2012 was my worst year for comic book enjoyment in the last fifteen years. I’ve collected them for thirty-four years, ever since the well-stocked spinner racks at Marsh Supermarket caught my eye at age six and opened new worlds of imagination and heroism. For the majority of my life they’ve been my primary hobby among all my hobbies. Once upon a time, friends could count on me to spout the occasional essay about a particular series, event, historical recollection, or rage-filled response to an aesthetic offense. When I launched Midlife Crisis Crossover last April, I thought the topic of comic books would inspire a lot more posts than they have so far.
I have no plans to wave farewell to the medium altogether, but my personal backlash started during the last half of 2011, when DC Comics purged their continuity yet again and rebooted their entire universe with the “New 52″ initiative. The first time they rebooted after Crisis on Infinite Earths, I was fourteen and the combined talents of John Byrne, George Perez, Marv Wolfman, Mike Baron, and others were more than enough to convince me that this new direction was right up my alley. Twenty-six years and countless post-Crisis emendations later, DC and I are no longer the same entities under the same conditions. I can handle reboots to a certain extent, but when the new versions are poorly thought out — or worse, prone to twice as many crossovers as they used to be — I exercise my right as a consumer to opt out.
Marvel’s response was to concentrate on crossovers for a while longer, then roll out their own restarts without rebooting. I’ve found their results a little less alienating, but they’re still leaving some of my money on the table. Image stepped up mightily for a while and snatched some of my leftover Big Two bucks, but their titles have varied in quality and performance. I was glad to see other publishers continue earning attention from me as well — Dark Horse, BOOM!, IDW, Red 5, Valiant, and even Aspen. Again, results varied, but I appreciated the alternatives they offered.
Even though I’m increasingly disappointed with the current majority readership’s predilection for overspending on prequels, crossovers, and do-overs, my year had several bright spots in the world of monthly titles. (For purposes of personal categorization, I treat original graphic novels and trade paperback collections as “Books”, which are grouped and ranked separately from “Comic Books” in my head. Those might be fodder for a separate MCC list.)
The following were my favorite comic book series throughout 2012:
* Journey into Mystery — Kieron Gillen, Rich Elson, and other artists delivered one of the very few series that inspired any MCC thoughts at all, and ended their two-year storyline on a note of epic tragedy. After seeing the reincarnated Kid Loki and his best frenemy Leah through so many misadventures (not to mention the only A-plus crossover tie-ins of any crossover by any company in the last two years), I felt helpless and bereaved to see it all coming crashing down ’round his ears. Marvel’s formerly unrepentant trickster god was so close to redeeming himself for his previous lifetime of treachery and lies, albeit by finding clever ways to wield treachery and lies as forces for Good, only to see everything fall apart because of the lies he told himself and us. I wish every series aspired to thematic examinations this complex and riveting. More fire-breathing angry puppies like lethal li’l Thori would also be welcome.
* Angel and Faith — I was among those angry throngs who decried the slow-motion trolley wreck that was Buffy Season 8, and I’ve recently walked away from the tedium of Season 9. Meanwhile in its criminally lesser-selling sidekick title, Christos Gage and Rebekah Isaacs have brilliantly captured the more interesting characters’ voices and likenesses, weaving one of the best long-term Buffyverse stories I’ve read since both shows left the airwaves. Our titular duo have solidified their once-awkward relationship into a genuine working friendship, one fraught with issues but no less realistic. While Angel looks high and low for ways to reverse the worst act he committed last season, Faith promises to help him for the best possible intentions, even though she realizes they’re doomed to fail…or to make matters even worse. Their flawed quest for self-redemption is one of my must-read-first series every month, even though I know someday there’ll be tears. It also earns double bonus points for taking repeated snide potshots at Buffy Season 8.
* Indestructible Hulk — After decades of catastrophic rage-monster antics, Bruce Banner has realized he’s not getting any younger and that it’s past time for him to work on creating a positive legacy, one that will change the world instead of continually smashing it to bits. Banner makes S.H.I.E.L.D. an offer they can’t refuse: if they’ll provide the lab space and resources he needs for his unparalleled brilliance to improve mankind through science, then in return he’ll allow them to throw the Hulk at any evil things that need a solid pounding. In finally accepting his condition as incurable, Banner allows himself to move forward with his life, work around his problem, and contribute to society. Leinil Yu makes everything look as impressive as he normally does, all the better to exemplify the new super-hero premise that Mark Waid has proposed, one with which many among the over-40 comics readership can fully identify — not just sympathize, not just acknowledge from a distance, not just be reminded of a time in their youth way back then, but can see happening in their lives right now. If we look at what we’ve done so far with our lives, how proud should we be? And what would it take to improve our results?
* Hawkeye — The free-wheeling team of Matt Fraction and David Aja chronicle the amazing adventures of Hawkguy and Hawkgal with tongue in cheek and mad design skillz in full effect. Good provocative artsy-tartsy swashbuckling popcorn comix.
* Daredevil — Another Mark Waid winner, in which the formerly grim-’n'-gritty downer of a hero has gotten his groove and his Silver Age optimism back, persevering against brand new challenges and a twisting, turning scheme involving a fifth-string Spider-Man villain and the misappropriation of his father’s remains. Though I was sad to see the innovative Marcos Martin step away from the art, Paolo Rivera and Chris Samnee have kept ol’ Hornhead looking bright and sharp.
* Dial H — One of the very few DC titles I’m still buying. Mad British novelist China Mieville has rethought a beloved, underrated DC property from my childhood and turned it on its head with creative idiosyncrasy, embracing the magic H-dials’ frequently ridiculous past and relishing the opportunity to create new one-shot heroes summoned at random with just the spin of the numbers. Mind you, all of this was accomplished without throwing away any history. Reappearances abound for characters from past iterations, such as the villainous Abyss from the 1980s Adventure Comics version and the politically incorrect 1960s embarrassment that was Chief Mighty Arrow. It’s probably no coincidence that the only two titles that connect to the pre-New 52 DC, this and Batman Inc., are the only DC Universe titles I still follow. It helps that they’re not terrible and, best of all, practically crossover-proof.
* Snarked! — I was so enamored of Roger Langridge’s twelve-issue adventurous reimagining of Lewis Carroll’s Walrus and Carpenter, I already wrote about it here. BOOM! publisher Ross Richie later quoted and linked to my review on his Facebook page. So that was nice. Unfortunately I haven’t finished reading it yet because my local comic shop totally failed to order #9, and failed to reorder it after I asked them about it twice. And then I forgot about it until just now, so I took a break from typing this paragraph, switched tabs, and ordered a copy directly from the publisher’s website. Thank you, Internet, for providing reliable customer service for my endangered hobby.
* Harbinger — The best title of the Valiant Comics rebirth is a tense, sometimes frightening thriller in which a slowly growing band of super-powered teen fugitives with real-world problems (including the most upbeat new heroine in years, the overweight optimist Zephyr) are slowly working toward an uprising against a multi-national corporation and its mega-powered CEO that wants to co-opt them and run their lives. Joshua Dysart (Unknown Soldier) is setting the stage for a politically charged, emotionally heavy conflict that is regrettably heading for a crossover soon. Lucky for me, it’s only crossing over with another title I already collect. It better not be awful.
* Venom — Rick Remender ended his surprisingly complex two-year run with Flash Thompson soberly reviewing the sad parallels between his abusive childhood, the rage his alcoholic father inflicted on him, and the wrath he in turn has channeled through his military use of the anti-heroic symbiote suit. I loathed Venom in his 1990s heyday, but was taken aback at the long, hard looks at generational pain and the multiple effects of handicaps we receive from others, as well as those we inflict on ourselves. No Venom comic should be this moving, but there it was.
Honorable mentions in the field of not-bad 2012 comics:
Bloodshot — That other Valiant series I mentioned. Currently the best men’s-action film on paper.
Locke and Key — Joe Hill has his dad’s flair for characterization and mind-blowing surprises, but I’d really prefer to see this monthly, not randomly.
The Manhattan Projects — Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra’s loony alt-history in which all the men behind the atomic bomb were secretly deranged sci-fi characters.
Popeye — Three cheers for more Roger Langridge!
The Unwritten — After Pullman’s defeat and Leviathan’s reveal, the arc with the Australian cult failed to sustain my enthusiasm, but I’m still on board.
* * * * *
On the flip side, please allow this moment of silence for all those series that were kicked off my shopping list in 2012, grouped according to the manner of their failure:
Canceled: Dungeons and Dragons (the superior John Rogers series — all the rest mean nothing to me); glamourpuss; Near Death; OMAC.
Disagreeable change in creative team or direction: Demon Knights, Secret Avengers, The Shadow, Thunderbolts/Dark Avengers.
Difference of principles: Archer and Armstrong; Saga.
Confusion is no longer entertaining: Morning Glories; Prophet.
Apathy onset: All-Star Western; Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Season 9; Captain Marvel; Frankenstein, Agent of S.H.A.D.E.; Hypernauts; Star Trek; X-O Manowar.
Crossover hate: Animal Man; Batgirl; Batman; Justice League Dark; Nightwing.
Dear comic books from the immediate future of 2013: please do better and stop rejecting my budgeted disposable income.
And to those of you who did better in 2012: thank you. Sincerely.
