Favourites of 2019 - An Attempt at Remembering! - Part 1.

Hi Chums,

I thought that I would round out the year with a list of the highs (and some lows) of 2019 from my viewpoint as a reader, reviewer, writer and podcaster. With the medium spreading it’s wings further into all corners of the literal and figurative world it has been an interesting time to say the least. We have seen many trends come and go as well as some boutique indie publishers land with some great products and some then disappear.

So I thought that I might highlight where my year has taken me and give you a few of those ‘Favourite Lists’ that you seem so fond of talking about. This isn’t a big list of credits either so if you want a full creative team or release date/details etc you may have to head over to Google.

I have also (almost) stayed away from comics I have collaborated on, anthologies I have been part of, companies I edit for and books published by Nobrow. (I almost succeed too!)

First up is the more mainstream of my comics habit! Part two will follow soon and cover the Small Press, Conventions and Graphic novels.

First up...

Favourite Writer.

1. Jonathan Hickman. - Who can doubt the effect that his Powers of X/House of X series had on both the Mutant Universe and on those writers who had sat back on their haunches and coasted along with the same old, same old.
2. Gerry Duggan - Proving that you can write fresh stories and add some actual humour into some dark situations. I’d highly recommend anything Punisher title as a starter.
3. Christophe Chaboute - Ok, I know that these books came out last year but I only got to them earlier this year. (So that counts in my twisted logic). The Park Bench and Alone are slow and observational. They take their time and are both full of some of the finest unspoken dialogue you’ll find. 
4. Robert Venditti - A writer who works often on the DC ‘B List’ like Freedom Fighters, Hawkman or Damage but makes them thrilling page-turners that I always enjoy.

Favourite Artist.

1. Enrico Marini - I’ve been waiting to find that artist who just displays such a supernatural ability to lay down lines of ink and colour. This guy is as good as Byrne with the sensibilities of Giraud. Eagles of Rome, Gypsy, Raptors, Desert Star and more make this a creator who could be my favourite artist every year for the foreseeable.
2. Mirko Colak - I’ve been loving the ragged and sad eyed characters Mirko has been laying down in the Aftershock Comics series Holy Grail. I explored some of his other work and he has definitely found a new fan. He walks that skilful line of action and character and communicates emotion and desperation in his players faces just perfectly.
3. Ralph Meyer - It should come as no surprise to anyone who knows me or follows myself, Vince and Dan on the Awesome Comics podcast that European creators would loom large on this list. Meyer is a fucking grandmaster of the medium and his work on the Asgard and The Undertaker series have really caught my eye. Follow him on Instagram if you’re an artist he’s well worth a look.
4. Marco Checchetto - I’ve been a fan of this artist since his stint on the Punisher and Punisher: War Zone with Greg Rucka a few years ago. He has a painterly yet defined style that puts him right up there at the moment for me. Everything has depth of view and a palpable drama that leads the story forcefully onwards. His Daredevil work this year has been outstanding.

Favourite Comics - Marvel.

1. House of X / Powers of X. - These comics made the weekly reading experience a joy once again after a year that had dragged somewhat with multi-part cross-overs and childish babytalk writing. This is a master-class in writing both in plot and character. Pepe Larraz was perfect for this series. Action with consistency of character all the way through.
2. Punisher Kill Krew - Written by Duggan with Juan Ferreyra on art. This took the (extremely) boring War of the Realms and turned it into a revenge saga where Frank, Foggy Nelson, the Black Knight and Juggernaught go after the creatures who killed the parents of New York orphans. Just gorey fun!
3. Daredevil - Chip Zdarsky and some gorgeous Marco Checchetto art filled this tale of the fall and rise of Murdock. It’s a thriller/soap opera that keeps on trucking and is turning into one of the first things I read every month.
4. Silver Surfer Black - Donny Cates and Tradd Moore weave something really special and really unusual in this story that would fit perfectly in an eighties issue of Metal Hurlant. A swirl of the violently visceral and the twisted grotesque beauty of an alien world. 

Favourite Comics - DC.

1. Hawkman - This is how an ongoing should be delivered. Venditti and Bryan Hitch brought back the soaring brutality on the wing and gave the book a genuine edge alongside an outer space exploration feeling. The art team has changed recently but I haven’t been this excited since Truman took on Hawkworld.
2. Snagglepuss - ‘Exit Stage Left’  - This was another brilliantly written series by Mark Russell that told a story of hidden secrets, political machinations, prejudice and sexuality in a way that I found to be intelligent, personal and very relevant without being obvious. 
3. Damage - Another Venditti book that told the story of a DC Universe styled tech Hulk character. A man escaping the world out to get him and trying to work out the curse coursing through his veins. Some great and clear Tony Daniel art complimented this series that ended far too quickly.
4. Superman 19 ‘Revealed to the World’ - Bendis really still has it! This could have easily come across as a cheap stunt but instead has such warmth and poignancy that it’ll bring a lump to your throat. Each page is a masterclass in showing and not telling and Reid kills on the art!

Favourite Comics - Image.

1. Trees - Fuck Yeah this is BACK! Warren Ellis and Jason Howard came back to this book after a bit of a break. They manage to make it about small town life as well as the mystery of these large towers that have come from space. Big ideas, Crime thriller and mysterious soap opera are co-dependant. 
2. Savage Dragon - Erik Larsen continues with one of the longest runs in indie comics history. A bash ‘em up soap opera with Kirby written large across layouts and line. This continues to be one of the best drawn and sauciest books out there. You really need to read this comic that is always quality.
3. Mage - When I heard that this was back for it’s third and final(?) volume I almost shit my boxers! Matt Wagner (with Brennan Wagner on colours) has lost none of his style and coolness and tells a story of a father with powers protecting his family no matter what! - All Magic is Green!

Favourite Comics - Europe Comics.

1. Eagles of Rome - I read the final volume of this series earlier this year and have since reread all the books, bought physical hardbacks in a language I cannot understand and met the infinitely talented Enrico Marini. More about him shortly. This remains the gold standard for action, adventure and intrigue. If you’re going to buy one book off this list it should be this one.
2. Asgard - Written by Xavier Davison with the amazing Ralph Meyer on art this is a story of man versus nature as a stranger lands in a snowy town and offers to kill their sea serpent. It may not go as planned. Visually one of the most stunning books you’ll pick up this year.
3. Ira Dei - Written by Vincent Burgess and art by Ronan Toulhoat this tells the story of some hard as fuck Norman warriors who fight their way across Sicily. Violent, brutal and unrelenting this is the real deal!
4. Human - I was really drawn to this by the art by Lucas Varela. It tells the story of Hearts of Darkness but set in a strange and weird alien planet setting. Full of tribes of gorilla and ape like humanoids who battle a human and his team of androids.

Favourite Comics - Others.

1. Sara - From the first wave of comics from the new on the scene TKO Studios this tells the story of a driven Russian female sniper. Told with absolute class by Garth Ennis, Steve Epting and Elizabeth Breitweiser on colours. A book that I read in one sitting without looking up from the page once.
2. Dark Ark - Yes I know that this has been running for a while but it was new for me. Cullen Bunn and Juan Doe tell the story of the other ark that set sale during those Biblical floods! This one was full of demons and the dark creatures of your nightmares. I’ve just devoured the first two trades and can tell you there’s no better monster maker than Mr Doe! (Aftershock Comics).
3. Grendel: Devil’s Odyssey - Another entry on the favs list for Matt and Brennan Wagner. This is a future story of the generational mercenary and assassin Grendel. It shows his quest to find a new planet for mankind and the battles he faces along that violent and bizarre road. (Dark Horse Comics).
4. 7 Deadly Sins - A book that makes Deadwood look like an episode of The Good Life. This is as dirty and bloody that a western can get. Written by Tze Chen with art by Artyom Trakhanov that immediately made me a huge fan of his work.