Honorable Mention (it just sounds nicer than "runner-up" doesn't it?) - Ultimate Spider-Man, issues 70-88. I remember hearing this comes out three times every two months, hence 18 issues instead of 12. This is where someone makes the joke about how that meant Bendis gave us almost six issues of actual story. And they'd be right. The hobgoblin story, was good if it had been 3-issues, not six. Still, there was some nice emotional effect, and Nick Fury whether in the Ultimate universe or Marvel needs to get punched in the face a LOT more often (manipulative bastard). The two-part Dr. Strange story had long-term effects on Peter, which I think pushed him towards the breakup with MJ. The Warriors storyline had its nice moments, and the annual was very good I thought. A lot seemed to happen, though maybe just by Bendis' standards. And I've said it before, I love Bagley's art. LOVE IT! And Bendis seems to give Bagley freedom in the fight scenes to draw panels that really let you see the action, give a feel for Spidey's movements, or the force of someone's punch. But yeah, it was still too slow to crack the top three.
3rd Place - Ultimate X-Men, issues 54-65. I'm actually very surprised by this, but when I sat down and went through my books, this was pretty consistently a good read. The "Mr. Xavier goes to the bank" issue was not a favorite, but it illustrated some interesting aspects of Xavier's power. I like Longshot, and I like Ultimate Longshot. I thought the twist of him actually being a murderer and not being framed was nifty, though I'm not a big fan of Ultimate Arcade. Why not just get Kraven the Hunter out of Triskelion if a hunter is what you want? I like Magneto's anticipation and planning, I like that the Phoenix Force has still been a relatively subdued plot point (I hated that Hellfire Club story from a couple years ago), and I don't mind that Havok and Cyclops' powers don't work on each other. The pacing has been pretty good, and they actually seem to have found a way to make Doug Ramsey a useful person. Major props for that.
2nd place - Batgirl, issues 60-71. I think one thing that helps this book is I hadn't read it before issue 58. I knew about Cassandra Cain, understood the basics about her dad and her skill as a fighter, but otherwise it was new. And I think I got in at the right time, as she's moved away from Gotham, and she learns to be an independent hero, how to get information. I like that in fights she's thinking about what's going on. With characters who are good fighters, I appreciate the insights into what they're supposed to be seeing that gives them an advantage (like Grimjack). That she's taking Onyx's advice, getting out there and interacting with people as Cassandra, and that she's learning about being an actual person, not just a crimefighter, definitely cool (I think Bruce Wayne needs to take lessons from her). She's seems like a character with considerable potential for growth, and Anderson Gabrych has made some steady progress in that respect. The issue where Cassandra asks Oracle for help, and actually ends up telling Oracle why she's so mad at her, expressing what she was feeling, I kind of have the feeling that's something Cass rarely does, and I think it's a nice step. Plus, it's one of the few DC books that hasn't had its storylines completely destroyed by Infinite Crisis (*cough Robin cough*). The only reason it isn't #1? I just can't shake the feeling I'm touting it because it's about to be cancelled, the way I read Green Lantern: Rebirth because I figured it was Kyle Rayner's last stand. I'm overlooking minor flaws that may be there, so i can just enjoy while I can.
1st Place - The Punisher, issues 17-29. Hmm, second award in a row won by a guy who frequently shoots people. Sigh, I'm just so violent, I guess. Jake gave this his silver medal at 2 Guys Buying Comics, and mentioned he was not wowed by the "Mother Russia" storyline. I think I may have liked that almost as much as "Up is Down and Black is White". Both of those stories did a good job of giving a feel for what's left of Frank's humanity. I thought that his time spent with the little girl, Galina, especially teaching her that "You never play with guns. What is it you never do? Play with guns? Good." I thought that was actually kind of sweet. I know, sweet, in a Punisher comic? Well, yeah. Plus, Nick Fury, while still being a manipulative bastard, at least backed the person he was being a manipulative bastard to, when the Army tried to screw them over. Anyway, Garth Ennis stuck to what makes the Punisher work; Frank killing lots of people, in a cold, occasionally brutal, tactically smart way, all while demonstrating that Frank still has some human part that can protect, or can be wounded, and when wounded gets extremely pissed off. Leandro Frenandez does a good job of depicting a Punisher that's old, scarred and scary looking, a guy who survived Vietnam, and years of killing mobsters, but didn't do so unscathed. I think it works better for this series where Steve Dillon's somewhat brighter art, more cartoonish to an extent, worked for the somewhat more cartoon-styled Marvel Knights Punisher series.Next will be best story arc in an ongoing series, probably tomorrow.
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