This was a good year for comics.
We count down the 25 best here for you!
Here we are at the close of 2016, and we have had another stellar year of comic books.
Which is good, becauseeverything elsehas been terrible, so at least we have comics to take comfort in.
And take comfort I did!
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I went with gut reactions to the books.
This is by no means a scientific survey of the quality of comics from 2016.
I wasnt overly impressed with the story, however.
That wasnt the case with the follow up.The Biggest Bangwas really funny.
I rushed to preorder this trade when it was solicited, and Im glad I did.
It was worth every penny.
SP4RX (Nobrow Press)
I think I readSP4RXat the perfect time.
Its not a terribly complex story, nor is it particularly original, but McDonalds art is awesome.
Its meticulously detailed and incredibly easy to get lost in, and I definitely did.
It doesnt hurt that he gets staggeringly talented artists to work with him.
Rafael Albuquerque is one of the best in the game right now.
He fills the title character with enough doe-eyed earnestness that its impossible not to root for him.
Huck, the title character, is uncomplicated and superpowered.
Its sweet and earnest and a little dopey, but its also gorgeous and fun and impossible to dislike.
I am so glad I did.
The first issue was brilliant.
And I love that it was.
Its even more absurd to think that theyre also the best horror comics being published.
Ill leave that to you to decide, dear reader).
The Spire (BOOM!
Studios)
I talked about The Spire a little inour look at this years Eisner nominees.
Voltron probably wasnt the right comparison, though.
Midnighter and Apollo (DC Comics)
I think Steve Orlando and I have the same taste in comics.
Paul Popes influence is all over it, and thats a great foundation to start from.
And as it turns out, the hype was validated.Carveris a great read.
The story doesnt suffer for this lack of style, though.
Kate Neimczyks art is excellent.
Meanwhile, Chelsea Cain was fantastic.
Mockingbirdwas engaging and entertaining, and a book I looked forward to every time it came out.
Black Hammer (Dark Horse Comics)
CONFESSION TIME!
Despite being a dyed-in-the-wool Grant Morrison fanboy, I have had a really tough time getting into hisDoom Patrol.
Ormstons art is awesome.
It has a group of heroes trapped on a world without any after saving their world countless times.
The variety and craft inThe Tipping Pointmakes it absolutely worth checking out.
Priest gives his art team (Carlos Pagulyan andeven eight issues in I feel like holy shit!
If youre not readingDeathstroke, youre missing out on one of the true gems of the Rebirth relaunch.
Before the crossover,PM/IFwas good, but not great.
4001checks every box you want from a crossover like this.
You want high action, which is impossible to get in a comic from someone as talented as Crain.
And you want pace, which is perfectly set in this tough to put down comic.
It was probably my favorite crossover this year.
Native Americans in mechs!
and Dinisios colors were always just bright enough to keep the tone dialed down from that moroseness.
Much of this year ofBlack Sciencehas been taken up with high fantasy.
Grant McKay finds himself on a sentient planet and decides to stop being self-absorbed.
It then followed him on his journey towards self-sacrifice, reuniting with his daughter at huge cost to himself.
I also loved it, and not because I have the maturity of a 12 year old.
Or not ONLY because of that.
I was wrong.The Nameless Cityis a rich, lived-in universe.
Kai and Rat start out tropey, but eventually grow into their own people.
Hicks art has a great energy to it, making you feel the motion in every panel.
The scares are particularly potent because theyre so close to real life, especially for a superhero comic.
Is this really what having kids is like?
Oh my God how does she afford to live in New York City as a single mom?
What if The Porcupine really is what women are attracted to now?
In all seriousness, this is maybe my favorite traditional superhero comic Marvel is publishing right now.
It would be easy to credit Rodriguez for this because hes doing career-defining work here.
Im not using hyperbole here.
That click is what happened for me in the middle of Tom King and Barnaby BagendasThe Omega Men.
The Sheriff of Babylon (Vertigo Comics)
The Omega MenandThe Sheriff of Babylonare almost parallel stories.
They talk about the invasion and occupation, and Chris talks about meeting one of the 9/11 hijackers.
You know, Comixology should just do a Tom King bundle.
4 Kids Walk Into A Bank (Black Mask Studios)
This is theStranger Thingsof comics.
I dont really want this book to ever end.
This comic has no right being this good.
Its really rare for a story likeCoprato be any good at all.
It also doesnt hurt that hes an incredibly talented artist.
His layouts are stunning, and his colors are some of the best in comics today.
Steve Pugh and Mark Russell are doing something really special withThe Flintstones.
Im glad Im reading it.
The Vision (Marvel Comics)
Once upon a time, I reviewed comics every week.
That is one messed up comic book.
The Visionwas messed up in all the best ways.
But there isnt really a way for them to improve on the work they did.
It was already about as good as you could make a comic book.
When he got burnt out, I was exasperated with him.
When he felt triumphs, I felt them.
When he got scared, I did too.
