Well, there's good and bad in every genre, but I guess that goes without saying. I read across a pretty broad spectrum of comics -- superhero, auto-bio, just plain weird stuff like Woodring's Frank (one of my favorites too!), and I think there's enough quality stuff going on in superhero comics that you couldn't just say they're all bad.

This year one of my favorite's was Starlord, a really excellent sci-fi/miliatry styled book with fantastic art. I was also into the Planet Hulk stuff, which was just good knock down drag out fun and Ed Brubaker's Daredevil continues in the great crime drama vein as Bendis. Warren Ellis' Nextwave was a real pleasure, hilarious and the art was great. And despite it's inate juvenality, and ultra-violent abuse of man, woman and animal, Eric Larson's Savage Dragon continues to be one of the most entertaining comics out there, just in terms of what he tries to accomplish with page composition -- it doesn't always work, but damned if he doesn't try.

Love and Rockets is always a joy, but Los Bros Hernandez haven't been as prolific as they used to be. I was completely underwhelmed by Gilbert's mini-series for Vertigo. So much so that I forget the title.

There was a really fun indy horror book this year called Bad Planet. I think it was published by IDW but I might be wrong. I'm a big fan of IDW, even if zombies and vampires aren't my thing. But I like their bare-bones-rendering-photoshop-finishes approach to art. So much so that I've adopted it myself in my own work.

The one problem I have with some indie books is that the art just isn't up to the level of mainstream superhero books. (Speaking of which, Vertigo has really gone to the dogs lately -- the interior art in most of their books is just atrocious. This from a company that used to boast talent like Chris Bachelo, Michael Allred, Dave McKean, Phil Jimenez and Frank Quitely! I haven't bought a vertigo book (except the Hernandez thing) in god knows how long. What are they thinking?)

I know the big guys have the money to spend on the latest computer programs and assembly line art teams, but still, Marvel's stuff just looks so fantastic. As a cartoonist myself, I often buy books just to stare at the covers and go "How'd he do that?!" A well done superhero comic can still give me that sense of wonder I felt as a kid. For me, that's what it's all about.

Hey Joe, I love bongwater, you're ok in my book!