In our version of an Annual issue, we deconstruct end-of-year lists by just talking about comic-related topics, happenings, and trends that we're thankful for in 2014. No rankings or slideshows: just fun and variety you can only spoil by reading ahead.
Pictured above (top to bottom): The Private Eye, The Bunker, Black Science, Minimum Wage
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IDW's Little Nemo - Return to Slumberland is an all-ages title that looks great, reads well, and that deeply respects the original classic work of Winsor McCay.
Special Guest
Doug Hazlewood inked Superboy in the 90's, and worked on Grant Morrison's classic Animal Man run, but he was a big comics fan before that. Jack Kirby and stand-out cover design were his portals to comics discovery as a kid.
Reading List
The Return of Minimum Wage
Bob Fingerman's Minimum Wage in particular, is great. John's "sweet spot" that truly reveal his deepest, most-loved comics.
Harvey Pekar's illustrated anecdotes in American Splendor were adapted for a movie, and were great comics on their own.
The Growth of Creator-Owned
Rick Remender: Black Science (volume one, two releases 10 Feb 2015) and Low (volume one TPB in March 2015) are speculative fiction at their best
Charles Soule: Letter 44 (volume one TPB) wonders "what if the just-elected President was left a letter by his predecessor that reveals not only is there something 'out there' in space, but that a manned mission is well on its way to go meet 'who/whatever it is'?"
Brian K Vaughn: The Private Eye's story device of the "Cloudburst" is the most directly real-life relevant thing in comics it seems no one is talking about. Private Eye is available exclusively digitally, priced as "pay what you want".
James Tynion: The Woods, Memetic
Joshua Hale Fialkov: The Bunker debuted on ComiXology Submit and blew up like crazy. It'd make a hell of a TV show.
David Lapham: John has known and met some of the "real-life palookas" featured in Stray Bullets ("Uber Alles" edition Omnibus) and Stray Bullets: Killers
Sex Criminals (vol1, vol2, pre-order the "Big Hard" ultra-collection) is TIME's comic of the year, ODY-C just started
Side note: Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky expanded on bad sex advice they give in the Sex Criminals letters column in Just the Tips
Thrillbent: $3.99 a month gets you all-you-can eat, exclusive digital comics like Christy Blanch's "Breaking Bad-ish" The Damnation of Charlie Wormwood, Empire Volume 2, and a whole host of others, all designed for tablet reading. It's the craziest, best value in digital comics that more people should
Comics Humble Bundles (all sadly expired, but there will be more of these)
Dark Horse Star Wars, Valiant, BOOM!, and Image did them this year
$500-1000 of comics for a minimum of $10 in general
Marvel and DC haven't done them yet, but it'd be great if they did
The closest is the very "Netflix of Comics" that Marvel Unlimited has become (the majority of Marvel back issues we talk about are all on Unlimited)
New, Fresh Energy in the DC Universe
Morrison/Shaner Shazam (Multiversity: Thunderworld) is a breath of fresh air John enjoys
Infinity Man and the Forever People (vol1 TPB) sadly just got the axe
Greg Pak's writing on Action Comics (first TPB of his run) is the great Superman book we have both wanted for years.
The Batgirl revamp (at #35) is a good sign.
Legion of Super-Heroes needs some love. Who will give it said love?
John highly recommends the revamp of Catwoman that starts with #35, written by Genevieve Valentine
Benedict Cumberbatch is Doctor Strange
His casting means Robert Downey Jr-level attention on a long-under-loved character
Big, Deluxe Editions
Dark Horse's Usagi Yojimbo Saga volumes
The Complete Groo by Sergio Aragonés is coming in 2015
The Sixth Gun Deluxe Editions (vol1, vol2 up for pre-order): western supernatural action-adventure story by Cullen Bunn and Brian Hurtt that is among the few series Stan Sakai reads. Yes, that Stan Sakai.
