I think I shot myself in the foot with this one. I wanted to do something I hadn’t seen before, but I think the reason I hadn’t seen this style of article before is because what could one possibly have to say about books one is admittedly not reading? Way to start the new year off with a challenge, Haupt! No bother. Having no prior knowledge has never stopped you from speaking before. Just transfer that to the page and go!
10) Ultimate Thor
Gonna start off with an easy one: I like Jonathan Hickman and I’ve been trying to read more Thor books. This was a bad miss, thank goodness for the Marvel collections department.
9) Power Girl
Yeah, I know, part of the problem, right? If I’d bought this maybe it wouldn’t have failed. I bought and read the Geoff Johns Power Girl book when it came out years ago. It was OK. Perhaps the fact that Johns tried to make sense of her origin and it still didn’t grab me left me shy for another attempt but the creative team and critical praise make this a regret I’ll be rectifying in 2011.
8) Cowboy/Ninja/Viking
A lot of the books on this list I want just because they’re pretty. It’s a trend you’ll notice. Since I consider the floppy something of a disposable medium I don’t really invest in single issues for books I want because of the artwork. That’s what happened here, I wanted this book for every angle, but what I wanted was pretty art for a shelf, not for a box, so I waited and kind of forgot about it. Worth fixing? Don’t know, and there’s really only one way to find out.
7) Batman: Streets of Gotham
This one I sort of blame on DC. They are notoriously poor about getting things collected in a timely and numbered manner. If I’d seen this book hit the stands with a clearly labeled Vol. 1 trade collecting issues 1-6, I’m sure I would have bought issue #7. To some extent that seems the optimal model for why you would want timely, well-labeled trades on the shelves in the first place. Let’s hope DC has fixing this a New Year’s resolution. As for me, I’ll be fixing myself up with some delicious Dini and Nguyen comics.
6) Northlanders
This one is a bit of an anomaly in that I did actually read the first trade and loved it! So much more than I thought I would too, which really surprised me. I suppose it shouldn’t have though, The 13th Warrior is to me what Reign of Fire is to Ron, Conor and Josh. This is one I’ll try to catch up with in trades then hopefully make the jump to issues.
5) Irredeemable
Sometimes it can be hard to start a superhero book outside the comfort of the Big Two. At least that’s my excuse in this instance, and it's a pretty pitiful one at that. I know Mark Waid is a helluva writer, and everything about this book sounds like something I’d be on board for, I just need to give BOOM! a chance.
4) American Vampire
Funnily enough, I’m not a huge Stephen King fan. I’ve read a few things, none of them blew me away. I guess that explains why I never grabbed onto this book, since King seemed to be a major selling point to most. However, having started reading Detective Comics with Snyder and having loved Albequerque from when he did a few issues of Superman/Batman I have no excuse not to start picking this up. The only lingering problem is it’s similar enough to an idea I had been kicking around that I’m afraid of being accused of infringement without authentic plausible deniability. A true first world problem.
3) Choker
This one goes to show the opposite of what American Vampire shows: the iFanboys are trendsetters. They mentioned issue 1 and for whatever reason (it really isn’t necessarily a judgment on the book itself) it hasn’t made the show since. I think I noticed issue 4 or 5 is coming out soon but without the monthly discussion sometimes books just falls through the folds in my brain. I can’t let my buddies Ben^2 down though, so I really need to make sure I support a book I’m sure to like anyways.
2) The Sixth Gun
There’s no excuse for this one. I have the issues and I just never got around to reading them. A stack lament if there ever was one. Now that I’ve seen True Grit, I imagine devouring these will be one of the first things I remedy in the New Year.
1) Daytripper
For whatever reason, the episode when this book made it as POW is so clear in my mind. I was walking the streets of SF, must have been December 2009 and I thought, “That is a book I’m going to love as a trade.” The covers were always stunning, and I’ve loved the brother’s work since Smoke and Guns and Casanova but I just knew this was something I couldn’t bring myself to buy issue by issue, this one would sit with me much better as a rainy day read. Let’s hope I’m right.
So there’s my list. 2010 was a weird year for me and comics. In some ways, it was my best year, because I got to start writing for iFanboy, which I love. In other ways, I felt like my life barely allowed me a spare moment to read the books I’m supposed to be writing about, and that was rough. 2011 will hopefully be the year of time management, but then again aren’t they all? I guess we’ll get a checkup on how I’m doing around stack week…
Ryan Haupt doesn't get to read comics as often as he'd like. If he spent less time podcasting for Science… sort of, that would likely help. He also started a tumblr blog for some reason, it's called Living the Sci Life.
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Power Girl didn’t really fail though did it? I thought the creative team changed because Amanda couldn’t keep up a monthly schedule and the writers didn’t want to continue without her
*eyebrow twitches like mad*
You didn’t read DAYTRIPPER?!?
I’ll give you 3 minutes to start running.
*loads shotgun*
I have read all these issues, but eneded up dropping Daytripper after and Cowboy, Ninja, Viking after issue 5s.
Daytripper kind of made me mad because it seemed too maladramatic, cheesy, and honestly kind of hackny. The art was amazing though. I know I am in the minority and I am sure @CammyKnoxville would disagree with me.
Cowboy, Ninja, Viking has amazing amazing art, but I didn’t feel like the story expanded further than the “multiple personality” agents story line. I got bored.
Power Girl I bought all the way through #15 which included some Winick stuff. I would totally buy Palmioti, Gray and Amanda’s book again if it came out in an Omnibus/HC format.
Chocker I lost track of after #4. I liked it, but didn’t love it so I didn’t seek it out.
American Vampire is my favorite Vertigo title so no way I am dropping it.
Iredeemable I am trade-waiting after #13.
Widow Plague I dropped after #5 since I realize it’s a trade-wait book, then I forgot about it. Great book though, I will go seek out the rest of the series!
Ultimate Thor – I picked up the first two issues because of Hickman and forgot about it.
Streets of Gotham I liked, but didn’t love and dropped in 2009.
The Sixth Gun I read the first arc and liked it. I would rather buy Jonah Hex
What the hell ARE you reading!?
(Just foolin’. I agree with your point about non-numbered trades. Damn annoying.)
I actually see DC’s point in not numbering their trades on the spine. It certainly could through new readers off and discourage them from picking up a trade. That much having been said, they should definitely say what issues are collected on one of the title pages within.
I know how you feel. This time of year all the top ten lists on 2010 are coming out and I think only read half of these or worse, but there isn’t time and money to read everything I’m afraid. There a lot of things I’m gonna try and catch up with in Trade, like Morning Glories and JL: Generation Lost, but I know some stuff, like mini series will probably just be forgotten unless I hear about it later and it jogs my memory.
Good bye 2010! Come on in 2011!
Agree with you AmirCat about Daytripper.
Nice article, some of these books are on my why-did-i-miss-em list too.
Only one of these I read in 2010 was Power Girl, and it is by far the book I started readin in 2010 that I’m glad I started reading. The Palmioti/Gray/Conner run was fantastic stuff and the new team is doing a great job too.
Although it sounded like it went to hell quickly with the solicts, I always wanted to read Streets of Gotham. Before Detective got readable again with Snyder, it seemed like SOG was the title you wanted if you missed the Dini run on the series.
Ryan! God! Damnit!
You are completely blameless for STREETS OF GOTHAM. While it hasn’t been as bad as, say, GOTHAM CITY SIRENS, it’s still had wrong solicits a few times. There were several issues that Dini didn’t write, including an issue made up exclusively of a “second feature.” You’re fine to wait for it in trade.
@TheNextChampion I have been a discerning purchaser of this title, there have been lateness issues, incorrect solicits, and fill-in writers. If you can put that aside (or if DC collects the comic in trades in a rational/logical manner) what remains is a really good comic.
Admittedly, that is a great deal to put aside.
Hickman’s Shield is fantastic
I’m glad I bought Cowboy Ninja Viking in trade. I can’t see myself buying it monthly after I read it. I dont like the monochrome color for each issue. I’m surprised that you haven’t read irredeemable. It’s been our for at least 2 years already.
Are you reading S.H.I.E.L.D. Ryan?
@excalipoor–i get Cowboy Ninja Viking in trade because i heard about it late, and single issues were hard to get for me if you didnt’ order them 3 months out. I still do love the form factor of the single issue’s…the size, the color palate, the paper, the art….everything about it was new and fresh.
tomato tomato
Mine are:
Orc Stain
Northlanders
Scalped
Batgirl
Power Girl
DMZ
Madame Xanadu
Air
Lint
Mine are The Sixth Gun, American Vampire, and Mystery Society.
@JNewcomb Oh yeah! It’s sci-tastic! Expect a full post when the series wraps up.
Silly thing is, I can’t read Ultimate Thor because I hate Ultimate Mjolnir too much. How’s that for shallow?
ultimate THOR is amazing a must read
Several of these I have been getting, but haven’t got around to reading yet. My favorite on the list is Irredeemable. Awesome book. Incorruptible is also a tremendous read too. Waid rocks!
Thanks for mentioning “IRREDEEMABLE “. We’re enjoying making it for all of you!
Daytripper and American Vampire would be mine.
Cowboy Ninja Viking is definitely worth the read. There’s a trade out and a second on the way. Choker isn’t being discussed because it’s not worth discussing nor reading.
Reading most of these. I can say that Ultimate Thor is badass. So was Power Girl under Palmiotti/Gray/Conner, but I was reading it for them. Sixth Gun is just fun and new, well written to boot. Irredeemable and Northlanders are in trades for me, and Northlanders is really meant to be read that way, so it’s never too late. Irredeemable is interesting, but I could drop it without being too upset.
The biggest “you didn’t read that?” to me is Cowboy Ninja Viking. It’s on the top of my stack every time it’s out as I devour the writing and the art. Can’t get over how brilliant the art is. For those that don’t like the coloring, it’s my favorite coloring job in the business. As for the story, I’ll agree that the first 4 or so issues were more fun than interesting, but between 5 and 7 the story took off and is now just fantastic.
@MisterJ: I’m sure with all the baggage out of the way it’s a pretty good title. Still, it’s funny how so many time DC kinda screwed people up with each issue coming out.
I need to read Daytripper and Sixth Gun. The FCBD #1 issue for Sixth Gun was good, but too wordy. While I have no idea how great Daytripper really is considering how insane each discussion for each issue of the series was on this website. That isn’t a criticism (seriously) just that the discussion for that mini did go bat-shit insane on here.
*PSH* Ryan, we all know that silly things like Vol numbers and what issues are collected in the trade or hardcover only confuse someone who is new to the book. Numbers only get in the way of people being able to read Batman being awesome. #sarcasm
It amazes me on a weekly basis when I go to the shop that Vertigo, with exception of Hellblazer, has their shit together when it comes to trades. How can someone at DC not look at a Vertigo trade and go, “Damn! Why haven’t we been using common sense this entire time?!” or “Maybe we should have someone from the Vertigo line take 10 seconds to explain this to us.”
Alright I’m done with the rant.
@jmstump
Leaving numbers off a batman trade almost makes sense when you’re trying to sell it to an unfamilliar reader from a regular bookstore.
“Batman: Year One” looks a lot more inviting than “Batman: issues #404-407”
It’s kind cancelled out when a typical bookstore usualy has an entire shelf of assorted Batman trades and none of them really say “Read me first!”
Also, im guilty of not reading American Vampire either. I saw all the nice cheaper paperback collections of Vertigo’s stuff and thought “surely they’ll do this one in softcover too”. Looks like I may be mistaken :
@TheNextChampion No argument at all. It is really quite astounding how much they screwed up a Batman title written by Paul Dini. They really should have been protecting that one as much as they could.
Thanks Ryan! This is a great list of things I mostly missed. It provides the perfect list for what to look for in TPB.