To hear us talk about our picks, check out our podcast episode here on your favorite platform: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1793148/episodes/16324443
Mike’s Picks:
Honorable Mentions:
Red Light – from AWA by Sarah Cho and Priscilla Petraides
Minor Arcana – from Boom! Studios by Jeff Lemire
Death Ratio’d – from AWA by Mark Russell and Laci
Huge Detective – from Titan Comics by Adam Rose and Magenta King
Geiger – from Image by Geoff Johns and Gary Frank
Damaged People – from Alien Books by Damien Connely
Skin Police – from Oni Press by Jordan Thomas and Daniel Gete
#10 Crash Down – from Massive Publishing by “Comic Tom” Garcia, Ryan Sergeant and Ben Templesmith
A lesser known work by YouTuber authors who talk comics, but a must read for fans of sci-fi and cosmic horror. A ship has left Earth looking for a new planet to live on, but nothing goes as planned. Throughout the 5 issue series the crew and passengers are relentlessly dropped into a milieu of claustrophobia, panic and and cosmic horror. The haunting artwork by Ben Templesmith expertly toes the line between luminous and gloomy.
#9 Hello Darkness – from Boom! Studios by various artists
Another anthology series? Well, this horror collection has been consistently solid and creepy as hell. The heartbreaking serial The War by Garth Ennis and Becky Cloonan is enough to make this a must read alone. Featuring about five short comics each issue, the series exposes us to a diversity of artists with entries like the unforgettable and garish Mukbang in issue #3 by Michael W. Conrad and Martìn Morazzo.
#8 Crave – from Image Comics by Maria Lovett
Imagine a world where an app takes over your life and makes you regret your decisions. Sounds like real life for many of us, but the Crave app can make any urges and passions come true for a group of college students. Lovett’s minimalist penciling and distinctive color palette integrate beautifully here. The intimate story provides needed social commentary that might just make us rethink our relationship with social media.
#7 Holy Roller – from Image Comics by Rick Remender, Andy Samberg, Joe Trohman, and Roland Boschi
If the barometer for funny is nearly every issue causing me to laugh out loud we have a winner. Levi has returned home from a long hiatus to find his neighborhood overrun by hate criminals. With no real special powers, he decides to inflict his own brand of justice using bowling balls to crack the skulls of the bad guys. Levi has a hilarious relationship with other side characters like his Dad and friends who think he is totally insane. The artwork by Boschi reminds me of Mad magazine covers.
#6 Somna – from DSTLRY* by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay
Finalized early in 2024, the exquisite and sultry Somna tells a story of Ingrid who is tempted by her actual dreams, set against the backdrop of 17th century witch hunt. So much more than folk horror with sexy times. The alluring, visual storytelling is composed of Lotay’s wispy and ethereal artwork featured during dream sequences, while Cloonan’s stark, bold lines provide lush detail during waking moments. This made me an instant fan of both Cloonan and Lotay and I will be looking out for more of their work henceforth.
*Special note: DSTLRY tends to favor large (50 pages) comics with magazine size pages, but the cost is typically double the cost of a regular comic book.
#5 Underheist – from Boom! Studios by David and Maria Lapham
Underheist gets the nod for the darkest, trippiest comic I’ve read this year. An organized crime five issue tale mixed with creepy demonic horror that relentlessly shocks and perplexes the reader. Carefully composed writing and visuals with some of the more grotesque, Cronenberg-esque scenes I have laid my eyes on in comics. Not for the faint of heart! The lettering is stylized to enhance the emotion of the dialogue. David Lapham became a new favorite and I went back and read the first three volumes of his Stray Bullets series. The only reason this was not number one is that I wanted it to be longer.
#4 Deviant – from Image Comics by James Tynion IV and Joshua Hixson
The series originated back in late 2023. It took me awhile to get into it because at the time I was not a huge fan of the crime or mystery genre. Too many images of Murder She Wrote and Matlock playing on the TV when I was a kid. and unfortunately did not get wrapped up yet. The last issue will come out in early 2025, but this is good enough to wait for. Like UnderHeist, the bemusing, multi-layered story will bewilder readers. This is one of those that may warrant a re-read when the series wraps up.
#3 Houses of the Unholy – from Image Comics by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
No top ten list would be complete without Brubaker and Phillips. This duo has been developing some of the best crime-related comics over the past decade. Set in both present day with flashbacks to the ’Satanic Panic’ days that those of us of a certain age remember from the 1980s, a woman with a complicated past who teams up with an FBI agent. They make an unlikely pair to track down a serial killer. The pacing and twists coupled with Phillips’ nimble artwork keep the reader on edge.
#2 Sacrificers – from Image Comics by Rick Remender and Max Fiumara
Sacrificers is a fantasy world where the inhabitants (many different species and creatures) must make sacrifices to appease the gods. What happens when this tradition gets challenged by a pigeon? The answer is one of the best current fantasy comics. With no big exposition dumps, Max Fiumara’s achingly beautiful artwork does the heavy lifting for the extensive world building. Remender’s abilities are unparalleled for creating multi-faceted characters who do not escape the consequences of their difficult decisions.
#1 Grommets – from Image Comics by Remender and Posehn w art by Brett Parson
High school outcasts living in the early 80s has been done before, but this is much more than nostalgia candy. Here we get a comedic slice of the lives of two skateboarders trials and tribulations. It is easy to identify with these characters, especially when they question their decisions and try to fit in. Parson’s artwork masterfully heightens the awkward moments with his ability to show hyperbolized expressions without it being caricature, while the details in the background transport those of us who remember those times. Well, maybe the nostalgia is more important than I would like to admit, but I really think this is special.
Steve’s Picks:
Honorable Mentions:
Red Light – from AWA by Sarah Cho and Priscilla Petraides
Minor Arcana – from Boom! Studios by Jeff Lemire
Into the Unbeing from Dark Horse by Zac Thompson, Hayden Sherman and Jim Campbell
Batman: Gargoyle of Gotham from DC Comics by Rafael Grampa
The Infernals from Image Comics by Rayn Parrott and John J. Pearson
Skin Police – from Oni Press by Jordan Thomas and Daniel Gete
#10 Death Ratio’d – from AWA Studios by Mark Russell, Laci and Marco Lesko
If you’ve seen the Black Mirror social credits episode, you have a pretty good idea of what the premise of this book is. If not, in this world our worth as humans is determined by how many likes and followers we have. If you don’t have that, you are expendable. This is a funny, thought provoking and entertaining read. Because it’s a one-shot, it doesn’t require lots of time to get through.
#9 Babs – from Ahoy Comics by Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows
If you’ve heard the podcast or know me personally, you know I’m a huge fan of Garth Ennis and Jacen Burrows. Nobody does body horror like Burrows and nobody writes characters like Ennis. Babs is a bit of a change up from their usual fare. Instead of horror (Crossed, The Ribbon Queen) or action (Punisher MAX, The 303), Babs is a satirical comedy. It takes the D&D/Fantasy tropes and turns them on their heads, poking fun at how ridiculous it all is when you really think about it. Babs is a Red Sonya/Conan foul mouthed barbarian archetype that solves most problems with her (talking) sword and doesn’t always think things through before swinging it. Don’t get me wrong, with all of the humor there are still the classic Ennis characters and story lines, it all fits together perfectly.
#8 Underhiest – from Boom! Studios by David and Maria Lapham
I’ve been a fan of the Lapham’s ever since I read Stray Bullets and it turned my heart a darker tone of black and hurt my feelings. Underhiest is part crime story, part horror and part WTF is going on. Every panel has details that will keep you searching for clues, trying to piece together the mystery that is woven into this story. It’s compelling and creepy all at the same time, with a pacing that is spot on. There is something magical that happens when David and Maria Lapham team up. This series does not get enough attention, it’s fantastic.
#7 Crave – from Image Comics by Maria Llovet
This one surprised me. It’s dripping with social commentary but it doesn’t beat you over the head with it. I really appreciate that, as listeners of the podcast know by now because I mention it all the time. This story revolves around a hookup app called Crave that will give you what you… crave. But at what cost? Social media has changed the way we make decisions and think about the world, and this story turns a mirror on all of us in some way. Llovet’s minimalist art style perfectly fits this story and allows the reader to focus on the story, while still conveying the emotions the characters experience. It does have a little bit of spice, so if you read on public transport beware.
#6 Somna – from DSTLRY* by Becky Cloonan and Tula Lotay
Set in the 1600’s a woman is drawn to a mysterious stranger who is much more than he appears. Throw in witch trials/hunters and a bit of spice, but that’s just the beginning. With beautiful artwork, haunting folk horror and Becky Cloonan at the top of her game, you can’t beat Somna. This is one of the instances where the DSTLRY format really shines.
*Special note: DSTLRY tends to favor large (50 pages) comics with magazine size pages, but the cost is typically double the cost of a regular comic book.
#5 Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees – from IDW by Patrick Horvath
Picture a serial killer like Dexter in a children’s book setting. Sounds crazy, right? It is, but it also really works. In a small town where all of the characters look like they came off the pages of a Bernstein Bears world lurks a killer named Sam who travels to other towns to murder other cute animals to not draw attention to themselves. That is until someone begins murdering animals in Sam’s town. The contrast between the ultra violent story and the children’s book environments creates a captivating story that feels wrong when you read it. This book was a ton of fun and a must read for anyone who loves a mystery or serial killer stories.
#4 Swan Songs – from Image Comics by W. Maxwell Prince and various artists
Each issue of Swan Songs is self contained and the end of a story. Do stories ever end? What happens after? Each issue touched my black heart in some way, especially The End of a Relationship that all of us can relate to. It’s haunting but has that human element that only W. Maxwell Prince can do to touch you deep down and keep you thinking about each story weeks (or months) after you read them.
#3 The One Hand & The Six Fingers – from Image Comics by Ram V, Dan Watters, Laurence Campbell and Sumit Kumar
Two different stories that overlap and are told as one cohesive story by the end, a classic cat and mouse tale of a killer and a detective who is trying to catch them. The stories interweave and the conclusion left me stunned. Not only because of how great it was, but because it was not at all what I expected it to be. I applaud this team for taking a chance and doing something so unexpected. I adore the end of the story, it’s one of my all time favorites. So. Damn. Good.
#2 Where The Body Was – from Image Comics by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
A Top 10 list isn’t complete without a Brubaker and Phillips entry. Where The Body Was is another stellar book from two of the best to ever do it, telling a story of life, love, and the passage of time in an entertaining, funny and heart breaking story. The detailed and flawed characters, dialogue and artwork all work together to tell a story that I’ll be re-reading many times. Because it’s relatively short, it doesn’t require a lot of time investment but it will be on your mind for a long, long time.
#1 The Sacrificers – from Image Comics by Rick Remender, Max Fiumara and Dave McCaig
Within the first few pages of the very first issue, this series felt special. Thankfully all it’s done through it’s run is get better with every issue. In this fantasy setting is a harmonious paradise that requires five families to sacrifice one of their children to maintain the way of living. Where do these children go? What fate awaits them? You’ll find out, and it does not pull punches. Pigeon (our main character) and his character arc has been a captivating journey, full of mistakes and turning into what he never expected because of his journey. With world building that I can’t say I’ve read before in a comic this book is one you should not miss. The artwork by Max Fiumara does a lot of heavy lifting telling the story, but the great news is that when Fiumara isn’t the artist McCaig doesn’t skip a beat and maintains the level of quality this book deserves. Not many people can tell a story like Remender and this is his best work yet. Dark, unforgiving, heart breaking and moving, this book has it all.
