Monday, January 26, 2009

Atomic Romance Awards




It’s the Second Annual Atomic Romance Awards! This is my special tribute to the comic books of 2008 that have earned fame or infamy in my little corner of comic fandom. The Atomic Romance Awards reflect my personal preferences so that's why some obvious choices may not appear. But before we begin I'd like to take a moment to thank She-Hulk, my Co-presenter this time around. Also, I'd like to thank all of you, my net buddies, for stopping-by Atomic Romance this last year. It's been one hell of a ride.

Now on with the show!


Best Overall Title: The Astounding Wolf-Man, Image Comics

Runner-up: Conan the Cimmerian

Best Writer: Robert Kirkman for both Astounding Wolf-Man and Walking Dead (and probably Invincible too, but I'm nont reading it right now), IDW


Runner-up: J. Michael Stryzinski for The Twelve, Marvel Comics (He could have won top honors if he had finished this series)


Best mini-series: Star Trek: Assignment Earth, IDW

Runner-up: The Age of Sentry


Best Adventure Comic: Tor, DC Comics

Runner Up: The War That Time forgot,DC Comics


Best Sword and Sorcery Title: Conan the Cimmerian, Dark Horse Comics
Runner-up: Wolf-Skin, Avatar


Best Sci-Fi: North Wind, Boom Studios

Runner Up: Star Trek: The Hollow Crown, IDW


Best Art: Chris Weston, The Twelve. Marvel Comics

Runner-up: John Byrne, Star Trek: The Hollow Crown. IDW


Best Horror: Necronimicon

Runner-up: The Crossed


Best Death: Rebecca gets accidentally slapped to death by Zecheriah the vampire, The Astounding Wolf-Man #7, Image Comics

Runner-up: Drunk Officer pulped by a propeller in Phantom Eagle #1, Marvel Comics


Best Cover: Army@Love: The Art of War #3, Vertigo

Runner-up: Amazing Spiderman #560


Worst Cover: 1985 #4, Marvel Comics

Runner Up: The Man With No Name #2, one of the greatest western characters ever is drawn to look like Bush


Best Dramatic Moment: Dynamic Man (from the 1940s) discovers interracial marriage, The Twelve #2

Runner-up: Captain Wonder at his wife’s grave, The Twelve #2


Best Butt: She-Hulk on King Size Hulk #1

Runner-up: damsel in distress on cover of Conan the Cimmerian #2


Best Animal Hero: Monkey Speedball, Marvel Apes
Rocket Raccoon, Guardians of the Galaxy


Best Geekout: Reading how Mirror Kirk assassinated Mirror Pike in Star Trek Mirror Images 1-5


Worst Costume: THE BLUE BLAAAADE!
Oh come on, could there possibly be any other choice from 2008!?

Runner-up: Jack Pot


Best Costume: Female Starhawk, Guardians of the Galaxy #5

Runner-up: The Crimson Reporter, The Twelve, Marvel Comics


Favorite Hero: Ambush Bug (If you can call him a hero)



Favorite Villain: Cranio, The Man with the Tri-Level Mind! The Age of the Sentry

Runner-up: Catman, Secret Six


Horniest Villain: King Crimson, Dark Tower, Marvel Comics



Best New Character: Ape X, Marvel Apes


Worst New Character: Jackpot


Best Fake Covers: Marvel Apes


Best Essential or Showcase Presents: Savage Sword of Conan… Ha!



Most Likely To Piss Off PETA Badger Saves the world


Best Gunfight: Brothers in Arms#4

Runner-up: Bat Lash #6


Best Formerly Ugly Aliens that Are Now Sexpots: Skrulls


Best Sword Fight: Wolfskin Annual, Avatar


Best Reprint: Dr. Who Classics, IDW


Best Cross of Hellraiser Cenobites with Piers Anthony’s Incarnations of Immortality: Army of Darkness: Home Sweet Hell


Lamest Series I’m glad I didn’t read: It is a Tie
Secret Invasion/Final Crisis and all of the spin offs


Best Single Issue: Fantastic Comics #24 Image

Runner-up; Jonah Hex #33, DC Comics


Best Comedic Moment: Ambush Bug, it turns out, is responsible for the death of Sue Dibney, Ambush Bug Year None #1

Runner-up: A Medieval wizard buys a shit-load of goods at S-mart, AoD/Xena #1


Best Free Comic Book Day Comic: Gumby… of course


Best Trade Paperback: Zot!: The Complete Black and White Collection: 1987-1991
Runner-up: Captain Carrot and the Final Ark!


Biggest Warm Fuzzy: The Medieval Silent Knight is revealed to be an ancestor of Superman’s adopted Family, Brave and The Bold #10, DC Comics.


Best Collection of Older Comics: I Shall Destroy All the Civilized Planets
Runner-up: The Mammoth Book of Best Crime Comics



Best Cameo: ‘Mazing Man: Ambush Bug: Year None. #1
Nazi Super Villains in the entrance way in Berlin Building The Twelve #1


Coolest Country in Marvel Atlas Volume 2: Boca Caliente (doesn’t that mean spicy hot mouth?)


Dumbest Moment: New Gods, New Gods New Gods!



Best Monster: Giant Eyeball Demon, Iron Man Legacy of Doom #4, Marvel Comics

Runner-up: Ursus the Ultra Bear, The Age of The Sentry #2, Marvel Comics



Biggest Surprise: Ambush Bug Marries Dumb Bunny, Ambush Bug #3,


Best Golden Age Retcon: The Twelve, Marvel Comics
Runner-up: Fantastic Comics #24 Image


Worst Golden Age Retcon: Project Superpowers, Dynamite Entertainment


Worst Retcon Period: Red Sonja #29, her own Goddess set’s her up to get raped and have her family murdered.


Best Pimp Scene: Star Trek: Mirror Images #2, IDW



Best Terrorist Acronym: NACHO (Nihilist Anti-Capitalist Hate Organization) Badger Saves the World IDW


Best New Trick for an Old Dog: John Byrne doing Star Trek Comics
Runner-up: DC Fontana doing Star Trek comics


Most Ruined Character: Red Sonja
Runner-Up: The Wasp… because she’s like dead


Best Supporting Character: Cheeks the Toy Wonder (Of course)

Runner Up: Abdul Alhazred, Fall of Cthulhu, Boom Studios


Best Western: Jonah Hex


Best Nonfiction Comic: Comic Book Comics, Evil Twin


Biggest Yawn: The Flash is coming Back!!!!! Zzzzzz


Best Revival from Suspended Animation: The Creature Commandos in Action Comics #872


Best Origin Story: The Black Widow, Twelve #8
Runner-up: Ungrounded Super Agent The Twelve #6


Lamest Promotion: Those Skrull "Who Do You Trust" ads
Runner-up: What were you doing final crisis


Best Crossover: The Army of Darkness/Xena: Why Not, Dynamite Entertainment


Title I would Have Liked To Try from the Beginning But It Was Always Sold Out: Guardians of the Galaxy


Favorite Lesbian: Golden Age Black Widow, The Twelve, Marvel Comics
She was Goth before there was Goth...



Best One Liner: “Hi Lois! I’ve got a weenie with your name one it” Earth 2 Superman. Ambush Bug: Year None # 3


Best Meh Ending: Y: The Last Man.


Best Capturing of the Spirit of 1980s Comics: Amazing Spider-Girl


Best Corporate Foot-Stepping: Moonstone vs. Dynamite over the publishing rights to The Phantom.


Biggest Disappointment: Project Superpowers, The heroes have been stuffed in a jar all these years? ...give me a break...
Runner Up: What... No Poo flinging in Marvel Apes?


Congratulations to all the winners!

10 comments:

Steve said...

Our comic tastes are very different but I'm impressed your choices.

Also nice to see I was the only one who went "Meh" at the last issue of Y

Hypatia said...

Whoa, too much info!...will have to post a more comprehensive response later:

Quick takes..Conan and big butt babes cover (par for the course)..but made me laugh!

Ditto on Best Cover..love the art parody!

Also on Worst Costume-ICK!

Don Snabulus said...

Wow! You have more awards than the number of comics I've read this decade. Impressive list.

Overdroid said...

As usual this show went on way too long. You need to cut the winners speeches down. Didn't Ambush Bug hear the music! Jeez!

Arkonbey said...

I agree with all of those.

So, should I read The Twelve? I like JMS and the art looks fantastic (unlike the terrible art for JMS's Rising Stars).

I'm so glad there wasn't a 'worst butt' category :)

Anonymous said...

thanks for the vote for JONAH HEX! appreciated!
what an awesome list.

jimmy palmiotti

Dean Wormer said...

I like the list, bud.

Only thing I might quibble on would be "Conan the Cimmerian" having the Best Dramatic Moment or Best Death. If you didn't know it was coming that character that was run through in the last mag was jaw-dropping. Both of my kids that are into that mag screamed when they got to that part.

ladybug said...

I'm gonna hafta take your word on everything...since I haven't read 90% of anything..

but Most Ruined Character: Red Sonja - what happened? It seemed cool..but I haven't been following recently.

Now I'm gonna hafta get readin' Ambush Bug..he sounds like alot of fun!

Batocchio said...

Wow! Quite the comprehensive list!

The Tor cover style looks Kubert-inspired.

John Byrne's always been one of my favorite artists - and he's not a bad writer, either.

Ape X was always sorta weird, but worked in the good Squadron Supreme series, which I think is gaining better appreciation now.

Ambush Bug running into a bitter, obsessed 'Mazing Man is a serious in-joke, but seriously funny.

Cheeks. Yes, he's cute - but he's also a doll cannibal! Aaah!

(Damn, I need to start collecting at least Ambush Bug again.)

Swinebread said...

Pido – thanks man and yes Y ended with a whimper..

Hypatia – Hmmm. It’s no more than I did for last years post.

Well at least they have the butts to match the boobs this time around

In the Blue Blade’s defense, he is supposed to kinda ridiculous…

Snab – thanks, I’ll have to give you more to read… when you have the time

OD – The problem with Ambush Bug is he always hears the music all the time.

Arkonbey – Yes, the twelve is very good imho, Chris Weston does a great job with the art duties. The last few issues have been delayed so it might be worth it to wait for the trade although I think the first six issues have already collected.

Jimmy – Thanks for stopping by! Jonah Hex is awesome! Keep up the great work!

Dean – Glad you liked this… as to the Conan death moment… that comic was published in 2009 not 2008, which what this awards event covers. Maybe a year from now.

LB – on Red I’ll let you read the titles in question, Ambush Bug is always good for big laugh or two.

Bat – Thanks big guy!

Tor is in fact a creator owned of Joe Kubert!

I was kinda bored with JB but his Star Trek comics have really gotten me interested in him again

Bless for knowing the Ape X from SS, but this Ape X is a new character (a superhero) from Marvel Apes published in 2008.

Ambush Bug has A LOT of in-jokes this time around, perhaps too many but its still quite good. You’ll be happy to know that AB is supposed to have a Showcase presents collection soon.