My Marvelous Year: 2006

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• This is the first time in all of the Marvelous Year months that I haven't been able to finish all of the comics. I got close, but I've been traveling half of the month with shoddy internet connection for most of that travel and it just wasn't feasible for me to be able to read a bunch of online comics. I didn't get to any of the Ultimate readings and I didn't get through most of the bonus X-Men stuff. I guess I'll be playing major catchup in August. I will say that Civil War got heavily redeemed for me by reading many of the tie-ins for the first time (I'd pretty much only read the main series and a smattering of tie-ins before). I still think that Civil War ends horribly (tons and tons of build-up and a huge anti-climax), and I really think that Mark Millar's dialogue is glaringly bad throughout the main series, but reading all of the tie-ins and how well they work is super impressive.

  2006 in general was an incredible year. I will always be madly in love with Planet Hulk, which is just so daring and well-done, and Annihilation for the most part is very good (though the less said about the Ronan limited series the better). I have to say though, I absolutely, utterly love Hudlin's Black Panther, and the Storm/Panther wedding arc is one of my favorite things I've read from Marvel; nuanced and joyful at the same time.

• Came in to vote...see that the winners are already up. My calendar must be off.

• Captain America #15-21 was solid storytelling.

  New X-Men was also a decent book.

  Decimation: These books were mostly average quality. The Day After and Deadly Genesis are the standout parts to read.

  Nextwave is a series that I read half of, and since they were all 2 star quality to me, I stopped there.

  I like Slott's second She-Hulk series just as much as the first, which is quite a bit.

  Planet Hulk is mediocre to average at first, but once you hit #96, it is pretty good.

  Annihilation: There are some great moments and characters, but most issues are overall 3 stars for me. The best part in Dave's Annihilation order is Nova #1-3.

  Daredevil was average quality.

  Civil War: Two issues get 5 stars from me. They are Sensational Spider-Man #28 and Captain America #25. Best of the rest:

  Amazing Spider-Man #529-539
  New Avengers: Illuminati #1
  Fantastic Four #536-543
  Civil War #1-7
  Front Line #1-11 (the Marvel stories, not the ones talking about historical battles)
  New Avengers #21-25
  Black Panther #19-25
  She-Hulk #8
  Wolverine #42-48
  Thunderbolts #105
  Ms. Marvel #6-8
  Winter soldier: Winter Kills #1
  Civil War: Choosing Sides #1
  Civil War: The Return #1
  Iron Man/Captain America: Casualties of War #1
  Iron Man #13-14
  Heroes for Hire #1-3
  Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man #11-16
  Civil War: The Initiative #1
  Sensational Spider-Man #29-34
  Captain America #22-24
  Cable and Deadpool #30-32

  Civil War is one of my favorite events that Marvel has done. I still need to think about how I will vote this month, as 2006 was quite a good year.

• I think this is the hardest year ever to pick best wrtier. Brubeck? Giffen? Pak? Ellis? Wheden? All are derserving.

  At least Slott made it easy with a lukewarm at best second run with She-hulk. Planet Hulk was fantastic, and will probably get a nod to Hulk as best hero from me. Nextwave was also a highpoint. Annihilation is also sure to get a vote from me with Anniihilus for villain. You turn Galactus into a weapon and everyone else is just going to be fighting for second place.

• For my own funzies (i.e. to continue the series I enjoyed from 2005), I've added Runaways up to #21, Young Avengers #9 to #12 (finishing off that title), and Iron Man #7 to #12 (filling in between 2005's "Extremis" and his "Civil War" tie-in issues).

• Here is my take on the Ultimate line for 2006:

  Above average: Ultimate X-Men #66-68 (Date Night)

  Average: Extinction, X-Men #69-71 (Phoenix), X-Men #72-74 (Magical), Fantastic Four #27-38 (President Thor, Frightful, God War), Fantastic Four Annual # 2 (Mole Man issue), Spider-Man Annual #2 (Daredevil and Punisher guest star), Spider-Man #91-94 (Deadpool), Spider-Man #97-104 (Clone Saga)

  Below average or not to my taste: X-Men #75-80 (Cable, Aftermath), Spider-Man #95-96 (Morbius), Ultimates Annual #2 (with Falcon), X-Men Annual #2 (with crazy Nightcrawler)

  This is probably Ultimate Spider-Man's weakest year yet. It still has its moments, but it did not rise to its former heights.

  In 616 Marvel, I would recommend reading New Avengers #16-20, Eternals #1-6, and Spider-Man Family Featuring Amazing Friends #1 if you want more good stuff besides what is on the extensive reading list for the year.

  • Is that Neil Gaiman's Eternals? Never read those..

    • It is Gaiman's Eternals.

      It's bonus time!

      Spider-Woman: Origin is okay. You probably know by now if you like Bendis and his take on Spider-Woman.

      Black Panther: Bride of the Panther is a great little arc.

      X-Factor: #10-15 is where it gets really good. I love Layla Miller and how she knows stuff.

      Astonishing X-Men continues to be good, and the mentally altered Wolverine is just great (beer works wonders).

      Agents of Atlas: This miniseries is fine. I like Jimmy and Gorilla-Man. The rest of the characters don't do much for me. Jeff Parker obviously likes these characters, as he will write for them quite often in the next decade.

      Doctor Strange: The Oath is fantastic.

• Definitely starting to get complicated as we read runs like New X-Men, Daredevil and She-Hulk which also enter into events like Civil War. Gonna try to organize it so I read those runs in chunks, and also read their tie-ins at the appropriate place in the event.

  e.g read New X-Men #20-23 during Decimation, then #24-27, and then #28-32 during Civil War...

  • That's what I am doing...I have my pre-Civil War set of Capt A, Shulkie, ASM, New Avengers...then into Decimation...and so on

• That is a lot of reading! Phew! Summer fun!

  • And this is the reduced version :) Everyone enjoy!