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The Best

All-New X-Men - As much as I still flinch at the occasional Bendis-isms and awkward back-and-forth dialogue, I have to admit, this is the best X-book in years. (I still find Uncanny to be a pale companion series.)

Angel & Faith - Far better writing than the main Buffy title and engaging art from Rebekah Isaacs, who takes over Buffy Season 10 art duties.

Archer & Armstrong - Far and away the best Valiant book. Great, fun writing and consistent artwork.

Captain Midnight - Classic super-hero stuff. Captain America mixed with Iron Man without all the Golden Age writing dragging it down.

Conan the Barbarian - I don't like Conan books. I don't like fantasy/sword & sorcery books. Inexplicably, I dig the hell out of this series by Brian Wood focusing on Conan's time with Belit.

Daredevil - The recent Marvel monsters arc aside, this has been Marvel's best book for two years now.

Dark Horse Presents - Sure, you get the random awful story (I'm mostly looking at you Neal Adams), but with 8-10 8 pagers a month, the good so outweighs the bad. This is always one of the books I look forward to every month.

Judge Dredd - I'm a big Duane Swierczynski and he's been able to just let loose on this Dredd series. Wicked fun with smart running plots and unique art.

Watson & Holmes - I stumbled across this Karl Bollers/Rick Leonardi series on Kickstarter and have been digging it ever since.

X-Men Legacy - I almost left this off the list because the art was usually in the "not so good" category, but I've loved the story so much I left it in. I'm kind of glad that it's wrapping up with #24, but it was an enjoyable trippy ride while it lasted.


The Worst

Cable and X-Force – Got better later in the run, but the first 12 issues or so were awful.

Cyber Force – Even for free, it was unreadable garbage.

Fantomex Max – I have zero clue what the writer is going for here. Everything about this is so off from continuity that it’s just silly and just trying too hard to be offensive.

Indestructible Hulk – Not so much bad as shockingly boring.

Number 13 – What was a really cool story in DHP did not pan out at all in longer form. Incoherent and pointless, really.

Prophet – I don’t care what the hoity-toity “It’s Euro” people say. This book sucks. With one or two exceptions, it’s the same non-story month after month. Seriously, Rob Liefeld, this is the one book of your relaunch titles you follow through on? I know Glory got an end (rushed though it was), but that was a fun book. Meanwhile, this just keeps going.

Quantum & Woody – It’s not funny. It’s not fun. The art is ugly. The leads are pale comparisons to Priest and Bright's originals. I wish Valiant hadn’t tried.

Uncanny X-Force – Started off so, so strong and completely lost its way. The art got ugly and the writing… Say “revenant” one more time mother fucker, I dare you.

Wolverine – Both bad and boring. An endlessly meandering title. Thankfully, they are relaunching for the fiftieth time and have given me an easy out.

Probably too soon to put Amazing X-Men, Eternal Warrior and Unity on the list, but they are front-runners for 2014.

Four months ago I probably would have considered BOOM!'s "Deathmatch" for one of the best titles in 2013. After reading the final two issues, I'm more inclined to move it to the other side of the board.
It's like a Geoff Johns and Grant Morrison joint project. Starts off awesome with a incredibly cool concept which ultimately goes nowhere (Johns), and ends up a needlessly complicated and possibly drug-use inspired self-referential waste of time (Morrison).

I actually like this book. I had to read issues 1 and 2 twice to really understand what was going on. Its completely different than the other Cyberforce books, which is why it had me thrown for a loop. This series ties Cyberforce into the Top Cow universe rather nicely.

Now for my list
The Good

Nightwing- Issue 25 aside this series was in my opinion one of the most consistent titles on the stands in both art and writing. Maybe I feel this way because of how surprised I am of how much I like this book because I was never really a fan of Nightwing.

Aphrodite IX- If I had to use just one word to describe it I would say "Wow". It is such a departure from the god awful original mini series. Nicely researched and intelligent writing. I love the art but I get that since its not traditional that some people don't like it.

Superior Spider-Man- I didn't wanna like this book. Heck I planned on never reading this book but I was looking for something to read one day and reluctantly bought issues 1 through 4 and found myself really enjoying it. Having said that I still want the "real" Peter Parker back.

Aquaman- Believe it or not this is one of DCs best titles. This isn't an insult by any means. This title has been strong since issue 1. great art work and the stories in it actually progress the character. We are learning quite a bit about Arthur and Atlantis, even after all these decades.

Honorable mentions
Superman Unchained and Superman/Wonder Woman

The Bad

Uncanny X-Men- I couldn't take it any longer. This title has been bad for so long, even before the relaunch. 2013 didn't see it getting any better for Marvels merry band of mutants. Terrible artwork with just as bad if not worse story telling. Issue after issue of a story that went nowhere. Lets put it into perspective. I have been collecting X-Men comics since the 90's. I have, correction "had", a continuous run starting in the # 130's of the original volume. Not to mention the other titles of the X-Men. I'm a fan okay. This book is so bad that even that loyalty couldn't keep me buying it.

Teen Titans- Another book that started off good but went south. Too bad because its the only monthly title with Red Robin in it.

The Darkness- normally I'm a fan of David Hines. He wrote one of my all time favorite mini's FVZA. So to have him on one of my favorite characters books should have been a dream for me but unfortunately no. With so so artwork the bad writing stuck out even more. Sadly another book I have been collecting since issue 1 of the original volume had to be dropped. I didn't even bother finishing the story arc I was on.

Batman: Dark Knight- It was one of the weaker Batman titles to begin with but it just kept getting worse. I've never even read the last issue I bought of it. Yep it's that bad.

Agreed. I'm thoroughly enjoying this book. (And Aphrodite IX as well).

I don't have deep enough pockets to give a legit best and worse but, here were my top 5 favorites and 5 least liked.

Best

The Flash - I didn't like the art but it grew on me the stories have been pretty entertaining.

Green Lantern - Big fan of GL the last half of the year has been iffy but still one of the better comics I get.

Batgirl - Has been the best of the bat titles by far for me.

Aphrodite IX - the art work has gone down a notch but the story is still going strong.

Supergirl - another good book that's notches above the other super titles.

Worse

Cyberforce - although it's getting better the first 4 issues seemed to be thrown together and were a hot mess

Age of Ultron - Lost me at issue 4 i think

Red Sonja - I thought because I liked batgirl and the movement this would be a read, it was not

Batman 66 - really wanted to like this but it was hard on the eyes as well as the brain

Wolverine & Xmen titles - wanted to get back into reading x-men and wolverine thought with the reboots it was a good time to, i was mistaken.

Best - DC Comics

Worst - Marvel

I just think DC has outdone Marvel in 2013 and even 2012 I was not inpressed with Marvel at all this year or last year really some of there stuff was good but I am enjoying alot of DC stuff right now Wonder Woman, Earth 2, Batgirl etc.

I'm glad someone mentioned Age of Ultron as the worst. That was bad, is bad, and has no redeeming qualities.

The resurrector of dead threads has returned!


I have started using my Marvel Unlimited subscription a lot more lately, and as a result, have started to read stuff that I have puit off for A LONG TIME.

1st up is Age of Apocalypse.

This is around the time I firststarted tuning out of comics.

I was turned off by the Ben Reilly storyline and initially turned off by the art of Kubert.

Which is weird, becase I norrmally liked all of the Kuberts work.

I'll just right it off to drinking toom uch at the time as I was in my 5th or 6th year of college.

Anyway, just started and they had the Blink miniseries as a starting point.

So far so good.

Not great but good enough to keep me interested.

Starting X-Men Chronicles next.