Reasonably speaking, this will be my last QB50, at least for the foreseeable future. It'll round out a full decade of keeping track of my favorite comics (although in the '90s it would be pretty easy to guess which titles would top such a list, from Mark Waid's numerous contributions in the pages of The Flash, Impulse, and Kingdom Come to other favorites like Ron Marz's Green Lantern, Chuck Dixon's Robin and Nightwing, Karl Kesel's Superman and Superboy, Stuart Immonen's Superman, Jeff Smith's Bone, Grant Morrison's JLA, and other offbeat choices like Extreme Justice, Sovereign Seven, Joe Psycho and Moo Frog...), and that's a good thing for someone who likes round numbers. I've already begun new duties as my sister's live-in nanny, and I'm more than happy to leave comics (to a certain extent) on an incredibly high note, because 2015 was very, very good.
Without further adieu:
1. Annihilator (Legendary)
The final issues of Grant Morrison's latest big concept (a Hollywood screenwriter meeting his own creation, who's looking to find for death) were everything I hoped they'd be. Annihilator was already my favorite comic last year, and its repeat status puts it in elite company (52 repeated in 2006-2007, Air did likewise in 2009-2010). It fully deserves that status. As far as I'm concerned, it's Morrison's best-ever work.
2. Wasteland (Oni)
A perennial favorite throughout the decade, Wasteland ended its epic run on an incredibly high note. Hardly the easiest series to find in physical stores, Oni stuck with the series despite limited cult success, and was endlessly rewarded with a vision that matched its obvious ambition from the start. Antony Johnston completely outdid himself for the final arc.
3. Superman (DC)
Geoff Johns concluded his run just in time for the Convergence hiatus that hit the DC line-up early in the year, unleashing a dangerous new power that led to drastic changes in the Man of Steel's status quo. That's a logline that's fit for the '90s, but Johns and succeeding writer Gene Luen Yang found the ideal voice for the arc, creating a dynamic new Superman with the aid of John Romita, Jr.'s fresh eyes. Put aside the rest of the creators working on the arc in other titles, and you have some of the best material this icon has ever had.
4. The Omega Men (DC)
I came very late to this one, but it's one of the binges I undertook to considerable enjoyment and reward this year. A radical reinvention and remarkable relevance makes Tom King's work some of the best stuff DC has published in the New 52 era. Years from now this will be regarded as a classic.
5. Divinity (Valiant)
This was the year I discovered Valiant, and perhaps not coincidentally the year Valiant put out it best work ever. Divinity is the kind of superhero comic usually reserved for Marvel and DC's best - think Marvels or Kingdom Come. Because that's what this is. Thank you, Matt Kindt. But more on that a little later.
6. The Sandman: Overture (Vertigo)
I came very, very late to Neil Gaiman's magnum opus. I'm still in the process of collecting the complete annotated collections, so I can read the original series, but I'm glad I read this follow-up, because it's absolutely breathtaking, and it's another concluding title that nailed the ending.
7. Supreme: Blue Rose (Image)
Usually when I take a recommendation, it has to be so glowing I know the source is being sincere. This was one of those cases. Warren Ellis's new vision of the classic Image creation was unspeakably brilliant, and joined the class of 2015's concluding tales with high honors.
8. Descender (Image)
I latched onto Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen's new series early and emphatically. Lemire is a writer I've been working toward fully appreciating for years. This is career work for Nguyen. Can't say enough good things about it.
9. MIND MGMT (Dark Horse)
Here's Matt Kindt again, and my first great binge discovery of the year, plus the last of the great 2015 finishes (so, I discovered it just in time!). Chock-full of great psychology, this was easily the most unique series I've read, and one of the closest I've come to full literary in comics, especially for an effort that didn't try to be literary. It just was. And it was great.
10. Prez (DC)
Mark Russell and Ben Caldwell took what could easily have been a terrible gimmick (which it was, in previous incarnations) and made pure gold out of it, a political and social commentary that was among the vanguard of DC's recent efforts to revitalize its approach to comics.
Star Wars: Lando (Marvel) #11 - The best of Charles Soule's considerable efforts and the best of the Star Wars comics I read this year...The Dark Knight III: The Master Race (DC) #12 - I honestly hope it's a big seller for DC, because it epitomizes what separates the company from Marvel...Bloodshot Reborn (Valiant) #13 - The best example of Valiant's ability to present fresh stories from its refreshed world of superheroes...Saga (Image) #14 - Still one of the best and most innovative comics being published...Justice League (DC) #15 - Geoff Johns is still creating some of the best event comics in the medium...The Multiversity (DC) #16 - Grant Morrison did his best work in this grand effort last year. That can't be helped. But the rest of it was still pretty good...Robin: Son of Batman (DC) #17 - Patrick Gleason proves he was paying attention all those years merely illustrating Peter Tomasi's work...Civil War (Marvel) #18 - Ironically I love the Secret Wars version a great deal more than its Mark Millar predecessor. Credit again goes to Charles Soule...Martian Manhunter (DC) #19 - Throughout the decade this character has elicited some of the best material of his history, a trend that obviously continues...The Legend of Wonder Woman (DC) #20 - Hopefully this portends a bold new era in DC's digital first line...Captain America: White (Marvel) #21 - Incredibly, everyone seemed to forget how awesome Loeb/Sale are. So it's a good thing this series is finally being published...Batman and Robin (DC) #22 - The end of Tomasi's grandest arc was so inevitable that it's almost easy to take it for granted. Almost...The Valiant (Valiant) #23 - Not since Marvels has a company titled an event so obviously and been justified...The Unwritten: Apocalypse (Vertigo) #24 - Had I been a regular reader of Unwritten, this would probably have ranked higher...The New Deal (Dark Horse) #25 - Jonathan Case continues to prove that he's one of the great graphic novelists working today...Strange Fruit (Boom!) #26 - It feels good to see Mark Waid finally return to form...Ms. Marvel (Marvel) #27 - I've cooled on this series considerably, but it's still been a pleasure to be a part of the movement. And to witness G. Willow Wilson at last get her just reward...Mister X: Razed (Dark Horse) #28 - This is the first time I've read original serialized releases for Dean Motter's signature creation...Batman: Earth One Volume 2 (DC) #29 - Geoff Johns continues to redefine the Dark Knight. It's strange and yet somehow appropriate that this is the way the two have finally come together...Earth 2: Society (DC) #30 - A series with plenty of haters. I'm definitely not one of them...Batman (DC) #31 - If "Endgame" had been Scott Snyder's only Dark Knight effort, I would probably have listed it much higher...Tuki (Cartoon) #32 - Jeff Smith continues to digitally serialize his third great adventure...Django/Zorro (Dynamite) #33 - This shouldn't have worked at all. Except Matt Wagner was at the helm...Swamp Thing (DC) #34 - Charles Soule left his greatest DC work last...Grayson (DC) #35 - Has never quite reached the incredible heights of its Futures End issue, but still one of the leading series revolutionizing the DC landscape...G.I. Joe: Snake Eyes, Agent of Cobra (IDW) #36 - Mike Costa sneaks in a follow-up to his masterful work with the franchise...18 Days (Graphic India) #37 - This adaptation of Grant Morrison's epic vision of the greatest epic to come out of India does the thing justice...Convergence: Detective Comics (DC) #38 - The best of the would-be fever dreams of DC geeks everywhere is a more than worthy follow-up to the landmark Superman: Red Son And that wasn't even the leading story...Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (IDW) #39 - A big present for Douglas Adams geeks...Atomic Robo and the Ring of Fire (IDW) #40 - Robo's return to print, with a far more prominent publisher, will hopefully make him the cult icon he's long deserved to be...The Death-Defying Doctor Mirage (Valiant) #41 - My favorite discovery from the continuing comiXology backlog, and the reason I finally started reading Valiant...Convergence and Telos (DC) #42 - Jeff King's fresh eyes on the DC landscape created something new out of a lot of familiarity...Superman: American Alien (DC) #43 - Speaking of which, revisiting the Man of Steel's origins was once again a good thing...Doctor Who: Four Doctors (Titan) #44 - Perennial favorite Paul Cornell inevitably writes a very British icon. A bunch of them...Red Lanterns (DC) #45 - Landry Q. Walker did the unthinkable: Make me continue to care about this series after Charles Soule's departure...Klaus (Boom!) #46 - Grant Morrison wasn't all magic this year. I came very close to hating Nameless. But I loved this...We Are Robin (DC) #47 - Strip everything else away, and this is finally Duke Thomas in the spotlight after too many teases...Star Trek/Green Lantern (IDW) #48 - Hey, it was easily the best Star Trek and Green Lantern I've read in a few years...Justice League: Gods and Monsters (DC) #49 - Have yet to see the animated film for which these comics were to created to support, but they were more than good enough to stand on their own...Convergence: Blue Beetle (DC) #50 - Ah, Scott Lobdell, someday the fans will love you...
So long, 2015, and thanks for all the fish. And great comics!
Showing posts with label QB50. Show all posts
Showing posts with label QB50. Show all posts
Friday, December 11, 2015
Thursday, January 1, 2015
2014 QB50
For my ninth annual list of the best comics I read from the last year, I'm glad to say I read a lot of quality material, with so many excellent choices for the top ten that there are viable candidates ranked well below that prestigious marker. Now, keep in mind that the QB50 represents only material released in 2014, not what I read in 2014. In at least one instance I fudged this distinction a little, but as it stands, and because there really is no such thing as a definitive version of a "best of" list, should you wonder what I thought about something else you may have thought worth considering, that's why Comics Reader is an ongoing, past and present, experience...
1. Annihilator (Legendary)
It's no secret that I'm a fan of Grant Morrison. He has in fact written or co-written five out of the nine top-ranked comics on this list (52 in 2006 and 2007, on which he collaborated with Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, and Greg Rucka; Batman in 2008, which would have been circa "R.I.P.;" and Action Comics in 2012, which would have been the first year of the New 52 run, including the crucial ninth issue, which for all intents and purposes introduced The Multiversity; and now of course Annihilator in 2014). Never mind that if I could retroactively reconsider Joe the Barbarian's listings in 2010 and 2011 (the former in which Air took its second consecutive top ranking, and the latter in which RASL took the honors) I would now seriously like to see that list increase by one (likely 2010)...Anyway, Annihilator isn't finished yet. With four of its six issues released, the story of Hollywood screenwriter Ray Spass (pronounced "space") and his fateful meeting with Max Nomax, who happens to be the star of Ray's latest effort, for me reads like a culmination of all Morrison's best instincts, as well as lessons learned from his best work. (I mean, what else could you ask for, right?) Frequent collaborator Frazer Irving has also provided some of his career-best material. Issue after issue has only increased Annihilator's impact. There remains the possibility that its two remaining issues next year will make it the top-ranked comic in the 2015 QB50. We'll see. Should Morrison nail the ending...? Could be his best ever.
2. The Multiversity (DC)
3. Wasteland (Oni)
4. Batman and Robin (DC)
5. The Star Wars (Dark Horse)
6. Grayson: Futures End #1 (DC)
7. Supreme: Blue Rose (Image)
It's not often you hear about a comic and without any prior interest know suddenly that you not only must read it but that it will end up being a defining experience. When this happens at all, it's something that was finished years in the past (Watchmen is the prototypical example) or merely the popular thing everyone's latching onto. Warren Ellis re-imagining Rob Liefeld and Alan Moore's Supreme, Blue Rose is a classic in the making. It's a superhero mystery unlike any you've seen before, removing the main character from his own story and instead exploiting his fantastic mythology in ways that are still hard to comprehend even after you've read an issue or two, much less the five that have been published to date. It's compulsive in the best comics tradition, and it will be talked about for years to come. At the moment, it seems to have slipped completely off the radar. This will change.
8. Geoff Johns' Superman (DC)
9. Saga (Image)
10. The Sandman: Overture (Vertigo)
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| via Huffington Post |
It's no secret that I'm a fan of Grant Morrison. He has in fact written or co-written five out of the nine top-ranked comics on this list (52 in 2006 and 2007, on which he collaborated with Geoff Johns, Mark Waid, and Greg Rucka; Batman in 2008, which would have been circa "R.I.P.;" and Action Comics in 2012, which would have been the first year of the New 52 run, including the crucial ninth issue, which for all intents and purposes introduced The Multiversity; and now of course Annihilator in 2014). Never mind that if I could retroactively reconsider Joe the Barbarian's listings in 2010 and 2011 (the former in which Air took its second consecutive top ranking, and the latter in which RASL took the honors) I would now seriously like to see that list increase by one (likely 2010)...Anyway, Annihilator isn't finished yet. With four of its six issues released, the story of Hollywood screenwriter Ray Spass (pronounced "space") and his fateful meeting with Max Nomax, who happens to be the star of Ray's latest effort, for me reads like a culmination of all Morrison's best instincts, as well as lessons learned from his best work. (I mean, what else could you ask for, right?) Frequent collaborator Frazer Irving has also provided some of his career-best material. Issue after issue has only increased Annihilator's impact. There remains the possibility that its two remaining issues next year will make it the top-ranked comic in the 2015 QB50. We'll see. Should Morrison nail the ending...? Could be his best ever.
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| via Unobtanium 13 |
And here's Morrison as his own closest competition. Seriously, it's not just the fact that fans have been waiting years to see this one become a reality. It's brilliant, it really is. Combining Seven Soldiers of Victory, The Return of Bruce Wayne, and the early issues of Batman Incorporated, this is Morrison exploding the concept of one-and-done by creating definitive comics for every concept he touches, including Pax Americana, a direct commentary on and answer to Watchmen, and what will for years be argued as an actual improvement. This is Morrison's argument for the genre of superhero comics being viable into the 21st century, not for nostalgia's sake or because they happen to be pop culture commodities at the movies, but as legitimate storytelling characters in their own right, by their own rules, and to their own ends. An epic vision of the complete DC landscape, something he previously tackled in Final Crisis, for which Multiversity might almost be seen as a sequel to, an apology for, and at least a refinement of, this is a total creative statement, a second project for which an entire legacy can be built around. Which is saying something, given that Morrison already has several such efforts under his belt. Most comics creators at this point in their careers have settled into more subdued expectations. Here's a chance to see someone live up to the old showbiz end-of-career delusion, "You ain't seen nothing yet."
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| via Shopify |
Previous rankings for this series: 10th (2006), 26th (2007), 11th (2009), 7th (2010), 7th (2012), 15th (2013). Missing years denote either blanks in the publishing schedule or how difficult it's been to find Wasteland reliably available in comic book shops. Which is a huge crime I won't have to worry about after one more issue, because as of December 2014, there is only one remaining. The epic journey of post-apocalyptic drifter Michael and the mystery of how that landscape was created has reached its final arc. Wasteland has been my personal equivalent to Bone, a series I discovered by proxy in the '90s and has gone on to legendary status in the comics community, slowly expanding outward thanks to mainstream Scholastic reprints. I hope Wasteland has a similarly fruitful afterlife. It has been brilliant from start to finish. I'm proud to have been a stalwart fan throughout its original run.
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| via DC Comics |
The single best series of the New 52 since the start, Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason have collaborated several times in the past (Green Lantern Corps, Brightest Day), but ever to this pitch-perfect degree and certainly never to such operatic heights. For me, this might as well be considered unthinkable, given what I've said above: they've improved on Grant Morrison. It was Morrison who created the character of Damian, and last year killed him off. But any and all of that was merely a starting point for this dynamic duo. Early in the run they seemed content to ride shotgun with larger creative acts handling all the attention, but this was the year Tomasi and Gleason unleashed their full potential. The "Hellbat" option is on par with Frank Miller's famous wish-fulfillment fight with Superman in the pages of The Dark Knight Returns, the moment a vulnerable Batman ignored all restraints and went after the body of his son, the embodiment of a career dedicated to avenging the signal loss of his life. What happens when you attempt the impossible? Well, something like this. This is what superhero comics are all about.
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| via First Comics News |
Everyone's excited about Marvel reclaiming Star Wars in 2015, but it needs reminding that arguably the best Star Wars comic ever made was released by Dark Horse, who happened to have rights to the franchise for the last quarter century. That comic is the improbable adaptation of the original George Lucas draft of the first film, a whole alternate take on everything you know, and all the more mesmerizing for it. Imbued with the lush art of Mike Mayhew, it's the best thank-you Dark Horse could have conceived for everyone who enjoyed its efforts over the years, from Dark Empire to Brian Wood's Star Wars, the saga as you know it now would not exist without these comics. And now there's an accessible version of the saga that never happened. And that won't go away just because someone else has the rights now.
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| via DC Comics |
Along with The Multiversity: Pax Americana, this was 2014's best argument that one issue can say it all. Grayson is a repackaging of Nightwing, following the events of Forever Evil. It's Dick Grayson, the original Robin, in his latest transformation, this time as a spy. I haven't read the series itself regularly, but thank goodness I thought to have a look at the special issue released as part of DC's annual September events month, a tradition since the New 52 era began in 2011. In conjunction with the weekly Futures End comic that takes place five years in the future, the month gave the creators behind the rest of the line the chance to look ahead. Some creators opted out of the opportunity, some understood that they had the chance to make valuable statements on what they're doing now in the likelihood that they won't have such an opportunity again. Grayson writers Tim Seeley and Tom King did something even more brilliant: they crafted a riddle of an issue that not only seized the opportunity but wrote the definitive issue of this whole era in the character's ever-expanding legacy.
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| via Previews World |
It's not often you hear about a comic and without any prior interest know suddenly that you not only must read it but that it will end up being a defining experience. When this happens at all, it's something that was finished years in the past (Watchmen is the prototypical example) or merely the popular thing everyone's latching onto. Warren Ellis re-imagining Rob Liefeld and Alan Moore's Supreme, Blue Rose is a classic in the making. It's a superhero mystery unlike any you've seen before, removing the main character from his own story and instead exploiting his fantastic mythology in ways that are still hard to comprehend even after you've read an issue or two, much less the five that have been published to date. It's compulsive in the best comics tradition, and it will be talked about for years to come. At the moment, it seems to have slipped completely off the radar. This will change.
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| via USA Today |
It's hard to believe that DC put so much emphasis on Grant Morrison's Action Comics when the New 52 began that Superman became so hard to nail, by so many creators, that it became almost completely superfluous. Enter Geoff Johns. Of course, right? The last time Johns worked on the Man of Steel, he opted for iconic portraits of known elements such as General Zod, Bizarro, and the Legion of Super-Heroes. This time he's doing something new, and exceedingly clever. The idea of introducing a contrasting character has been done many times (Pete Tomasi has opted to try Magog again over in Superman/Wonder Woman, for instance), but rarely to such a high conceptual level as Johns has tackled with Ulysses, a "strange visitor" and "last son" who has pushed our hero to his very limits, not mortally, but morally. The art of John Romita, Jr., working at DC for the first time after a career dedicated to Marvel and Kick-Ass, has helped distinguish the story as well, forcing the reader to see Superman in a different light with every new striking image.
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| via Previews World |
This is the comic that put the entire industry on notice, and has been keeping everyone on their toes for three years now. Brian K. Vaughan has a number of iconic creations already (Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina, for example), but he's doing the best work of his career in a science fiction opus that breaks every taboo and features a whole cast of exceptional characters. And the art of Fiona Staples. The way Image redefined art in the '90s is what Staples is doing in the pages of Saga. Without Staples' work here, there wouldn't be Tula Lotay's Supreme: Blue Rose, or even Frazer Irving's Annihilator. Staples sets the pace. And Saga has the best fans in all of comics, the best letters column in an age where such a feature has become a mark of pride for any comic that thinks to include it. What does Lying Cat say about all of that? Nothing at all...
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| via Hitfix |
If there's a Sandman being published, surely it deserves mentioning among the year's best? I've come very late to the game, and I'm still trying to catch up, but I know enough to acknowledge Neil Gaiman, at this point, as one of the most important creators in comics. In this return engagement, which has a very relaxed publishing schedule, he's sought to take an increasingly philosophical look at his most famous creation. Every issue is like a complete re-calibration on the whole effort. After four issues, we're still inching along, it seems, but the stakes keep getting raised, and so too does our emotional investment in Dream's latest crisis. The art of J.H. Williams III has become a challenge in its own right, but surely a welcome one, and a necessary one to convey the truly dream-like quality of the story. And maybe that's all you really need to know about The Sandman: Overture.
11. Tuki (Cartoon)
Jeff Smith's online comic begins, only his third creation after Bone and RASL. He has now completed two "seasons," or what amounts to two issues worth of material, but the results have been worth it. Beginning with RASL, Smith began relaxing the pace of his storytelling, allowing his art to rise to the surface, and that's been the most telling element of Tuki, in which a caveman slowly embraces another of Smith's trademark unique destinies.
12. Detective Comics #27 (DC)
The New 52 milestone of the second-ever issue featuring the same issue number as the first-ever appearance of Batman was the occasion for several remarkable short stories from some of the best contemporary creators, including a rare Brad Meltzer effort that revisited that first appearance, the first chapter of the otherwise-overlooked "Gothtopia" arc from John Layman, and a Scott Snyder version of the Dark Knight's future featuring the art of Sean Murphy, which was the impetus for this comics commentator reconsidering Snyder's emerging legacy. Not a bad way to celebrate.
13. Red Lanterns (DC)
The series that helped me discover the talent of Charles Soule. When it launched back at the start of the New 52, Red Lanterns was easily one of the most-questioned decisions made at that time, a series dedicated to one of the least compelling corners of a franchise that had only recently bloomed to proportions where such an opportunity presented itself. And that reaction lasted for several years. Then Soule arrived, bringing Guy Gardner with him, and exploded the concept into a full sci-fi spectacle, borrowing Supergirl for added emphasis, and using, as did Grayson, its Futures End special issue to dramatic effect, as a peak at an ending Soule, after a fan-crushing announcement of an impending exclusive deal with Marvel, would probably never get to write otherwise.
14. Ms. Marvel (Marvel)
I've been a fan of G. Willow Wilson for years (Air topped the QB50 in 2009 and 2010), and have been waiting for her big comics comeback for what seemed like centuries. So it was with great pleasure to see her launch Ms. Marvel to much critical and well as cultural acclaim. A very well-deserved triumph, and a terrifically fun read.
15. Django/Zorro (Vertigo/Dynamite)
A late addition to the year was this sequel to Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained and Matt Wagner's own previous Zorro for Dynamite, which has somehow managed to combine them for a story that serves to do justice to both.
16. Starlight (Image)
Last year I ranked Jeph Loeb's Nova #1 at seventh. Subsequent issues failed to live up to that incredible promise. Enter Mark Millar, who has been doing his best to single-handedly make comics relevant to wide audiences again, with a series of projects that have been adapted into major motion pictures. Hopefully Starlight will follow.
17. Superman Unchained (DC)
I came very late to this Scott Snyder/Jim Lee project, but its final issue served not only to join a considerable list of 2014 comics that shown new light on Lex Luthor, but helped me see Snyder more clearly as well.
18. Emerald City of Oz (Marvel)
After six adaptations of the original L. Frank Baum material, Eric Shanower and Skottie Young's remarkable collaboration has come to an end, and the magic they've helped illuminate will serve the legacies of all three creators. Technically released at the end of 2013. I didn't see it until early 2014. If you consider this retroactive to last year's QB50, that'll make one of these Oz comics ranked every year since 2009.
19. Forever Evil (DC)
A decidedly contentious event, Geoff Johns let the bad guys win (for a while) before concluding on a far more ambiguous note, with traditional uber-villain Lex Luthor becoming the hero, and then setting up the next crisis. Or, Crisis.
20. Atomic Robo (Red 5)
Has appeared on every list from 2009-2012, omitted last year because this is another small-press comic that is unreliably available in physical comics venues (and that was the year Dr. Dinosaur finally made the title of an Atomic Robo mini-series!). But suffice to say, every time I read a Brian Clevinger/Scott Wegener comic, a smile spreads broadly across my face.
21. The Unwritten: Apocalypse (Vertigo)
Mike Carey's metafictional account of a Harry Potter figure was cancelled in 2013, but brought back for a limited engagement in 2014, and the first issue was the best possible argument for the whole concept's brilliance.
22. The Girl Who Played with Fire (Vertigo)
The comics adaptation was the biggest reason I finally read the original Stieg Larsson books. My personal favorite element was the inclusion of Antonio Fuso in the pool of artists, fondly remembered as one of the key creative elements of Mike Costa's Cobra.
23. Archeologists of Shadows (Septagon)
2014 was the year I finally went digital, and among the benefits was the possibility of discovering exciting new underground talent, which AOS exemplified in its innovative art and engaging vision of the heroic journey.
24. Trillium (Vertigo)
Neither of the two issues I finally read of Jeff Lemire's ambitious love story was technically released in 2014, but the project did conclude in the required time-frame.
25. The Bunker (Oni)
Joshua Hale Fialkov has been on one of the more unique creative journeys in comics, and if The Bunker signals where he's headed, he is a force that go very, very far.
26. Batman/Batman Eternal (DC)
Here's Scott Snyder' Batman, a creative run that most observers have pegged as among the very best comics. I've had my reservations over the years, but the more chances I give it, the more it rewards me.
27. Justice League (DC)
After having my regular reading experience broken a few years back, I've found it difficult to get back into a groove on this series, although I continue to contend that Geoff Johns is doing the most important work of the New 52 in its pages.
28. Superman/Wonder Woman (DC)
For most of the year this was another of the signal Charles Soule projects, and the first he had to conclude as he prepared for that (wretched!) Marvel contract. His successor couldn't have been better, though: Pete Tomasi, bringing, apparently, everything he's learned in the pages of Batman and Robin with him.
29. The Death of Wolverine (Marvel)
For once, this kind of thing actually delivered, making a permanent touchstone statement in the history of a major comics character, building on the milestone work that has retroactively an entire background for one of the most important superheroes of our time. And Charles Soule wrote it. So maybe fans like me don't have to worry so much.
30. Captain America/All-New Captain America (Marvel)
Rick Remender has somehow become a defining writer of Steve Rogers. Following the long tenure of Ed Brubaker, which among other things produced the material for the film Captain America: Winter Soldier, Remender brought his off-kilter instincts to full effect, depowering Rogers and introducing the Falcon as his latest replacement. The latter series features the art of Stuart Immonen, featuring his most recognize work in years.
31. "Brace Yourself," Sensation Comics (DC)
This was the year Wonder Woman finally began to be embraced as the same creative opportunity as Batman and Superman. The digital-first Sensation Comics rewarded that faith almost immediately with this story from Jason Bischoff, which took a fresh look at the Amazon's origins.
32. Umbral (Image)
If there's any reluctance on my part to fully enjoy this series, it's because I'm still attached to Antony Johnston and Christopher Mitten's last collaboration, Wasteland (uh, see above).
33. Damian: Son of Batman (DC)
Here's Andy Kubert's solo look at an alternate future first proposed by Grant Morrison, as Damian becomes the new Dark Knight and struggles against the legacy.
34. Ultimate Spider-Man #200 (Marvel)
We all need a little Brian Michael Bendis, and this may have been the best example, a special celebration that had a look at both amazing arachnids, Peter Parker and Miles Morales.
35. Dysphoria (Hollow Tree)
Something the digital community can't really give you is the product of local talent, whose material needs all the platforms it can get to spread awareness. If I hadn't seen this in a comics shop, I would never have seen it at all.
36. Swamp Thing (Vertigo)
The last project Charles Soule has to wrap up at DC is this one, and that may be the most telling thing to know about it.
37. Wonder Woman (DC)
Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang concluded their epic run on the series, which may go down as the most significant creative statement in the character's long history.
38. Smallville: Lantern (DC)
In the comics, the TV series never ended. And Superman finally became a Green Lantern.
39. The Fuse (Image)
Wasteland mastermind Antony Johnston also launched this series, a sci-fi procedural with Justin Greenwood, who along with Christopher Mitten is another signature Wasteland collaborator. And yeah, I'm waiting until the end of that one to embrace this one, too...
40. Superior Spider-Man (Marvel)
The era of Dan Slott's Doctor Spider-Man came to an end, and y'know what? I kind of miss it.
41. Secret Origins (DC)
Very cleverly, this has been a platform not only to emphasize new creative runs, but also to acknowledge ones that have concluded.
42. The New 52: Futures End (DC)
The headlining act of a trilogy of weekly series, I badly wanted this one to remind me of 52, but it hasn't even hit the notes of Countdown to Final Crisis. Which I liked, by the way.
43. Green Lantern (DC)
Robert Venditti's era, for me, always had an impossible act to follow, but he's been doing okay. "Godhead" has been a step in the right direction.
44. Kick-Ass 3 (Icon)
When Mark Millar launched Kick-Ass originally, I actually was among the readers, but I quit following along after a while. I was happy to come back and see the conclusion.
45. Deadpool: The Gauntlet (Marvel)
Hey, so I liked a Deadpool comic!
46. 7th Sword (IDW)
If the comic includes swords, it has to be awesome. This one obviously does. And it is.
47. Sinestro (DC)
I really wish this series were better. A can't-miss opportunity that is on the verge of doing exactly that...
48. Teen Titans (DC)
Scott Lobdell's New 52 work hasn't been properly acknowledged in the QB50. I came too late his Superman. Thankfully I caught a moment every other reader (this is a running theme of Lobdell's efforts) called egregious, as Bart Allen's past (future?) was dramatically revamped. A certain amount of evil genius was involved to make this happen. Keep in mind, I was a huge fan of Mark Waid's Impulse, which is arguably better than his Flash, which is arguably, at its best, among the best comics ever written.
49. Star Trek Special: Flesh & Stone (IDW)
This otherwise unremarkable comic brings together all the major doctors from Star Trek history, which among other things means Enterprise now has its comic book debut.
50. Earth 2/Earth 2: World's End (DC)
The introduction of the new Superman was underwhelming, but the origin of the new Batman, which I still haven't read, is still one of the best moments of any comic in 2014. And the spin-off weekly gets no respect, but softly deserves it.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
The 2013 QB50
Since 2006 I've been compiling a list of my favorite comics from the past year. The "QB" in the title was adapted from my original Quarter Bin column, and it never meant even then that I was literally writing about comics found in a quarter bin. "Quarter bin" in this context is my comics equivalent of the proverbial two cents worth of opinion.
This was a difficult year to justify for a new QB50, because I did not read comics regularly, at least how I had since 2005. I did not read any one ongoing series every month of the year. Consequently, even more than usual this list is my subjective evaluation of the material I chose for as objective critical merit as I could throughout the year. This does not mean I caught all of the good stuff. It does mean that if it's on the list this year, it's something I definitely loved or at least wanted to read, which in 2013 were more or less one and the same (hopefully).
Usually I've been able to make the call for which comic book tops the list fairly easily. 52 (2006, 2007), Grant Morrison's Batman (2008), Air (2009, 2010), RASL (2011), and Morrison's Action Comics were easy calls each year. They unquestionably gave me my best reading experiences. Because of the sporadic nature of my reading in 2013, I haven't been able to make that same call this year. I ended up going with the same thought process, though, that guided past selections, the project that gave me most consistent satisfaction. Everything else falls below it for a reason.
Without further adieu:
1. Geoff Johns' Green Lantern (DC)
It feels odd to be saying this, but this is the first time Johns has topped this list on his own. He was one of four writers on 52, of course, but he's been doing exceptional work all along. This was the last year he worked on his stellar Green Lantern material begun two years before I started making these lists. Most of the issues published in 2013 were in his concluding First Lantern arc, but they also included Simon Baz, who was introduced in the finals months of 2012, but quickly became, for me, a signature element of the entire run, perhaps the defining legacy of it in a legacy filled with such elements. The final issue, #20, was a master class in concluding ambitious efforts, and in itself might justify this rank. For the record, this run has previously ranked at 2 (last year), 6 (2011), 5 (2010), 15 (2009, 2008), 19 (2007), and 16 (2006, although past the top ten that later the rest of the rankings were a retroactive affair).
2. G.I. Joe: Cobra/G.I. Joe: The Cobra Files (IDW)
This has very nakededly been one of my favorite comic book runs since it began. It ranked 3rd in 2009 and 2010, 8th in 2011, and 9th last year. It was a serious contender for the top spot this year. Mike Costa's G.I. Joe replaced a very good DDP run as my all-time favorite in the franchise, a new standard that will be very difficult to beat, treating characters both known and created for it as human beings straight out of a John le Carre book, caught up in webs far greater than themselves but never giving up, more nakedly heroic than any costumed adventurer could ever be. And 2013 saw the conclusion of the whole affair, and some of its best work because of it.
3. The Star Wars (Dark Horse)
Back in 2011, the event comic Flashpoint was responsible for keeping me involved in the business of reading comics when I thought I was going to completely give it up. This year, that honor fell to The Star Wars, a brilliant adaptation of one of George Lucas's original drafts of his famous sci-fi opus, in which familiar names take on unfamiliar roles. I've rarely had so much fun reading any comic book. As a fan of this saga, I've been waiting for the comic book that would translate the appeal I always saw on the screen onto the printed page. Dark Horse has been producing efforts for twenty years. This year it finally found the project I could connect with.
4. Batman and Robin (DC)
Moving into 2014, this is the ongoing series I most expect to claim the top spot a year from now. At its best, this series is the best, and that's been the case for the past two years. Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's collaborative partnership stretches back years at this point, but they've reached astonishing new heights. I only wish I'd been reading this one all year. The issue I credit this ranking to is #23, part of the title's whole reaction to the death of Damian Wayne, the Robin whose subsequent absence changed the title of the series but not its brilliant tone, an incredible resonance unmatched by the more heralded likes of Snyder and Morrison.
5. Saga (Image)
This is the series with the astonishing leaps of sheer creative brilliance I normally associate with Grant Morrison, but actually springs from the mind of the accomplished Brian K. Vaughan, ably assisted by the best artist working today, Fiona Staples. I began the year feverishly catching up with the story. I'll be doing that again next year.
6. Batman Incorporated (DC)
~6.1 Batman Incorporated Special
The end of Grant Morrison's ambitious, epic vision of the Dark Knight was something I had to reconcile with myself earlier in the year, and since come to peace with, the manner and the pitch in which he did so. The highlight was #8, in which Morrison kills off his great creation, Damian Wayne, which caught everyone by surprise because at that point most observers had forgotten that someone other than Scott Snyder was doing things with Batman. Yet it was a crucial moment in the final countdown, and informed everything that came after it. Morrison's Batman has previously ranked 8th (2012), 2nd (2011), 12th, 18th & 22nd (2010), 8th (2009), 1st (2008), 4th (2007), and 34th (2006). The jam special spotlighting the Batman, Inc. concept from a variety of creators is also well worth praising, and a visible example that it's a shame we probably won't see any of those characters again. Not even Bat Cow!
7. Nova #1 (Marvel)
I very specifically single out the first issue because after it I tried to keep reading and the effect I noticed here wasn't quite there anymore. This one has my vote for best single issue of the year. It's quite possibly the best work of Jeph Loeb's career, and say what you will about his recent Marvel reputation, but that's saying a lot. It's also very clearly a reflection on the continuing impact the death of his son Sam has on him. And it manages to make a character who was never at all relevant to me one of the most important characters of 2013. The whole concept of Nova is so similar to Green Lantern, it kind of figures that no one was ever able to make it nearly as relevant. Loeb fixes that in a big way here. Read it for yourself. You'll see what I mean.
8. Grant Morrison's Action Comics (DC)
No offense to any of the other creators who worked on Superman this year, but this is his only solo appearance in the list for 2013. I didn't have time to check out anyone else's really, and besides, it was a tall order to compare with the end of Grant Morrison's run, which was typically Grant Morrison in every sense, grandiose and perhaps even impenetrable but deeply about the legacy of the character as only this creator could see it.
9. Saucer Country (Vertigo)
The final issues of this Paul Cornell series were released in the first half of the year. Saucer Country became Air's successor as the Vertigo series I cherished but everyone else overlooked, and was my most recent example of how fantastic Cornell is at his best.
10. Before Watchmen: Comedian (DC)
At this point comic book fans have all but forgotten the heresy that was the Before Watchmen project, so to bring it up again at all probably seems peculiar, and to say that any part of it at all was among the best comic books of any year...Anyway, Comedian was easily one of my favorite comics of this and last year, with or without its historic connections, because as far as I'm concerned, it forged its own. A rumination on war that was every bit as nuanced as the character of Edward Blake himself turned out to be in the original Watchmen, this is my favorite Brian Azzarello work to date.
11. Tuki (Cartoon)
When Jeff Smith does something new, I pay attention. I pay attention because he's one of the most consistently creative minds in comics, whether represented in Bone or RASL. Tuki is his latest project, which he's unveiling page by page on the Boneville website, a look at cavemen that rings true with Smith's best instincts, the increasingly minimalist instincts he first honed in RASL but may be reaching new heights here.
12. Justice League (DC)
I have a poor track record with this favorite in 2013, but fortunately Geoff Johns started out the year memorably enough with the "Throne of Atlantis" crossover with his own Aquaman. It was good stuff, and I'm sure I'll be catching up with it sooner or later.
13. Punk Rock Jesus (Vertigo)
Ironically it was another Sean Murphy project, Joe the Barbarian, that benefited this year from my instinct that the later trade collection would probably do well for my overall appreciation of the effort. I think the same will be the case with this one, which Murphy wrote and drew himself, an incredibly ambitious project concluded early in the year.
14. The Sandman: Overture (Vertigo)
I spent a good portion of my time here during the year obsessing over Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Did you really think that if new material were published, it wouldn't appear on this list?
15. Wasteland (Oni)
A perennial favorite - as in ranked 10th in 2006, 26th in 2007, 11th in 2009, and 7th in 2010, 2012 - that was bound to make the list as long as new issues were being published and I could get my hands on them, Wasteland has taken a hit recently with the instability of the art aspect, but remains one of the best comics being published all the same. That it will see its final nine issues published in 2014 probably means I'll be paying very close attention to it. And its rank will no doubt crack the top ten again a year from now. And depending on how satisfying the ending is, could even nab the top spot...
16. Green Lantern #23.4: Sinestro (DC)
~16.1 Justice League #7.4: Black Adam
~16.2 Green Lantern #23.1: Relic
DC began a couple of things in September 2011. That first one saw the birth of the New 52. The following September saw the second Zero Month in the company's history. And this year's saw Villains Month. I caught these three issues, and saw the immediate worth of the exercise, a duplication and perhaps even improvement on last year's effort, issues dedicated to summarizing the careers and legacies of the featured character, at least in these examples. Considering how Sinestro was left in the final issue of Geoff Johns' Green Lantern, that one was especially crucial, and it worked incredibly well, better than even the great success of Robert Venditti's Relic issue (a little more on this later), while the Black Adam spotlight had a tall order to follow, considering how important a milestone 52 is for me, whose arc for the character the issue closely follows and updates quite well. If even half of the other comics from the month were near as good, it was a very good month indeed.
17. Arthur, Anon!
~17.1 Haley's Comic (blogs)
Nakedly awesome web comics from Haley Wolfe I've enjoyed immensely this year, a deliriously honest sense of humor. The former is newer, based on King Arthur, while the latter is biographical. I suggest both, but I love the creativity of the newer one. I hope both continue soon! And for some sort of publishing contract. (More on that later!)
18. Umbral (Image)
The writer of Wasteland, Antony Johnston, reteams with the original (and still best and returning!) artist, Christopher Mitten for a bold new yet clearly familiar (in a good way) fantasy vision, which is almost like a more clear rephrasing of their first collaboration. It will be very interesting to see this one unfold...
19. Justice League Dark (DC)
I randomly obtained two issues of this series, and I'm very glad I did, because the appeal of it became very quickly apparent. This is the perfect combination of DC and the returning Vertigo characters that other books in the New 52 attempted, a terrific cast, and excellent execution. From Constantine to Frankenstein to perhaps most significantly, Tim Hunter, and of course Deadman, it's like a who's who of the best characters no one else really knows what to do with in this new setting.
20. Superman/Wonder Woman (DC)
I recently gushed all about this one and its potential. I stand by all of that.
21. Damian: Son of Batman (DC)
A little like the Red Hood: Lost Days mini-series from a few years back, this is an unexpected and exceptional character study for a legacy no one saw coming, an alternative look at the career of Damian Wayne from Andy Kubert that casts new light on the whole legacy of Batman.
22. Journey into Mystery (Marvel)
Thor's Lady Sif receives her own glorious spotlight in a Kathryn Immonen arc that quickly betrays everything you thought you knew about such comics.
23. 7 Against Chaos (DC)
A lot of these best of lists go straight for graphic novels, usually of the indy, exploring-a-regular-life variety. This is my graphic novel on the list, an imaginative effort from Harlan Ellison that takes a new look at the heroic quest and the team needed to pull it off.
24. Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger (DC)
I kind of figured that these Trinity of Sin series would do some interesting work in a corner of the DC landscape that's usually overlooked, and I was right. And one of my favorite new characters of the past twenty years, Zauriel, shows up. Proof enough for me, my friends.
25. Larfleeze (DC)
~25.1 Threshold
Keith Giffen. And Larfleeze. And even the underrated Threshold. These are sheer acts of brilliance.
26. Happy! (Image)
Grant Morrison's Grant Morrison Christmas fable concluded at the start of the year. It was pretty good stuff.
27. Sword of Sorcery (DC)
Evoking both the potential I saw in Demon Knights and G. Willow Wilson's Mystic, this one deserved a much bigger audience than it got, if not for the lead story alone than the Beowulf feature that brilliantly reconstructed one of literature's oldest stories.
28. Mylo Xyloto (Bongo)
Far better than a comic book based on music should be, especially music that doesn't obviously lend itself to adaptation, like Coldplay's previous album, Viva la Vida, would have.
29. Star Trek: The Next Generation - Hive (IDW)
The conclusion to what was in essence the culmination of Brannon Braga's vision for the Borg was worth the wait at the start of the year.
30. Django Unchained (Vertigo)
Reading the comic book adaptation of the script was my first experience of the Quentin Tarantino movie. I love both versions.
31. All-New X-Men (Marvel)
When Brian Michael Bendis is on, he's unquestionably one of the best in the business. This is him in that mode. And once more in collaboration with Stuart Immonen, one of my favorites doing what is now my favorite of his Marvel material.
32. Justice League of America (DC)
A darker version of the work Geoff Johns has been doing in Justice League, this is also a direct continuation of it, furthering the story of Steve Trevor's involvement in the team.
33. Legends of the Dark Knight (DC)
I caught a few issues of this digital-first anthology series, including one that spotlights Slam Bradley, one of the older throwbacks of DC lore, with art by one of my favorites, Phil Hester!
34. Superior Spider-Man (Marvel)
Dan Slott's brand new day, as it were, and what I like to call the Doctor Spider-Man era, controversially substitutes Doctor Octopus in the body of Peter Parker. The ending is inevitable and predictable, making this perhaps one of the more interesting "replacement arcs" in recent comics history, as we watch the villain try to cope with being the hero.
35. Robert Venditti's Green Lantern (DC)
Whoever followed Geoff Johns was never going to have it easy, but Robert Venditti chose a fascinating path, introducing a new villain, Relic, who closely evokes the kind of work Johns had been doing in his final years with the franchise, but making it distinctly his own.
36. Batman: Li'l Gotham (DC)
Another digital-first effort, this time from Derek Fridolfs, an emerging connoisseur of continuity, with Dustin Nguyen, whose work is always fun to see, but perhaps never as literally as this imaginative take on an old tradition of flipping adult characters into a child context.
37. Detective Comics #19 (DC)
This was also known as the 900th issue of the series if you don't go by the renumbering from the New 52, and although not obvertly acknowledged or celebrated, this was still a fine way to mark the occasion, just enough telling nods from John Layman in a fine series of stories. Although I will probably suggest you consider next month's Detective Comics #27 among your comic book purchases. As a more obvious anniversary (in the original one, Batman made his debut), the festivities will be more prominent.
38. East of West (Image)
Jonathan Hickman has a Grant Morrison reputation among his fans, but I came to this one for the art from Nick Dragotta, who was a standout previously in Vengeance.
39. FBP (Vertigo)
The Federal Bureau of Physics, not that I want to curse it or anything, is looking like my successor to Saucer Country.
40. Hyperbole and a Half (blog)
Another web comic, although this one I'm sure you've heard of, thanks to Allie Brosh's much-deserved publishing contract that led to the book that was recently released. I stumbled across it earlier this year. Late to the party, but still...
41. Justice League of America's Vibe (DC)
One of the more unlikely comebacks of the year, Vibe was not only a part of the Justice League again, but star of his own series. I think if the publishing strategy had been different (both this and Justice League of America and Katana all debuted at exactly the same time), more people would have recognized the creative genius of this revival.
42. The Mice Templar, Volume IV: Legend (Image)
Another long-running favorite of mine - 29th in 2007, 36th in 2008, 14th in 2009, 35th in 2010, 18th in 2011 - came back for more as it follows the heroic journey of Karic and other long-running characters.
43. Batman Beyond Unlimited (DC)
A concept based on a TV series that has developed a whole comics legacy of its own, including next year's latest weekly series effort from DC, The New 52: Futures End, I worked all year long to track down this issue (#15), which saw Derek Fridolfs work in tandem with the great Ben Caldwell. And then I learned they shared a few more issues after that...
44. Martin Monsterman (FishTank)
The latest from Manny Trembley, one-half of the creative team behind my all-time favorite web comic, PX!, who has since been developing a whole line of bridge books for young readers. I helped fund this one via Kickstarter.
45. Aquaman Annual #1 (DC)
I didn't catch any actual issues of Aquaman this year, which saw the end of a too-brief run by Geoff Johns, but I read this, which kind of made it obvious now that I finally thought about it that the whole concept of the Others is kind of like DC's version of Top Cow's Artifacts (which combines the legacies of such characters as Witchblade and The Darkness).
46. Star Trek #19 (IDW)
There've been a whole slew of comic books based on the new Star Trek timeline. This is my favorite, a special look at the secret origin of Scotty!
47. Astro City (DC)
Kurt Busiek's heroic landscape returned in 2013, deserved a nod on this list.
48. Womanthology: Space (IDW)
The whole Womanthology concept was created to give a spotlight to, well, women in comics. I had a look mostly to see what one of my favorites, Devin K. Grayson, was up to.
49. Indestructible Hulk (Marvel)
This is Mark Waid doing his bit to translate the movie Avengers to the printed page.
50. Think Tank: Military Dossier (Top Cow)
A fun way to explore the characters of this series.
(All covers via Comic Book Database.)
This was a difficult year to justify for a new QB50, because I did not read comics regularly, at least how I had since 2005. I did not read any one ongoing series every month of the year. Consequently, even more than usual this list is my subjective evaluation of the material I chose for as objective critical merit as I could throughout the year. This does not mean I caught all of the good stuff. It does mean that if it's on the list this year, it's something I definitely loved or at least wanted to read, which in 2013 were more or less one and the same (hopefully).
Usually I've been able to make the call for which comic book tops the list fairly easily. 52 (2006, 2007), Grant Morrison's Batman (2008), Air (2009, 2010), RASL (2011), and Morrison's Action Comics were easy calls each year. They unquestionably gave me my best reading experiences. Because of the sporadic nature of my reading in 2013, I haven't been able to make that same call this year. I ended up going with the same thought process, though, that guided past selections, the project that gave me most consistent satisfaction. Everything else falls below it for a reason.
Without further adieu:
1. Geoff Johns' Green Lantern (DC)
It feels odd to be saying this, but this is the first time Johns has topped this list on his own. He was one of four writers on 52, of course, but he's been doing exceptional work all along. This was the last year he worked on his stellar Green Lantern material begun two years before I started making these lists. Most of the issues published in 2013 were in his concluding First Lantern arc, but they also included Simon Baz, who was introduced in the finals months of 2012, but quickly became, for me, a signature element of the entire run, perhaps the defining legacy of it in a legacy filled with such elements. The final issue, #20, was a master class in concluding ambitious efforts, and in itself might justify this rank. For the record, this run has previously ranked at 2 (last year), 6 (2011), 5 (2010), 15 (2009, 2008), 19 (2007), and 16 (2006, although past the top ten that later the rest of the rankings were a retroactive affair).
2. G.I. Joe: Cobra/G.I. Joe: The Cobra Files (IDW)
This has very nakededly been one of my favorite comic book runs since it began. It ranked 3rd in 2009 and 2010, 8th in 2011, and 9th last year. It was a serious contender for the top spot this year. Mike Costa's G.I. Joe replaced a very good DDP run as my all-time favorite in the franchise, a new standard that will be very difficult to beat, treating characters both known and created for it as human beings straight out of a John le Carre book, caught up in webs far greater than themselves but never giving up, more nakedly heroic than any costumed adventurer could ever be. And 2013 saw the conclusion of the whole affair, and some of its best work because of it.
3. The Star Wars (Dark Horse)
Back in 2011, the event comic Flashpoint was responsible for keeping me involved in the business of reading comics when I thought I was going to completely give it up. This year, that honor fell to The Star Wars, a brilliant adaptation of one of George Lucas's original drafts of his famous sci-fi opus, in which familiar names take on unfamiliar roles. I've rarely had so much fun reading any comic book. As a fan of this saga, I've been waiting for the comic book that would translate the appeal I always saw on the screen onto the printed page. Dark Horse has been producing efforts for twenty years. This year it finally found the project I could connect with.
4. Batman and Robin (DC)
Moving into 2014, this is the ongoing series I most expect to claim the top spot a year from now. At its best, this series is the best, and that's been the case for the past two years. Peter J. Tomasi and Patrick Gleason's collaborative partnership stretches back years at this point, but they've reached astonishing new heights. I only wish I'd been reading this one all year. The issue I credit this ranking to is #23, part of the title's whole reaction to the death of Damian Wayne, the Robin whose subsequent absence changed the title of the series but not its brilliant tone, an incredible resonance unmatched by the more heralded likes of Snyder and Morrison.
5. Saga (Image)
This is the series with the astonishing leaps of sheer creative brilliance I normally associate with Grant Morrison, but actually springs from the mind of the accomplished Brian K. Vaughan, ably assisted by the best artist working today, Fiona Staples. I began the year feverishly catching up with the story. I'll be doing that again next year.
6. Batman Incorporated (DC)
~6.1 Batman Incorporated Special
The end of Grant Morrison's ambitious, epic vision of the Dark Knight was something I had to reconcile with myself earlier in the year, and since come to peace with, the manner and the pitch in which he did so. The highlight was #8, in which Morrison kills off his great creation, Damian Wayne, which caught everyone by surprise because at that point most observers had forgotten that someone other than Scott Snyder was doing things with Batman. Yet it was a crucial moment in the final countdown, and informed everything that came after it. Morrison's Batman has previously ranked 8th (2012), 2nd (2011), 12th, 18th & 22nd (2010), 8th (2009), 1st (2008), 4th (2007), and 34th (2006). The jam special spotlighting the Batman, Inc. concept from a variety of creators is also well worth praising, and a visible example that it's a shame we probably won't see any of those characters again. Not even Bat Cow!
7. Nova #1 (Marvel)
I very specifically single out the first issue because after it I tried to keep reading and the effect I noticed here wasn't quite there anymore. This one has my vote for best single issue of the year. It's quite possibly the best work of Jeph Loeb's career, and say what you will about his recent Marvel reputation, but that's saying a lot. It's also very clearly a reflection on the continuing impact the death of his son Sam has on him. And it manages to make a character who was never at all relevant to me one of the most important characters of 2013. The whole concept of Nova is so similar to Green Lantern, it kind of figures that no one was ever able to make it nearly as relevant. Loeb fixes that in a big way here. Read it for yourself. You'll see what I mean.
8. Grant Morrison's Action Comics (DC)
No offense to any of the other creators who worked on Superman this year, but this is his only solo appearance in the list for 2013. I didn't have time to check out anyone else's really, and besides, it was a tall order to compare with the end of Grant Morrison's run, which was typically Grant Morrison in every sense, grandiose and perhaps even impenetrable but deeply about the legacy of the character as only this creator could see it.
9. Saucer Country (Vertigo)
The final issues of this Paul Cornell series were released in the first half of the year. Saucer Country became Air's successor as the Vertigo series I cherished but everyone else overlooked, and was my most recent example of how fantastic Cornell is at his best.
10. Before Watchmen: Comedian (DC)
At this point comic book fans have all but forgotten the heresy that was the Before Watchmen project, so to bring it up again at all probably seems peculiar, and to say that any part of it at all was among the best comic books of any year...Anyway, Comedian was easily one of my favorite comics of this and last year, with or without its historic connections, because as far as I'm concerned, it forged its own. A rumination on war that was every bit as nuanced as the character of Edward Blake himself turned out to be in the original Watchmen, this is my favorite Brian Azzarello work to date.
11. Tuki (Cartoon)
When Jeff Smith does something new, I pay attention. I pay attention because he's one of the most consistently creative minds in comics, whether represented in Bone or RASL. Tuki is his latest project, which he's unveiling page by page on the Boneville website, a look at cavemen that rings true with Smith's best instincts, the increasingly minimalist instincts he first honed in RASL but may be reaching new heights here.
12. Justice League (DC)
I have a poor track record with this favorite in 2013, but fortunately Geoff Johns started out the year memorably enough with the "Throne of Atlantis" crossover with his own Aquaman. It was good stuff, and I'm sure I'll be catching up with it sooner or later.
13. Punk Rock Jesus (Vertigo)
Ironically it was another Sean Murphy project, Joe the Barbarian, that benefited this year from my instinct that the later trade collection would probably do well for my overall appreciation of the effort. I think the same will be the case with this one, which Murphy wrote and drew himself, an incredibly ambitious project concluded early in the year.
14. The Sandman: Overture (Vertigo)
I spent a good portion of my time here during the year obsessing over Neil Gaiman's Sandman. Did you really think that if new material were published, it wouldn't appear on this list?
15. Wasteland (Oni)
A perennial favorite - as in ranked 10th in 2006, 26th in 2007, 11th in 2009, and 7th in 2010, 2012 - that was bound to make the list as long as new issues were being published and I could get my hands on them, Wasteland has taken a hit recently with the instability of the art aspect, but remains one of the best comics being published all the same. That it will see its final nine issues published in 2014 probably means I'll be paying very close attention to it. And its rank will no doubt crack the top ten again a year from now. And depending on how satisfying the ending is, could even nab the top spot...
16. Green Lantern #23.4: Sinestro (DC)
~16.1 Justice League #7.4: Black Adam
~16.2 Green Lantern #23.1: Relic
DC began a couple of things in September 2011. That first one saw the birth of the New 52. The following September saw the second Zero Month in the company's history. And this year's saw Villains Month. I caught these three issues, and saw the immediate worth of the exercise, a duplication and perhaps even improvement on last year's effort, issues dedicated to summarizing the careers and legacies of the featured character, at least in these examples. Considering how Sinestro was left in the final issue of Geoff Johns' Green Lantern, that one was especially crucial, and it worked incredibly well, better than even the great success of Robert Venditti's Relic issue (a little more on this later), while the Black Adam spotlight had a tall order to follow, considering how important a milestone 52 is for me, whose arc for the character the issue closely follows and updates quite well. If even half of the other comics from the month were near as good, it was a very good month indeed.
17. Arthur, Anon!
~17.1 Haley's Comic (blogs)
Nakedly awesome web comics from Haley Wolfe I've enjoyed immensely this year, a deliriously honest sense of humor. The former is newer, based on King Arthur, while the latter is biographical. I suggest both, but I love the creativity of the newer one. I hope both continue soon! And for some sort of publishing contract. (More on that later!)
18. Umbral (Image)
The writer of Wasteland, Antony Johnston, reteams with the original (and still best and returning!) artist, Christopher Mitten for a bold new yet clearly familiar (in a good way) fantasy vision, which is almost like a more clear rephrasing of their first collaboration. It will be very interesting to see this one unfold...
19. Justice League Dark (DC)
I randomly obtained two issues of this series, and I'm very glad I did, because the appeal of it became very quickly apparent. This is the perfect combination of DC and the returning Vertigo characters that other books in the New 52 attempted, a terrific cast, and excellent execution. From Constantine to Frankenstein to perhaps most significantly, Tim Hunter, and of course Deadman, it's like a who's who of the best characters no one else really knows what to do with in this new setting.
20. Superman/Wonder Woman (DC)
I recently gushed all about this one and its potential. I stand by all of that.
21. Damian: Son of Batman (DC)
A little like the Red Hood: Lost Days mini-series from a few years back, this is an unexpected and exceptional character study for a legacy no one saw coming, an alternative look at the career of Damian Wayne from Andy Kubert that casts new light on the whole legacy of Batman.
22. Journey into Mystery (Marvel)
Thor's Lady Sif receives her own glorious spotlight in a Kathryn Immonen arc that quickly betrays everything you thought you knew about such comics.
23. 7 Against Chaos (DC)
A lot of these best of lists go straight for graphic novels, usually of the indy, exploring-a-regular-life variety. This is my graphic novel on the list, an imaginative effort from Harlan Ellison that takes a new look at the heroic quest and the team needed to pull it off.
24. Trinity of Sin: The Phantom Stranger (DC)
I kind of figured that these Trinity of Sin series would do some interesting work in a corner of the DC landscape that's usually overlooked, and I was right. And one of my favorite new characters of the past twenty years, Zauriel, shows up. Proof enough for me, my friends.
25. Larfleeze (DC)
~25.1 Threshold
Keith Giffen. And Larfleeze. And even the underrated Threshold. These are sheer acts of brilliance.
26. Happy! (Image)
Grant Morrison's Grant Morrison Christmas fable concluded at the start of the year. It was pretty good stuff.
27. Sword of Sorcery (DC)
Evoking both the potential I saw in Demon Knights and G. Willow Wilson's Mystic, this one deserved a much bigger audience than it got, if not for the lead story alone than the Beowulf feature that brilliantly reconstructed one of literature's oldest stories.
28. Mylo Xyloto (Bongo)
Far better than a comic book based on music should be, especially music that doesn't obviously lend itself to adaptation, like Coldplay's previous album, Viva la Vida, would have.
29. Star Trek: The Next Generation - Hive (IDW)
The conclusion to what was in essence the culmination of Brannon Braga's vision for the Borg was worth the wait at the start of the year.
30. Django Unchained (Vertigo)
Reading the comic book adaptation of the script was my first experience of the Quentin Tarantino movie. I love both versions.
31. All-New X-Men (Marvel)
When Brian Michael Bendis is on, he's unquestionably one of the best in the business. This is him in that mode. And once more in collaboration with Stuart Immonen, one of my favorites doing what is now my favorite of his Marvel material.
32. Justice League of America (DC)
A darker version of the work Geoff Johns has been doing in Justice League, this is also a direct continuation of it, furthering the story of Steve Trevor's involvement in the team.
33. Legends of the Dark Knight (DC)
I caught a few issues of this digital-first anthology series, including one that spotlights Slam Bradley, one of the older throwbacks of DC lore, with art by one of my favorites, Phil Hester!
34. Superior Spider-Man (Marvel)
Dan Slott's brand new day, as it were, and what I like to call the Doctor Spider-Man era, controversially substitutes Doctor Octopus in the body of Peter Parker. The ending is inevitable and predictable, making this perhaps one of the more interesting "replacement arcs" in recent comics history, as we watch the villain try to cope with being the hero.
35. Robert Venditti's Green Lantern (DC)
Whoever followed Geoff Johns was never going to have it easy, but Robert Venditti chose a fascinating path, introducing a new villain, Relic, who closely evokes the kind of work Johns had been doing in his final years with the franchise, but making it distinctly his own.
36. Batman: Li'l Gotham (DC)
Another digital-first effort, this time from Derek Fridolfs, an emerging connoisseur of continuity, with Dustin Nguyen, whose work is always fun to see, but perhaps never as literally as this imaginative take on an old tradition of flipping adult characters into a child context.
37. Detective Comics #19 (DC)
This was also known as the 900th issue of the series if you don't go by the renumbering from the New 52, and although not obvertly acknowledged or celebrated, this was still a fine way to mark the occasion, just enough telling nods from John Layman in a fine series of stories. Although I will probably suggest you consider next month's Detective Comics #27 among your comic book purchases. As a more obvious anniversary (in the original one, Batman made his debut), the festivities will be more prominent.
38. East of West (Image)
Jonathan Hickman has a Grant Morrison reputation among his fans, but I came to this one for the art from Nick Dragotta, who was a standout previously in Vengeance.
39. FBP (Vertigo)
The Federal Bureau of Physics, not that I want to curse it or anything, is looking like my successor to Saucer Country.
40. Hyperbole and a Half (blog)
Another web comic, although this one I'm sure you've heard of, thanks to Allie Brosh's much-deserved publishing contract that led to the book that was recently released. I stumbled across it earlier this year. Late to the party, but still...
41. Justice League of America's Vibe (DC)
One of the more unlikely comebacks of the year, Vibe was not only a part of the Justice League again, but star of his own series. I think if the publishing strategy had been different (both this and Justice League of America and Katana all debuted at exactly the same time), more people would have recognized the creative genius of this revival.
42. The Mice Templar, Volume IV: Legend (Image)
Another long-running favorite of mine - 29th in 2007, 36th in 2008, 14th in 2009, 35th in 2010, 18th in 2011 - came back for more as it follows the heroic journey of Karic and other long-running characters.
43. Batman Beyond Unlimited (DC)
A concept based on a TV series that has developed a whole comics legacy of its own, including next year's latest weekly series effort from DC, The New 52: Futures End, I worked all year long to track down this issue (#15), which saw Derek Fridolfs work in tandem with the great Ben Caldwell. And then I learned they shared a few more issues after that...
44. Martin Monsterman (FishTank)
The latest from Manny Trembley, one-half of the creative team behind my all-time favorite web comic, PX!, who has since been developing a whole line of bridge books for young readers. I helped fund this one via Kickstarter.
45. Aquaman Annual #1 (DC)
I didn't catch any actual issues of Aquaman this year, which saw the end of a too-brief run by Geoff Johns, but I read this, which kind of made it obvious now that I finally thought about it that the whole concept of the Others is kind of like DC's version of Top Cow's Artifacts (which combines the legacies of such characters as Witchblade and The Darkness).
46. Star Trek #19 (IDW)
There've been a whole slew of comic books based on the new Star Trek timeline. This is my favorite, a special look at the secret origin of Scotty!
47. Astro City (DC)
Kurt Busiek's heroic landscape returned in 2013, deserved a nod on this list.
48. Womanthology: Space (IDW)
The whole Womanthology concept was created to give a spotlight to, well, women in comics. I had a look mostly to see what one of my favorites, Devin K. Grayson, was up to.
49. Indestructible Hulk (Marvel)
This is Mark Waid doing his bit to translate the movie Avengers to the printed page.
50. Think Tank: Military Dossier (Top Cow)
A fun way to explore the characters of this series.
(All covers via Comic Book Database.)
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