Best of 2002!

[Guest raptor]

2002 Best Ongoing Series: Daredevil. I was originally going to give this to eXiles, but I have to admit that my enthusiasm for that title has tailed somewhat. Bendis is writing the kinds of stories that will be regarded as classic in twenty years, and I'm glad I'm around for it.

- Runner(s) Up: eXiles, Ultimate Spider-Man, The Ultimates

 

2002 Best Limited Series: Origin. Despite my misgivings, this title really pulled it together. Imagine the impact if it would've come out on time. I think it only wins because Ultimate Daredevil/Elektra hasn’t finished.

-Runner(s) Up: X-Men Icons: Chamber, Avengers Icons: The Vision

 

2002 Best One Shot: Marvel Knights: Spider-Man/Daredevil. An absolutely astounding comic that I didn't give enough credit to in my review. Everytime I read it it get's better, and my newfound love for Daredevil grows.

-Runner(s)Up: [/i]Ultimate Spider-Man Special[/i]

 

2002 Best Single Issue: New X-Men #117. Absolutely crushing stuff here. The first issue where Morrison showed me he could write the X-Men, and recouperated my love for the Beast. X-Men comics at their finest.

-Runner(s)Up: Ultimate Spider-Man Special, Marvel Knights: Spider-Man/Daredevil

 

2002 Best First Issue (Series or Creative Team): Fables #1. Not since the X-Men has a single issue enthralled me so much.

-Runner(s)Up: Daredevil #26, Green Arrow #16

 

2002 Best Moment: Daredevil Revealed, Daredevil #31. One of those moments that will alway be on “Greatest Moments in Comic History” lists.

 

2002 Best Relaunch (Character or Creative):Daredevil: Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. Like I said above, this is instantly classic storytelling.

-Runner(s)Up:Green Arrow: Brian Metzer and Phil Hester, Captain America: John Ney Reiber, JohN Cassaday

 

2002 Best Storyline: Daredevil: Out. I think I’ve said enough about this already.

-Runner(s)Up: Ultimate Spider-Man: Return of the Green Goblin, eXiles: A World Apart, Uncanny X-Men: Hope

 

2002 Best Writer: Brian Michael Bendis. Here’s my explanation: Powers, Daredevil, Ultimate Spider-Man, Alias. That should be enough.

-Runner(s)Up: Mark Millar: The Ultimates, Ultimate X-Men, Brad Metzer: Green Arrow, Kevin Smith: Green Arrow, DD: The Target, Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do

 

2002 Best Artist:Salvador Larroca. Why? Because he’s finally displaying his immense talents over on Ultimate Daredevil/Elektra. Now, if Marvel will only give up on the digital coloring experiment over on X-Treme X-Men...

-Runner(s)Up: Alex Maleev: Daredevil, Mike McKone: eXiles, Mike Oeming: Powers

 

2002 Best Character: Daredevil. Hasn’t been in a bad story all year. That should qualify.

-Runner(s)Up: Spider-Man, Blink, Captain America

 

2002 Best Revived Character:Gambit. Finally doing good things over in X-Treme X-Men. That was until stupid Claremont decided that he shouldn’t have powers anymore. Douchebag.

-Runner(s)Up: IceMan, Captain America

 

2002 Worst Series (Ongoing or Limited): Marville. If this category is anything but a sweep, I’ll be surprised. And angry that someone wouldn’t want to honor the worst piece of crap ever to be printed to comic form.

-Runner(s)Up: Thundercats

 

2002 Best Comics Adaptation To Another Medium: Spider-Man: The Movie. Yeah, like there’s any other choice. Whatchu gonna’ pick? Birds of Prey?

-Runner(s)Up: Smallville

 

2002 Best Liscenced Comic:Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Experiencing a creative rennaisance, in which the issues are usually greater than the television episodes.

 

2002 Best Marketing Strategy: Spider-Man Month. The way Marvel capitalized on the Spider-Man movie was tremendous. A glut of great stories all reasonably priced.

-Runner(s)Up: Cheap Ass Comics: Batman, Fantastic Four, Free Comic Book Day

[Guest HellSpawn]

How about Best Cover ?

 

I'll post my picks in a few days...

[Guest raptor]

2002 Best Cover: Spider-Girl #54. Spider-Man. With a Big gun. and Big Boobs. Nuff Said.

 

[Guest HellSpawn]

My Picks:

 

2002 Best Ongoing Series: Daredevil. No doubts. The best arc, great creative team, kick ass guests like Cage, Spidey, Elektra, and Black Widow, I dunno if this will be a classic, but Bendis and Maleev are really good, and c’mon, we got the Heel turn of the year!!.

- Runner(s) Up: Amazing Spider-Man

 

2002 Best Limited Series: Spider-man: Blue. Best Slugging average team eeeeever, Victims, Halloween books, Long Halloween, Victory, Yellow, Seasons... Can’t this guys miss? Only one bad point, lateness, I think its their first late book.

-Runner(s) Up: Ultimate Daredevil/Elektra, Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do

 

2002 Best One Shot: Batman 10 cent. Adventure. What a kickstart, the beginning of a nightmare year for a Bruce Wayne.

-Runner(s)Up: JLA Secret origins by Alex Ross and Dini, Oh and dont worry, Paul said it, NO Wonder Twins 1 Shot, but he wants to do a Zatanna/Black Canary: Fishnets, hahaha.

 

2002 Best Single Issue: A 3-way Tie!!! Alias #10/Elektra #10/Ultimate Daredevil-Elektra #1. Isn’t that a guy’s Dream? 3 girls and a Guy, and we all know what kind of girl is Jessie Jones... J/K. I can’t choose between any of this issues, ALL of them made me feel proud to be a comic fan. E#10 remind me what a Bitch is Elektra Natchios, A#10 show me the perfect way to con a con man like Triple J, and UDD-E#1 is simply Amazing! I know Rucka is good, but when I saw Salvador’s art... WOW, this guy is seriously good. Is that damn good that I possibly try Xtreme XM, I mean, I’m almost convinced to try on a Claremont book !!!

-Runner(s)Up: Sorry, a 3-way tie is enough for me

 

2002 Best First Issue (Series or Creative Team): Ultimate Daredevil/Elektra #1. This single issue made me want to buy the whole mini NOW, I really LOVED this issue.

-Runner(s)Up: Batman #608, Daredevil: The Target #1; Spider-Man/Black Cat #1

 

2002 Best Moment: Daredevil Revealed. tied with Vanessa Fisk’s heel turn. What a year for Double D !

 

2002 Best Relaunch (Character or Creative): Daredevil: Brian Michael Bendis and Alex Maleev. Agreed.

-Runner(s)Up: Batman: Jeph Loeb ‘n Jim Lee

 

2002 Best Storyline: Daredevil: Out. Agreed. Best arc of the year. But the whole Batman year it was really good to, with 10 cent. adv., Murderer, Fugitive and last but not least, the coming of Loeb/Lee.

-Runner(s)Up: Batman stories named above; 100 Bullets: The Counterfifth Detective

 

2002 Best Writer: Brian Azzarello. I almost choose Rucka, but 100 Bullets is one of the best crime books out there.

-Runner(s)Up: Greg Rucka: Elektra, Ultimate Daredevil/Elektra, Detective Comics; Brian Bendis: Alias, Daredevil; Kevin Smith: DD: The Target, Spider-Man/Black Cat: The Evil That Men Do

 

2002 Best Artist: Eduardo Risso. His work in 100 Bullets it gets better every issue, maybe is not flashy but fits at 100% with the crime stories, his women look hot when they should look hot and real, guys look like bad asses, you look at Agent Graves or Mr. Shepperd and Oh My, you KNOW this guys are dangerous. He dont need the flashy style of Dillon or Fabry.

-Runner(s)Up: Salvador Larroca: Ultimate Daredevil/Elektra; Alex Maleev: Daredevil; Jim Lee: Batman; Joe Bennett: Elektra

 

2002 Best Character: Daredevil. Agreed.

-Runner(s)Up: Jessica “Alias” Jones; Batman; Ultimate Elektra

 

2002 Best Revived Character: Hawkman. Great re-launch, The winged gladiator is back and kickin all kind of assess, his continous discussion with Kendra about their future as a couple are nice, and a cool team up with Green Arrow. This guy one momment is a perfect gentleman and almost “Silver Age friendly” and the next one is Conan with wings.

-Runner(s)Up: I dunno

 

2002 Best Cover: Hawkman #5 & Elektra #15. Nice team up of Hawkman & Green Arrow with some mmm... women images ala “watermark” tied with Greg Horn’s beautiful Elektra dangerous shot.

-Runner(s)Up: Spider-Man/Black Cat #3; Spider-Man: Blue #2,3 & 5, best looking MJ & Gwen in years.

 

2002 Best Comics Adaptation To Another Medium: Spider-Man: The Movie. Agreed. But hey, BOP’s Huntress is hot, lot of cleav... oh well, move on.

-Runner(s)Up: I dunno, I didnt watch Smallville

 

2002 Best Liscenced Comic: Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Agreed. I didnt “get” that 80’s revival thing.

 

2002 Best Marketing Strategy: 10 & 9 cent comics. A nice idea, and a good starting point in both Batman & F4. Just forget that awful Claremont’s Gen13.

-Runner(s)Up: Spider-man Month

 

2002 Worst Series (Ongoing or Limited): I disagree with Raptor, my pick is Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Back. I didnt read that Jemas book but, c’mon, DKSB was called THE SERIES for 2002 and ended as the Biggest disappointment of 2002 (ever?).

-Runner(s)Up: I dunno, I guess DKSB is worst enough for me.

 

And some that may only care to me...

 

2003 Character that REALLY need an energy pump: Spawn. *Rant Mode ON* C’mon McFarlane, take the bet from Joe and show the world who is the f’n man. Bring *new* blood into TMP. And of course, for the love of God get back on schedulle (7 issues in one year, and people still said to me “is only a few weeks late”). I mean, here are some ideas: Drop Angel Medina and bring Kelley Jones or I dunno Howard Porter; (Re-)Create a brand new spin off book more comic/superhero/vigilante related with a fresh and different art like Barry Kitson; how about a Pin-Up special for May, TMP always made something special for May, take the phone and call Miller, Ross, Quesada, Capullo, Dwayne & Michael Turner, Silvestri, Jim & Pat Lee, Erik, Valentino, Daniel, Madureira, Campbell, Maleev, Bisley, or some of the guys on the forum, damn even John Romita jr !!; Spawn-Spider-man, either actual Spawn or you can use this new and fresh Al Simmons “Spawn” from the spin-off and it could be a great kickstart; I know, is a pact with the devil but, get some ads on Wizard, some articles, if no one knows Spawn is still alive... then how in the hell people will buy the book? your “idea” about TPBs in Book stores as bait was screwed by... guess what? TMP Lateness, TMP is delaying even the new TPBs. C’mon, do something. *Rant Mode OFF*

-Runner(s)Up: Rogue & Gambit.

[Guest areacode212]

I have a cold and enjoying the fumes from my Vicks VapoRub, so if I give up halfway, you'll know why.

 

2002 Best Ongoing Series: Catwoman. For years, Catwoman was synonymous with the "bad girl" phenomenon, comics that seemed to be more concerned with showcasing chicks with big bouncy boobs instead of a good story. Ed Brubaker, Darwyn Cooke & friends turned that around and gave the character more of a purpose (socially-conscious Robin Hood), and a great supporting cast in Holly and Slam Bradley, both of whom complement Selina really well. The stories are a nice blend of crime stories about corrupt policemen & drug dealers, and character drama that hit the right emotional spot. This is the title that I get most excited about when the comic book guy hands me my folder.

Runners-up: Stray Bullets (the book is better now than it was before the Murder Me Dead break), Fables, Daredevil

 

2002 Best Limited Series: The Sandman Presents: The Thessaliad. Like many Sandman fans, I thought "A Game of You" was the weakest story arc of that series. Thus, I was surprised to love this hilarious miniseries, which featured Thessaly, who was really annoying and unlikable in the earlier series. Bill Willingham's work on this is the main reason why I decided to pick up Fables that first day.

Runners-up: Deadline, Queen & Country: Declassified

 

2002 Best One Shot: Selina's Big Score. Supposedly, this awesome Catwoman hardcover sold out in 10 days. It was certainly worth every penny of my $24.95. It was also Wizard's Best Graphic Novel of the Year.

Runners-up: Batman: The 10-cent Adventure, Lucifer: Nirvana. I can't think of any more that came out this year actually, but I'll look through my collection.

 

2002 Best Single Issue: Spider-Man's Tangled Web # 11. The Darwyn Cooke Valentine's Day special was a really delightful and funny story...one of my favorite comics of the past few years.

Runners-up: I'll need to go through my collection (in my other apartment) to get specific issue numbers and refresh my memory.

 

Going to sleep. More tomorrow.

[Guest Flyboy]

I wish I was into comics like I used to be.

 

Anyhow, I can only vote for one thing.

 

Best Cover: The last issue in the Origins series. Mah gawd, this that cover own. Orgasmic.

[Guest pochorenella]

Well, I can't give an educated comment on all categories like the rest of the experts on this board, given that I haven't been exposed to that wide spectrum of material, but I'll add my two cents on what I have read:

 

2002 Best Ongoing: The Ultimates. Yeah, I know it's insanely late, but I've enjoyed every single issue that has come out and I eagerly anticipate the next installment. A tough choice for me, with Ultimate Spider-Man a very close second.

 

2002 Best Limited Series: Origin. Finally, Wolvie's story told with great finesse and superb art and coloring. Who would've thunk that scrawny kid was the savage Wolverine? And no, that's not Sabertooth (IMO).

 

2002 Best Moment: The Ultimates battle the Hulk. Totally kick-ass brawl, the Ultimate Team at its best. If only they could've left Hulk kill that idiot Freddie Prinze jr. it would've been the Best Moment of the Decade.

 

2002 Best single issue: The Ultimates #5. See above.

 

2002 Best Character: Ultimate Spider-Man. I just can't help but think that was me at that age.

 

2002 Best Artist: Carlos Pacheco. I know it's a weird choice given that he's done very little this year, but give me a break. I read his FF stuff just this year so that qualifies him in my book. And that JLA/JSA stuff he's doing looks top notch.

 

2002 Best Writer: Brian Michael Bendis. I don't think I need to list all the great stuff he's done.

 

2002 Best Cover: Kia Asamiya's Iron Man cover (issue #50? Sorry, I forget). Totally biased opinion, but it's my fave hero and I needed to mention him on this list!

 

2002 Best Licenced Comic: Transformers. Lived up to all the hype IMO.

 

2002 Best Comic Adaptation to Another Medium: Spider-Man The Movie. Well, DUH.

 

And a new Category I'm adding:

 

2002 Best Graphic Novel (TPB, HC, etc.): The Best of Spider-Man HC. It included the first JMS run including the WTC issue, a couple of great Tangled Web issues, and an Ultimate Team-Up with Daredevil and The Punisher. I can't praise this collection enough.

 

Thanks for listening.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Best Ongoing: Flash: Johns took a struggling book with a terrible Rougues Gallery, and turned into an exciting read with a great Rougues Gallery. He has built his bookm around the tried and true "villian of the month" mold, and it's worked beautifully.

 

Best Limited: Daredevil: Yellow I liked it more than Blue. I just thought the premise worked better with Page/Murdock, because Stacy's death has been sooo overdone.

 

Best Moment: Bruce Wayne is Exonerated I loved Bruce Wayne: Fugitive. It was an unpredictable, fun storyline, with a lot of twists.

 

Best Single Issue: The Flash The issue the intro'd The Thinker was perfect. A new villain, TWO huge catastrophes, an awesome battle, and the single best cliffhanger of the year.

 

Best Character: Batman What a great year for Bats. First, BW:M then Jim Lee and Jeph Loeb.

 

Best Writer: Geoff Johns brought back two books, and is working on 3 with Avengers.

 

Best Artist: Bryan Hitch Believe the hype

 

Best Adaptation: Spider-Man: The Movie

[Guest Sassquatch]

2002 Best Ongoing Series: Flash. This was the only book that I read this year that did not use a rehashed plot or story like nearly every other book mentioned in these ballots so far. The Flash has evolved as a character this year than nearly any other super hero alone. The Flash went from obscurity to notoriety and an easy to jump on and read book with little no baggage. Wally is going to be married, Iron Heights Prison is a force to be reckoned with, Goldface as Keystone City's mayor is interesting and the Flash has by far and away the best rogue's gallery in comics today.

- Runners Up: JSA, Amazing Spider-Man, Wonder Woman and Y: The Last Man

 

2002 Best Limited Series: Taskmaster. Taskmaster came back in grand fashion this year when his entire character was given a revamp from that of a teacher for villains to a mercenary for hire. The writers finally made Taskmaster interesting and displayed his true potential which was always hidden and was a one-dimensional character. Fans got to see what made Tasky tick along with showing some balls out fights that Garth Ennis could take note of when writing the Punisher. Taskmaster finally meant a damn in Marvel and hopefully we will see him again.

-Runner(s) Up: Origin, Daredevil: Yellow, Queen & Country: Classified

 

2002 Best One Shot: The Pro. This book was written by Garth Ennis and drawn by Amanda Connor and Jimmy Palmiotti and I can honestly say I haven't laughed this hard in years after I got done reading this book. The premise for the book is that this would-be mother, who is a prostitute along with being total white trash, is given super powers by an Alien who is horny and wants to see her fly around. The Pro as she is called is then accepted into this hilarious spoof of the JLA when she didn't even ask to be in the group in the first place. Every possible character flaw from each JLA member is taken to a whole new level by Ennis and the results are hysterical. The best part is when the Superman of the group is offered a blowjob by the Pro who doesn't know what one is. After you get done reading this part of the book you will never look at Superman and Lois Lane the same again. Awesome book.

-Runner(s)Up: Batman: The 10 cent Adventure, Selina's Big Score

 

2002 Best Single Issue: Batman #600. The big deal? Batman vs. Nightwing in a winner takes all free-for-all through Gotham City. While the fight could have been better, this was the issue where Nightwing showed everyone including himself that he could hang with his mentor and proved himself within his own mind as being one of the best. Nightwing's fight with Batman did not receive nearly the amount of publicity it should have considering that DC fans had been salivating for this fight for years and they finally got it. Batman and Nightwing later reconcile but Nightwing knew he had Batman's number.

-Runner(s)Up: None

 

2002 Best First Issue (Series or Creative Team): Y: The Last Man #1. In a single issue nearly every man is killed off and the world is left with nothing but women. Sounds like a wet dream doesn't it? Wrong. This is not some T&A show like Image would put on. After the death pf the male species occurs, one man is able to emerge from the pile. Enter Yorick Brown who somehow survived the male killing epidemic along with his pet monkey. Did I also mention that his mom and dad work in the White House? But if you think Yorick is the hottest commodity amongst the women, think again. Almost every woman that Yorick runs into wants to kill him for one reason or another. But with the help of Agent .355 he survives the encounters and is trying to do anything he can to help bring back the male species.

-Runner(s)Up: Fables #1, League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Vol. 2 #1, Batman #608

 

2002 Best Moment: Captain America Kills (Captain America #3). Cap helps remind every candy-ass out there that he is still a soldier first and foremost and that sometimes in order to save some lives extreme measures have to be taken.

-Runner(s)Up: Aunt May finds out Spider-Man's Identity (Amazing Spider-Man #37), Batman killer revealed (Batman #605)

 

2002 Best Relaunch (Character or Creative): Captain America (John Ney Reiber & John Cassaday). Since being relaunched earlier in the year, Cap's book has been selling mad numbers and with good reason to. Even though Marvel's pandering to the 9/11 crowd is disgusting to see, Cap gets brought back to his roots and emerges from the rumble as a man on mission to see that America is protected against the forces that are willing to harm it. After years of mediocrity and poor sales and handling, Cap comes back with guns a blazin and creating a buzz that his character hasn't seen in over 5 years.

-Runner(s)Up: Green Arrow (Brian Metzer & Phil Hester), Batman (Jeph Loeb & Jim Lee)

 

2002 Best Storyline: Y: The Last Man. Simply put, this book has one of the most original concepts to have come out in the last 10 years and treats a fanboy's wet dream in a serious matter that turns into a nightmare for young Yorick.

-Runner(s)Up: Flash: (The Rogue's Return And Takeover Keystone City), Fables, Batman: Criminal & Fugitive

 

2002 Best Writer: Geoff Johns (Flash, JSA, Hawkman, Superman, and the Avengers). The man took several doomed or stagnated comic book franchises and turned them into some of DC's highest selling books and created an interest in the books that hadn't been seen in decades. The number of books he has written this year along with the level of excellence he maintains is awe inspiring and example to the industry itself. Johns has come up with some of the best stories in years for his respective books and his work harkens back to the days when comic books were not trying to ape the real world and giving into the fantasy and imagination that surrounded them. In Johns' world, wearing tights is still cool.

-Runner(s)Up: J.Michael Straczynski (Amazing Spider-Man, Rising Stars), Grant Morrison (New X-Men), Brian Michael Bendis (various books using old and unoriginal plots, Powers)

 

2002 Best Artist: Phil Jimenez. His work on Wonder Woman as the writer and artist for it helped revive a book that many people considered dead in the water like it had been years before. Jimenez's beautiful covers for each Wondy book were breath taking at times and showed Wonder Woman in a mix of pure sexuality but raw power as well. His art within the pages of Wonder Woman was some of the best the book had seen since the days of George Perez. Jimenez's renditions of Villainy Incorporated made the ladies in the group look like remorseless killers and made characters that were once looked at as jokes into certifiable femme fatale's. Jimenez's layouts for Wonder Woman were the real treat of the book as he drew her perhaps in the most realistic outline as possible along within maintaining her Amazonian warrior form. He could have Wondy exude sexuality that made me wonder if I was looking at a book from the MAX line.

-Runner(s)Up: Greg Land (Sojourn), Sean Chen (Wolverine), John Cassaday (Captain America)

 

2002 Best Character: Flash. The Flash has gone through Hell and back this year. He took on the entire Rogue's gallery who had taken over Keystone City but thanks to some friends and a lot of pissed off Keystone citizens, the Flash came out on top. His engagement to long time girlfriend Linda Park could be potentially one of the best married couples since Peter David's Bruce Banner (Hulk) and Betty Ross run with Jones on the title. The Flash also had to fight off a blood thirsty Gorilla Grodd who was more dangerous than he had ever been and nearly killed the Flash. One of the most notable events was how the people of Keystone city rallied behind the Flash after the Rogue's gallery had taken it over even though they all knew it was suicide to go up against the group. Never has a hero meant so much to one city as the Flash has to Keystone City which speaks volumes about his character.

-Runner(s)Up: Wolverine, Spider-Man, Batman

 

2002 Best Revived Character: Captain America. I already explained why Cap deserves your money for this next year.

-Runner(s)Up: Catwoman, the White Queen, and the Taskmaster

 

2002 Worst Series (Ongoing or Limited): Green Arrow. I don't know if there has been a book in recent times that has gone down the crapper as much as Green Lantern has in the last year or so. His supporting cast isn't even worth it enough to be killed off. His rogue's gallery has been practically zilch this year. His on-again off-again girlfriend Jade is the typical flighty airhead who doesn't know if she wants Kyle or her dildo. Plots are thrown out of nowhere and lead to nothing in the long term for Rayner. Terry's death wouldn't even elicit a "humph" from fans. Rayner isn't worth a damn and is just another typical candy ass who keeps on doubting himself as to whether or not he wants the GL job. It was interesting when Spider-Man did it years ago but now that plot is played out.-

Runner(s)Up: Elektra, Marville, and the Hulk

 

2002 Best Comics Adaptation to Another Medium: Spider-Man: The Movie. Well it was either this or that show where 3 okay looking chicks bitch and complain and fly up buildings with shoddy special effects.

-Runner(s)Up: Smallville

 

2002 Best Licensed Comic: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I still can't believe the show is doing as well as it has for this long.

 

2002 Best Marketing Strategy: 9/11 in the Marvel Universe and any other phony realism shit that is used in comic books.

-Runner(s)Up: Free Comic Book Day, Kiss up to the retailers, Turn various comic books into movies

[Guest starvenger]

OK, bear in mind that I don't collect a whole lotta comics...

 

2002 Best Ongoing Series: eXiles. What If...? + mutants = a good book. The book is unburdened by mutant continuity, which is why it remains a consistently good read month in and month out

- Runner(s) Up: The Ultimates

 

2002 Best Writer: Chuck Austen - Uncanny X-Men. Actually made it readable, and that's a pretty amazing feat

-Runner(s)Up: Mark Millar: The Ultimates

 

2002 Best Artist: Pat Lee - Transformers. Why? I love robots, and he does 'em bloody well.

-Runner(s)Up: Mike McKone: eXiles, UDON Studios

 

2002 Best Character: Ultimate Captain America. A real Man's Man. All he needs is a mullet.

-Runner(s)Up: Blink, Joe Quesada

 

2002 Best Revived Character: Iceman. Is 2003 the year where Bobby's push ISN'T aborted? A pretty safe bet, since he's probably getting more screen time than Storm (Halle Berry, meet Cuba Gooding, Jr.) in X Squared.

 

2002 Worst Series (Ongoing or Limited): Thundercats. Calling Marville worst is like expecting Big Show to suck. You knew it would, thus it actually lived up to it's potential. Thundercats had loads of potential, but from the Jeff Campbell cover in #0 it surprised me by being a serious black hole of suck.

-Runner(s)Up: Marville, He-Man

 

2002 Best Comics Adaptation To Another Medium: Spider-Man: Everything but the toilet paper (and that was obviously a huge oversight. Did they not watch Spaceballs?). Hell, they repackaged SILLY STRING and made that one of the most over toys for X-Mas.

 

2002 Best Liscenced Comic: Transformers: The War Within. Simon Furman can be a very inconsistent writer, but his Transformers stories rule.

-Runner(s)Up: Battle of the Planets, Matrix

 

2002 Best Marketing Strategy: Spider-Man Month. Quesada obviously remembered what happened to Harras after he dropped the ball with X-Men.

-Runner(s)Up: Free Comic Book Day

[Guest Sassquatch]

2002 Best Single Issue: New X-Men #117.

 

No to nitpick but this book was actually released in October of 2001.

[Guest TheZsaszHorsemen]

Let me say something, because Starvenger brought something to mind when he named Ultimate Cap as Character of the Year. The Ultimates is poor man's Authority, and the characterization of them is nowhere close to sympathetic. I know he wants to make this characters more realistic but that doesn't mean removing their entire moral center. That said... I LOVE Ultimate Cap, he's smart, tough, disciplined, keeps cool under pressure, and (gasp!) gives a damn about people's lives. The conclusion of Ultimates #7 teases that Cap is going to find Pym and beat the shit out of him. I can't wait. Pym is a whiney, egocentric, bastard. Banner may be an envious bastard, but at least he cares about the lives he indirectly destroyed. I want to see Cap just beat the shit out of him, and then do it some more. Ult. Cap needs to kick more ass and take more names in the coming year.

[Guest Sassquatch]

Millar has stated before that each one of the Ultimates character's represents the worse flaws in mankind.