I’ve got to say that this book took me over 6 months to get around to reading. This wasn’t because I was excited about reading it, this wasn’t because I had better things to read (as you’ll understand from the review) but it was mainly because the story content hits far too close to home for my liking. I’m Lebanese and therefore have see the effects of war on my country. I know what it’s like to walk through the streets of your capital and see pure destruction all around. Scorched black buildings, bullet holes the smell of burn and the uneasy nature of the whole experience.
What I thought I wouldn’t have to live through twice in my life I did, during the summer of 2006 as my country got levelled once again. That was around the time that DMZ came about, it’s about the fictional second American Civil war and is set in New York City.
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When I started writing last year’s list I did actually struggle to find that top 10 definitive list of graphic novels that truly stood out this year; we’ve had some absolute stonking contributions that deserve your attention, however it definitely didn’t feel as vibrant as that of last year. I guess the proof is in the pudding, in so much that I’ve brought less books this year than I did in 2005, at least completely original work, and yet I didn’t get the feeling that I was being cheated out of anything.
The thing is I did actually stop reading several series that I generally do pick up. Ultimate Spider-man, Ultimate X-men, X-men, Amazing Spider-man. I also bought less manga this year. In previous years I would continue to by One Piece and Naruto, however this year I only bought Vagabond and a couple of spurious books like Eden and the excellent Path of the Assassin (3 volumes). Humanoids stopped publishing anything and I haven’t really filled that void with anything else to be honest.
What is evident however is that there are a number of ongoing series published in graphic novel format that show a true golden era of comics. It’s come to the stage where at one point if I was asked if there was one comic book series that I could get on a desert island I have no idea, because the plots and characters on several of these series has become so close to me because I’ve been reading their story for YEARS that I wouldn’t be able to answer that question. So 2006 while not a great year overall for excellence in NEW series coming up, it definitely was a triumph in continuing the stories of existing characters, where each book is a gem as a lot of these series will most probably be ending in the a year or two.
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Who are these people, Duke?
They’re Cobra’s prisoners, Optimus, their salves. We believe they’ve done this to millions more in Europe. We hope they have…
You hope this has happened? To millions of your people? But…
Optimus, if they aren’t slaves, they’re dead.
Autobots, ROLL OUT!
Transformers / G.I. Joe is not just another Transformers and G.I. Joe crossover, but rather a dark and war-torn recreation of the Transformers and G.I. Joe universes in tandem by writer John Ney Rieber and artist Jae Lee. In the twentieth century’s darkest year, a world at war will find itself caught in the middle of a titanic alien conflict that has lain dormant for the last four million years.
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So I’m sitting at home in Greece, looking at my book shelf which still houses a major section of my collection here. A lot of my classic graphic novels still live here, I noticed a gem I’ve not read in nearly 6 years. It’s really strange but the book that made me notice Judd Winick as a creator, also turned out was also his Magnum Opus. Judd, I’m sure will write some great stories in the future (hell I’ve reviewed one already on the Panel), however nothing is going to ever come close to ‘Pedro and Me‘. It’s one of the books that will enrich you as a person.
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’300′ is the greatest story Frank Miller has ever been involved with. In fact I’ll go one step forward and say that ’300′ is the best work Frank Miller has ever produced and will likely ever produce (I’m a natural born optimist and I’d relish reading something that tops ’300′, however I’m also a realist and this is basically Frank’s Magnum Opus). That’s a bold statement considering who I’m talking about here. The man that reinvented Daredevil and made the character one of the best around, the man who reinvented Batman and made him relevant as a character; the man who gave us all of Sin City to delve into; but I don’t choose any of those as his best work (even though they are golden), I choose this little story about ’300′ Spartan soldiers. First published as an oversized hardcover 7 years ago, and began serialization 2 years prior to that.
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You are heroes. More than me. Maybe one day you’ll look around and you’ll see the world like I have to, and you’ll know I did the right thing. Or at least you’ll understand why I did it.
Secret War, a masterpiece by writer Brian Michael Bendis and artist Gabriele Dell’Otto, is the best graphic novel ever produced by Marvel Comics. Blinded by diplomacy and arrogance, the United States government refuses to acknowledge the imminent danger as a foreign threat continues to grow. How far will one man go to defend his country? The decisions made, and their consequences, will forever change one of Marvel’s most iconic legends.
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What happens when you mix in Andy Diggle (of The Losers Fame) with Leinil Francis Yu, the Japanese Yakuza, samurai, political backstabbing, broken alliances, all set in the backdrop of Japan in 2063? Simple answer is a little book from Wildstorm’s excellent Signature banner, Silent Dragon.
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After so long in hibernation, and with damage to the carbonite unit, there’s little hope that Captain Solo will ever regain his sight.
Star Wars Infinities: Return of the Jedi is an adventurous and thought-provoking “What if?” tale by writer Adam Gallardo and artists Ryan Benjamin, Dan Norton, and Juvaun Kirby. It begins in tandem with the original Return of the Jedi script, but when a rescue mission goes terribly wrong, history is forever altered.
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Commander Skywalker, do you copy? This is Rogue Two.
Rogue Two, this is Commander Solo. Come in, Rogue Two.
Commander Solo, I read you load and clear. Are you okay, Commander?
Affirmative, Rogue Two. But Luke . . . Luke is dead.
Star Wars Infinities: The Empire Strikes Back is an adventurous and thought-provoking “What if?” tale by writer Dave Land and artist Davidé Fabbri. It begins in tandem with the original The Empire Strikes Back script, but when a hero of the Rebellion dies before he can fulfill his destiny, history is forever altered.
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The Low Orbit anthology is definitely one to look out for coming in November from Image comics. Definitely one to look out for. Reminds me of the excellent Flight Anthologies from the past couple of years.
