The 100 Best Reviewed Comics of 2007
I like lists. Lists often make things easier to understand and easier to digest. Which is why, in a previous post, I brought you the list of Eight Comic Books to Read Before You Die. Apparently, writer Dick Hyacinth also like lists because over at his site, he’s done a lot of research and compiled a list of the ‘100 Best Reviewed Comics of 2007.’
His list, which he referrs to as a "meta-list compiling critical reactions from the Internet and print publications" covers a huge cross-section of comics, manga and other writings and highlights some very popular work and some other work perhaps more unknown to mainstream comics fans.
When compiling the list, Hyacinth discovered several interesting bits of information he wasn’t aware of including that he "vastly underestimated the popularity of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I mean VASTLY underestimated", he also realized he "had no idea Captain America, Fables, or Y: The Last Man would pull down such huge numbers" and that "there’s a big gap between what made the lists on comics-oriented sites and what made the lists of the more mainstream-ish papers."
Here’s the Top 10 "Best Reviewed Comics" and their popularity rankings, according to Hyacinth. For the rest of the list, check out his site.
2. Shortcomings (941)
3. All Star Superman (908)
4. I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets (850)
5. Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together (660)
6. Criminal (640)
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 8 (541)
8. Alias the Cat (452)
9. Perry Bible Fellowship: The Trial of Colonel Sweeto (444)
10. Powr Mastrs (439)
I'm glad to see Exit Wounds so high on the list (it was my pick for second-best book of the year), but I continue to be dumbfounded at the love for Shortcomings, a book that has an all-too-fitting title. Tomine is a wonderful illustrator and he can capture dialogue, but his storytelling is far less developed than most of the other creators represented on that list.