to add new categories as you desire. Feel free to mock, humiliate and throw eggs at me for any choices I make you don't agree with, but try to be nice about it. I have a fragile ego.

In no particular order.

Favorite New OGN I read: Fables: 2001 Nights of Snowfall
This one still sticks in my head a few months after reading it. It was a great collection of stories with a lot of spectacular art. Runners up are Pride of Bagdhad and Rotting in Dirtville.
Favorite Old OGN I read: Creature Tech
2006 will be the year I fell in love with Doug TenNapels work. It started with a little show on Nickelodean called CatScratch which lead me to seek out his comic work with Iron West and Tommysaurus Rex both of which are great reads. Creature Tech is my favorite though, just for all the crazy ideas and characters running around in it. It's a brilliantly funny piece of work, that everyone should read.
Favorite Single Issue: All Star Superman #5
Regardless of how you feel about the All Star line so far, All Star Superman was one of the best books this year. Issues 4 and 5 are my favorite of the batch so far. From great character writing, to fantastically crazy ideas, to beautiful art, these are truly All Star. My highest complimet is to say that I've never bought a Superman series in the past, but these have me looking forward to each new issue. Fables 50, 55 and 56 would also be in the running, and I'm sure there are a bunch I'm forgetting.
Favorite Ongoing series: Fables
Month in and month out, no series has more interesting characters that make the wait between issues seem so long. Fortunatly, this book is never late, and with Jack of Fables added this year, the wait seem much shorter. Between the great stories in Fables, the Jack book, and the OGN, it was a great year to be a Fables fan.
Favorite Mini-series: Beyond!
Sure Infinite Crisis and Civil War are the big name mini's of the year, but this little book with one big name character who barely showed up, was the one I really enjoyed reading. Great art by Kolins, which has me thinking of adding Omega Flight to my pull list next year. The character interaction was perfect, and it was great to see lesser known characters get a chance in the spotlight. I hope from the ending that marvel has a sequel coming soon. Please Marvel, have a sequel coming!!
Favorite TV show: Venture Brothers
Hey, I named by blog after a line from it, I better give them a mention. Lost had some decent episodes, and if 24 was fresher in my mind, it might be in it's place, but no show was funnier than Venture Brothers. From a coked up Johnny Quest, to the return of Doctor Impossible, to David freaking Bowie, this show had something for every kind of nerd. It has replaced Harvey Birdman as the funniest show on TV, and even Birdman has some really good episodes this year.

That's all I got for now. Agree? Disagree? What's on you mind for the end of the year?

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

I would have to nominate FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE as Best Graphic Novel. PRIDE OF BAGHDAD would likely be #2.

-Augie

[goman]

I would have to nominate FIVE FISTS OF SCIENCE as Best Graphic Novel. PRIDE OF BAGHDAD would likely be #2.

-Augie

I forgot about that one. It was decent, but the murky coloring on it would keep it out of the top spot for me. The ending was just too hard for me to tell what was going on. A fine choice for and one that should be read if you haven't yet.

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Agreed on the coloring, but the work as a whole was so cool and inspired me to go back to reading Twain's original writing. So it gets bonus entertainment credit from me on that.

-Augie

[pmpknface]

I'm sooooooooo bad at these. I can say that Agents of Atlas and Union Jack are on my short list for fave mini's.

I'm seriously loving the CW stuff, but I think ANNIHILATION is just more fun.

Iv'e got the latest Fables tpb with me and the 1001 HC is right behind it. ;)

[goman]

I know, if I wanted to do an actual list, I'd have to go through my boxes and figure out what came out this year and what stuff I loved, and which I merely liked. The list above is just the stuff of the top of my head last Friday, when I had nothing to do at work, but couldn't leave. I'll add another category I though about.

Favorite Artist: Jim Cheung
He didn't have a large body of work this year, just the last few issues of Young Avengers, his issue of New Avengers and the first issue of Illuminati but it was all good. His work just confirmed how much I like it, and that he is an artist whose work I'll buy regardless of what he's doing. Another artist would be Lenil Francis Yu, who also had a lot of work all over the place, but should have a break out year if Marvel lets him do a long run on New Avengers. His name could be on a lot of peoples lists this time next year.

[goman]

I'll lay down another one for you, thanks to Comics Should be Good.

Favorite Moment: Bigby lays down the law to the Adversary in Fables #50

Summing up so many things I enjoy about this book, issue 50 of Fables was both sweet and brutal, but the coolest part was where Bigby threw down the gauntlet and said "Bring it" to the Adversary. You just have to stand up, raise your arms, and shout "Yes!" after reading it. Other nominations would be the end of New Avengers #22, and the bulk of Fables #55. Late addition would be Nextwave #11, but not the Elvis MODOK page which is getting all the ink. No, my nomination is for the monkey/gorilla Wolverine page. Cyclopsaurus is close too. Brilliant.

[pmpknface]

I just finished reading Fables #50. **sniff, sniff** :p

[torippu]

Off the top of my head, here's what I'll put to print:

Favorite Old OGN/TPB I read: Runners Vol. 1 - Bad Goods

Favorite Single Issue - The Thing #4. I still lament this titles passing earlier this year.

Favorite Ongoing - This is a toughie as I look forward to certain books each month. I'm going to go with Captain America over my old standbys Ultimate Spider-man and Invincible.

Favorite Mini-Series - Got to be Beyond! over Daughters of Dragon and Union Jack. Civil War doesn't count yet as it still has 2 issues to go.

Favorite Writer - Robert Kirkman. From Invincible to The Walking Dead to MTU to Ant-Man, I love all of his books.

Favorite Artist - Can I pick a team? If so I'm going with the Steve Epting/Mike Perkins team. Their art is one of the reasons why Cap is just so darn good these days.

Favorite TV Show - The Office. I'm such a hyuuge fan of the British version that once this show found its voice, Thursday nights became Must See TV night again in my house.

Trip

[Augie De Blieck Jr.]

Trip - I just noticed that Ricky Gervais' follow-up series, EXTRAS, is getting a first season DVD release next week. I can't wait for that one! (Nor MI-5, which is also out with a new season on the same day.)

-Augie

[torippu]

Trip - I just noticed that Ricky Gervais' follow-up series, EXTRAS, is getting a first season DVD release next week. I can't wait for that one! (Nor MI-5, which is also out with a new season on the same day.)

-Augie

I've already got it pre-ordered! Series 1 was decent, but I found that Series 2 was much, much funnier. I was under the impression that Merchant & Gervais were done with EXTRAS, but then heard rumors that they were planning a third go round. I've got my fingers crossed about a third series.

I'm pretty excited about next season of MI:5/Spooks as well. I've watched through season 3 and <ahem> have season 5 on my computer. Season 4 is already in my Netflix queue and will be watched as soon as I finish the second season of Boston Legal. Also, I can not wait for the second season release of Hustle. That's probably my most anticipated TV on DVD release for 2007 as of this moment.

[Adem]

Favorite Old OGN/TPB I read: Runners Vol. 1 - Bad Goods

Oh man I've been looking for that trade. I went to a few stores and none of them had even heard of it. Mind telling me where ya got it?

[the goddamn batman]

Best New Series: It's a tie between, FELL and Casanova. Both are cheap, well written, well illustrated, and neither of them have had a bad issue yet.

Best OGN/Trade: I didn't really buy much that was new this year, that wasn't already mentioned. So, for the sake of not repeating, Ashley Wood's Popbot continues to be one of the most beautiful books on the stands, and I did buy the collection a few months ago. So, 'The Complete Popbot' it is.

Biggest Let Down: All Star Batman and Robin... in every regard. :(

I don't watch tv. But, A Scanner Darkly is the best/coolest movie I saw this year... that and 'Primer'.

Best record (for me) would have to be: Chihei Hatakeyama - Minima Moralia and The Velvet Teen - Jizmkid.


2006 seemed to fall short of a lot of it's potential, but I think 2007 is going to full of some really fantastic stuff.

Ash Wood's D'AIRAIN AVENTURE, ZvR #2, more of Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse (Ben Templesmith), Casanova's second arc (maybe Ba' and Moon's 'De Tales' vol.2), FELL, FAKER & Green Arrow Year One(Jock) Swallow #3 (which is just an amazing collection of artists) more Sparrow books, Greg Lauren's Batman covers and much much more!

not to mention, finally getting a real directors cut of Blade Runner!!!

Woo Hoo!

[torippu]

Oh man I've been looking for that trade. I went to a few stores and none of them had even heard of it. Mind telling me where ya got it?

I got mine through Amazon.com last year as a Christmas present.
Here's that listing.

You can also order it directly from Sean Wang through his site.

Good luck and enjoy! It's a great read and it's going to be an excruciatingly long wait until the next series comes out.

[pmpknface]

FELL and CASSANOVA certainly deserve props for pushing the envelope. I'd give them "Best New Format" if nothing else. Or maybe "Best Comic You Can't Pass Up!" :D

Follow up: Last night I finished FABLES Vol 8 and then HAD to read 1001 Nights of Snowfall. EXCELLENT!!!!!