@@@ 11th ANNUAL @$$IE AWARDS! @@@
Welcome, all, to the 11th Annual AICN COMICS @$$IE AWARDS, where comics’ best and brightest are recognized for stellar achievement in comic bookdom. It’s your old pal Ambush Bug here. 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, so for the next week, we will be going through a multitude of categories covering the wide world of comic books. Most awards are given around the turn of the year, but we think ours is special, so while those outside of the know celebrate the time of the Oscar (yes, I know the Oscars were last week, apologies for the lateness of these), we here at AICN COMICS celebrate the time of the highly 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 reviewers picks)
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Lyzard - FUTURES END (DC Comics)FUTURES END was a mixed bag of various one shots, but it was a good sales tactic. I could pick up a GREEN ARROW or HARLEY QUINN for the first time without needing an encyclopedic knowledge of what came before. I’m not sure whether or not it was financially successful or added a decent amount of new readers, but for myself it did widen my own interest in the DC universe.
Masked Man - THE MULTIVERSITY (DC Comics)While it appears to be nothing more than a random collection of one shots, they are some of the best one shots ever written. From the Golden Age heroes of the Society of Super-Heroes to the real Captain Marvel on Thunderworld to the Charlton heroes in PAX AMERICANA to the millennials in of The Just (who I should have hated), Grant Morrison's THE MULTIVERSITY is/are some of the best comic book storywriting around. Morrison certainly isn't infallible, but when he gets it right, he frick'n kills it, like he is here. Of course, being helped by so many of the best artist in the industry doesn't hurt either.
Ambush Bug - ARMOR HUNTERS (Valiant Entertainment)As much as I love THE MULTIVERSITY, the verdict’s still out on that series as it doesn’t seem to be ending any time soon. One thing Valiant has been doing much better than the big two is their crossovers. THE HARBINGER WARS set the standard a while back as taking a handful of titles and tossing them into the middle of an epic battle. ARMOR HUNTERS did the same thing, this time centering on their central hero X-0 Manowar and the curse the armor seems to carry with it. When a group of bounty hunters possessing seemingly more powers than any of our heroes can handle alone (and a gigantic war robot named GINGR) show up to wipe out the entire earth simply because the X-O armor has touched town on the planet, this is the kind of stuff crossovers were made for. And while many crossovers promise a change to the status quo, this one delivered with the Unity Team being outed and made public, Generation Zero losing and regaining members to the team, and the entire world viewing X-O as a symbol of hope; not to mention Mexico City getting completely wipes off the map by aliens! Add some down and dirty fighting in a bunker with Bloodshot and you have a pretty phenomenal and more importantly, tightly-wound little crossover. Spanning four titles and telling a story with major waves, the rest of the comics world attempting to cross streams could learn a thing or two from the way Valiant handles their events.
Henry Higgins is My Homeboy - SPIDER-VERSE (Marvel Comics)Every Spider-Man has shown up in what seemed impossible. Dan Slott promised the biggest Spider-Man event ever, and here we are. Lots of new characters. Insane stakes. Spy missions. Steampunk. Regular punk. Cameos. Murder. Straight up silly fun, starring the cartoon Spider-Man and Miles Morales. Spider-Gwen. Gerard Way doing Evangelion. Returns of old favourites. New versions of our hero. Drama. Action. Suspense. SOOOOOOOOOO many Spider-Man quipping scenes. This book is great, and dumb, and fun, and an enjoyable excuse to just play around with Spider-Man.
Vroom Socko - AXIS (Marvel Comics)To be fair, this was the only “event” book I read this year, and I didn’t think it was all that. (Inverting Tony Stark’s personality transforms him from an egomaniacal douchebag into…an egomaniacal douchebag?) But I’m not going to vote for something I haven’t read, so…
Mighty Mouth - SPIDER-VERSE (Marvel Comics)Such an absurd concept could easily have gone tits up. Slott and his team have taken an idea that few would be able to do much with and not only make it viable; it’s also an extremely enjoyable read, loaded with the kind of fun and adventure that first interested me in the genre.
Matt Adler - AXIS (Marvel Comics)Look, if we have to have a crossover event (and The Powers That Be have decreed it so), might as well have a little fun with it. This year, the best example of that philosophy is AXIS, where creators across the Marvel Universe are having fun turning good guys like Iron Man bad, and psychopaths like Hobgoblin and Carnage into wannabe heroes. It's a fun concept that can be played broadly, and it's something that can be wrapped up pretty neatly...just in time for the next massive crossover, SECRET WARS.
The Kid Marvel - SPIDER-VERSE (Marvel Comics)2014 had a lot of crossovers and big events, from INFINITY to FUTURES END--even the long awaited conclusion of FOREVER EVIL. However, I felt Slott’s Spider-Verse was by far the most enjoyable and is the most seamless in terms of end goal, along with being the most consistently entertaining event from title to title. The various Spider-Men and -Women from all of the Spider-Verses showing up together has created an abundance of personalities, story arcs and character dynamics. These various elements have created a wonderful amount of interaction between all of the Spiders present. Things like Spider-Gwen and her effect on Peter, SpOck being unaware of his own future, and seeing the various Peter’s other “selves” die, along with the multitude of other Spider Totems, has just made for some great storytelling. I really applaud Slott for bringing the event together as well as he has and really look forward to seeing the completed product.
DrSumac - BATMAN ’66 MEETS THE GREEN HORNET (DC Comics/ Dynamite Entertainment)Superfans Kevin Smith and Ralph Garman teamed up to write this series that acts as a true sequel to the crossover the same characters had on the classic BATMAN TV show. Since they are both experts on the material, the series perfectly nailed the feeling of the original series in a way that was truly uncanny. I feel like it didn't really need to be six issues, but they did a decent job of mixing up the events so that most of the issues gave us something a little different.
Humphrey Lee - MULTIVERSITY (DC Comics)I’ve talked before in these spaces about my apprehension when it comes to Grant Morrison comics, simply because you may as well flip a coin as to whether you’re going to get the brilliant, medium-bending Morrison, or the pompous-meets-psychedelic word and concept puree he also tends to produce. This left me apprehensive about MULTIVERSITY – a project the man has apparently had bouncing around in that still handsome bald noggin for years – as I foresaw another vertical flip of that quarter. But as of the cutoff time for qualifying these books, we’ve seen five issues of this universe-jumping grand adventure, and they’ve ranged from “flawed but interesting” at a minimum to “goddammit that was fucking awesome” at the top end, and that top end has been a good sixty percent of the outcomes thus far (you do the math on that). Read either of my THUNDERWORLD ADVENTURES write ups for this piece to get a sense of what has made these issues so great, but for the sake of space I’ll just say that these have been amongst some of the best love letters to the format and history of comics that I have seen in a long, long time.
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Humphrey Lee - Daredevil (DAREDEVIL, Marvel Comics)The second year in a row I’m going with the old horn-head, and it’s really for the same reasons I went with last year: Matt Murdock, more than any other character in comics these days, always seems to be let go to explore a life arc. And what I mean about that is, simply, he’s a character that writers get to hop on knowing that they can write some very touching, personal tales in amongst all the costumes and villain-slapping. Last year it was dealing with the fallout of discovering that his hetero life mate, Foggy Nelson, was riddled with cancer, and now it’s the fallout of making it official to the world, once and for all, that he is indeed Daredevil. Now he’s in sunny California, he’s got a fresh practice, a fresh love interest, fresh villains to square off with, and fresh challenges like, well, being broke and having to hide Foggy from a world of presshounds and villains who have been convinced he died a hero’s death back in NYC. DAREDEVIL easily remains the best superhero book on the stands – in my admittedly diminishing opinion as my comic purchasing dollars shift these days – and it’s trials and tribulations such as these that make it so, especially under the pens of Mark Waid and Chris Samnee.
Lyzard - Batgirl (BATGIRL, DC Comics)The advantage Batgirl had this year for being named Favorite Superhero was the fact that there were two incarnations of the heroine. You had the Gail Simone, Jonathan Glapion, and Fernando Pasarin version, followed by the Brenden Fletcher, Cameron Steward, and Babs Tarr reinvention. If you didn’t like one, perhaps you’d enjoy the other. Or you could be like me and have been a fan of both takes on the character.
Masked Man - Flash Gordon (FLASH GORDON, Dynamite Entertainment)Everyone knows Flash Gordon, and yet no one 'gets' Flash Gordon, as we are treated to one lame Flash Gordon comicbbook after another. He's a classic hero, so what's not to like? He's brash and bold, loves to stick it to the man, has a good sense of humor, never takes things too seriously and has a strong moral code. Thankfully, Jeff Parker was finally able to get that all on paper and make Flash Gordon worth reading again. I sure hope Flash and his high adventure can survive Parker's upcoming departure from the book.
Ambush Bug - Carl Grimes (THE WALKING DEAD, Image Comics)I couldn’t go this year without mentioning THE WALKING DEAD and while most years Rick takes the forefront, lately, it’s Carl who has stepped forward as the hero of this book and it’s been fantastic to see the little kid grow into a man over the last year. While the verdict is out as to whether he will grow into the strong leader Rick has become, his story that’s played out over the last year has breathed new life into the series that was in need of a serious change before it got too redundant. With horrors looming outside and inside the gated community the survivors have found themselves in, Carl remains a truly fascinating hero to follow and often one to look up to—something that isn’t common in this day and age of fallen heroes. So despite his lack of an eye and his penchant to wear big hats, lately Carl Grimes has been my hero.
Henry Higgins is My Homeboy - Ms. Marvel (MS. MARVEL, Marvel Comics)Because Kamala Khan is a straight up modern day Peter Parker: nerdy but with a quick mouth, prone to teenage impulses and thoughts of fame and fortune, but ultimately trumped by a need to do good. But instead of having to deal with Peter Parker levels of sad, she gets to hang out with Lockjaw. Because her book is stupid fun and I haven’t gotten to talk about it yet.
Vroom Socko - John Shaft (SHAFT, Dynamite Entertainment)Only one issue came out in 2014. That was enough. Writer David Walker knows Shaft--knows him in his bones. This man scares me. This John Shaft makes Richard Roundtree look like a pussy.
And no, I will not shut my mouth!
Mighty Mouth - Moon Knight (MOON KNIGHT, Marvel Comics)There are not many superheroes quite like Moon Knight. Often referred to as Marvel’s Batman, Marc Spector is anything but. He dresses all in white so the bad guys will see him coming and doodie in their pants. He’s also crazier than a shithouse rat! Anyway, the character has always been interesting to me, but never climbed his way to favorite status. 2014 is the year that changed all that.
Matt Adler - Spider-Man 2099 (SPIDER-MAN 2099, Marvel Comics)Maybe this is cheating a bit, because Spider-Man 2099 has been one of my favorite heroes since he first debuted in 1992. But he's back, and his creator Peter David has succeeded in making him relevant for a brand new generation. When the return of this series was first announced I was hugely excited, but reading it, what's even more exciting is that it's not a simple nostalgia trip; you can come to this book not having any attachment to the character, and just enjoy it for the sense of humor and adventure PAD imbues in Miguel O'Hara, whenever he resides.
The Kid Marvel - Green Arrow (GREEN ARROW, DC Comics)From Stephen Amell and ARROW to Jeff Lemire’s run on the GREEN ARROW comic, Oliver Queen was my favorite hero of 2014 in essentially every incarnation of the Green Arrow character. I’m personally a huge fan of ARROW and love the fact that Stephen Amell, who plays Oliver Queen, really loves his character and tries to embody the role. The passion he shows for playing Queen and his interaction with fans through his Facebook regarding the show presents how much he actually cares about playing the character. As for the comic version of Queen, Jeff Lemire did such an amazing job with GREEN ARROW the series is just not the same without him. The current GREEN ARROW pales in comparison to what Lemire did last year. And because of Lemire’s spectacular writing and storytelling, along with Stephen Amell and ARROW, Green Arrow was my favorite hero of 2014.
DrSumac - Storm (STORM, Marvel Comics)This is tough just based on the amount of them out there, but Storm really stood out for me. Greg Pak has done a great job of making her a heroine that is more than capable of standing on her own. I think what sets this series and character apart from the rest is that she doesn't spend each issue beating up a super villain, but instead finds a new moral problem to deal with. The antagonist isn’t Mystique or Mr. Sinister, it's how difficult the world simply is. That's not an easy fight to start, let alone win, and Storm manages to do so with relative grace.
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DrSumac - LAZARUS (Image Comics)It has some of the best writing out there as well as high quality, detailed, and grounded artwork, but that is only the start. I certainly doubt there is another ongoing series with a backmatter quite like this one. Not only does it tell us more about the world without having to explain it all directly in the story, but it gives us a lot of insight behind the curtain as well. Greg Rucka himself seems to be very inspired by the questions they receive, which helps him to shape the world within the comic even more. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Lazarus to me, though, is how varied the stories are. Each arc has a feel of its own while still feeling part of the same world, and that is an exceedingly difficult feat to pull off in any industry. LAZARUS just has everything going for it.
Humphrey Lee - SOUTHERN BASTARDS (Image Comics)Let me tell you about SOUTHERN BASTARDS real quick. I grew up in a sleepy, small, and gossipy little town obsessed with football. I know the almost depressing and yet somehow admirable compulsion to put absolutely insane pressure and aspirations on what is, at the end of the day, just a dumb little game where people hit each other a lot for fun. I also know good, grim and gritty crime fiction, so when one Earl Tubb shows up back south again to bury his sheriff daddy and finds his former, sleepy and football-obsessed home town to be under the thumb of a man known as “Coach Boss,” you know you’re in for some brutal, southern fried justice. With a large tree branch in hand and some ribs in his belly, Earl Tubb fights the good fight with impunity and, well, I’ll leave the results of where that gets him left in the pages of the first TPB collection for you to find yourselves, because it is the perfect combination of heartbreaking and righteousness that you would mostly expect and then not expect AT FUCKING ALL and it is absolutely brilliant. And the currently running arc after it is even more merciless and traumatic in its own ways, and that is how SOUTHERN BASTARDS made my top comic book for 2014. Get y’all some sweet tea and have yourselves a read.
Lyzard - SILVER ( Dark Planet Comics)Now, I’m a bit prejudiced in choosing Stephen Franck’s SILVER as my favorite ongoing series. Anything with vampires and Dracula is gonna grab my intention. But SILVER has yet to really fang up. Instead of playing too much with the overdone horror subgenre, SILVER places more emphasis on its noir and pulp elements, going old school in both art and dialogue, but not Victorian old.
Masked Man- MOON KNIGHT (Marvel Comics)
Is there no bigger surprise of the year than MOON KNIGHT? He's a B level hero with a messed up history. Even with fan fave Warren Ellis writing him, the fact that each issue is a near standalone, with no attempt to explain the character or clarify his world, it just goes against everything modern comics are about. Yet instead of being an odd little flop, it's one of the best comics on the market, as each issue, powered by Declan Shalvey’s elegant artwork, makes a bold statement. Then when Brian Wood and Greg Smallwood quickly replaced Ellis and Shalvey, all forecasted doom, yet were proven wrong. MOON KNIGHT is really one of those books that proves different can be good.
Ambush Bug - COPPERHEAD (Image Comics)Having discovered COPPERHEAD a few months ago, I’ve been devouring every issue since. My stamp of approval for which comic is the best is how long I can wait to read it once purchased. With Jay Faerber’s COPPERHEAD, you get your typical new sheriff in town cowboy scenario. But set it on another planet filled with civil strife and cast that sheriff as a tough as nails but unflinchingly maternal female lead and you’ve got a combination that’s a winner. Faerber embues his lead character Clara Bronson with so much humanity it drips off the page as she faces impossible odds to bring peace in a chaotic land. Fans of sci fi and fans of Westerns finally have a comic they can agree upon. Plus grumpy as fuck Deputy Boo is one of my favorite new characters to follow. This is just a stellar book with gritty and alien art by Scott Godlewski and Ron Riley. COPPERHEAD is the best of the best in a very good year in comics!
Henry Higgins is My Homeboy - THE SUPERIOR FOES OF SPIDER-MAN (Marvel Comics)When I started writing this list, I made sure to not vote for this book in any other category. This was a good year for comics overall, and I wanted to pay attention to some other titles I liked, and I knew I was going to say this was the best book of the year. Nothing was tighter, funnier, better constructed, and more inventive, creative, engaging, rewarding, or goddamn funny as this book. It deserves to win almost every category. It can settle for just being the best.
Vroom Socko - LAZARUS (Image Comics)My pick from last year remains my pick this year. We got family dysfunction, power plays, identity crises, and a hard SF adaptation of THE GRAPES OF WRATH. There simply wasn’t a better ongoing comic than this. If you’re not reading it, please contact me and explain why.
Mighty Mouth - MOON KNIGHT (Marvel Comics)The one book of 2014 that has impressed me the most has been MOON KNIGHT. Warren Ellis breathed some much-needed new life into a character that is considered a second stringer at best. With a new direction centered on tightly knit self-contained issues and his new “Mr. Knight” persona, Ellis has put Moon Knight back on the map in a big way. When Ellis left the book I was concerned that whoever took over would take too drastic a departure. Scribe Brian Wood has taken the ball and run with it so fantastically that he’s threatening to outdo his predecessor. This is the book that I currently look forward to most when I frequent my local comic shop.
Matt Adler - RACHEL RISING (Image Comics)If you want pure graphic storytelling that's gripping and intriguing, month in and month out, you go to Terry Moore. That's an established comic book fact, and the current proof of this is RACHEL RISING, a series that doesn't use gimmicks, crossovers, events, or anything of the sort to keep its momentum going. Moore just takes real people and puts them in unusual (in the case of RACHEL RISING, supernatural) situations and plays the story out in such a way that you must know what happens next. If you aren't reading this book, put down whatever you are reading, pick up the trade paperbacks of this series, and settle down for a sleepless night, because once you start, this is a very hard book to put down.
The Kid Marvel - MOON KNIGHT (Marvel Comics)The best ongoing series and comic in 2014 was, in my opinion, MOON KNIGHT without question. For me this wasn’t even a difficult choice. Everything from writing to style, artwork, pacing--you name it and MOON KNIGHT nailed it. Even after the changing of teams from Warren Ellis and Declan Shalvey to Brian Wood and Greg Smallwood, nothing in this series fell off. This series turned me from someone who knew Moon Knight by name and a few reads here and there to him becoming one of my favorite heroes, who I just can’t get enough of. I want this Moon Knight in the MCU. I want this Moon Knight in every big Marvel event. I want more of this Moon Knight! I can’t express how much I like this series. The way Moon Knight’s multiple personality disorder has been handled, the artistic way the panels and action are captured, the multiple costumes, the way Spector and Khonshu interact with each other…to conclude my rambling, MOON KNIGHT is freaking spectacular and my pick for Best Ongoing of 2014.
That’s it! Now that it’s all over, it’s time to pick your own @$$ies in the Talkbacks. Still thirsty for more @$$ie Awards? Check out these previous categories;
Best Miniseries!
Best Publisher!
Best One-Shot/Special/Annual!
Favorite Super Team!
Best Artist!
Best Comic Book TV Series!
In Memoriam 2014…
Best Comic Book Movie!
Best Cover/Cover Artist!
Favorite Comic Book Villain!
Best Writer!
Thanks for celebrating the best of the best in comics! Be sure to check out our weekly comic book reviews in AICN COMICS REIVEWS every Wednesday, AICN COMICS/POPTARDS PODCAST every Tuesday, and Ambush Bug’s AICN HORROR reviews every Friday on Ain’t It Cool!
Proofs, co-edits & common sense provided by Sleazy G
