April '08 H-O-T Grade

Each month HOT Grade represents LYSAD's stamp on what titles stood out as the best of the best.

1. CASANOVA #13 (Image Comics)

2. LOGAN #2 (Marvel Comics)

3. BATMAN #675 (DC Comics)

4. WOLVERINE #64 (Marvel Comics)

5. GHOST RIDER #22 (Marvel Comics)

6. SCALPED #16 (Vertigo)

7. X-MEN LEGACY #210 (Marvel Comics)

8. MARVEL ADVENTURES FANTASTIC FOUR #35 (Marvel Comics)

9. THE ORDER #10 (Marvel Comics)

10. THOR AGES OF THUNDER (Marvel Comics)

11. X-MEN DIVIDED WE STAND #1 (Marvel Comics)
12. SECRET HISTORY THE AUTHORITY HAWKSMOOR #2 (Wildstorm)
13. X-MEN FIRST CLASS VOL 2 #11 (Marvel Comics)
14. THOR #8 (Marvel Comics)
15. GREEN LANTERN #30 (DC Comics)
16. SUPERGIRL #28 (DC Comics)
17. MARVEL ADVENTURES SPIDER-MAN #38 (Marvel Comics)
18. AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #555-557 (Marvel Comics)
19. YOUNG LIARS #2 (Vertigo)
20. LOCKE & KEY #3 (IDW)

A very interesting month, with trends clearly showing up, now that I've caught up on my to-read pile from certain titles. This month we've got all three Jason Aaron titles breaking the Top 10 (Wolvie, GR and Scalped - which should really be retroactively injected into every Top 10 list thus far), and Matt Fraction grabbing the top spot and #9-11. Lots of favourites (including last month's #1 Criminal) were pushed down just below #20 by the sheer enjoyment of this month's Marvel Adventures offerings. Good going!

The breakdown: Marvel (12), DC (3), Vertigo (2)
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March '08 H-O-T Grade

1. CRIMINAL v.2 #1 (ICON)
   
   
2. GHOST RIDER #21 (Marvel)
   
   
3. SUPERMAN BATMAN ANNUAL #2 (DC)
   
   
4. CASANOVA #12 (Image)
   
   
5. WOLVERINE #63 (Marvel)
   
   
6. ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #120 (Marvel)
   
   
7. CROSSING MIDNIGHT #17 (Vertigo)
   
   
8. LOCKE & KEY #2 (IDW)
   
   
9. TEEN TITANS YEAR ONE #3 (DC)
   
   
10. MADMAN ATOMIC COMICS #7 (Image)
    
    
11. PROGRAMME #9 (Wildstorm)
12. X-MEN LEGACY #209 (Marvel)
13. FABLES #71 (Vertigo)
14. SECRET HISTORY AUTHORITY JACK HAWKSMOOR #1 (Wildstorm)
15. YOUNG LIARS #1 (Vertigo)
16. DARK IVORY #1 (Image)
17. COMIC BOOK COMICS #1 (Evil Twin)
18. WOLVERINE ORIGINS #23 (Marvel)
19. BOYS #16 (IDW)
20. THOR #7 (Marvel)

Very late posting these, but just done catching up. Going from the standard top 10 into top 20 mode from now on, as I just feel too bad leaving quality stuff out of the Grade!

There were no clear-cut favorites this month, and the top 7 could really go in any order. Criminal 2 #1 gets the honors because I was late in discovering the gem it is, and the new volume deserves mad props!

Rundown: 7 Marvel titles, 3 Image, 2 IDW and 2 DC, although the latter share grows if we include all imprints to an equal 7.
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February '08 H-O-T Grade

1. AMERICAN VIRGIN #23 (Vertigo)

2. WOLVERINE #62 (Marvel)

3. ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #119 (Marvel)

4. UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE #6 (Dark Horse)

5. CROSSING MIDNIGHT #16 (Vertigo)

6. GRAVEL #1 (Avatar)

7. X-MEN LEGACY #208 (Marvel)

8. FANTASTIC FOUR #554 (Marvel)

9. LOCKE & KEY #1 (IDW)

10. IMMORTAL IRON FIST ORSON RANDALL GREEN MIST DEATH (Marvel)

Lots of new entries this month, paired with some sad goodbyes. American Virgin and Umbrella Academy are wrapping up their runs (along with near top 10 misses Cable&Deadpool#50, and Gail Simone's last All-New Atom with #20). X-Men: Legacy is Mike Carey's new start on the ongoing title, and Fantastic Four #554 sees the debut of new creative team Millar with Hitch. Gravel was a usual impressive Warren Ellis debut, but none of these could overcome the sheer fun of Bendis' Ultimate treatment of Spidey& His Amazing Friends.
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January '08 H-O-T Grade

Each month, the H-O-T Grade is my absolutely subjective view at what you absolutely can't miss reading:


1. Y THE LAST MAN #60 (Vertigo)

2. ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN #118 (Marvel)

3. ASTONISHING X-MEN #24 (Marvel)

4. THE SPIRIT #12 (DCU)

5. THE TWELVE #1 (Marvel)

6. THE ORDER #7 (Marvel)

7. UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE #5 (Dark Horse)

8. CROSSING MIDNIGHT #15 (Vertigo)

9. TEEN TITANS THE LOST ANNUAL (DCU)

10. PROJECT SUPERPOWERS #0 (IDW)

Bendis' Ultimate Spidey is the big surprise this month, starting off the tribute to the Amazing Friends line-up with a light-hearted high-school reunion sort of crossover with every Ultimate title! It still wasn't stellar enough to overthrow the long-awaited conclusion to Y the Last Man, while Whedon's dependably excellent Astonish X-Men closes up the Top Three.

The Order, Crossing Midnight and Umbrella Academy are regular contenders every month, while other faves Wonder-Woman and X-Men were pushed out of the ten by a narrow margin. We'll be talking more about the new arrivals The Twelve and Project Super-powers soon.
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December '07 H-O-T Grade

At the close of every month, LYSAD will be putting out the absolute and final word on what was H-O-T in comics.


1. ACME NOVELTY LIBRARY VOL 18 HC (Drawn & Quarterly)

2. SHIRTLIFTER #2 (Drawn, Out Press)

3. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #9 (Dark Horse)

4. UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE #4 (Dark Horse)

5. WONDER WOMAN #15 (DCU)

6. X-MEN #206 (Marvel)

7. CROSSING MIDNIGHT #14 (Vertigo)

8. IMMORTAL IRON FIST #11 (Marvel)

9. THE ORDER #5-6 (Marvel)

10. WORMWOOD ONE SHOT (Avatar)
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November 2007 H-O-T Grade

At the close of every month, LYSAD will be putting out the absolute and final word on what was H-O-T in comics.


1. SCOTT PILGRIM VOL 4 SCOTT PILGRIM GETS IT TOGETHER GN (Oni Press)

2. Y THE LAST MAN #59 (Vertigo)

3. ASTONISHING X-MEN #23 (Marvel)

4. GIRLS COMPLETE COLLECTION Deluxe HC (Image)

5. WONDER WOMAN #14 (DCU)

6. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #8 (Dark Horse)

7. CASANOVA #11 (Image)

8. SUPER VILLAIN TEAM UP: MODOKS 11 #5 (Marvel)

9. THE ORDER #4 (Marvel)

10. IMMORTAL IRON FIST #10 (Marvel)
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October 2007 H-O-T Grade

At the close of every month, LYSAD will be putting out the absolute and final word on what was H-O-T in comics.

1. PERRY BIBLE FELLOWSHIP TRIAL OF COLONEL SWEETO HC (Dark Horse)

2. ESSEX COUNTY VOL 2 GHOST STORIES (Top Shelf)

3. CASANOVA #10 (Image)

4. BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #7 (Dark Horse)

5. CROSSING MIDNIGHT #12 (Vertigo)

6. BLACK SUMMER #3 (Avatar)

7. UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE #2 (Dark Horse)

8. PARADE WITH FIREWORKS #2 (Image)

9. EMPOWERED VOL 2 TP (Dark Horse)

10. RUNAWAYS #28 (Marvel)

October saw Dark Horse seizing the game, and taking home a record 4 spots in the chart, with the excellent webstrips colection from PBF, the still-amazing Umbrella Academy, BKV's Buffy and Adam Warren's ode to T&A, Empowered.

Image, Vertigo and Top Shelf upping their game meant Marvel barely scraped in the Top 10. Gems that almost made it in the list: DCU's only saving graces: Simon Dark and Infinity Inc, Marvel's MODOK's 11 and Image's hot new premieres: The Sword and Suburban Glamour.

Plenty of new titles makingit into the chart, although it was a skip month for Astonishing X-Men, Y the Last Man and the Order. More on those next month!
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September 2007 H-O-T Grade

At the close of every month, LYSAD will be putting out the absolute and final word on what was H-O-T in comics.

September 2007 was an excellent month in comics, with few but amazing suggestions.

1. Y THE LAST MAN #58 (Vertigo)

2. THE ORDER #3 (Marvel)

3. UMBRELLA ACADEMY APOCALYPSE SUITE #1 (Dark Horse)

4. PARADE WITH FIREWORKS #1 (Image)

5. CASANOVA #9 (Image)

6. INFINITY INC #1 (DC)

7. SHE-HULK 2 #21 (Marvel)

8. BART SIMPSONS TREEHOUSE OF HORROR #13 (Bongo)

9. SUPER VILLAIN TEAM UP MODOKS 11 #3 (Marvel)

10. SPIDER-MAN FAIRY TALES #4 (Marvel)

The month was marked by the jaw-dropping 'Y' on the last page of Y THE LAST MAN #58. Matt Fraction continues his monthly presence in the chart with CASANOVA and new darling THE ORDER.

Pete Milligan debuts with INFINITY Inc just as Dan Slott gives us his continuity porn curtain close on SHE-HULK.

Mike Allred almost had two in the list, with MADMAN ATOMICS COMICS #4 barely losing the #10 spot in favour of Allred's other release SPIDER-MAN FAIRYTALES (which won mostly on the basis of Allred drawing Gwen, MJ and Spider-man with a mop).

As for SUPER-VILLAIN TEAM-UP, it took me 3 months to notice it, but it's most likely going to be a permanent fixture in the chart from now on.
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August 2007 H-O-T Grade

At the close of every month, LYSAD will be putting out the absolute and final word on what was H-O-T in comics.

August 2007 was a very busy month for comics (with 5 weeks of releases) and lots of great choices:



1. THE ORDER #2 (Marvel)

2. ASTONISHING X-MEN #22 (Marvel)

3. WOLVERINE #56 (Marvel)

4. CASANOVA #8 (Image)

5. PROGRAMME #2 (Wildstorm)

6. BLACK SUMMER #2 (Avatar)

7. FAKER #2 (Vertigo)

8. GARTH ENNIS CHRONICLES OF WORMWOOD #6 (Avatar)

9. FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD SPIDER-MAN #23 (Marvel)

10. BATMAN #667-668 (DC)
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November '06 H-O-T Grade

1. X-Factor #13 (Marvel)
2. NEXTWAVE Agents of HATE #10 (Marvel)
3. Planetary Brigade Origins #1 (Boom Studios)
4. Crossing Midnight #1 (Vertigo)
5. Runaways #22 (Marvel)
6. Batman/the Spirit (DC)
7. Astonishing X-Men #18 (Marvel)
8. Manifest Eternity #6 (Wildstorm)
9. 52 #29 (DC)
10. American Virgin #8-9 (Vertigo)
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October '06 H-O-T Grade

1. NEXTWAVE Agents of H.A.T.E. #9 (Marvel)
2. Dork #11 (SLG)
3. The Other Side #1 (Vertigo)
4. Doctor Strange: the Oath #1 (Marvel)
5. Mixtionary #1 (IDW)
6. Tag #2 (Boom Studios!)
7. Casanova #5 (Image)
8. The Boys #3-4 (Wildstorm)
9. Pirates of Coney Island #1 (Image)
10. Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall (Vertigo)
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September '06 H-O-T Grade

1. Pride of Baghdad
2. Hero Squared #3
3. NEXTWAVE Agents of H.A.T.E. #8
4. Astonishing X-Men #17
5. Local #6
6. American Virgin #7
7. Supergirl #10
8. Casanova #4
9. Ultimate Spider-man #100
10. Secret Six #4
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August '06 H-O-T Grade

Which were the best titles last month?

1. Astonishing X-Men
2. X-Men
3. Casanova
4. Nextwave
5. Shark-man
6. Agents of Atlas
7. All-Star Superman
8. Beyond
9. Wonder-woman
10. The Boys
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July '06 H-O-T Grade

Which books made the Top Ten last month? (the brackets indicate June's placements)

1. X-MEN (new)
2. HERO SQUARED (2)
3. RUNAWAYS (8)
4. SHE-HULK (new)
5. DAUGHTERS OF THE DRAGON (6)
6. CASANOVA (new)
7. BATMAN (new)
8. 52 (5)
9. FRIENDLY NEIGHBOURHOOD SPIDER-MAN (10)
10.MANIFEST ETERNITY (new)
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June '06 H-O-T Grade

The ten hottest picks from last month

1. NEXTWAVE
2. HERO SQUARED
3. ALL-STAR SUPERMAN
4. THING
5. 52
6. DAUGHTERS OF THE DRAGON
7. ASTONISHING X-MEN
8. RUNAWAYS
9. LOCAL
10. FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD SPIDER-MAN


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