The Johnny Bacardi Show

I see (courtesy of Johanna) where Publishers Weekly has jumped the gun on everybody and released a best of 2005 list.

And it goes like this.

Epileptic by David B.
Haven't read it, and probably won't unless someone sends me a copy. The art style, from what I've seen, doesn't appeal to me nor am I particularly interested in the subject matter. Which is not to say that it's not worthy of consideration- it just shows how plebian my tastes are sometimes. And I'm always open to being proven wrong.

Ex-Machina: The First Hundred Days by Brian Vaughan and Tony Harris
I bought the first few issues of this before I had enough, and while I'll always be interested in Harris' impressive but sometimes too prissy art, the entire collected oeuvre of Brian K. Vaughan bores me to tears.

The Rabbi's Cat by Joann Sfar
I've read about this one here and there, and I'd like to check it out someday- but other than the lovely young woman on the cover, I've found little else in the previews I've seen that excite me. Lovely young women will be the death of me.

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World by Bryan Lee O'Malley
Read and reviewed at CBG. Fun and consistently clever, and while it's perhaps a bit overrated it's still more enjoyable than 8 out of any 10 mainstream comics that you can name. O'Malley still owes me a watercolor.

Ghost in the Shell 2: Man-Machine Interface by Shirow Masamune
Kinda liked the first anime, haven't read the manga. Probably won't, either. I'm just philistine like that. Me, I like the cover, so I guess there are some other names you can call me as well.

WE3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely
Other than some overlookable quibbles with the narrative, I thought this was one of the best comics of '04, and it will probably make the '05 list, too.

Black Hole by Charles Burns
I like Burns' work, and I actually bought a single issue of this several years ago- but didn't really like it enough to go to the trouble of buying the back issues to get caught up or buy any subsequent numbers, either. Oh well. I'd like to get this collection someday, but I can say that about, oh, about 500 other collections as well. All things considered, though, I'd rather own a collection of Burns' El Borbah.

King by Ho Che Anderson
Anderson is an interesting creator, and I've liked his work before. And God knows I have reverence for Dr. King as well. But this looks so drearily earnest that my eyes just glaze over when I regard it. Again, I'd be happy to be proven wrong.

MBQ vol. 1 by Felipe Smith
The Genshiken vol. 1 by Kio Shimoku
I'll take their word for it. Don't look like my cup of gravy (with a hair in it).

Gemma Bovery by Posey Simmonds
Haven't read this either, but I remember a lot of positive buzz. The cover reminds me quite a bit of Dame Darcy...

Teenagers from Mars by Rick Spears and Rob G
Why Are You Doing This by Jason
Yotsuba&! by Akira Toriyama
Walt and Skeezix : Book One by Frank King
Y'know, maybe I should have read more of these before I started opining. Oh well, you should know better than to look for informed opinions here anyway. I do recall reading some Gasoline Alley strips as a young child, so I'd be interested in reading them again someday.

Salamander Dream by Hope Larsen
For my money, Larson is one of the most interesting artists out there right now, an inventive stylist with a graceful ink line, and this is full of typically lovely visuals. Storywise, I suppose it would help to be in her head while you read, but I'm not, so...hey- beautiful art, huh!

Tricked by Alex Robinson
Was a fascinating, involving read, even though I really couldn't buy the rock singer lead character. I also have absolutely no desire whatsoever to re-read it. Make of that what you will.

Night Fisher by R. Kikuo Johnson
He's (she's?) a "formidable" new talent, they say, which makes him/her sound like a wrestler...but that's a nice cover. Haven't had the opportunity to be exposed to the interior yet.

Dramacon by Svetlana Chmakova
The Russianophile in me just loves that name: "Svetlana". The subject matter doesn't sound too bad, so who knows, I might get this someday. Stranger things been known to happen.

Astonishing X-Men Volume 1: Gifted by Joss Whedon and John Cassaday
I bought the first issue of this for a Whedon-fan friend, and was absolutely underwhelmed despite the fine Cassaday art. Make no mistake, though, they're both slumming. Its presence on any sort of "Best of" list is ludicrous.

Street Angel by Jim Rugg and Brian Marucca
Overrated by many and underrated by others, this couldn't decide whether it wanted to be fish or fowl and so was really neither. But it was fun and hit a lot more than it missed.

And that's my take. Publishers Weekly is free to comment on my best of 2005 list when I post it later this year.