Looking back at 2018: my top ten comic series of the year

It's been a strange year as I mostly stopped buying comics by the first of it and have started buying a few more later in the year. But I've found several books that have proven themselves month in and month out as great material. Some of these are limited series, though most are ongoing, but none have planned runs under twelve issues. I overlooked a few limited series (Justice League: No Justice, Batman: Creature of the Night, Bloodstrike: Brutalists) for this reason.

1. Avengers: Marvel's new team by Jason Aaron, Ed McGuinness and Paco Medina gathers the company's heavy hitters with some unique new blood (Robbie Reyes!) to spark my interest. Aaron, much like another writer on another tentpole series on this list, is really going heavy into universal mythology with this series and gives us an epic opening gambit. It will be interesting to see if he can maintain that level of quality over any length of time. 
2. Tony Stark: Iron Man: Dan Slott probably should have been off Spider-Man and on Iron Man a few years back. His style seems a natural fit for Tony and his expanded cast of Stark employees has created for an interesting series, even if it doesn't feel as monumental as the other Marvel titles on this list. 
3. The Silencer: Dan Abnett's post-Metal addition to the DC Universe seems to be the one with the most staying power. Connections to the Morrison-created Leviathan organization and Talia as a cast member probably doesn't hurt its chances. But it's great storytelling with a unique character in an unusual situation that makes the book stand out from the rest.
4. Scooby-Doo Team-Up: I won't lie and say every issue is a gem, but the DC crossovers in this book may offer the most fun DC Comics in a decade. Sholly Fisch is ready and willing to dig through the DC catalog to make some fascinating tales with obscure characters, perhaps most exemplified by appearances from Swamp Thing and ever DC ape character this year.
5. Justice League: Scott Snyder's run kicked off well with No Justice, but his ongoing series has cemented a DC Universe far more interesting than it has been since the days of 52. With a top tier art team and an editorial team ready to let him shape the path of the DCU, if DC stays the course they could have an amazing title for years to come. 
6. Immortal Hulk: The big surprise for me was this one. Joe Bennett isn't an artist I care for often, but he's putting in great work on this new series with writer Al Ewing. The new book takes Hulk on a supernatural bent even as Bruce Banner has to deal with the fact that his changes now come with his repeated death. It's definitely a new take on the character and one that I cannot wait to see where it leads.
7. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tom Waltz's tale of the four ninja brothers has remained one of the most consistently entertaining comics for several years. While the year seemed a bit mired in the ongoing struggle with Rat King, the series continues to do new and interesting things with the characters and creating a new legacy for them I hope to see continue for years to come. 
8. Deathstroke: Few books have made it from Rebirth to now without a new writer hopping aboard. Of the few that have, none have remained as consistent as Priest's work on Deathstroke. But perhaps most amazingly, he does it by re-inventing the assassin's life every six months or so. It makes for one of the most unexpected series I thought I would see from DC and proves just how good Priest is as comics writer.
9. Doomsday Clock: I won't lie. I expected to hate Geoff Johns and Gary Frank's crossover sequel to Watchmen. Instead I've been intrigued for page after page. The book's new additions to the Watchmen Earth drive the series forward, even as it also exposes the dark secrets of the origins of DC's own heroes and villains. It's a compelling read, but I remain curious exactly how it will change the DCU going forward.
10. Venom: I liked the movie quite a bit. But I loved the new comic. Ryan Stegman is an amazing artist but I never read a Donny Cates book before this series. Now he's a name I check out, because he shows a willingness to think so far outside the box without disrupting the continuity already established. The dark secrets of the symbiotes come out as this series begins, and it only gets more wild from there. Eddie Brock versus a cosmic level threat turns out to be the most brilliant storytelling ploy I never expected. Amazing work by all involved. 

That's my list. If you told me it would be so Marvel-centric I'd probably have laughed at you. But so it goes as both Marvel and DC proved they could still do great comics in 2018.

I'd love to hear your own in the comments! What were the best and brightest series for you in the last year?

Casting the MCU's Fantastic Four! (Tuesday Throwback)

I originally posted this article almost a year ago and we are still waiting for the Disney / Fox deal to close once and for all. With the MCU debut of Fantastic Four somewhere in our future, here's my choices again for the perfect FF cast. 

As I write this, the announcement was just made a few minutes ago. Disney is buying Fox and the X-Men and Fantastic Four properties will soon return to Marvel Studios. While a few folks are talking about what this means for the X-Men franchise, I'm personally far more interested in how it would effect the one property Marvel Studios desperately needs to handle, just to save it from the mediocrity it has suffered in three films so far.

It is time for a great Fantastic Four film. 

All they need is some matching spandex.

Let's keep the premise simple and as close to the classic origin as possible. They fly into space, get exposed to some kind of galactic space goo / Negative Zone force / Dormammu spit / whatever and get super powers. They crash back on Earth and learn they have gained freakish abilities. Reed decides to use this in the best way his capitalist mind can think: by turning them into a business. 

As they reach their first levels of success and fame, Reed's old rival Victor Von Doom resurfaces. The Eastern European aristocrat (hell, make him overlord of the remains Sokovia instead of Latveria now) has used his genius to replicate the technology of Tony Stark, but his time training under the Ancient One gives him a different perspective on the world of tech. He's still got a major hate on for Reed, who seems to have lucked into all the success Doom struggled to get. So he sets up to fight the heroes. He brings in one big MCU guest star as a dupe to ground and pound the team before the final battle between the heroes and him. 

An end credit scene shows the impending arrival of the Silver Surfer and quite frankly set up a whole new phase of Marvel films. 

It's far more simple a story than any other attempt to modernize the team for modern movies while delivering some room for laughs and character development. 

Let's take a look at my cast, in the order I would expect to see them in the credits: 

Eddie Redmayne as Victor Von Doom: Eddie may be swamped under by the next four Fantastic Beasts films, but he is spot on the guy that can play Doom to a tee. He can play down to earth, pathos and isn't unwilling to transform himself for a role. And if Jupiter Ascending proved anything, it is that he can go over the top as a villain with ease. 

Saoirse Ronan as Susan Storm: Ronan is young, blonde and an infinitely better actress than the two women she replaces. While she's avoided blockbusters for the most part, she would be a spot on choice to build a more full fledged Invisible Woman than we've been given in the past. She's easily the most powerful member of the FF and it's time we're giving an actor and a movie that can show it.

Armie Hammer as Ben Grimm: I'm not sure if Armie has given up on the "I need to be a thing" thing yet, but he'll probably never make it as a major leading man. But Hammer is a great player in his previous blockbuster attempts. He could make a great giant rock monster, whether or not the movie wants to go full CGI or use makeup effects. 

Ross Lynch as Johnny Storm: The hothead of the Fantastic Four goes to a man most famous now for playing a serial killer in My Friend Dahmer. But as a veteran to the Disney Channel, Lynch is pretty much built to play a slightly smarmy but great looking guy that loves the spotlight. Kids love him and with about twenty pounds of muscle packed on, he could be Marvel's next hot young thing. 

Zac Oyama as Reed Richards: The most unknown of the actors in my list, but the College Humor regular has acting chops plus the comedy talent to make the inherent silliness of stretching powers really work. Zac has played super smart and socially inept before during shorts, and that makes me think he's got what it takes to make a young Reed come to life. And if Kelly Marie Tran can make the leap from CH to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Zac could do the same for the Marvel Universe.

Matt Smith as the Silver Surfer: The only former Doctor (at the moment) not yet cast in a Marvel movie or show would be the perfect man to bring a quirky alien fascinated by humanity to life. While Surfer in many ways is an ultra-powerful version of the good Doctor, I suspect Smith could bring some interesting differences between the two and hopefully set himself up for an eventual spinoff film. 

Introducing: ? as Alicia Masters: I have to cast an unknown as Alicia Masters, as I think it might be a great time for Disney/Fox/Marvel to show off their diversity creds by hiring an actually blind actress for the role. It might add a few headaches to the filming process, but would be worth it just for authenticity's sake. 

Featuring: Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk: Oh, come on! We all want to see The Thing fight The Hulk on the silver screen. Doom could easily use the big guy as a tool in his plot setting up a big fight between the two while the rest of the FF have to deal with Doom himself. It could make for a great climax and set up another "puny god" style moment. 

What do you think of this cast and plot? Who do you want to see in a MCU Fantastic Four? Let me know in the comments! 

Influential 9: Future Imperfect

It's hard to believe it's been two years since I posted the last new Influential column. But today it's time to take a look back at a great work and how it helped shape my mindset of my writing.

Today, I'm talking about Incredible Hulk: Future Imperfect.

Maestro by George Perez. All images owned by Marvel. 

Originally published as two prestige format issues outside the regular continuity of the current Hulk title, it was still written by then current Hulk scribe Peter David with art by George Perez. The two previously worked together on Sachs & Violens at Epic and this was a chance for the two to pair up for a second time.

The book featured the Pantheon era Hulk, one with the mind of Bruce Banner, the edge of Joe Fixit and the body of the classic jade giant. Because this Hulk was so similar to the current comic Hulk, after Future Imperfect's success it proved little trouble for David to integrate it into the mainstream character's history. But really that's all a lot of background material. The focus here is on those two great over-sized issues.

The entire saga takes place in the distance future, where the Earth has been ravaged by nuclear war  and only a few city-states still remain on the planet. The most powerful is ruled by the Maestro and the rebels know only one hero of the past has a chance to stop him. The book starts with the arrival of that hero, none other than Hulk. He quickly learns about the destruction that caused this future and agrees to help the heroes fight the villain, because only he can understand the villain.

For the Maestro is the Hulk himself.

The radiation released into the atmosphere fed the Hulk's strength but also drove him mad. The Maestro rejected his humanity, instead subjugating the people beneath him and declaring himself absolute ruler of all he could see.

What comes next plays with the typical tropes of time travel in comics as the hero confronts his own future and the nature of fate. Ultimately, Hulk realizes the Maestro is a threat he cannot let live. In the end, he uses the time travel to deliver Maestro to the one point in time and space that can end his threat.

Perez is always at his best when he gets to design, such as he does for Rick Jones' collection of heroic relics.

Future Imperfect is a concise tale that gives a peak at a potential future while also working to define the character as we know him. Perez's luscious art brings the future to evocative life while David loads the tale with twists and turns.

Ultimately, the book serves for me as an example of how to do a time lost hero story to its maximum effect. As I continue to craft new tales of the Quadrant Universe, the importance of time will come into more and more clarity in the weeks and months ahead. Time travel will play an essential part in that expansion, though it might be saying too much to tell exactly where and when.

Future Imperfect stands as one of the best Hulk stories ever told. It's been almost perpetually in print since its original collection in the mid-1990s. If you haven't checked this one out, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Great art: Hulk by Ryan Ottley

It's been a hard week. I've alluded to it a bit on social media, but we've all lost a family friend this week. My grief doesn't compare to that of his family, but it makes it no less true. It's a hard truth that when we lose someone, especially someone far too young, we are left with so many questions and so many what-could-have-beens.

His favorite comic characters was the Hulk. One of the best modern superhero artists is Ryan Ottley. Enjoy, and make sure to look at the people in your life and let them know you love them, because you never quite know when you won't be able to do so again.

A few thoughts on a good Fantastic Four movie

As I write this, the announcement was just made a few minutes ago. Disney is buying Fox and the X-Men and Fantastic Four properties will soon return to Marvel Studios. While a few folks are talking about what this means for the X-Men franchise, I'm personally far more interested in how it would effect the one property Marvel Studios desperately needs to handle, just to save it from the mediocrity it has suffered in three films so far.

It is time for a great Fantastic Four film. 

All they need is some matching spandex.

Let's keep the premise simple and as close to the classic origin as possible. They fly into space, get exposed to some kind of galactic space goo / Negative Zone force / Dormammu spit / whatever and get super powers. They crash back on Earth and learn they have gained freakish abilities. Reed decides to use this in the best way his capitalist mind can think: by turning them into a business. 

As they reach their first levels of success and fame, Reed's old rival Victor Von Doom resurfaces. The Eastern European aristocrat (hell, make him overlord of the remains Sokovia instead of Latveria now) has used his genius to replicate the technology of Tony Stark, but his time training under the Ancient One gives him a different perspective on the world of tech. He's still got a major hate on for Reed, who seems to have lucked into all the success Doom struggled to get. So he sets up to fight the heroes. He brings in one big MCU guest star as a dupe to ground and pound the team before the final battle between the heroes and him. 

An end credit scene shows the impending arrival of the Silver Surfer and quite frankly set up a whole new phase of Marvel films. 

It's far more simple a story than any other attempt to modernize the team for modern movies while delivering some room for laughs and character development. 

Let's take a look at my cast, in the order I would expect to see them in the credits: 

Eddie Redmayne as Victor Von Doom: Eddie may be swamped under by the next four Fantastic Beasts films, but he is spot on the guy that can play Doom to a tee. He can play down to earth, pathos and isn't unwilling to transform himself for a role. And if Jupiter Ascending proved anything, it is that he can go over the top as a villain with ease. 

Saoirse Ronan as Susan Storm: Ronan is young, blonde and an infinitely better actress than the two women she replaces. While she's avoided blockbusters for the most part, she would be a spot on choice to build a more full fledged Invisible Woman than we've been given in the past. She's easily the most powerful member of the FF and it's time we're giving an actor and a movie that can show it.

Armie Hammer as Ben Grimm: I'm not sure if Armie has given up on the "I need to be a thing" thing yet, but he'll probably never make it as a major leading man. But Hammer is a great player in his previous blockbuster attempts. He could make a great giant rock monster, whether or not the movie wants to go full CGI or use makeup effects. 

Ross Lynch as Johnny Storm: The hothead of the Fantastic Four goes to a man most famous now for playing a serial killer in My Friend Dahmer. But as a veteran to the Disney Channel, Lynch is pretty much built to play a slightly smarmy but great looking guy that loves the spotlight. Kids love him and with about twenty pounds of muscle packed on, he could be Marvel's next hot young thing. 

Zac Oyama as Reed Richards: The most unknown of the actors in my list, but the College Humor regular has acting chops plus the comedy talent to make the inherent silliness of stretching powers really work. Zac has played super smart and socially inept before during shorts, and that makes me think he's got what it takes to make a young Reed come to life. And if Kelly Marie Tran can make the leap from CH to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Zac could do the same for the Marvel Universe.

Matt Smith as the Silver Surfer: The only former Doctor (at the moment) not yet cast in a Marvel movie or show would be the perfect man to bring a quirky alien fascinated by humanity to life. While Surfer in many ways is an ultra-powerful version of the good Doctor, I suspect Smith could bring some interesting differences between the two and hopefully set himself up for an eventual spinoff film. 

Introducing: ? as Alicia Masters: I have to cast an unknown as Alicia Masters, as I think it might be a great time for Disney/Fox/Marvel to show off their diversity creds by hiring an actually blind actress for the role. It might add a few headaches to the filming process, but would be worth it just for authenticity's sake. 

Featuring: Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk: Oh, come on! We all want to see The Thing fight The Hulk on the silver screen. Doom could easily use the big guy as a tool in his plot setting up a big fight between the two while the rest of the FF have to deal with Doom himself. It could make for a great climax and set up another "puny god" style moment. 

What do you think of this cast and plot? Who do you want to see in a MCU Fantastic Four? Let me know in the comments! 

Great Art: A Very Hulk Christmas by Ed McGuinness

This rather amusing portrayal of Hulk and Red Hulk on Christmas Day is years old, but I still love Ed McGuinness' attention to detail and great presentation. Check out more from his DeviantArt and pick up his and Joe Kelly's return to Deadpool with Spider-Man/Deadpool #1, in comic shops nationwide on January 6th.

What's Up for May 10, 2015

It has been a week of reading some great G.I. Joe action as I start my own story in that milieu, while I also took a look at some classic Hulk comics, watched a bit too much of a modern superhero mistake, all in between my regular writing projects and continuing my attempt to catch up on Lucha Underground.

So check them all out through the handy Amazon links below:

What's Up for the week of March 22, 2015

So it has been a weird week mixed with editing, project planning, a bit of writing and not a whole lot of anything else. Outside the movie below, the longest thing I watched was Wrestling Isn't Wrestling. But I also worked in a bit of reading time to finish up a novel, read a graphic novel or two and even play a level or two.