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Yearly Comics Spotlight #14: 2020 (Deadline: AM Jan 6, 2021)

Posted: Tue Dec 01, 2020 8:13 pm
by JohnMayo
James and I will be recording the Yearly Comics Spotlight #014 episode covering 2020 in early January 2021.
The categories this year are DC, Marvel, Premiere Publishers (BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW and Image) and the other publishers and some miscellaneous other items.

When listing creators, it helps if you include some of the titles they've worked that influenced your pick. For example, "FirstName LastName (Event title, Monthly title, obscure title)" is much more informative than just putting "FirstName LastName".

Fill in as many categories below as you want. If you don't have a pick for some, that is fine. Just leave the square brackets empty.
An automated process will be compiling the notes we use for the episode using the square brackets as the delimiters for your responses.

Copy the text below and put your answers inside the square brackets.

DC:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): []
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): []
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: []

Marvel:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): []
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): []
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: []

Premiere Publishers (BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW and Image):
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): []
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): []
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: []

Other Publishers:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): []
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): []
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: []

Special 2020 section: Pandemic/Comic Book Blackout
With a global pandemic, a shutdown of new comic distribution, DC changing distributors and numerous lengthy delays in ongoing stories, 2020 wasn't like any previous year.
Did you get diagnosed with COVID-19 during 2020? []
Did the pandemic change your comic book reading habits? If so, how? []
Did the suspension of new comic book releases change your reading habits? If so, how? []
Did the distribution changes DC made during the year change your thoughts about DC? If so, how? []
Did the delay in the release schedule for comics impact your enjoyment of those stories? []
Excluding the expected changes (requiring masks or reduced hours), have you noticed any significant changes at your local store as a result of the pandemic, comic book blackout and/or distribution changes for DC? []

Miscellaneous:
Most improved: []
Favorite Publisher: []
Best All Ages title: []
Favorite Comic Movie/Television Show: []
Highlight of 2020: []
Prediction for 2021: []
How and how often do you participate in the Comic Book Page community (on the forum/Slack/Previews Spotlight/other)? []
How often do you submitted a Previews Spotlight clip? []
-What can we do to encourage you to send in clips to the Previews Spotlight episodes more often? []
Has the Comic Book Page podcast changed what comics you read? If so, which comics and why? []
What suggestions do you have for the Comic Book Page podcast? []
On average, about how many newly released comic books do you get each week? []
Are you planning increasing or decreasing your comic book reading in 2021? If so, why and by how much? []
Do you get your new comics from a local comic book store or online? []
What is the name of the local comic shop or online retailer? []

How would you sum up this past year for the Decade in Review? []

Additional Comments? []

Please have your entries in by the morning of Wednesday, January 6th, 2021. Thanks for participating!

Re: Yearly Comics Spotlight #14: 2020 (Deadline: AM Jan 6, 2021)

Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 10:04 pm
by NicksPicks
My final choices. Happy New Year everyone!

DC:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Batman Three Jokers]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Jason Fabok, artist of Batman Three Jokers]
Book you wish more people read: [Aquaman]
Book you wish they would publish: [JSA, still waiting... It's simple really, just put them back on Earth 2, tell a past or present or future story, but it has to be JSA.]

Marvel:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Iron Man, which is actually the only ongoing Marvel for me this year. Enjoyable story and art so far.]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Alex Ross, who always does the best covers.]
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: [Silver Surfer. There's always an introspective story to tell in a universe full of alien worlds and races.]

Premiere Publishers (BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW and Image):
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Hedra, a wonderful and experimental one-shot comic by Jesse Lonergan. 48 pages with a 35 panel grid that breaks down in all kinds of creative ways.]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Drew Zucker, the artist for "Canto II: The Hollow Men" from IDW. The art brings an adult-friendly air to a truly all-ages series.]
Book you wish more people read: ["Ascender" from Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen at Image.]
Book you wish they would publish: [More Mouse Guard from Boom, and to double dip on this question, please more Jim Henson's Storytellers miniseries from Boom.]

Other Publishers:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): ["Nils: The Tree of Life" hardcover from Magnetic Press. Stunning art and fun, if confusing, story.]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Alex Alice whose 4th installment of the "Castle in the Stars" graphic novel series was released in English by First Second this year.]
Book you wish more people read: ["Jack Kirby: The Epic Life of the King of Comics" by Tom Scioli - if you want indie-style artwork and a biography of one of comics' greatest creators.]
Book you wish they would publish: [more Blastosaurus comics from Richard Fairgray and Golden Apple Comics]

Special 2020 section: Pandemic/Comic Book Blackout
With a global pandemic, a shutdown of new comic distribution, DC changing distributors and numerous lengthy delays in ongoing stories, 2020 wasn't like any previous year.
Did you get diagnosed with COVID-19 during 2020? [No]
Did the pandemic change your comic book reading habits? If so, how? [I had more free time to catch up on collected editions and listen to more comics podcasts.]
Did the suspension of new comic book releases change your reading habits? If so, how? [Yes, the shutdown got me buying more back issues through Ebay and from my LCS, and more collected editions preordered from online discount retailers. This means I have scaled my new single issue purchases further. I setup Marvel Unlimited and DC Universe to read the lower tier titles.]
Did the distribution changes DC made during the year change your thoughts about DC? If so, how? [No. In fact I think DC's shakeup is the only reason the industry got restarted when it did. My LCS said the changes should be transparent, and they were.]
Did the delay in the release schedule for comics impact your enjoyment of those stories? [No, I was able to pick up where I'd left off for most titles.]
Excluding the expected changes (requiring masks or reduced hours), have you noticed any significant changes at your local store as a result of the pandemic, comic book blackout and/or distribution changes for DC? [As a primarily DC reader, if I stumble into my LCS on a Tuesday, I can now pick up most of my new books for the week. Otherwise the LCS seems to be unchanged. At one point the manager remarked they were up in sales over 2019, but I can't say if that's still true today or not.]

Miscellaneous:
Most improved: [Batman]
Favorite Publisher: [DC. Although I had zero interest in Death Metal or the general direction of some books (cough, Superman), DC still has my favorite heroes and a nice complement of writers and artists.]
Best All Ages title: [Canto II: The Hollow Men from IDW]
Favorite Comic Movie/Television Show: [Birds of Prey. One of the only movies I saw in theater this year, but it was fun regardless of that.]
Highlight of 2020: [Using the extra down-time and pause in comics publishing to get some great back issues, including a copy of Amazing Spider-Man #33, which is the issue where Peter has to will himself to lift the heavy machinery to escape a flooding lab.]
Prediction for 2021: [As I have predicted previously, I will predict again this year that some of the smaller but recognizable publishers will be bought my larger mid-tier publishers.]
How and how often do you participate in the Comic Book Page community (on the forum/Slack/Previews Spotlight/other)? [1 or 2 times per month on the forum.]
How often do you submitted a Previews Spotlight clip? [I try to participate in the Previews Spotlight each month. And you can too!]
-What can we do to encourage you to send in clips to the Previews Spotlight episodes more often? [It has never been easier. The page numbers can be confusing when using online solicitations to pick recommendations, but John can handle that as long as you clearly identify the item and submit the clip with some extra lead time.]
Has the Comic Book Page podcast changed what comics you read? If so, which comics and why? [In the last year, the podcast has helped me choose comics to read in two ways. The previews spotlight episodes have introduced me to a few listener-recommended collections and indie series, and the back issue spotlight episodes have gotten me to read some Big 2 series on the digital comics unlimited services.]
What suggestions do you have for the Comic Book Page podcast? [I would be in favor of a return to weekly or bi-weekly spotlight episodes now that comics publishing has evened out to a normal pace.]
On average, about how many newly released comic books do you get each week? [I average in the 5 to 10 new release comics per week range.]
Are you planning increasing or decreasing your comic book reading in 2021? If so, why and by how much? [Comic book reading? Definitely plan to increase by several issues per week. Comic book buying? Well that will probably stay the same, so that I might eventually catch up on a few series sitting collected in short boxes in my closet.]
Do you get your new comics from a local comic book store or online? [My pull list is mostly through my local comic book store, but most of my special orders and collected editions are bought online.]
What is the name of the local comic shop or online retailer? [Comic Commander for my LCS. I use DCBS and Things From Another World.]

How would you sum up this past year for the Decade in Review? [Despite the interruptions and changes in the industry, 2020 saw mostly status quo as far as the type of comics sold from major and minor publishers alike. Most trends seemed to continue from previous years. One big surprise was seeing many A grade talent move to crowd funding their next projects. I'm not sure if it's a sign of the economy or expanding comics marketplace at this point in time.]

Additional Comments? [Thank you, John and fellow Comic Book Page podcast cohosts! And may all the hosts and listeners have a happy and healthy New Year! And send in a clip for the monthly spotlight!]

Re: Yearly Comics Spotlight #14: 2020 (Deadline: AM Jan 6, 2021)

Posted: Wed Dec 16, 2020 4:55 am
by NiklasJ
Yearly comics spotlight #14 2020
Niklas
Last years i kept my answers short and without comments, so this time i try to expand a lot šŸ˜Š
Text may be edited, are the formatting ok or do i need to change? maybe i will cut down my comments a lot.... I dont understand why some of it is in italic format?
EDIT update 1: 19/12 italics fixed different computer/browser... added some texts

DC:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [The Last God,
imo a really impressive fantasy epic, probably would be greater as a novel but works well in comics. Also, it is nice that they have not had any long breaks similar image titles usually encounter]

Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Dan Abnett, did a good job with the odyssey team]

Book you wish more people read: [Justice League Odyssey, the characters were good but apparently not very popular because with the title ending, it jumped right into some heavy metal crossover or whatever and drained all my interest in that storyline moving forward]

Book you wish they would publish: [ I could read more about Rose and Thorn from the legion of superheroes]

Marvel:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [XofSwords,
the Otherworld is a kooky concept and all of this mini was a big Excalibur story right out of the 90s(?), the sword fights turned into puzzles and noone understood anything. Especially the Marauder dinner double issue was great šŸ˜‰ not everything needs to be action. Maybe the middle of the arc was treading water and certainly they could have used less titles. One 6 issue main series (the oneshots) with the rest being tie-ins would have made a lot more sense, but then all of us would have missed the spectacular Sinister plot. Great ending also, imo we now see some cracks in the foundation of Krakoa and the quiet council, how long until the X-world crash and burn horribly once again??]

Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Gerry Duggan on Marauders,
my favourite of the new x-titles, beautiful art by Russel Dauterman also. Great stuff, especially the pirate Pryde!]

Book you wish more people read: [CaptainMarvel,
this volume is the best of carol ive read i think, development of character, more interesting cast around her. Captain Marvel The End one-shot was good and they are expanding on that story in the title now which i like]

Book you wish they would publish: [X23,
I miss laura and honey badger (doctor doom is always on this list but right now he actually have a title even if its cancelled)]

Premiere Publishers (BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW and Image):
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Monstress,
im having trouble finding new titles in the image catalogue even for sampling so ill go back to the well on this pick. Monstress comes out frequently, I like the art and the characters though I am not a big fan of anthropomorphic(?) people but mixing the cute foxes and cats with the horror monstrum that does unspeakable things makes for a very interesting world and story.]

Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Jerome Opena,
we are finally getting new issues of Seven to Eternity!!!]

Book you wish more people read: [Adventureman,
looks promising but probably needs many more issues to develop]

Book you wish they would publish: [more LAZARUS,
Ill repeat this every year until Lazarus is a monthly comic]

Other Publishers:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Devils Highway, AWA, started really cool, last issues art seemed a bit rushed, next volume could be interesting]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [JMS Resistance, fun to see him back writing comics!]
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: []

Special 2020 section: Pandemic/Comic Book Blackout
With a global pandemic, a shutdown of new comic distribution, DC changing distributors and numerous lengthy delays in ongoing stories, 2020 wasn't like any previous year.

Did you get diagnosed with COVID-19 during 2020? [No, i was tested for antibodies during summer but tested negative]

Did the pandemic change your comic book reading habits? If so, how? [there was a long break when no new comics came ofcourse, then all DC shipments had even longer delay to reach my shop in Sweden]

Did the suspension of new comic book releases change your reading habits? If so, how? [when the comics started coming again i didnt really have enough time to read for some reason, maybe got stuck in games or tv instead. When i got to reading i could binge read several issues of one title]

Did the distribution changes DC made during the year change your thoughts about DC? If so, how? [practically they are sweeping my pull list clean of dc titles. The titles i do/did read are missing individual issues, lois lane 12, JLO 22, losh 7. Everything being darknightsmetalcrisis, dceased or a batman or superman crossover/miniseries makes it hard to get interested in anything. I want something i only need to read one title of to start but most batman or superman titles do crossover most of the time it seems, at least when only looking at solicits. For future state Ill try immortal wonder woman, green lanterns (the solicit did mention cruz) and kara zor el but thats about it, oh and ill give Mariko Tamaki a shot at detective because i really liked her take on (she)Hulk, otherwise DC is down to the Last God, the Dreaming and LoSH (its in another time period it has to be able to keep self-sustained?!)]

Did the delay in the release schedule for comics impact your enjoyment of those stories? [Resistance #1 certainly had a case of good/bad timing for its release, Im missing going to the lcs every week to get new comics, now deliveries are very random once every 2-3 weeks. Many lower selling titles i was getting have been cancelled which i think is sad (valkyrie, maryjane, lucifer, drdoom, blackcat, fiveyears) and i havent really added that much to replace them. Ofc XofSwords did increase the list temporarily but im not getting any king in black so will be less now]

Excluding the expected changes (requiring masks or reduced hours), have you noticed any significant changes at your local store as a result of the pandemic, comic book blackout and/or distribution changes for DC? [a long blackout over summer with the diamond shutdown, i got a few old collections they had in the bin. DC changes have affected all shipments, from one weekly shipment they now get one every 2-3 weeks which includes both diamond and the dc boxes, shipment arrival time is very random, which might be due to less options of shipping from USA to europe and then from a main terminal in europe to some airport wherefrom the boxes can be transported by car to uppsalaā€¦]

Miscellaneous:
Most improved: [Tough, I want to say Xmen but that was mostly last year I think?]

Favorite Publisher: [MARVEL,
with all the cuts due to tiles being cancelled mostly im not reading a lot of different properties now, its spiderman (comes out so often that i save for longer binge reads which the stories are well suited to, boomerang gets a thumbs up), avengers (aaron have a new take on avengers and especially the opponents, i can dig it, prehistoric avengers are neat, vampires and blade are very odd for avenger battles i admit, moon knight was cool though) and xmen with ancillary titles. High hopes for eternals]

Best All Ages title: []

Favorite Comic Movie/Television Show: [Lucifer! (TV)
Otherwise a rough year for movies in the theater, Tenet wasnt quite as messy as reviews made out.]

Highlight of 2020: [The Last God, when I got around to reading it was impressive]

Prediction for 2021: [After pandemic rain comes vaccination sunshine? There are neither beginnings or endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. The Wheel of Time on amazon prime? Hope is high]

How and how often do you participate in the Comic Book Page community (on the forum/Slack/Previews Spotlight/other)? [once a week on forum, much less on slack]

How often do you submitted a Previews Spotlight clip? [not yet, waiting to find something to recommend that i can give a page# from a catalog, new stuff have been lackluster for me for awhile, nothing interesting new in image or dc and marvel is just cancelling my kooky titlesā€¦]

-What can we do to encourage you to send in clips to the Previews Spotlight episodes more often? [scrap the catalog reference, i only see stuff online, have no idea where in which catalog anything is. EDIT okok I hadnt read properly, there is a note about not using catalog page, srysry! Im still confused about what solicits are valid now but I guess thats because january catolog for stuff out in march hasnt been published yet.]

Has the Comic Book Page podcast changed what comics you read? If so, which comics and why? [ive tried a lot more image and dc titles from only being marvel exclusive, sadly dc is burning themselves with metal and batman superman long form crossovers and i dont know what all these oneshots are]

What suggestions do you have for the Comic Book Page podcast? [more forum less slack imo, monthly comics podcast has been nice, you talk about many comics, maybe you can go bi-weekly now?]

On average, about how many newly released comic books do you get each week? [around 10 issues per week on average]

Are you planning increasing or decreasing your comic book reading in 2021? If so, why and by how much? [both, much I read have been cancelled so always on the lookout for something to take my interest, but also want to have some limitsā€¦ 4 or 5 or 6 x-books, no more, maybeā€¦EDIT added xmen legends so with xmen, marauders, xforce, excalibur, wolverine, sword, that limit was optimistic, since its already too late maybe xfactor could be kept on... IF I can find DC titles that seem to be contained to just their own title Ill look into adding a few, wonder woman diana, jessica cruz green lantern, bruce wayne, kara zor-el, have to see whats teased after future state. Feels like Image are not on my radar at the moment, mostly series on a break or ending soon (low, birthright, seven to eternity for example)]

Do you get your new comics from a local comic book store or online? [in a local shop in Uppsala]

What is the name of the local comic shop or online retailer? [Seriezonen, in Uppsala, Sweden]

How would you sum up this past year for the Decade in Review? [cheaper as there was a lot less comics to buy and read]

Additional Comments? [Oh there was a space for additional comments, think i covered a lot in previous brackets.
I would like to add that its sometimes painful to watch discussions on the slack channels, internet talking should be forbidden really, too many writes in affect after reading and thinking they were being singled out for this or that. Take a breather before going to the attack, I dont think anyone really intends to be rude or insulting but there are a lot of things interpreted as being just this. One could remember more often that social cues, irony, jokes, whatever, are incredibly hard to convey in texts. Experience with internet chat are probably also very varied in any gathering. Also just talking from my own experience in comics collecting and being a nerd and engineer sometimes come with, to put it bluntly, some mild neurological ticks(?), completionists, always have to correct to the actual facts, 39 is 39 not 35-40 something and dont do this to be rude! Understanding what people mean by what they say is hard for me and in text its even harder. People are different and understand things differently, dont be so harsh and defensive and dont go on the attack with words as soon as you read something that doesnt agree with your perspective. Comics are fun, talking about them should not be upsetting people!]

Re: Yearly Comics Spotlight #14: 2020 (Deadline: AM Jan 6, 2021)

Posted: Mon Dec 21, 2020 9:49 pm
by Xmanpatrick
DC:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [DCeased]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Tom Taylor]
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: [Batman family book like the Brian M. bendis story in Detective 1027.]

Marvel:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Star Wars, Vader and Bounty Hunters are fun. First time reading Star Wars comics.]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Joe Bennett (Immortal Hulk)]
Book you wish more people read: [Avengers Wasteland. Thankfully Marvel published the whole thing. It ties into old man Logan and old man Hawkeye.]
Book you wish they would publish: [Gambit and Rogue continuation]

Premiere Publishers (BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW and Image):
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The whole female turtle (Jennika) and others joining the clan has been interesting]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Kevin Eastman]
Book you wish more people read: [Kill Lock]
Book you wish they would publish: [adult version of Ben10. I really enjoyed the cartoon (original) and would like to see Ben all grown up fighting against other monsters.]

Other Publishers:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Mad Cave's Over The Ropes. It was like reliving 90's wrestling]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Patrick Renault - Vampire State Building - Ablaze]
Book you wish more people read: [More books from TKO. I only have two but will buy more soon. This is the dry season for comics so we can grab more omnis, trades and other stuff]
Book you wish they would publish: []

Special 2020 section: Pandemic/Comic Book Blackout
With a global pandemic, a shutdown of new comic distribution, DC changing distributors and numerous lengthy delays in ongoing stories, 2020 wasn't like any previous year.
Did you get diagnosed with COVID-19 during 2020? [Yes - False Positive (2nd check a month later was negative]
Did the pandemic change your comic book reading habits? If so, how? [With sports, movies and tv shows cut I had more time to read.]
Did the suspension of new comic book releases change your reading habits? If so, how? [Nope, I have a big stack of unread comics. ]
Did the distribution changes DC made during the year change your thoughts about DC? If so, how? [Yes they are trying good things at the wrong time. Feel bad for all the jobs lost cause of it. ]
Did the delay in the release schedule for comics impact your enjoyment of those stories? [Almost didn't get my Avengers Wasteland cause of the cuts. Some stories lost momentum like Abrams Spider-Man book.]
Excluding the expected changes (requiring masks or reduced hours), have you noticed any significant changes at your local store as a result of the pandemic, comic book blackout and/or distribution changes for DC? [Due to DC we have had some non-shipments some weeks, shorts others and complete mess of DC. My LCS started to clean up their back issues. I have bought a few since. ]

Miscellaneous:
Most improved: [Indie Publishers]
Favorite Publisher: [Marvel]
Best All Ages title: [Canto]
Favorite Comic Movie/Television Show: [Mandalorian]
Highlight of 2020: [More reading time]
Prediction for 2021: [DC as we know it becomes DCeased]
How and how often do you participate in the Comic Book Page community (on the forum/Slack/Previews Spotlight/other)? [A lot]
How often do you submitted a Previews Spotlight clip? [Almost every month]
-What can we do to encourage you to send in clips to the Previews Spotlight episodes more often? [Free stuff ha. I already submit as much as I can]
Has the Comic Book Page podcast changed what comics you read? If so, which comics and why?
What suggestions do you have for the Comic Book Page podcast? [Miss the weekly but know times are tough]
On average, about how many newly released comic books do you get each week? [15]
Are you planning increasing or decreasing your comic book reading in 2021? If so, why and by how much? [Decrease, gonna try Marvel Unlimited and cut my marvel stack]
Do you get your new comics from a local comic book store or online? [Both]
What is the name of the local comic shop or online retailer? [Conquest Comics NJ and Kowabunga online]

How would you sum up this past year for the Decade in Review? [Year of change]

Additional Comments? [Some strong Indie Publishers created some good reads out there. Loved some comic book movie and shows like Old Guard and Mando. I really enjoy this podcast crew and slack channel. Please join if you can. Thank you to Jon and everyone that hops on to co-host these. ]

Re: Yearly Comics Spotlight #14: 2020 (Deadline: AM Jan 6, 2021)

Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2020 4:00 pm
by fudd71
DC:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): []
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): []
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: [elongated Man]

Marvel:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Immortal Hulk]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): []
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: []

Premiere Publishers (BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW and Image):
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): []
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): []
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: []

Other Publishers:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [G.I. Joe Real American Hero]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): []
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: []

Special 2020 section: Pandemic/Comic Book Blackout
With a global pandemic, a shutdown of new comic distribution, DC changing distributors and numerous lengthy delays in ongoing stories, 2020 wasn't like any previous year.
Did you get diagnosed with COVID-19 during 2020? [no]
Did the pandemic change your comic book reading habits? If so, how? [yes, I have been making the move to trade and digital over the last few years, with the pandemic I am now fully trade and have gone to 60%-ish digital]
Did the suspension of new comic book releases change your reading habits? If so, how? [Yes I eliminated all single issues]
Did the distribution changes DC made during the year change your thoughts about DC? If so, how? [a very little, I like the idea someone is trying something new not sure this was good or will work but is refreshing to see instead of standing by and pretending there is nothing wrong and changing nothing]
Did the delay in the release schedule for comics impact your enjoyment of those stories? []
Excluding the expected changes (requiring masks or reduced hours), have you noticed any significant changes at your local store as a result of the pandemic, comic book blackout and/or distribution changes for DC? [of the 3 comics shops I use to go to regularly one closed permanently, one closed their store front to go on-line only and the last remains closed accept for pickup of previously placed orders]

Miscellaneous:
Most improved: []
Favorite Publisher: []
Best All Ages title: []
Favorite Comic Movie/Television Show: []
Highlight of 2020: []
Prediction for 2021: []How and how often do you participate in the Comic Book Page community (on the forum/Slack/Previews Spotlight/other)? []
How often do you submitted a Previews Spotlight clip? [rarely]
-What can we do to encourage you to send in clips to the Previews Spotlight episodes more often? [I'm just not interested in preorder]
Has the Comic Book Page podcast changed what comics you read? If so, which comics and why? []
What suggestions do you have for the Comic Book Page podcast? []
On average, about how many newly released comic books do you get each week? []
Are you planning increasing or decreasing your comic book reading in 2021? If so, why and by how much? []
Do you get your new comics from a local comic book store or online? []
What is the name of the local comic shop or online retailer? []

How would you sum up this past year for the Decade in Review? [It has been a crazy decade, there always felt like big things were happening and things were about to change, but ultimately we end the decade much similar to where we started it, lost of promise of change and hype but very little real change]

Additional Comments? []

Re: Yearly Comics Spotlight #14: 2020 (Deadline: AM Jan 6, 2021)

Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 9:47 pm
by SpideySavestheDay
It has been awhile but here we go.

DC:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Hard to pick which Black Label book was the stongest - The Question, Rorshach, Strange Adventures]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Greg Capullo for Dark Knights: Death Metal]
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: []

Marvel:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): []
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): []
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: []

Premiere Publishers (BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW and Image):
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Die]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans for Die]
Book you wish more people read: [Manifest Destiny]
Book you wish they would publish: []

Other Publishers:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): []
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): []
Book you wish more people read: []
Book you wish they would publish: []

Special 2020 section: Pandemic/Comic Book Blackout
With a global pandemic, a shutdown of new comic distribution, DC changing distributors and numerous lengthy delays in ongoing stories, 2020 wasn't like any previous year.
Did you get diagnosed with COVID-19 during 2020? [No]
Did the pandemic change your comic book reading habits? If so, how? [No]
Did the suspension of new comic book releases change your reading habits? If so, how? [No]
Did the distribution changes DC made during the year change your thoughts about DC? If so, how? [No]
Did the delay in the release schedule for comics impact your enjoyment of those stories? [Yes. It required a lot of reading of previously read material to remember what was going on.]
Excluding the expected changes (requiring masks or reduced hours), have you noticed any significant changes at your local store as a result of the pandemic, comic book blackout and/or distribution changes for DC? [My LCS is now closed on Mondays to prep for DC's new comics.]

Miscellaneous:
Most improved: []
Favorite Publisher: []
Best All Ages title: []
Favorite Comic Movie/Television Show: [Titans]
Highlight of 2020: []
Prediction for 2021: []
How and how often do you participate in the Comic Book Page community (on the forum/Slack/Previews Spotlight/other)? []
How often do you submitted a Previews Spotlight clip? []
-What can we do to encourage you to send in clips to the Previews Spotlight episodes more often? []
Has the Comic Book Page podcast changed what comics you read? If so, which comics and why? []
What suggestions do you have for the Comic Book Page podcast? []
On average, about how many newly released comic books do you get each week? [5-7]
Are you planning increasing or decreasing your comic book reading in 2021? If so, why and by how much? [Same]
Do you get your new comics from a local comic book store or online? [LCS]
What is the name of the local comic shop or online retailer? [Drawn to Comics in Glendale, AZ]

How would you sum up this past year for the Decade in Review? []

Additional Comments? []

Re: Yearly Comics Spotlight #14: 2020 (Deadline: AM Jan 6, 2021)

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 12:33 pm
by ChrisMyers
2020 Yearly Comic Spotlight
DC:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Hawkman #26 and 27]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Tom Taylor]
Book you wish more people read: [Tom Taylor books]
Book you wish they would publish: [a JSA title]

Marvel:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Amazing Mary Jane]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Matthew Rosenberg, Hawkeye FreeFall, Punisher, ForceWorks 2020]
Book you wish more people read: [Doctor Doom]
Book you wish they would publish: [a Kazar book]

Premiere Publishers (BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW and Image):
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [a tie between Pulp and Reckless by Brubaker and Phillips]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Brubaker/Phillips]
Book you wish more people read: [Resident Aliens]
Book you wish they would publish: [More Garth Ennis war stories]

Other Publishers:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Kodi by Jared Cullum published by IDW]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Joe Benitez Lady Mechanika series]
Book you wish more people read: [Lady Mechanika]
Book you wish they would publish: [Bandette by Paul Tobin and Colleen Coover, I love this book but we only got two issues in 2020 which makes it hard to follow.]

Special 2020 section: Pandemic/Comic Book Blackout
With a global pandemic, a shutdown of new comic distribution, DC changing distributors and numerous lengthy delays in ongoing stories, 2020 wasn't like any previous year.
Did you get diagnosed with COVID-19 during 2020? [No]
Did the pandemic change your comic book reading habits? If so, how? [My wife was home more during the shutdown so I tended to read less but other than that no.]
Did the suspension of new comic book releases change your reading habits? If so, how? [Since I read digitally the suspension didn't kick in for me until months later. Besides I read a lot of olderr titles anyway. I'm actually current on very few titles.]
Did the distribution changes DC made during the year change your thoughts about DC? If so, how? [No, I recognize that DC is a business and they need to do what they think they need to do to thrive.]
Did the delay in the release schedule for comics impact your enjoyment of those stories? [No, since I'm not current on much the delay didn't affect me.]
Excluding the expected changes (requiring masks or reduced hours), have you noticed any significant changes at your local store as a result of the pandemic, comic book blackout and/or distribution changes for DC? [I've only been in my LCS twice since March to buy short boxes for my move so I really can't comment.]

Miscellaneous:
Most improved: []
Favorite Publisher: []
Best All Ages title: [Kodi]
Favorite Comic Movie/Television Show: []
Highlight of 2020: [My new comic room in our new house.]
Prediction for 2021: [I'm afraid 2021 isn't going to be that different from 2020, I hope I'm wrong]
How and how often do you participate in the Comic Book Page community (on the forum/Slack/Previews Spotlight/other)? [I'm on Slack at least once a week. I'm more sporadic on the Preview Spotlight, my move threw me right off track though I'm planning to start submitting again.]
How often do you submitted a Previews Spotlight clip? []
-What can we do to encourage you to send in clips to the Previews Spotlight episodes more often? [Keep doing what you're doing.]
Has the Comic Book Page podcast changed what comics you read? If so, which comics and why? [Thor, Wanted, Firepower, Harleen, Rivers of London and many more.]
What suggestions do you have for the Comic Book Page podcast? [Keep up the good work. I have really been enjoying the Back issue discussions]
On average, about how many newly released comic books do you get each week? [zero]
Are you planning increasing or decreasing your comic book reading in 2021? If so, why and by how much? [Pretty much staying the same.]
Do you get your new comics from a local comic book store or online? [Anything I buy I get digitally and that's usually from Comixology.]
What is the name of the local comic shop or online retailer? []

How would you sum up this past year for the Decade in Review? [Challenging]

Additional Comments?Ā [I want to thank John, James and Sam for all their work on the Weekly/Back Issue Spotlight and John for all the other work he does. I really enjoy the community that has been created here. As a digital delay reader I appreciate the care that everyone puts into the avoidence of spoilers, my memory is so bad I probably wouldn't notice but I'm sure others do. So I'm looking forward to a new year of comics and comic discussion on the Slack channel]

Re: Yearly Comics Spotlight #14: 2020 (Deadline: AM Jan 6, 2021)

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2021 2:37 pm
by NicksPicks
I made the final edits to my list. Thanks, John!

Re: Yearly Comics Spotlight #14: 2020 (Deadline: AM Jan 6, 2021)

Posted: Tue Jan 05, 2021 6:57 am
by VikingJoker
DC:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Hawkman]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Robert Venditti]
Book you wish more people read: [Hawkman]
Book you wish they would publish: [Venditti on Hawkman]

Marvel:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Thor]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Donny Cates]
Book you wish more people read: [Everything Conan]
Book you wish they would publish: [Cates on Punisher]

Premiere Publishers (BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW and Image):
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Red Sonja from Dynamite]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Mark Russell on Red Sonja ā€“ his run is sadly ending with #24]
Book you wish more people read: [Firefly (from Boom) I know it is a niche, but itā€™s very good.]
Book you wish they would publish: [Trees (from Image) by Warren Ellis/Jason Howard]

Other Publishers:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Year Zero from AWA]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): []
Book you wish more people read: [Everything from AWA]
Book you wish they would publish: []

Special 2020 section: Pandemic/Comic Book Blackout
With a global pandemic, a shutdown of new comic distribution, DC changing distributors and numerous lengthy delays in ongoing stories, 2020 wasn't like any previous year.
Did you get diagnosed with COVID-19 during 2020? [No]
Did the pandemic change your comic book reading habits? If so, how? [My work hasnā€™t been impacted ā€“ I went to work every day, but weekends were spent at home, so Iā€™ve had more time to read. I read 1088 items (primarily floppies) this year.]
Did the suspension of new comic book releases change your reading habits? If so, how? [Not really. I always have a tremendous backlog of items to read. My current read stack is over 700 floppies and Iā€™m no James, but I do have a quite a few omnibuses to read too.]
Did the distribution changes DC made during the year change your thoughts about DC? If so, how? [Not really. If anything, I just got tired of all of ā€œthe business of comicsā€ talk. At times, the Slack channel was inundated with those conversations.]
Did the delay in the release schedule for comics impact your enjoyment of those stories? [The long gaps between issues were unavoidable, however, often I would just go back and re-read previous issues to remind myself of the story before tackling the new issues.]
Excluding the expected changes (requiring masks or reduced hours), have you noticed any significant changes at your local store as a result of the pandemic, comic book blackout and/or distribution changes for DC? [Not really. I donā€™t spend a lot of time at the LCS, but the local stores seem unchanged.]
Miscellaneous:
Most improved: [Jonathan Hickman on X-Men has made that corner of the Marvel universe readable again. Not everyone loved X of Swords, but I enjoyed this old-school style crossover that ran through the x-books.]
Favorite Publisher: [Based on the numbers, DC is the publisher I read the most, however AWA is my current Favorite Publisher. Iā€™ve enjoyed everything theyā€™ve published and Iā€™ve read everything so far. Year Zero by Ben Percy is my favorite title, but other notables include Devilā€™s Highway, Bad Mother and American Ronin.]
Best All Ages title: []
Favorite Comic Movie/Television Show: []
Highlight of 2020: [Bookclub. For those that participated in our two reads ā€“ Y: The Last Man and The Long Halloween ā€“ it was a great time. It was a nice opportunity for us to get together (via Zoom) to discuss a couple of great books. Being able to meet in real time and talk it out is just more satisfying than interacting online via Slack or the forums.]
Prediction for 2021: []
How and how often do you participate in the Comic Book Page community (on the forum/Slack/Previews Spotlight/other)? [Frequently on Slack. Rarely on the forums.]
How often do you submitted a Previews Spotlight clip? [Iā€™d like to contribute to Previews Spotlight, but usually donā€™t get it done in time. I think I contributed to three episodes in 2020. Iā€™ll do more in 2021. Actually, this weekend, I posted an ambitious list for the next episode and challenged everyone on Slack to do at least one a month in 2021.]
-What can we do to encourage you to send in clips to the Previews Spotlight episodes more often? [Personally, I just need to get more comfortable recording the clips, so I donā€™t think that there is anything except practice that will help with that.]
Has the Comic Book Page podcast changed what comics you read? If so, which comics and why? [Yes. The Podcast and Slack have contributed to my addiction. Two examples.. Back issue spotlight on Aaronā€™s Thor led me to reading a ton of Thor (not done yet either) and bookclub. Shameless Plug ā€“ Peter Davidā€™s Incredible Hulk in 2021 ā€“ join the bookclub!]
What suggestions do you have for the Comic Book Page podcast? []
On average, about how many newly released comic books do you get each week? [Iā€™m not sure about weekly, but I get 70-100 new comics a month.]
Are you planning increasing or decreasing your comic book reading in 2021? If so, why and by how much? [I need to cut back, but I say that every month when preparing my order and it doesnā€™t really stick.]
Do you get your new comics from a local comic book store or online? [Primarily via Kowabunga.]
What is the name of the local comic shop or online retailer? [Favorite LCS is Heroes Comics and Cards.]
How would you sum up this past year for the Decade in Review? []
Additional Comments? [Thanks John for fostering this little community of comic book fans.]

Re: Yearly Comics Spotlight #14: 2020 (Deadline: AM Jan 6, 2021)

Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2021 1:28 am
by doctormo
DC:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Batman: Three Jokers by Geoff Johns (Writer) and Jason Fabok (Artist)]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Writer: N.K. Jemisin (Far Sector) and Artist: Ryan Sook (Legion of Super-Heroes)]
Book you wish more people read: [Batman: The Adventures Continue by Paul Dini and Alan Burnett (Writers) and Ty Templeton (Artist) ā€“ overshadowed by the other Batman event titles published in 2020.]
Book you wish they would publish: [Justice Society of America]

Marvel:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [X-Men/Fantastic Four by Chip Zdarsky (Writer), Terry Dodson (Penciler) and Rachel Dodson (Inker)]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Writer: Benjamin Percy (X-Force and Wolverine) and Artist: Pepe Larraz (X of Swords: Creation, X of Swords: Stasis, X of Swords: Destruction, and Empyre: Avengers #0)]
Book you wish more people read: [X-Force ā€“ one of the most consistent X-titles throughout the year]
Book you wish they would publish: [Looking forward to the X-Corp title that was slated for 2020]

Premiere Publishers (BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite, IDW and Image):
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [X-Ray Robot by Mike Allred ā€“ Dark Horse Comics]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Writer: Michel Fiffe (Copra ā€“ Image Comics (formally) and Artist: Dan Mora (Once and Future ā€“ Boom! Studios)]
Book you wish more people read: [The Orville: each two-part series felt like an episode, published by Dark Horse]
Book you wish they would publish: [Jeff Lemire would write a second Quantum Age series (Dark Horse)]

Other Publishers:
Favorite Comics (Series/Story Arc or Single Issue): [Dragonfly & Dragonflyman ]
Favorite Creator (Writer/Artist/etc): [Writer: Tom Peyer and Artist: Steve Pugh (Billionaire Island)]
Book you wish more people read: [Various The Wrong Earth/Dragonfly & Dragonflyman related series]
Book you wish they would publish: [Titan Comics would bring back Robotech: Remix]

Special 2020 section: Pandemic/Comic Book Blackout
With a global pandemic, a shutdown of new comic distribution, DC changing distributors and numerous lengthy delays in ongoing stories, 2020 wasn't like any previous year.
Did you get diagnosed with COVID-19 during 2020? [Fortunately no, but knew people who were diagnosed]
Did the pandemic change your comic book reading habits? If so, how? [Yes, I read more older books especially from the 1980s and 1990s]
Did the suspension of new comic book releases change your reading habits? If so, how? []
Did the distribution changes DC made during the year change your thoughts about DC? If so, how? [No]
Did the delay in the release schedule for comics impact your enjoyment of those stories? [It caused me to reevaluate titles I have not been enjoy and I feel behind reading new titles]
Excluding the expected changes (requiring masks or reduced hours), have you noticed any significant changes at your local store as a result of the pandemic, comic book blackout and/or distribution changes for DC? [For a while my LCS only offered curbside pick-up]

Miscellaneous:
Most improved: [I believe Bendis and Sookā€™s Legion of Super-Heroes got better as the year progressed.]
Favorite Publisher: [I did not purchase a lot of Dark Horse comic but enjoyed every single title.]
Best All Ages title: [Batman: The Adventures Continue]
Favorite Comic Movie/Television Show: [The Boys Season 2 on Amazon Prime and Wonder Woman 1984]
Highlight of 2020: [The Mandalorian Season 2]
Prediction for 2021: [I believe by fall 2021 we should be able to gauge DCā€™s place in the market.]
How and how often do you participate in the Comic Book Page community (on the forum/Slack/Previews Spotlight/other)? [I try to submit Previews Spotlight clips regularly and post on the Slack when I can contribute to the conversation.]
How often do you submitted a Previews Spotlight clip? [Most months]
-What can we do to encourage you to send in clips to the Previews Spotlight episodes more often? [Not certain]
Has the Comic Book Page podcast changed what comics you read? If so, which comics and why? [This year, the podcast got me excited about hunting back issues]
What suggestions do you have for the Comic Book Page podcast? [No, appreciate John allowing listeners the opportunity to contribute and provide feedback.]
On average, about how many newly released comic books do you get each week? [Approximately 6 titles per week]
Are you planning increasing or decreasing your comic book reading in 2021? If so, why and by how much? [I plan on maintaining the number of new titles being currently read, unless the post-DC Future State titles do not click. I also plan on shifting to trade for certain titles.]
Do you get your new comics from a local comic book store or online? [Local comic shop]
What is the name of the local comic shop or online retailer? [Telegraph Art and Comics in Charlottesville, Virginia]

How would you sum up this past year for the Decade in Review? [Twisty and full of reboots]

Additional Comments? [I appreciate the work of John and the other contributors, especially when the pandemic forced format changes.]