There are a lot of crappy comics out there. I consider myself somewhat easily amused, and overall, not that difficult to impress, but man, there are a LOT of crappy comics out there.

Before getting into what comics I have enjoyed the most over the last 18 months, I should put a disclaimer out there that I am not an avid collector of comics. In the 80s and 90s the only titles I collected were The Savage Sword of Conan and Conan Saga, anything outside of those typically didn’t hold my interest. Largely this was because I’ve never really had an interest in “super heroes”, which seemed to be the main things going at the time, and most of the story lines I considered predictable if not juvenile, even as an early teenager.

With the release of the new Conan comic by Dark Horse some years ago, I of course began picking up all things Conan again (the main title, the spinoffs, the one shots, etc), and eventually began to dabble into other comics as well.  I currently collect around 10-20 titles…small potatoes no doubt.  Having said that, my reviews probably lose some cred with those avid collectors, given my relative newness into collecting, and the size of my stash.  Really, my only criteria for my “best” picks, were:

1. Did I enjoy the story
2. Did I enjoy the art

Personally, I don’t think that those two criteria should be difficult to meet for “professional” artists and writers, especially when you consider that the average story is probably only 20-30 pages long, and mostly art (as opposed to a novel of hundreds of pages, with no art).  Is it really that hard to keep a readers attention over such a short period… for a “professional”? Stupid question no doubt, I’m sure it’s very hard… in fact it must be terribly difficult, because a large percentage of the comics I receive are pretty close to crap.

Every month I’m continually reminded of how poorly the comic industry has done in maturing with its readers.  Half the books I read are dumbed-down, poorly-written tripe.  The comic industry has failed to mature at the same rate that their readers have.  The success of the new Batman movie illustrates this point more than I ever could with words.  Those same small boys that collected books in the 70s-90s are all grown up now, and interested in comics that are much more mature (e.g. The Dark Knight), yet comic book publishers continue to publish material that would make an 10 year old smack the cover shut saying, “I’m too old for this”. I just don’t get that… anyway, here are the comics I enjoyed (or am currently enjoying) the most out of my stack.

My Best Picks (In no particular order)

The Other Side

Jason Aaron / Cameron Stewart

The Other Side was a short run comic portraying the Vietnam war from both the perspective of an American and Vietnamese soldier.  The art was well done, but the script, which switches back and forth from the G.I. to the V.C. was the carrier of this series.  Highly graphic, and suggested for mature readers, it was one of my favorites of 2007, I’ve gone back to read this one a few times, which is not something I will typically do.
 
 

Various Roy Thomas Adaptations

Roy Thomas et al.

I like Roy Thomas’ writing. I consider his The Ultimate Guide to the World’s Most Savage Barbarian one of the coolest non Howard Conan books that I own. As I mentioned above, in the 80s and 90s I enjoyed the Savage Sword comics a lot. His recent adaptations of Treasure Island, The Last of the Mohicans, and The Man in the Iron Mask I thought were first rate.  The art was well presented in these series as well, especially on the covers.  Of course, everyone should read the originals of these as well.
 
 

Conan

Tim Truman, Kurt Busiek, Tomas Giorello, Cary Nord, et al

There have been too many names working on the Conan title to list them all, but overall, the comic, and most of the spin offs have been very good in terms of meeting the two criteria of being entertaining, and having quality art. Truman and Giorello have really taken this title to the next level with the relaunch of Conan The Cimmerian a few months ago. It’s gritty, people die, and the art is knockout. Of course that’s not to say that the Busiek/Nord combo didn’t do a splendid job as well, as Nord draws some of my favorite Conan sketches ever (… must get him to do a gallery picture for us).
 
 

LoveLess

Brian Azzarello

Loveless was by far one of my most favorite titles of 2007, exceeding even Conan some months in my anticipation to receive and tear through the title. Well written with plenty of engaging events and cliff hangers, it was a great addition to Western comics. The art could occasionally be difficult to determine which character was which, but overall a very strong title. Unfortunately it was canceled a few months ago which hurt my already dwindling pile of quality monthly reads.
 
 

Jonah Hex

Jimmy Palmiotti & Justin Gray

Jonah Hex is a title that I always look forward to. It has on occasion had issues were the art was a near miss for me, but overall the title is still strong. Jonah will generally take an ass whoopin’ just about every issue before he pays someone back. A recent issue featuring the art of Rafa Garres was exceptionally nice and I hope to see more of his work on future Hex titles, and other titles as well (and add a commission from him to the Images of the Hyborian Age gallery).
 
 

Fear Agent

Rick Remender & Tony Moore

I’m not much of a sci-fi fan.. aliens and laser guns never did do much for me…. but shotguns do… and Fear Agent has to be one of the top titles of last year. Surprisingly serious when it needs to be, while still having enough humor and wit to not take itself too seriously and to laugh-out-loud about… it’s the perfect mix of a flawed hero kicking some alien ass. The art isn’t half bad either.
 
 

The Lone Ranger

Brett Matthews & Sergio Carriello

I didn’t have high hopes for The Lone Ranger, but I gave it a shot, and so far, I’m glad I did. The story has matured substantially over what you might remember from the old T.V. show, making it into a strong contender as a comic featured in the Old West. This is an engaging comic suited for people that don’t prefer their heroes and villains to be black and white.
 
 
 

Northlanders

Brian Wood & David Gianfelice

NORTHLANDERS! Probably my favorite comic right now. Northlanders is the perfect mix of a great story coupled with nice art and tailor made for comic readers looking for a mature read. Lots of sword swinging, it’s Conan 9000 years later. Tough to put down, the covers and interiors are are always very nice.
 
 
My worst picks later.