Stole this little idea from podcaster/blogger Peter Rios. (Plagiarize, plagiarize, let no man’s work escape my eyes!) 

It’s time for the 6th Annual Wayne’s Choice Awards!  This is my annual listing of the BEST of well… EVERYTHING from the past year.  In the past this list has been shared on my podcast, and this year it’s going on the blog first…  So let’s get started with the 1st category.  (WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD)

COMIC BOOK HEROES, VILLIANS, & STORIES:

BEST NEW HERO OR TEAM of 2011: FUTURE FOUNDATION

This team was formed after the death of the Human Torch.   By Johnny Storm’s posthumous request that if anything should happen to him that he would want Spider-Man to be a part of the Fantastic Four, Sue, Reed, and Ben invited him to join the team.

But not as the Fantastic Four, since there truly is NO Fantastic Four without the Human Torch, they became the Future Foundation.  And Spidey wasn’t their only new member either, the were also joined by Dragon Man, Korr, Leech, Artie Maddicks, Mik, Franklin & Valeria Richards (Reed & Sue’s kids), Nathaniel Richards (Reed’s Dad), Alex Power (from Power Pack), a bunch of other brainiac kids, AND… DOCTOR DOOM! yup, Doctor Doom!  Great stuff here!

BEST NEW VILLAIN OR TEAM of 2011: THE COURT of OWLS (Batman)

It’s early in the new run of the Batman reboot, but The Court of Owls is blowing me away as a new villain for Batman.  They are a secret society or club or organization, (not sure right now) and they have controlled Gotham for a long long time.  It even seems like they’ve been an enemy of the Wayne’s for a while too.  They even have secret lairs all over Gotham IN WAYNE BUILDINGS!  I’m loving this story so far and I think it can have staying power in this new Batman universe.

 BEST NEW COMIC of 2011: DEMON KNIGHTS

This comic is just fun to read.  I have a gaming background.  I grew up playing Dungeons and Dragons and other paper RPGs in Junior High and High School.  This comic reads like a D&D adventure.  Come on, the characters start their adventure off by meeting in a tavern…  That’s how EVERY D&D adventure starts!

This is just pure fun, check it out.

BEST LIMITED SERIES of 2011: FLASHPOINT: FRANKENSTEIN & The CREATURES OF THE UNKNOWN

This mini took place during the Flashpoint alternate universe event, but I don’t care where it took place.  Here’s the basic premise:

Frankenstein, a werewolf, a vampire, a sea monster, and yes the Bride of Frankenstein battle the bad guys!  In the first issue they take on the Nazis.  I was sold!  This story has corruption, swerves, intrigue, and ROBOTS!  They even brought these guys back for the DC Reboot in Frankenstein Agent of S.H.A.D.E. (which is my #2 favorite new book of 2011 BTW)

BEST SINGLE ISSUE OR ONESHOT of 2011: (usually under 80 pages) SUPERMAN #712 (Krypto stand alone issue)

I love Krypto!  I’m a big Superman fan and I’m a dog person, so if you put them together you get my love for Krypto.  This issue of Superman was a great send off for the pre-reboot DC Universe version of Krypto.

This issue is a “lost tale” dealing with the after effects of Infinite Crisis.  Superboy is dead, Superman is missing and Krypto is left to live with the Kents in Smallville.  It’s a great story about the love and companionship Krypto brings to the Superman of the DCU.

BEST CLIFFHANGER OR MOMENT of 2011: JOHNNY STORM’s “FINAL” FLAME ON!

BEST ONGOING DC COMIC of 2011: ACTION COMICS

BEST ONGOING MARVEL COMIC of 2011: FF

BEST ONGOING INDEPENDENT COMIC of 2011: USAGI YOJIMBO

BEHIND THE SCENES AWARDS:

BEST WRITER of 2011: JONATHAN HICKMAN (Fantastic Four/FF)

BEST ARTIST of 2011: JIM LEE (Justice League)

BEST WRITER/ARTIST of 2011 (individual that does both): STAN SAKAI (Usagi Yojimbo)

BEST INKER JOE RIVERA (Daredevil)

BEST COLOR ARTIST JAVIER RODRIGUEZ & MUNSTA VICENTE (Daredevil)

BEST LETTERER CARLOS MANGUAL (DC, Various)

BEST EDITOR TOM BREVOORT & LAUREN SANKOVITCH (The FF Editorial Team)

BEST COVER ARTIST JG JONES (Frankenstein Agent of  S.H.A.D.E.)

COMICS ON SCREEN:

BEST COMIC MOVIE of 2011: CAPTAIN AMERICA: The First Avenger

BEST COMIC TV SHOW of 2011: THE WALKING DEAD

MISC:

MOST IMPORTANT COMIC NEWS OF 2011: Day and Date Digital by DC Comics with others following.

MOST ANTICIPATED FOR 2012: THE AVENGERS MOVIE

[via Sci-Fi Wire]

Turns out that the only person with less luck than Spider-Man … is the poor Spider-Man impersonator.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Christopher Loomis was working Hollywood Boulevard in his Spidey suit, collecting tips from tourists by posing for pictures, when he allegedly slugged a man in the face and arms.

Once the victim refused to press charges, you’d think that would be the end of it, but Loomis was arrested when the police discovered he had outstanding misdemeanor warrants and held him in lieu of $5,500 bail.

And it turns out that it wasn’t so easy for the LAPD to find the alleged assailant, even though he was dressed in the bright red-and-blue costume. But when officers responded to a radio call reporting a battery by Spider-Man, they discovered four different people dressed as Spidey along the tourist-filled corridor that includes Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

By the way, if you are interested in digging deeper into the world of these costumed “entertainers”, you should check out Confessions of a Superhero.  It’s a great documentary that covers the lives of the people behind the costumes at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre.

I checked it out on Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” feature and apparently this whole getting arrested thing happens pretty often for Superheroes there.

I’m a fan of the DC Universe… a BIG fan.  And I have to say that the latest DC Animated movies that have been released have been knocking it out of the park.

I’m also a fan of the Crisis storylines.  (I’m a sucker for a parallel universe… although if I have the goatee does that mean I’m the evil Wayne?)

Check out the trailer for Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths and post a comment… What do you think?  Do you have a favorite animated comic flick?