Panel Vision - Top 10 Comics of 2015

And so 2015 comes to an end, the comics landscape a severely different place than it was but a year ago.  Marvel is caught in the throws of its first reboot, Star Wars comics are on shelves and the best they’ve ever been, Valiant is in the headlines, Prez is back from obscurity, and the DC You is a thing.  Yes it’s been a year full of change as well as a great year for comics.  Seriously, despite the very important points raised over issues of representation, creator rights and credit, and harassment that have blighted the industry this past year there has been a lot of great comics and we’re here today to list them because that’s how we mark the end of the year.  So with that said here are the top 10 best comics of 2015.

10.

Though I’ve never had the opportunity to do a proper review of it Evil Empire is one of the most fascinating comics I’ve ever read.  Chronicling the creepily plausible descent of America into an anarchist nation governed solely by the rule of “do what thou will” this is more of a political horror comic than anything else.  Much like Killjoys a few years ago, Evil Empire comes to us from musician turned comic author Max Bemis and it’s astounding how well he takes to the comic medium and how much of a handle he has on the mechanics of storytelling. 

Ransom Getty also does a great job in his own right with the artwork, especially when it comes to subverting tropes of the comic book form and utilizing the method of visual storytelling in unique and different ways.  In a year where politics seem to go completely insane Evil Empire was a sobering and relevant read with the same kind of creeping realism that made socio-political horror works like World War Z or even Dr. Strangelove work so incredibly well.  This was a big year for BOOM! Studios and Evil Empire was a big, great title. 

9.

Nailbiter is one of those comics that the instant I picked up the first issue I knew it’d always have a place on the best of the year list and this year was no exception.  The tale of Buckaroo, the small Oregon town that mysteriously produced 16 of America’s worst serial killers has only gotten more twisted and insane as the comic has gone on and it remains a compelling read.  Joshua Williamson has proved himself to be an excellent scribe at imbuing his stories with a deeper social commentary that digs into often overlooked elements of the real world and that skill is firing on all cylinders in Nailbiter.  At the same time Mike Henderson’s artwork remains phenomenal. 

Henderson is easily one of the best artists working right now, both in terms of lending pre-existing characters his own bent and in creating new and evocative designs.  It’s amazing that even though Nailbiter sports unique designs of over 16 serial killers they all feel striking and memorable, as if they always existed and we’re just seeing them again here.  Don’t let the high number fool you, Nailbiter is a must read comic. 

8.

This year, more than ever before, feels like the year Valiant Comics broke through to the comic mainstream.  I was always aware of them before but this is the first time I’ve seen people really talking about their stuff and actually felt compelled to pick up their comics and spoilers: they’re pretty great, especially this one. 

Bloodshot: Reborn is the story of an inhuman killing machine trying to rediscover his inhumanity, which may be one of the greatest comic pitches ever conceived of.  For a concept so tongue-in-cheek the comic is a brutal bone-cruncher action piece with a heavy emphasis on character and a main hero who’s as far up to the line of “likable” as can be.  It’s amazing that a comic with the story point of “man becomes murder weapon” is as compelling and deeply human as Bloodshot: Reborn but that humanity is easily its greatest strength.  It’s a comic that realizes that for some people being a monster is better than being average. 

7.

Believe me, I’m as surprised at this point as anyone but Marvel’s Darth Vader is not only one of the best comics of the year, it’s one of the best villain-centric comics I’ve ever read.  Marvel’s unstated mission over the last year has been to make Darth Vader threatening and interesting again and between this comic and the main Star Wars book they succeeded in a big way.  Not only does Darth Vader seem like a terrible force of nature once more, capable of both the pettiest of deadly villain and the grandest scope of destruction, but he’s actually human and compelling for a change.

 

Zeroing in on the twilight zone after A New Hope but before Empire Strikes Back has afforded Marvel a unique vantage to view the Sith Lord, showing us his quest to discover Luke’s identity and his own reaction to learning that he had a son all along.  It’s a compelling, almost Shakespearian drama in its own right but the series is also punctuated by a plethora of great supporting characters and points concerning Vader’s place in the empire and his own contingency plans for how and Luke might overthrow the Emperor and bring order to the galaxy.  This has been a great year for comics based around the idea that just because a character isn’t a classic hero, that doesn’t mean their story shouldn’t be told. 

6.

 Much like Nailbiter, Southern Bastards was always going to end up on this list but the recent ‘Homecoming’ story arc really secured its spot.  Jason Aaron has proved himself on of the best writers of the year through his work on Star Wars, Thor, and Dr. Strange but Southern Bastards remains his masterpiece and this year might feature its best issues yet.  The ‘Homecoming’ storyline has afforded us a look into the lives of the many miserable, broken, and sometimes evil people who dot the land of Craw County, Alabama and afforded Aaron a chance to really let his skill for vignettes and character creation off the chain.  Jason Latour’s artwork is still incredibly on point throughout the entire series but the single issue that put this series on the list of was #11; “You’re Lookin’ At Country.” 

The story of a truly backwoods holy roller who hunts with a bow and arrow and is just crazy and deadly enough to be the kind of force to take out series villain Coach Boss is a brilliant example of Aaron’s skill at character creation and embodying their voice through his writing.  Can’t wait to see what comes next from this series. 

5.

It’s hard to imagine a book that was more gloriously comic booky than The Humans this year.  The idea of doing a ‘70s biker crime story with a judicious helping of Vietnam vet character development only with apes instead of humans would sound insane in any other medium but the free world of comic books.  What’s more, even though this is a series that could’ve just been whacky ape on motorcycle violence and that’s it, the book is imbued through and through with meaning and depth that uses form as commentary in a brilliant way.  Add in the heroic amount of Planet of the Apes references and shout outs in the comic and how could it not secure a place on the best of list. 

This has been a great year for car stuff overall with hits like Furious 7 and Mad Max: Fury Road but The Humans is honestly the best of the bunch, steeped in brilliant blend of psychedelic imagination and brutal cynicism, to say nothing of the amazing color work used to blend the styles of modern and classic comics.  Julius Schwartz once said that “apes on comics sell comics” and now 50 years later we see just how right he was. 

4.

The fact that Prez 2015 exists at all would be amazing enough but the fact that it’s both incredibly good and a glowing tribute to the original comic is nothing short of amazing.  Based off the obscure 1973 surrealistic political satire by Captain America co-creator Joe Simon, Prez 2015 is the story of America’s first teen president Beth Ross, elected to office via twitter in 2036.  This new Prez is every bit the cynical satire of modern politics as the 1973 version only it’s a much more chillingly plausible one based around things like corporatized legislation, voter apathy, excessive drone use, and America’s tarnished reputation on the world stage. 

It’s a book full of Taco Bell drones, killer death machines that develop sentience and want to be called Susan, and a secret cabal of corporate overlords that where company logos for faces.  Much like Evil Empire, Prez is chilling plausible for a satirical comic about politics, sort of like if Idiocracy had been directed by Terry Gilliam.  However, what really sells it all is the human emotion and character of Beth Ross underneath all the crazy and incisive commentary.  Aside from just being a compelling and human lead Beth represents probably the smartest critique of the whole book, that all it takes for her presidential agenda to be threatening is her one stated goal to be “do good.” 

3.

I’m a huge sucker for the blend of nerdy sci-fi affects with traditionally considered “girly” aesthetics and there’s no better example of that in fiction today than IDW’s knockout Jem & The Holograms comic.  I know we’re all a little down on Jem after the debacle of a film from earlier this year but don’t let that keep you away, Jem & The Holograms is one of the most moving, fun, and engaging comics you will read this year thanks to just how different it is.  The stakes are all small, personal, and human, the stories are about a band just trying to make it and getting into antics with rivals and shenanigans with their love life and it’s all incredibly glorious.  In a year that already blessed us with the incredible Supergirl show Jem & The Holograms is like the cherry on the epic sundae of girl-centric geekery and, like Supergirl, it’s mot fun as an adventure outside your comfort zone.  The stakes may be small and the adventures sitcom-esc but they all matter to the characters who live them, and those characters are about as well written and engaging as you get in modern comics today.

2.

Kaijumax is a comic about a super prison for giant, Toho style monsters who can all talk and are sentient, I’m genuinely not sure what else I could say to convince someone of how amazing this comic is.  Actually, the really amazing thing about Kaijumax isn’t just the set-up, which is admittedly incredible, but rather it’s in just how dark, well written, and adult the entire series actually is despite the cartoony aesthetics and out there set-up.  It’s a comic full of characters modeled on classics Godzilla and Gamera monsters but where the real engrossing wrinkle comes from the fact that giant monsters is the only crazy element of what’s actually a very real and very disturbing prison drama. 

It’s a comic about what being in prison does to a person, how it breaks some while others find new meaning and others just keep on with their same horrible ways.  It also helps that Zander Cannon really knows his Kaiju history and is digging into the much maligned ‘70s era of giant monster movies with incredible gusto.  Anyone can craft a tribute to Destroy All Monsters or the ‘80s Godzilla revival but it takes real talent to make a comic that directly references Godzilla’s Revenge and knocks it out of the park. 

1.

I don’t think I read a comic book this year with a better handle on blockbuster action, human drama, and ambitious scope on the same level as Ghost Fleet.  Just on the surface level Ghost Fleet is the best action oriented comic I’ve read all year.  Daniel Warren Johnson’s artwork remains incredible, a true craftsman, nobody captures the glorious power and raw imagination of comic lunacy quite like him, especially in terms of sound FX.  At the same time Lauren Affe does a phenomenal job with coloring throughout the comic, bathing the entire series in a unique aesthetic that easily puts it ahead of the curve this year. 

But beyond the action Ghost Fleet is an incredibly engrossing story about moving forward, letting go, and change told through the lens of supernatural action and big rig blockbuster madness.  It reminds me most of major hits like Independence Day or Pacific Rim, exercises in genre convention that look the best their respective genre has ever looked while slyly telling a deeper and richer story underneath all the brilliant action.  Ghost Fleet thrills and moves you and it does all of it without ever missing a beat, easily the best comic of 2015. 

Honorable mentions: Martian Manhunter, Godzilla in Hell, Astro City, Howard the Duck, The Paybacks, We Stand On Guard, Ivar Timewalker, Action Comics, Paper Girls, UFOlogy, Burning Fields


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