Top Ten Comics Final Edition

8) FANTASTIC FOUR - While new writer J. M. Straczynksi hasn't been around for more than a few issues, I can already tell that this book is destined for another great era. He has focused on the "accident" that created the FF, and given it a very nice new twist that adds wonderfully to the FF mythos but doesn't denigrate or dilute anything from its past. That's a rough trick, but J.M. (last name is hard to type!) manages it somehow.

He also has done a fine job with characterization. I guess it's a cliche that the FF always bicker but end up backing each other up, but J.M.'s following along in that fine tradition. I also enjoy the subplot of the Child Welfare Services woman who is alleging that Sue's children are being placed in jeopardy by their proximity to the team. You want to root for Sue and Reed to keep custody of them, of course, but the truth is that uhm, the woman is kind of right. All these kids that run around the Marvel Universe (at least the ones that weren't a figment of their mother's imagination; oh, uhhh, HI Wanda!...heh...) are truly being placed in dangerous situations on a daily basis and it's hard to see how they can have anything approximately a normal childhood. Again, they are definitely loved and cared for, but the constant stress of attempted murder upon their relatives, the blasting off to outer space or other dimensions, the perpetual "on call" basis of the teams, the whirlwind of babysitters, etc. could never be healthy for a child. It's a very interesting issue and one I am glad that J.M. raised.

This book has never been one of Marvel's "darker" books. That is, most of the villains are very human, and everyone involved in the conflicts seems to have a reasonable point of view. Again, this is holding true for the current run of FF. The creature who contacted the FF is just a "man" who was seeking knowledge, the people pursuing him feel they are justified in stopping forbidden knowledge from getting out, and the army is trying to protect civilians from harm. I'm always glad that the FF's conflicts are just as often solved by diplomacy and quick thinking as they are by brute force; it really sets the book apart from other books that rely too much on slugfests. This is a thinking man's comic book, and the characters are all intelligent thoughtful people who don't want to resort to physical conflict if they don't have to.

Mike McKone is doing a fine job with the artwork. I don't talk as much about art because my background is much more in the realm of writing and I find myself fumbling when I try to describe my reaction to art. My words aren't as precise or knowing in that field. But McKone's style is the type I tend to prefer for comic book teams, very traditional and "heroic".

So far, so very good. I'm looking forward to even more from both of these guys.

9) DOOM PATROL- I feel a little strange even including this entry, as it is earmarked for cancellation in a couple of months. I wish that DC could put together a winning combination for this book, because I have found things to like in each one of its many incarnations. For whatever reason, it just doesn't seem to light a fire under readers. I guess John Byrne's name doesn't carry nearly the weight it did twenty years ago, and that's a shame. This book is really a textbook example of classic superhero storytelling; interesting characters with complex, mysterious pasts, a rich history to draw from and expand upon, bizarre scary villains and a team of varied personalities that carries with it a dimension of intra squad conflict that helps to heighten the outer conflicts they face. Plus the Doom Patrol really are the DC Universe's X-MEN; odd loners who don't really mesh with with the rest of the DCU and who's wheelchair bound leader is often just a tad too dictatorial and secretive for the the tastes of the members.

Byrne is doing some nice things with the characters' origins and also the team's. He has done some time travel stories that illuminate details of the origins and also the emotions of the characters. He has played around with the various incarnations of the team through the years while remaining true to the consistently "outcast" spirit of all those teams. I have learned things about the team here for the first time; very basic, seminal moments are being put in much clearer focus, often for the first time. He's really done his research, that's for sure. And he's add three new characters, all of which fit in perfectly with the team, and all of which are unique to say the least. A pity they will more than likely to consigned to comic book Oblivion before long. It really is too bad this book couldn't have had more of a chance. I like the way Byrne established a pattern of unpredictability here; you never knew what was going to happen from one moment to the next.

His artwork is just as solid and expressive as ever, and his fight scenes are truly one of a kind. I am from the "old school" of comic book storytelling and art, where you can actually follow what happens from panel to panel, and this is the kind of stuff I just eat up. It's just disheartening that neat little books like this without huge fanfare or universe shattering crossovers or special events, can't somehow survive in the modern world.

But apparently, they can't.

10) ASTRO CITY - This is the only entry in my series that isn't either MARVEL or DC, and it's telling that it is probably the finest book I listed. ASTRO CITY, by Kurt Busiek (surely one of the finest comic writers working today, if not THE finest) tells the story of a city populated by superheroes and what that city would be like if it existed in the real world. It's a book without regular characters so to speak. Most stories run in arcs, over the space of a few issue, and concentrate on one particular hero or hero team. It has all the costumes and codenames and superpowers and villains of any other book, but the heart of these stories is always in the people inside them; how they cope with all the real world concerns that we all do, and their super status only serves to heighten and bring to the surface the very human condition they find themselves in. It's a book about love, loss, dreams, disappointment, family, changing times, loyalty, betrayal, and yes, heroism. It's just about as "real" as realistic superhero tales get. I'd place it right up there next to WATCHMEN in terms of its ability to convey human emotions and real human conflicts.

It's hard to say anything about Alex Ross that hasn't been said before, and no doubt said better. He is really emerging as the Picasso of modern superhero comics, and his fresh, light strokes are so original and pleasing to the eye. His faces are expressive, his battle scenes grandioise, his storytelling techniques fluid and easy to follow. I honestly can't imagine an artist more well suited to this book.

ASTRO CITY is the book I would recommend to people who say they wouldn't like comic books. It's a bridge to "normal" literature that would be able to draw people in that never would have done so otherwise (or at least it would stand a good chance). It's big and it's accessible, it's grand and personal, it's funny, sad, tragic, uplifting and universal. It loves and understands it characters, even the rotten ones. It stands head and shoulders above so many other comics that are doing so much better in sales, but that's fine. ASTRO CITY has and will always have a special place as that one book that took all the superhero cliches, embraced them, and still managed to be relevant, inspiring and entertaining at the same time.

It's a real winner.