2006: A Year in Review

Before we get too far into 2007, I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon and offer my own take on the best...and worst...the world of comics (and comics-related media) had to offer in 2006.

With the optimism of New Year's Day still fresh in the
air, let's begin with the GOOD STUFF of 2006:

  1.  Infinite Crisis:  With a few notable exceptions (see item #1 under the "Bad" category), DC's gigantic sequel to the original Crisis on Infinite Earths was a near picture-perfect example of how to build and sustain excitement for a major event.  Starting with a half-dozen "Countdown" mini-series that all lead into the Infinite Crisis "main event" (with varying degrees of success), DC gradually revealed more pieces to the puzzle, eventually blowing the lid off with the return of the long-lost "Earth-2 Superman", along with a myriad of alternate realities.  In short, a dream come true for an old dog like me. 

Yeah, it was too good to last, and things got much bloodier than I think they needed to be...and the finale' was badly bobbled.  However, taken as a whole, I have to hand it to DC for making the first part of 2006 a genuinely exciting, suspenseful ride for old and new fans alike.

2. DC's Superman titles: Spinning out of Infinite Crisis was the self-explanatory "One Year Later" event, which brought new creative teams to both Superman and Action Comics.  Writers Kurt Busiek and Geoff Johns (later joined by lionized Superman director Richard Donner) immediately re-energized DC's flagship character, who'd been languishing with a tone-deaf editor and ill-suited creative teams for far too many years.  From Busiek's restoration of Superman's "super intellect" to Johns/Donner's incorporation of the movie's "Kryptonian Crystal tech" (not to mention the great artwork), this potent mixture of the new and nostalgic has brought a real sense of fun and adventure back to the original superhero.  Here's hoping some recent publishing delays won't screw it all up.

3. Superman Returns: DC's annual claim that it's "The Year of Superman" finally rang true in 2006, as their reinvigorated Superman comics were perfectly complemented by the Man of Steel's return to the silver screen.  As a zealous super-fan, I'd followed the movie's long, excruciating process of "development hell"  (best symbolized by the casting of Nicholas Cage as Superman), so you can imagine my joy when it became clear that a new Superman movie wouldn't be an embarrassing suck-job.  Were there problems with Superman Returns?  Of course there were...just as there were with the original Superman: The Movie.  I've long since given up insisting that comic book movie adaptations be perfect (heck, even the comics seldom get it right), so I was willing to give most of director Bryan Singer's little indulgences a pass...mainly because he was able to do so much stuff right.  The airplane rescue scene was one of the most thrilling movie-going experiences of my life (especially the IMAX version), and Brandon Routh really brought a warmth and dignity to the character I wasn't expecting.  Yeah, the "Super-Kid" angle poses some problems for the already-announced sequel, but I'm confident they'll be able to overcome them....especially with Singer talking about incorporationg "more action".  That's never a bad thing when it comes to Superman movies.

4. NBC's "Heroes":  I had zero expectations for this series as I tentatively tuned into its pilot episode, so you can imagine my surprise at finding out just how good it turned out to be.  Knowing how tricky the "gradually revealed mystery" can be, with the danger of telling either too much or too little, Heroes has masterfully achieved that balance.  Better yet, they've managed to do it with a staggeringly large cast of characters, all compelling in their own ways (to varying degrees, of course).  Many serialized "hot shows" tend to throw in the anchor and take their time once they realize they're a hit (like "Lost"), but I don't sense much of that with Heroes.  Apparently, creator Tim Kring, while intrigued by superheroes, isn't a died-in-the-wool fanboy...which I think works in the series' favor.  Instead of obsessing over nailing the "authentic" comic book beats, Kring brings a new twist to almost every anticipated cliche...keeping both fanboys and non-fanboys alike engaged in his sprawling conspiracy/save the world adventure.

  5. Dynamite's "The Lone Ranger":  When DC and Marvel largely abandoned licensed adaptations of TV and movie properties, smaller publishers like Dark Horse and newcomer Dynamite Entertainment took up the slack.  While most of Dark Horse's efforts go into various Star Wars titles, Dynamite has chosen to adapt a wide variety of "niche" properties that have a smaller, but intensely loyal fan base.  Some of these "cult favorites" include Battlestar Galactica (both new and classic), Xena, Highlander, Red Sonja and my personal favorite The Lone Ranger.  Though I've never been much of a classic western fan (whether books, movies or TV shows), the superhero elements of characters like The Lone Ranger and Zorro make them obvious exceptions.  Straying far from the bloodless, sanitized world of Clayton Moore's amiable Lone Ranger, Dynamite's version is a stark, often brutal view of the Old West as it traces John Reid's journey of retribution and, ultimately, justice.  As with so many modern comic book titles, the storyline's leisurely pace definitely has a mass-market trade paperback collection as its goal...but in this case, the slower pace seems to work in its favor by lending the tale a grand sense of scale.  With the broad outline of the Ranger's origin so widely known, it's interesting to take some detours along the way by providing new details that work to the same end.  Many thanks to writer Brett Matthews, artist Sergio Cariello, and cover artist John Cassaday for using the very best aspects of modern storytelling to revive an old favorite.

It's with a heavy heart (well, not that heavy) that
I move onto the BAD STUFF of 2006:

1. Infinite Crisis #7:  There's nothing worse than a botched ending, especially when it comes at the tail end of a much-anticipated, uber-hyped epic like Infinite Crisis.  The first four or five issues of the mini-series had an audacious "anything can happen" feel to them, setting up for a classic "home run" opportunity in the final two issues.  Sadly, the final two issues....particularly the final issue, were instead a study of "flash over substance" as we saw DC Comics hedging bets, returning to status quos and generally chickening out before our eyes.  The last minute "reprieve" for Dick "Nightwing" Grayson was clumsily handled, as was the scene of Superboy Prime beating the Earth-2 Superman to a bloody pulp (click the inset image for a larger view), which, combined with the obviously unfinished artwork peppering the issue, seriously marred the otherwise enjoyable Infinite Crisis experience.  DC has since corrected many of these clumsy errors in their trade paperback collection of Infinite Crisis, which is to be commended, but it's too bad that same degree of professionalism couldn't have been applied to the original serialized version.  Big points off for DC for this mess of a finale'.

2. Spider-Man's Boneheaded Unmasking:  No stranger to blundered mega-events, Marvel's ill-advised Civil War has been a virtual parade of mischaracterization and comically macho posing, courtesy of writer and self-annointed media sensation Mark Millar.  As the name implies, Civil War involves a political split within the Marvel universe, as one side (the fascist boot-lickers) supports the government's superhero registration act, while the other side (the noble patriots) resists (or retreats to Canada).  As a sign of the uncharacteristic ass-hattery to come, Peter Parker shows his support of Iron Man's Facist Bootlickers by publically unmasking on international television.  Other than getting Mark Millar's name on CNN, it's not clear what this spectacularly stupid stunt was supposed to accomplish.

3. Captain America...Class-Hating Thug!  "Civil War:  The story so wrong, it rates two mentions for the worst of 2006."  As the leader of the Noble Anti-Goverment forces, Captain America becomes a tool for Millar's paranoid Leftist fantasies, like this uncharacteristic (and almost laughable) bit of class-envy taken from Civil War #4 (click on image for a larger view).  Nevermind the fact that Tony Stark has fought the good fight for years as Iron Man, he's just a "pampered punk" to Captain America because....well....he's rich!  Of course he's on the side of evil...at least to a political caricature artist like Millar.  Sadly, this ugly behavior isn't the exception in Civil War....it's the rule, as long-beloved characters act like the dour, mercenary thugs populating Millar's The Ultimates, a team of PG-13 faux-Avengers.

4.  "We will print no comic before its time..."  Much like Orson Welles' pompous "We will make no wine before its time" line from those old Paul Masson TV commercials, spokemen for DC and Marvel comics have parroted a similar line when responding to the growing criticsm over habitually late comic books.  Rather than apologizing to fans for such unprofessional behavior and working hard to fix the problem (by assigning writers and artists who can actually meet a monthly deadline), they've instead taken the "high society" approach by rationalizing that "good comics take time", with the implication that anyone who disagrees supports low-quality hackery.  As much as modern commentators mock the comics of years ago, at least the creators of that era had the professionalism and commitment to readers to get the books out on time.  Sure, there was the occasional lame 'reprint issue" or sub-par performance, but on the whole, they rewarded fan loyalty with a consistent product.  Today, we must wait for the latest "rock star" artists, Hollywood darlings or hotshot novelists to "bless us" with an issue or two a year, then thanking them for the privilege of receiving these meager scraps...because "we will buy no comics before their time".

5. Missing in Action...DC's All-Star Line: As aggrivating as the growing number of late titles has gotten, DC's derelict All-Star line deserves some extra scorn. After a much-ballyhooed launch way back in 2004, this line of "top creators working on top characters" has become an inert laughing stock, as preoccupied writers and artists turn in their stories...well, pretty much whenever they feel like it.  After several rounds of canceling and resolicitng new issues, retailers, fans and even DC Comics seem to have forgotten about this once-promising line of comics.  One of the titles, All-Star Superman is sorely missed, since it was one of the best takes on the character in recent memory, while the execreble All-Star Batman might be better off left behind.  Still "scheduled" is an All-Star Wonder Woman title, but with Adam Hughes at the helm (a guy long gone from the rigor of monthly deadlines), I don't see much dedemption there.  It's a pity, really, since the premise of the line was a real winner.  Too bad DC Comics and their pampered superstars didn't have the willpower or professionalism to pull it off.

Comments

[doo]

"Captain America becomes a tool for Millar's paranoid Leftist fantasies"

???

I take it you haven't noticed how the sides lined up in Civil War.

Those who BENEFIT directly or indirectly from the government have sided WITH the government on this issue. Iron Man would not exist if not for the massive defense contracts Tony Stark receives, which he uses to fund his expensive lifestyles (hero and playboy, which is indeed "pampered"). The Fantastic Four is the high-tech operation it is due to Reed's high finance sales of technology to the pubic and private sector.

Those who have a negative experience with the government are AGAINST the government. Captain America is a selfless and noble hero who has been a patriot through thick and thin--but the gov't turned on him in the 1980s. Cap knows the gov't is only as trustworthy as the people running it at the time. Wolverine is another good example of having trouble with "the government."

This isn't just "lefty" lunacy. It's VERY SMART thinking on Millar's part. He took the time to figure out how a character's personality and relationship to society would factor in.

All that said, still you took one comment in a fight and blew it up into some big political commentary.

Take a look at the homes Steve Rogers has had. And take a look at the homes of Tony Stark. Perhaps Cap is just a tad irked that the government has lavished great rewards on Tony Stark and never given Steve Rogers anything beyond an apartment and work supplies. Both get money and material from the gov't, but only Stark gets a fat profit on top of it. Whatever Cap gets is for Cap. Rogers gets basic nessecities and that's it.

Steve wouldn't be the first soldier and/or veteran to be upset over such things.