Comic Proportions Quotable Top 9 Comics Of 2007

I found a great blog by Carlton Hargro that appeals to any comics collector listing the "Comic Proportions Quotable Top 9 Comics of 2007." I PG'd the wording up a bit, so if you care for more colorful language, click the link above for the original article.

Action Comics (DC Comics): "Let's face it, Superman is a tough character to write. He's been around since the 1930s and there ain't much new stuff you can do to the guy. Johns' way of turning back the clock, at the very least, freshens up the character. I'm all for freshness."

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 (Dark Horse Comics): "If you're a Buffy fan, you should be reading this. And if you're not, pick it up because it's a compelling read with action, humor and pathos."

Doktor Sleepless (Avatar): "The 'hero' of the book -- Doktor Sleepless -- follows in the footsteps of Ellis protagonists like Spider Jerusalem, Richard Fell, Desolation Jones and more ... meaning he's smart, he's a rebel, he's an outcast and a complete ***. I love the brain-numbing amount of off-the-wall science speak ... Here's an example of some of the crazy lines that Doktor Sleepless spouts off in, like, every panel: 'Electricity can only be replenished by whiskey. This is actual physics. Do not argue with me. I am a doktor.' Crazy, eh?"

Fell (Image Comics): "Honestly, I'm usually not a big fan of mystery comics, but Ellis is a master at making a sometimes-boring genre exciting and bizarre. One of the cooler features of the book is the actual page structure; Ellis and Templesmith have created a panel grid that makes reading the 16-page comic seem like you're reading a 32-page comic."

Green Lantern, "Sinestro Corps War"(DC Comics): "Forget all those other DC crossovers and big-time storylines -- "The Sinestro Corps [War]" is the best epic going on at DC. And what makes it so good? The villains. Writer Geoff Johns has assembled the most hardcore crew of villains I've ever seen in the DCU -- and he's given them a common goal. The Sinestro Corps is the type of evil team that makes you wonder how the heroes will actually win. And, really, it's about time. The Green Lantern's ring is the most powerful weapon in the universe and Johns has finally given it an equally powerful opposite number."

Immortal Iron Fist (Marvel Comics): "Matt Fraction and Ed Brubaker understand the appeal and unique qualities of Iron Fist. They've transformed a poor-man's Bruce Lee into a complex, interesting and multi-layered character. In past Iron Fist series, the writers seemed content to take a pretty undeveloped hero and just throw him in stories where he's drop-kicking a bunch of generic bad guys. Fraction and Brubaker, however, have created a rich mythology surrounding the character and his powers."

Mighty Avengers (Marvel Comics): "[Brain Michael Bendis'] approach to Mighty [Avengers] is almost the total opposite of what he does on New [Avengers]. He's loaded the comic with heavyweights like Wonder Man, Sentry, and Ares (the god of war) instead of scrubs like Echo and Ronin -- and he's downplayed the tongue action to play up the fisticuffs and explosions. If you hate Bendis, you'll love Mighty Avengers. Oh, and the art in the first six issues is by Frank Cho, and it's good."

Thor (Marvel Comics): "Looking back on the history of the character, Thor has always done best when he's done big. Big allies. Big adversaries. Big scenery. (I mean, the dude is a god.) And in this brand new No. 1, writer Straczynski succeeds at capturing Thor's big scale and scope. I love it. Every. Page."

Walking Dead, hardcover No. 1 (Image Comics): "I thoroughly enjoyed reading this comic, about a world overrun by zombies, from the beginning. Truthfully, I now think this series is best enjoyed from the beginning. Read it from issue No. 1 and you get to see how all these relationships started and the underlying emotional conflicts that have come to define the characters -- making this hardcover required reading for anyone interested in jumping on the book."

New Degrees Available For Graphic Novelists

This article may be of some interest to those interested in comics and their rise in popularity. Carol Tyler is a professional cartoonist and graphic novelist, and she began teaching a comics art class last year at the University of Cincinnati. Hers is one of several such classes that have been added to fine arts curriculums as academic respect has grown for the graphic novelist community. “Schools are now recognizing the creative and commercial value of comic books,” Tyler said. “An interest in comics and cartooning doesn't have to be a secret any more.” Demand is growing for entry into the already established courses, and some schools are having to implement waiting lists to take classes. For example, The Savannah College of Art and Design offered comics art in 1992 as an elective to a handful of students. The school now has nearly 300 undergraduates and 50 graduate students pursuing bachelor's and master's degrees in sequential art, also known as comics art. Now as a young comics collector, the opportunity to pursue a career in their field of interest is becoming more attainable. Check out the rest of the article here for more information.