Best and worst of 2008:
Friends of Doomkopf (part 1)

As Doom DeLuise, Fin Fang Doom and I continue our annual tradition of crowning and condemning, we also have some year-end thoughts to share from several friends of Doomkopf.

Robb @ Capes Comics:

Best Artist: Gary Frank
Gary Frank has been the most unique and important artist to draw Superman since Curt Swan. His run on Action Comics has been such a power booster to the character. There wasn’t the hype that Adam Kubert had when he first came on with Geoff Johns. There was no missed deadlines just finished product. Frank’s art has done all the talking.

I’ll start with his first story arc in Action Comics #858 that ran through Action Comics #863. Frank’s Legion never looked better and Superman’s face was the printed version of Christopher Reeve’s features. I was drawn in like never before. The most seen character in comics should be drawn like the hero he deserves and Gary Frank’s art has risen to the challenge.

Gary Frank also re-invented the look and feel of Brainiac. The dark Coluan, felt creepier and more menacing than all other previous versions of Brainiac.

Biggest Disappointment: Batman RIP
Man, I thought this was going to be something special. The story running Detective comics at the same time was more interesting and was so not hyped at all. The setup story from the earlier “Club of Heroes” in Batman# 668-670, was great, it was dark and gritty. I wanted the RIP story to be as intense and dramatic, full of twists and turns, like what was established early on with Grant. But instead we got more confusing plot twists. Situations that weren’t making sense, and a Batman going crazy. Then at the end we are told, Batman knew all along and was playing the bad guys to figure out who the true villain was? And for a finale, we are once again subjected to the “missing” body, is he dead is he alive scenario. I so wanted this to be a good story. I really wanted to like this. But I found myself confused the more I looked back at previous issues.

Jason @ Legend Comics:

Best Artist: Amy Reeder Hadley

Worst Artist: Lenil Yu

Best Writer: Jonathan Hickman

Worst Writer: Mark Millar

Best Surprise: Action Comics

Biggest Disappointment: Batman RIP

Best Trend: Continued proliferation of trade paperbacks & graphic novels

Worst Trend: Downloading comics

Join us throughout this next week as we share more of Doomkopf’s best and worst of 2008, as well as more year-end selections from Jason and Robb.