Congratulations to former Oklahoma resident David Gallaher, whose “High Moon” was named Best Online Comics Work at this weekend’s Harvey Awards in Baltimore.

Check out the comic for yourself at http://www.zudacomics.com/high_moon or in the recent print collection.

The Beat has the full list of winners.

- Matt Price

Related posts:

Oklahoma among inspirations for High Moon series.

High Moon continues on Zuda.

Stacey Thunder

American Indian actress Stacey Thunder will join the cast of “Crash” in its second season, debuting this Friday, Sept. 18.  The actress will also be honored at the National Center for American Indian Enterprise at the black-tie Native American 40 Under 40 Recognition Reception to be held at the 2009 Indian Progress in Business Event (INPRO) in Tulsa on Friday.

Based on the motion picture “Crash,” the TV series stars Dennis Hopper and Jocko Sims.  Along with Thunder, who will play Judith Turandot, new cast members this season include Eric Roberts (”The Dark Knight”), Linda Park Dana Ashbrook and Jake McLaughlin (”In the Valley of Elah”).

Click past the cut for the full release.

September 17, 2009 (New York, NY) – Native American actress and host of PBS’ “Native Report” Stacey Thunder joins Dennis Hopper and the cast of Starz’s hit original series “Crash” for its second season, which premieres on Friday, September 18, 2009 at 10PM EST. Also on September 18, 2009, in celebration of their 40th anniversary year, the National Center for American Indian Enterprise Development (NCAIED) will honor Thunder along with 39 other existing and emerging American Indian professionals under the age of 40 at the black-tie Native American 40 Under 40 Recognition Reception to be held at the 2009 Indian Progress in Business Event (INPRO) in Tulsa, OK.

New to INPRO this year, the Native American 40 Under 40 awards young American Indian professionals from across the nation who have demonstrated leadership, initiative, and dedication to achieve impressive and significant contributions in their businesses, communities, and to Indian Country. Thunders’ selection by the NCAIED into the Native American 40 Under 40 reflects and honors her leadership and dedication to the youth in Indian Country as well as her work in TV/Film and with Eagle Thunder Entertainment, the business she owns with her partner, musician Robby Romero.

Based off of the Academy Award®-winning Best Motion Picture of the same name, Thunder joins the “Crash” cast as “Judith Turandot.” The new season features a diverse mix of actors and characters representing the wide variety of individuals in Los Angeles. Along side Thunder, new cast members joining “Crash”-veterans Dennis Hopper, Jocko Sims, Ross McCall and Moran Atias include Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight), Linda Park Dana Ashbrook and Jake McLaughlin (In the Valley of Elah).

Also on September 18, 2009, the short film Magic Wands starring Thunder will premiere in Minneapolis, MN rounding out a trifecta of premieres and honors for the actress of Ojibwe descent.

The 2008 Eisner nominees have been announced, and there are a few Oklahoma-related nominees included, among them “Thor,” “Willie & Joe,” and “Omega the Unknown.” “Thor” has been set in Oklahoma since the 2007 relaunch of the title.  “Willie and Joe” was written and drawn by Bill Mauldin, a member of the Oklahoma Cartoonists Hall of Fame, and the subject of nominated best comics-related book, “Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front,” by Todd DePastino.   And “Omega the Unknown” was drawn by former Tulsan Farel Dalrymple.

See the full list after the break.

The full list follows

Best Short Story

* “Actual Size” by Chris Ware, in Kramers Ergot 7 (Buenaventura Press)

* “Chechen War, Chechen Women,” by Joe Sacco, in I Live Here (Pantheon)

* “Freaks,” by Laura Park, in Superior Showcase #3 (AdHouse)

* “Glenn Ganges in ‘Pulverize,’” by Kevin Huizenga, in Ganges #2 (Fantagraphics)

* “Murder He Wrote,” by Ian Boothby, Nina Matsumoto, and Andrew Pepoy, in The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror #14 (Bongo)

Best Continuing Series

* All Star Superman, by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC)

* Fables, by Bill Willingham, Mark Buckingham, Steve Leialoha, Niko Henrichon, Andrew Pepoy, and Peter Gross (Vertigo/DC)

* Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)

* Thor, by J. Michael Straczynski, Olivier Coipel, Mark Morales, and various (Marvel)

* Usagi Yojimbo, by Stan Sakai (Dark Horse)

Best Limited Series

* Groo: Hell on Earth, by Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier (Dark Horse)

* Hellboy: The Crooked Man, by Mike Mignola and Richard Corben (Dark Horse)

* Locke & Key, by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)

* Omega the Unknown, by Jonathan Lethem, Karl Rusnak, and Farel Dalrymple (Marvel)

* The Twelve, by J. Michael Straczynski and Chris Weston (Marvel)

Best New Series

* Air, by G. Willow Wilson and M. K. Perker (Vertigo/DC)

* Echo, by Terry Moore (Abstract Studio)

* Invincible Iron Man, by Matt Fraction and Salvador Larocca (Marvel)

* Madame Xanadu, by Matt Wagner, Amy Reeder Hadley, and Richard Friend (Vertigo/DC)

* Unknown Soldier, by Joshua Dysart and Alberto Ponticelli (Vertigo/DC)

Best Publication for Kids

* Amulet, Book 1: The Stonekeeper, by Kazu Kabuishi (Scholastic Graphix)

* Cowa!, by Akira Toriyama (Viz)

* Princess at Midnight, by Andi Watson (Image)

* Stinky, by Eleanor Davis (RAW Junior)

* Tiny Titans, by Art Baltazar and Franco (DC)

Best Publication for Teens/Tweens

* Coraline, by Neil Gaiman, adapted by P. Craig Russell (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

* Crogan’s Vengeance, by Chris Schweizer (Oni)

* The Good Neighbors, Book 1: Kin, by Holly Black and Ted Naifeh (Scholastic Graphix)

* Rapunzel’s Revenge, by Shannon and Dean Hale and Nathan Hale (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)

* Skim, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)

Best Humor Publication

* Arsenic Lullaby Pulp Edition No. Zero, by Douglas Paszkiewicz (Arsenic Lullaby)

* Chumble Spuzz, by Ethan Nicolle (SLG)

* Herbie Archives, by “Sean O’Shea” (Richard E. Hughes) and Ogden Whitney (Dark Horse)

* Petey and Pussy, by John Kerschbaum (Fantagraphics)

* Wondermark: Beards of Our Forefathers, by David Malki (Dark Horse)

Best Anthology

* An Anthology of Graphic Fiction, Cartoons, and True Stories, Vol. 2, edited by Ivan Brunetti (Yale University Press)

* Best American Comics 2008, edited by Lynda Barry (Houghton Mifflin)

* Comic Book Tattoo: Narrative Art Inspired by the Lyrics and Music of Tori Amos, edited by Rantz Hoseley (Image)

* Kramers Ergot 7, edited by Sammy Harkham (Buenaventura Press)

* MySpace Dark Horse Presents, edited by Scott Allie and Sierra Hahn (Dark Horse)

Best Digital Comic

* Bodyworld, by Dash Shaw

* Finder, by Carla Speed McNeil

* The Lady’s Murder, by Eliza Frye

* Speak No Evil: Melancholy of a Space Mexican, by Elan Trinidad

* Vs., by Alexis Sottile & Joe Infurnari

Best Reality-Based Work

* Alan’s War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)

* Blue Pills: A Positive Love Story, by Frederik Peeters (Houghton Mifflin)

* Fishtown, by Kevin Colden (IDW)

* A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child, by Rick Geary (NBM)

* What It Is, by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)

Best Graphic Album — New

* Alan’s War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)

* Paul Goes Fishing, by Michel Rabagliati (Drawn & Quarterly)

* Skim, by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (Groundwood Books)

* Swallow Me Whole, by Nate Powell (Top Shelf)

* Three Shadows, by Cyril Pedrosa (First Second)

Best Graphic Album — Reprint

* Berlin Book 2: City of Smoke, by Jason Lutes (Drawn & Quarterly)

* Hellboy Library Edition, Vols. 1-2, by Mike Mignola (Dark Horse)

* Sam & Max Surfin’ the Highway Anniversary Edition HC, by Steve Purcell (Telltale Games)

* Skyscrapers of the Midwest, by Joshua W. Cotter (AdHouse)

* The Umbrella Academy, Vol. 1: Apocalypse Suite, deluxe edition, by Gerard Way and Gabriel Ba (Dark Horse)

Best Archival Collection/Project — Strips

* The Complete Little Orphan Annie, by Harold Gray (IDW)

* Explainers, by Jules Feiffer (Fantagraphics)

* Little Nemo in Slumberland, Many More Splendid Sundays, by Winsor McCay (Sunday Press Books)

* Scorchy Smith and the Art of Noel Sickles (IDW)

* Willie & Joe, by Bill Mauldin (Fantagraphics)

Best Archival Collection/Project — Comic Books

* Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*!, by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)

* Creepy Archives, by Various (Dark Horse)

* Elektra Omnibus, by Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz (Marvel)

* Good-Bye, by Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Drawn & Quarterly)

* Herbie Archives, by “Sean O’Shea” (Richard E. Hughes) and Ogden Whitney (Dark Horse)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material

* Alan’s War, by Emmanuel Guibert (First Second)

* Gus and His Gang, by Chris Blain (First Second)

* The Last Musketeer, by Jason (Fantagraphics)

* The Rabbi’s Cat 2, by Joann Sfar (Pantheon)

* Tamara Drewe, by Posy Simmonds (Mariner/Houghton Mifflin)

Best U.S. Edition of International Material — Japan

* Cat Eyed Boy, by Kazuo Umezu (Viz)

* Dororo, by Osamu Tezuka (Vertical)

* Naoki Urasawa’s Monster, by Naoki Urasawa (Viz)

* The Quest for the Missing Girl, by Jiro Taniguchi (Fanfare/Ponent Mon)

* Solanin, by Inio Asano (Viz)

Best Writer

* Joe Hill, Locke & Key (IDW)

* J. Michael Straczynski, Thor, The Twelve (Marvel)

* Mariko Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books)

* Matt Wagner, Zorro (Dynamite); Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)

* Bill Willingham, Fables, House of Mystery (Vertigo/DC)

Best Writer/Artist

* Rick Geary, A Treasury of XXth Century Murder: The Lindbergh Child (NBM); J. Edgar Hoover (Hill & Wang)

* Emmanuel Guibert, Alan’s War (First Second)

* Jason Lutes, Berlin (Drawn & Quarterly)

* Cyril Pedrosa, Three Shadows (First Second)

* Nate Powell, Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf)

* Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library (Acme)

Best Penciller/Inker or Penciller/Inker Team

* Gabriel Ba, The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)

* Mark Buckingham/Steve Leialoha, Fables (Vertigo/DC)

* Olivier Coipel/Mark Morales, Thor (Marvel)

* Guy Davis, BPRD (Dark Horse)

* Amy Reeder Hadley/Richard Friend, Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)

* Jillian Tamaki, Skim (Groundwood Books)

Best Painter/Multimedia Artist

* Lynda Barry, What It Is (Drawn & Quarterly)

* Eddie Campbell, The Amazing Remarkable Monsieur Leotard (First Second)

* Enrico Casarosa, The Venice Chronicles (Atelier Fio/AdHouse)

* Scott Morse, Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! (Red Window)

* Jill Thompson, Magic Trixie, Magic Trixie Sleeps Over (HarperCollins Children’s Books)

Best Cover Artist

* Gabriel Ba, Casanova (Image); The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)

* Jo Chen, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Serenity (Dark Horse); Runaways (Marvel)

* Amy Reeder Hadley, Madame Xanadu (Vertigo/DC)

* James Jean, Fables (Vertigo/DC); The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse)

* Matt Wagner, Zorro (Dynamite); Grendel: Behold the Devil (Dark Horse)

Best Coloring

* Steve Hamaker, Bone: Ghost Circles, Bone: Treasure Hunters (Scholastic Graphix)

* Trish Mulvihill, Joker (DC), 100 Bullets (Vertigo/DC)

* Val Staples, Criminal, Incognito (Marvel Icon)

* Dave Stewart, Abe Sapien: The Drowning, BPRD, The Goon, Hellboy, Solomon Kane, The Umbrella Academy (Dark Horse); Body Bags (Image); Captain America: White (Marvel)

* Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #19 (Acme)

Best Lettering

* Farel Dalrymple, Omega: The Unknown (Marvel)

* Jimmy Gownley, Amelia Rules! (Renaissance)

* Scott Morse, Tiger! Tiger! Tiger! (Red Window)

* Nate Powell, Swallow Me Whole (Top Shelf)

* Chris Ware, Acme Novelty Library #19 (Acme)

Best Comics-Related Periodical/Journalism

* Comic Book Resources, produced by Jonah Weiland

* The Comics Journal, edited by Gary Groth, Michael Dean, and Kristy Valenti (Fantagraphics)

* The Comics Reporter, produced by Tom Spurgeon and Jordan Raphael

* Comics Comics, edited by Timothy Hodler and Dan Nadel (PictureBox)

Best Comics-Related Book

* Bill Mauldin: A Life Up Front, by Todd DePastino (Norton)

* Brush with Passion: The Art and Life of Dave Stevens, edited by Arnie and Cathy Fenner (Underwood)

* Drawing Words and Writing Pictures, by Jessica Abel and Matt Madden (First Second)

* Kirby: King of Comics, by Mark Evanier (Abrams)

* The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America, by David Hajdu (Picador/Farrar, Straus & Giroux)

Best Publication Design

* Breakdowns: Portrait of the Artist as a Young %@&*! designed by Art Spiegelman (Pantheon)

* Comic Book Tattoo, designed by Tom Muller, art direction by Rantz Hoseley (Image)

* Hellboy Library Editions, designed by Cary Grazzini and Mike Mignola (Dark Horse)

* What It Is, designed by Lynda Barry (Drawn & Quarterly)

* Willie and Joe, designed by Jacob Covey (Fantagraphics)

DC Comics was a big winner at the 2008 Harvey Awards over the weekend, with “All-Star Superman” taking home three awards.  “All-Star Superman” won best single issue, for issue No. 8, and best series.  Frank Quietly, the “All-Star Superman” artist, won the best artist award. 

Also for DC, Darwyn Cooke was named “Best Cartoonist” for “The Spirit” and Brian K. Vaughan won for “Y: The Last Man.”  

Oni Press’ “Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together” was named best original graphic album.

Newsarama has the complete list of winners.

– Matt Price

This is an expanded version of the article from today’s The Oklahoman: 

Comic-Con International, the largest comic book and popular arts event in the United States, has announced that Archie Goodwin will receive the 2008 Bill Finger Award for Excellence in Comic Book Writing. The choice was made unanimously by a committee chaired by writer and historian Mark Evanier.

Goodwin attended Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, and considered himself a Tulsan, though he was born in Kansas City, Missouri.  Goodwin was an influential  comic-book writer and editor. He was briefly Marvel Comics’ editor-in-chief in 1976. As an editor at DC Comics, he shepherded James Robinson’s acclaimed “Starman” and the award-winning “Batman: The Long Halloween.” As a writer, he created the Paul Kirk “Manhunter” character with artist Walter Simonson. He was named best writer (dramatic division) in the industry in 1973 and 1974 by the Academy of Comic Book Arts. Goodwin died in 1998. 

Tulsa writer R.A. Jones, who also attended Will Rogers High School, shared some thoughts about Goodwin with The Oklahoman:

 ”I was delighted to hear about the award Archie will be receiving.  One of the great things about working in comics today is that the creators receive at least a portion of the credit they are due for their work — something that, as I’m sure you well know, was not the case in poor Bill Finger’s day,” he said.

 ”I first discovered Archie’s writing in the 1960s, first in such magazines as Creepy and Eerie, where he helped keep alive the tradition of the venerable EC style of storytelling, and later in the pages of such Marvel comics as Iron Man. Professionally, I never knew Archie to deliver anything less than stellar scripting.  Personally, he was always friendly and a true gentleman, a pleasure to sit and have a chat with.”

The Bill Finger Award was instituted in 2005 under the supervision of comic book legend Jerry Robinson. The awards committee is charged each year with selecting two recipients, one living and one deceased. 

“With all the writers who seem worthy of this award, you’d think it would be an impossible decision,” Evanier said in a release. “But this year, two names just jumped off the list of candidates. Much like the late Bill Finger, Larry Lieber and Archie Goodwin did important, groundbreaking work in our field that has not received the recognition it deserves. We’re hoping to rectify that a little with these awards.”

Archie Goodwin began in comics in the late 1950s, writing mystery comics for Harvey and assisting Leonard Starr on the newspaper strip “On Stage.”   Later, he was the writer/editor of “Creepy” and “Eerie,” and is credited with creating the backstory for Vampirella.

In addition to Evanier, the selection committee consists of Charles Kochman (executive editor at Harry N. Abrams), comics and animation writer Paul Dini, writer Tony Isabella, and writer/editor Marv Wolfman.

The Bill Finger Award will be presented during the 2008 Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards ceremony at this summer’s Comic-Con International on Friday, July 25.

For more information on the Finger Award, visit www.comic-con.org/cci/cci_finger.shtml.

– Matt Price

The Beat has this year’s inductees into the Canadian Comic Book Creator Hall of Fame, as administered by the Shuster Awards.  Honorees are  Stanley Berneche, John Byrne, Pierre Fournier and Edwin R. “Ted” McCall.  Lots more about the honorees in the link.  The Byrne Forum discusses the award here.

– Matt Price

Good to see some love for longtime Nerdage faves Matt Fraction and Matt Silady.

And since I’m on a Caniff kick, it’s gratifying to see IDW’s “Terry and the Pirates” reprints getting some love as well.

– Matt Price

The long-running magazine has been awarding comic-book favorite awards for 25 years; an archive of winners can be found here.

– Matt Price 

Tekkon Kinkreet: Black and White tops PW’s list of manga.  (Somewhat oddly, Jeffrey Brown’s “Incredible Change-Bots” from Top Shelf makes the list. Most would consider this, well, not manga, but perhaps the term is broadening.)

1.       Scott Pilgrim Gets it Together by Bryan Lee O’Malley (Oni Press)

Scott Pilgrim, the slacker twentysomething musician, must still battle his new girlfriend Ramona’s ex-lovers in this fourth volume of the “Scott Pilgrim” series.  This pioneering “arcade logic” series is the perfect hybrid of action and romance in a post-videogame, post-manga world.

2.       Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan (Drawn and Quarterly)

Israeli cab driver Koby Franco is drawn into a mystery when his father’s ex-girlfriend Nuni contacts him. She wants to search for Koby’s father, who she says may have been killed in a terrorist attack. Koby’s search for his father becomes a search for himself, as Motan examines modern
Israel in this evocative graphic novel. 

3.       First in Space by James Vining (Oni Press)

“First in Space” is based on the true story of Ham, a chimpanzee trained by NASA to make the first sub-orbital space flight.  Well-researched and compelling, “First in Space” is suitable for all ages.

4.       All-Star Superman vol. 1 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely (DC Comics)

Morrison and Quitely capture the charm of comics’ Silver Age with their take on Superman, a Man of Steel who creates Superman robots, and whose best pal Jimmy Olsen finds himself gaining strange powers.  Several story tropes from the 1960s come full circle, as Morrison boils them down to their essence and represents them with modern flair.

5.       The Homeless Channel by Matt Silady (AiT-Planet Lar)

Network exec Darcy Shaw thinks “The Homeless Channel” will both draw attention to the homeless plight, and be a good way to make some money, taking reality television to the next level.

Aaron Sorkin-like dialogue and art reminiscent of an early Brian Michael Bendis make “The Homeless Channel” a noteworthy debut.

6.       Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine (Drawn and Quarterly)
Ben Tanaka is an abrasive
San Francisco theater owner who obsesses over white girls; this doesn’t help his relationship with his Asian-American activist girlfriend Miko.  An interesting look at race and sex through the lens of an intimate graphic novel. 

7.       League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill (DC Comics/WildStorm/ABC)

Something of a sourcebook gone mad,
Moore explores the history of his “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” concept, featuring heroes and villains from throughout literature.

8.       Shazam: Monster Society of Evil by Jeff Smith (DC Comics)

Jeff Smith captures the charm and wit of the 1940s Captain Marvel stories, recaptured for modern audiences.

9.       Astronaut Dad vol. 1 by David Hopkins and Brent Schoonover (Silent Devil)

David Hopkins looks at the children of astronaut reservists in the 1960s, making the space race more personal. 

10.    Nothing Better: No Place Like Home by Tyler Page (Dementian)Tyler Page (“Stylish Vittles”) takes his Web comic to graphic novel format in “Nothing Better,” which examines two mismatched roommates at a Lutheran college. “Nothing Better” is reminiscent of “Strangers in Paradise” and “Blankets,” with engaging characters and fresh art.

Listen to Greg and me expound on the qualities of “Captain America” and “Buffy.” Listen to Greg mispronounce “mythos.”  There’s not a more fun way to spend about 12 minutes.

– Matt Price

Note: I cheated, as you can clearly see, by grouping a few titles together. But this ain’t rocket surgery, folks. I can do what I want. You’re not the boss of me!

1. Trials of Shazam!

Judd Winick breathes life into a character (Captain Marvel Jr.) that most people couldn’t care less about, making his three-dimensional and captivating.

2. DMZ

In the midst of the Iraq War, this comic book brings war home literally, and the adventures of Matty Roth have as much to do with the world we live in as the fictional world of a New York split apart by civil war.

3. Blue Beetle/ Booster Gold/ Checkmate

Spinning out of Infinite Crisis are three exceptional relaunches of three previously canceled series. These are the little engines that could and desperately must if only to prove that books without Superman or Batman can deliver big on story.

4. Stormwatch PHD

In the WildStorm Universe, heroes aren’t really heroes, so it’s up to normal folks like the Stormwatch Post Human Division to put them in their place. A spiritual successor to “Stormwatch: Team Achilles,” this book is entertaining from whole cloth, creating true characters out of a poorly defined world.

5. X-Factor

While the rest of the X-universe is mired in awful, dreadful continuity, only Peter David’s “X-Factor” enjoys the mutant community. Centered around Jamie Madrox’s detective agency, this book is consistently a source of big laughs and shocking twists.

6. Captain America

Captain America is dead! Long live Captain America! What could have been an unmitigated disaster (a book in which the lead character is dead) was given wings by Ed Brubaker. Add in a character many thought was a huge mistake (Bucky aka The Winter Soldier) and you’ve got a bona fide miracle.

7. Fables/ Jack of Fables

All bow down to Bill Willingham, who took one of the most simple ideas ever (What if storybook characters were real and living in New York?) and created a giant world from it. This year in “Fables” we’ve seen Flycatcher, a joke character, turned into a warrior king. Meanwhile, with Matt Sturges, “Jack of Fables” has become one of the funniest books on the shelves while adding a new layer to an already rich world.

8. Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Holy God, do I love this series. Picking up where the TV show left off with creator Joss Whedon at the helm, “Buffy: Season 8″ is a wild ride that goes far beyond the budget of any movie. Dawn is a giant! The army hates Buffy! Next issue right now please!

9. Incredible Hulk

The genius of “Planet Hulk” and the follow-up “World War Hulk” is how much sense it makes. Of course The Illuminati would try to send Hulk somewhere that he would kill anybody. Of course something would go wrong and he’d end up a gladiator. Of course he’d come back, madder than ever before. The results by Greg Pak were astounding.

10. Nova

Much like Blue Beetle and Booster Gold, if you’d told me a couple years back that I’d be reading and loving Nova comics, I’d have called you a moron and questioned your human lineage. Now I have the luxury of reading Abnett and Lanning’s monthly space opera, starring a character who has really come into his own.

Fortunately, comics don’t cluster their potential award-winners as badly. That said, Friday will be a madhouse of a release day, as everyone tries to push out inventory before the end of the year.

– Matt Price