‘Tis the season to say what we’re thankful for, so I thought this time I’d once again accentuate the positive and focus on those things in the comics industry I’m grateful for.
TOM KING WRITING BATMAN
I always have to admit that Tom King’s first Batman storyline, the one featuring Gotham and Gotham Girl, was not one I enjoyed. Batman standing on top of an airplane that was about to crash to the ground and still being able to hold on, well, that wasn’t something I bought into happening.
However, since then, man, has his writing sparkled!
Each story has been excellent, including such tales as “The War of Jokes and Riddles” and the more recent ones like the one with Mr. Freeze going on trial, well, they’ve blown me away!
I hope he continues to write Batman for a looooonnnng time to come!
Not only has his stories of the Dark Knight been great, but his other writing has been some of the best in comics today!
Batman/Elmer Fudd was a huge surprise to many people. Superbly scripted, that book helped Mr. King make Mr. Fudd a highly sought-after character! It was wild!
His Mister Miracle has been classic as well, and here I was worried about how he’d handle the New Gods and such. Well, I won’t worry any longer!
If you see Tom King’s name on a comic, buy it! For real!
THE SUCCESS OF ‘OTHER’ COMICS
While DC remains my favorite of the mainstream comics companies, I am enjoying more and more Indie comics and books from the “other” comics companies.
I’ve written previously about how much I enjoy Scout Comics and their many excellent offerings, including Stabbity Bunny (which I help out on), Solar Flare, Smoke Town, Mindbender, The Source and so many other titles they make that take me places I’ve never been before. And with all my years of reading comics, that’s saying something! What’s also cool is that some of these stories may appear on the big or small screens before too very long!
I keep discovering great “other” comics companies as well, including Ahoy Comics, Lion Forge, Mad Cave Studios, Source Point Press, and Vault Comics.
Then, too, some of the longer-lived companies are making great product as well, including AfterShock, BOOM! Studios, Oni Press, and Top Cow. I’d include Image, but I see so many stores highlighting their stuff that I feel I don’t need to do that right now.
BREAKING INTO OTHER VENUES/FORMATS
This year will be remembered for several important events, but one of the things I’ve been extremely happy to see is more and more comics finding their way into bigger sales venues.
I continue to be thrilled that DC seems to be doing well selling their larger volumes in Walmart. I often find myself going into different Walmarts only to find them sold out of DC’s books. And I have yet to find that Holiday one even though I did find the Halloween issue. Gotta find that and soon!
I also think that Alterna’s $1.50-priced comics have introduced new readers to the industry, something I’m always thankful for. And many of them are excellent, such as Doppleganger from Jordan Hart and his team. That one still blows me away!
MORE WOMEN LEAD CHARACTERS/CREATORS
I recently wrote a review about Catwoman #5, which features a woman writer/artist and a female colorist, among other things. Great stuff! I’m so happy to see ladies strut their stuff when it comes to creating comics!
That comic also shows that a woman lead character can shine these days. Of course, Captain Marvel is the gal stealing the limelight, what with her upcoming movie role getting fans excited.
I see more women in local comics shops these days, and that makes me happy. I think that the more interesting the ladies are in the books (and in the lead, of course), the more women we’ll see become comics fans.
And the industry could use that, I think!
MORE AND BETTER COMIC CONS
As much as I’m concerned that we may be reaching critical mass when it comes to comic conventions, I still can’t help but think of all the cons I’ve attended in 2018. And there’s still one more to go in my schedule, too!
I’m always happy when I come across “name” creators who seem to be going on the con circuit more these days. If they are guests, well, they often get a free table, and some even get offered free hotel rooms and transportation! They can make money hand over fist at cons where that takes place, and I’m happy to see those folks continue to earn a good living from us comics fans.
It also seems like cons are expanding as far as things fans can do there. I was at the Cincinnati Comics Expo not long ago, and there was a big replica of the Iron Giant from the movie of the same name. You could change the color of his eyes when you stood in his hand, and people were there to take your picture with him. I loved that! And that was just one of the great innovations I came across this past year!
THANKFUL FOR MAJORSPOILERS.COM
I’m sure I don’t say it nearly often enough, but I so appreciate the chance to write and create podcasts for MajorSpoilers.com.
I truly feel a real obligation to help visitors to and fans of the site to point out the highest quality storytelling I can find so you get your money’s worth as often as possible.
Not everyone agrees with me, naturally. I’m pretty used to that since even my identical twin brother and I don’t see eye to eye all the time, so how could I expect readers to do that? Simply put, I try to be as cogent and entertaining as I can be when I post something here.
I think site Head Honcho Stephen Schleicher and the rest of the folks here do a terrific job in getting important information and opinions out to everyone, myself included. It’s great reading, and I always come away knowing and understanding more, which helps me enjoy my weekly comics better and better. Thanks so much, Stephen!
What do you think? What’s going on in the comics industry that you appreciate, are glad is happening? Feel free to share your ideas below! I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, and thanks to each and every one of you who reads my columns and reviews or listens to my podcast episodes! You make my day every time!
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Wayne Hall creates the Wayne's Comics Podcast. He’s interviewed Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, John Layman, Kyle Higgins, Phil Hester, Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray, David Petersen, Christos Gage, Mike Grell, and Matt Kindt. On this site each week, he writes his "Comics Portal" column (general comics comments and previews) and reviews comics.