hellblazer | DC Comics

The Best of 2011

There’s still glitter on the streets. Fridges are filled with half-empty bottles of champagne and gyms are extra crowded due to people working on their resolutions. And while we celebrate the beginning of a new year, there’s no better way to ring in 2012 than to reflect on the successes of 2011.

The DC offices were closed all of last week, but that doesn’t mean that press didn’t continue to roll in. Below, take a look at some of the year-end “best of” lists that ran.

CNN’s GEEK OUT highlighted ANIMAL MAN, BATWOMAN, THE FLASH, I, VAMPIRE and JOE THE BARBARIAN in an article about the “unprecedented creativity” in comic books in 2011.

THE ONION’s A.V. CLUB’s list of the best comic books of 2011 included DETECTIVE COMICS, BATMAN, BATWOMAN and ANIMAL MAN. The article also gave individual honors to WONDER WOMAN, O.M.A.C. and JIMMY OLSEN.

GAWKER’s IO9 featured SPACEMAN, ANIMAL MAN, SWAMP THING, BATMAN and FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.HA.D.E. on their list of the best science fiction and fantasy comic books of 2011.

COMPLEX MAGAZINE’s list of top 25 comic books of 2011 included FLASHPOINT, JUSTICE LEAGUE, NORTHLANDERS, SWAMP THING, WONDER WOMAN, BATWOMAN, ACTION COMICS, DETECTIVE COMICS, BATMAN and ANIMAL MAN.

BLOODY DISGUSTING’s list of top 10 comic books of 2011 included SWEET TOOTH, DETECTIVE COMICS, BATWOMAN and ANIMAL MAN.

AFTER ELLEN highlighted BATWOMAN in their 2011 review of books.

SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE named DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 the biggest comic book story of 2011.

POPDOSE included BATWOMAN, SCALPED and XOMBI on their list of favorite comics of 2011.

COMIC BOOK RESOURCES’ list of top 100 comics of 2011 included BATMAN INCORPORATED, HELLBLAZER, XOMBI, FRANKENSTEIN AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E., THE UNWRITTEN, SWEET TOOTH, THE SHADE, ALL-STAR WESTERN, JONAH HEX, AMERICAN VAMPIRE, FLASHPOINT: BATMAN KNIGHT OF VENGEANCE, O.M.A.C., FABLES, IZOMBIE, BATGIRL, BATMAN, AQUAMAN, ACTION COMICS, SWAMP THING, WONDER WOMAN, BATWOMAN, DETECTIVE COMICS, SCALPED and ANIMAL MAN.

IFANBOY declared DC Comics as their “Publisher of the Year.” Their list of best new books in 2011 included ANIMAL MAN, SPACEMAN, BATMAN and ACTION COMICS. Meanwhile, their list of the top 10 comic events of 2011 included DC: RETROACTIVE and the STAR TREK/LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES crossover, while FLASHPOINT and DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 took the top two spots. And their list of 2011’s best comic book writers included Jeff Lemire (ANIMAL MAN/FRANKENSTEIN, AGENT OF S.H.A.D.E./SWEET TOOTH), Brian Azzarello (WONDER WOMAN/100 BULLETS/SPACEMAN), and taking the #1 spot was Scott Snyder (BATMAN/SWAMP THING/DETECTIVE COMICS/AMERICAN VAMPIRE).

To be continued …

(Everybody’s Talkin’ About) DC Comics-The New 52, Monday Evening (ET) Edition

On Wednesday, the first set of issue #2s from DC COMICS-THE NEW 52 will go on sale. There's a ton of exclusive previews out there to whet your appetite.

USA TODAY has your first look at ACTION COMICS #2. "He has his reasons and they almost kind of make sense," series writer Grant Morrison told USA TODAY of Lex Luthor. "But then you dig a little deeper and you find this very petty, jealous, envious man, and unfortunately that's what drives his brilliance. He's a very strong character and has to be a real balance with Superman."

THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ran an exclusive preview of O.M.A.C. #2. "OMAC is a character I remember when it first came out. I enjoyed it immensely," said series writer Dan DiDio to THE NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. "The idea that you think you're in control of things and you lose your sense of control and that even when you think you're doing things your own way, someone else may be leading you — it was really a fascinating core theme."

Along with their exclusive preview of GREEN ARROW #2, POPMATTERS wrote a terrific analytic post about the psychology of the series. “For nothing more than a ‘solid superhero story’, Krul and Jurgens evoke a richness that is seldom glimpsed at,” they wrote.

IGN has your exclusive first look at BATWING #2 and NEWSARAMA premiered a 5-page interior sequence from HAWK AND DOVE #2.

Just in time for the haunting month of October, the CHICAGO TRIBUNE ran their list of the 10 Best Horror Graphic Novels for Halloween. DC Entertainment secured 5 of the 10 spots, with titles including BATMAN: THE LONG HALLOWEEN, SWAMP THING VOL. 1, BOOKS OF MAGIC, ARKHAM ASYLUM and HELLBLAZER.

And continuing the spooky theme this month brings, top ranking horror website BLOODY DISGUSTING talked horror/dark comics with I, VAMPIRE writer Joshua Hale Fialkov. “For me, I wanted to take the best parts of horror and romance fiction, and combine it with what makes DC Comics great,” Fialkov said of his series. “We have a huge canvas to paint on, we will we rub-up against other characters and books, which is a blast to write. I'm really being given the freedom to tell a huge story all on my own with all of these great toys to play with. You'll definitely see some huge DC characters in the book in the not too distant future.”

To be continued …

This Just Happened: BRIGHTEST DAY #24

Today marks the last issue of BRIGHTEST DAY. If you haven’t picked up your copy yet, then clicking on the jump is the very last thing you want to do (major spoiler alert!)

John Constantine was first introduced to the DC Universe in Alan Moore’s SAGA OF THE SWAMP THING #37 (1985), in which the always suave and mysterious Brit’s first role was that of a supernatural advisor to Swamp Thing. Upon their introduction, John’s vast knowledge of Swamp Thing’s origins caused him to embark on a quest of self-discovery. It was on this journey that Swamp Thing first encountered many other characters in the DC Universe, including the Phantom Stranger, Deadman, and Etrigan the Demon.

John then took on the role of the protagonist with the launch of his own series, HELLBLAZER, which has run continuously since its initial release date in January of 1988. A chain-smoking occult detective, he has often struggled to balance the powers of Heaven and Hell on earth. While John has been known to take on the role of a hero, he is often cynical and not unwilling to compromise with darker forces for his own benefit.

Going forward, Vertigo will continue publishing HELLBLAZER as an ongoing comic book series. The series recently celebrated its 275th anniversary issue by its current creative team of acclaimed writer Peter Milligan and artists Giuseppe Camuncoli and Stefano Landini. Through the years, John Constantine’s stories have been written by a diverse and prolific cast of writers, including Jamie Delano, Brian Azzarello, Neil Gaiman, Ian Rankin, Mike Carey, Garth Ennis, Andy Diggle, Warren Ellis, and Grant Morrison. The series has also been illustrated by such artists as David Lloyd, Leonardo Manco, Steve Dillon, Rick Veitch, Marcelo Frusin, and John Ridgway.

John Constantine’s return to the DC Universe follows BRIGHTEST DAY #23’s shocking reveal of Swamp Thing. With the plant elemental on the loose, who better to help find him and restore his identity than he who helped him learn it in the first place? The story continues in BRIGHTEST DAY AFTERMATH: THE SEARCH FOR SWAMP THING #1, written by TOKYO DAYS, BANGKOK NIGHTS author (and former Vertigo editor) Jonathan Vankin and with art by Marco Castiello, in stores this June.

Head on over to Comic Book Resources and Newsarama for exclusive interviews with Co-Publisher Dan DiDio about the series' final issue.

You may have been worried that the events of BRIGHTEST DAY were coming to an end with this ultimate issue of the series, but as John Constantine would say, that’s just “bollocks.”