It's said that no website can gain passage to the new year without a "Best of" list. This is our list...
Now, I figured everyone on the review team would be too busy with the holidays or they'd just want to enjoy the extra time off thanks to only two comics being released this week, but just days ago I found my inbox full with not just requests but outright demands for a grand end-of-the-year bash. I really couldn't have picked more enthusiastic fans to write these reviews!
So here it is! Everyone on the review team (including myself) chiming in with their favorite 2014 stories, covers, and even a few extra categories they made up on their own. Note: ongoing sagas like "Endgame" and "Anarky" were not eligible for the 2014 list since they haven't concluded yet. I know, I know, the review team grumbled about that as well, but I stand by that decision. However, if the reviewer chose to make a category for say "Best Single Issue" then a chapter of "Endgame" or the latest installment of Batman Eternal was indeed permitted.
Oh, and not only are we doing a "Best of" list for the year, but in 2015 we're going to start doing a monthly segment much like this only it'll feature both the best and worst of Batman comics!
Elena Carrillo's Picks
ELENA'S TOP THREE FAVORITE BATMAN STORIES OF 2014:
Ben Percy and John Paul Leon proved that bloated “event” storylines can drown over months of development while an old-fashioned well-told two-parter can pack in all the excitement, characters, and even social commentary one could hope for in a Batman book. These kinds of stories shouldn’t be relegated to largely non-continuity anthologies; it was great to see this in a regular Batman book.
By Harlan Ellison, Len Wein, and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez
Some of the most legendary creators assemble to bring Harlan Ellison’s unproduced Batman ‘66 story featuring Two-Face (who never otherwise made an appearance on the show) to life. This is the kind of “special” we need more of: a great story scripted by Len Wein, rendered beautifully by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez, replete with extras like Garcia-Lopez's pencils, Ellison's original script treatment, and cover designs. In a year full of the usual annuals and holiday specials, this is a special that truly deserves the moniker.
By Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Cahd Hardin, and Alex Sinclair
The unstoppable creative marriage (both literally and figuratively in this case) of Amanda Conner, Jimmy Palmiotti, Chad Hardin, and Alex Sinclair made this Futures End event an awesome one-shot that will remain standing long after most of the other Futures End volumes have been retconned and forgotten. Just awesome fun with or without the gimmicky lenticular cover.
BEST NON-BATMAN STORY THAT BATMAN NEWS COVERED ANYWAY:
You don't really need to know anything about Alan Moore's Watchmen to appreciate the monument of sequential storytelling this single volume represents, but if you do, it can only serve to heighten your experience. Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely remind us what comic books can do when a creative team makes full use of the medium's potential.
Injustice barely met the criteria for the “story” category seeing as the whole series is all one contiguous event, but I decided to call it out specially. It’s technically a sequel to Year One and therefore not quite stand-alone, but that does not diminish its overall accomplishments. Tom Taylor delivered a riveting installment every week digitally with a large art team working together and refining their visual storytelling over Year One (Bruno Redondo, Mike S. Miller, Rex Lokus, Xermanico, and more). Year Two also saw the deaths of many beloved characters and scored two of the only three 10s I’ve given since we began reviewing last summer.
This short story really came out of nowhere for me. It consisted of a guest creative team, and I completely expected it to just be two months of filler nonsense. Surprisingly, the story was damn good and well written! The subject of terrorism and the way it's presented is so on-point with current affairs, that it was a little unsettling. Benjamin Percy and John Paul Leon definitely made their point by forcing us to examine the reality of our time. It's a darker, more serious, politically driven narrative, so it may not be for everyone, but it's a story I'm proud to have in my collection.
"Only a Place for Dying"
Grayson: Futures End #1
Writer: Tom King
Art: Stephen Mooney
I loved this issue! I had a death in the family back in early September, rushed to fly home, and this issue was released the day before the funeral. I desperately needed an escape, so I picked up this book, and loved every second of it. I actually read it twice that night, and I've read it a few times since then as well. It's a great message, and the story is told by moving backwards in time. It really was a nice surprise in a month of terrible releases.
Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Two
I'm sort-of cheating with this since some issues were released in 2013, but if you want to get technical and only include the issues released in 2014, it would only solidify my choice even more. This book is epic! And not only epic, it was consistently epic! So many arcs tend to fall apart by the end or slow down in the middle, but this book just built on itself with each issue, until it finished superbly to close out Year 2. Injustice: Gods Among Us Year 2 had everything for me -action, drama, suspense, great characterization - and easily took my top spot for the year.
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JOSH'S TOP THREE FAVORITE BATMAN COVERS OF 2014:
Batwoman #34 by Rafael Albuquerque
Before anyone rags on this book, you have to admit that this is a great cover! If the old creative team had covered this arc, and included this cover, you know you'd be praising it like crazy! Don't hate on it just because the narrative has been so bad.
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Batman Eternal #14 by Dustin Nguyen
The moment I saw this cover, I knew I was going to love this issue. The Penguin is such an amazing character, but I love when we get to see how ruthless he really is, and this cover promised that. The drama and violence conveyed here by Dustin Nguyen is stunning!
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Grayson #1 variant cover by Jock
I wish this would've been the actual cover of Grayson #1 - it's so much better than the series cover. This cover by Jock was a variant from DC's Batman 75h anniversary celebration. Everything about this is perfection. If ANYONE ever finds a poster of this, please contact me! I will send you money to purchase and ship it!
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JOSH'S FAVORITE QUOTES OF 2014:
"Time moves on. You start a new life. Part of it's a defense mechanism. You don't want to be defined by the terrible thing that happened. You don't want to be hurt anymore. You want to be someone stronger. So you 'try on' different people.Until you find the right you."
- Dick Grayson
Nightwing #29 "Safety Net" by Kyle Higgins
HARLEY QUINN
Wow, Black Canary. You look really calm for someone who's just caught exploding slippers!
Black Canary throws SLIPPERS and braces for an explosion. Nothing.
BLACK CANARY
They're not really exploding slippers are they?
HARLEY QUINN
Of course not. That would be crazy.
- Harley Quinn & Black Canary
Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Two #7 "The Quiver" by Tom Taylor
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BEST NON-BATMAN STORY THAT BATMAN NEWS COVERED ANYWAY:
"In Which We Burn"
The Multiversity: Pax Americana #1
By Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
This might surprise some of you that I didn't put this at the top of my list! I raved about this issue upon it's release, and did something I said I would never do - I gave a book a 10! This issue was dark, moody, carried tons of themes, and was so well written and illustrated across the board that it deserved every ounce of praise it received! If you didn't read it, then please do so!
This beautifully illustrated coming of age story has Dick Grayson struggling to find acceptance from the peers in his personal life and his life as a super hero as he's mercilessly tormented by the rich kids at his private school and mocked by the officers of the GCPD. It's only by confronting a villain who has been twisted by similar doubts and miseries that Dick learns an important lesson about self-worth. This short story has a good message, great action, and the most well-written Clayface I've seen in some time.
Hurwitz and Adams managed to showcase the evolution of The Caped Crusader from the 1930s to now all in one single short story. It's really amazing to see how they paid tribute to so many different eras of the mythology from panel to panel in this post-modern piece that was part of the over-sized 75th Anniversary issue.
I would love to see more of this high-concept take on The Dark Knight's future. Not only does this story offer endless possibilities for new stories, but the artwork by Sean Murphy (Whose short story "Driven" would definitely be on my top three list from 2013) is bad ass.
My most beloved cover of the year and my desktop wallpaper for the past three months or so. I just adore the precious few quiet moments in my Batman stories, especially when they show The Dark Knight at his most human and nothing illustrates that better than an exhausted Bruce being tended to by Alfred, who covers his master with a blanket like a father would a son. Absolutely beautiful image, this.
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Batman and Robin #35 Halloween variant by Chris Burnham
You won't hear me wax poetic about this one. It's Batman and Robin as mummies. It's fun, imaginative, I like.
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Batman #28 by Greg Capullo
Minimalist, claustrophobic, and just an all-around cool concept that teases the reader in spectacular fashion. The question mark cut-out overlay turns this cover into a mystery door that you just have to walk through.
This is one of the best Annuals I have read in the last 3 years. This is an awesome, over-sized Joker story, that requires no additional contextual knowledge in order to enjoy. Reminiscent of the Annuals from the 80s.
"Terminal"
Detective Comics #35 & #36
By Ben Percy and John Paul Leon
Nothing "epic" or over the top, nothing tying into the rest of the DC universe or trying to sell me on another story. This is just a very well written, thought provoking story. Reminiscent of late 70s Batman stories.
Falcone/Penguin story arc
Batman Eternal #1-14
By Scott Snyder, Tim Seeley, Ray Fawkes, John Layman, James Tynion IV, Jason Fabok, Dustin Nguyen, Andy Clarke, Trevor McCarthy, Emanuel Simeoni, Guillem March, Ian Bertram, and Mikel Janin
Miss the days when Batman was just fighting with the mob, like street level police dramas, wanna see a turf war fought by rival gangs? Well then, this is the story for you! While there are some random issues thrown in that deal with other story arcs of Batman Eternal, the primary focus of the first act of Eternal is the rivalry that exists between Penguin and Falcone and the destruction that results from their conflict.
Honorable mentions:
"Icarus" (Detective Comics #30-34), by Brian Buccellato and Francis Manapul
If the last issue had not been such a disappointment, it would have easily been my #1 choice.
Grayson: Futures End #1, by Tom King and Stephen Mooney Great story, not so great art. Better art and it would have been my #2.
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BRANDON'S TOP 3 FAVORITE COVERS OF 2014:
Detective Comics #27 by Greg Capullo
This is quintessential Batman. Enough said.
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Detective Comics: Futures End #1 by Jason Fabok
This is one of the lenticular covers from Futures End month. I spent an entire paragraph gushing over this cover in my review for this comic. So if you need details on why I think it is so spectacular, just check out the review.
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Batman Eternal #20 by Alex Garner
Really, I could have chosen any Alex Garner cover for this spot and it would have been equally as good. His work is just so beautiful. I was also considering Batgirl #34 for this position, but decided to go with Eternal since it had Gordon and Batman as well.
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BRANDON'S TOP 3 FAVORITE SINGLE ISSUES OF 2014:
Batman #37 by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo
Why is this my number one pick for best single issue of the year? The Gordon scene actually elicited an emotional response from me! The static images and atmosphere were far more panic inducing than any live acting film I'd seen in years. You expect to get a sense of urgency when watching a movie, it was surprising to get that feeling from reading a comic that doesn't force you into a pace.
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Batman Eternal #18 by Tim Seeley and Andy Clarke
Riveting action, plenty of humor, well paced with a nice flow, and thought provoking. This wasn't even a very important issue, but everything fell into place so perfectly, I couldn't disregard it as one of my favorite issues of the year.
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Batman Eternal #32 by Kyle Higgins and Jason Fabok
Action packed, emotional, and expertly paced. This issue is filled with dynamic/fact paced action, but doesn't hesitate to slow down and allow you time to breath in the quieter moments.
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Jesse Kennedy's Picks
JESSE'S TOP 3 FAVORITE BATMAN STORIES OF 2014:
"Only a Place for Dying"
Grayson: Futures End #1
Writer: Tom King
Art: Stephen Mooney
Cover:Andrew Robinson
This is such a brilliant story. It must be read from cover to cover twice to fully understand all that transpires within its pages. Even then, the subject matter is deep and challenges the very foundations our Bat-mythos is built upon. It's an issue that inspires debate and communal admiration, and it's my favorite of the year.
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"Zero Year: Savage City"
Batman #30-33
Writer: Scott Snyder
Penciller: Greg Capullo
Inker: Danny Miki
Colorist: FCO Plasencia
There are so many layers to this issue. Capullo's pencils are magnificent as always, Snyder lands a solid ending, and FCO's colors have never played such an integral role in telling such a deep story. The battle between the Riddler and Batman is epic. Gordon is treated well. It's a fantastic read through and through and my favorite Scott Snyder story...yet (Endgame?!)
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"Robin Rises"
Robin Rises: Omega, Batman and Robin #33-37, Robin Rises: Alpha
Writer: Peter Tomasi
Penciller/Artist: Patrick Gleason, Mick Gray, Andy Kubert
Inker: Jonathan Glapion
Colorist: Brad Anderson
It's not at all what you'd expect to be reading in a major Batman title, but it is a lot of fun. How often do you ever get to see Batman physically go beat-em-up crazy on another planet and fight off a god? It's absurd and amusing, yet the heart of the matter never leaves the forefront of your mind. It's a quick and exciting read!
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JESSE'S TOP THREE FAVORITE COVERS OF 2014:
Batman #35 by Greg Capullo, Danny Miki, and FCO Plascencia
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Batman/Superman #13 variant cover by Dan Jurgens and Alex Sinclair
By J.M. DeMatteis, Keith Giffen, and Howard Porter
I did not know what to expect when I first picked up this book. The premise was entirely original to me, and the idea of what I considered the distant future was appealing. With a story helmed by Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis, Justice League 3000 has been able to consistently craft a dynamic and satisfying tale. The use of classic characters in new roles with distinctly different personalities than what I was accustomed to allowed the writers freedom to create a universe all their own. The newly-reborn Justice League takes on a malicious group of conquerors known as The Five. They must learn to adapt to not only their new time but also new powers and teammates. It raises the question of what makes a hero: the powers or the people wielding them? The artwork of Howard Porter is distinct in its usage of close-ups and vibrant colors to compliment the story. There are few with such a distinct and recognizable style that can blend so perfectly with the action on the page.
There are few books that I look forward to more than Earth 2. The list is actually one, and you can guess which one that is. Earth 2 began as little more than a book of gatherings, where heroes were born and developed for the eventual threat they would have to face. When that threat arrived, the planet was literally torn between the forces of two Kryptonians – one the aggressor, the other a defender. Tom Taylor reminds us (though no one needed reminding) that he is the premier author at telling an “evil Superman” story. Eddy Barrows’ artwork also delivers on a high level, breathing life into the myriad characters that make up the cast of Earth 2. While my disdain for the closing chapter of this storyline is well-documented, I can’t help but look back with nostalgic glee at the best that Earth 2 had to offer. Batman plays a massive role in "The Kryptonian" saga in that he takes a leadership role among the new Wonders. Thomas is willing to do the things other Wonders won't, and has the will to act that Earth 2 needs in its most dire of hours.
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“The Meek”
Batman #34
By Scott Snyder and Matteo Scalera
This one-shot following the events of Zero Year caught me by surprise in the best of ways. It is a very simple story: there is a killer in Gotham, and the Dark Knight must stop him. Batman shows off some of his detective skills, which have been in short supply these last few years, not just in comics but in all manner of media. The threat to the city feels real and intimate with Scott Snyder and Gerry Duggan bringing to light the psychosis and madness of a murderer. Matteo Scalera takes over for Greg Cappulo in the artwork department, but delivers a chilling and at times terrifying depiction of a lone lunatic haunting the streets of Gotham.
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SEAN'S FAVORITE COVERS OF 2014:
Earth 2 #18 original solicited cover
This cover never went to print.
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Grayson #5 by Mikel Janin
Another one fresh in my mind, the minimalist style of the artwork and the sheer scope which every panel is given inspires a beautiful cover by Mikel Janin.
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Batman #31 by Greg Capullo
Damn, just damn.
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Jay Yaws' Picks
JAY'S FAVORITE BATMAN STORIES OF 2014
"Only a Place for Dying"
Grayson: Futures End #1
Writer: Tom King
Art: Stephen Mooney
Cover:Andrew Robinson
Whether it belongs to a future that may or may not come to be doesn't matter. This issue was an example of airtight storytelling. The reverse narrative could have been a gimmick, but it paid off masterfully, to the point that the story makes sense whether you read it chronologically or as written. A great entry in a series that's taking risks and fulfilling them each month. I want Nightwing back as much as the next person, but as long as we're getting great stories like this in the interim I'm ok with that.
"Don't Change That Bat Channel" & "The Bat Host With the Most" two-parter
Just pure fun. Everything I love about this series is in full play here: tremendous writing, a perfect tongue-in-cheek tone, vibrant illustrations, and perfectly paced. One of two perfect scores I've given, and with good reason.
By Harlan Ellison, Len Wein, and Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez
Batman '66: The Lost Episode #1- A great story on its own, the sheer pedigree and history behind it alone is worth checking it out: plotted by Harlan Ellison, scripted by Len Wein, illustrated by Jose Luis Garcia-Lopez with colors by Alex Sinclair, and an alternate cover from Alex Ross. Realizing a long lost script is something that can only be done easily in the comic book medium, and it's done very well here, giving us a snapshot of a series that was still in its infancy with the ambitious storytelling of a literary legend.
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JAY'S FAVORITE COVERS OF 2014
Batman '66 #14 selfie variant cover by Joe Quinones
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Grayson #5 by Mikel Janin
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Batman Eternal #39 by Tommy Lee Edwards
Best Mechanical Dinosaur:
Emily Brontesaurus, Batman '66 #17 (there's a picture of it in the review if you wanted to use it)
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Best Lines:
"I’ll give you the Bat-business."
--Fake TV Batman, Batman '66 #13
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"Stop crying and get ready to expose yourself right now!"
Tell us your own favorites of 2014 in the comments section below! Also, be sure to thank Elena for the awesome 2014 photo that kicked off this article.
This is an archive of Batman-News.com from 2010 to 2025. For the latest news, check out BatmanNews.com
49 comments
Brandon@BatmanNews
Elena: Did you do that awesome composition that heads the article? I love it.
Seeing as how this article was done separately by the different reviewers and then pieced together by Andrew, it is really interesting to see how much overlap occurred and what people enjoyed. Three votes for Terminal as the story of the year, and (EDIT: four) votes for Grayson (even if mine was a runner up vote). I'd say those stood out as the most unanimous. I also came pretty close to picking that Batgirl #34 cover as one of my favorites as well.
I had never seen that Detective Comics #37 variant by Cooke. I love it!
boots
yeah ~ that was a fun quickie to throw together. : D
JaymusYawsley
It turned out great.
JaymusYawsley
Count four for Grayson: Future's End. There was a goof in the submissions and my picks got lost, but they're up now.
boots
sweet! i only went and got the Batman '66 special because your review was so awesome and it turned out to be one of my favorite things this year! : D
Joshua McDonald
I was curious to see what overlap would pop up. I knew Elena had picked Pax Americana because we were both hunting for a last minute replacement. Lol
boots
Batman No. 34, "The Meek"! ~ that was the one i couldn't remember!
Batman Eternal #14 was also on my short list (story and cover).
Glad to see "Terminal" got a lot of love.
GreenT
"The static images and atmosphere were far more panic inducing than any live acting film I’d seen in years." Ahah I'm pretty sure that's the exact comment I posted on your review of Batman #37^^. So true too, that issue would be my number one for 2014 by far I think.
Other standouts for this year that come to mind would be:
The Harley Quinn series (soooo cool to see a well written HQ again, it had been too long...)
Grayson (I didn't know what to expect, what I got was pure awesomeness in the form of great self-contained spy stories with an overarching goal that manage to be badass, emotional, funny, aesthetically beautiful, and more)
Futures End #0 (so shocking and hype-inducing, and free!)
The Multiversity (I know some people aren't so much but personally I'm loving every second of it ; but Pax Americana was indeed the big standout so far)
Terminal (Indeed so unexpected but also very good and short and self-contained. We need more of these kinds of stories)
The new Batgirl direction (I'm not a huuuuge fan overall but I'm in love with the art style and, having grown somewhat tired of Gail Simone's run, I'm glad DC is taking chances and changing things up with a somewhat more dynamic and fresh approach it seems)
NOcenti's departure from Catwoman (I'm not even reading Catwoman but that still has to be celebrated^^)
I probably forgot some stuff but there's one more thing for sure...
Batman news. Everytime I read an issue, I come here to read the review (and occasional other articles), and I always enjoy it a whole lot, almost as much as the issue itself in a weird way... You guys have become part of my routine, and even though I don't comment a lot, know that I love your content. Happy new year everyone :D
Brandon@BatmanNews
Since you brought it up, I went back and looked. It's not exact, but your statement must have resonated with me on a subconscious level for it to have been so similar.
I'm still laughing about that Harley issue with Queen Eidijamon and Harley thinks her name is, I did'jer mom.
Thanks for the accolades!
GreenT
Now I'm kinda proud, I had an indirect input into this article^^
Yeah, the HQ series is full of little laugh-out-loud moments like that, and between that, Harley's characterization, the intelligent-but-fun writing, the out-of-continuity feel, and the art, it's really a slam-dunk for me, a long-time Harley fan who needed something after what they previously did to her in the New 52.
No problem, you deserve them ;)
boots
couldn't agree with your more ~ Harley finally has a book worthy of her. : D
GreenT
Yup, now down the line we just need a Harley book written by Paul Dini and illustrated by Bruce Timm and I can die with my dreams fulfilled x)
Joshua McDonald
Agreed!
Troll_Post_Sorry
I think my top 3 picks would have to be Grayson, the new Catwoman, and a toss-up between Snyderbats Endgame and Gotham Academy. I'm so happy that Mark Doyle is making the move to Burbank. And I really need to read The Multiversity.
Joshua McDonald
This was a fun assignment! I look forward to doing this monthly. :-)
It was fount to see everyone else's picks as well.
JaymusYawsley
Honorable mention for best cover goes to Batman Eternal #7, because I laugh every time I see it.
Martinezxyz
Nice lists dudes! Was a very good year for Batman. Fabok stole the show with his interiors in my opinion. I'd also love it if Alex Garner would try to do interiors as well in the future. Would make for some interesting panels.
bat
Great list guys! And happy new year!!
Brione
Good lists but Zero Year should have got much more love. It's one of the greatest Batman stories ever and yet Terminal, a good but not great story, got mad love while Zero Year got minimal love. Also, the stories in Detective #27 deserved more mention too.
All in all, it was a great year to be a Bat-fan. Thank you to all the writers on here, I appreciate everything you do.
boots
part of the reason Zero Year didn't get much love is because technically it straddled 2013-2014 (just as Endgame will straddle 2014-205). We were confining ourselves to 2014 only, and while Jesse picked one small arc of the whole ("Savage City"), like most of the big events, it was hard to break it apart.
and thank you and all the commenters! the discussion you provide makes all of this so much greater!
Brione
I thought you guys couldn't vote for Endgame cause it ends in 2015; that means you can vote for Zero Year cause it ended in 2014.
boots
but it didn't start in 2014, which is why it got excluded (story had to be complete in 2014, not completed).
that, and for me personally it lost me after Dark City (so I agree with GreenT), but i would like to read it again now that it's done and we can see the whole arc.
Brione
But Endgame will be completed, not complete, in 2015, so by those rules next year you can't vote for Endgame either. So it's like you're throwing Zero Year and Endgame out of the voting all together.
boots
hahaha ~ talk to Andrew; he made the rules.
they didn't exclude us from picking an issue out of an arc as a "best single issue" which Brandon did with Endgame, but yeah, we'll have to make up some other category if we want to include it.
Brione
I just think that it's weird that the 2 best Batman stories (by most accounts) aren't included in the voting for Best Story on here. Owell, no big deal. Batman-news.com is still my favorite website of 2014.
boots
i hear ya ~ but you could also think of it this way: Zero Year and Endgame are kind of obvious choices. this gives some other stories a chance for limelight.
GreenT
Is it me or is anything Snyder writes an obvious choice at this point? x)
boots
maybe!
i confess i'm not a "snyderite", so i would have probably passed on Zero Year even if it had fit the parameters.
: o \
GreenT
Fair enough, I mean I personally haven't read everything he's written, especially outside of Batman ; but every story he writes seems to be met with critical and fan acclaim so far, be it Batman (Court of Owls, Death of the Family, Zero Year, Endgame...) or other (The Wake, American Vampire, Wytches...)
JaymusYawsley
It's a "general consensus" versus "personal opinion" thing. I'm sure if we all sat down and came to an agreement on what the best example of a Batman story was it would probably fall a bit more in line with other lists, but this was just our personal favorites. I mean, Citizen Kane might be the greatest movie of all time, and I'd acknowledge something like that, but it's not my favorite.
Plus, like Elena said, we were limited to single issues or arcs that began and ended in 2014, and even then we still picked what we liked the most.
GreenT
You're absolutely right, as stated before, I recognize the quality of Zero Year but for reasons I've mentionned it wasn't a stand out story for me in 2014.
I was just observing how succesfull Snyder has been in terms of general appreciation, but of course everyone has their own opinion on the matter, and that's fine :)
AndrewBatReview
Zero Year was broken into three arcs: Savage City was eligible because it ran from April-July, 2014.
Dark City was eligible because it ran from November, 2013 - March, 2014. Secret City was NOT eligible because it began and ended in 2013.
The stories nominated for 2014 didn't have to begin in 2014, they just had to END in 2014 or, more specifically, by the time we give out the awards.
You can't award something as being the best if you haven't seen it all first and since we're doing these awards in January, we haven't seen everything from the stories that will not conclude until months from now.
Dark City wouldn't have been eligible for a January, 2014 article about best 2013 comics because we would have only seen two chapters of it at that time. Endgame wasn't eligible for this January 2015th ceremony for best 2014 comics because nobody has finished reading it yet, but it will be eligible for an article published in January 2016 about the best of 2015 comics because... ya know... we will have read it by then.
I hope that clears things up.
GreenT
For me, the best of Zero Year happened in 2013. I loved Secret City. I mean, I really LOVED it. Then I liked Dark City a lot, but not as much. And finally Savage City didn't interest me THAT much, while I thought it was good nonetheless.
In retrospect I think Zero Year was great overall but it dragged on for so long that we (I at least) got kinda tired of it, resulting in the most exciting segment being what was released in 2013.
Brione
Zero Year doesn't drag if you read it all together, it's actually shorter than a lot of classic bat stories. I've read it 3x now and it gets better with each read.
GreenT
I'm sure it doesn't feel as long when you read it in one go, but right now most fans (and reviewers) have read it as it came out and haven't re-read it since, probably, which would explain the lack of love for it in these lists. But yeah I'm sure it's much better when read in trades ; and good for you if you're enjoying it that much :)
Brione
Zero Year is right up there with Year One for me. It's been getting mad love all over the internet all year, so I'm def not the only one with this opinion.
GreenT
Yeah man I never said it was bad. I think, in retrospect, that it was great as a story although the experience of reading it as it was released got tiresome for me.
OptimistPrime99
That "Crappily Ever After" cover is awesome!
Troll_Post_Sorry
That Nightwing #29 quote made me want to re-read that issue. It was perfect. Now I wish that we could get a second Nightwing book with Higgins running alongside Grayson. If Bruce can be in 7 different places at the same time, then surely Dick can juggle being a spy, a gay French acrobat, and Nightwing all at once, right?
Joshua McDonald
Haha! Of course! I would like to see Higgins do a mini series of Dick's first year as Nightwing, or something like that. Show him stepping out on his own. That would be a fun little addition.
Guest
Favorite cover & eternal is my favorite series
grrDONDON
First - Happy New Year everyone, seems like we made it through! :D
It was interesting to see these top picks and find out that even though I read minority of issues covered here ( because I'm catching up in TPBs - I'm waiting for Vol.5 of Batman and JL), but still managed to read The Terminal in Detective Comics - which seems to be a stand-out arc of the year 2014 in the Batverese - thanks to your suggestions! And I couldn't have been more happy to see Sean's Top pick - Justice League 3000! That's definitely one great lightweight story that at the same time has some deep thoughts running underneath it. I'm really glad to have subscribed to it since the very first issue and had not thought of dropping it since then! And all thanks to this site and Andrew who said that he is NOT interested in this series :D
Can't really name the best bat-series of the year 2014 as I'm still at the phase of taking-in-every-comic-I-find-interesting. But I can surely say with what my new year begun - first thing in the morning of January 1st - read The World's End #13! It just so happened I woke up at 10am - whole 2h earlier than my friends at whom I stayed - so after reading all the news - I knew I had an issue to be read form the "year before".And a year before I wouldn't have even imagined such a scenario, but now - things change ;)
Thanks again guys and a girl of Batman News Comics - have a great, great Bat year!
PS. Cover pic for the article was real good Elena - I say that as a layout designer ;)
Joshua McDonald
Yeah, the cover pic is definitely awesome AND she literally pulled it together for us at the last minute!!! She's pretty awesome!
JaymusYawsley
I read the first half dozen or so issues of Justice League 3000 for the tryout period. It was pretty fun with son interesting concepts. I might need to pick it up again.
If I've learned one thing from this rundown, I need to read "Terminal." Haven't been keeping up with 'Tec so I missed it, but I've heard from multiple sources that it's great.
OptimistPrime99
Li'l Gotham was the best Batman comic of 2014! That comic book title needs to get dipped in the Lazarus Pit, ASAP!
Joshua McDonald
I still haven't read this... Everyone praises it so much that I need to though...
JaymusYawsley
Oh, yeah you do. It's so much fun, and I love the watercolor look to it.
Joshua McDonald
Yeah, the art looks amazing!!!
Rowdy From Scrubs
Batman #34 was amazing. As much as I like a good 6 or 8 issues arc; an excellent one-shot seems almost a little more satisfying.
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