Nerdi Awards: Best of the Best in Comic Books of 2012

Ladies and Gentlemen. It is that time of the year. Unlike last year, we did not plan to go on and on about our opinions on comic books. This year, we gave the fans the opportunity to tell us everything they loved, hated or disappointed in. Below are the "Top 5" of each category.


Who is your favorite comic book writer and Artist of 2012? 

Writer:

1.Scott Snyder: 4.4%
2. Justin Jordan: 1.32 %
    Nick Spencer
    Brian K. Vaughan
    Kelly Sue DeConnick

Artist:

1. Greg Capullo: 1.76 %
2. Fiona Staples: 1.31%
    Terry Moore
4. David Aja: .88%
    Joe Eisma

What is your favorite single comic book issue of 2012: 

1. Batman #5: 2.15%
2. Saga #3:  1.29%
3. Hawkeye #3: .86%
    Hawkeye #2
    Morning Glories #21
    Batman #12

What was the most underrated comic book of 2012: 

1. Morning Glories: 1.23%
    The Gathering
    Rachel Rising
    Planetoid
5. I, Vampire: .82%

What is the biggest comic book disappointment of 2012? 

1. Marvel Now: 2.96 %
2. AvX: 2.22%
    New 52
4. Superman: 0.74%
    Thief of Thieves

Which company deserves the "Best Comic Company" of 2012? 

1. Image: 35.8%
2. GrayHeaven Comics: 34.0%
3. DC: 11.3%
4. IDW: 9.4%
5. Comix Tribe: 7.5%

Who is your favorite Hero and Villain of 2012:

Heroes:

1. Batman: 3.78%
2. Luther Strode: 1.26%
    Red Hood
    Cyclops
5. Wonder Woman: .84%

Villains:

1. Court of Owls: 1.68%
    Joker
3. The Will:
    Doctor Octopus: 1.26%
5. Madder Red: .84%


Who is your breakout writer and artist of 2012? 

Writer: 

1. Justin Jordan:  1.44%
2. Kelly Sue DeConnick: 1.08%
3. Brian K. Vaughan: 0.72%
    Joe Mulvey
    Kurtis Wiebe

Artist:

1. Tradd Moore: 1.08%
2. Fiona Staples: 0.72%
    Joe Mulvey
    Kenneth Rocafort
    Matt Kindt

What is your favorite comic book podcast? 

1. Drunk on Comics: 1.7%
2. Image Addiction: 1.36%
3. Why I Love Comics: 1.02%
4. IFanboy: .68%
    Stash my Comics

What is your favorite comic book series of 2012?

1. Batman: 2.7%
    Morning Glories
3. Rachel Rising: 2.25%
4. Saga: 0.9%
    Wonder Woman
     Red Hood
     Daredevil

What is your favorite NEW comic book series of 2012?

1. Hawkeye: 4.84%
2. Saga: 2.52%
3. Bedlam: 1.26
4. SCAM: .84%
    Captain Marvel  

You'd be a Drunk Too if Your Dad Was a Nazi

Joe is the de facto leader/mentor of the Extras. While having no powers himself, he is without a doubt the most knowledgeable on the teenager's powers and how they acquired them. His knowledge and close relationship with Matt is what brings this ragtag group of kids together. He tries his best to train and educate this group but he is not quite prepared for the responsibility of maintaining a group of teenagers with superhuman abilities. This promo has gone through several steps but we think we've finally found the final touch, as done by the wonderful Kelly Williams. We wanted to relate to Joe's Nazi heritage with the font for Shepherd as well as the fairly obvious swastika.

Joe McCoy (formerly Josef Mahler)

Height: 5’10

Weight: 185

Hair: Salt and Pepper

Powers: Joe has zero powers. A former government scientist, now an independent researcher. He owns a small lab on the outskirts of Shepherd. He understands the “Extras” powers and is super-intelligent. He has a record of experimenting with Extras in the past.

Weakness: Since Joe’s older brother and sister in-laws’ death, he has become the guardian of his niece, Mary Carter. Because of her ability, he becomes too obsessed with her abilities and ignores her personal problems. When Joe isn’t working with the Extras, he can usually be found nursing a bottle of whisky. Like most alcoholics, Joe refuses to believe he has a problem. He sees drinking as an outlet to his social, family and economic problems. He is very trusting and has a history of being duped by those he trusts.

Personality: When Joe isn’t drunk, he is a great uncle. However, out of 24 hours in the day, he is either working or drunk for 17 of those hours. When training the “Extras”, Joe is very demanding and a little too strict. At times, it seems that he has become too obsessed with his niece and her friends’ powers and cares little about them as people.

Secret: His father is a Nazi. ‘Nuff said

Relationships: His niece is Mary Carter. Most nights, he falls asleep next to a bottle of whiskey and usually she drags him to bed and tucks him in. During the first five issues of Shepherd, Joe is a mentor to Matt. However, Matt becomes s very aware that Joe cares more about his powers than Matt’s safety.

The Best of the Best in Comic Books: 2012

Ladies and Gentlemen. It is that time of the year. Unlike last year, we don't plan to go on and on about our opinions on comic books. This year, we are giving you the opportunity to tell us everything you  loved, enjoyed or hated. You pick who rocks and who sucks. Most comic sites present you with nominations. We don't do that here. Instead, you have the opportunity to tell us about your favorite writer, company and your biggest disappointment in comic books. If your answers are creative and funny, we plan to post them.

Click here to take the survey
 

Man of Steel and Star Trek: Into Darkness

"Must Buy" Comics for 12/05/12

1. Amazing Spider-Man #999
2. Swamp Thing #15
3. Invincible #98
4. All New X-Men #3
5. Animal Man #15
6. Avengers #1
7. Creator Owned Heroes #7
8.Great Pacific #2
9. Epic Kill #7
10. Cyberforce #2

   

The New and Improved Viola Proctor

Once again, we have a gorgeous promo for Shepherd featuring the brilliant art and lettering of the one and only Kelly Williams. Check his stuff out because it's absolutely phenomenal. We plan on doing this for about 8-12 of our main/supporting characters, so there will be a lot more coming. Let us know what you think!

Viola Proctor (Likeness of Emmy Rossum)

Age: 16

Height: 5’4

Weight: 105 pounds 
 
Powers: Wiccan. She learns her craft from the book, The Necronomicon, that she finds in her attic. This book has been passed down from mother to daughter for generations.

Weaknesses: Overuse of the book. The inherit darkness of her power. The familial trait of schizophrenia drives her mad (particularly in the flashforward), as it did to her grandmother.

Personality: She seems to have the bitchy won’t-give-you-the-time-of-day cheerleader attitude. But deep down (deep, deep down) she has a heart of gold. Half the girls want to be her and the other half wish she would break her neck. As the witch, she has a much harder skin and is sometimes prone to overuse the book (as she has overused her power as the most popular girl in school). When she is in her Wiccan state, her voice is demonic.

Secret: Her schizophrenia occasionally causes an inability to differentiate between reality and her hallucinations.

Favorite T.V. Shows: Dancing with the Stars, Vampire Diaries, 16 and Pregnant, Jersey Shore, Pretty Little Liars.

Favorite Music: Ke$ha, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj

Relationships: Boyfriend: Matt Dunham. In our story, Viola is a junior in high school and Matt is a senior. Like most love stories in high school, Viola is popular and the head cheerleader and Matt is the captain of the Football team. Unbeknownst to Viola, Matt has abilities (don’t worry, you will learn more about him soon). As Matt gains his abilities, he doesn’t make his relationship with Viola his number one priority. This causes Viola to be much more insecure about herself, which leads her to desperation and very open to accepting her Wiccan abilities.

As most of the Extras are outcasts before they gain their powers, Viola is something of an outcast when she joins the group. Since she is so popular, this group is very new to her. Most of the rest of the group are dealing with similar levels of unpopularity before they all discover this surrogate family.

Yes, she might be the bitchy cheerleader but there is so much more to her than just the pom-poms. She is an only child, she has no idea who her father is and her mom works at two jobs: a waitress and a Stop and Shop cashier.


Future: While attending College, Viola becomes pregnant (with one of our male character’s children) and decides to drop out of school. During the pregnancy and after the birth of her child, she stops taking her medication and succumbs to the book even more and her mind slowly deteriorates. At one point, she stops using the Necronomican believing the voices are coming from the book. Mary Carter (another Extra/Psychiatrist in the flashforward) and her fiance (a not yet introduced Extra) intervene, commit her to an asylum and adopt Viola’s son.

This is all subject to change. Mostly from our input and how the story changes, but also (as this is kind of our mission statement now) from the fan's opinion. So, what do you hate about Viola? What do you like? Do you need reasons/explanations for any of her characteristics? Leave us a comment or email us at extras2124@gmail.com

Superman: Who is H'el?

There are so many awesome comic book storylines that can be found on the comic stands right now.

1. The Joker has returned

2. Peter Parker is no longer Spider-Man

3. Jean is back----but it’s a younger version.

4. Superman and Wonder Woman are swamping spit.

Probably the most underrated storyline so far is the one happening in the Super-family books: H’el on Earth. It is a 7 part storyline, and the first crossover among the New 52’s Super-family books. Part one began with Lobdell’s second issue of Superman, Superman # 14. Parts two, and three occurred in Superboy #14 and Supergirl #14. The first three parts can be bought now at your LCS.

For the past few years, fanboys have been bombarded with storylines that start too quickly. This forces the storylines to hit their peaks too early. That is not the case with H’el on Earth. Scott Lobdell, Tome DeFalco (writer of Superboy), and Mike Johnson (writer of Supergirl) have done a tremendous job building a foundation for the storyline. In each book, we are getting a glimpse, and tease of H’el as a character.

What has Happened so Far:


In Superman #13, H’el tested Superman by sending a kryptonian monster after him. While in Superboy #14, H’el kicks Superboy’s ass up, and down the streets of Manhattan. So far, H’el looks devious and evil. By Supergirl #14, all that has changed. Mike Johnson does a great job making the reader sympathetic for H’el. In Supergirl, the reader learns H’el was Jor-El’s student. A short time before Krypton exploded, Jor-El sent H’el out to space to safeguard the remaining pieces of Krypton’s culture. The only Kryptonian that he trusts is Supergirl, and he attempts to recruit her to help him go back in time and save Krypton.

Was your response “What???” after you read that last sentence? That was our response too. It doesn’t end there. By the end of Supergirl #14, H’el gives Supergirl the ability to speak English and he teleports her to Clark’s apartment. Supergirl walks into the apartment while Clark is attempting to have a serious conversation with Lois. The biggest surprise of this issue is that Mike Johnson made it seem that Clark was on the verge of outing his secret identity to Lois Lane.

What do we know about H’el so Far:

1. He was Jor-El’s student.

2. Jor-El sent him to space to safeguard the remaining remnants of Krypton’s culture.

3. His powers are unlike the other Kryptonians. He can teleport, has the ability to fly, and was able to teach Supergirl English with a simple touch.

4. H’el has come to Earth to recruit Supergirl in hopes that they can return to Krypton and stop its destruction.

Theories on H’el:

1. H’el is indeed Jor-El’s student, and it took him over 20 years to reach Earth. Over the past twenty years, he has been taken prisoner and tortured by other Alien races. Maybe H’el believes that saving Krypton is the only way to save the cosmos from further mutual destruction between Alien races.

2. H’el was a clone created by Supergirl’s Father, Zor-El, and he was saved by Jor-El. To ensure his safety from destruction, H’el was planted with false memories and shot into space.

3. If you noticed, Lex Luthor is on the cover of Superman #15. There is always the possibility that H’el is the new 52’s version of Bizzaro. If you have been following Action Comics, you are aware that Luthor was in possession of Superman’s spaceship. There was always a chance that Luthor cloned Superman, named him H’el, and implanted him with false memories

The New and Improved Ron Darius

For those who don't know, this is the new and improved Ron Darius. In the beginning, he was the speedster of our team. Brian mentioned to me(Phil) that every team has a speedster and we needed to be different. We brainstormed and decided to have him absorb elements. We can't spoil everything here, so you need to read all the new information below.

Also, the lettering for the promo is different. We told Kelly Williams to stay away from the typical Superhero font and to focus on the character themes. You will notice that the new "Shepherd" is mixed together with a corporate feel and a dollar bill color theme.

Ron Darius (Likeness of Donald Glover)

Age: 17

Height: 5’10

Weight: 155 lbs.

Powers: Ron is able to touch anything and his skin transformers into that substance. But do not fear, he is not Absorbing Man from Marvel Comics. His power involves science and various elements. He first learns of his abilities after drinking water and suddenly falls apart and becomes a puddle on the ground. When he first learns of his abilities, there will be times when he absorbs too many substances and blotches of depigmentation can be seen on his skin. This forces him to wear winter gloves all day everyday. After he learns the basics of his abilities, he will be wearing a utility belt and a skin suit. In his utility belt, there will be pouches that contain water, dirt, rock, gold, metal, tree bark, and his deceased mother's silver cross. The cool part about his power is that he can mix the elements when he uses them.

Weakness:  High-pitched noises (particularly from his cousin and arch-rival, Ricky). When Ron uses his abilities, there will be several times that he is not in solid form. When he's not, Ricky's high-pitched noises at times can easily tear him apart.

Personality: Ron is consistently light-hearted and ready to make the others laugh. He is the heart and soul of the team and eventually becomes the glue that keeps the group together (although this is certainly not true in the Flashforward).

Favorite Movies: The Shining, The Natural and The Departed

Favorite Music: Childish Gambino, Run-DMC, and Bill Withers

Relationships: Best friend- Mary Carter (also an Extra, but she absolutely hates it). Father- Michael Darius (Detective in the Meteor City Police Department). Mother- Sharelle (waitress at the Shepherd Diner). Sister- Dominique, or DeeDee. (older than Ron, goes to North Carolina University as a Political Science major. Who knows, maybe we'll see her again in the future in a political role [possibly villainous? hint-hint wink-wink]). Cousin- Ricky (local gang leader and also an Extra- high pitch noise which causes severe seizures in non-powered people but is particularly effective to Ron). Classmates- Nate Dunham (amiable relationship, not best friends nor worst enemies), Viola Proctor (practically unknown to her as she is the popular, cheerleader-type), Matt Dunham (familiar face, and well liked to Matt as he is the captain of the football team and Ron constantly tries out but constantly fails) and Alex Reese (mutual disdain between Ron and the chain smoking Alex).

Future: Picture Donald Trump's money without the awful hair or douchebaggery. He is the CEO of  your typical Goldman Sachs or Enron. He hung up his superhero shoes and is now all about the Benjamins. His sister is the Mayor of Meteor City and has created a campaign to round up and covertly eliminate all Extras (as her Mother was killed by an Extra).

This is all subject to change. Mostly from our input and how the story changes, but also (as this is kind of our mission statement now) from the fan's opinion. So, what do you hate about Ron? What do you like? Do you need reasons/explanations for any of his characteristics? Leave us a comment or email us at extras2124@gmail.com

Top Ten Comics of 11/28/12

Hey Everyone

When we first started this blog, we did our own top 10 "Must Buys" for the week. Somewhere along the line, we stopped. Now, that list is back. To the right of this list, you will find a new poll. At the poll, please vote for your top ten books of the week.









1) All New X-Men #2
2) Superman #14
3) Uncanny Avengers #2
4) Morning Glories #23
5) Batman Incorporated #5
6) Bedlam #2
7)Aquaman # 14
8)American Vampire #33
9) Thor #2
10)  New Avengers #34

NYCC: Interview with Bill Willingham

Almost a month ago, we were given the extraordinary opportunity to interview Bill Willingham, the former writer of Robin and current writer of Fables and Fairest. For reasons only known to us, it took a long ass time to get this interview from our IPhones to this very blog. At first, we thought about transcribing this interview. Five minutes into transcribing, we decided to f' that. Instead, take a break from your school work or working at your job and listen to the powerful words that come from the mouth of Bill Willingham.

Here are the questions that we asked Bill:


1. If he had a time machine, what changes would he make to Fables? (0:02)

2. Pick one: Star Wars or Star Trek? (1:28)

3. What is his favorite fairy tale that did he did not write? (2:23)

4. Why did he unmask Robin to his Dad? (3:28) 

5.  What is his opinion on Grimm and Once Upon a Time? (5:44) 


:SPOILERS: If asked, he would write an episode of Once Upon a Time. You heard it here first.

Coming in 2013: Shadowline's Five Weapons

Do you know someone that is always blabbering off useless facts? Do they know where the children of the world's deadliest assassins attend school?  Our guess is that they don't. If you were wondering where they do attend school, Shadowline has the answer for you. 

On February 27th, the creator of Bomb Queen, Jimmie Robinson, is introducing the world to his new creator owned book: Five Weapons. 

Five Weapons is written and drawn by Jimmie Robinson. 

"When the world's deadliest, stealthiest, and most infamous assassins need a place to educate their children, an institution that respects and upholds their values, they turn to the prestigious School of Five Weapons. At the setting of the new Image Comics/Shadowline mini-series by Jimmie Robinson(BOMB QUEEN), FIVE WEAPONS, students train in the martial arts, pledging their loyalty to one "club": Knives, Staves, Archery, Exotics, and Guns.

"The School of Five Weapons is turned upside down when a new student arrives, one carrying a name that all the students and teachers know: Shainline. The clubs vie for Tyler's loyalty, but it becomes apparent very quickly that this kid isn't someone who is easy to pin down. Tyler has just the edge he needs to succeed at Five Weapons — a razor-sharp mind!"

Starting in December, you can tell your LCS to start pre-ordering the 32 page monster that is Five Weapons. We guarantee this book will be an instant winner among the Bomb Queen fans. 

    

  

Preview: Batman #14

Batman #14

Written by Scott Snyder

Art by Greg Capullo

"• “DEATH OF THE FAMILY” continues! • The Joker is back and somehow more sinister than ever!    What caused this change? And can even Batman stop a Joker so driven and dangerous?
• And where is Alfred?
• Plus: In the backup feature, The Penguin is running out of options as he’s confronted by The Joker!"

Thanks to BuzzFeed, we are able to surprise you with a preview of DC's Batman #14. 

What happened to Alfred? 

Our guess: Expect him to be in a coma for a long long time. 

The Illumi-Nerdi at New York Comic Con!

         2012 marked the first official appearance of the Illumi-Nerdi at New York Comic Con (although we’ve attended the event before, the Illumi-Nerdi was in its infant stages). It was an incredibly exciting event as we met at least forty different creators/writers/artists/editors. We were fortunate enough to have our first ever sit down, face to face interview, with the incomparable Bill Willingham, the creator of Fables, Fairest, and Jack of Fables (which we will be posting in the very near future). We attended several different, enlightening panels including DC Comics- The New 52: Superman, DC Comics- The New 52, and my personal favorite, Saga: Sex, Drugs & Rocketships. Attending Comic Con with a press pass and keeping the blog in mind was an enourmously different experience than just going around and getting autographs as in previous years. That being said, here’s some incredible stuff we learned at this year’s Con:

We asked Grant Morrison (serious nerd-gasm), about his wonderfully weird Happy (from Image Comics), he informed us that Happy #2 was “going to be the game-changer”, so if you haven’t picked up Happy yet, make sure you get onboard with this strangely brilliant series.

When we asked Tony S. Daniel, writer of the New 52 Detective Comics and Savage Hawkman, if he had plans to use the terrifying and underused Dollmaker from his Detective Comics in the future, he told us that if no one else uses him, he definitely plans on getting back to him.

My personal favorite news: Ben Templesmith (artist of 30 Days of Night, Fell and Choker) promised yours truly that more Fell would be coming in the near future. Mr. Templesmith told me that he and Warren Ellis would be getting together soon to work on more of the dark detective series Fell.

Perhaps the most interesting news came from a chance occurrence in the halls of New York’s Javits Center. We ran into none other than Agent Phil Coulson, Mr. Clark Gregg! He informed us before the panel that he will be appearing in the S.H.I.E.L.D TV series! So if you didn’t have a reason to watch before, get excited!!

For us, the breakouts of this year’s Comic Con were two names you had better get used to hearing: 215ink and Ed Brisson’s Comeback. 215ink is in incredible indie publisher that has put out some spectacular titles in the last few years. Of the many that I picked up from their booth there were four that really stuck out. Vic Boone (by Shawn Aldridge and Geoffo) is a noir-thriller a la Elmore Leonard or Dashiell Hammett but with robots and anthropomorphic flies (where do I sign up???). Unfortunately I only purchased issue 1 (one of my few regrets) and need to read more. Cobble Hill (by Jeremy Holt and Selena Goulding) seems to be written for fans of Twin Peaks. I absolutely love a story where I’m not exactly sure what the hell is going on and this one has got me hooked.

It seems like 215ink loves to do noir with a twist, because Footprints (by Joey Esposito and Jonathan Moore) is exactly that. This book is perfect for anyone who loves old school detective stories and who are Cryptozoophiles (did I just make that word up?) like me. It’s a fantastic blend of gumshoe stories from the fifties mixed with all your favorite cryptids, Bigfoot, Jersey Devil, Loch Ness Monster and possibly, the Mothman. If you like John Layman’s work on the new Mars Attacks! then you’ll unquestionably be a fan of Beware… The Frogmen from Neptune! (by brothers MD and Will Perkins). This was an awesome invasion title straight out of an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. This is one of those rare titles where the lettering can really make a difference (as is the case with John Layman’s Mars Attacks and Chew). I truly loved this title. It didn’t take itself too seriously and really kept me laughing (which is rare for me). 

Finally, possibly the most intriguing comic I purchased at Comic Con was Ed Brisson and Michael Walsh’s Comeback, from Image Shadowline. I absolutely loved this book. If you saw “Looper” in theaters recently, and it left you wanting more, look no further than Comeback. It’s a time travel story unlike any you’ve seen before. Mr. Walsh’s art was absolutely perfect for this story and Brisson’s sharp dialogue left me itching for more. I wouldn’t be surprised to see this title on several Must Read lists. 

NYCC: New 52 Panel

The new 52 is over a year old. For the past few months, critics have started to say that the new 52 has become stale. However, DC  wants to put a stop to these beliefs. Once again, DC plans to take the top spot in the war between the Big 3.

Here are their plans for the end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013:

Attending the new 52 panel were: Bob Harris, Bobbie Chase, Eddie Berganza, Scott Snyder, Greg Capullo, Jeff Lemire, Moritat, Paul Levitz, Adam Glass, Josh Fialkov, Justin Jordan, Howard Mackie, Bernard Chang,Christy Marx, and Aaron Kuder.

Superman is being kicked out of his Fortress of Solitude by his new archenemies H'el.  To defeat H'el, Superman will be teaming up with the Justice League and an unknown character.

Here are our two guesses for the unknown character: Lex Luthor or General Zod.

The Fatal Five will be returning in the Legion of Superheroes.

In Earth 2, Steppenwolf makes his return along with the Earth's last amazon.

Jeff Lemire and Ray Fawkes will be co-writing Justice League Dark. They will be writing a story arc titled "The end of Magic". One major consequence of this arc: Their will be major changes in the team's roster. Frankenstein will be joining the team.

In All-Star Western, Jonah Hex travels to 2050 and he is teaming up with Adam Strange.

In Suicide Squad, the reader will learn more about King Shark and why he is on the team. Also, Deadshot is returning and he's in possession of Resurrection Man's hand.

In Team 7, Eclipso is making his first 52 appearance.

During the Q and A, DC hinted at ties between Anti-Life Equation and The Guardian's Third Army.

Are there Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown and Ted Kord fans reading this blog? If that is the case, we have good news. When the panel was asked about the three characters, the audience was given two answers. They were "never say never," and "keep reading the books."

Rotword: Both Man-Bat and Green Lantern will be making an appearance. However, it was teased that Man-Bat and Green Lantern are not the characters that we are expecting them to be.

Our guess on Man-Bat: Bruce Wayne or Dick Grayson.

Cosplay at NYCC

After three long but exciting days at New York Comic Con, The Illumi-Nerdi is back. Below you can find  the most whacky, disturbing and brilliant cosplay pictures from the convention.