Nightcrawler Dies – X-Force #26

In what was probably the least well kept secret in X-comics this past year Nightcrawler dies while defending Hope. Not the Obama version of Hope either. Hope, as in the first mutant child since M-Day that no one really cares about except maybe Cyclops. I’m sure he was only pretending to care so that he could finally be a royal prick and have a good excuse. Art by Mike Choi.

Everyone Lives Again – Blackest Night #8

In the final pages of DC’s 2010 mega-event we are once again reminded that dying in modern comics is little more than an inconvenience. In this case it is presumed that these heroes got to come back to life because they really, really wanted to. Art by Ivan Reis.

Daredevil Murders Bullseye – Shadowland #1

What high hopes I had for Shadowland. After the over the top circus that was Siege I was very excited for some street-level Marvel Knights style alley brawls. Spidey, Punisher, Iron Fist, Luke Cage, Moon Knight, Daredevil and Hand ninja? Where do I sign? Of course, it didn’t go down that way. Daredevil was ‘possessed’ by evil forces, we saw entirely too much of Ghost Rider, and somehow an ancient Japanese fortress overflowing with ninja in the middle of Manhattan’s west side didn’t generate a great story. At least Matt got around to murdering Bullseye. Of course, now he feels all bad about it and is on some kind of super hero sabbatical. Art by Billy Tan.

Leonardo Da Vinci Flies – S.H.I.E.L.D. #1

Even after five issues of this book I don’t have a grasp on just what the hell is going on here. Like everyone else though, I know it’s something special. I knew after only a few pages of Dustin Weaver’s art that something great was happening but it wasn’t until I got this full page of Leo the action hero that I knew S.H.I.E.L.D. was going to be a mega hit.

Lois Meets Superman – Superman: Secret Origin #3

This recent (and official) retelling of the Superman origin story was according to some, not necessary. Sure, there was a Crisis there that needed some things cleared up but wasn’t Birthright good enough? (We’re not even going to mention Earth One.) I also don’t know why Supes had to look like Reeve but as long as Gary Frank is drawing the pictures I’m buying the books.

Sentry Murders Ares – Siege #2

The exact opposite of this panel is what I wanted to happen. I would have loved nothing more than for Ares to finally take down the Sentry. Instead, we get treated to yellow Superman ripping Ares into bursting guts balloon. There is no justice. In the end the Sentry problem was solved during the final pages of Siege but at what price? Art by Olivier Coipel.

General Ross is Red Hulk – Hulk #22

In what became one of the least satisfying hand-jobs in recent comics history the reveal of the identity of the Red Hulk creeped from months to years. In the end it was General Ross all along, as many had surmised. I’ve heard rumors that the Hulk books are rewarding again but for much of 2010 and even 2009 this was a book that defined unrewarding. Art by Ed McGuiness.

Diana’s New Outfit – Wonder Woman #600

This is the get up. This is what made nationwide news in the comic universe. Black pants and a leather jacket. Wonder Woman drops the star spangled swimsuit for something borderline appropriate for adventuring/fighting and the world poops itself. I really don’t mind it.

Valkyrie is Reborn – New Ultimates #4

The Ultimate universe is not what it used to be. Ultimatum, truly, should have been the coffin nail. Even with some of the writers and artists that have been involved in this line since then it’s all been forgettable. I’m a big fan of Frank Cho, even when he signs individual pages of the books he draws. Even he can’t do much for the New Ultimates. I could not in clean conscience recommend the New Ultimates to anyone. However, when I saw this page with his version of Valkyrie I had to stop and stare. It’s just a stunning character design.

Robin Crowbars the Joker – Batman and Robin #13

Frazer Irving is not for everyone. His art style was off-putting for some readers, being as stylized as it was. I know I said this list was in no particular order but if I had to choose a Panel of the Year it could very well be this one. Certainly it has loads of symbolic value between these two characters but even with all the history of ‘the crowbar’ this is a distinctly Damian moment. I also am very much a fan of having no sound effect for the blow. What I imagine is much worse than anything some overwrought font could express

Well, that’s the list. Disagree? Think I missed one? Let me hear it in the comments. Or take this poll right here. Next week I’ll have my top ten panels of the year: non-super hero edition.

Now that “Book 1″ of Kick-Ass has wrapped up I decided it was time to read all eight issues one more time. I wanted one more look at Kick-Ass being the best their is at what he does. Getting the shit beat out of him. Think about it. He’s Rocky Balboa minus the monstrous left hook. He loses nearly every fight he gets into.

So here are the top ten panels of Kick-Ass getting kicked, punched, clubbed, run-over, or just otherwise mauled. Instead of trying to actually rank these in any order (although number 6 has almost certainly has to be the winner) I opted instead to show them in the order as they appeared in the comic.

Warning, there be spoilers ahead.

#1

On one of his first patrols Kick-Ass takes on a small group of punks who are spraying graffiti. Shortly into the scuffle he gets kicked in the junk. Shortly after that he gets stabbed.

#2

After being beaten and stabbed in his first fight he escapes only to get hit by a car as he’s running away.

#3

After months of recovery from getting beaten/stabbed/run-over Kick-Ass returns to patrol and attempts to defend a man being attacked by three thugs. Technically he wins this fight as the thugs decide that he’s just too crazy to continue wailing on.

#4

Kick-Ass takes his new found MySpace fame and starts taking requests. One request sends him to a gangsters home. Kick-Ass tells him he’ll break his legs if he doesn’t change his ways and then a hooker breaks a bottle of champagne over his head.

#5

It turns out that the Red Mist in addition to being a pansy, is also a liar. He is the son of a mob boss and he betrays Kick-Ass. The remaining panels in this list are the result of Red Mist’s betrayal.

#6

Ok, the car battery on the testicles. This was technically in the first issue during a flash-forward but we don’t really get to it until issue #7. Let me just say this, have you ever seen the clamps on a pair of jumper cables? These things are huge and they have spiked teeth. Their purpose is to attach violently to battery posts. Forget the electric current just clamping one of these down on a nut and goodbye nut. That’s it. This panel makes me physically squirm.

#7 – #10

Presumably after having his balls mangled and fried by a car battery THEN the mobsters go to work on him. Kick-Ass enrages his torturers with insults in attempt to get them to beat him so savagely that the chair he is tied to will shatter. That’s his plan. Now it should be noted that as a result of getting demolished by a car his head has metal plates in it as well as regions of dead nerves which prevent him from feeling pain. So I guess this plan make sense.

Bonus Round!

As issue #8 wraps up Kick-Ass finds the nerve to tell the girl he secretly loves how he feels about her. It could have gone better.

There have been many teams that call themselves the X-Men over the years. One thing that has changed as much as the roster has been the uniform of the X-Man. Panel of the Week weighs in on the top five X-Uniforms of all time as well as some of the get-ups that didn’t cut it.

5. 1990′s X-Men

Big hair, big muscles, big guns, and big cans ruled the comics of the 90′s. Jim Lee’s involvement in the reboot of the X-Men meant the franchise would not be immune to the trends. Oh, and when in doubt, pouches. Yellow pouches.

4. New X-Men

When Frank Quitely got his hands on the X-Men he immediately ditched the spandex in favor of black leather and the best White Queen outfit of all time, Kanye.

3. Ultimate X-Men

With a serious nod to the 90′s with all those pouches the clean look of the Ultimate X-Men went far to relaunch the franchise in the new Ultimate Universe. No masks was also a nice touch.

2. Astonishing X-Men

As cool as it was when costumes went away with Quitely it was somehow cooler when they came back with Cassady. Well, except for Beast. That never looked right. I can’t say this enough, I should NEVER see Cyclops’ hair when he’s in costume. Well done covering it up.

1. First Class X-Men

The original costumes for the Cyke and the gang were very flared boots and 60′s. Iconic, to be certain, but in the end not great. In this re-imagining of the beginning First Class brings the essence of the originals into the future. I love the clean lines and bold simple color schemes of these uniforms. Bravo.

Honorable Mentions

These didn’t make the top five but here are some of the other contenders for the list.

Hellions

These guys came very close to breaking into the top five. Just a bit too formulaic I want to say?

X-Force

Are these pallette swapped uniforms supposed to be fooling anyone? It’s a black ops squad not an away uniform.

X-Men Evolution

Lame.

Age of Apocalypse

Outside of Logan not being able to be a third base coach because of his stumpy left arm the most memorable thing from Age of Apocalypse will obviously be Peter Rasputin the shiny pirate, ARRRRR!

X-treme X-men

Misspelling extreme immediately makes something not extreme. That’s just science.

X-Statix

Did anyone have a cooler uniform than Dead Girl or The Orphan? I submit they did not. But then it’s minus points for Phat’s uniform being a hoodie and also serious minus points for having Fireball from the ‘Running Man’ on your team.

Did I miss anything in the X-Universe? Should there be Morlocks? Alpha whoevers? Maybe a MerMax? Be heard in the comments!

I realize that motorcycles can be difficult to draw but in a zombie apocalypse like the one that Robert Kirkman has crafted in ‘The Walking Dead’ it would seem like the ideal mode of transport. Mobility, speed, agility? What’s not to love? Here, Rick Grimes takes what looks like a Harley Davidson Sportster on a mission.
Art by Tony Moore

4. Suki Suzuki on the Monocycle

If you were to take the undeniably lame Segway and turn it into a massive, bad-ass single wheel motorcycle then you’d have this gem. That’s the crazy Suki Suzuki in the saddle and in the world of ‘Silent Dragon’ she’s looking for work.
Art by Leinil Yu

3. Batman the Dark Knight on the Batcycle

When Batman hits his 50′s he probably could dial back the chopper to a trike via a nice sidecar. In the ‘Dark Knight Returns’ the Batmobile has become a tank so getting around town falls to the Batcycle.
Art by Frank Miller

2. Itto the EmCon on the Spokeless Chopper

Itto is an android (emulation construct) on the run. In ‘Lone Wolf 2100′ Itto has to protect the virus-carrying toddler, Daisy, to safety. What better way to do that then fixing an old chopper and hitting the road?
Art by Francisco Ruiz Velasco

1. Ghost Rider on the Hellfire Chopper

Trying to escape hell? You’ll need this year’s Hellfire Chopper if you want a snowball’s chance. Rendered from pure Hellfire, the ‘Ghost’s’ scooter is not your dad’s panhead.
Art by Clayton Crain

Any motorcycles I missed? I’m happy to add some honorable mentions to this list. Let your voice be heard in the comments!