Blog Archives
Jason Shayer’s Top Fives Of 2012
Top Five Comic Books of 2012:
- Daredevil (Mark Waid and Paolo Rivera) – Mark Waid pushed aside the grim and gritty tone that has been with Daredevil since the 1980s and went back to the swashbuckling fun of the original character concept. Rivera’s smooth art, which is very reminiscent of David Mazzucchelli, compliments Waid’s efforts and really puts this book on everyone’s To Read pile.
- Saga (Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples) – I picked up this comic because it looked like something different and that’s exactly what I got. It’s one of those fun comic book experiences in that it goes beyond the mainstream and does something totally off-the-wall. I tried to describe it to my friend and fell short, coming up with something like it’s a “sci-fi fantasy with elements of Romeo & Juliet”.
- Batman (Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo) – To me, Snyder’s Batman is the big book that drove the new DC 52. His take captures everything you want in a Batman book and delivers a smart, emotional, and respectful story for such an iconic character. I was also impressed by Capullo’s efforts on this book, as I had always seen him more as a cartoonist, but he’s definitely taken his work to a higher level on this book.
- Wonder Woman (Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang) – Azzarello, who I normally find difficult to “get”, has done a great job on the reboot of this classic character along with artist Cliff Chiang. And what impressed me the most with Chiang’s art was the subtlety that he could communicate with what seemed to be such a simple art style. A fun super hero book with its roots in mythology that isn’t afraid of shaking things up a bit to tell a damn good story.
- Aquaman (Geoff John and Ivan Reis) - I’m just as surprised as you that Aquaman made it onto my Top Five list. While there’s a lot of attention for DC’s flagship book, Justice League, Geoff Johns has done incredible things with the King of the Seven Seas. He’s given Aquaman a solid background, grounding him a bit more in his humanity, a great expanded secondary cast, and along with Ivan Reis has produced one of the finest ongoing comic books of the year. Read the rest of this entry
Back to School – Dick Grayson Goes to College
Art by George Perez
Let me tell you a little known comics secret. Dick Grayson, alias Nightwing, alias the first Robin, Bruce Wayne’s ward, is a college drop out. And he attended for over a decade (well, not in comics time). Meet me after the jump and I’ll tell you all about when Dick Grayson went to college.
Titanic Teams – Gone But Not Forgotten Teams of the DC Universe
When you think super-teams in the DC Comics universe, the Justice League comes to mind immediately, maybe followed by the Teen Titans, the Justice Society and half a dozen others. I’m going to delve a little deeper, and take a journey into the forgotten corners of the DC universe. Here’s a look at some of the forgotten teams of the DC Universe.
Jason Shayer Presents His Top 10 1980s Comic Book Reprints of 2011
Need a few ideas on what to get your thirty-something comic book geek for the holidays? Look no further. I’ve compiled a list of this year’s top 10 hardcover books reprinting classic 1980s comic books.
1. Walt Simonson’s The Mighty Thor Omnibus. Weighing in at almost 10 pounds, this omnibus will require you to purchase an accompanying lectern to hold it while you read it! It’s big and beautiful and lovingly restored and recoloured. Its 1,200 pages reprint Simonson’s full run from Thor #337-355, 357-369, 371-382 and Balder the Brave #1-4. Price tag: $90
