Geek of Oz

Well it’s that time of year again. With 2015 in its death throes I thought I would look back on some of my favorite comics from the year that was. As you will notice from my selections this year I decided to save my money and stay away from the the world breaking Convergence and Secret Wars events thrown by the big two, and instead focus on some of the great creator-owned series that launched. This is by no means a definitive list, but rather a selection of comics that stood out to me for their quality, depth or simply because they brought some new ideas to the table.   Sex Criminals Volume Two Writer: Matt Fraction Artist: Chip Zdarsky Volume Two of the wonderfully weird Sex Criminals not only upped the ante in terms of dirty jokes, smutty puns and hilarious background gags (and who could forget that amazing dildo fight) it also continued it’s candidly honest exploration of sex and relationships. Where Volume One portrayed what it’s like to find someone who you c...

If sex sells and crime pays I can only assume Matt Fraction and Chip Zdarsky are gonna be rolling in revenue from their new Image series, Sex Criminals. This bold storytelling endeavour takes on a genre seldom attempted in comics - the sex comedy. Usually reserved for the silver screen, sex comedies thrive on the comedic chemistry between actors and awkward timings, things that you just can't capture on the static comic book page. That, however, doesn't stop Sex Criminals #1 from being a hilarious and surprisingly heartfelt addition to the genre. Sex Criminals follows Suzie and John, two book loving twenty-something-year-olds who both share the ability to stop time when they have sex. So what do they choose to do with their bizarre ability? Rob banks of course! I'll be the first to admit that it's a somewhat precarious premise but where others would fail Fraction and Zdarsky make it work.

The battle begins in March with our first look at Marvel's latest event, Avengers VS X-Men. Who will reign supreme? Who will be left licking their wounds? X-Men may be a scrappy bunch but I've got my money on The Avengers.  Check out the official press release and some beautiful art by Frank Cho and the return of the Scarlet Witch.

I didn't think it was possible. I swore to myself after "Fear Itself" I would pass on any upcoming event titles, and then this happens. Avengers Vs X-Men is shaping up to be a tremendously fun event in contrast to the brooding that overwhelmed Fear Itself. To make things even better, Bendis will be in Australia for Supanova when this comic drops! Grab a copy, get it signed an pick his brain when in Melbourne or the Gold Coast. AvX has Check out Jim Cheung's cover after the jump!

In Thor: God of Thunder, Thor battles through the numerous worlds of Norse mythology to save Asgard, the capital city of the Norse Gods. Thor must overcome monstrous foes lifted from the pages of the comics including Ulik, Ymir, and Surtur, as well as other monstrous denizens. Players will wield the iconic Mjölnir, Thor's legendary hammer, to fight enemies on an immense scale while controlling the elemental storm powers of lightning, thunder, and wind to vanquish enemies. As Thor earns Valor points through his exploits, players can acquire new abilities, powers, and weapon upgrades.