It's the end of the year, and as such, the 'Best Of' lists are rolling out in force. However, instead of proffering my own list of the best books of 2012, which would pretty much be a Transformers-fest due to my ridiculous fervor for those IDW books, I got the bright idea to put the word out to comic book writers and artists themselves to submit their best of 2012 lists. I figured this would be a great way to spread a little love around the industry this holiday season, and that these professionals would definitely tell us about some hidden gems that may have slipped through our radar this year. I was certainly right about that.
The response was great, especially considering how busy these people are and the added demands of the holiday season. So let's get to showing you the selections and recommendations from the swell folks who were gracious enough to participate – and it's worth noting that more would have liked to if they had the time. It's also possible that there will be some late entries coming in, and if/when they do, we'll fold them right into this piece as an update. As it stands, the clear winner right now is Saga, by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples.
So, without further ado, we'll start with the wonderfully talented Christos Gage, a gentleman who might need some holiday cheer after seeing his fantastic book Avengers Academy ended in favor of Avengers Arena, wherein one of the characters he lovingly crafted was unceremoniously murdered in the first issue – or maybe that's just me.
CHRISTOS GAGE
Writer: Avengers Academy, Angel & Faith, Absolution, Superior Spider-Man: Age of Ultron, Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes, Avengers Assemble Annual
In no particular order:
LOCKE & KEY: Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez have brilliantly constructed an elaborate mythology around the Locke family, Keyhouse and its magical keys, all without ever losing sight of the characters that make it all matter. I am devastated that this book is coming to an end soon, but can’t wait to see what happens.
DAREDEVIL: Mark Waid and my old pal Chris Samnee (shameless plug: we did a Vertigo graphic novel called AREA 10 together, check it out!) prove every month that you can achieve success by just producing great superhero stories made with love and care and brilliant talent. Which gives me hope for the world.
FATALE: And really, anything Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips do together…CRIMINAL, INCOGNITO, it’s all fantastic. Fatale brings together crime noir and Lovecraftian horror, and here again I’m seeing a really cool mythology take shape, but character is always at the heart of it.
ALL-STAR WESTERN: I was thrilled to see this book be one of the successes of DC’s New 52, because I am a huge fan of what Jimmy Palmiotti and Justin Gray have been doing (in collaboration with an all-star cast of art luminaries) with Jonah Hex for years now. This series continues their stellar take on the orneriest Western anti-hero of all, now seasoned with intriguing ties to the past of Gotham City and the DC Universe. Regular artist Moritat provides gritty yet pretty art. Check it out, and if you like it, you’ll love the JONAH HEX trade paperbacks collecting the earlier series.
HARBINGER: Josh Dysart may be a liberal-elite hipster, but he’s mainlining everything that makes superhero comics awesome with this revival of the classic Valiant property. Each character has a strong, distinct personality and voice, with Faith standing out as the lovable everygeek we can all identify with. It doesn’t hurt to have the likes of Barry Kitson and Khari Evans drawing it, either.
FURY MAX: Garth Ennis may be the greatest living war comics writer. Turn him loose on the Cold War, as reflected on by an old, haunted Nick Fury, add Goran Parlov following beautifully in the tradition of Alex Toth, remove any restrictions on content and you’ve got a hard-hitting modern classic.
As for reprint material:
The CREEPY and EERIE ARCHIVES from Dark Horse – along with Dynamite’s VAMPIRELLA ARCHIVES – reprint some of the best comics of all time, the Warren Magazine line, in handsome collections I can’t get enough of. Richard Corben, Berni Wrightson, Archie Goodwin, John Severin, Russ Heath…it’s a murderer’s row of talent. The new material in CREEPY COMICS and EERIE COMICS is worth a look, too.
The IDW ARTIST’S EDITIONS are things of beauty. Not many can afford original comic art by acknowledged masters of the form, but these volumes scan the original art in high-definition color and reproduce it as faithfully as possible for an experience that’s the next best thing, and a darn sight cheaper than the six figures or more you’d have to pay for entire issues of original pages by Joe Kubert, John Romita, Gil Kane and other giants.
I’m going to leave out IDW’s COBRA and AMAZING (now SUPERIOR) SPIDER-MAN, both of which I’ve co-written with regular writers Mike Costa and Dan Slott, because recommending them would seem like a crass attempt to sell my trade paperbacks, but they’re both really good too.
SCOTT SNYDER
Writer: Batman, Swamp Thing, American Vampire, Man of Steel.
My top comics are totally subjective picks – just ones that I loved and that taught me something about writing.
1. Underwater Welder by my friend Jeff Lemire. A haunting mediation on the influence of the past on the present, and on the power or love.
2. This isn't out yet, but Justice League of America #1. I just read the first issue, and like Justice League #15, it signals the start of a huge, game-changing story. The thing that impresses me most about Geoff' Johns' work – the thing that sent me back to my own script for the third issue of our Superman book to improve it – is how every moment is both a sincere character beat, and an engaging plot beat, loaded with mystery. That double layering is something I want to get better at, and no one does it as well as Geoff. Every moment in JLA #1 has great characterization and great plotting.
3. Batman and Robin by Pete Tomasi and Pat Gleason. An unsung hero of the DC line and a shining example of how a comic can be action packed, smart and deeply deeply personal.
4. Thor by Jason Aaron and Esad Ribic. What I love about this series most is its ambitious scope. Nothing excites me more than when I pick up a comic that starts an arc and I get a sense, right away, that this is going to be a story that matters, something fearless and bold.
5. There are a lot of other series I'd love to mention, from The Walking Dead to Saga to Prophets to Hawkeye, but I'd love to choose a book that caught me off guard for this last slot: Revival by Tim Seeley and Mike Norton. A wonderfully fresh and layered take on the zombie story. Part noir, part family drama, part horror. A great read.
JOHN BARBER
Senior Editor: IDW Comics Hasbro Titles, Writer: Transformers: Robots In Disguise
Matt Fraction & David Aja's Hawkeye
Godzilla: The Half-Century War. James Stokoe's Godzilla comic. I'm a huge Orc Stain fan, and seeing Stokoe cutting loose his inner Otomo on Godzilla is amazing. Incredible art, great writing, and makes up for only getting one Orc Stain in 2012. It's a story spanning 50 years of one guy's battles with Godzilla, but the storytelling, and the small touches, really add up into something that has to be experienced to be understood.
The Judas Coin. On one hand–or, er, one side of the coin – it's disappointing that something this good, from a mainstream publisher like DC, with frickin' Batman on the cover, goes relatively under the radar. Do people not remember who Walter Simonson is and how good he is RIGHT NOW? He's been great from the beginning and getting better – consistently – for as long as I've been alive! And The Judas Coin is fantastic – up there with his Thor and Fantastic Four and Manhunter (my favorite) and the Alien adaptation! On the other side of the coin, maybe there's actually so much good stuff coming out, it's easy to miss this amid all the other great comics. Either way, this hardcover–which traces one of the coins Judas got for betraying Jesus from the crucifixion to the far-flung future via a bunch of short stories involving DC characters–is drop-dead fantastic. Pushes the form of comics by doing each story in a different style, not just superficially, but with a different storytelling grammar in each story. Absolutely beautiful.
Glory. Prophet was my first favorite from the Extreme Studios relaunches, and as much as I still love that comic, Joe Keating and Ross Campbell's Glory has slowly made it's way up to the top spot. Exciting, unpredictable, over-the-top – as a one-time Wonder Woman analogue gets really, really out of control. But, I mean, there's way more to it than ultra-violence and art nouveau flashbacks… I love that I have no idea where we're going to go next, and how fearless the comic is with how it portrays its main character.
The Manhattan Projects. Jonathan Hickman and Nick Pitarra knock it out of the park on their third comic together. I love the pairing of these two (hey, I edited their first comic together, but they knew each other already – I can't take credit, except passive-aggressively like I just did) and this story of the other, secret experiments going on while they pretended to just be working on the atomic bomb is bananas. Einstein, Oppenheimer, Von Braun, Feynman–some of whom, if not all by now, are fakes – serving a secret alliance of scientists; FDR as an artificial intelligence; aliens… and crazy science – right up my alley.
Saga. Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples made the breakout hit of the year, and all the praise is deserved. A grand space saga with a Whedonesque sense of itself. Not that they're aping Joss Whedon – the comic just has that sensibility that it knows you know what comics like this are like – and then the comic refuses to be like that. Great characters, beautiful art, crazy, crazy, crazy locales… way too much fun for one comic.
Hawkeye. Marvel is on fire right now, in my opinion – the Marvel Now launches have been terrific. But my favorite of theirs – and my favorite comic of the year – is still Matt Fraction and David Aja and Matt Hollingsworth (and Javier Pulido, too!)'s formalist breakdown of superhero comics. The medium of comics and the genre of the superhero are both dissected, atomized, and put back together into something different. The DNA is probably 98% the same as an Avengers comic, but the gene sequence is completely reordered. Like the difference between a chimp and a human. I don't know if Hawkeye is the chimp or the dude, because my metaphor got away from me, but damn I love this comic. Laugh-out-loud funny and gasp-inducingly constructed. If you took their Iron FIst series and left in on Australia for 2 million years to evolve, cut off from the rest of the planet, this is the kind of arrow-wielding kangaroo you'd wind up with.
DISCLAIMER FROM MR. BARBER: "A couple things I have to say – just had a baby last year (anyway, my wife did), which probably ate into my comics time – and into my specific comic tastes for the year. Which looks more mainstream comics than it'd usually be (not that there's anything wrong with that). Very specifically: I haven't read Chris Ware's Building Stories yet; I'm kinda setting that aside to read right after Christmas because I'll have some time to really dig into it then. Man. That sounds crazy, I don't usually schedule my comic book reading months in advance. Plus, I'm excluding any comics I work on in any capacity, and trying not to sound like an IDW shill (but TMNT is awesome!!!)!
Oh, and also, I'm sure as soon as this goes live, I'll remember The Greatest Comic Ever that came out this year. "
ERIC STEPHENSON
Publisher: Image Comics, Writer: Nowhere Men
Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples' Saga
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. III Century: 2009 by Alan Moore & Kevin O'Neill (Top Shelf/Knockabout)
As the song goes, "ain't nothing like the real thing." Just as DC launched its myriad and needless Before Watchmen prequels to Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons' classic original, Moore and League co-creator Kevin O'Neill returned with the third and best installment of LoEG, Vol. III: Century, a brilliant and instant reminder of why Moore remains one of the best writers comics has ever seen. I suspect Century as a whole is going to read better when it's eventually collected in one volume, but this particular chunk is pretty fantastic on its own. The quality of Alan Moore's work often gets somewhat obscured by the fact that he is ALAN MOORE, but once you get past whatever is said in interviews or on the Internet or whatever, he's just a damn good writer.
Parker: The Score adapted by Darwyn Cooke (IDW)
Darwyn Cooke is hands down one of my favorite artists working in comics right now. Not only does he do dynamite work, but he has impeccable taste. I think that shows in his lovingly crafted adaptations of Richard Stark's Parker novels, all of which are filled with the kind of cool, uncluttered illustration that wouldn't be out of place in the advertising of the era Cooke's recreating with this early '60s crime noir. Cooke's a great writer, to boot, and considering that The Score didn't exactly set the gold standard amongst Stark's original Parker novels, I think it says something that Cooke manages to transcend the limitations of the source material to make this volume just as good as the previous two.
A Wrinkle In Time adapted by Hope Larson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux BYR)
The first three books in Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle In Time series (five in all) were firm favorites of mine growing up. The original book, A Wrinkle In Time, was read to me when I quite young and then I read it again myself a couple years later before discovering there were two more. I've read it a couple times since, too, because even though it's technically a YA novel, I love the story and the characters as much now as I did when I younger.
So I had pretty high expectations for Hope Larson's graphic novel adaptation, and happily, they were not only met, but exceeded. In the hands of a lesser talent, this could have been a tragic mess, but Larson hits all the right notes here, making this illustrated version just as enjoyable as the original.
Scott Pilgrim Color Edition hardcovers by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Oni)
When Oni first announced Scott Pilgrim was being re-issued as a series of color hardcovers, I have to admit, I was kind of put off. I loved the original books and thought they worked just fine as they were. Not everything has to be in color, after all, and I took this kind of irrationally purist viewpoint that the originals were in black and white, so the new color editions were automatically inferior.
Well, I was wrong. Very, very, VERY wrong. These books are gorgeous, and Nathan Faribairn's colors have had an almost transformative effect on Bryan Lee O'Malley's already incredible work. The whole package, at least for the two volumes I've seen so far, is beautiful, and best of all, it got me to go back and read these fantastic books all over again.
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples (Image)
I went back and forth on including this, because on the one hand, it probably seems weird and self-serving that I'm including something Image publishes on this list. On the other hand, though, it's my favorite new series of 2012, and I feel like it would be somehow dishonest to put something else in its place.
The thing is: I love this book. There aren't a lot of comics I read multiple times between issues, especially not comics that I'm directly involved with, but I do that every issue with Saga. On a recent trip to England, I read the trade paperback on the flight over, and then again on the flight back. I read these stories when BKV sends me the scripts, I read them again when the art is finished and everything is lettered, and even then, I can't wait to get the printed copy so that I can read it all over again. And, as it turns, again after that. Saga is a masterclass in comic book storytelling, and as much as I'm honored to publish it, I'm even more thrilled to read it.
GREG PAK
Writer: Incredible Hulks, X-Treme X-Men, Dead Man's Run, Doctor Strange Season One
Hope Larson's adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's Wrinkle in Time
A fantastic adaption of a book I loved as a kid that perfectly channels all the beauty and creepiness of the original. Larson's fluid, expressive art brings out all the quirky realness of its everyday heroes while gorgeously evoking the mind-bending fantastical elements of L'Engle's tale.
Brian K. Vaughn & Fiona Staples' Saga
Saga stole my heart in issue one when the ram-horned Marko tells his bat-winged bride and newborn child, "My family… I loved you so much." This is an insane sci fi book that crams a billion loopy ideas into every page — while slowly, surely, and beautifully building a deep, true story about love in all its forms. I love this book so much that as a fellow writer I kind of hate Brian. It's really that wonderful.
The Viz/Studio Ghibli reissue of Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind
Nausicaa is one of my favorite graphic novels ever, and now for the first time I can read it in full-size in a gorgeous, affordable two volume hardcover collection. Thank you, Viz!
Paul Tobin & Colleen Coover's Bandette (and the promise of Monkeybrain)
Tobin and Coover's creator-owned labor of love is a lighthearted crime romp about as far from grim 'n' gritty as you can get — but with compelling adventure and fantastic cliffhangers. I also love the brave new world of distribution that its publisher, Monkeybrain, represents. It's creator-owned work being released independently through Comixology for ridiculously affordable prices. I hope everyone who loves comics gives as many of the Monkeybrain books a try as possible. If the audience can grow to sustain books like these, we'll see a huge flowering of talent.
Brian Azzarello and Cliff Chiang's Wonder Woman #0
My buddy Fred Van Lente and I delved deep into Greek mythology while writing the adventures of Hercules in the Marvel Universe for almost five years, and it was a total blast. So I've always been intrigued by what writers have done with Wonder Woman's connections with Greek mythology in the DC Universe. Azzarello knocked it out of the park with Wonder Woman #0, which tells a deeply affecting story of a very young Diana coming of age as the greatest student of Ares, God of War. It's got all the power and twisty truth of a great fable. Wonderful storytelling.
DAVID HINE:
Writer: Storm Dogs, The Bulletproof Coffin
Pachyderme by Frederik Peeters
Tough choice. It was a good year. These five comics are each unique and represent creators at the peak of their creativity.
The Nao of Brown by Glyn Dillon. Published by SelfMadeHero.
After years away from comics, working in design and animation, Glyn Dillon returns to comics with the most unexpected and stunningly brilliant book of the year.
Pachyderme by Frederik Peeters. Published by SelfMadeHero
Following up on 'Blue Pills' and 'Sandcastle' this is, to my mind, his most impressive book yet. Wonderfully surreal and troubling.
Krishna by Abhishek Singh. Published by Image Comics
The most beautifully illustrated graphic novel I've seen in a long time. Came out of nowhere and blew me away.
The Hive by Charles Burns. Published by Pantheon Books.
The long-awaited sequel to 'X-ed Out'. Every panel demands to be perused and pondered over. Burns is always an inspiration.
Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples. Published by Image Comics
The only book on the list that isn't the work of a single auteur. But it reads as if it is.
KEN GARING
Writer/Artist: Planetoid
The Conqueror Worm, adapted by Richard Corben from Edgar Allan Poe
The Conqueror Worm by Richard Corben (Dark Horse)
Gothic horror by the master! Corben's use of color in this book is stunning.
DJ Teck – Morning Attack by Katsuhiro Otomo (Geijutsu Shincho)
The great Otomo returns to comics with this science-fiction short story. Effortless linework richly colored with markers.
Murky World by Richard Corben (Dark Horse)
More Corben weirdness. Totally bizarre imagery and setting. Reminiscent of Corben's early underground work.
Multiple Warheads by Brandon Graham (Image Comics)
Endlessly fun and creative. Beautifully produced book. Good for multiple reads.
Ritual by Malachi Ward (Revival House Press)
A carefully constructed creepy story with a Lynchian atmosphere. Keep an eye out for Malachi Ward.
SAM HUMPHRIES
Writer: Ultimate Comics Ultimates, Higher Earth, Uncanny X-Force
These are five comics that took me by surprise in 2012 and I loved them a lot. Listed in alphabetical order by the creator's last name:
Keep Our Secrets by Jordan Crane
Simon Hanselmann's Megg, Mogg, and Owl comics
"Corpse on the Imjin!" and Other Stories by Harvey Kurtzman
Untitled by Natalya Lobanova
SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamak
JOHN ARCUDI
Writer: B.P.R.D., The Creep
Editor Scott Dunbier's brainchild, the Wally Wood's Artist's Edition from IDW. Or really, any of the Artist's Edition publications. This will probably be on a lot of folks' lists, and it should be. Scott and IDW have done the industry a HUGE service by publishing these massive, impressive books. They make it impossible to dismiss the works reproduced inside as merely disposable art. They make comics important! So much so that other companies are imitating the format. Thanks, Scott!
Everything Richard Corben did in the last year qualifies as "Best of 2012" in my book, but if you need a title, then there's Creepy Presents Richard Corben from Dark Horse. Dozens of stories from Corben's Warren days (from both Creepy and Eerie magazines) in over 300 oversized pages (none of this little comic book sized stuff!)! This is an amazing volume that celebrates a titan of the industry in the style he deserves. Now if only somebody would do a RIchard Corben "Artist's Edition."
Sean Murphy's Punk Rock Jesus from Vertigo. Again, probably going to be on a lot of people's lists but what am I supposed to do? Just ignore the fact that this book is so well written, that it's beautifully drawn, and that it's one of the rare comics out there that is actually about something? No, this comic is easily top 5 material, a beautifully told story by a passionate and talented storyteller. And it's great to see a black and white book out there getting this much attention. Black and white comics were once a staple of he medium, but that's just about gone in the main stream field. Hopefully "PRJ" it will help expand the notions of how comics stories can be told.
Speaking of black and white books, there's also Chris Schweizer's Crogan's Loyalty from Oni Press. Another great installment from the "Crogan's Adventures" books, this is set in the Revolutionary War and is probably my favorite in the series so far. I love the way Schweizer depicts the forests of North America, and while his drawing style is broad, fun, and appealing, it doesn't hide the fact that the man does his research on period clothing and weaponry. Another great thing about this is that it's an all-ages book that also manages to tell a story thats accessible to (and worth reading for) adults.
I think only one issue of James Stokoe's Orc Stain (#7) came out from Image Comics in 2012, but so what? It's still an amazing, imaginative, ambitious tour deforce from a cartoonist with a brilliantly deranged vision that could only find its fullest expression in comics — and if you ask me, that's what this list is all about. Comics and what they can and should do. I don't throw this word around a lot, but Stokoe is a fucking genius!
GREGG HURWITZ
Writer: Penguin: Pain and Prejudice, Batman: The Dark Knight
Robert Crais – Suspect. Mind-blowingly good thriller about a damaged cop and a damaged Marine dog, brought together in a K9 unit. [Editor's Note: technically not a comic book, but hey, good readin' is good readin']
Megan Abbott – The End of Everything. A spectacular tale of a young girl gone missing and the holes she leaves behind, told from the perspective of her best friend. [Editor's Note:see above]
Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo – Batman #5. A jaw-dropping accomplishment. Form follows function. A beautiful marriage of storytelling and design as we lose ourselves in the labyrinth of Batman's mind.
Legends of the Dark Knight #1 – The Butler Did It, by the double Ls – Lindelof and Lemire. A great twisted little tale, at once compelling and humorous.
GRACE RANDOLPH
Writer: Supurbia
BEFORE WATCHMEN: SILK SPECTRE
There have been plenty of comics that focus on a single female character, but none with this kind of depth and honesty. Plus, move over Wonder Woman, Darwyn Cooke and Amanda Conner's depiction of Sally and Laurie's relationship are the best mother/daughter scenes to ever grace a comic book page!
HAWKEYE
It's impressive to see one of the Big Two taking risks by presenting a major character in such a quirky light, but the result is a superhero book that reads like an indie comic! Hats off to Matt Fraction and David Aja for the perfect mix of action and character building.
SAGA
I know, I know – it's on everyone's list this year! But that's because Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples' story is beautiful in its simplicity. This book takes its time and then some, as poetic as the narrative by Marko and Alana's daughter.
ADVENTURE TIME
An indie comic that has inspired two spin offs and matches some of the Big Two's titles in terms of sales, this title proves that the all ages marketplace is entering a renaissance! Plus it shows that a
popular show can become a franchise while still maintaining it's quality.
ALL NEW X-MEN
This one is on the cusp for me, but there's no denying that Brian Michael Bendis and Stuart Immonen have re-energized the X-Men franchise. The first two issues were perfect, yet the writing has faltered a little. Perhaps it shouldn't be a weekly…?
ANDY LANNING
Writer: The Hypernaturals, Battlestar Galactica, Resurrection Man, New Mutants
No particular order, just some outstanding comicbooks:
THE WALKING DEAD (Image) - consistently brilliant story and art. I’ve been reading Walking Dead in the Hard Cover collections and it’s just like getting a new novel each year from your favourite author. Over 100 issues in and Kirkman and Adlard are still knocking em out the park (and on the head!).
SUPURBIA (Boom!) – So glad to see this mini-series get an on-going. Grace Randolph’s small town superhero soap opera is a smart, funny and original take on the genre – one of those 'wish I'd thought of that ideas!' Damn her!
MADEFIRE – Not a comic book per se: more a totally new way of experiencing comic stories. Motion comics could very well be the next evolution for the medium. Really exciting stuff and what’s more, they’re free! Go check them out now at an app store near you!
CREEPY PRESENTS RICHARD CORBEN – (Dark Horse)
Again, not a single comic book but a fantastic collection of the classic horror stories of one of my favourite comic artists. If you’ve never seen Corben’s work before, check this out. Corben was one of my childhood heroes; I grew up reading his stuff in Slow Death and Heavy Metal and Neverwhere was one of the seminal comics that made me want to draw comicbooks in the first place. The man’s a genius and still delivering awesome artwork today (check out his Hellboy stories) and he’s in his seventies!
MANHATTAN PROJECTS (Image)
Hickman and Pitarra are deliver a smart, funny and well-crafted comic that is the very definition of ‘wacky’! It ticks all the boxes for me: great artwork that’s Darrow-esque in its detail, off the wall storylines with truly mental ideas (death by origami and Death Buddists), great alternate history setting and really interesting characters (infinite Oppenheimers and an evil Einstein) I ask you, what’s not to love?
Honorable Mention: SAGA by Brian K Vaughn and Fiona Staples:
I’m late to the party on this one having only just read the first issue, though it’s cropping up in a lot of Best Of lists. Looks like I’ll be on-board for the long haul: love the blend of sci-fi and fantasy, the sly humour and great artwork. Again, another really smart book.
DIRK MANNING
Writer: Nightmare World, Tales of Mr. Rhee, Love Stories About Death, Write Or Wrong: A Writer's Guide To Creating Comics
SAGA by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples (Image Comics)
As critics of this book (yes, some do exist) are quick to point out, there’s nothing inherently special or revolutionary about Saga… and I’ll be the first to admit that they’re right. When you strip away all the hype, Saga is just a half sci-fi/half fantasy quest book… but it’s so simultaneously charming, shocking and refreshing that in 2012 it managed to not only worm its way into my heart and stay there, but become one of my “Top Five” books of the year.
REBEL BLOOD by Alex Link and Riley Rossmo (Image Comics/Shadowline)
What at first appears to be a story of a park ranger trapped in a park in during a zombie plague that is affecting people and animals alike takes some very dark turns as this mini-series unfolds, resulting in one of the creepiest comics of 2012. Fans of horror comics would do well in checking out Rebel Blood to experience both Rossmo’s creepy art as well as the several twists and turns Link unleashes on readers.
THE WALKING DEAD by Robert Kirkman and Charles Adlard (Image Comics)
Yes, The Walking Dead is now both a television and comic book juggernaut, and in regards to the comic itself, the stories that took place in 2012 are a perfect example of why. While 2011 had its own fair share of drama, Kirkman and Adlard took things to a new level of “Holy S#!t” moments in 2012, including the debut of a villain (and storyline) that already promises to keep the series fresh for the foreseeable future even as it barrels headlong towards 2013.
BATMAN by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo (DC Comics)
Given that I haven’t been reading corporately-owned superhero comics for years, if you would have told me last year that I would be enjoying Batman in 2012 – let-alone that it would be taking second-place on my list of the “Top Five” comics of 2012, I wouldn’t have believed you for a moment. However, after hearing so much hype about the book under the guiding hands of Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo, I decided to give it a shot with the return of the Joker in Issue #13, only to find myself blown away by one of the scariest single-issues of a comic I’ve ever read. The following two issues proved just as powerful, leading me to go back and re-read the whole series to date only to find even more the same creepy sensibilities and powerful art in the “Court of Owls” storyline as well. Every so often, certain creators come along and prove just what a powerful storytelling vehicle Batman and his supporting cast of heroes and villains alike can be, and that’s exactly what’s happened in this current run of the comic series. Point blank, this is not only the corporate superhero comic for people who don’t like superhero corporate comics, but also one of the best comics of 2012. Believe the hype.
LOCKE AND KEY by Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez (IDW)
While many horror comics out there ultimately find themselves straying at least equally into the world of action-adventure (such as the excellent “Mingnola-verse” titles like Hellboy and B.P.R.D. from Dark Horse, which officially snag the “Honorable Mention” award on my list, along with Erik Larsen’s always entertaining Savage Dragon), Locke and Key is a comic that offers genuine 100% chills and scares issue after issue. There are no epic battles for the fate of the human race here, per se, with Hill and Rodriguez instead focusing on the trials and tribulations of a small family isolated in a new town, tormented by a traitor in their midst who routinely manages consistently to stay one step ahead of them despite whatever obstacles may otherwise deter him. Masterfully written and paced by Hill and beautifully illustrated by Rodriguez, Locke and Key is the perfect comic for people who are already enamored with Hill’s prose work such as Heart-Shaped Box and Horns and are looking for some great comics to read… which, really, should be all of you. If you’re going to try one new comic in 2013, make it this one.
PAUL JENKINS
Writer: Deathmatch, DCU Presents, Fairy Quest, Wolverine: Origin
Amazing Spider-Man – because Dan Slott wries and Humberto Ramos draws. Enough said.
Owly – because Andy Runton’s heart is in every page. Most gorgeous comic I know.
Planet of the Apes – Seriously. Carlos is great. Just recently had a chance to check it out. Great stuff.
Hangboy World War Too – not strictly a comic but it was a brilliant Kickstarter book, dear to my heart.
Zombie Dickheads – Chris Moreno is my hero.
TOM MORELLO
Writer: Orchid, Rage Against The Machine, The Nightwatchman
The Massive created by Brian Wood
This year has been super swamped with comics, babies, rabble rousing and rock n roll for me. BUT I've also managed to enjoy The Massive and The Strain from Dark Horse. The Massive unfolds in a mysterious way that keeps me wanting more and the character development is great. And as a fan of the book The Strain, I am loving the comic adaptation. Scary like I like it. Speaking of adaptations, I have greatly enjoyed the TPB versions of Stephen King's The Stand, one of my all time favorite books which really comes to life in this series. I've had a very clear idea in my head for many years as to what these characters look like and I'm surprised how many they got (close to) dead on in the comic.
JAY FAERBER
Writer: Near Death, Point of Impact
STUMPTOWN – Greg Rucka and I share a love of the private eye genre, and I feel like he and Matthew Southworth are making this book just for me. The fact that you all get to read it too is just gravy.
DAREDEVIL – Mark Waid gives a master class in how to revamp a classic character. His take on Daredevil doesn't contradict or retcon anything that came before it, yet the book is incredibly fresh and takes the character in a totally different direction than we've seen in the past decade. And Waid is perfectly complimented by artists like Chris Samnee and Paolo Rivera.
NOWHERE MEN – Eric Stephenson's been talking about this book for almost as long as I've known him (going on ten years now) and the book was totally worth the wait. Eric's decision to barely reveal anything about the concept or characters ahead of time has really paid off, resulting in an unpredictable book filled with interesting ciphers, brought to life by Nate Bellegarde. It's gonna be fun watching this unfold.
SAGA – I love that Brian Vaughan never goes back to the same well. Runaways is as different from Y The Last Man as Ex Machina is from Pride of Baghdad. And Saga, his Image series (featuring breathtaking art by Fiona Staples) is totally different from all of them. It's fun, big, world-building on an interstellar scale.
ROCKETEER: CARGO OF DOOM – I'll buy anything Chris Samnee draws, even if the story sucks. But thankfully, that's not an issue here because Mark Waid's the writer and he and Samnee cranked out a beautiful, fun, surprising pulp adventure.
MATT KINDT
Writer: Frankenstein: Agent of S.H.A.D.E., Mind MGMT, Men of War
Terminal by David Cirillo. This is serialized fiction at its most fun. Cirillo is publishing this fiction like the best kind of TV show with a new "episode" every couple months. He's doing it all digitally via Amazon and he's got three episodes up to date and I can't wait for the next. It's got everything I like in it – super-spies, world-wide conspiracy, and assassins that can kill you with a whisper.
The Sixth Gun by Bunn & Hurtt. Who's doing fun, well drawn, colorful super natural western stories with a giant mummy as a main character? Nobody but Brian and Cullen! I love this book, if anything, just for the wonderful use of sound effects.
Underwater Welder by Jeff Lemire. A real towering achievement by Lemire. He's done a lot of fantastic work (Sweet Tooth, Essex County) but this one is even better than those. One of comics most unique and important voices and this is his best to date.
Darwyn Cooke's Parker books. I love these. Classic crime stories illustrated by one of the greatest cartoonist of our times. For pure storytelling ability and fantastically spare art, these books can't be beat.
This is How You Lose Her by Junot Diaz. Reading anything by Diaz is like eating candy. I love it. No one puts more seemingly obscure references in their writing but if you grew up reading comics and science-fiction and had a Planet of the Apes lunch box…you'll get them all.
MICHAEL AVON OEMING
Writer/Artist: The Victories, Artist: Powers, The Mice Templar
David Mazzucchelli's Daredevil Born Again Artist Edition. What can be said about this one that hasn't been said in an audible gasp or sigh of contentment. IDW did an amazing job of putting together this beautiful book that is a time capsule as much as a creative masterpiece. I remember the days of red-line overlays, white out and punch holes on a page. Reading this is as if you were in the production room at Marvel during the 80s. As a an artist, it allows me to study David's work meticulously and as a fan, it allows me to relive the awe I had in this book as a kid. Bravo.
Oms en Série By Mike Hawthorne. So this is a weird one because I haven't actually read it! It's only in French right now, but even without being able to read it, I could follow the familiar story and was completely engulfed in the strange world. That's a compliment not only to Mike's art, but the writing as well. This is an under-appreciated work that I think is pure genius and a breakthrough for one of the finest artists in the industry, Mike Hawthorne. This book is pure fantasy, a daydream.
Blacksad by Juan Diaz Canale. Yet an another painted anthropromorphic detective noir novel. This series has always and will always blow me away by transcending every genre it touches.
Parker: The Score by Richard Stark and Darwyn Cooke. Hard boiled, unapologetic noir. Stark's writing and Darwyn's art and adaptation sets a new bar with its retro feel and forward-moving storytelling. The Parker graphic novels have become the prime example of how literature and comics meet together to create a new creative machine that is better than all of its parts. Darwyn makes some bold choices here, and for me, they always work.
Hellboy Library Edition Volume 5. Really, need I say more? Duncan Fredrego's art, Mike Mignola's art and writing mix together a visual and narrative lore that reaches back into Welsh mythology and punches you in the face with Kirby fantasy, somehow able to be both kinetic and poetic at the same time. The oversized volume on this only ads to the epicness that is Hellboy. I just love holding this book in my lap, cutting off my blood circulation and dozing off with dreams of black shapes and fantastic places. Seriously.
TIM SEELEY
Writer: Hack/Slash, Revival
This year was a pretty "jaded" year for me, so as much as I hate to admit it, I just didn't love like I shoulda. There was a lot of stuff that I heard was great that I just couldn't get myself to pick up. I will rectify this in 2013.
BUT, I did really enjoy some comics that I think deserve some love, and I'm gonna go out of my way here not to use this a place to plug comix books by me or my friends and family, even if they did make some of my favorite stuff. So, neurosis aside…
THE SIXTH GUN from ONI, by Cullen Bunn, Brian Hurtt, Tyler Crook & Bill Crabtree. This is such a consistently great comic that it makes me mad it's not more popular. Hm. That "jaded" thing is sneaking in! This year saw some of the best issues of the book (which, admittedly, I read in trade form) which constantly builds from the very simple concept of "six cursed guns that everyone in the ol' West wants." Excellent character work, and panel-to-panel storytelling. Reads like a "how to" of cartooning.
IDW's TRANSFORMERS RELAUNCH. I'm consistently amazed with these books. I've always had at least an affection for Transformers, but I hadn't regularly read their comics since I was 12. But that changed with the intriguing "space soap opera" relaunches, More Than Meets The Eye, and Robots In Disguise. While the Michael Bay movies show just how dull, incoherent, and uninteresting transforming robots can be, the two IDW books give us political drama, epic sci-fi action, and, yeah, I'm going to say it, intense character exploration, all while making comics that can be shared with kids. Great templates for all long-standing "boys action" properties, and superhero comics too.
HAWKEYE from Marvel, by Matt Fraction & David Aja – Another well done, back-to-fun superhero book from Marvel, in the vein of the equally great Daredevil by Mark Waid. Sometimes you just want to read about good natured, well meaning dudes fighting evil, in clever stories that take full advantage of the comics medium, and HAWKEYE delivers.
ARCHER & ARMSTRONG from Valiant, By Fred VanLente and Clayton Henry – Speaking of that thing that HAWKEYE does so well….Archer & Armstrong plays to all the things that have always made Fred VanLente's work so great. It's pulp hero action, with heart, smarts, and though it's all-ages, it's also got an edge of satire that not every reader will (or needs to) pick up on. That's the way ya do it.
IMAGE COMICS in general – 2012 just seemed like a banner year for Image, with a whole lot of attention on Walking Dead, and a host of creator owned hits every month. Image successfully launched a space opera, which features a loving married couple, and also a giant ogre with dirty balls. I mean… Jesus… that's pretty incredible. Not a cape, crossover, or dead sidekick to be seen.
BLACKSAD: A SILENT HELL from Dark Horse by Juan Diaz Canale & Guarnido – Just so damn good. Crime and kitty cats. I liked it so much, I went as ol' Blacksad for Halloween, even though most people thought I was "some kind of Thundercat."
ERIC POWELL
Writer/Artist: The Goon, Billy The Kid's Old Timey Oddities & The Orm of Loch Ness
My top 5 of 2012
Beer
Whiskey
Bourbon
Vodka
Jäger
Special acknowledgement as mixer: Redbull
***
There you have it, folks – a lot of ideas to add to your reading lists, and a slew of hooch to drink while you read. Happy new year, and enjoy comics!
-140x79.jpg)
