The last few years I've kept track of which artists I was buying the most of work of, out of idle curiosity I suppose. I usually track who makes it to 110 and 154 pages (5 and 7 22-page comics, respectively). So it was 13 and 6 in '09 (I typed 15 in a post back then, but I can't remember the 15th artist, and the 14th was Gabriel Hardman, who was actually a few pages shy), and 9 and 3 in 2010.
This year I considered lowering the cutoffs to 100 and 140 pages, since DC and Marvel have each gone to 20 pages an issue. If I do that then it's 10 and 3, but if I stick to the 110/154 line, then it's 7 and 2, because Pere Perez (101), Sean Chen and Brad Walker (108 each) are all a little short, and J. Calafiore (140) did draw 7 complete comics, but they were each only 20 pages. The only artists to clear the 154 line were Tan Eng Huat (160 pages) and James Silvani (250). There's always one artist way ahead of the others. Silvani this year, Calafiore in 2010, Paco Medina in 2009. I'm sure you've had enough numbers talk, so I'll get to the books.
Defenders #1: By Matt Fraction and Terry Dodson, as the Hulk asks his old Defenders acquaintances to track the physical manifestation of all his rage and anger. It could be an interesting story, but I have some concerns about Fraction's approach to Dr. Strange and to a lesser extent, Namor.
Defenders - From the Marvel Vault #1: I bought this because I liked the Busiek/Larsen Defenders series, and I generally enjoy Fabian Nicieza, Mark Bagley, and Kurt Busiek's work. This was a fill-in Nicieza and Bagley did just in case, that never ended up being needed, and the script's been lost over the years, and so Busiek basically came up with a story based on the art. Which is pretty cool.
Fear Itself - Fearsome Four #2-4: Jack never got around to sending me a first issue, and frankly, I'd have been fine if he forgot to send the rest of the issues as well. Brandon Montclare wrote it, and a wide variety of artists drew it. Simon Bisley, Ryan Bodenheim, Ray-Anthony Height, and Don Ho for issue 2. Tom Grummet on layouts, with Height doing pencils, and a few pages by Flint Henry for issue 3. Height, Tim Green II, Rick Ketcham, and Michael Kaluta on issue 4.
High Point: The overall idea was sound, Man-Thing driven crazy by an entire world gripped by fear? Psycho-Man trying to take advantage? A ragtag group of heroes left to deal with it because everyone else is too busy getting cool armor from a drunk Tony Stark? And with Man-Thing's access to the Nexus of Realities, having different artists makes perfect sense.
Low Point: The execution wasn't quite there. Still not sure what was up with the New Fantastic Four's attitudes, or Montclare's take on Nighthawk. The idea that it was the fear of the heroes that were fighting him that was driving Man-Thing nuts, amongst all the other terrified people seemed like it was pushing too hard for the idea of fear feeding into itself.
Flashpoint - Secret Seven #2: I haven't read much by him, but people usually speak well of Peter Milligan's work, and George Perez was supposed to draw it, so even if the writing was crap it would look good. But Perez didn't even finish the first issue (which I never got), and Fernando Blanco drew this, and it made very little sense, and hopefully I've learned my lesson about buying tie-in mini-series to Big Events I don't care about.
Grifter #1-4: And we reach the first of my New 52 purchases! With Nathan Edmondson as writer, Cafu as artist for issues 1-3, and Scott Clark drawing issue 4. Cole Cash can hear the disguised aliens, but he's the only one, so he has to try and stop them before they, the authorities, or annoying superheroes like Green Arrow stop him. Whether that happens or not, someone else will have to tell me, because I've dropped it.
High Point: Like Fearsome Four, the concept is solid. Edmondson's dialogue is fine. I really like how Cafu would incorporate the title of each story into the page itself, like making it part of the 'copter's spinning blades in issue 3.
Low Point: The characters failed to grab hold. I don't care about any of them, including Cole. I don't understand why people with projectile weapons keep walking up to each other and standing with their weapons pressed against each other's chest. The point of projectile weapons is you don't have to be close! Oh, and 4 issues in, I have no idea what the Daemonites are up to, why they're here, why they pretend to be human, why they take the humans they do, on and on.
Heroes for Hire #2-12: Hey, only one Marvel ongoing I was buying was canceled this year! 'Course, I've only bought 4 to begin with. Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning wrote it, with art by Brad Walker (2, 3, 6, 8, 12), Robert Atkins (4 and 5), Tim Seeley (7), and Kyle Hotz (9-11). The heroes smashed various criminal enterprises, only to learn they were being manipulated by the Puppet Master. Then they had to smash those operations again, with an assist from Spider-Man and some trouble with Batroc the Leaper. Then there was a Fear Itself tie-in, then they smashed the illegal Atlantean drug operation for good by getting Namor's attention.
High Point: Any issue Brad Walker drew was pretty good. Even if I find his faces a little odd sometimes, he knows how to draw action. I liked the Spider-Man team-up, because he was sort of funny, but not as funny as he thought he was, because Misty got out of the chair and did some damage on her own, and because it amuses me how irritated Paladin gets with Spidey.
Low Point: The Fear Itself tie-in worked fairly well for the book, but I still would have preferred to see what DnA would have done with those issues without having to tie-in. It's not like it bought the title much extra time. I don't think Abnett and Lanning get Silver Sable's voice right, which is a little thing, but it does bother me. I also don't think the Punisher would have shot the Puppet Master that quickly, without even trying to torture some information out of him.
Legion of Monsters #1-3: Something is driving the inhabitants of the Monster Metropolis mad, and so Elsa Bloodstone reluctantly teams up with Morbius and his group of monster cops to try and find out what it is and stop it. Dennis Hopeless writes, Juan Doe handles the art, Wil Quintana is the colorist, and Dave Lanphear in the letterer.
High Point: Elsa's assualt on Dracula's castle was entertaining. The bickering amongst the monsters is amusing. Juan Doe's art is very nice. He gets a lot done with what seems to be very few lines, and Quintana's doing some excellent work with the colors. There are plenty of shadows, but not in a way that makes it hard to tell what's happening.
Low Point: That Doe had to draw Dracula in his current, lame incarnation? That issue 2 didn't have nearly as much monsters with motorcycles action as the cover suggested?
Mystery Men #1-5: David Liss comes up with some pulp archetype heroes and sets them in the Great Depression against a group of powerful, greedy people, and a highly dangerous fear god. There's a lot in the story about how what you do when you lose hope is important, and marks the person you are. Patrick Zircher was the artist, Andy Troy the colorists, and dave Sharpe the letterer.
High Point: The first issue had a lot of dirty cops getting beaten up. Always good to see corrupt people in power taken down a peg. Most of the scenes with Nox and the General were good, especially as a counterpoint to how the General behaves with everyone else. Plus, Zircher can draw very good rotting corpses or attractive (but creepy) ladies, both of which are more necessary than you might think for Nox
Low Point: There wasn't one that I can think of.
Power Man and Iron Fist #1-5: It's what the title suggests, the new Power Man and Iron Fist team-up to try and clear the name of Jennie Royce, Fist's old secretary, of a murder charge, and run afoul of many different problems, from corrupt companies, to freaky gamblers, to shadowy killers, to a comic opera troupe of assassins. Fred van Lente writes it, Wellinton Alves drew issue 1, 4, and 5, and about half of issues 2 and 3. Pere Perez drew the other half of those two issues. Alves has Nelson Pereira as an inker and Bruno Hang as a colorist. Perez inks his own work, and Antonio Fabela colors it.
High Point: The Commedia Dell'Morte, Noir, and Pokerface were interesting ideas. Maybe someone will use them again down the line. Always good when someone adds to the toybox. I wouldn't say it was a great murder mystery, but my general feeling is van Lente played mostly fair with the reader, and I was just too slow to put the pieces together. Nothing new there.
Low Point: I don't think all the heavy shadows really suited Alves' artwork. I liked it better on Nova, where things were a lot brighter.
Tomorrow, the last nine titles. There'll be a couple of good ones in there, but also some severe duds.
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