New Year Wishes

[Chris Fluit]

1. A year-long Wonder Woman epic by Jim Lee

It worked for Batman and Superman. Lee contributed to a Batman modern classic with “Hush.” His Superman story (“For Tomorrow”) was also something worthwhile, even if it didn’t quite measure up to “Hush.” It’s time to give Wonder Woman the same star treatment. His work on other titles (including the Just Imagine Stan Lee creating Wonder Woman one-shot) shows that he would be a great fit. Apologies to Gail Simone who has turned in occasionally interesting work on Wonder Woman for the past couple years.

2. A DC team title worth reading

I have several longboxes full of DC superhero teams. Justice League of America. The New Teen Titans. Legion of Super-Heroes. JSA. Right now, they’re relics of the past. Crossover complications, bad story-telling choices and just plain old mediocrity have knocked the DC team titles off of my pull list. But these are characters that I care about. And I’d like to care about them again. So here’s hoping for a resurgence, a renaissance on the DC team titles.

3. More Jay Faerber

For the past couple of years, Jay Faerber has been one of my favorite comic book writers. But, right now, I’m not getting a regular Faerber fix. Noble Causes has concluded. Dynamo 5 is on hiatus while they switch to a new regular penciler. And the Pilot Season title Urban Myths has yet to appear again, despite assurances from Top Cow that they had plans for the concept. I mostly want Dynamo 5 back and at its best or Urban Myths, but I’ll take a new addition to the Faerber-verse as well.

4. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Nine

Buffy’s Season Eight is winding up with issue 40. Joss Whedon’s experiment- continuing a television series as a comic book- has been so excellent that I want more. A lot more. I realize this wish is pretty close to happening but I’m spending an official wish on it anyway. I also realize it’s probably more of a wish for 2011, as season eight will last into the fall. While I’m at it, I wish for great things from Bill Willingham’s tenure on the Angel comic, more Spike mini-series, a Faith spin-off, a Dr. Horrible sequel (which I understand to be in the planning stages) and Fox to change their minds and renew Dollhouse anyway.

5. A new New X-Men/Young X-Men comic

It may be too soon. The poorly received Marc Guggenheim comic was canceled just this past year. But, as great as it’s been to see these characters in supporting roles in the main X-book, I’d love to see them in their own title again. Pixie. Anole. Armor. Blindfold. Rockslide. Gentle. These are cool characters and great additions to the X-mythos and they deserve their own spotlight, not the side of the stage in someone else’s show.

6. The end of Norman Osborn as the central figure in the Marvel Universe

I am so sick of this story. I’ve done my best to avoid it, but it keeps bleeding over into other titles that I follow and otherwise enjoy, like Uncanny X-Men, Amazing Spider-Man and Mighty Avengers. I just want it to go away. Preferably, with precious few Siege crossovers in the titles on my pull list.

7. A new kids book for A, my 8-year old daughter

She was a huge fan of Marvel’s Power Pack series of mini-series. Honestly, so was I. But Marvel decided that they had run out of stories for the family, after teaming them up with the X-Men, the Fantastic Four (twice), the Avengers, the Hulk and Iron Man, plus a showdown with the Skrulls and a Year One origin story. Now, with Power Pack gone, we’re struggling to find a new title for her. The new X-Babies mini-series shows promise, but it’s not as good as Power Pack had been. Come on, Marvel (or DC), give me something I can enjoy handing to my daughter.

8. Comebacks from the titles I listed in my “comics that should make a comeback” series of articles

That would be Generation X, Martian Manhunter and Star Wars: Empire/Rebellion for those who missed the articles in question.

[Dagwan]

Secret Six is a good DC team book.

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[Martin Gray]

Is Jay Faerber good then? I've not read anything by him since the awful Teen Titans, but I've a vague memory of him saying there was a more than usual level of editorial fingering on that book.

Happy New Year!

[John Dunbar]

1. Interesting idea. I take it Jim Lee has not hinted at doing something like that otherwise DC would be all over it. Wasn't there supposed to be an All-Star Wonder Woman title at some point? I think that would be the way to go. One of the problems with WW, imo, is that the character is more of an icon than a star, due to longevity more than anything else ... but I'll save the rant for another time.

2. I agree with Dag on Secret Six. I hope Robinson and Bagley can turn JLA around because it's a mess, and has been since the current volume began. The Titans are in even worse shape. I think we are on the cusp of the Legion getting good again. The JSA doesn't need two books.

3 - 5. No comment from me only because I don't follow these series.

6. I couldn't agree more. I'm skipping Siege because I can't imagine Brian Bendis will deliver the story I want to read. Secret Invasion was the last straw for me - I'm very tired of the great concepts and poor delivery. We need a finale to this story - preferably one with Spidey punching Osborn in the face and carrying him off to jail. We're probably going to get Osborn owning the gods of Asgard (shudder).

7. I hope that happens!

8. I need to go back an re-read those articles.

[Chris Fluit]

Thanks for the comments, everyone.

Is Jay Faerber good then? I've not read anything by him since the awful Teen Titans, but I've a vague memory of him saying there was a more than usual level of editorial fingering on that book.

Happy New Year!

I think so. I didn't enjoy his Titans work either but I've been much more impressed with his work on his creator-owned titles at Image. Dynamo 5 was definitely worth checking out.

Wasn't there supposed to be an All-Star Wonder Woman title at some point?

Yeah, there was. I seem to remember either Geoff Johns or Adam Hughes being attached to the project (and maybe both). But it's been a long time since anything was announced.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I'd like to add a few of my own...

1) A collection of Gold Key Dark Shadows comics

2) A collection of Steve Ditko's Mr. A

3) The fourth volume of "Walt & Skeezix" (Gasoline Alley) covering 1927 and 1928

[Travis Herrick (Modular Mod)]

I wasn't as big a fan on Noble Causes as Chris was, but I did enjoy the series, and I do have Dynamo 5 on my to read eventually list.

Adam Hughes was definitely supposed to be doing a All-Star Wonder Woman series. He was going to both to the art and writing on it. I just looked it up, and it was on Newsarama, announced in 2006 with a release date of summer 2007.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

The Boom! comics are great for 8 year olds. Also, now that she's read the Magic Trixie books, she could move on to Jellaby and Bone (both big faves with my girls). They also LOVE the Little Lulu reprint books and the strip collections of Lio.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

OH, and the Miyazaki movies all have manga volumes...awesome stuff.

[Doc Beechler (mod-MD)]

One more...your oldest is now the PERFECT age for the new Doctor Who episodes. I swear! Scary, but not too scary, monsters and very strong female leads. Watching the show could prompt an interest in the comics.

[ClarkKent_DC]

1. A year-long Wonder Woman epic by Jim Lee. "Apologies to Gail Simone who has turned in occasionally interesting work on Wonder Woman for the past couple years." "Occasionally interesting"? Ouch.

2. A DC team title worth reading Hear, hear! Yes, I like Suicide Squad as much as the next guy, but it isn't about a team of heroes, and DC's titles about hero teams all fall short of the mark.

6. The end of Norman Osborn as the central figure in the Marvel Universe Hear, hear! I was sick of it before it started (with "Civil War"), and would love for it to be over, sooner rather than later.

7. A new kids book for A, my 8-year old daughter Power Pack is gone? That's sad news; it was one of the few Marvel titles I found reliably entertaining.