This week, we’re handing out the First Annual Comics Daily awards - one per day - between Christmas and New Year. Each award has been written up by a member of the Comics Daily team after a consensus was reached, and highlights what we feel have been the best of superhero comics this year (though, to prevent All Star Superman sweeping the board, we’re limiting each comic/creator to one win each)

Best Ongoing : Amazing Spider-Man

We kick off the awards with a fairly controversial choice. Exactly 12 months ago, Spider-Man fans (myself included) were choking back bile at the thought of what “One More Day” - an editorially-driven storyline designed to write Peter and MJ’s marriage out of continuity - had done to the character. It was a poor story with an unpopular conclusion, and the writer himself did all but openly disown it. Quesada had practically gambled his career on the character’s future, and from the outside, things looked pretty grim for Spider-Man in 2008.

Marvel, though, had a plan. They wanted to make Amazing Spider-Man ship three times a month, and to do that, they brought together a wide range of creators, old and new. The resulting comic was, without a doubt, the one to read in 2008. Whether you love or hate idea of annulling the spider-marriage, it’s hard not to agree that Amazing isn’t telling some of the most genuine Spider-Man stories in years.

It’s hard to know what deserves the most applause. The rock solid shipping of 36 issues of one of Marvel’s flagship titles? The attempt to establish new villains and rebuild a supporting cast? The wealth of ongoing, slow-burn subplots? Everything about the new Amazing says “we’re trying as hard as we can” and as a fan you can’t help but appreciate it.

The creative teams, too, have been an virtual “Who’s who?” of comics talent, from Steve McNiven to Marcos Martin, from Mark Waid to Dan Slott - these people know their craft. Even when you get a writer or artist you don’t like, there’s no need to worry - within a week or two, someone else will take over.  The thrice-monthly format is inarguably a creative success, at last merging the collection-focussed ethos of the present decade with the issue-focussed approach of times past.

Whatever you might think of Amazing Spider-Man’s continuity glitches and editorial repositioning, it’s hard to argue with the results. The series is once again the very template for what a modern super-hero comic should look like, a whole 40 years after it originally redefined the genre. Quesada may have gambled a lot on Spider-Man, and right now, it looks like the gamble might just have paid off.

Runners Up: Batman, Uncanny X-Men, Blue Beetle, X-Force, Ultimate Spider-Man

Ever since Brand New Day was first released, with its associated mangling of continuity, fans have been asking that the details to get cleared up. Marvel, eager to look to the future, has spent very little time trying to fill in the gaps, promising only that concerns will be addressed - eventually. With this issue, one of the major continuity wrinkles is finally bashed flat as we finally discover what led to the the return of Harry Osborn.

Whether Mephisto was actually involved in Harry’s return is kept wisely quiet. No part of his resurrection requires a break from continuity as established, and mirrors his father’s return almost exactly - the goblin formula kept him alive, and he hid (though not voluntarily) in Europe until returning to the US and having his status re-established. Upon reading this, it’s hard not to think that the solution offered displays a lack of imagination. Even the telling of it is relegated to a quick, recap-style flashback, and the feeling readers are left with is one of begrudging placation rather than the year-long payoff that they were rightly expecting. The intention seems to be that Marvel want readers to understand that this is the status quo, and that they’re not going to waste too much effort connecting it with the past.

Of course, whatever you think of the manner in which the continuity plugging has been done, the issue is still one of Slott’s weakest. While there are some good scenes between Peter, Harry, Carlie and Lily early in the issue, the latter half of the issue is largely built around Harry’s under-established former family, neither of whom have been members of the supporting cast any major capacity for some time. The ingredients for this issue all seem correct - a heavy focus on Peter’s personal relationship with his cast, a look at events that occurred during the Brand New Day “missing time”, and the return of a classic villain - but somehow Slott doesn’t quite manage to pull it all together.

Slott’s dialogue, at least, is on fine form (particularly Aunt May, recalling an villainous encounter from the past: “I don’t want you taking this lightly, Peter, Molten men are dangerous!”). McKone’s artwork is as reliable as ever, though Cox’s colours give the issue a slightly muted feel that makes even the scenes featuring Mysterio and Molten Man feel a bit more subdued than you’d expect from such larger-than-life villains. It’s not a bad issue by normal standards, but judged against Slott’s previous work, well, it’s hard not to be just a little disappointed.

Capsule reviews from the Comics Daily team, including Amazing Spider-Man #580, DMZ #37, Mirror’s Edge #2 and X-Men/Spider-Man #2. Continue reading »

Ever since last year’s “Swing Shift” special, the mystery of who “Jackpot” was has been percolating through the Spider-man series. Unfortunately for the annual that finally wraps the storyline up, it’s not been percolating very well. Sure, there’s been the odd hint here and there, but the assumption largely foisted on readers has been that Jackpot is, somehow, connected to Mary-Jane, and that the story’s going to tie in to her.

Well, apparently not. After severely underselling the mystery in the main spider-title, it falls to Marc Guggenheim to lay out the pieces of the puzzle for those that still care. As a story, it hangs together fine, and all the plot elements make sense. Undoubtedly, it’s a coherent read. Unfortunately, it’s not a satisfying one.  If the specific elements of this story had been drawn out over even a few issues, it would’ve given readers time to come up with their own theories. As it is, the two we do have - Jackpot’s “real” name and Sara’s fondness for MJ - are so old that it’s easy to forget that they even tie in to this story.

By revealing so many of the facts in the space of one issue, any chance for readers to connect the dots themselves is utterly gone, and the tale feels like little more than exposition as a result. Jackpot’s true identity was destined to be a controversial matter, whether it was or wasn’t MJ - but somehow, the final revelation manages to evoke no strong feelings at all. Reading the story, my main feeling is that Jackpot represents the worst sort of wasted opportunity. The character who should’ve been a supportive heroine and a decent addition to Spider-Man’s universe, whether she was MJ or not, is instead written out with nary an epilogue. Readers of the main title - where, let’s not forget, she’s appeared fairly prominently - might just as soon fail to notice that she’s gone at all. Even the cliffhanger, which suggests the return of Ehret, seems like a cop-out, replacing a now-familiar, slightly developed character with an unfamiliar and undeveloped one in an attempt to both have the cake and eat it.

There’s no doubt that this annual is a must-read for those following Amazing Spider-Man. Art and writing are completely competent. But if it’s a satisfying resolution to a long-running story you’re after, though, then you should probably lower your expectations before reading it.

This week: An interview with Marc Ellerby and capsule reviews of 1985 #6, Amazing Spider-Man #575, Kick-Drum Comix #2, Secret Invasion: X-Men #3, Superman #681 and X-Force #8.

Continue reading »

This week: news and capsule reviews, including Amazing Spider-Man #574, Angel: After the Fall #13, Daredevil #112, Thunderbolts #125 and X-Factor #36.

Continue reading »