It's that time of year again, friends. Time to cheer (and jeer) the year that was in comics and comic book related things.

If you weren't here for the past 25 years of Preppie Awards Ceremonies, it goes a little something like this: Someone posts a category, like "Best Single Issue" or "Best Writer", and others in turn respond with their nominee of choice. The ballot box will then be shot into the deepest depths of outer space where it will be imprisoned in a red sun and guarded by Green Lanterns, ensuring that it never again threaten our universe.

Remember that pants are optional and all proceeds go to charity. Now let's get started.

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http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

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http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

Cooke is obvious

but Allred simply for the chops shown in Madman #3. That was astounding, even though I only recognized about 10% of the artists he was impersonating (impressionating? I dunno what to call it. Ah. Homaging.)

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

The first motherfucker that says JRJR is getting shot.

I'd take McNiven, though.

fka Invisiblist

www.jamespeach.org

Beautiful stuff and worth the wait.
And maybe from the looks of it the last time the book is actually good.

http://twitter.com/phenompyrus

Get Out the Room
http://getouttheroom.podomatic.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/get-out-the-room/id525657893

Multi-page spread people, multi-page spread.

>Beautiful stuff and worth the wait.
>And maybe from the looks of it the last time the book is
>actually good.

That said, there should be another category designated for Best Artist That Can Actually Meet *GASP* A Monthly Deadline.

Props in THAT category would go to JRJR (sorry J. Peach, it is what it is...) or Leinel Yu on New Avengers, IMO.




"Fuck the streets!"

-?uestlove

www.myspace.com/djjedi1

is even in the same league as Yu this year. Don't fuckin tell me Hulk. It just wasn't that spectacular.

fka Invisiblist

www.jamespeach.org

Not 'scratchiest' or 'most veiny'

You're shooting blanks my man.

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http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

Yeah i appreciate the fact that he's a competent artist who knows the meaning of a deadline, but his artwork is just so fucking ugly. I know thats his "style" but everyone he draws looks like some kind of stretched out mongoloid. I'm not saying he has to draw like Cassady, Hitch or Tony Harris, I appreciate quirky sylistic art, but JRJR's style just comes off as sloppy and rushed to me. There were parts of WWH, especially the last issue, that were just completely indecipherable at times.

This is always one of the toughest categories for me. Across the board, comics looked awesome in 2007.

Frank Quitely left me in awe with every line in All-Star Superman.

Hitch knocked the Ultimates finale out of the park and yes, it was totally worth the wait.

JRJR did his thing in World War Hulk and reminded the world that he will always and forever be the GOAT.

But Darwyn Cooke just had a landmark year. The Spirit was a hell of an undertaking and he pulled it off. As fans we got to see the guy bang out a regular 'monthly' title, which isn't something he typically does. And with New Frontier: The Movie on the horizon, everything's coming up Darwyn.

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http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

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"Andy justifies my hate."
http://www.twitter.com/coatesvillain
http://coates.tumblr.com

Darwyn Cooke, all day.

Sites that I contribute to:

http://www.livefrommemphis.com

http://www.geeksofdoom.com

John Cassady, ASM.

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http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

fka Invisiblist

www.jamespeach.org

Vaughan is next, and Simone right behind, and Carey right behind her.

But Bru KILEED it this year, and I think I read everything he wrote except X-Men.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

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www.albumism.com

Checkin' Our Style, Return To Zero:

https://www.mixcloud.com/returntozero/

Last year was sort of the BKV/Brubaker transition year, and it was a tough call. This year the choice for me is clear. Brubaker is right in that creative sweet spot BKV was in about 2 years ago. A healthy variety of books, all amazingly consistent in quality while each maintaining their own unique voices. 2007 was a big year for genre, and nobody does genre like Ed Brubaker.

That's to take nothing away from BKV or the handful of other great writers who did their thing this year. But all year long I was picking up anything with the Brubaker name on it and I was never once disappointed.

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http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

Excellent and underrated in these parts.

http://twitter.com/phenompyrus

Get Out the Room
http://getouttheroom.podomatic.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/get-out-the-room/id525657893

I'll agree he's pretty damn good. Brubaker's better though.

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www.albumism.com

Checkin' Our Style, Return To Zero:

https://www.mixcloud.com/returntozero/

http://twitter.com/phenompyrus

Get Out the Room
http://getouttheroom.podomatic.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/get-out-the-room/id525657893

-------
"Andy justifies my hate."
http://www.twitter.com/coatesvillain
http://coates.tumblr.com

Brubaker was close, but his X-Men has been dook.



"All America want is cold beer, warm p*ssy, and someplace to take a sh*t with a door on it." - Frisky Dingo

BKV for me.

Brian Michael Bendis.

There, I said it.

Powers: Still a better read to me than anything that comes out the same week not named All-Star Superman or Astonishing X-Men.

Ultimate Spider-Man: Now that Bendis actually has a half decent artist in the form of Stuart Immonen, this is BY FAR the best Spidey book on the stands. Not to mention the best Ultimate title. It MIGHT be able to maintain that claim even with the influx of new talent scheduled to take over on the other Spidey books in a few months. It's THAT good.

Avengers Illuminati: One of the better retcons of Marvel history I've read in recent years. This mini kicked all kinds of ass and set up TONS of potential future storylines involving these characters. I'm in.

Mighty Avengers: This was well on it's way to being the best monthly Marvel title on the stands IMO prior to Frank Cho falling behind on his deadlines and fuckin up the momentum. Oh well..... Props to Bendis for givng this book a completely different feel from its New Avengers counterpart.


New Avengers: The best monthly ongoing that Marvel currently puts out.

Better than Cap.

Better than Daredevil.

Better than Iron Fist.

Not MUCH better. Just better.

I like Bendis' characterizations of the Avengers. I like his team-member choices (Hey, I'll be the first to admit that the idea of Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Spider Woman, and Dr. Strange on a team doesn't necessarily look good on paper, but somehow Bendis makes it work).

Oh, and BTW, I'm not even KINDA mad at the way this whole Skrull storyline is unfolding. Admittedly, it potentially could end up sucking. But I've thoroughly enjoyed what I've read so far.

I know Bru gets a lotta love around these parts (from me included), and it's actually a REEEALLY close call. I fucks with Brubaker somethin serious. But when I do a title by title camparison. Bendis edges Bru out almost every time.

Powers - 5 Cap - 5

New Avengers - 5 Daredevil - 4.5

USM - 5 Iron Fist - 4.5

Mighty Avengers - 4 X-Men - 3


Bendis. Best Writer of 2007. That is all.



"Fuck the streets!"

-?uestlove

www.myspace.com/djjedi1

Without a doubt, it's Ed Brubaker

Sites that I contribute to:

http://www.livefrommemphis.com

http://www.geeksofdoom.com

-----------------------------
http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

fka Invisiblist

www.jamespeach.org

never thought i'd see the day when i'd say that.

http://twitter.com/phenompyrus

Get Out the Room
http://getouttheroom.podomatic.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/get-out-the-room/id525657893

It only comes out 3-4 times a year and no one's 100% sure if and when it is ending, but fuck it, it's just that good.

Runners up are Daredevil and Captain America, both written by Brubaker, pretty much neck and neck to me right now.

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http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

"Fuck the streets!"

-?uestlove

www.myspace.com/djjedi1

I agree. Even though it is published sporadically, All-Star Superman is awesome.

Sites that I contribute to:

http://www.livefrommemphis.com

http://www.geeksofdoom.com

Followed by Ex-Machina

Without question.

When you subtract the protagonist and the title is still great, what more can you say?

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"Andy justifies my hate."
http://www.twitter.com/coatesvillain
http://coates.tumblr.com

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http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

A beautiful, beautiful piece of work.

And it involves a banjo-guitar, fiddles, and a mysterious beautiful girl who looks exaclty (and intentionaly) like the rabbi's daughter in The Rabbi's Cat. My only beef is it ended way too quickly.

-------
so I'm in a band now:
album ---> http://greenwoodburns.bandcamp.com/releases
Soundcloud ---> http://soundcloud.com/greenwood-burns

my own stuff -->http://soundcloud.com/lonesomedstringband

avy by buckshot_defunct

Change Bots brought the funny, LoEG brought the ambition, Shortcomings brought the emo.... But nothing gave me a complete reading experience quite like Super Spy. Action, suspense, romance, humor, all delivered in a gorgeous and innovative package.

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http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

i just discovered it last week

i'd also throw in Exit Wounds

Shortcoming was probably my fave for the year, though

________________

"Do you know what a nerd is? A nerd is a human being without enough Africa in him or her." � Brian Eno, "A Year With Swollen Appendices"

And 2 honorable mentions that went previously neglected: 'Sentences' and 'I Killed Adolf Hitler', neither of which quite reaches 'Best of' status but I enjoyed them both quite a bit.

Shortcomings I read as it was being serialized in Optic Nerve. Probably not the best way to go about it given the book's release schedule. As Randy Jackson might say, "It was just aiiight for me dog"

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http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

If so, then that.

http://twitter.com/phenompyrus

Get Out the Room
http://getouttheroom.podomatic.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/get-out-the-room/id525657893

Middleman, Vol. 3

Sites that I contribute to:

http://www.livefrommemphis.com

http://www.geeksofdoom.com

-----------------------------
http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

Infinite Crisis had a lot of potential and it was the one I was most excited about going in. It failed to fully deliver.

Civil War didn't seem like such a great concept but they flipped it on me and came with a solid story. Could have been a bit better but it exceeded my expectations.

Messiah Complex is also way better than I thought it would be. But it's just getting started.

Lightning Saga gets my vote. We got to see classic versions of the Legion in action, the Flash (Wally West) returns plus we get some good interaction between the JLA & JSA.


Peace,

*** MARBLES ***

Way too much fanboy love letter for the Meltzer/Johns crossover to come anywhere near IMO.

Trying to read that story made my brain hurt. I don't give two shits about the return of the Pre-Crisis Legion, and neither does 97% of the population that hasn't been reading comics for 20 years or more.

I thought the point of crossovers was to attract NEW readers. Not drive away old ones like me. That's what Lightning Saga did for me on JLA.


"Fuck the streets!"

-?uestlove

www.myspace.com/djjedi1

----
bshelly

"You (Fisher) could get fired, Les Snead could get fired, Kevin Demoff could get fired, but I will always be Eric Dickerson.” (c) The God

They all kind of sucked but at least this one was compact, had good art, and lots of punching

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http://talestosuffice.com/
@kennykeil

Cosign. World War Hulk sucked the least.

Sites that I contribute to:

http://www.livefrommemphis.com

http://www.geeksofdoom.com

Obviously the pick, b/c it hasn't sucked yet.
Everything else started strong but died down badly.

http://twitter.com/phenompyrus

Get Out the Room
http://getouttheroom.podomatic.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/get-out-the-room/id525657893

If we're talking EVENTS, nothing else even comes close. Everything good that happened in the Marvel universe this year was set up in CW.

Cap dying?

Spidey revealing his identity to the world?

The first three issues of WWH where Hulk handed the Illuminati their asses?

Iron Man running S.H.I.E.L.D.?

Avengers: The Initiative?

All positive story developments put in motion by the EVENTS in Civil War. The ramifications of CW will be rocking the MU for years to come. But unlike what's going on with DC, I'm actually EXCITED about seeing these ramifications explored. That's what a good crossover is SUPPOSED to do.



"Fuck the streets!"

-?uestlove

www.myspace.com/djjedi1

Winning categories with the same work in back-to-back years.

fka Invisiblist

www.jamespeach.org

World War Hulk fizzled by issue three.
Sinestro Corps is watered down.
Civil War took 20 dog years to conclude.
It's too early to crown Messiah Complex..

So I have to go with Annihilation Conquest.

I know I trashed it early, but it's been the most consistent of the crossover events.

-------
"Andy justifies my hate."
http://www.twitter.com/coatesvillain
http://coates.tumblr.com