The best and worst of 2012 in comics

Last updated on December 10th, 2021

Since it’s time for “end of 2012” lists aplenty, I thought I’d get in as well. And since everything seems to be couched in “best of”/”worst of” lists, I’ll go that route as well. So let’s start off with a look back at the best and the worst of comics over the past year.

Best

• The wedding of the adult Kevin Keller in “Life With Archie” selling out, as well as One Million Mom’s boycott of “Toys R Us” for carrying the issue backfiring hard.
• Similarly, the wedding of Northstar in the “X-Men” comics.
• “Batwoman” winning a GLAAD award.
• The present-day Kevin Keller’s own comic, which continued to be entertaining.
• “Reed Gunther,” a fun Western/light-horror comic. Unfortunately, it’s been canceled.
• DC Comics selling same-day digital comics through the Nook and Kindle stores. A move away from Comixology’s digital monopoly and their heavily DRMed comics model is a good thing. (Yes, the Nook/Kindle books are still DRMed, but at least they’re actual files one can remove the DRM on and back up…)
• The 2012 C2E2 show in Chicago. Still fun, even if I could only spend a single day there.
• Another “Love and Capes” series!
• “Superman Family Adventures,” the one DC book I’m still reading (unless waiting for the trade paperback for Morrison’s “Action” run counts).
• Archie’s “New Crusaders” has been enjoyable.
• Dan Slott’s run on “Amazing Spider-Man,” and Brian Michael Bendis’ run on Miles Morales’ title.

Worst

• The “Star Trek/Legion of Superheroes” miniseries. Dragged out plotline + my existing dislike of Q (even if he apparently got rather easily captured by Fred Flintstone’s evil cousin, a.k.a. Vandal Savage) + the predictable “reset button” ending rendering it all even more pointless = “hoped that Star Trek/Dr. Who crossover did better with Who fans.” Still, at least this series acknowledged the Kal-El Superboy was a Legionnaire.
• The shutdown of Graphicly, with the promise of keeping their comics servers up for those that bought books through them…for now, anyway. A big reason I don’t like the Comixology digital model of (basically) paying full price for what amounts to renting comics long-term, as long as the company stays in business/with files tied strongly to a proprietary app. I can only hope the recent move by DC to sell their books as actual digital files via Kindle and Nook stores means Comixology’s glorified-rental model won’t last, and that some changes are in store.
• “The Meaning of Lila” ended its newspaper run. I’m currently reading the strip’s reruns on GoComics.com.
• DC Comics overall is definitely on this list. Long story short, the “New 52” reboot bites, and I still wish DC had different, more progressive-minded leadership as a company. To wit:
  • The cancellations of Mister Terrific and Static’s books. As troubled as they were, they could’ve at least tried to keep them around a bit longer, or clear up their writing/editing situations. Instead, they’re both axed to make room for Yet Another Batman-related Book, among other things.
  • DC’s ugly new “Peel” logo.
  • Captain Marvel is now called “Shazam“… and Billy Batson’s been turned into some obnoxious, rude brat.
  • “Watchmen” prequels nobody wanted or needed, despite the otherwise excellent staff involved in producing them.
  • Re-introducing the “New 52” Earth-2 Alan Scott as gay is OK, albeit at the expense of his now-nonexistent gay son Obsidian, since they’ve also de-aged Alan into his 20s like the rest of the characters in “New 52” line. (Even Bronze Age DC’s timeline with Superman being 29 wasn’t as extreme as the take in the “New 52”—the JSAers were allowed to age!) However, what happened to Alan’s better half—being killed off right after being introduced—puts this on the “worst” list.
  • Superman being written out-of-character. Clark Kent should never say the words “booty call,” DC. And the “Little Abner” “early days” costume is still dumb.
  • Lois’ treatment in the “New 52” is still lousy. Given they have a major movie coming out starring, among others, Lois, can’t see DC keeping this up through 2013 (Superman’s 75th anniversary)… then again, this is DC…
  • The Superman-Wonder Woman romance. Bad fanfic/fanboy fantasy ideas given the “green light?” Um, no. Again, “major Superman movie out in 2013” (see Lois above)…
  • Plenty more I’ve probably missed, but it’s probably easier to read this blogger’s post about DC this year, which sums things up pretty well.

As lousy as the worst of the above could be, the best of comics this year, as always, will leave a much better impression of the medium. I look forward to seeing what 2013 has in store for comics!