@@@ 12th ANNUAL @$$IE AWARDS! @@@
Welcome, all, to the 12th Annual AICN COMICS @$$IE AWARDS, where comics’ best and brightest are recognized for stellar (and sometimes not so stellar) performances in comic bookdom. I’m Mark L. Miller, aka Ambush Bug. There was a time when we could fit all of the @$$ies into one lengthy column, but the @$$Holes’ ranks have grown too big for that and the awards have grown in number through the years, so I decided to spread it out all week to post the @$$Holes’ picks for the best of the best in comics. Most awards are given around the turn of the year, but we think ours is kind of special, so while those outside of the know celebrate the time of the Oscar, we here at AICN COMICS celebrate the time of the coveted @$$ie Award. So sit back, crack the knuckles in your browsing hand, and scroll down as the @$$Holes pick the @$$ies!
(Click title to go directly to the category)
Best Cover/Cover Artist!
Favorite Villain!
Best Writer!
Optimous Douche - Fiona Staples, SAGA, Image ComicsMarketing has destroyed my ability to enjoy things at a visceral level. As I try to manipulate consumer behaviors, I start over analyzing why I love certain things beyond the gut instinct. 1) Each cover alludes to what's inside. 2) Primary color backgrounds and minimalism make these covers jump off the shelf amidst a cacophony of over-inked noise. 3) Fiona Staples’ art moves me. It moved me so much I moved away from ARCHIE when she stopped penciling. Product and the cockles of my heart moved, #WIN for Fiona
Humphrey Lee – Fiona Staples, SAGA #25, Image ComicsIn this day and age it feels like the fabled being of “comic book cover artist” is diminishing. More and more that task does not look to fall on folks who make that their one and only contribution to the comic creation process, but that the interior artists take on representing their talents up front on the skin of the book as well as in its guts. Fiona Staples has created one of the most vibrant and unique comic book universes in the pages of SAGA for years now, and she adorns each issue of it and several other books a year with her own lush style, making for some gorgeous-looking book stands. Everything she puts her mark on seems to bristle with energy. Whether it be a large and expressively detailed composition piece like the SAGA issue I singled out for this category, or just a snapshot of teenage life on an ARCHIE cover, all her stuff just has its own energy about it that really brightens up the shelves.
Lionel Putz - Jake Wyatt, SECRET WARS: SECRET JOURNAL #3, Marvel ComicsDoc Samson is sitting on a park bench in the middle of a world of Hulks enjoying a cup of tea and preparing to spark a joint.
Sometimes it’s the simple things, and I am a simple man.
Henry Higgins is My Homeboy – Erica Henderson, UNBEATABLE SQUIRREL GIRL, Marvel ComicsDid you see the cover for #4?
Because that tickled me in a way no other cover did this year.
Vroom Socko - Joelle Jones, LADY KILLER #1, Dark Horse ComicsWas there another cover that so totally conveyed the plot and style of the book inside? A late 50s/early 60s housewife with a smile on her face mopping up a blood splatter that makes Sonny Corleone look like a nosebleed.
That’s the soul of the book, right there.
The Kid Marvel - Mike Del Mundo, SQUADRON SUPREME #1 with Wu-Tang Clan's Enter the Wu-Tang, Marvel ComicsComing from a huge Wu-Tang fan, this was my favorite. I actually really liked all of the hip-hop homage covers Marvel did but, this was definitely my favorite and the one that stood out from all the other covers this year.
The Miles Morales/Illmatic cover came in a close second.
Masked Man - Alex Garner, JUSTICE LEAGUE #40 variant, DC ComicsAlex Garner isn’t always my cup of tea, but when he nails it he nails it, like he did with this variant cover for JUSTICE LEAGUE #40, which kicked off “The Darkseid War”. Just some awesome iconic imagery, beautifully rendered.
I often feel a great cover should also make an awesome poster, and this would make an awesome poster.
Lyzard - KC Green, INVADER ZIM #1, Oni PressMaybe it’s because I was a huge fan of the Nick toon, or perhaps it is my film school background that led me to find KC Green’s METROPOLIS-inspired Ghost variant cover absolutely adorable and giggle-worthy. Green’s variant, while a bit of a bait-and-switch for an issue that did not center on Gir, stood out from the multitude of funny INVADER ZIM covers for being more than just reminiscent of the show.
Ambush Bug - WE CAN NEVER GO HOME, Michael Walsh, Black Mask StudiosI wanted an excuse to mention WE CAN NEVER GO HOME in this year’s @$$ies because it was one of the strongest minis I’ve seen come out in ages. Matthew Rosenberg and Patrick Kindlon (with art by Josh Hood) mapped out an amazing story of teen angst in ways that felt fresh, new and heartfelt. This tale of a pair of teenage runaways hit me hard and part of my love for this miniseries comes from the attention to every detail to make the book a unique reading experience. And that means the covers, too. While this miniseries has a plethora of variant covers, they all were iconic as hell and really made the book pop off the shelves as something utterly different. And that’s what a good cover should. Any of the covers would have made my best of the year list, but Michael Walsh really came up with iconic images that sang to the story of the book, yet resonate beyond that. The issue three cover was one of my faves, but Google Walsh’s other ones and you’ll see how hard it was to pick just one. Here’s hoping Walsh gets more work in comics, as he has a true skill for making eye-catching visuals.
Optimous Douche - Superman, INJUSTICE: GODS AMONG US, DC ComicsAs this book moves into Year Five we can clearly say that Superman has achieved the complete decimation of the physical plane, the magical planes, and pretty much the entire universe with his lovelorn rage at the loss of Lois. Tom Taylor gets my DC: the DC where a rich, storied history has culminated in an ultimate end. He's kept me on the fence about Superman for the past four years of this book, but the actions of Year Four have firmly cemented the big S as a big D-bag when he transcends to a deity of justice.
Humphrey Lee – Dr. Doom, SECRET WARS, Marvel ComicsWhat happens when one of the most diabolical and megalomaniacal villains in all of comic book history gets to recreate the world in their own image? Things get unexpectedly personal, is what we find out in Jonathan Hickman and Esad Ribic’s SECRET WARS. Dr. Doom, the man who typically puts the “master” in “mastermind”, does create a world as you would expect, with him on a godlike pedestal and all his former antagonists subservient to his whims, but there is an order about it all and a desire to keep a co-opted family as close to him as possible. It’s evil and egotistical, no doubt, but if you look deep, deep, DEEP below the surface of the world he has birthed, you find just that last glimmer of humanity Victor Von Doom buried when he donned his trademark armor.
Lionel Putz - Doctor Doom, SECRET WARS, Marvel ComicsI’m not blazing any new ground by suggesting that Dr. Doom is a great villain. SECRET WARS, however, showcased just how complex the character is, revealing great depth to his pain and insecurity. The fact that his movie counterpart remains trapped in development hell over at Fox instead of attempting to rule the MCU with an iron fist is a real loss for us all.
Henry Higgins is My Homeboy – Mark, POSTAL, Image ComicsSay what you will, but Mark has been engaging since page one of this series. His disconnect from the world isn’t malicious, or cruel, or even careless. He seems to like people, in his own way. But his lack of caring, his inability to lie or be anything but himself, to trust with no hesitation, turns him into a very useful little tool. He’s little more than a weapon for the townsfolk, and he knows it. And he’s trying to train it, and get better at it. And the only person who’s indulged the idea that he should try to be different is his psycho, crazy-ass, possibly immortal father. Which isn’t a good thing. POSTAL is cool as shit, you guys.
Vroom Socko - Golgoth, EMPIRE: UPRISING, IDW PublishingEMPIRE is back.
EMPIRE.
Is.
Back.
If you need to know more than that, you clearly didn’t read the first series, never mind this past year’s return to form. And honestly, that’s on you, pal.
The Kid Marvel - God Doom, SECRET WARS, Marvel ComicsDoom finally becomes what he’s always thought he already was: a god, and not any god, but the god above all others. I loved every second of how Doom crafted his world and governed it, with the highlights being him annihilating Phoenix Force Cyclops and Thanos, among others, without even the slightest bit of effort, which was more than satisfying. God Doom was by far the most memorable and the most entertaining villain for 2015.
Masked Man - Dr. Doom, SECRET WARS, Marvel ComicsWith another Secret War, Dr. Doom proves his is Marvel’s best.
Though it’s odd to note, that Dr. Doom has never been at the center of a mega crossover event before. But Jonathan Hickman made up for that with this story, as Dr. Doom beat the Beyonders (again), become a god longer than Thanos ever has, and commanded his own army of Thors.
It’s pretty hard for a villain to top that, especially when the good guys always win.
Lyzard - Jason Aaron, THOR/DR. STRANGE/SOUTHERN BASTARDS/GODDAMNED, Marvel Comics/ Image ComicsThere were plenty of writers who shined in their work for a single series, but Aaron gets my vote for being so successfully prolific. While others may have had stronger single issues in comparison, Aaron consistently had stronger overall runs.
From THOR to ORIGINAL SIN and SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Aaron was batting .400 in 2015.
Ambush Bug - Alan Moore, PROVIDENCE, Avatar PressI’ve read a lot of comics this year and every month, the one comic that always impresses me is Alan Moore’s PROVIDENCE. I’ve gained a new appreciation for the writer this year, and a lot of that has to do with the quality and depth of story this follow-up to his NEONOMICON possesses. The story could be seen as boring. It follows a researcher who is investigating an ancient tome and travelling throughout New England to gather information and do interviews. Along the way, the naïve reporter overlooks a whole lot of creepy shit going on in the periphery. This is a story that relies on a powerful undercurrent of paranoia, conspiracy, and secrecy. Lines of dialog have double and triple meanings, and while there is a banal surface level story going on, there’s an underlying diabolical tale happening at the same time. Additionally, each issue features supplementary material from the journal of the reporter, further explaining his interpretations of the events that unfolded during the issue. Being a good writer doesn’t just mean you write good dialog. Sure, that helps. But where that’s where most writers stop, this is only the starting point for the metatextual undercurrent of themes, ideas, thoughts, and interpretations that are going on in PROVIDENCE. I don’t know of another writer in comics who can turn such a deft line of dialog, yet also thread all sorts of alternate storylines through the narrative at the same time. While I’ve admired all sorts of writers through the years, Alan Moore’s PROVIDENCE proves that he has the talent many in the medium would make a deal with an Ancient One to have.
Optimous Douche - Brian K. Vaughan, SAGA/PAPER GIRLS/WE STAND ON GUARD/THE PRIVATE EYE, Image ComicsI'll keep this one simple.
SAGA, PAPER GIRLS and THE PRIVATE EYE. Three books grounded with real life characters in the most fantastical situations.
You know...comic books.
Humphrey Lee – Jason Aaron, THOR/THE GODDAMNED/STAR WARS/DR. STRANGE/SOUTHERN BASTARDS, Marvel Comics/ Image ComicsLook up the phrase “killing it” and I feel like Jason Aaron’s name should be the first result that shows up. From a quality and quantity standpoint, this man’s scripting game is just that on point. SOUTHERN BASTARDS is routinely a contender for the best comic book on the shelves, he has continued on and kicked off two successful runs on characters notoriously hard to handle in THOR and DOCTOR STRANGE, respectively, and his latest creator-owned endeavor, THE GODDAMNED, looks to be one of his most brutal and myth-bending pieces of humanity he’s created thus far. I’m not currently reading his STAR WARS stuff, but even with the excessive hype around all things based in a galaxy far far away the feedback seems to justify the buzz as far as exceeding expectations. That’s all Jason Aaron does these days, honestly: exceed expectations that were already at the highest levels in the industry.
Lionel Putz - Matt Fraction, HAWKEYE/SEX CRIMINALS, Marvel Comics/ Image ComicsI’m totally cheating here, but the last issue of Fraction’s incredible HAWKEYE run—which I did not discover until spring of last year whilst buying reading material for jury duty—did not come out until this past August. It’s no secret that Fraction is a genius—or that he’s doing better work on the indie scene with SEX CRIMINALS—but he made Hawkeye likeable and cool before Joss Whedon did, while also giving us Pizza Dog, and for that he wins a shout-out here.
Henry Higgins is My Homeboy – Mark Waid, ARCHIE, Archie ComicsBecause somehow, Mark Waid did the impossible and made Archie not just modern, but good. Like, really good. The characters are still the same classic roles but with a level of depth they haven’t typically had.
It’s funny, and is one of the best titles on the shelves.
Vroom Socko - David Walker, SHAFT/CYBORG, Dynamite Entertainment/DC ComicsIf the only comic he had come out this year was SHAFT, then Walker would be a contender for Best Writer. Add CYBORG to the mix, and he’s certainly a finalist. But when you consider he also gave us a SECRET WARS story starring Blade and Howard the Duck? If you can make those two characters work together, damn right you’re the best. At the time of this writing, I’ve yet to read his POWER MAN & IRON FIST, but I’ve been looking forward to it for months.
The Kid Marvel - Max Landis, SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN, DC ComicsOnly recently have I become a Superman fan. Prior, I honestly hated the character and he bored me--until I stumbled upon a few videos of Max Landis, ranting about the character post-“Man of Steel”. So when he finally got the chance to put his money where his mouth his, Landis capitalized and then some on SUPERMAN: AMERICAN ALIEN and it was one of the best series that I read last year. He’s given Superman something that he generally lacks, and that’s characterization. I really hope Landis takes on some more titles in the future, because I think he would excel full time in the comic industry, or at least on any other title he tackles.
Masked Man - Mark Waid, DAREDEVIL/AVENGERS/ARCHIE, Marvel Comics/ Archie ComicsThis year Mark Waid wrapped up his fantastic run on DAREDEVIL, showing the character could still be successful without being the grimmest and grittiest thing around. He also kickstarted THE AVENGERS after SECRET WARS. He’s quickly adding fun and straight-up superhero action to the book (something missing for quite a while). He’s also doing a good job blending the trendiest heroes around in one book. And if that wasn’t enough, he’ also rebooted ARCHIE comics this year, making them less of a comic book staple and more of something relevant to read.
Few writers get comics and comic book characters as well as he does.
Now it’s time to pick your own @$$ies in the Talkbacks. Thirsty for more @$$ie Awards? Check out these categories from earlier in the week!
Best Miniseries!
Best Publisher!
Best One-Shot/Annual/Special/OGN!
Favorite Super Team!
Best Artist/Art Team!
Best Comic Book TV Show!
Best Comic Book Character Realized in TV/Film!
Best Comic Book Movie!
In Memoriam…
Look for more tomorrow when we share our picks for Best Crossover/Event, Favorite Hero, & Best Ongoing Series! See you tomorrow!
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
