Comic Overview 2016

Another year and honestly if you ignore the mountains of political stuff this was a good year purely on a comic standpoint. A lot of new books came out, some that played on already existing stories, some that I found just in the comic ether, and some coming out of new initiatives from companies. This year we are going to go over some of my favorite books that I've read this year.

Batman

Snyder's Batman was possibly the best book that came out of New 52 so when Tom King took over it was a question of whether or not the book would live up that awesomeness. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the book was not only good but it also became the book I was looking the most forward to reading. From Batman dealing with super powered protectors of the city or declaring war on Bane, this book has really shown the best of what Batman can be as a character. Where I often felt Snyder's take on the character was more on his mortality. Snyder in a lot of ways went the same route as Gail Simone in that he wasn't afraid to break the character in any way possible. Tom King is really showing off what Batman can do on a less epic scale in an epic way. By "less epic" I mean that there isn't a lot of "this is going to be the biggest thing ever" which Snyder did very well but could be a bit overwhelming. King's Batman reminded me a bit of Capaldi's take on the Doctor, more open about what he could and couldn't do.

Detective Comics

I honestly didn't know what to expect with this book when I heard Tynion say he wanted to write the Batman story he always wanted, but then I realized that Tynion and I have similar desires for what we want in a Batman book. Detective Comics has Batman working with members of the Bat Family to protect the city, essentially creating a Bat-Training Camp. Batman is working with Red Robin, Cassandra Cain, Clayface, Spoiler, and his cousin Kate Kane as Batwoman, this is honestly what I want, a bigger, more unified Bat Family. From the threat of the organization known as The Colony, the "death" of Tim Drake, and the threat of the League of Shadows, and even Spoiler going rogue, I honestly feel this has the potential to be one of the best Batman books in a while. Where New 52's Detective Comics went all over the place with it's stories, there was never really a focus other than "these are stories that happen in between the main book" and had little connection. Now it seems that all the books in in Rebirth are connected to each other and on the same page. It honestly feels like the Batman Animated Series and I honestly love it.

Captain America: Steve Rogers

There wasn't a lot of things I wanted to read in Marvel in terms of new stuff and I think because it was honestly too big to really get into. Marvel is front loaded and back loaded with characters and their stories and it makes it hard to pick a point though I have made some headway, with books like Thor, She-Hulk, Doctor Strange, and now Captain America. This book was honestly something I just picked up because I didn't care about Sam Wilson being Captain America and finding out that this story had Steve Rogers revealed to be a member of HYDRA, I couldn't help but read it just for the internet backlash. Finding out how Steve got his powers back, the circumstances involving his HYDRA allegiance, and how he has impacted the MU has been brilliant on those grounds alone. Steve is destroying everything for the glory of HYDRA, S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers, and even HYDRA. This wasn't the book I wanted, but it is the book I can't see myself not reading.

Wonder Woman

Someone had to save Wonder Woman after the disaster that was Meredith Finch though honestly I can't put all the blame on her, having to continue a story someone else had written. With her appearing in Batman V. Superman: Dawn of Justice and getting her own movie as well as being in Justice League, it made sense that DC would get Greg Rucka back to sort of give us a Wonder Woman would be more in line with those works or at least get her back to her status quo. Rucka has sent her back to her roots, and chose to answer some questions about her rogues gallery and also giving her her origin story, essentially retconing all the stuff told about her in New 52. Rucka is doing an excellent job crafting a slow, entertaining story that wants to show us Diana's past as she tries to understand it for her future. It is possibly the best written story in DC so far.

Justice League: Darkseid War

If I'm honest with myself, I didn't like most of Geoff John's run on Justice League, it wasn't bad but it just never felt that interesting whereas now the Justice League is going in a more smoother direction. Darkseid War is in my opinion the best story in that books line. Something big is happening as Darkseid's daughter seeks to kill Darkseid using the power of the Anti-Monitor and only with the combined efforts of Wonder Woman, Mister Miracle, and a god juiced Justice League along with the Crime Syndicate to stop the Anti-Monitor. This book had everything going for it, stakes, new characters, and some of the best writing for Wonder Woman not seen in years. It was very appropriate that Darkseid would be the final threat of the Justice League book as Darkseid was the first threat they faced. It also followed up on some other things like Superman dying, Jessica Cruz becoming a Green Lantern, Diana having a brother (though that got dropped sadly), and the mystery of three Jokers and the reveal of DOCTOR MANHATTAN IN THE DCU! It was an awesome story.

Star Wars: Shattered Empire

This is an old book that came out shortly after Disney bought Star Wars and the changes to continuity was announced. Taking place shortly after Return of the Jedi, Luke, Han, and Leia, all go one their own missions. Whether it is to get official surrender, or to get the last two trees that grew in the Jedi Temple. Honestly, there isn't anything about this book that really makes this great save the writing, especially with Luke who feels like the mature character we saw him as at the end of Return of the Jedi. There was also some fun stuff like Leia on Naboo and when she enters the hangar she senses Darth Maul's presence or rather the imprint he left all those years ago when he fought there in Phantom Menace. It's a fun read that doesn't introduce a lot but leaves little hints of things to come, like Poe Dameron's parents (spoiler alert lol!)

 Doctor Strange

I have always wanted to like Doctor Strange as a character and even more as a book, primarily because every time I saw him, he looked so out of place in the Marvel Universe. I had read some of his earlier stuff and I kind of felt a bit down that he didn't have a new book but luckily "All New, All Different Marvel" started and introduced Doctor Strange.Strange is very much what we would expect of American Wizards, he's professional but not, serious but with a sense of humor about himself. Strange seems very set on the idea that his entire life his pain and he accepts it because there is nothing else he would rather be. He's sort of the Doctor House of magic with Wong serving as his Wilson. The first story, the Death of Magic involves Strange and other magic users trying to stop a science cult from destroying magic and it was very much the idea that magic has a price that Strange and other magic users haven't really been paying in one form or another.

Unworthy Thor

I was slowly losing interest in Mighty Thor because some stories just dragged themselves on longer than I would have liked but recently I've gotten back into it and this book has gotten me totally back in. Staring Odinson, the former Thor (still stupid) goes off in seek of the Ultimate Thor's hammer and with a little help from Beta Ray Bill, Odinson seeks to regain not only the hammer, but his identity. Honestly, the story idea is kind of stupid like the rest of Jane Foster Thor, but the writing and the story itself does help make the story actually good. Odinson is very much a man seeking to find himself or rather get back to himself. He wants to be worthy of being Thor and I think in a lot of ways he links the idea of Thor to his hammer, which in a lot of ways was birthright, it's a symbol to him and he has found himself unworthy of the symbol as it rejects him. In a lot of ways, it's similar to how in Inuyasha, where without Tetsaiga, Inuyasha is in danger of losing himself to his own power though much better because well, it's Inuyasha. Thor has become more and more interesting since Jason Aaron started writing for him, he does a great job of writing characters.

Superman

I couldn't get into New 52 Superman, there was just too many things I just couldn't get into like his parents being dead, him dating Wonder Woman over Lois, and the rotating writers. I think the book brought out my raging fanboy more because I loved the return of Pre-Flashpoint Superman which this book is. Superman here is focused on raising his son as he develops his super powers as well as living with his wife Lois while keeping their existence secret. Peter Tomasi, who wrote Batman and Robin gets a chance to write another father/son duo, that being Superman and his son. What I think makes the book work is not just the underlying threat of a mysterious group, but also how it lightly connects to other things like Action Comics and Justice League as well as Batman. Each character has a great bond with each other but the meat of the book is in how Clark interacts with other characters like Lois, Jon, and Batman and the emphasis on family. It's a sweet, action packed adventure that really helps you like Superman as a character.

Before Watchmen: Minutemen

George R.R. Martin once said "The human heart in conflict with itself is the only thing worth writing about." That is what I think about when I read Before Watchmen though I may have just liked it too much and thought it was more than it was. Written by Darwyn Cooke, it tells the story of the original super hero team called the Minutemen as Hollis Mason remembers his adventures with the group as he puts his tell all book out about there adventures. In a lot of ways it reminds me of the series Gotham but more focused and less involved with cramming as much of it's future into the story. The book primarily helps you understand the characters and their struggles as they try to be superheroes or rather, convince everyone else they are. It isn't a bunch of people totally inspired to make a difference, so much as it's people who want to be famous, or crack some skulls, it's all very human and very 40's-50's. We understand characters like the Comedian, Silk Spectre, and Nite Owl more than we really do in either the comic or movie (especially the movie). It's a very E True Hollywood Story take on superheroes and the genre itself.

Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan

Rikuo has always wanted to lead his families Yokai clan when he came of age,but when he finds out his friends at school think Yokai are bad, he decides to hide that part of his life.  Things change as his grandfather names him the next heir and Rikuo has to balance his two lives as a high school student and the future leader of the Night Parade of Yokai.

While this series isn't anything new (far from it) I honestly wanted to like it just because Rikuo's Night Form looked so awesome and it honestly reminded me a lot of the character Yugi Muto in Yu-Gi-Oh!. Rikuo is very much like Yugi, someone who is very timid and wants to help and make friends where his Night Form is more intense and is more of a leader. The story itself isn't that great but the supporting cast is just so much fun as it has Yokai, Exorcists, and people who want to search for Yokai because it's "fun" while Rikuo has to prove himself worthy of being the future clan leader and still keep his human friends. I'm only five volumes in and honestly this is one of the best mangas I've read in a while and is one of the three manga I've been reading along with Kekkaishi and Blue Exorcist.