My 6 Favorite DC and Marvel Comics (These Days)
For all of the writing I do about comic books and superheroes, I got to thinking the other day that I don’t really talk about my favorite comics all that much. Sure I try to review as many comics as I can each week, but that’s more of a professional thing than a personal one. And the entire point of starting this blog was to talk about what comics I like and interact with other comic book fans on the web. So this week’s blog list is all about the comic books I love to read.
There are no Superman comics on this list
Of course, that’s an entirely subjective idea. The comics I’m loving this week are completely different from the comics I loved a year ago. The comic book industry is in a constant state of flux. Comics are being cancelled or started every months, writers and artists are always switching, and there’s no telling when a comic will suddenly hit on a really great storyline. That’s one of the things I love about comics. You never know where the next great story, character or writer is going to come from.
So I’ve decided to make this list about the six favorite comics I’m reading these days, and I’ve decided to do a list for both Marvel and DC, the Big Two on superhero comics. I want to start reading more independent comics, but right now I’m only reading Saga, which I love. But this way, my list can also serve as my own personal prognosis on the success of Marvel NOW! or the New 52 from DC.
I’d love to talk about your favorite comics in the comments!
Marvel
6. Thor: God of Thunder
Written by Jason Aaron. He’s Thor, the God of Thunder, duh! Just like in the movies, Thor is the legendary Norse god, come to Earth to save people and be a superhero.
Why I love it: I can’t believe this, but Thor is among my favorite Marvel comics right now, it’s just that good. I’ve never been big on Thor, but Aaron is writing the best new comic of Marvel NOW! Thor is the same character as always, it’s Aaron’s story and writing that have raised this title to one of the best at Marvel. Aaron’s story deals with Thor’s immortality, and how a certain time-traveling villain, named Gorr the Godbutcher, is terrorizing Thor in the present day, when he was a younger god and then also in the far future. It’s a fascinating and exciting tale filled with adventure, heroics, humor and general badassery.
5. Captain Marvel
Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick and Chris Sebela. Captain Marvel is the story of asskicker Carol Danvers, a heroine with super strength, flight and other powers that make her into one badass crimefighter. Captain Marvel fights the bad guys with the help of her superhero pals, while also trying to balance a normal live living as a single girl in New York City.
Why I love it: Captain Marvel is one of the best comics on the stands today about a somewhat ordinary person balancing her real life with that of a superhero. The comic is charming, adorable, and deeply human, with Carol having to contend with everything from the latest super-villain to a grouchy landlord. And she does it without a secret identity, since everybody knows she’s Captain Marvel, including her landlord. So there’s no drama about having to sneak around behind people’s backs. Captain Marvel is a good people person, and her comic has some of the best people in it. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that Captain Marvel is smashing through the glass ceiling and proving that female superheroes can headline their own comic books.
4. FF
Written by Matt Fraction, drawn by Mike and Laura Allred. Everybody’s familiar with the Fantastic Four, right? Well the FF are their backup team. With the regular Fantastic Four on vacation, they’ve called in Ant-Man, She-Hulk, Medusa and Miss Thing to mind the shop and take care of the kids of the Future Foundation school for young super scientists. Hilarity and disaster ensue.
Why I love it: I am loving Matt Fraction’s Marvel comics these days. Maybe it has something to do with my actually having met him once at a comic book convention. FF is a different sort of book than Fraction’s other comic, Hawkeye, but they both follow the same idea that characters should be people first and superheroes second. The cast of FF is delightful, from the heroes like Ant-Man, down to the odd assortment of kids at the Future Foundation school, and Fraction uses all of them to great effect. The comic is a mix of superhero battles and the struggle of filling in for the real Fantastic Four on a personal and professional level. Can a C-lister like Ant-Man really be expected to run the Foundation, juggle the public relations and save the city on a daily basis? You sure bet he can’t, but it’s a blast watching him try.
3. Hawkeye
Written by Matt Fraction, drawn by David Aja. You may know Hawkeye best as the bow and arrow wielding soldier from The Avengers movie last year. But in the world of comics, Hawkeye is more of a laid back slacker, struggling to keep his head above water when a world of responsibility tries to drag him down. Hawkeye the comic is about Clint Barton’s life when he’s not a superhero, and instead is just trying to be a nice person and help out the people living in his apartment building.
Why I love it: Hawkeye exists in a world free of comic book continuity, free of Avengers tie-ins and superhero drama. This freedom has allowed Fraction to create his own little comedic world around Hawkeye, full of friends, allies and troublemakers, all living just above street-level. You won’t find any battles against cosmic aliens in this comic, just stories about Hawkeye holding a barbecue on the roof or asking his pal Tony Stark to come by and help him set up an entertainment system. There’s trouble, of course, especially involving a gang of Russian mobsters, but first and foremost, this is a comic about Hawkeye as a person. Fraction has taken the same familiar character from his decades with the Avengers and turned him into the most ‘regular guy’ superhero in comics. Not only that, but Hawkeye is downright hilarious at times, and all drawn by one of the best artists in the industry.
2. X-Factor
Written by Peter David. X-Factor is a spin-off from the main X-Men franchise, starring mutants who aren’t exactly famous or popular. But not every mutant can be Wolverine, right? X-Factor is about half a dozen B, C and D-list mutants who hang out together because they’re friends, and because, ostensibly, they’re supposed to be running a detective agency, but I don’t think they’ve detected anything in years. X-Factor is essentially the X-Men without the Mansion, the fancy costumes or the big supersonic jet. It also stars Multiple Man, my favorite comic book character of all time.
Why I love it: X-Factor is just a fun comic starring characters that I absolutely love. PAD is the only writer that has really given Multiple Man the time of day in 30 years, and he’s created a character that I can really enjoy and identify with. As a result, I love X-Factor. I love the whole kooky team. PAD is a master of friendly banter and personal interactions, and when X-Factor is focused on those aspects, there is nothing better. But if I’m being completely honest, sometimes PAD goes off on odd tangents involving some pretty wild ideas. But thankfully, he always pulls the comic back into being a story about friends who just happen to have super-powers.
1. Uncanny X-Men/All-New X-Men
Written by Brian Michael Bendis. Everybody knows the X-Men from the movies, but things in the comics are pretty weird these days. In Uncanny X-Men, longtime team leader Cyclops has become a pariah, kicked off the team when his views became too radical. He believes there is a war brewing between humans and mutants, and he’s going to take it upon himself to make sure the mutants are able to defend themselves. In All-New X-Men, his old friends in the X-Men are too afraid to confront Cyclops head-on. So they’ve used time travel to reach into the past and pluck the original five teenage X-Men into the present day, hoping that a look at his younger self will snap Cyclops back to his right mind. But the young X-Men are not the malleable propaganda tools the present-day X-Men hoped they would be. They’ve got voices of their own, and they want to be heard.
Why I love it: These two comics, both written by Bendis, are the two most dynamic comics published today. I have been following the X-Men for years, and the journey they’ve taken, the stories they’ve been telling for years back, have all been leading to this new, amazing status quo. It’s the most exciting the X-Men have been in a long time. It helps that I completely support everything Cyclops has done over the past few years. He’s been in the right again and again, no matter how much Marvel has tried to paint him as a villain – but that is the key to the X-Men’s current success, Cyclops isn’t really the villain. Bendis is too good a writer for something so simple. He’s writing everyone in shades of gray, from Cyclops to Wolverine to the young X-Men brought from the past. Bendis is using the very foundation of the X-Men franchise to tell new and exciting stories that I am absolutely loving!
DC
6. Nightwing
Written by Kyle Higgins. Nightwing is Dick Grayson, former Robin and sidekick to Batman. Dick is all grown up and having superhero adventures of his own. He’s the laughing boy daredevil, though now he’s also got some adult problems to deal with, liking finding a job and maintaing a relationship.
Why I love it: I’m a big Robin fan, and out of all the comics DC is putting out starring current and former Robins, Nightwing is the best. Barrows has a great handle on Nightwing’s voice as a friendly, confident hero. He’s also had a lot of great artists helping him out. Not all of Nightwing’s series has been great. A recent Joker story crossover with the other Bat-books unfortunately destroyed everything that Barrows had been building, but it looks like he’s moving onward with some new stories set in Chicago.
5. Green Lantern
Written by Geoff Johns. Somehow, against all odds, Green Lantern is the only DC superhero who managed to get a movie besides the big two, Batman and Superman. So good for him. Too bad the movie flopped and will probably never get a sequel. Hal Jordan is a member of the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force who patrol and protect the universe. There is a whole Green Lantern franchise these days, but the main title, written by Johns, stars Hal and his worst frenemy Sinestro.
Why I love it: Johns is one of the best writers working in mainstream comics today, and it still shows. He resurrected the Green Lantern franchise years ago, turning it into a juggernaut that became worthy of a movie. His best GL ideas may be behind him, but Johns is still writing some great stories. Turning Sinestro into an anti-hero was a brilliant idea that has paid off in the long run. The recent introduction of new GL Simon Baz was fantastic. And the Green Lanterns themselves are a fascinatingly far out concept, I’m a big fan.
4. Batwoman
Written by J.H. Williams III and H. Haden Blackman. Batwoman is Kate Kane, and she’s more than just the lady Batman. She’s an ass-kicking warrior woman in her own right, donning the mantle of the bat to fight crime and just be generally awesome. And with Williams on art, Batwoman is the best drawn comic you may ever see.
Why I love it: Ever since she was introduced a few years ago, Batwoman has been nothing but awesome. Kate Kane is a full, well-rounded character, with a strong origin story and even stronger motivation for being a superhero. She’s had some great stories, though a few rough patches as well. I wanted to rank this title higher on the list, but when I thought back on Batwoman’s comic, it hasn’t always been that good. There was a whole period of about five or six months when they were telling some insane, non-linear story that was just terrible. And while Batwoman is a very entertaining character, she’s been saddled since the first issue with being the blackmailed puppet of a secret government agency. I really dislike that plotline. More often than not, Batwoman has let me down. But when it’s firing on all cylinders, with Williams on art, Batwoman is beyond amazing.
3. Wonder Woman
Written by Brian Azzarello. Wonder Woman is the last of the Amazons, an ancient race of warrior women from Greek mythology. She uses her enhanced strength and power to stand up for truth and honesty across the world.
Why I love it: Much like with Thor, I never thought I’d ever be such a big fan of Wonder Woman. But ever since the start of the New 52, Azzarello has been telling an epic story about Greek tragedy and family. Seizing upon Wonder Woman’s Greek roots, Azzarello has set her up as the daughter of Zeus, and therefore stuck right in the middle of a grand family power struggle. All of the Greek gods have been recast as players in this great struggle, some on Wonder Woman’s side, and some against her. It’s been a great story so far, even if it doesn’t have anything to do with Wonder Woman’s place in the rest of the DC Universe. But Wonder Woman is a great character and Azzarello has hit upon a great way to tell her story.
2. Batman
Written by Scott Snyder, drawn by Greg Capullo. I shouldn’t have to tell you who Batman is.
Why I love it: Hands down, I think Batman by Snyder and Capullo is the best book coming out of DC Comics. Not only does it star the best character, of course, but Snyder and Capullo are just perfect on the title. Snyder’s stories are a brilliant combination of classic Batman goodies and new, original ideas. The Court of Owls was one of the best, most original Batman stories I’ve ever read. And while I may not have liked Snyder’s recent Joker storyline, he and Capullo did a great job with the Joker himself. The duo just seem to get Batman, and as long as they’re on the title, it’s going to stay one of the best. Next up, Snyder will be taking a look at Batman’s early years. And I’ve got my fingers crossed that Snyder’s pet character, Harper Row, will become the new Robin.
1. Aquaman
Written by Geoff Johns. I shouldn’t have to tell you who Aquaman is either, but I think I will anyway. Arthur Curry is the son of a human father and a princess from Atlantis, making him the reigning king of Atlantis. Aquaman has super strength and, yes, the ability to ‘talk’ to animals. But that just means he commands armies of great white sharks and giant squids!
Why I love it: I am shocked that Aquaman is #1 on my list of favorite DC Comics, but the choice was obvious. When the New 52 started, Geoff Johns devoted himself to turning Aquaman into the king badass of DC Comics, and he has definitely succeeded. All of the passion and originality that Johns used to turn Green Lantern into a powerhouse a few years ago has been redirected into Aquaman, turning the King of Atlantis into an amazing comic. Aquaman is a compelling protagonist, a hero forced to contend with the usual problems, but also a negative public perception. The people in the comic are making the same Aquaman jokes that we’re making, and Johns is showing us why they’re all wrong. Aquaman is a proud, forceful hero with a very cool place in the world. Aquaman is the ultimate underdog, when you think about it. And everybody loves an underdog who can control killer whales.
What Else Am I Reading: Avengers, New Avengers, Uncanny Avengers, Indestructible Hulk, Superior Spider-Man, Ultimate Comics: All-New Spider-Man, Scarlet Spider, Uncanny X-Force, Nova, Wolverine and the X-Men, Justice League, Justice League of America, Batman and Robin, Teen Titans, Green Lantern: New Guardians, Green Arrow, Red Hood and the Outlaws and more.
Posted on April 24, 2013, in Comics, DC, Lists of Six!, Marvel. Bookmark the permalink. 29 Comments.
Henchman-4-Hire 
I actually have a lot of catching up to do. There are multiple stacks of comics on my coffee table that I’ve been chipping away at over time. I haven’t even gotten to half your list in the past year. I’ve never even started on Thor, Hawkeye, or Captain Marvel yet. So my list is just going to be the top 6 comics from both companies that I’ve at least sort of caught up on and like. Because there are certainly plenty that I don’t care much about, and others that I made sure to move to the top of the piles.
6. Ultimate Comics: Spider-Man – I’m haven’t gotten to the Venom story yet, but the United we Stand thing was actually really awesome. I like Miles Morales. He’s a good kid. He’s no Peter Parker…but I almost feel like that’s intentional. But throwing him in a big ol’ battle was a great idea for this point in the story. He held his own for a while then got knocked out and lost. Seemed great to me.
5. Wonder Woman – I’m pretty behind on this, but everything so far is awesome. It is telling that this is the only DC comic on my list. I’ve caught up with every Bat-book up to the Death in the Family. And frankly they all kinda stink. I haven’t gotten to the Third Army stuff, but every Green Lantern family book is boring. I wish I kept up with Animal Man. I only read the first 3 and I liked them…but enh, whatever. So yeah, Wonder-Woman is great for all the reasons you mentioned.
4. FF – Good comic. I never thought I’d ever care about the Future Foundation…but here we are.
3. Superior Spider-Man – I’m even missing a few issues between 2 and 6, but this comic is everything I hoped it would be. Otto Parker is tearing it up! But we need to ditch Peter’s ghost and the Avengers need to be cooler with him. Wolverine made a great point in issue 6 that all the other Avengers are murderous spies, soldiers, etc. Spider-Man was the only good guy and now that they’ve lost him they’re all freaking out. Any chance to see Captain America be a hypocrite is good times in my book.
2. New Avengers – I was a big Illuminati fan back when they first appeared. The idea that the best Marvel had to offer would get together in secret and solve everyone’s problems on their own is amazing. It shows that people like Wolverine, Spider-Man, and everyone else that isn’t these 7 guys just get in their way. Ditching Cap after issue 2 was proof of that. I also like that DC could never do something like this.
1. Uncanny/All-New X-Men – Obviously! Cyclops was right! Pax Utopia! Though I also love how every character in these books would be completely out of place in New Avengers. I don’t even like that Beast is in it (but I suppose he has to be). Because as big a deal as all their problems seem to them, they’re so small and insignificant in the grander Marvel Universe. These books are battles of ideas whereas New Avengers is a battle of worlds. Both great. Both clearly indicative that DC comics can’t do crap.
Yeah, sorry about Superior Spider-Man, turns out I never put it on my pull list at my comic shop, but didn’t realize I wasn’t actually buying the issues when they came out. That’s been fixed, though.
You’re probably right about Green Lantern, they’re mostly boring, but I think Johns’ title has some skill behind it still. Simon Baz is really great, as you’ll see. But New Guardians is lame, and I didn’t even bother with Corps.
Overall, I was thinking of declaring a winner between the two companies, and it would definitely be Marvel. I barely came up with six DC Comics that I actually enjoy reading to any extent. Whereas Marvel is filled with unique ideas, concepts, stories and comics, DC is basically chugging away on boring, rebooted versions of their same characters. It’s only stuff like Wonder Woman, which kind of exists in its own little world, with a writer who has a specific idea for the title, that are actually any good.
Also, are you reading Saga?
GL: Corp isn’t bad. I read it because I loved Tomasi’s Batman & Robin.
DC did their reset wrong. Marvel swapped creative teams but didn’t force a history change. Issue #1 is arbitrary. DC went way old school with their thinking by essentially starting a new series. It’s funny how the comic industry back and forth sorts itself out.
I wasn’t reading much Marvel before Now started up. Now they’re up there with Image in terms of ongoing comics I love.
I couldn’t agree more. DC’s reboot has been a big mess. Personally, I think they should have done a full reboot and started everybody back at zero instead of his half reboot/half relaunch/complicated/unknown changes thing.
In DC’s defense I really liked Animal Man and Swamp Thing. It just shouldn’t have been 18 issues long. It would have been perfect around 14 or 16.
I still need to read both of those.
I think I’m gonna save Saga? I read all of Y: The Last Man back-to-back until a huge gap waiting for the last book. And that was kind of excrutiating. Then I’m pretty sure I read pretty much all of Deus Ex in one sitting and that was great despite desperately wanting more.
So I’m thinking about saving Saga, but then I go and read your Saga reviews anyways. So I don’t really know what the hell I’m doing.
Beware Saga spoilers! Some of the twists are really good!
It’s kind of the best ongoing comic.
You should be reading Batman Inc!
I totally am, thanks for reminding me. I thought I was missing some from that list on the bottom.
I was worried for a second there. I feel like Inc is great as a part of a whole. The New 52 arc is great but it’s so hard for me to recommend to other people.
I won’t number them, but here are my top comics.
X-Factor. I love it. It’s clever and fun, with great characterization and witty dialogue.
Young Avengers. Oh man, this is just such a good series. I love Kieron Gillen’s writing – he’s one of the best comic writers ever – and Jamie McKelvie’s been doing some fantastic work, especially with fun layouts. Have you read the latest issue yet? Noh-Varr gets to be awesome, and the double-page spread of him being awesome is one of the coolest spreads in a while. One of the best since . . . well, since YA #1. Like I said, McKelvie’s doing a great job. This book is ridiculously good.
Captain Marvel. I love how human Carol is. And I love that this isn’t a book about supervillains. It’s more personal than that. It’s about Carol’s personal struggles, rather than punching people. But we still get to see her punch people.
Cable and X-Force. It’s a really fun book. And Forge and Nemesis are the greatest buddy team ever.
Journey Into Mystery. Like Captain Marvel, it’s written by a woman and has a woman in the lead roll. It’s arguably a little more traditional a superhero story (sort of), but it’s really fun, and really deep. And the newest issue is adorable and fun.
ANXM/UXM. Bendis is killing it on these books. He’s accomplished the impossible by making Jean Grey a compelling character. He’s taken Kitty Pryde away from the general suckitude of WaTXM, for which I will be eternally grateful. He’s got TWO interesting and compelling versions of Scott running around. And he’s throwing around all sorts of neat twists.
I really need to give Young Avengers and Cable and X-Force another try, it seems. I dropped the first one due to my having to tighten my wallet a bit, and the second one because I didn’t like it. But I’m always willing to try comics again.
And I’m going to be picking up Journey Into Mystery when Beta Ray Bill guest stars!
You definitely need to add YA to your list. Drop Avengers if you have to; it’s been disappointingly impersonal anyway. YA is just magical.
As for Cable & X-Force, I’m serious when I call Forge and Nemesis the best buddy team. They’re hilarious together. There was issue 5, where they created a giant robot and a giant mutant scorpion to fight, as something to do while they hung around Mexico waiting for Cable to contact them. Yes. You can’t tell me that’s not awesome, because you would be a liar. Now that Boom Boom’s been added to the cast, the fun quotient has only increased. Domino and Boom Boom together again. Yay! They always had a good dynamic.
But you really need to be reading Young Avengers, because Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie are doing unbelievably good stuff there. The latest issue has one of the best layouts I’ve ever seen. A diagram showing Noh-Varr kicking ass through a bar, including pausing long enough to put on a record, and a key explaining the whole process. All while his inner monologue has him reflecting on how he didn’t make love to the male Hawkeye. He also uses the phrase “Park of Central,” which prompts Teddy to tell Kate her boyfriend is cute. Also, Kid Loki is awesome.
I’d read anything that Francis Manapul illustrates, which right now is only the Flash. Which is cool because he’s my all time favorite superhero anyway! The Flash is a very enjoyable comic- most of the thrill comes from the awesome stunts that the Flash can pull. Barry Allen has that nice guy charm that I love in a superhero. He spent some time working as a bartender for supervillains! It was refreshing to see that job still intact after the big Grodd storyline that went on waaaay to long. I recommend checking it out for Manapul’s amazing art!
Lucky you that your favorite artist is drawing your favorite superhero! Sadly, I have yet to see Bryan Hitch drawn Multiple Man.
Great list. There are a few books that I need to check out, I hadn’t heard much about Night Wing til now.
No Daredevil though? For me it’s one of the best books Marvel has put out in years.
I know Daredevil is supposed to be awesome, and I have no doubt that it is, I’m just not reading it. And I know that’s just plain stupid of me. But honestly, I’ve never been a big Daredevil fan, so I never bothered to pick it up when Waid came on board.
It’s worth a look man, Waid has gone in a new, light-hearted direction which makes it feel very unlike the Daredevil of recent decades. But it’s the art that sells it for me, the first trade with Paolo Rivera is exceptional, some of the best storytelling I have seen in any comic.
Thanks for the tip. I haven’t bought a tpb in a good long while, this might be a good excuse to spend the money!
Great list! Actually, Eddy Barrows was Nightwing’s artist until a few editions ago, the writer is Kyle Higgins.
I don’t read much Marvel, but I’m absolutely loving Hawkeye, Uncanny X-Men and Young Avengers. My top DC list would be:
1. Batman
2. Wonder Woman
3. Earth-2
4. Nightwing
5. Swamp Thing
I’m really glad DC will invest on Earth-2 spinoffs, this universe is getting richer every issue, I enjoy this title waaay more than Justice League or Justice League of America…
Woops! Thanks for the correction! And that’s a good list yourself. I never tried Earth 2, but it’s cool to know people are liking it. I think it’s a definitely cool take on the Justice Society.
Wonder Woman and Thor have both been surprisingly good as of late and I have loved Nightwing since I was tiny and watching Saturday morning cartoons. And Saga is excellent. I can’t wait for more.
What do you think of the changes in Nightwing? I was really enjoying the story of Dick rebuilding Haley’s Circus and Amusement Mile, then was cruelly disappointed when that Joker story took it all away. I’m optimistic about this Chicago thing, but so far I haven’t seen anything as creative as Dick running a circus.
Yeah, I really like the circus thing too. It seems like Dick’s character tends to float between charming ladies’ man and angsty (former) ward and then every so often they remember he had a whole life before the Bat Family.
The angsty stuff annoys me. I’m all for angsty characters, but Dick usually does it at Bruce’s expense. I prefer them getting along.
Me too. Gotham Knights #17 was adorable that way.
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