by Kenny Cooper
2009 was an interesting year for comics. A lot of great books came out. I should probably take the time to highlight a handful of them.
1.) Asterios Polyp
David Mazzucchelli, best known as Frank Miller’s artist for Batman: Year One, has been almost completely unheard from since the 80′s. He returned with Asterios Polyp, a tale about a man discovering where things went wrong in the wake of his house burning down. Mazzucchelli brought to the table everything comics could muster as far as storytelling goes to create something that couldn’t exist without the invention of the funny book. This is a book I’ve also put on the best of the decade list mostly because it’s probably THE best book of the last ten years. It’s that good.
2.) the Batman books
Following last year’s “death” of Bruce Wayne (it’s complicated), one would think that the Bat-books would go into a creative/financial tailspin. Au contraire, mon frere, it turns out killing off their flagship character was exactly what the books needed. After Neil Gaiman and Andy Kubert created “Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader,” a fitting tribute to the lives of Bruce Wayne, the books were retooled to fit new characters. Greg Rucka brought Batwoman to Detective Comics along with the GORGEOUS J. H. Williams art to show Batwoman as more than a cheap publicity stunt but a fully nuanced character. Then came Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely with Batman & Robin to bring one of the best Batman stories ever with former Robin Dick Grayson as the new Batman, showing once again those two are the best of this business.
3.) Chew
Chew, written by John Layman and drawn by Rob Guillory, is one of those premises only comic books could get away with. Tony Chu is a “cibopath” who can take psychic impressions from the food he eats. Chu lives in a world where the current culturalization of food (typified in the Food Network and McDonalds) has gone overboard to where chicken now becomes an illegal substance. Chu works for the FDA, now the most powerful agency in America. It’s a bizarre commentary on the food culture here in America with really original scripts and expressive art.
4.) Invincible Iron Man: World’s Most Wanted
Winning the Eisner for Best New Series, this comic did what a lot of people thought was unthinkable; it managed to make comic fans like Tony Stark again. Following the massive success of the Iron Man movie, Marvel had to deal with the fact that they basically destroyed the character’s likability in a ham-fisted political story called Civil War in 2006. Putting Matt Fraction and Salvador Larrocca on the book, the two made a tale where Tony Stark was put in the underdog position and had literally almost everything taken from him. On the run from the government after being framed by Norman Osborn (the former Green Goblin) for treason, the book almost became a meta-commentary to how the character had been destroyed by bad stories and managed to redeem the character in the process, becoming the best of the “Dark Reign” stories Marvel put out this year.
5.) Irredeemable
Superman is as much (if not more) about his character and moral fiber as he is his powers. However, creators often love to examine the idea of a character with his powers yet with a less than stellar moral compass. Enter Mark Waid’s Irredeemable, a story of a Superman-like hero named the Plutonian who has gone from being Earth’s greatest hero to a psychotic mass murderer who does whatever he wants because he can. The backstory of this world, brought out little by little each issue, is a fascinating examination of the superhero concept and how it could potentially damage one’s psyche given the right circumstances.
6.) Parker: the Hunter
I’ve devoted a whole article to this story so it’d be a tad redundant to go over it again. Nevertheless, Darwyn Cooke proved once again that he is a master of the comic book craft with this adaptation of the famous Donald Westlake/Richard Stark novel.
7.) The Nobody
Jeff Lemire, in a few short years, has risen to become one of the most talked about comic creators in the industry. The Nobody is a reimagining of the classic H.G. Wells story, The Invisible Man which transports the story from Victorian England to contemporary middle America. John Griffen is a strange new addition to the town of Large Mouth, always bandaged and setting off a firestorm of rumors and murmurs. Lemire does much to make the story his own, bringing in his own themes about awkwardness and small towns to bear.
8.) Scott Pilgrim vs. the Universe
The Scott Pilgrim books are a testament to the times they’re in if I’ve ever seen one. Bryan Lee O’Malley’s insane world of anime physics, cartoon lives, and video game reality has been a fun and engaging ride. With the fifth book in the series released this year, Scott’s quest to defeat his girlfriend’s seven evil ex-boyfriends (who range from Akira-style telekinetic vegans to robot-making ninja twins) is winding down as he sees the home stretch. Yet, the specter of growing adulthood and buried secrets serve to make this volume the most mature and introspective of the series. Still, you shouldn’t worry. There’s still robot battles. Editor’s Note: The first book in this series has a film adaptation in post-production, expected to be released this year starring Michael Cera, Jason Schwartzman, Anna Kendrick and more and directed by Edgar Wright, of Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame.
9.) Three Story: the Secret History of the Giant Man
Matt Kindt is one of those writer/artists that flies just under the radar of mainstream comics but who is nonetheless one of its great prodigies. Three Story details the life of Craig Pressgang, a man who has the odd condition of being three stories tall. The book is told through the eyes of the most important women in his life as he grapples with the difficulties and natural celebrity that comes with being the biggest person alive. Like always, Kindt’s latest novel manages to pull into a world of intrigue and even espionage (he’s got a liking for the spies, I’ve seen…) as we watch the life of the giant man.
10.) Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Written by Eric Showalter and written by Skottie Young, the Wonderful Wizard of Oz is yet another comic adaptation of a classic book that came out this year. In recent years, Marvel has attempted to move beyond the strictly superhero books it’s known for and reach into adaptations of classic stories such as The Count of Monte Cristo and Moby Dick. Their version of Frank Baur’s classic stories is certainly their biggest success so far. The highlight here is Young’s fantastic artwork. The book boasts delightfully sketchy cartoon pencils under bright yet subtle coloring. The production of this book is simply amazing, especially for an adaptation of a previous work and brought Skottie Young back into the comic book forefront where he now does the best covers for other comics Marvel puts out.
Photo Sources:
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