Andrenn's Top 5 Current Comics.

To celebrate 100 posts here at New Age Comics with Andrenn, our 100^th post is a very special one. One I’ve been bouncing around in my head for a while now. I know that when I review a comic, I’m not just saying my thoughts on it, I’m either suggesting you look into it or avoid it. That’s half the point of the reviews. But sometimes, in my reviews, it’s hard to suggest a series on the simple bias of that one issue .Sometimes I’d like to go into depth on the series as a whole, but I can’t really do that.

So what we have here is something more along those lines, in that I am giving my 5 favorite current comics. Now I had planned for this to be 10 but…I can’t seem to make up a solid 10 list. Don’t as why, I just can’t seem to…so rather then 10, I myself am simply doing 5. Though in the future when I do this again someday, it may be a solid 10.

Now I know other bloggers/reviewers have seen my blog, so before I go onto the list, I offer a chance for you all to say your top 10 favorite comics. It obviously doesn’t have to be 10, it can be 5 or if your pull list is small, 3 maybe. I’d like to see what are others favorite current comic books as well as I’m sure everyone’s list differs.

Now by “current comic book” I mean series that are currently being published. If they be ongoing or mini, but in my case, we’re going with ongoing series as the only rule is that they are currently being published this moment.

5: Ultimate Spider-man

Always a great read, I haven’t really checked in on the old web-head in a while, but for Ultimatum and the conclusion of the War of the Symbiotes arc I’m dropping in for a hello. This is one of those series that it’s hard to really fault, because over 120 issues, it’s still going as strong as ever and has yet to really lose it’s spark. That is not nothing, whereas brother and sister series UFF and UXM have lost a lot of what made them popular, Spidey keeps on rolling. While the book has suffered a bit with the loss of longtime artist Mark Bagley, Stuart Immonen is still a good replacement, despite my missing Bagley.

4: All Star Batman and Robin, the Boy Wonder

Leave it to Frank Miller to tell a story that has a strange balance of grit and grime, with campy and insane. As a long time fan of Miller’s work, I’ve always loved this series. Though I do admit delays hurt, with some series it’s become an obvious thing to expect and to actually fault the series for the delays now would be ridiculous. Jim Lee is of course an amazing artist, even if he is the biggest factor to these delays, and his art is well worth every single delay as he brings Miller’s amazing scripts to life and helps tell a wicked fun story.

3: Invincible

There are very few new heroes in this day and age that really shine above the images set by Marvel and DC. Image Comics and Dark Horse both have some good ones, but as far as new characters of the new millennium, it’s hard to compete with Invincible. Always a character that has a strong blend of Spider-man like antics and Superman like strength, the character himself is great, but what is even better is how well Kirkman has built the world around him. It’s one thing to make a good character, it’s another to make everything around him as good, and doing so compliments the character and makes his world and him even better. Characters like Atom Eve and Rex Splosion are great and they really add to both Invincible and his world, making it more then just a lone hero and his challenges in life. It also brings back to the classic days of Marvel when heroes had to deal with their secret identity and a teenage life. While the world of Invincible and his character are great, the series has had some slow tendencies, and that’s the only thing that really holds the series back from being any higher on the list.

2: Spawn

I’m sure anyone who has read the blog long enough knows enough by now that I am a major Spawn fan. Though that’s not the only thing that puts the series so high on this list. Spawn has been on a rollercoaster ride up, yet never down, ever since issue #169 last year. David Hine started what has snowballed into an epic comic. Even with the change in writers/artist and totally new direction, Spawn has kept a building momentum of strong and well told stories. Even though Al Simmons is now gone, things look bright for Spawn and it’s hard not to recommend the series to anyone who is interested.

1: Witchblade

When I look at all the comics I have collected over the last few years, read over them and think back to the stories within the pages, only one comic has kept me as excited and happily reading every single month since I started reading it earlier this year. That book as you know by now is Witchblade. Ron Marz has told an incredible story with the characters, and Stjepan Sejic has done an amazing job on telling these stories with his stunningly beautiful art.

One thing I have never gotten to mention here about the book is the relationship between Sara/Gleason. Rarely have I ever seen such an organic and well told tale as theirs. Most writers follow a simple formula of

Issue 1: new character introduced

Issue 2: Protagonist and new character date

Issue 3: Protagonist and new character are in love and getting married.

I hate to say it but it’s true, there are very few well done relationships in comics and Sara/Gleason is one of them.

Now that aside, Marz and Sejic are an incredible team, even in issues where the action is little, Marz’ dialogue can shine and Sejic’s artwork can bring out the best in even 2 people talking. That is not nothing, that is something special and helps books the comic. Characters are all great, stories are fun and serious, with strong moments, overall, the best way I can describe Witchblade is an absolute must have awesome fun comic book.

So that’s all for tonight. I hope you enjoyed seeing my top 5 favorite books out right now, and maybe in the future seeing others top current comics.