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Marvel has had one roller coaster of a year. In the real world, they were bought out by Disney. In the comic world, the world came together to finish off the Skrulls and then Norman Osborne started running the show. For me, it's been really hard to read their books. I pick up what I can here and there, but all the choices they seem to make are ones that I find repeatative and thoughtless. However, on the other side of the spectrum, the stuff that has been good has been some of my favorite reads of the year. There are a couple big story lines I missed this year because I couldn't get my sticky fingers on the issues ( War of Kings), but these few I selected were my five favorites for Marvel for the year!
 
 
5. Ultimate Comics Reboot 
Ultimates 3 was awful to me. Ultimatum was a Ronald Emmerich film to me, minus the laughable enjoyment. I was incredibly weary when the Ultimates were rebooted with a new title: Ultimate Comics Avengers. I decided to give in and pick it up. The first issue was enjoyable, nothing more, but now we're in to issue three and it's interesting to see this team come together and I can honestly say I am loving it. One of the things I really enjoy (this also happens in the new Ultimate Comics Spider-Man) is watching the creative team try to piece everything back after the events of Ultimatum. Love it or hate it, it turned the Ultimate Universe upside-down. The one thing I love most about this is Mark Millar. I always forget how great the guy is. I spent some time visiting his CV page, and I realized I sincerely love his writing. (everything except Marvel 1985 and Kick-Ass) Why don't I say that more often? If you don't know the story, I'll quickly bring you up-to-date. The Ultimates are getting back together with the help of Nick Fury. Captain America finds out he has a son, the Red Skull. Lots of violence. 
 
 
 
 
 

 
4. Hulk/ Incredible Hulk
I slumped these two books together for whatever reason. Hulk takes a lot of flak, mainly because the writer is Jeph Loeb who some people believe to be an awful writer. I disagree. Jeph does a few things very well in comics and one of them is to entertain the reader. He does EXACTLY that. I personally was not a fan of the Defenders/Offenders story arc, but everything else has been a great read. Many people are also upset that we don't know who the Hulk (Rulk) is yet. I used to be in that same boat until I realized the mystery is what makes the book great. Reading this is a lot like watching an Arnie film (Jeph Loeb wrote Commando!). You know you're going to get a lot of action and smashing, so why complain? As for Incredible Hulk, we're only 3 issues in, but it has been great, thanks in part to Loeb's set-up of Bruce losing his "Hulk powers." Ollivetti, one of my favorite artists, does the art on this book and it is stunning. Both Hulk books, although they may seem miles apart, are phenomenal reads. 
 
 
 
 
 


 
3. Deadpool
Deadpool mania may be incredibly out-of-hand right now, but when this book was started, it was great! Deadpool came back in the public eye during Wolverine Origins  when Deadpool was the co-star trying every was possible to destroy Wolverine. (Including dropping a piano on his head) The story was hilarious and a few months later Deadpool got his own series and a two-issue tie-in to Secret Invasion that didn't make me want to murder myself because it was actually enjoyable. Although I'm not reading the book anymore because I've had enough with the character, Deadpool's shining moments came from the storyline where he and Hawkeye were trying to kill each other. As much as I loved the meat suit Deadpool put on, I really loved the interactions between them as kids. Although the book did start in 2008, this really is a 2009 book since the Hawkeye storyline mentioned took place there. Daniel Way, who also wrote the previously mentioned Wolverine Origins run, is the writer on this book and it is funny. Not just giggle in your head funny, you will at one point or another laugh out loud, or as the kids all it "lollling."
 
 
 

 


2. Wolverine: Old Man Logan
I have a feeling I'm going to get a lot of flak from some of you for not having this or Deadpool at number one. Mark Millar is on here again with the one of the best (if not greatest) Wolverine story I have ever read. Sure, the last issue lacked a little, but the big picture was amazing. Steve McNiven does the art on this book and it is amazing. It really keeps the reader invested in the book. For those of you who have had their head in a dark box, I'll let you know the story. 50 Years ago almost all the super-heroes died. (You find out later how it happened) Logan is still around, but refuses to ever "pop his claws again." The Hulk Gang has been pushing Logan around and he must travel with a blinded Hawkeye across the country, so that the Hulks won't kill Logan's family. It may sound a little boring from that tame synopsis, but trust me, you'll be in for the ride of your life. The only down side is that you'll fly through some of these issues in mere minutes. Sometimes there is nothing to read, just pictures. Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily, but sometimes I'd like to see a little more word bubbles here or there. Anyway, if you passed up Old Man Logan, you may be insane.


1. X-Men: Magneto Testament
This was an incredibly important comic for 2009, one that many people missed. This is the second time Greg Pak makes it onto the this list, and it is incredibly well deserved. Magneto Testament takes the reader through  Max Eisenhardt's  (Magneto) time in Poland and then onto his time in the concentration camps during World War II. This is an incredibly moving story of childhood love, family, and real life terrors. This isn't a book filled with super-human abilities. This is a book based off of real life horrors in world history. Pak had his research cut out for him as he tried to stay as honest and true to what really happened 70 years ago. This is less of an X-Men book and more of a history lesson for many people. We watch Max and his family get stripped from their homes and eventually make their way to Aushwitz, where his family is murdered. Everytime I reccomend this book to a person I mention if they liked the first few minutes of the X-Men film, they will love this book. The one thing that some people complained about is that there really isn't Max using his powers in the this book, but that's not what this book is about. This is the creation of one of the most recognizable villains in comics. And this isn't some guy who got acid thrown in his face, or fell down a well and now he's mad. This is a character with deep psychological issues because of this traumatic experience and how he took some of those Nazi like ideals and put it into his own Manifesto in his later years in life. This is my favorite mini-series of all time. 
 

 
In the next week or so I'll have a DC and an Indy 5 list for 2009 up and running!