Top 10 of 2007 - End Notes

So who “won” this year?

Of course, I want to acknowledge that quantity does not necessarily indicate relative quality, but the competitor in me wants to declare a publisher triumphant! I really do think it’s interesting to analyze purchasing trends and see who made strong showings for me personally. That said, here’s a quick tally of the 30 books in the 3 main categories for 2007;

#1: DC Comics! This includes all of their imprints, such as Vertigo, Wildstorm, and the All Star line. DC is far out in front of the pack capturing 7 total nods, or about 23% of the finalists.

#2: (Four-Way Tie) Oni Press, Archaia Studios Press, Image, and Marvel all clock in with a respectable 3 titles each, or exactly 10% each of the top titles selected this year.

#3: Various. Splitting up the bottom 37% comprising the remaining entries is a very diverse group of publishers including AdHouse, Avatar Press, Dynamite Entertainment, First Second, Dark Horse, and Top Shelf.

Overall, a very satisfying year; let’s hope 2008 proves to be even better!

I also wanted to provide some information on a little side project I’ll be working over the course of next year. I’m going to keep tabs on the ultimate disposition of everything I buy. I generally buy tons of books and started getting comp’d on even more. I try a lot of single issues that end up being so awful that I actually toss them. On the other end of the spectrum, I may buy multiple copies of a Graphic Novel that’s so good I feel the need to pass it on to others. And there’s everything in between these two extremes. I thought it would be interesting to keep track of how much I accumulate, the sheer volume of material I read in a single year, the… *shudder*… dollars spent, how much I give away as impromptu gifts, and basic percentages of books in the following categories;

1) Keepers: These are books that, you guessed it, I keep long term. Generally, these are already purchased in the format I want. Your typical Original Graphic Novel (OGN) in hardcover format, such as Matt Kindt’s Superspy is a great example.

2) Keep/Upgrade Pile: These are usually floppy issues of mini-series or runs of a book that I want to keep, but I don’t part with until they’re collected into a regular Trade Paper Back (TPB), Hardcover, Absolute Edition, etc. An example that springs to mind here is the latest arc of Astonishing X-Men.

3) Give Away Pile: Often times, these are mini-series of floppy issues from the above category that have now been upgraded and are free for release. If I liked it enough to upgrade it, chances are it’s good enough to pass on to someone else. Floppy issues of BKV’s The Escapists is probably the most recent example of this I can muster. These could also be quarter bin finds. For example, I recently picked up (yet another) run of the four issue mini-series My Faith in Frankie by Mike Carey, Sonny Liew, and Marc Hempel. On occasion, this category also includes an OGN or TPB that I don’t personally like enough to keep, but it’s good enough to give away in order to expose someone to the medium or use as a gift. Mark Waid & Leinil Yu’s Superman: Birthright makes a nice stocking stuffer.

4) Sell Pile: Books that I don’t want to keep, are not good enough examples of the medium to give away, and ultimately get sold at a garage sale or become traded in for store credit. Oh, let’s not name names anymore, yes?

5) Trash: Crap. I don’t want it. I won’t even give it away. Most of the books you see here getting D’s and F’s fall into this pile. They’re so horrible that I won’t put them out into the world in any capacity; they hit my recycle bin. Cleans up the industry gene pool and saves the planet all at once!

Stay tuned for updates on The Great Experiment of 2008 and thanks again for another year of reading 13 Minutes: The Weekly Review Site!