30 For 30 #30

So what can I say to start off this series. 30 days, 30 comics. The best of the best. At least according to me. Main reasoning behind doing something like this is not just because the internet loves lists and top "10's". It's mostly because my comic life has been shaped by much in the last 30 years of my life. I'm fast approaching 32. I'll be 32 before the end of this list(HAH Edits: I'm now 32). And with that, a good chunk of this will surpass my 30's and go beyond that in my own heart. This isn't just a list that fits with the times, but a few decades for most. It's not to say that I was privy to the greatest of eras in comics, that goes to those who were born in the golden and silver era. I must say though, that I was born in the era of comics in the modern era, that which would be placed into movies and video games. 

     At the posting of this, we can see comics from the last 30 years being inserted into movies such as Batman vs. Superman, or ideas shaped from Fraction's Hawkeye in Age of Ultron, or rather Avengers 2. Or Mark Millar going full storm into film with Kick-Ass and The Kingsmen. So not only does it shape me, but those around me in my generation, and those effected by my generation's comics and era via the media. You don't even have to read a comic these days to be carded as a comic book nerd(which kind of saddens me, but that's a post for another time).

     Movies aren't the only venue to take away from this genre, but comics themselves. As of this posting Secret Wars, the biggest event of all events for Marvel(in the last year) is now kicking around ideas based on the biggest event of events in comics from the 80's from DC comics side. I'm not trying to say that Hickman's Secret Wars is the new Crisis on Infinite Earths, which it really is, but to say it's an homage done in the Marvel style. Which it obviously is, and Marvel is fine with that. Hickman doesn't make this list at all, but he should. He's probably the finest writer to grace the Marvel Comics office, his Fantastic Four and FF is FANTASTIC. He turns heads with his writing style. And he is probably one of the finest writers to hit the big two since the great author who shall not be named, because he is the true number one of this list. If you can guess who that is, good for you. Let's talk about number 30.

Number 30

The weirdest romance ever

     Kieron Gillen, who cares?! I do dammit, I care about one book this late in the entry list that he wrote. Mostly because a friend of mine cares so much about Thor. But not just Thor he cares about Loki, the bastard brother. Have you ever wanted Loki to be mischievous? Maybe erratic, and in a story-telling role of his own downfall? Maybe you wished for him to be the prince who shaped an entire lineage based on his "mother". He has fucked up constantly as a villain, but has he ever been wrong to try and be the hero of the story? No because he literally wrote it in the book of fables that he did it "write". He even damned his own daughter and best friend to be damned, figuratively and unfortunately. He knew what was up before his own time was up. But somehow Gillen knew best how the write those interchanges. Thor was angry with his now younger brother. He never doubted him, because Loki had the answer, even if it fucked over the rest of Asgard royalty. It saved their people from stupid robot giant steam engines, because of the industrial revolution. I shit you not.

     Then still, the guy goes somewhat strong with his run on Young Avengers. He takes Loki and moves him onto a team with a small contingent of left-overs of Young Avengers. He forms them, he shapes them, and he twitterfies them. He brings them into the new age, and much like Mignola's Hellboy, he shows them the way of the pancakes. And never does he objectify them(he may pander occasionally to the tumblr core though), never does he persecute them. He shows that Loki loves his brother, which is what Loki always wanted from his own brother, but Loki makes new friends and honors them, in to his teenagedom. Kieron Gillen Crafted this character for a new age, and after he left this character, I couldn't care less.

     He did what he did, and while Young Avengers was never as strong as Journey into mystery, he was able to take what he learned from those titles of young delinquents and godhood in the new era of modern screen-lookers and form a new book of his own. With his creation on Image comics of Wicked + Divine there was nothing left to say with Marvel comics and gods of the old pantheon. Poor Loki: Agent of Asgard. Actually some people like that comic, I didn't I thought it was a bit trite.

Good first volume, check it out

     Kieron Gillen through all of his hang-ups to most people with his regard to popular social media inclusions and swank late 80's styling, was re-invigorated by a market that suited him in this day and age. It got me to look to other outlets by younger conventions on twitter and other sources. He drastically leveled the playing field for integrating old with new. Something most comic authors still strive to do, Dan Slott.

Suggested Listening: Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode