Saturday, December 31, 2005

Best and Worst of 2005 #2: Vertigo Books Impress While Superman/Batman Loses Steam


100 Bullets 68
Originally uploaded by Heidi Meeley.
Today is the day. December 31, 2005. The last chance to talk about the year that was before looking towards the future. That brings me to number two on my list of best and worst, with an eye towards number one later today.

BEST #2: Vertigo Titles Top My List.
100 Bullets. Y The Last Man. Swamp Thing. Hellblazer. Fables. Loveless. These are all names of insanely great Vertigo books that were published during 2005. I can't stress enough the high quality presentation of these books. When I want a sure thing this year, it seems Vertigo is always there to fulfill my needs.

100 Bullets tops my list of sensational Vertigo titles. I have been going back through and re-reading the title from the last year, and I am blown away. If you haven't read the book yet, grab a trade and hop on board. 100 Bullets is the best crime noir thriller I have ever witnessed, and creators Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso just keep upping the ante.

Adult readers out there: go read some Vertigo. For a great read with a focus on creative freedom, it can't be beat.

WORST: Superman/Batman Ships Late or Not At All.
Firstly, I would like to offer my sympathies to Jeph Loeb on the loss of his son Sam and make clear that my opinion here is not meant to emphasize this tragedy. From what I understand, Loeb's script has been handed in for quite some time and the hold up here is the art and production.

Superman/Batman was one of my favorite titles in 2004. Unfortunately it has been plagued by such lateness that I have lost complete interest in the title. With so many other great choices out there, this title has become obsolete to me. The only thing I can see getting me back on the bandwagon is an infusion of new blood and a tight shipping schedule. Otherwise, I can live without it. DC has trumped the formerly great title by eclipsing it with other magnificent work.

Superman/Batman fell of my radar and my pull list this year.

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