2011 Comics In Review - Part 2

Compared to 2010, I bought slightly more comics this year. By "slightly", I mean 135 versus 134. By "comics", I'm talking about new single issues, because, while I am doing better at keeping track of trades, I'm still not tracking back issues buys well. As a rough guess, add those two categories in and 2010 was probably a bigger year. Sticking to the new stuff, Marvel dropped to just under 52% of the total, which is a new low, beating 2010's 59%. DC dropped a little, to about 30%, and everything else comprised 18%, a roughly threefold increase on last year.

Of course, Avengers Academy was supposed to stop showing up six issues sooner, so the total should really be 129, unless I had gotten the first issue of Angel & Faith, plus those two Ducktales issues that were part of "Dangerous Currency", and - ugh - Suicide Squad #4 (which I ordered, but Jack was out of, and I told him that was just fine). That would make 133, and Marvel would be 48%, DC would be about 32%, and everything else would be 20%. As you can tell, my mind has lots of time to wander while I walk dogs.

Batgirl #17-24: A highly enjoyable series lost with the relaunch. Stephanie Brown dealt with the Reapers, who were being manipulated by her father, out of some twisted desire on his part to test her and make her a better hero. You couldn't have just bought her some workout equipment, Arthur? Amongst that she had team-ups with Damien, the Boy Irritant, as well as Squire and Klarion the Witch Boy. Bryan Q. Miller wrote all the issues. Dustin Nguyen drew 18 and 21, Ramon Bachs 19 and 20, and Pere Perez drew 17 and 22-24.

High Point: There were a lot of little moments, such as Steph using "SHAZAM!" as a signal she needed assistance, and those pages at the end of 24 that hinted at the stories we didn't get to see were nice, in a bittersweet day. The prize goes to #18, the Valentine's team-up with Klarion. It was a wonderful mixture of strange and hilarious, and beautifully illustrated by Nguyen and Derek Fridolfs, with Guy Major handling the colors on the non-painted parts (which Nguyen painted himself).

Low Point: I don't understand what the Reapers' plan was. Maybe Arthur was just playing them for saps, in which case I don't understand what line of bull he sold them to get them on board initially. Money obviously, but how were they lead to believe that what they were doing would accomplish that? What did trying to steal a lot of decomissioned money all at once have to do with a sample from the corpse of a nun with alleged healing powers have to do with each other?

Batman Beyond #1-8: The book hardly got started before the relaunch came along and shut it down. It'll be starting up again next month, with Norm Breyfogle as artist. Whoo! Adam Beechen had Terry team-up with the Justice League against some dying, angry former employee of theirs, then cope with the return of Blight and labor unrest at Wayne-Powers. Beechen also started a subplot about Max trying to uncover the identity of Undercloud, some renowned 'Net presence. Ryan Benjamin drew issues 1-3, and 5-7. Eduardo Pansica drew #4 and Chris Batista drew #8.

High Point: The Blight story wasn't bad, since it'd been awhile since he was an active presence. The Undercloud subplot is intriguing, as Max is trying to handle it without involving Batman.

Low Point: I didn't like the origin story for Inque in #8. The idea of giving her a tragic origin isn't bad, but it plays at odds with her actions in the story, which make her appear to be someone ruthless, who enjoys inflicting pain on people weaker than her. I mean fine, that's what happened to her, violence gets paid forward, but it's not an origin than enhances the character.

Daredevil #1-7: Oh, this is good stuff right here. Mark Waid writes a Matt Murdock making an active attempt to not let his life be all gloom and doom. Paolo Rivera and Marcos Martin draw the hell out of it. Javier Rodriguez (Rivera' color artist) and Muntsa Vicente (Martin's) make it look bright and vibrant. Joe Caramagna is the letterer, and he does an excellent job working with the art, especially Martin, who makes sound effects such a big part of what he does. So far DD's interfered with Klaw's attempt to reconstitute himself (at a shadowy figure's behest), made himself the target of 5 major criminal organizations, and saved a bus load of kids lost in a snowstorm. Or they saved him. Same thing.

High Point: All of it. All of it is great, and lovely, and makes me happy reading it. If I were going to pick just one moment, though? Issue 5. 'Oh no! Six armed mercs wearing night vision goggles! Whatever will I do? *flips light switch* That's some good smart-aleckness right there.

Low Point: There isn't one. Accept it. Move on.

Darkwing Duck #8-18: Boom! lost the licence for this, I assume because Disney owns its own comic company now. What can you do? Ian Brill wrote it, and James Silvani drew it. We saw Darkwing and friends fend off Negaduck and Magica once, then again at the end of the series (plus the Phantom Blot, the Beagle Boys, and a horde of other Darkwing and Ducktales' villains). In between, Darkwing was nearly used to summon Duckthulu, faced a horde of new super-villains, and tried running for mayor, which went as well as anything involving Darkwing and public popularity ever does.

High Point: The battles against some of th new villains, like One-Shot and Cat-Tankerous in issues 13 and 14 were fun, and Silvani can draw a good fight scene, so they looked good as well.

Low Point: I thought the final story felt a little rushed. I'm not sure if Brill was ready to make the big reveal about the ink, or have a Ducktales crossover when he did. Maybe he was, and it's just because I don't have the Ducktales chapters that made the story feel disjointed and cramped. I'm hoping to get those two issues sometime soon.

Darkwing Duck Annual #1: This could have been thrown in with the ongoing, but this section is pretty short, so I don't think it'll hurt. Ian Brill (with Sabrina Alberghetti as artist) did a story about Quackerjack trying to make himself a ton of cash by threatening to turn people into toys, while Darkwing tries to get him away from this more violent approach at the urging of "Jacky's" girlfriend, who met him while they all worked at Quackwerks. The story does not end happily, though Quackerjack does return for the final arc of the ongoing. There's also a backup story by Darkwing creator Tad Stones (with Silvani as artist) about a pet turtle with time-traveling powers.

Tomorrow, we not only finish the Ds, we reach the back half of the alphabet! Because there are a lot of mini-series, one-shots, or ongoings I didn't buy many issues of. 9 different titles in all.