It is the last wednesday of the month, which means we all will soon pick up our last week of comics. That also means it is time for you to voice your opinion on what is the best in the world of comics!
As I have done for the past two years, each vote ranking is worth different points (1st place = 3pts, 2nd place = 2pts, 3rd place = 1 pt) and the top 5 of each category will be declared The Best of The Month!
PLEASE stay with the below format (makes it easier for me). Voting is ONLY for comics published THIS month (meaning January 2014)
Voting Ends: Febuary 6th, 2014
Until this thread is locked you can post or edit your votes. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! :)
Hello All! On August 31st, 2011, DC comics changed with the introduction of The New 52.
Recently, a group of users got together as part of CV's Roundtable User Discussions to look back and forward at DC's evolving multiverse.
If you don't mind, I'd like you guys to introduce your selves
Razzatazz: Hi my name is Razz or Razzatazz or Tammy or ... (runs out of names)
kilomac29: I’m Kilomac, or Kilo, or just Caleb. I’ll answer to anything really.
MadeinBangladesh: Hello, i am MadeinBangladesh aka Monty.
damswedon: Hi I'm Kurt, aka dam(god I hate this username that I'm forever stuck with)swedon. I'm an Aries, I like walks in the park, and I'm looking for fun.
DoomDoomDoom: Hi! I'm DoomDoomDoom...though I think most refer to me as just Doom.
What are you reading?
Razzatazz: I am a little all over the place recently, I am still keeping up with the new 52 here and there. I am still reading Wonder Woman and Supergirl, though I mean to catch up on a few other titles as well. I also read a few just to see how they are, like I was reading Vibe for a few issues.
kilomac29: May be easier to say what I’m not reading but I’ll give it a go.
Batman
Batman/Superman
Superman Unchained
Action Comics
All Star Western
Wonder Woman
Superman/Wonder Woman
Green Arrow
Animal Man
Nightwing
The Lantern titles
MadeinBangladesh: I'm reading a lot of comics, so I will just name some of my current favorite titles. Quantum and Woody, Harbinger, Green Arrow, Hawkeye, All-Star Western, Sheltered, Ghosted, TMNT from IDW, All New X-Men, Uncanny X-Men, Swamp Thing, Forever Evil, Clone, Aquaman and many more.
kilomac29: Man, it looks like you read more DC than I do. (I'm ashamed to admit that if I listed All the titles I read the list would be three times as long)
I'm curious: what were your thoughts about the New 52 back in 2011? Were you excited for anything?
Razzatazz: Anytime that there is a huge creative endeavour, I am behind it, and I was supportive then.
kilomac29: Well my answer may be biased, but I actually got into comics hardcore based on the New 52. (I guess I was that elusive “New Reader” the big two are always going on about) I had been on the periphery of comics off and on up until that point, picking up a GN here and there.
kilomac29: I came on about a year into the reboot, and couldn’t have picked a better time. That bit about high issue numbers, etc. being intimidating were definitely true in my case.
As for what I was excited about, the first thing I read was Batman: The Court of Owls, as recommended by my LCS Guy (What up, Mammoth Comics! Shameless plug for my fav LCS). So, I guess I was excited about finding more stuff by Snyder. (Yeah, I’m a Snyder fanboy, live with it!) I was also excited to discover other writers I really dug like Johns, Lemire, and more recently, Charles Soule.
MadeinBangladesh: I started reading comics in May, 2012. DC's New 52 was my first stepping stone into the world of comics. I caught up with Batman, Deathstroke, Justice League, and couple other DC titles. Slowly I read more and more from DC and begin to look into MARVEL, IMAGE, and other companies to become an official comicbook reader. I understand that the New 52 enraged and frustrated many old readers, but I'm very grateful of the New 52 as it made me a weekly reader.
damswedon: Before the New 52 I was mostly out of DC comics, other than Bryan Q Miller's Batgirl (the best Spider-man comic written in years) I was mainly picking up Marvel comics for my Superhero kick, but I was about ready for a jump across to DC. So in theory I should have been all for the New 52 once it hit
DoomDoomDoom: When the New 52 was announced I was only reading Green Lantern before hand. Sure I was familiar with quite a few DC characters but I had never followed any titles that were coming out on the month to month basis. My familiarity with DC characters stemmed from a lot of DC Showcase Presents and the DC animated universe and a few handful of oddball back issues. I was excited for a jumping on point with a bunch of different characters. Out of all the titles that were dropped at the original launch I think I was most excited for DC Universe Presents and Animal Man.
Has 2 years changed your opinion on the new 52?
Razzatazz: I think the rollout of the series has on the whole been pretty disappointing. It was time for a change and a shakeup, it is maybe just too bad that it went for an extremely commercial approach. It seems like too many decisions are being based not by creative decisions but by the bottom line. I would like to see a lot of things, but it seems like DC is still just about as much out of ideas as it was before the reboot, only that the it was put in slightly different packaging. In this case, it is getting a bit tired for me, though I do maintain hope for the future. To be honest, I would probably stop hating so much if they could just stop letting Wonder Woman date Superman.
kilomac29: I don’t know if my opinion has changed. Like I said, New 52 was my jumping on point, so I may be more forgiving of its flaws. I definitely don’t like a lot of the decisions they’ve made, or their reasoning behind them. (What Didio has said about how they came up with the 52 number is just one example)
I tend to (try to) focus less on what DC is doing to screw up my favorite characters (I’m looking at you Tomasi) and focus more on what my favorite writers and artists are doing in their books. I can also see the writing on the wall though. Writers and artists are starting to leave the company en masse, and I’ll certainly be unhappy if the writers/artists I love start leaving because of DC’s editorial/business decisions.
MadeinBangladesh: I still really enjoy a lot of DC titles. That means they are still doing something right.
damswedon: Heh, so this is the part where I have to admit that before I grabbed Harley Quinn #0 I had not picked up a single comic put out by DC Comics since Swamp Thing #11. There are a number of reasons why, but the main reason why is frankly I have no ability to care about comics that come out monthly any more. You see back on the 8th of June 2011 I decided to start picking up 2000AD weekly, I'd read collections of 2000AD stuff before but I'd never read the thrill-powered weekly Progs. There is this very weird thing about reading a weekly comic, you stop caring about any other comic other than the next one, the last earthly conduits for Tharg (Editor) Andy Diggle used to say that 2000AD is like a drug, and that it true. But the thing that changed in my mind the most was how I put value in my comics. We all are subconsciously evaluating whether we should or shouldn't keep buying comics, and to be honest I've always been kinda good at telling comics to go eff themselves when I'm done with them, but reading 2000AD, and later The Phoenix, has made me stop evaluating comics using the price they are being sold at, and instead I now evaluate comics based on how long the expect me to care, and buy, them to see a story to completion. So when it came to picking between reading Jeff Lemire having to tread while Scott Snyder spends seven months writing about how a GIANT CORPSE MONSTER is evil then, guess what? I don't care any more.
Combine that with being a creator follower that had no creators that he cared about at DC, and a dislike for the whole lets wipe out our continuity but start our flagship title with a story that is about how the planet is being invaded from an alternate dimension, because for some reason Geoff Johns thinks people are too stupid to understand the concept that this is a world where superheroes exist. Never mind the fact that the majority of religions and myths start with a short "God creates the Earth / kills a giant and then, I dunno, stuff happens, Loki gets raped by a horse and gives birth to Odin's six legged horse". You know what, that is my main problem with DC, it that joke about how DC is like "Wonder Woman is hard to do", and Marvel is like "Guardians of the Galaxy stars a Cockney Space Raccoon". It is like DC has no faith that their characters are great, take Barbara Gordon for example, everything they say about Barbara Gordon being this totally amazing character that was always supposed to Batgirl and the other two were mistakes, or whatever you want to push, is completely undermined by the fact that you kept the Killing Joke both as canon, but also because it is one of the first things you reference in your new comic. If you want to have the ability to start again have the balls to do it instead of the half-arsed thing we got.
DoomDoomDoom: My opinion hasn't changed much over the course of the New 52, I'm still excited that these titles are kind of a fresh take on a universe. I see why some long time fans are all Mr. Grumpy over it, I get it, I really do. I just tend to look at the New 52 and pre-New 52 as to completly separate universes...which they are.
We've heard a lot of comic news about changes in the new 52, what is something you'd like to discuss?
MadeinBangladesh:
For me it would be Animal Man and Batman The Dark Knight are NOT CANCELLED but ending. I'm sad to see Animalman go, but he's going to join Jeff Lemire's Justice League of Canada team. I'm cool with that. And I don't really care for The Dark Knight, but I heard it was the worst of the batbooks.
kilomac29:
I'm bummed about Animal Man. I was hoping that we might get Maxine Baker as AM. It's also been one of the most consistently good and underrated books in the N52. The good news is that I'll now have some room on my pull list for titles that are starting soon.
I've never read any Batman: DK. It always seemed like reviews were never high on the book. It also had that awful Joker's Daughter story and cover. That book is still selling on eBay for $18-$20, which seems ridiculous. Weirdly though, the book had some good art talent during its run including Alex Maleev and David Finch.
DoomDoomDoom: Oh wow, I didn't know Animal Man would be ending. I'm sad to hear that, it is my favorite book DC puts out at the moment. What issue is it ending on?
Poet: yeah, it is a shame about Animal Man (I always liked it when AM appearing in my comic poll results though hasn't appeared as much recently). Batman: DK's cancelation is really not unexpected what with it being the worst of the bat books as @madeinbangladesh put it. and back to hosting...
Other than the ones we have already mentioned, are there any series which were canceled? And if so what were they and why do you think they were canceled? Do you think DC could have done something differently to make it not be canceled?
MadeinBangladesh: I don't think any other series is cancelled in this wave, but we will see when the solicits for March comes out next week.
DoomDoomDoom:DIAL H!!!!!!! I can see where it was maybe a bit to weird and offbeat for the mainstream DC universe but jeez that was an awesome book while it lasted. I imagine it was cancelled because it wasn't well known and it wasn't your even semi-traditional superhero affair. I think some issues were simply confusing, not poorly written, but the elements of the story made it fairly confusing. I think some people wrote it off as gimicky and it never had a good jumping on point other than the first issue. I honestly don't know what DC could have done differently to save that book....added Batman? DC Universe Presents was another title I was sad to see get cancelled. DC has such a wealth of great characters it really needs a book where a character who wouldn't support his own series can shine for a couple issues. I think Challengers of the Unknown as the 2nd story arc had a lot of people drop the book. I think opening the series with a Deadman arc was a good idea and maybe they should have eased their way into some more obscure areas of the DC universe.
Razzatazz: I was reading a lot to start with, and there were many that I liked. Among those Voodoo was my absolute favourite, even if it did wane towards the end. OMAC was surprisingly endearing, and Frankenstein wasn't too bad either. I liked certain aspects of Justice League International and the scientific approach of books like Firestrom and Captain Atom was appreciated. One thing which I think that DC is doing well, and it almost seems like it could be on purpose, is that most cancellations mean something, or result in something, whether it be better background for characters that show up elsewhere, or building new team members for other teams.
damswedon: Paul Cornell's Demon Knights deserved more, but I guess the combination of Paul Cornell getting fed up with DC and DC just generally deciding to not give a damn about that book at all didn't help it in the long term. DC Presents probably shouldn't of been a physical monthly book.
kilomac29: I don't think there are any titles I can think of that I enjoyed that got cancelled. I guess I've been lucky in that regard so far.
What is the highlight of the New 52 in your opinion?
MadeinBangladesh:The highlight for me in the new 52 is that I like how everything is organized and planned, what Geoff Johns has been doing with The Justice Legue/Forever Evil or the DC universe as a whole. Another highlight gotta be some of the epic runs that we got like Geoff John's Green Lantern & Aquaman, Scott Snyder's Court of the Owls,Death of the Family, and Swampthing, Brian Azzarillo's Wonder Woman, and many more.
I also love how most DC titles are $2.99 and comes out monthly in schedule ( While All MARVEL books are $3.99 and they either double ship or get delayed).
DoomDoomDoom: I honestly think the highlight of the New 52 is getting a whole batch of people on board and exploring a whole new version of the DC universe (red tornado? do what now?). I was pulling one DC book before the New 52, and reading a ton of Showcase Presents TPBs. I was a Marvel kid through and through who just happened to like Green Lantern and have a interest in older comics. I don't pull a single Marvel book now (until Moon Knight comes out!) to some degree because of the New 52 eating up the majority of my pull-list. I can understand where some longtime DC readers feel they got shifted by a overt grab at new readers but these new readers might stick around and support a company, characters, and ideas that you love, after your dead and gone. Sure some of these new readers will come along and the New 52 is all they will know, it happens. However, some will come along and find a love for DC as a whole and go savagely digging through dollar bins to get that copy of Justice League Europe #22 (bye-bye kitty). The short of it is, while even though I consider myself "new" to the DC Universe, the New 52 has been a jumping on point for me in many ways. It's introduced me to characters I didn't know and sent me wiki-digging to find out about them and what they were like pre-new 52. It's good people THE NEW 52 IS GOOD!!!! (rant over)
Razzatazz: I think the highlight is still yet to come. There has been a few crossovers, including Forever Evil, but nothing has the feel of the major events like Blackest Night, the Crises or Flashpoint. I think that there are still a lot of unanswered questions, and the event which answers those might be one of the best ever.
damswedon: There were four issues of Supergirl were about an Irish girl being hunted down by her father, who was going to absorb her magic, that had just enough grimdark to, on the surface, satisfy the grimdark that DC seems to need. But at the same time it gave us hope that the book was finally going to target teenage girls and be about finding a new home with this Irish lass and her brother, but then they followed it up with the H'El on Earth and then I stopped reading DC. So yeah, those four issues for tricking me into hoping that book would be great.
kilomac29:
The highlight[s] of the New 52 for me so far have been three of my favorite ongoing series in comics.
Jeff Lemire and Andrea Sorrentino on Green Arrow. (17 and above) Lemire's writing is so vivid and descriptive that sometimes you don't even need the art. But, Man oh man, Sorrentino's art is amazing!
Green Arrow #26
Combined with Marcelo Maiolo's colors, every scene is cinematic in its quality.
Brian Azzarello and (mostly) Cliff Chiang on Wonder Woman have been a refreshing take on the character. Azzarello writes WW with a lot of personality, and makes her more relatable to a wider audience. Also, the supporting cast in the book are often just as great as the main character. Although Chiang isn't always on art, (his replacements have been great too) when he is, his art really shines. Issue 23 was the high point of the series for me thus far.
Wonder Woman #23- Cliff Chiang
And finally, there's Batman. I am an admitted Scott Snyder fanboy, but do understand that some people don't like his writing. Its fine if he's not your cup of tea, but I make no apologies for my fandom. The first pages of Batman #13 were one of the most legitimately terrifying and spellbinding sequences in mainstream comics. And that's in no small part also due to Greg Capullo's art. I won't even describe it, its that good.
Batman #29- Greg Capullo pencils (via twitter)
Damn! Those Details!
Poet:@kilomac29 It's interesting for me to see you mention Green Arrow. I was looking at some votes in the comic section of Comic Vine 2013 Comic Awards and Community Recognition (notice that subtle plug? eh?) and it occurred to me how public opinion has really changed. I mean, opinions of that series was really low a year or two ago and I thought it was going to get canceled (it probably would have if they didn't have Arrow). And yet here we are with you citing that as one of the highlights of the New 52, some people nominating it as the best ongoing series of the year (I have yet to any tallying so don't know how it stakes up against other series but the fact is that it was nominated) and I am regularly seeing it rank high on my Best of the Month Poll. Of course this is mostly impart to the change in creative leaders, but I still find this change in opinion interesting.
kilomac29:
Its amazing what a talented creative team can do for a series.
I always feel bad for Ann Nocenti, I've never read her work, but the only thing positive I've ever heard is that she had a decent run on Daredevil. I shouldn't assume she's a bad writer based on other's opinions, I need to keep my opinions on her to myself until I have firsthand experience with her style.
I'm curious: how has DC surprised you guys? Near the beginning of the New 52 (when it was actually new), there was all of these controversies like for instance Starfire in Red Hood and the Outlaws and a few series like Green Arrow we all kind of thought were going to be canceled, and yet persisted. Was there something (whenever you started reading) that you thought wouldn't work or was terrible that later on (for whatever reason) you grew to like?
DoomDoomDoom:I picked up the first six issues of Suicide Squad and didn't really care for the writing of Adam Glass. I ended up coming back around to the book when Ales Kot took over and found it made all the difference for me. I was really surprised by the Larfleeze series, it's actually funny most of the time. I was also surprised how good Animal Man was/is, at first I didn't care for the idea that Maxine is the real choice of the totems but the concept really grew on me.
kilomac29: For me, the surprise was Red Lanterns. I was dubious of the concept to begin with because I didn't think those characters could carry their own book. I picked up the first three issues to give it a chance but absolutely hated it. The dialogue felt stilted and fake and the art just wasn't my taste. However, I decided to try again with issue #21 when Charles Soule joined the book. I wasn't disappointed either. Soule really turned it around, and now its probably my second favorite Lantern book.
Razzatazz: I guess that it hasn't surprised me. After having read over half of the original new 52 #1s, I am now down to 2-3 series that I am reading monthly. I guess if anything the new 52 reflected for me a need to search out more indies, as either the series in the new 52 were too pandering for me and yet were successful, or hit the mark for me and were canceled.
MadeinBangladesh: What really surprised in the New 52 was how good some of the series were, like Animalman, Swampthing, Deathstroke ( It was amazing until Liefeld took over, and it got awesome again once he left. Sadly, it got cancelled).
damswedon: Last time I heard Scott Lobdell is both still writing for DC, and writing more books. If you had told me that before the New 53 I'd have laughed in your face. On a more positive note, that DC would have ended up being the company that put out the Marshal Law: The Deluxe Edition collection. I know that is technically cheating, but Marshal Law is such an anti-DC comic that them working with Pat Mills and Kevin O'Neill to get that thing collected seems crazy.
What would you say you dislike about the New 52? And is there any way you can think of that DC could fix this stuff?
($10 says Razz mentions Wonder Woman and Superman's relationship as the answer to this question haha)
DoomDoomDoom: I don't think there are general things within the New 52 I dislike, only specifics like...
That Rob Liefeld was allowed to write for Savage Hawkman.
The Stormwatch reset in issue #19.
Zero Month, Villian's Month, whatever we get next September.
kilomac29: Its already been said, but I'll echo the statement. Stop the September gimmicks. Villain's month was just terrible.
Trying to squeeze out 52 titles every month is just ridiculous. That was an arbitrary number to begin with and the edict has meant giving monthly titles to characters that just don't work in their own books. I believe it hurts characters like Katana, who I thought worked really well in Birds of Prey, to have their own book because the character isn't strong enough to carry a solo title. The best solution I can see is for DC to stop worrying about having 52 monthly titles, and cancel about 20 books.(not Red Lanterns, yeah I'm a hypocrite, whadda ya gunna do?) It won't happen but I believe it would really improve the quality of the remaining books. We would get the cream of the crop, in terms of DC's available talent, to work on fewer books.
Razzatazz: I am not sure if there is really anything to fix it exactly. The cool thing about the new 52 for me was that it was designed to bring together a wealth of talent and essentially recreate the DC universe and to blend in the other DC Universes of Vertigo and WildStorm. On the surface it was a pretty cool and fun concept, especially from a creative outlook, but in the end it has essentially come down to money, and it leads to the question of whether a comic company can be creative and innovative, or purely commercial, because first DC then Marvel seems constrained by financial decisions. On this website we often have a lot of fan fiction writers tackle problems like reinventing a comic universe, and this is essentially what this was, but the problem for me is that the most imaginative reinventions were pretty much thrown to the wayside to keep what is commercially viable. Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, the Flash, Green Lantern - these characters barely saw any change in the new 52 outside of a costume change, at least from a thematic standpoint, but take for example the ant farm in Frankenstein or the entire concept of Demon Knights. These were pretty imaginative concepts which failed not because of the lack of imagination and creativity but because lack of interest. So things like the pointless romance between Wonder Woman and Superman or the decision to cancel the marriage for Batwoman are representative of the company as a whole, where they are afraid to push the boundaries of the unknown and to create something new, and instead they allow trends and fancies rule.
MadeinBangladesh: The main dislike in New 52 has been the controversial writers-editors conflict. We don't know what really goes on behind DC, but it is clear that many were not happy with the way they got treated. It really made be upset to see some of the writers leave the book like JH Williams III, Haden Blackman, James Robinson, Ales Kot, Josh Fialkov, Andy Diggle, and few more.
damswedon: Oh where do I start?
Going to preface this with, as I said I haven't read DC for about a year, maybe they fixed everything I'm going to say.
The first six months of every comic where so insultingly slow, and at worst condescendingly stupid, that I have no idea as to who they were aimed at. Justice League was easily the worst at this with its one person per issue rollout of characters that had each member step on stage, read out the DC Encyclopedia description of them, and then end it the reveal for the next character. It is like Geoff Johns dropped in from an alternate universe where the english language isn't able to combine two words to make a new word. So he just assumed that people wouldn't be able read names like Aquaman and at least have a guess at what their powers were. I can understand why someone wouldn't be able to guess what Green Lantern does from his name, but you just have to say space cop will understand. I think the only comic that was able to make an opening arc that was enjoyable was Animal Man. But then that had to tread water for six months, while Scott Snyder spent twelve issues getting a free pass, because he had some amount of continuity to at least make his pages explaining why the giant corpse monster, that has been killing towns of people, was important. The reason why the giant corpse monster was important was that it was a giant corpse monster.
Ugh, Scott Snyder. I feel like there isn't another current writer who is less suited to the monthly comic format. He either needs to go full European and put out one two hundred page comic a year for each project, or go full eighties John Wagner and just start writing eight different weekly comic stories.
I've often wondered this: considering some of the stuff mentioned above, do you think DC has a good grasp of what its fans like and support?
kilomac29: I’m not sure that it’s as simple a question as that. I think there are people within DC that do have a good grasp of what fans want, but there are also other (more powerful) people within the company who are willing to sacrifice what fans want in order to fall in line with the current direction of the brand.
DC has a ton of creators who know what the fans want and are willing to give it to them. People like Brian Azzarello, Jeff Lemire, Andrea Sorrentino, and up and comer, Charles Soule and many others are able to deliver quality issues month after month. There are also members of management and editorial who I believe are in tune with what fans want. Geoff Johns, Mike Martz, and Chris Conroy oversee many projects that fans love and support.
At the same time, I feel the company is willing to sacrifice fan support if it doesn’t fit the company message. For example, I recently read the first volume of Batwoman by J.H. Williams III and Haden Blackman. It’s a beautiful book with an excellent story and theme running throughout. Fans loved it and sung its praises from the rooftops. (The biggest reason I picked up the book) However, because the story didn’t fit DC’s narrative, they were more than willing to go a different direction, and burn (detonate) bridges with the creators and fans in the process.
There are several other examples of how DC has screwed fans since the New 52, even so, I believe there are many within the company who keep the fans in mind and do their best to keep them satisfied.
MadeinBangladesh: I'm split on this question 50/50. They do have some good stuff coming out that fans are enjoying. They also have a lot of unwanted stuff. Who cares about the New 52 Teen Titans? Fans are dying to see Steph brown (I know, she is finally coming 2014), Wally West, and more DC characters. No one asked for Katana or Vibe comic. No wonder they got cancelled.
DoomDoomDoom: I think DC has a great understanding of their fanbase...but sometimes they choose to ignore them.
Razzatazz: In a sense yes because DC is trying to appeal to a wider audience, and the audience which it added with the new 52 is probably a more generic one than the one that they built over the years. That having been said though, I can understand how some fans would be upset with the new developments at the company, though it is not really anything new among the big two that they let their fans down.
damswedon: I have no clue.
We've heard a number of announcements on titles to come this new year (a weekly Batman series among other titles and arcs we've heard whispers about). Is there anything you look forward to? Or, alternatively, what is something you want to see happen this year?
kilomac29: I guess most anticipated for me would be Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul on Detective Comics. I’ve recently caught up on their Flash run, and really enjoyed it.
Something I’d like to see happen (but \won’t) is a new creative team on Catwoman. I liked what Layman did with her Zero Year issue, and I think Layman (or Marjorie Liu would be awesome) with Becky Cloonan on art could do amazing things with that ongoing.
MadeinBangladesh: I'm really looking forward to Jeff Lemire's Justice League of Canada coming in 201. It sounds like the book has a fun tone. I'm excited to see Buddy Baker in that series also some other characters.
It would love to see a QUESTION SERIES!!! I don't want that super-powered Question nonsense. It want it to be a noir crime mystery series featuring Vic sage!
DoomDoomDoom: I read at one point there was rumors of a Sinestro Corp title, which is something I would love to give a shot (I know, I know another lantern book). I would love to see an incarnation of the Doom Patrol pop-up somewhere too.
Razzatazz: I think some more titles with female main characters would be awesome. Also I would like to see the return of some of the main female characters that are still missing.
damswedon: The next era of DC seems to be firmly placed in the hands of the Snyder clan, and I don't care for either Zach or Scott. So what would I like to see? How about give Batman to Philippa Rice. She made a children's book out of papercraft that requires you to red/blue glasses to finish, that was cool.
Recently, I looked over CV's Roundtable User Discussion 015 which was focused on the new 52 when it was actually new with discussion participants RazzaTazz, Billy Batson,danhimself and Mat 'inferiorego' Elfring. Its host of course was our forever fearless leader @sora_thekey who asked them,"If you could only pick one of the 52 new titles as the only DC comic book you will read from now on, which would you pick?" Adding onto that question: what would you have picked when you first started reading the new 52 and what would would pick now?
kilomac29: When I first started reading, I would have picked Batman all day everyday, as long as Snyder was writing. Still love the title immensely but would probably go with Brian Azzarello’s Wonder Woman now. There’s so much to love about this title, not the least of which, is the fact that it seems to be in its own corner of the 52 Universe and gets to do its own thing.
I love how WW is written in the book but I think my favorite thing about the book is the amazing characterizations of Diana’s supporting players. For example, a recent issue begins with Hephaestus making something for strife, and Azzarello does a wonderful job with the slow-burn of “WHAT THE H*LL IS STRIFE GOING TO DO WITH THAT!!!” So yeah, I’ve turned into a WW fanboy, and I’m completely ok with that.
MadeinBangladesh: If I only had to read 1 DC comic, I would choose Green Arrow. I can't believe how good it got after Jeff Lemire took it over. There isn't any other DC comic that comes close to being good as Green Arrow right now in my opinion. If Green Arrow didn't exist, I would have chosen All-Star Western. Loving what the writer and artist is doing on that comic with Jonah Hex. UNDERRATED!
Just like @kilomac29 said, I would have chosen Batman when New 52 started. The court of the owls had be hooked on the comic. It was something new and amazing. I can't believe how much interest I have lost in Batman (Zero Year) right now. It became so boring. I can't wait until Zero Year is over and move on.
Poet: @madeinbangladesh yeah, I have to admit even I don't have that much interest in Batman right now (and I say that as a fan of Riddler...not that we have gotten much Riddler)
DoomDoomDoom: When I first started with the New 52 titles I would have probably said Green Lantern or Animal Man. Now I would honestly say Earth 2 (or Dial H if it was still around).
Razzatazz: Still Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman, though I am surprised that I am still reading Supergirl.
damswedon: When the New 52 I think I had the most hope in Supergirl. Looking back, Demon Knights before Paul Cornell quit. Or even better go and buy another set of Bryan Q Miller's Batgirl trades.
Well, that's it for this Roundtable! Say goodbye everyone. Last person out is buying the first round of drinks!
MadeinBangladesh: Goooooooooooooooooodbye!
Razzatazz: Good bye all, thanks once again for the talk
DoomDoomDoom: Have a good one ladies and gentlemen.
kilomac29: Thanks for the great discussion, goodbye for now!
I guess that means you're buying the first round of drinks, right @damswedon? damswedon? I guess they slipped out while I wasn't looking...Wait...guys? where did everyone go? I was kidding about that last person thing you know that right? guys? *sighs* I guess Poet is buying drinks tonight.
And thus concludes the 40th Roundtable User Discussion!
It took a little longer because we delayed a week or so for more voters plus I got busy, but...anywho welcome to the last Best of the Month Poll of 2013! Today, I bring you the results of: Best of the Month (Dec 2013)
We had 9 voters including:
batkevin74
EnigmaLantern
kilomac29
lifeboy
MadeinBangladesh
MannEffest
scouts1998
The Poet
V_Scarlotte_Rose
Now, let’s get down to business, shall we?
Best Writing
Trillium #5
Inhumanity #1
Origin II #1 / Superman Unchained #5 (TIE)
Action Comics #26 / Aquaman #26 / Green Arrow #26 / Justice League Dark #26 / Superman #26
Forever Carlyle- Lazarus #5 / Zoey Aarons- A Vice in the Dark #2 (TIE)
[Less than 3 Points]
[Less than 3 Points]
Comic Vine's Male Villain of the Month!
Lex Luthor - Forever Evil #4
Malekith - Thor God of Thunder #16
Zod – Superman Wonder Woman #3
Blight - Justice League Dark #26 / Dodge - Locke & Key Alpha #2 / Power Ring - Forever Evil #4 / Superior Venom (SpOck) - Superior Spider-Man #24 (TIE)
Comic Vine’s Wild Card of the Month: Series You are Most Thankful for Reading in 2013!
Normally my policy is that I only include results which have 3pts or more. However, this time, I would like to honor all the series we liked in 2013 rather than just the few who people picked as their top series of the year (we got that sort of stuff in the Awards anyway). Techically based on the votes, Batman won with 4pts, but So instead the following are all the titles which people voted in our poll:
Animal Man
Aquaman
Batman
Batman Beyond Unlimited
Batwoman
Catwoman
Daredevil: End of Days
Green Arrow
Green Lantern
Mara
Miss Fury
Quantum & Woody
Saga
Superior Spider-Man
Superman Unchained
Superman Wonder Woman
Swamp Thing
The Walking Dead
Thor God of Thunder
What was a series you liked in 2013 which you think should be added to this list which you are thankful for reading?
If you don't see a series here please don't complain. Instead just tell me what you are thankful for reading. I love to see all opinions (even if my own opinions differ) and I wish this list to be as complete as possible so I will continue to add to it as people mention titles so that we can look back at this list.
Comic Vine's Best Comic of The Month!
Origin II #1 with 17 points and one 1st place win
Uncanny Avengers #15 with 16 points
Amazing X-Men #2 with 15 points and one 1st place win
Action Comics #26 with 14 points and one 1st place win / Inhumanity #1 with 14 points and one 1st place win / Trillium #5 with 14 points and _ 1st place win
Green Arrow #26 with 13 points / Doctor Who Special 2013 #1 with 13 points and two 1st place wins
Looking back at Comic Vine 2012 Comic Awards, there are some similarities and some differences between this years results and last year. One such difference was that we had 24 voters this year (an increase!), but same basic idea remains (their votes 1st place = 3pts, 2nd place = 2pts, 3rd place = 1 pt) and the top 5 items winning. So here are the 12 categories for comics!
Now in this category I give you two options: if you believe Red Hood Leader = Joker, then Mr.J wins outright. otherwise, Joker is tied with Gorr and Red Hood leader is #5. Either option works
For the 3rd year in a row, there was voting for Comic Vine 2013 Comic Awards and Community Recognition (hosted for the second year in a row by myself and @razzatazz). Part of this thing was comics (based on my monthly Best of the Month Poll - see how I pluged that?) whose results you can check here: Comic Vine 2013 Comic Awards. The other half (and the reason you actually visited this thread) was the community based awards where we spotlight some of the many people who make this community the wonderful place it is (there are more than these, but I would break cv like that one time I went on vacation meanwhile all of Comic Vine was down).
Anyway, we had 34 people vote (1st place = 3pts, 2nd place = 2pts, 3rd place = 1 pt) and the top 3 names are recognized here. And as Razz would love to say...here are the 16 categories related to the community!
apparently we have trouble agreeing on who is easy to agree with
And now to quote/paraphrase Razz from last year...
That's it! Thanks for everyone that voted. Congratulations to everyone that was mentioned and thanks to everyone that wasn't. Comic Vine is all of us, and we all make it what it is, so everyone of you is deserving of some praise for a fun and memorable 2013! So happy New Year and let's make 2014 another one to remember!!
Hope you all are having a good holiday! We are extending this edition by a week so that I will have time to calculate Comic Vine 2013 Comic Awards and Community Recognition (vote if you haven't already!) and so you can get your comics if you are like me and you are traveling!
As always, each vote ranking is worth different points (1st place = 3pts, 2nd place = 2pts, 3rd place = 1 pt) and the top 5 of each category will be declared The Best of The Month!
PLEASE stay with the below guidelines. Voting is ONLY for comics published THIS month (meaning December 2013)
Voting Ends: January 8th, 2014
Until this thread is locked you can post or edit your votes. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! :)
I actually found out about Comicvine through @irishlad. Originally I was on fanfiction.net when I came across this awesome secret six story. I pmed the author to let him know that the link for his pics in the chapter weren't working and he replied with a link back to his original post on comicvine, the rest as they say, was history.
And how did you start writing content on CV?
I had already started writing my Lucifer Grimm series on fanfiction.net so when I jumped over to comicvine I continued it there whilst I worked on a side project to enter into DC Mayhem. Spoiler Alert! was actually the first thing I've ever wrote on the vine.
What would you say is your favorite story you have written thus far on comicvine?
Going with the whole subject of favorite stories, I want to talk a little bit about the Writers Guild. You started hosting/organizing this group four months ago and the first publication came out on August 9th of this year. Can you explain what the Writers Guild is about and how you came up with the idea for this group?
The Writers Guild is mainly about consistency. I came out with this idea about hearing a rant on how the contests and comps on the fan fic board was actually harming the ffb more than it was helping it. The theory was that is was burning out many of the talented writers, making it the primary reason the board would die every couple of months. I had mixed feelings on the issue, technically I blamed a wave of new fan fic groups that distracted writers from continuing their more established stories, but I guess in a way I was agreeing on the problem.
My solution to the low activity was to produce a series of quality fics every week, sort of a constant in the ffb that would hopefully inspire others to write. We've hit our snags with the beginning of the school year, but I think we've all done something special with the Guild.
So basically the Guild is like a FF group, but without a theme/subject. It's more like a support system for writers, wouldn't you agree?
Yes, my experiences from most of the dead fan fic groups have taught me that more rules/continuity lowers activity. Writers tend to like building stories more than actually finishing them (I suffer from the same tendency), which is why I decide to get around those restrictions to prevent group drama (people calling dibs on characters that they aren't using, writers holding up one another on crossovers, etc). In the guild you can be as creative as you want to without having to worry about damaging another writer's story.
As a community host, I know organizing users is very aggravating (though gratifying work). What stops you from pulling out you hair when you are having trouble getting a writer to write a story or when something equally aggravating happens?
Honestly, I try to remember that I was once the headache on the other side of that relationship. I've promised a lot of stories I wasn't able to deliver on and I beat myself up every time I let my group members down. I also understand that the world doesn't end if someone misses a deadline, writing is hard and I would rather be late on a deadline with a good story then rush out something I knew I wasn't okay with. I just hope that the aggravator in question is little bit like me so I can give him/her the benefit of the doubt.
Cool. Moving to something a little lighter if you could have any superpower what would it be and how would you use it?
The best type of this power would be the one that halts your aging as well. I'd use my unlimited time on earth to learn as much as I could (study, travel, etc.). When people start getting suspicious I'd have to fake my death and create a new identity. The trick would be keeping it from the world's governments because if they found out there is a good chance they'd trap me in a lab and perform test that would make me wish I was dead. Sorry for dimming the conversation btw.
What are you writing currently? Or what are your plans for the future?
After I finish my entry for the current Character Creation Contest, I plan on returning to my Earth 4774 work. So expect to see new chapters of Lucifer Grimm, Brothers in Darkness, Teen Titans and an all new series called Flagship Comics. FC will focus on an all new interpretation of the Freedom fighters, starring new versions of OMAC, Hawk & Dove, and Skyman as well as 2 other classic DC heroes. I'd also like to do Outlaws, JSA, and the Justice League but that is pretty far away.
Why should someone care about the Fan-Fic section of Comicvine? What sets it apart from the other sections? Why should someone visit this section?
I don't mean to insult the RPG or Artists Show off forums, but the fan-fic board is where the true art is born on comicvine. There's no other place on this site where users can fuse their own ideas with their audience, fellow artists, and comic publishers so beautifully. Role playing is great for building character development skills, but it is still only one role in a universe. Fan fiction gives you full control over every character in your story. It also allows us to weigh in on how we each interpret a character. Could you imagine reading a comic book for free online then being able to start a conversation with the authors who wrote it? Tell them what you liked or disliked about what you just read? Ask them to give you pointers on your own work? Or even write a story with them? I guess the reason that I stick around is because I feel like a learn something about my writing every time I read someone else's work. If any of my readers get that same feeling, then I think I've succeeded.
Oh, I've always wanted to ask: what is your avatar of? is it like a hurricane? or what? and how would you say it fits your personality?
Oh yeah, I can understand why it may be confusing. This red spiral thingy is actually a logo for a company called Black Hole recordings. I took the logo and made it the official CORE group insignia. In my Lucifer Grimm story I mention how each member of the team wears it over their chests. I loved the logo because it reminds me of my characters, no matter how far the excel there is always a black hole over their hearts. The reason I made it my avatar is so I don't forget to keep writing that series.
For the 3rd year in a row, you have the chance to voice your opinion on what the Best in this year's comics and recognize those users you love.
Originally hosted by @mrunknown in 2011, last year and again this year @razzatazz and myself are co-hosting this month long poll. Each vote ranking is worth different points (1st place = 3pts, 2nd place = 2pts, 3rd place = 1 pt) and the top 5 of each category will be declared the winners!
Voting Ends: January 1st, 2014 (or there abouts...)
The voting will break down into two categories - comics and community.
Comics
The comics voting will be tabulated by myself.
Best Writer:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Artist:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Cover Artist:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Ongoing Series:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Mini Series:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Single Issue:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Male Hero:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Female Hero:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Male Villain:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Female Villain:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Supported Character:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Story Arc:
1st
2nd
3rd
Community
The comics voting will be tabulated by @razzatazz. If you don't feel comfortable with posting your choices, pm them to Razz.
Best Blogger:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Writer:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Artist:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Reviewer:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best Debater:
1st
2nd
3rd
Best RPGer:
1st
2nd
3rd
Most Helpful:
1st
2nd
3rd
Most Hardworking:
1st
2nd
3rd
Friendliest Member:
1st
2nd
3rd
Funniest Member:
1st
2nd
3rd
Craziest Member:
1st
2nd
3rd
Favorite Moderator:
1st
2nd
3rd
Coolest Newbie: (must have a joining date of Jan 1, 2013 or later)
Red (Dark) Annisia – Red Sonja #5 / Stunner - The Superior Spiderman #21 (TIE)
[Less than 3 Points]
Comic Vine’s Wild Card: Supporting Character of the Month!
Mera - Aquaman #25
Iris West - Flash #25
Amanda Conner and Jimmy Palmiotti - Harley Quinn #0 / Captain Cold - Forever Evil #3 / James Gordon - Batman #25 / Venom – Superior Spider-Man #22 (TIE)
[Less than 3 Points]
Comic Vine's Best Comic of The Month!
Amazing X-Men #1 with 22 points and two 1st place wins
Batman #25 with 21 points and one 1st place win
Harley Quinn #0 with 19 points and one 1st place win
Green Arrow #25 with 17 points and one 1st place win
Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Here's to eating good food, trying to figure out how people are related to you and so much more! However, if you are not busy or rather when you are not busy feel free to vote in the Best of the Month poll!
As always, each vote ranking is worth different points (1st place = 3pts, 2nd place = 2pts, 3rd place = 1 pt) and the top 5 of each category will be declared The Best of The Month!
PLEASE stay with the below guidelines. Voting is ONLY for comics published THIS month (meaning November 2013)
Voting Ends: December 5th, 2013
Until this thread is locked you can post or edit your votes. If you have any questions, feel free to ask! :)
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