John's last post of 2004...

Since Ed didn't do a comics "best of" list, I thought I'd offer up one, only it's not really a "best of" list either.  As I've said in the past when I've done other year-end reviews, my lists are really only reflective of my favorites (so emphasis on the subjective rather than any pretense of some objective 'best'), and even then my picks are further qualified as out of the things I managed to read.  (There are lots of good comics I either didn't purchase or haven't gotten around to reading yet.)  So with all of those disclaimers out of the way, here are (in alphabetical order) some Pretty Good Comics I Enjoyed in 2004:

Carnet de Voyage - Craig Thompson's travelogue was a visual delight.  Although I haven't been to all the locations Thompson chronicles in this book, his experiences triggered pleasant memories of my own travels.  The book isn't perfect -- the ending is abrupt and Thompson's self-pitying persona is extremely grating at times -- but it's still a wonderful book to get lost in:  lost in the wonderful drawings, as well as the fond memories it may inspire for those who have traveled to other cultures.

Complete Cartoons of The New Yorker - I'm not qualified to comment on the sociological analysis some have offered in reference to the impact of the New Yorker cartoons over the years, but I do know that the cartoons almost always amuse me.  What that says about me I'm not sure, but I'll bypass the armchair psychoanalysis and instead continue to enjoy working my way through the nearly seventy-thousand cartoons reproduced on the two CD-ROMs included with this oversized hardback book.

Complete Peanuts - I've never really considered myself a fan of Peanuts, but I decided to check out the first volume to see what all the fuss was about.  Wasn't Peanuts just a cloying comic strip whose primary purpose was to push product ranging from greeting cards to insurance?  Perhaps it was in later years, but reading these early strips reminds one what a subtle wit and pleasing style Schulz had before Peanuts became universally commodified.  I doubt I'll collect every volume of the reprint series, but these early collections are a great look at an American institution that actually deserves attention.

Doom Patrol TPBs -  I'd sold the original issues years ago and from time to time I'd had the urge to read some of these stories, so I was excited when DC announced they were finally releasing new volumes collecting more of Morrison's run.  Yet at the same time I was somewhat apprehensive:  Would I find that the stories hadn't aged well -- that they now seemed dated and quaint?  I needn't have worried:  These comics still represent some of Morrison's best work, even if some of the weirdness doesn't seem quite so weird now that we've been exposed to other odd works from Morrison.  Still, the stories collected here are easily more exciting and imaginative than any of the superhero comics published by the "Big Two" in 2004 (which is a bit of a sad thought to think that superhero comics haven't improved at all since 1989; if anything, they've gotten steadily worse).

Eightball #23 - I wasn't as apeshit (I'm sorry -- arctic apeshitknife) over this as some others were, but it was still a damn good comic from one of the (all-too-infrequently contributing) masters of the form.  Yes, there were superpowers and spandex, but this wasn't really a comic about superheroes.  It was an examination of unhealthy unhappiness and how anger and hatred can destroy one's own life.  Plus, it was cleverly told, with varying styles (different pages look like different stories from an anthology comic, but it all works together to tell one cohesive tale) and a non-linear structure that enhances rather than obfuscates.

Hikaru No Go - Ah, the unintended benefits of pre-ordering.  I'd ordered the second volume of this manga series before I'd read the first, and I'm glad I did, since things really pick up in book two after an uninspiring first installment.  This is a charming manga series that somehow manages to make a board game exciting.  Much of the series' appeal is due to Takeshi Obata's slick, appealing artwork:  I'm hard-pressed to think of another series where I've found myself spending so much time admiring the various characters' hairstyles, but Obata's stylized character designs are so pleasing it's easy to get caught up in such details.  In addition to the delicious artwork, writer Yuni Hotta has crafted a compelling story that chronicles several characters' determination to become the national Go champion.  Yes, the trope of "young boy determined to become the best there is at X" is a familiar (and wearing) formula in shonen manga, but Hotta manages to come up with enough new twists to keep the basic structure entertaining.  (Check out the sample chapters available online to see if Hikaru No Go is something that might tickle your fancy.)

Hsu And Chan Vol 1 - Fun, video-game-themed madness.  Except having very little to do with video games, actually.  Look, just go here and here and see if the humor appeals to you, OK?

Kid Firechief - I've always enjoyed Weissman's cute, quirky cartooning style in his "Yikes" series, and this collection is another delightful offering from the creator.  I could try to explain why the antics of Olaf Oedwards, Kid Firechief, are so appealing, but why bother when Tom Spurgeon has already expressed appreciation for Weissman's work better than I ever could?

Scrapbook: Uncollected Works 1990-2004 - A wonderful collection of Adrian Tomine's unpublished or little-known work.  Over half the book consists of illustrative work or sketchbook material (which is great in its own right), but there's also a fair amount of unpublished or rare comics work that's worth reading.  Much of it revolves around stereotypical altcomix material (self-pitying slacker gripes about work and relationships) but Tomine has enough style and self-awareness to keep the stories from becoming unbearably pretentious or self-absorbed.  And if nothing else, everything is a treat to look at.

Sgt Frog - One of my favorite comics of all time, ever, which is somewhat strange when I stop to think about it.  At first glance, there seem to be a couple strikes against this book:  the gratuitous fanservice; the cutesy characters; the over-the-top/hyperactive/ADD style (which I happen to know did put off at least one person whose taste in comics I generally respect).  Yet somehow the overall work manages to overcome all these potential pitfalls and pull off some of the funniest bits I've read in years.  Much of it is due to Mine Yoshizaki's incredible skill as an artist:  He really knows how to construct a gag so that it pays off big, and his clean, distinctive style makes panels so memorable I'm able to visualize them clearly when I think back on some of my favorite scenes (such as the image of Tamama disguised as Keroro washing dishes in the sink; or the sequence where Keroro bursts in on Natsumi's bath to warn her about the dangers of cleaning the tub with a nylon scrubber; or the scene where multiple-personalitied Momoka reintegrates her separated selves through the perfect harmony of synchronized swimming):

In many ways, Sgt. Frog is like the modern manga equivalent of old Bugs Bunny cartoons:  You have adorable little creatures that possess a definite dark side, and while they may cause a lot of mischief, they always manage to maintain their diminutive appeal.  How can anyone stay mad at alien invaders whose nefarious plans to take over the world inevitably become sidetracked by mundane pleasures such as birthday celebrations, radio shows, and Gundam models?

She-Hulk: Single Green Female - A nice antidote to all of the interminably long and depressingly dark superhero comics coming out from Marvel and DC these days.  Writer Dan Slott wisely uses the rich history and backdrop of the decades-old Marvel universe to enrich his stories and have fun, not to needlessly strip-mine the past or cynically reveal "everything you know is a lie!"  Instead, Slott tells straight-ahead superhero stories that actually amuse and entertain.  What a novel concept!

Street Angel - The best superhero comic published by a non-superhero publisher.  The best manga published by a non-manga publisher.  The best small-press/alternative comic published by a small-press/alternative publisher.  Whatever clever description you want to come up with for this series, it simply comes down to the fact that it's one of the best comics being published today.  Some have been put off by the scattered nature of the stories (including me, at one point), but this is still a stellar comic with a ton of heart, humor, and style.  If you've missed the early issues, keep your eye out for the collected edition sometime in 2005. 

Superman Man Of Tomorrow Archives Vol 1 - I can't help it; I'm a sucker for Silver Age superhero silliness.  At least it seems I'm in good company, as Grant Morrison has also come out as an admirer of the goofy comics from this period.  (In addition to several dozen other bizarre stories, this Archive also includes the surreal tale of "Superman's New Power" that Morrison discusses at length in the recent Newsarama interview.)

Superman Secret Identity - And in a completely opposite direction from the Silver Age Superman stories comes this "realistic" tale about a young man from "our" world who develops super-powers exactly like Superman's.  Writer Kurt Busiek serves up a plausible examination of what might happen if someone in the "real world" gained super-powers, and the tale is further grounded by artist Stuart Immonen's naturalistic-yet-stylized artwork.  The plot's a bit thin (real-world Supes works to protect his secret identity from the government and the media), but that's not what makes this book work in the first place; rather, it's the characters Busiek and Immonen have crafted -- characters we come to care about as we get caught up in the unfolding of their lives together.

We3 - I know it's only two-thirds complete, but this series has already outshone most other comics not only in how it depicts action but also in its emotional impact.  I know I'm not the only one who choked up a bit whenever 1 questioned whether he was a "gud" dog.  Morrison and Quitely have created a shockingly good story, and I'm confident the ending will maintain the high level of quality already established by the first two issues.

And in other categories...

Biggest Disappointments:

• CBLDF SPX 2004 Anthology - Not up to the same standard of quality offered by previous years' anthologies.  Several times I picked this year's anthology up, thinking I hadn't read it yet, only to discover that, yes, I had; it just hadn't made much of an impression on me.

• Prophecy Anthology - I suppose I should have known better after all of the difficulties Prophecy went though, but I was still optimistic about the prospect of an oversized color anthology featuring "ground-breaking" artistic endeavors.  Instead of creative innovation,  Prophecy Anthology offered unfocused, amateurish experimentation.  Plus, the anthology ended with several incomplete samplers, exhorting readers to log on to the Prophecy website in order to purchase the complete graphic novels (which never materialized).  Overall, a tacky, unprofessional effort that left a bad taste in my mouth.

• Mcsweeney's Quarterly Concern: Issue Number 13 - A beautifully designed and packaged book, but I felt like I was reading a series of unsatisfying samples for the full works rather than complete stories or things I'd already seen published elsewhere.  This is the kind of thing that annoys me in other collections (see above), so it doesn't get a pass here just because of the pedigree of the assembled creators.

• Wonder Woman - I had high hopes for the new creative team of Greg Rucka and Drew Johnson, but the slow pacing of events killed any interest I had in the series.

• Steve Rude's The Moth - It's Steve Rude!  How could it go wrong?  Answer:  Just like this.  I guess it goes to show that not even great art can save a painfully bad story.

• Love Fights - Mainly a disappointment because I'd come to expect more based on Andi Watson's earlier work.  This comic just didn't click for me, which is a shame because the premise seemed so promising.

• Bombaby Screen Goddess - I was won over by the gorgeous preview art, but the story never seemed to gel.  Perhaps it'll all come together in the final chapter, but I'll never know because the originally-solicited fourth issue was subsequently cancelled and now only those who buy the trade paperback will get to read the ending.  Yet another lesson in why one should pass on the singles and wait for the trade.

• Top Shelf Conversations - Five bucks for around fifty panels of trite observations on creativity and art?  It's like the most-overpriced mini-comic ever.  So is it safe to assume that Christopher Butcher came down on the side of "great big wank"?
  

• Jack Staff Vol. 2: Soldiers - What worked in the first collection frustrated me in the second:  For whatever reason, this time around Grist's recaps every chapter felt as though they were simply treading water and wasting time rather than advancing the reader through the storyline.  In the end, I felt as though I'd read about 22-pages worth of story stretched out over 160 pages.
  

• DC's CMX manga line - I know others were skeptical about DC's ability to do manga successfully, but I was encouraged by the hiring of Jake Tarbox, who previously worked on Gutsoon's now-kaput Raijin Comics.  Raijin always seemed hampered by non-creative considerations (marketing, distribution, etc.), so I figured having Tarbox's savvy backed with Time-Warner's resources would equal a winning combination.  According to Heidi, CMX is a modest success so far, but in my book that's still somewhat disappointing.  A comic publisher with DC's experience should have been able to launch a manga line that got people excited, but so far I've barely heard any buzz about CMX from anyone, and that includes the non-superhero-reading manga devotees.   As for my impressions on the line so far, From Eroica With Love is the only series that interested me enough to pre-order the second volume.  Madara read like a bad cross between 3x3 Eyes (male and female leads paired together in mystical quest to restore one character's true nature) and Berserk (main character has replaceable mechanical limbs and fights grotesque demons); while Land Of The Blindfolded had an interesting concept that wasn't developed enough to hold my interest.  Hopefully 2005 will see some stronger releases from CMX.  (Any chance of rescuing Slam Dunk from the limbo of Raijin Comics?)

Best (or at least Biggest) Book I Haven't Gotten Around To Reading Yet (tie):  Locas and Bone: One Volume Edition.

Best Oldies Read in 2004:  Paul Gets A Summer Job.  Drawn & Quarterly Anthologies 3, 4, and 5.  Various volumes of Finder.  Palomar.  The Complete D.R. & Quinch.  The Complete Ballad of Halo Jones.

Guiltiest Pleasure:  Essential Super-Villain Team-Up.  I just loved the disturbing revelations about what goes on in Latveria when Doom has a little down-time between plots to take over the world and/or destroy the Fantastic Four.

Guiltiest Pain:  Identity Crisis.  I knew it was bad after reading the first two issues David and Johanna sent me for free, but I continued to buy the rest of the series just so I could see how horrific of a train wreck this "event" could be.  Now I regret contributing to the sales success of this thoroughly awful comic.  As penance, I'm going to pass on DC's "Countdown" event, even if the first issue is only a buck for eighty pages.

Closing Comments:  I think everyone should do one of these year-end wrap-ups, even if they don't have a blog or a website of their own.  It's a revealing exercise, examining all of your comic purchases from the year and trying to figure out if you really enjoyed what you were reading or if you were just throwing your money away.  This year I once again fell into the trap of buying stuff I wasn't particularly interested in simply because I could get it at a steep discount through DCBS.  I suppose I could try to justify such purchases by arguing that sampling popular mainstream (read: superhero) works allows me to stay in touch with the pulse of the industry, but in my heart I know that argument is weak.  I don't need to actually buy top-selling comics to know what's "hot"; I can simply follow the blogosphere to see what's being said about the latest shocking revelations or relaunches.  And I worry that reading stuff I don't enjoy wears me down in the long run, diluting my enjoyment of comics overall.  So my personal comics resolution in 2005 is to buy less stuff simply because it's cheap and to focus on reading works I expect to be good.  I know it sounds like common sense, but -- judging by the amount of complaining that occurs on various blogs and message boards -- it seems I'm not the only one who has problems with this concept.  So maybe this is something we can all work on for next year:  Stop investing time and money in works you don't enjoy or don't expect to enjoy.