Joss Whedon, the creator of one of my favorite franchises ever, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and Angel), comes over to my favorite of publishers, Marvel Comics, to write my favorite comic characters, the X-Men. That was probably the highlight for me this year, comics-wise. However, there were many other highs:
- Oeming and DiVito's Thor
- My two favorite indy books, Kabuki and Powers, coming over to Marvel
- Identity Crisis
- She-Hulk
- Y: The Last Man
- District X
- Invincible
- Green Lantern: Rebirth
- My two favorite heroes of all time, Wolverine and Spider-Man, in team book helmed by my favorite writer of all time, Brian Michael Bendis
- Secret War
- Superman/Batman
- Millar and Romita Jr. tackling Wolverine
- The X-Men going back to their roots (costumes and Claremont, essentially)
- Marvel Team-Up (#2 especially... Kirkman nails Spidey and Wolvey in that issue)
- Supreme Power and the list goes on.
There are always the downs though of a year. Here's a couple that come to mind for me, personally:
- The use of Gwen Stacy throughout the Spider-Man books (sorry Bendis and JMS... I love you guys but both uses of her left bad tastes in my mouth)
- My favorite artist, Jim Lee, going on Superman only to be drowned out by an awful story
- I hate to bash people but Austen's X-Men was not too great, especially when compared to the other X-books
- Secret War's lateness... I thought a quarterly schedule sucked and then it ended up being even longer

- Kenneth Livitski

1) Avengers Disassembled
For something to be rebuilt, it must first be destroyed. Ladies and gentleman- destruction.

2) Identity Crisis
DC's book of the year. For once, the finished product exceeded the hype.

3) The Return Of Colossus
I was so sick to death of lame "Back From The Dead" stories. Then one came along and redeemed them all.

- Technofear

2004 is the year I got back into comics (again). My "job" in the beginning was to read a few books that J.D. would pick up each week and review them for the website. I didn't think that this would cause me to get back into collecting again, but I was wrong. And I owe all of that to Image Comics.

To me, 2004 is the year of Image. I say this because of the moves they have made in bringing quality back into the industry. Sure, I enjoy my fair share of books from the Big Two (Ex Machina, Powers, Astonishing X-Men, 100 Bullets, Superman/Batmanv to name a few), but Image has really opened my eyes to books that normally would have been considered as independent titles. Series and mini-series like Ultra, Forsaken, NYC Mech, Small Gods, Hawaiian Dick, The Walking Dead and The Ride have all been fantastic additions to the industry. Other books like Noble Causes and The Gift, which have found homes at Image, also show that this company means business.

I have to agree to an extent with Scott Ziolko about small press indy books not getting the credibility they deserve, but at the same time this is something that has always been an issue with this form of entertainment...so no one should be that surprised. There is, unfortunately, a segment of society that is afraid to try anything new -- and not just new, but anything remotely different than what everyone else says is cool or entertaining. Luckily, I have read books like Western Tales of Terror, Hero Camp, Damage BK1: Ashes and The Ciderview Project which have given me faith that independent publishers are more than capable of putting out quality comics.

What we should take from 2004 into 2005 is the understanding that the creators of tomorrow are not at Marvel and DC today. They are the ones who are self-publishing, or just getting their feet wet at Image. These are the creators who are worth seeking out and discovering, because tomorrow they will be Bendises and Millars and Cassadays and -- God help us -- the Byrnes and the Liefelds.

2004 will be remembered as the year that I realized that I wasn't giving comic books a fair chance. Sure, a few creators spoiled the fun for me a few years back, but that doesn't mean there aren't a bunch of them out there now who deserve sticking around for.

- Marc Lombardi
Writer, Simply Reviewed at SimplyJD Online

Whether it was the 2-3 month delay on Superman/Batman , or the missing in action conclusion to The Unfunnies, or the fact that people come into our comic shop every week asking for Wolverine: The End #6 (I am not even going to bother mentioning Daredevil: Father).

If someone is hurt or injured or there is a simple reason that can be explained by the company putting out the book, then I can accept that.

If companies like Marvel or DC would just issue a press release or statement saying something along the lines of Wolverine: The End #6 is going to be late, due to a fire at Marvel's offices that destroyed the original artwork for the series, and it needs to be redrawn. We apologize for the delay, and will keep you posted."

or

"DC Comics announces that Superman/Batman will be delayed for two months due to the explosion at the printers. The machinery containing the plates for the book were ruined, and it may be some time until the printing offices can be habitable."

That would be nice. But instead, we have titles that are delayed or the shipping date changes to a month later, and we have no clue why. And because we are completists on titles we like, the majority of us just accept it as 'part of being a comic fan.'

That wouldn’t' work in any other industry, but it has become commonplace in the comic book industry.

That is my only major disappointment of this year.

Now on to the positive.

This year saw me dropping many titles from 'The Big Two; (books I dropped this year were all X-Men team books when Reload hit, Catwoman, Y: The Last Man, Fables, Swamp Thing, Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate X-Men, Ultimate Daredevil/Elektra mini)

At the same time I dropped some books, I picked up some underrated gems.

Someone already mentioned the under-rated and under-ordered Powerless mini from Marvel. WE3 from DC/Vertigo is simply a stunning read.

This year saw me reading more smaller press titles than ever before. Book like Cocopiazo from Slave Labor Graphics, Candyappleblack from Good Intentions Paving Co., Eclipse and Vega from SSS comics, Temporary from Origin Comics.

Thanks to a gift certificate from my boss, I picked up all three Strangers in Paradise pocket books (can't wait for the fourth one) and found myself totally engrossed and extremely moved by Terry Moore's work.

This year saw endings to long running series, like Bone, Cerebus, and Wednesday will see the final issue of Black Hole, which has been running for about a decade.

Since nature abhors a vacuum, for the many titles that ended, other new and promising titles gained notoriety Walking Dead has slowly climbed up the charts due to positive word of mouth, and good work to back it up Small Gods has really blown my mind in both art and story. And the return of some issues of Stray Bullets keeps me realizing why I love the series so much.

Steve Niles has made a name for himself in the horror genre with his 30 Days of Night minis (that followed up on the story of the hit original series), and he has branched out of the vampire genre to give us the haunting and macabre Freaks of the Heartland, as well as books like Remains, an adaptation of Richard Matheson's I am Legend as well as the adaptation of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead.

Sam Keith's OJO mini is quirky and dark, and keeps me coming back for more.

As far as collected editions go, you can't go wrong with The Collected Peanuts (I got my sister the 2 book boxed set for Christmas -- can't wait to see her face) The forty dollar complete Bone is an affordable way to read the whole series. The Barnes and Noble exclusive Ultimate Spider-Man was also cheap and affordable. Marvel's oversized HC treatment of books like 1602, The Ultimates, and Daredevil really showcase the beautiful art, and at a nice price. DC/Vertigo's It's A Bird has my vote for book of the year.

Oni Press has really blown my mind as I have been working through their backlog, as well as their impressive new releases like Julius, Scandalous, and Love As A Foreign Language.

I picked up my first manga books this year (Legal Drug, Dark Water) and I have also really been enjoying Andy Seto's adaptation of the Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon books. The latest volume (vol. 9) has higher quality glossy paper and a nice 'dust jacket' cover.

This year was more of a diverse year for me, as I got a job in a comic shop and became more knowledgeable about other types of books from other companies. A year ago, I would never have picked up a book like Street Angel.

If the 'big two' are going to continually have late shipping books, or hype up a project, only to have the end result be not much of anything, then I may turn away from them altogether.

Is that a good thing? Or a bad thing? Will have to let you know next year at this time.

- Ron T.

:tears of joy:

- Joshua Fialkov
Head Honcho, Hoarse And Buggy Productions

What can you say about 2004 in comics?

It was sort of like watching a friend drive his plane into a ravine at top speed, only to see him start to pull up and still crash on the side.

The big stories of 2004 are the stories that have been the same for the last five years:

1) The stranglehold on comic book distribution continues to keep the audience for "mainstream" publishers ever shrinking.

2) Many new and strong independent comic book companies emerged, but are fighting over the same fandom pie and ride the same plane that is heading into the ravine, along with the more mainstream guys.

3) The comic book press (for the most part) continues to ignore comic books that aren't part of the regular, stifling distribution system because they either can't get them or won't make the effort to seek them out.

4) The comic book press (for the most part) continues to ignore the few comic books that are attempting to change the restrictive and over-priced format, further stifling the medium.

5) The comic book press (for the most part) is made up of well-meaning fans with many conflicting agendas including: store ownership, direct ties to the talent and/or a desire to be a part of the medium they are examining. While some become professional comic book journalists, some are merely rumormongers with websites. Additionally, there are too many of them. There's not enough comic book news for even the professional ones to cover.

6) The Japanese do comics so much better and continue to do so. Shonen Jump (over 300 pages for $5) or DH's Super Manga Blast! (128 pages for $5.99). No one at the big American comic book companies wants to do the f***ing math. Everyday, someone gets pissed off at Marvel or DC or Image, drops their subscription and leaves the comic book store for good. While Anime cons continue to gain attendees. Mainstream American comics continue to objectify women and drive them away, while Manga reels in both sexes with just about equal speed.

7) The big stories of the year "in comics" are never about comics. They are about movie deals, toys, cartoons, trading cards, card games, video games, cellular phone rings, soundtracks, celebrity endorsements, big money auctions, grading, comic book "rock star" talent, court proceedings, new publishers spending money, old new publishers going out of business and whatever is in the pages of Wizard. All of this comes before the actual medium. As if, oh, yeah, there's some comic books.

8) 2004 was another year of the Great Lie: that sales in comic book stores actually translate into sales in the hands of fans. None of the "sales" takes into account retailers with unsold comics, retailers that go out of business with new comics, fans that default on their subscriptions, fans that are months behind on their reading and due to default on their subscriptions, fans that read their friends' comics, fans that still buy multiple copies, dealers that buy multiple copies to sell on eBay or "grade" or whatever other nonsense passes for a collectible these days. And finally, what happens to all the returns from newsstands? Are they subtracted from sales when they are returned? Are there 100,000 fans buying 100,000 X-Men or 50,000 fans buying 100,000 X-Men ? And is anyone bothering to count comic book sold outside the distribution system?

9) Comic book creators, publishers and talent continue to complain that they have to compete with video games, movies, television, animation, toys, etc., but do next to nothing to compete with them. Why would they? Most American comics publishers are part of larger companies that have already relegated comics as an ancillerary piece of merchandise. What stockholder would want to overshadow a $100 million dollar movie opening with a storyline from a $3 comic book that will disappear in a week?

10) Comic book creators continue to look forward to a career in "something else". Who was the most visible working talent in the world of comics this year? Kevin Smith, a movie director. Next - Stan Lee, who has been the icon for comics for over 30 years. (No offense, Stan.) But it's time for a new Stan Lee, a comic book creator, known for creating comic books with a visibility and a charisma to excite people about the medium again.

11) The comic book camps continue to be divided and the comic book press continues to keep them that way. Anime fans over here, superhero fans there, "independent" fans there, Goth comic fans over there, comic strip creators down that way, web comic creators that way, political cartoonist there---- These fans and creators are all part of the same medium. One magazine's obsession with superheroes drives away all the other fans. We need to unite around the medium, not the collectibles.

12) Collectibles must die . Publishers must push the collectible business out of the comic book convention, they must stop "special" limited editions, signed editions, graded editions, foil covers, etc. It all has to stop. That’s the part of the industry fans should be in charge of. Dusty display cases full of your best and rarest work. As publishers and creators, the medium must abandon collectibles. 2004 was another years where this was evident, but publishers, even new ones, continue to buy into the scam of collectibility. Until we stop bilking our fans, they will never trust us enough to bring in their friends. End the madness, baby!

- Tony DiGerolamo

Me? I've been broke between Hurricanes and car crashes. Though I have a lot to say beside web comics (which I will post soon) they are some print books I've read and really, really, really wish to read:

Gallows Noose by Sam Hiti is a great little mini comic, if you get a chance to snatch one up, do. The story is ethereal, but it has a sort whimsy that Hiti's art helps, lending itself to a beautiful fantasy, all the while there is a darkness to it, all it's own.

PHENOMS - Mind Over Matter by Sam Hiti
Another books that lends itself to the fantastic while being so easy and great to read it also takes you to great place of childhood imagination and the art of playing. Beautifully done and rendered, this of all the books was my favorite.

El Largo Tren Negro by Sam Hiti
This a dark book, that Hiti's work pushes forth with the ease of blade into you heart. You slowly are sent on a trip, joining the dead, into a dark afterlife. Great work, and could only work as a short story mini comic like it did.

I should note, that all of Sam Hiti's mini comics are also well crafted with covers done on nice board, and pages done in velvety feeling bright white bond I think, and they just feel like little artifacts. Great work.
His other books, Tiempos Finales and End Times are amazing, I have them both, and again I tell ya, you should check them out. I don't review them here because they already get their fair share of reviews, but they are very worth getting. Tiempos is low in stock right now so get it before it's gone.
He also recently did the Lemony Snicket Adaptation Book , which he is selling with an original drawing, so that's another thing to add as must have.
Aside from Hiti? Well:

Sam Keith: Now I'm always going to be tooting a horn about his work, since it's what got me back into comics back in the early 90's. Recent stuff of his, has now taken a mix with of what the Maxx was, and the themes he seemed to explore in Zero Girl and Four Women like:

OJO by Sam Keith and Alex Pardee
Really awesome series so far as I've read (only got to issue 3) but what I like the most is the decision to go into B&W and it really shows that Keith (And Pardee) have some amazing line work, and also amazing technique, when it comes to breaking down a page and showing motion and emotion

Scratch by Sam Keith
I've read the first 2 ( the rest coming in the mail) and essentially I do agree with the whole "this is Sam Keith Lite for the Masses" spiel, but even Sam Keith Lite is pretty f***ing heavy! I don't think the art team with him complimented his work too much, but then again the rest of the issues could prove me wrong.

Street Angel
I'm talking out of my ass, if I love this series because I haven't read it. But, I have read all the previews to it; it f***ing rocks. I don't' care if the rest of the comic is done by rabid baboon with crayons that were stuck in his ass, and he scooted about the paper with his ass, to scratch! The concept the rendering, etc. are great. It reminds me of Stray Bullets but interesting. (J/k!)

- Juan Navarro

Bad things:
- started buying lots of comics again, budget ruined.
- Hawkeye dead.
Good things:
- lots of great reads this year.
- Icon (Kabuki & Powers) hopefully more stuff coming out of this next year
- New Avengers
- Invincible
- Walking Dead
- District X
- Ultimates2
- Secret War
- Ex Machina
- lots of trades to choose from

- NEWdj

2004 has been very hit and miss with me. Here are the highlights and lowlights....
The Good
1) Wanted: Great. F***ing. Book. This comic has been passed around like it was a joint between my friends and I. loving it.
2) Marvel Knights Spider-Man: Best 616 Spidey book out there. The only one that doesn't piss me off to no ends (see "The Bad").
3) Powers relaunch: Great idea. Lure 'em back with a new first issue under a new imprint! Works for me! Also, this series is just not letting up. Great work, Bendis!
4) Identity Crisis: I could have given two shits about half of the characters in this book beforehand, but now, I feel like I know all of them a little better. Great story.
5) Astonishing X-Men: Man, this book surprised the hell out of me! It really took my breath away. Finally, a 616 X-men book that doesn't make me puke!
There are more, but I'm far too lazy to type them all.
The Bad
1) Amazing Spider-Man - Sins Past: If there has been a worse tale since the Clone Saga, I haven't read it. This one really just tarnished JMS's run. He was doing so great, and then this. Ugh.
2) War Games: Man, this yearly "let's do a Batman mega-crossover" crap needs to stop. For every No Man's Land, there is a crappy story like this one.
3) Chuck Austen: That man could f*** up a wet dream, and he still gets work. At least he's said goodbye to Marvel. Now I only have to deal with his crap at one company.
4) Spectacular Spider-Man: Talk about a book with such promise turning into e total screw up. It started out with a good Venom story (as hard as that is to do), and ended up with Spider-Man turning into a giant spider... for the third of fourth time.
5) Avengers Disassembled: I just tried so hard to like this title, and it really wasn't possible for me. The "Earth's Mightiest Heroes" looked like total amateurs during the entire arc (sorry, Bendis). On the plus side, New Avengers is great.
It was about even, but the good outweighed the bad, in my humble opinion. For every event I hated, there were two I loved.

- Kenny Keen
Creator, “Expulse”

- Andrewj

- Cyberman

I would have to say the reemergence of DC would be my number one. I have always had a real lukewarm feeling towards DC comics prior to this year. However, over the past year I have found myself buying more and more DC comics. The stories have gotten much better and the characters more believable. I know that they have been setting this up for last couple of years but I think they are just now hitting their stride and will only get better. I probably would contribute it to the exclusive contracts that have been signed over the past year. I have also noticed that due to DC becoming more competitive it has caused a shakeup at Marvel as well. The reshuffling of talent and the addition of Joss Whedon will only strengthen Marvel's hold on the market. Anyway, to highlight the events of the year in a list, look below.
Highlights:
- Exclusive Contracts
- Identity Crisis
- Disassembled
- Wolverine: Enemy of the State
- Return of Hal Jordan
- Joss Whedon's addition to the House of Ideas
- Return of Colossus
- Astonishing X-Men
- Jim Lee's Superman
- Michael Turner and Greg Land's cover art
Low-Points:
- Identity Disc
- Return of Rob Liefield
- Death of Hawkeye
- Death of Spoiler
- Gwen Stacy's Children
- Superman/Batman Giant Robot
- McFarlane Productions filing Chapter 11
- Crossgen Situation

- baldur74

Bad:
Me woefully behind on almost ever series I am reading.

- gwyllgi

Sean's thoughts:

Pros
There were a lot of series launched in 2004 that simply amazed me and reminded me what it was like to read a good comic. Some of those books, mentioned numerous times already, are:

Ex Machina - This has to be Vaughan's best work to date. The writing is current, topical and interesting. The characters are compelling, interesting and even actually feel like real people. I don't agree with them all of the time, I watch them make mistakes but I love every single second of it. Tony Harris' artwork fits so well with Vaughan's writing that I'll cry myself to sleep for the rest of my life if he leaves this series ever.

Ultra - Not the most serious book on the planet but a very enjoyable read. When I first saw it in the shop I was a little miffed because of the cover. I thought it was another T n' A book just out to make a dollar from the fanboys who can't get enough of that stuff. I can't believe how wrong I was and I'm so glad that the first issue is being reprinted. The book is real, smart, funny and definitely deserves to be checked out by people who enjoy Powers and good comics in general.

Identity Crisis and Green Lantern: Rebirth - I've never been the biggest DC Comics fan but these two books were/are amazing. DC didn't have to make sure that these books contained good artwork/writing but they managed to do it anyways. Both of these series could have been moneymakers without quality inside but DC (and the creators) came through and knocked it out of the park. Great artwork, great writing and, most importantly, great conversation because everyone's got an opinion of them.

Cons
Companies seem to be sliding back into old habits again. I don't know this for certain and I could be completely wrong but both Marvel and DC seem to be forgetting things that shouldn't be forgotten. Alternate covers, late comics, and treating fans as disposable are all examples of things that I saw happening in 2004. I know that all of the companies are in this industry to make money, there is no denying that fact, but I don't like being screwed around by people I am giving money to.

I refuse to buy alternate covers, buy a book if it is months and months late (after being promised soon) and investing money in another book starring characters that are appearing in every other book in a line.

Fans are also to blame as well. Rabid collecting of titles, characters and creators (rewarding them for horrible business practices) doesn't help the situation at all. Fans need to open their eyes, put down that third copy of Uncanny X-Men and maybe think about purchasing a book that is actually going to satisfy them if given a chance. Why do you need three copies of Uncanny X-Men but never give Ex Machina (That's mah-kin-ah, and not ma-chine-ah)?

I'm not going to tell you what to like. We all have our own tastes and likes, but give something new a chance. Support good books. Support good creators and stop being a slave to the ideas that did the industry, and yourselves, harm years ago. It's insanity, people. Make sure that 2005 is the year that comics really shine and show what they can do.

- Sean Clement
Almighty Lord and Ruler, Diverging Comics

Image’s collection of Jim Mahfood’s old 40oz Comics stuff was another high point of the year. It’s nice to see these back in print and more accessible. Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev continue to make Daredevil the absolute must-read book from Marvel, while Chynna Clugston-Major’s latest Blue Monday mini has had me laughing out loud with every issue. And Judd Winick did a great job of bringing Caper – yet another under-rated title, which I really hope DC collects in trade - to a close.

Other great – though not necessarily new – books that I discovered this year include Whedon and Cassaday’s Astonishing X-Men, Greg Rucka’s Queen & Country , Bendis and Mike Oeming’s Powers, Phil Hester and Mike Huddleston’s Deep Sleeper, Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely’s We3, and Warren Ellis and Chris Sprouse’s Ocean.

Movie-wise, Spider-Man 2 was the Spidey movie I’ve been waiting for. Blade: Trinity, however, would’ve been a complete disappointment if not for Ryan Reynolds as Hannibal King. And I absolutely refused to watch Catwoman.

- Wayne Ree
Review Whore, Diverging Comics