We here at The Place to Be Nation’s comics department have lots to be thankful for. So let us count the ways, and together may we enjoy this feast of Thanksgiving!
Steve Wille
1. The resurgence of Image Comics as a place to find well-written, creator-owned books.
2. The feeling I get when I “find” old single issues on the cheap at local comic stores.
3. The success of books like “Walking Dead” allowing publishers to take risks outside of the superhero genre.
4. Daredevil. Daredevil has consistently been my favorite book for going on 10 years, except for the Shadowland event.
5. That I may have convinced my mom to buy me the Flash and/or Teen Titans Omnibuses (Omnibi?) for Christmas.
Nick Duke
1. Grant Morrison no longer writing Batman.
2. On a related note, the existence of Scott Snyder.
3. The abundance of comic-related media available to us. TV, movies, games…..fact is there’s never been a better time to be a comic fan.
4. The rise of digital comics and the fact that pretty much any important story ever can be at my fingertips on a moment’s notice.
5. The book that is Thor: God of Thunder.
Tim Capel
1. Zack Snyder’s Man of Steel, much to my shock and awe.
2. Mark Waid writing 30+ near-perfect issues of Daredevil.
3. The proliferation of digital comics, essentially giving me my house back.
4. All my favorite comic podcasts for keeping me awake at work.
5. Cyclops still being right.
Steve Rogers
1. Digital comics and the proliferation of different methodologies and platforms to deliver the medium to the public.
2. At least some cons like New York and San Diego still being news and information-based, rather than following the trend of Wizard World where its all celebrity nonsense.
3. While its sad that DC’s World Headquarters in New York is leaving for Los Angeles, it is a sign of the evolving media platforms for creativity from the printed page to movies, TV, cartoons, video games, etc. Gotta be where the action is.
4. Marvel Studios utilizing the Netflix platform as a way to get their lesser-known properties, or properties they are too worried to make a gambit (no pun intended) on with a fully fledged theatrical release, to production.
5. Superman flying past his 75th birthday and showing no signs of slowing down, meaning its pretty safe to say the mediums’ iconic characters show no signs of fading into obscurity any time soon.
Russell Sellers
1. Arrow’s success and ability to turn otherwise oblivious people into fans of Oliver Queen/Green Arrow.
2. The return of Valiant and the extremely high quality of books like Harbinger and XO Manowar.
3. Kickstarter for helping new and veteran comic creators fund work that might not otherwise be seen.
4. Christopher Nolan, Zack Snyder and David Goyer for giving me the Superman movie I always wanted to see, Man of Steel.
5. The resurgence of comic books as a medium and all the new fans who’ve just discovered how awesome this world can be.
Greg Phillips
1. Geoff Johns controlling the direction of the DC Universe.
2. The fact that so many of the great stories in comic history are now collected in trade or hardcover and can be bought for reasonable prices.
3. Weird, off-the-beaten-path mainstream books like Larfleeze and All-Star Western.
4. The proliferation of genuinely good comic book adaptations in other media: Man of Steel, The Wolverine, all the Avengers stuff, the Dark Knight trilogy, Young Justice, Green Lantern: The Animated Series and the DC animated output, just for starters.
5. The sheer number and variety of comics in the market today. There’s something out there for everyone.
Todd Weber
1. I’m thankful for Brian K. Vaughn’s “Saga.” We’re almost two years in, but this book is shaping up to be one of the modern classics. GET THE FREAKIN’ TRADES!
2. I’m thankful for Marvel and DC both having some high profile, top-tier, state-of-the-art books going right now. From Marvel, “Thor: God of Thunder”, “All-New X-Men”, “Daredevil”, and “Deadpool” (never thought I’d say that) are all fantastic books featuring terrific creative teams. For the first time that I can remember, DC concurrently has top-notch books featuring their “Big Three”: “Superman: Unchained”, “Wonder Woman”, and “Batman”.
3. I’m also thankful for explosion of comic characters on TV. “Arrow” and “The Walking Dead” (and hopefully a re-tooled “Marvel: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D”) are shows that bring some of my favorite characters to life. I’m especially looking forward to the next wave of heroes on TV—“Flash”, “Gotham Central”, “Constantine”, “Preacher” and four new Marvel Netflix series are all in development.
4. I’m thankful for Image and Vertigo’s return to prominence. There’s seemingly another brand new can’t-miss book from each of these publishers every month, including “The Wake”, “Lazarus”, “Coffin Hill”, “Rocket Girl”, “Trillium”, “Velvet”, “Hinterkind”, “Zero”, “Federal Bureau of Physics” and more coming. There’s really something for everyone, and it’s a pleasure to write a column that brings attention to these new comics.
5. I’m thankful for my homies at The Place to Be who like to read and write about comics as much as I do! Thanks guys!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
