Top Five Fridays 3/2/07
Some of you may have noticed on the sidebar, we have our “Top Five of the Moment” listed. These are the five books that are most clicking with each Pants writer. It may or may not represent the best books we’ve read all month, year, or just what we’re digging that week. We generally try to update it with books from that week, but there are no hard and fast rules. Inspired by an email from one of our readers, we’re going to post every Friday with the most recent Top Five from each member of the Panteon, and hope for your comments on our lists, or maybe even your own “Top Five of the Moment.”
Also, just as the Wednesday Number Ones feature is generally our spot for folks to talk about the comics of the week, we hope that Top Five Fridays is where you’ll come to talk about what’s going on in comics in general. News in the comics world, thoughts on comics you’ve recently read, talk about comic-related movies that release this weekend and more are welcome in the comments thread for Top Five Fridays.
This week, the Top Five Books of the Moment are:
Nick Budd
- The Spirit (DC)
- The Brave and the Bold (DC)
- Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus (Marvel)
- X-Factor (Marvel)
- Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E. (Marvel)
Dave Farabee
- Conan and the Midnight God (Dark Horse)
- The Brave and the Bold (DC)
- American Virgin (Vertigo)
- The Killer (Archaia)
- Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus (Marvel)
Dan Grendell
- Pantheon High (Tokyopop)
- Firestorm (DC)
- Warhammer 40K: Damnation Crusade (Boom!)
- Path of the Assassin (Dark Horse)
- Secret History (Archaia)
Randy Lander
- Local (Oni)
- The Spirit (DC)
- The Brave and the Bold (DC)
- The Killer (Archaia)
- American Virgin (Vertigo)
David Martindale (D3)
- American Virgin (Vertigo)
- The Killer (Archaia)
- Action Comics (DC)
- Annihilation: Heralds of Galactus (Marvel)
- X-Factor (Marvel)
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Perhaps publishers too, at least with the indies? What is Secret History?
02 Mar 2007 at 2:45 pm
Quote‘The Killer’ has offered up the most engrossing character piece I’ve read in a long time. This one is definitely in my top 5 right now.
I feel like I’m missing out on X-Factor, especially since I used to read all of those classic Peter David issues from the 90’s.
And kudos to Dave F. for mentioning Conan and the Midnight God. I rarely see many raves about Conan and his various minis. In fact, it’s usually the last in my stack that I read, but I’m entertained every time I pick one up. The quality hasn’t faltered at all, even when Busiek passed the baton to Truman.
My top 5:
1. The Killer
2. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (no, really. It’s good this time. I promise.)
3. Conan
4. The Damned
5. The Walking Dead
02 Mar 2007 at 3:15 pm
Quote1. The Walking Dead
2. The Killer
3. Wasteland
4. Local
5. The Nightly News
02 Mar 2007 at 3:28 pm
Quote1. Walking Dead
2. Jack of Fables TP
3. X-Factor
4. Local
5. The Killer
TMNT comes out this month also. Fingers crossed here.
02 Mar 2007 at 3:51 pm
QuoteGood idea! Done!
As for specifics on Secret History.
02 Mar 2007 at 4:06 pm
Quote1. Fables
2. Y The Last Man
3. Jonah Hex
4. Detective Comics (Dini)
5. Fallen Angel
02 Mar 2007 at 5:22 pm
Quote1. Annihilation
2. Detective Comics
3. Incredible Hulk
4. Rex Libris
5. Runaways
02 Mar 2007 at 6:51 pm
QuoteGood idea! More regular features are always nice. My list probably isn’t as current, since I pre-order most of my comics and don’t get them until the end of the month.
My top 5 of the moment:
1.Suburban Folklore TPB(Ourobor)
2.Daredevil (Marvel)
3.True Story Swear to God (Image Comics; thanks for getting me hooked, Pants!)
4.Spirit (DC)
5. Immortal Iron Fist (Marvel)
Also, I received my package in the mail today. Looks great! I’m excited about Battle Royale, hopefully another manga to get addicted to (along with Mail and Kurosagi Corpse Delivery Service; thanks for the recs, Dan!). And I dunno if you guys are mind readers or what, but Love and Capes looks right up my alley. Thanks again!
And on the matter of current (comics) events…I wonder how accessible the Annihilation sequel will be. I’m interested in this new one, and I skipped out on the first one, but I’m not sure I’m ready to drop $100 on HCs I might not enjoy. So hopefully, I’ll be able to jump right in with the sequel.
02 Mar 2007 at 7:43 pm
QuoteAbsolutely. That the writer draws nuance out of a total sociopath is what makes the book for me. That and the fact that there’s no attempt to draw out sympathy for the guy or make him a charismatic killer ala Hannibal Lecter. He’s fascinating, absolutely, but not sympathetic.
Thanks!
I have to confess that I’ve dropped off the book after Busiek left, not because of anything that’s gone wrong, but because I’ve just had my fill of Conan for a while. His ubermensch status just wearies me sometimes. In a weird way, I find myself annoyed at his arrogance and the fact that he’s always good enough to back it up. It’s like Superman with Wolverine’s attitude
So why’s it my pick? Maybe precisely because I’ve been on Conan-hiatus for a few months, but I was also taken with seeing the “King Conan” era of his life and Conan having to deal with politics and marriage. Credit, too, to miniseries writer Joshua Dysart. He’s been around, more or less on the fringes, but he’s new to me. I also thought the artist was every bit the equal of series’ regular Cary Nord.
02 Mar 2007 at 8:07 pm
QuoteI’d fallen off this book, but I read the recent one-off drawn by Carla Speed McNeil and found myself re-enthused. Looking forward to picking up the trade and playing catch-up.
A series I couldn’t connect with, though I’ve heard a good deal of enthusiasm for it from savvy comic readers. Mind if I ask what it is that draws you in?
02 Mar 2007 at 8:11 pm
QuoteMy current Top Five (in alphabetial order, not order of preference):
- Catwoman - The art is lovely, and Pfeiffer is writing the hell out of the book and its supporting cast.
- Daredevil - I have to put something by Brubaker here, and Murdock has the supporting cast to give this book the edge over Immortal Iron Fist (which is still coming up quickly).
- G0dland - Sheer crazy goodness. This one is all about seeing what whacked-out shit Kelly and Scioli come up with each month.
- Spiderman Loves Mary Jane - I love the intersection of romance and superhero comics, and McKeever’s MJ series is the best superhero romance since Sandman Mystery Theatre ended.
- Ultimate Fantastic Four - Carey has really revitalized this book’s content (if not its sales). I love how Acheron/Halcyon rewrites Apokalips/New Genesis to Marvel standards. The new arc with Diablo has already made this typically ridiculous FF villain threatening for the first time ever . . .
02 Mar 2007 at 9:09 pm
QuoteLove Comic Pants.
My top 5 currently:
1:All-Star Superman
2:Godland
3:The Spirit
4:Brave & the Bold
5:Fables
02 Mar 2007 at 10:00 pm
QuoteNo problem, Kiel. I’m a big fan of Battle Royale as well, so I’m curious to hear what you think of that. I noticed you listed Suburban Folklore in your picks- I just did a review of that for Ain’t It Cool News a couple weeks ago. I really liked it, and I’m glad to see I wasn’t the only one.
03 Mar 2007 at 12:25 am
QuoteI suspect Randy is familiar with it too, as he was mentioned in the acknowledgements. I really liked how it used a diverse cast of characters, but didn’t fall back on silly stereotypes. But most of all, seeing that I’m about to graduate from high school, it really connected with me on a more thematic level.
03 Mar 2007 at 1:09 am
QuoteGlad to see the love for The Brave and the Bold. I generally trust Mark Waid’s sensibilities, but I’m still apprehensive the next issue will feature the re-animated raped corpse of Sue Dibny as the villain.
03 Mar 2007 at 2:36 am
QuoteI’m in agreement with you on the art, Rob. David Lopez has always done great work, especially with Fallen Angel. In my opinion, he really should be doing something with a higher profile but his work on Catwoman is very good. That said, the first few issues of the whole “One Year Later” were ho-hum and only lately has Pfeiffer reached a plot that I’m enjoying and am curious about. Hopefully, that trend will continue.
03 Mar 2007 at 10:54 am
Quote1. Nextwave - Gone too soon.
2. The Spirit - Only recently caught on to Cooke’s work, now I can’t get enough of it. Simple, effective storytelling yet full of subtle and fantastic details. If only all comics were as well told as this.
3. Daredevil - This has been in my top 5 since Bendis took over and isn’t going away anytime soon. To be honest, with the exception of UXM, I could put any of Brubaker’s current work in this list.
4. Doctor Strange: The Oath - Best Stephen Strange story. Ever. Hopefully Bendis will run with Vaughn’s characterization of Strange in New Avengers, found it to be a great take. Amazing art by Martin too. Give this man a regular title now!!
5. Iron Man - This one surprised me. Just thought it was a damn fine read.
Honorable mentions: Ex Machina, Runaways, X-Factor, newuniversal, Shazam: Monster Society Of Evil
03 Mar 2007 at 11:42 am
QuoteI feel your pain, Glen. Nextwave was Saturday morning cartoon hilarity at its best and I will miss it. But at the very least, it went out on top and with a bang. Or would that be a Tick Tick Tick…BOOM!
03 Mar 2007 at 12:38 pm
Quote1. DMZ (trades)
2. Y the Last Man (trades)
3. Daredevil (monthly)
4. All Star Superman (whenver it comes out)
5. Uncanny X-Men (monthly)
seems like i’m increasingly finding myself more excited by trades these days than monthly comics, but that could just be because the comics i choose to collect in trade tend to be more “adult”.
03 Mar 2007 at 3:01 pm
QuoteIn the Nightly News, I like the mix of social commentary and the story…the story has taken some real interesting twists over the past few issues - also, the style of the art is really fresh and makes it feel radicaly different from other books with similar themes (such as dmz….which i also love) - the book reminds me very much of the last act of Fight Club
03 Mar 2007 at 5:49 pm
QuoteMy top 5 books that came out this week:
1.) 52
2.) Jack of Fables
3.) Runaways (Not as strong an ending as I was hoping for from BKV, but still good.)
4.) Walking Dead
5.) The Exterminators
03 Mar 2007 at 5:59 pm
QuoteHere’s a suggestion for this new feature - how about short little comments to go along with each of the picks, like some of the posters have done here? Nothing too long, just something like “I like Onslaught: Reborn because of Liefeld’s depiction of some of my favorite heroes. Really brings me back to the ’90s.”
I know, I know…that poor horse. That poor, poor, dead horse.
03 Mar 2007 at 6:41 pm
QuoteWhat, Kiel, you want to know WHY we like comics? This isn’t a review site… wait, what?
03 Mar 2007 at 9:30 pm
QuoteI am *SO* Brubaker’s bitch right now.
1. Daredevil
2. Criminal
3. X-Factor
4. Runaways
5. Iron Fist
Agents of Atlas and Nextwave probably would’ve made the list if they were still going. All-Star Superman, Captain America and B.P.R.D. certainly would’ve made the list if they had come out recently.
I don’t know if I’m feeling the love for The Spirit. It’s beautiful to look at, but I’m not captivated by the story. I absolutely despise Local and stopped reading it a couple issues back. I’m amazed so many of you love it.
It’s interesting to see how the area of my comics focus shifts around the industry over time. A few years ago I read DC, Vertigo and Indy books almost exclusively. Now I almost only read Marvel. I don’t know if it’s because the quality has moved to Marvel, or if I’m a comics junkie that’s grown immune to what used to give me my fix, and now I’m craving something new and different.
Looking at your buying habits, do you find that you faithfully follow certain characters / creators that you feel deliver reliable “quality”? Or are you constantly thirsting for something new?
04 Mar 2007 at 6:21 am
QuoteI have to agree. Trying to mix a character with such old school sensibilities with a more modern setting really isn’t working for me. I felt the recent origin issue in particular emphasized the problems with the concept. Are we supposed to believe that they buried somebody without embalming him? Is being legally dead really that much of crime fighting advantage? I guess we’re just supposed to go with the Golden Age style flow with a book like this but, to me, the story just seems average at best.
04 Mar 2007 at 11:20 am
QuoteSome pretty good choices from everyone. Here are my five favorite books right now below.
1.Fables
2.Criminal
3.Ex Machina
4.Daredevil
5.All Star Superman
04 Mar 2007 at 2:22 pm
QuoteLots of DC on everyone’s Top Five… and very little Marvel.
Here’s My Top 5:
1. Walking Dead
2. Iron Man
3. Captain America
4. Casanova
5. Iron Fist
Honorable Mention: Godland, Catwoman…. Daredevil
04 Mar 2007 at 5:32 pm
QuoteFavorite comics of the moment.
1. Lucifer - Finished it last month, but it still echoes in my head. I really have to explore Carey’s other stuff, like Crossing Midnight.
2. Jack of Fables - I read first trade today! I’m very excited to add that to the bi-annual reading list.
3. The Walking Dead - I loathe its schedule, but it’s catching up now and I love the last two issues.
4. Testament - Eagerly awaiting the trades to catch up to the third arc, (where I stopped the singles). The use of the medium in this book excites me.. and I love Bible stuff (see Lucifer).
5. Fell - I hope it gets onto a better schedule because it’s a joy to read.
04 Mar 2007 at 10:57 pm
QuoteGlad to see some love for X-Factor. #16 was an excellent read, with some nice twists and moral questions.
Was surprised to see Firestorm on a list, especially after hearing it was cancelled. Fury of Firestorm #2 was one of the two initial comics I ever bought so many, many, many years ago, so I have a soft spot for the character, despite not being a big DC fan. I never did get this series…did I miss out?
My Top 5:
1. X-Factor (continually good)
2. Criminal (Anything Brubaker touches is gold…this could be any of his other titles as well)
3. Runaways (Sad to see Vaughn go, even with Whedon coming)
4. Y: The Last Man (finally got the first trade, and want to catch up ASAP)
5. newuniversal (still waiting for DP7…)
05 Mar 2007 at 2:53 am
QuoteI wasn’t much impressed with the series initially, but Dwayne McDuffie took over writing with the most recent issue to finish the series out and he can make me want to read anything. Combine that with the facts that the story features the New gods heavily and I’m a huge Fourth World fan, and it ranked way up there for me.
05 Mar 2007 at 11:08 am
QuoteI disagree. Deadly Genesis left a very bad taste in my mouth, and his Uncanny X-men run has been pretty unimpressive (and I like X-men-in-space stories). Recently dropped the book, actually. But everything else he’s doing is certainly some of the best Marvel stuff going right now.
05 Mar 2007 at 6:15 pm
QuoteNick Budd suggested that I give Ironman a read, and I did.
I just wanted to say that it may well have made my top five list if I had actually read it when I compiled my list.
As bad as Civil War was for me, I’m actually enjoying most of the fall-out stories so far. Ironman and Thunderbolts have both become titles that I get excited about when I see them on the shelf.
05 Mar 2007 at 7:02 pm
QuoteMurphy said:
You’d probably dig the current X-Factor, then. I recommend starting with the Madrox trade. If you pick it up and don’t like it, we’ll let ya trade it in for something else.
I’m no fan at all of Friday the 13th, Texas Chainsaw, etc., but the good words I’m hearing from you and Dave and Dan on these Wildstorm books are making me want to check out trades when they come out. Well, that and the covers, which are really nice.
Really digging this book as well. Sounds like Cullen (the writer) has more miniseries planned after the first one ends, which is cool.
I think The Damned really deserves to be a hit on the order of Walking Dead. It’s got great art, good characters, a really interesting premise and a nice creepy mood to it. I bet that many of the folks who put Walking Dead in their top five would dig this book. It’s from Oni Press, and the trade is due to hit in April… worth checking out.
Rob Barrett said:
I liked the first couple issues of OYL I read, I ought to give the newly released trade a look on this one.
I hadn’t thought of it in those terms, but it’s an interesting comparison. SMT was very much a period piece, and very much an adult tone, whereas Spidey Loves Mary Jane is kind of timeless and all-ages, but in a lot of ways, I think you’re right on target. Certainly McKeever’s Mary Jane is the most interesting and believable version of the character I’ve ever read.
Marc Bryant said:
We love you too Marc. And I love your Top Five, which is all made up of books I’m really digging.
Kiel said:
(About Suburban Folklore)
Yep, I’m quite familiar with Suburban Folklore… in fact, I’ve got the trade sitting in my pile to read. I picked up a couple issues in San Diego a few years back and really enjoyed it, and had been sort of following it since. I had written a couple reviews of it back at Fourth Rail. It’s a really good slice-of-life book.
Hellhound said:
I felt the same way. It was a good ending, but a little disappointing given the great ending he gave volume one of the book. And I was quite annoyed to see Show ▼
show up, as it felt like an unnecessary touch and hurt the book’s up until now self-contained nature.
Kiel also said:
We talked about it, but I think we’re going to offer up our comments in the comments thread. The reason being, we can easily put together the Top Five, it’s already on the site, but if we ask all five of us to write up short one-or-two liners each week, well… that’s how a feature goes on unintentional hiatus, like Hot Pants (coming back soon!) or Short Pants (coming back… maybe not quite as soon, but soonish!)
Dasbender said:
Wow. Despise? I mean, I can see “not my thing,” but outright despise? Why? The art is amazing, the storytelling is exceptionally strong, the characters believable… what is it that set you off to such a degree about Local?
Wait… new and different is Marvel? The guys doing “all the superheroes fight a Civil War over registration?” guys? I think I might see why you and I might differ on the appeal of Local and The Spirit.
More seriously, we may just be looking for totally different things in our comics. Because honestly, while Marvel’s producing some books I really like right now, they’re producing even more that I hate.
A bit of both. I’ll always check out stuff from Ed Brubaker or Darwyn Cooke or other guys whose work I’ve enjoyed, but I’m always hoping to discover a new voice, whether it’s an indy guy like Tom Beland or a new voice at Marvel/DC like Christos Gage.
Clearly, I need to give Iron Man a read, because while I never saw Carnivale, the guys who wrote that are writing Iron Man, and both Nick and D3 seem to have loved the hell out of the first “Director of SHIELD” issue. Which is of course sold out, but more than likely Marvel will do a second printing.
05 Mar 2007 at 7:27 pm
QuoteAdmittedly, I picked up Uncanny X-Men last of his titles, and only finished Deadly Genesis yesterday, so I’m sort of coming at DG sideways. While Uncanny isn’t in the league of the rest of his current projects, I’m enjoying it, and maybe its because I picked up DG late that I didn’t have the same “bad taste” you did (since I knew what was coming). I could certainly understand why a person would feel that, especially if they were a long-time X-Men reader. Nonetheless, I’m finding the current Uncanny arc a fun space-romp; not as deep or complex as his other work, but good in a different way.
06 Mar 2007 at 4:09 am
QuoteHi all…I’m a new poster but long time site visitor (going back to 4th Rail). Great feature…here’s what I’m enjoying right now:
1) Jonah Hex - Gray and Palmiotti miss for me most of the time, but their collaboration here really works for some reason. I don’t ask why…I’m just enjoying my monthly “done (mostly) in one” stories. And it got me to pick up the Showcase Presents trade which introduced me to some truely great Jonah Hex stories
2) American Virgin - I never know if I’m going to like or hate a Steven T. Seagle series going in. I’m loving this one though, with Becky Cloonan delivering some fantastic art
3) Uncanny X-Men - Not sure if it’s really a “top 5″ but I can’t believe an Xmen book is even close for me so I had to put it in. Props to Brubaker for making a fun story that I look forward to every month. Billy Tan and Clayton Henry have been delivering some solid work, and kudos to Brubaker for structuring the story such that the change in artists doesn’t feel so much like a “fill in”.
4) Fables and Jack of Fables - What a fun couple of books!
5) The Spirit - Never read a Spirit comic before the Batman/Spirit one shot, but Cooke is delivering on story and art and makes a great monthly read.
Special Mention: Green Arrow - Winnick comes under fire alot and I’ve never read another series by him but I’m really liking what he’s done with GA. It got a bit sluggish pre-OYL but he’s delivered an interesting tale and made good use of the OYL jump. A shame the series is ending to relaunch with Black Canary (I mean really…does adding Black Canary deserve a new #1???)
Great site everyone! I’ve discovered alot of hidden gem comics from visiting!
Jason
06 Mar 2007 at 10:55 am
QuoteRandy said (re: Local):
“Despise” might’ve been a little strong. I guess I’ll go with “really dislike” instead.
1. The main character is completely irredeemable in my eyes, and unlike Ant-Man or Guy Gardner, she’s not irredeemable in a fun way. I refuse to read a book where I hope the main character dies a HORRIBLE death as soon as possible.
2. I don’t care. Four issues into it and I still don’t care about the plot. It might be pretty and have fluid storytelling, but so could a story about some guy sweeping a floor for 22 pages. It’d be believeable, but I’d still have no emotional investment in the story.
3. Local hasn’t delivered what it promised. It has nothing to do with anything “local”. It was marketed as a book about various locales, spending time savoring the location of each issue, but pretty much every issue could’ve taken place anywhere without having any impact to the story.
4. It can’t even come out on time. Par for the course these days, I suppose, but it’s still a strike against the book IMHO.
06 Mar 2007 at 10:55 am
QuotePapercut, I might have to check out Jonah Hex when I get the chance. Like you said, Gray and Palmiotti always leave me cold, but this book has gotten quite a bit of praise.
And Dasbender, I gotta strongly disagree with you. Not to start something, but my narrow mind cannot really grasp why you’re railing against Local. Excpet for the lateness issue - that does hurt a lot, and has tempted me to drop it and wait for the trade instead. Even if I skip an issue, I always find myself going back and buying it anyway, though.
06 Mar 2007 at 11:06 am
QuoteIt’s been so long since I stopped reading Local (6 months maybe?) that I don’t remember any specifics about it. I just remember I REALLY didn’t respect it. I’d guess it might’ve been the whiney tone of the main character that bothered me, but I’m a guy that reads and loves Optic Nerve so that can’t be it
06 Mar 2007 at 1:49 pm
Quote1. DMZ
2. GL Corps
3. X-Factor
4. Manhunter
5. American Virgin
I got asked to throw in my 2 cents on this topic. Local? I’ve been buying it, and the art is beautiful. The problem is the main character is a spiteful, evil bitch. If she got hit by a car in the last issue, I’d probably say, “oh.” The characterization beyond that isn’t too amazing or flooring me. And while it’s a comic about nothing, it sure as hell isn’t Seinfeld. I think I liked it better before there was a common thread in the book. Give me random snapshots, but don’t tell me there is some sort of progressing story, when the story truly is not progressing.
06 Mar 2007 at 1:56 pm
QuoteRandy said:
And knowing that, I might have to steer you away from Chain Saw. It’s much better than the other Wildstorm horror books (and the previous Avatar incarnations, of course), but it’s *still* a Texas Chain Saw Massacre story.
06 Mar 2007 at 2:01 pm
QuoteCurrent Top 5 Monthlies
1. Daredevil
2. Scalped
3. Ant Man
4. Action Comics
5. Amazing Spiderman
08 Mar 2007 at 2:27 pm
QuoteSo many good books to choose from. These are my five favorite most UNDERRATED books:
1. Atom
2. Ant Man
3. Criminal
4. Scalped
5. New Universal
08 Mar 2007 at 2:35 pm
Quote