THE BEST OF 2025 - The Best COMICS Of The Year

 

THE BEST COMICS OF 2025:

- Comic books really are the best. A medium of unlimited imagination, epic adventures, memorable characters - and, best of all, dozens of new releases to read each and every week. Ever since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown, I've been more grateful for comics than ever.

2025 was a big year for me as a fledgling comic book creator. At the beginning of the year, I helped to re-release the original volume of Halloween Team via Comicker Press. This meant that Halloween Team, with a spiffy new edition from Comicker, was now available to get both digitally and physically for the first time. Soon after the re-release, I got to work on writing the longtime-in-the-making sequel series. It was a pretty intense process - but also a lot of fun, and very gratifying creatively. To actually have the opportunity to continue this story, answer lingering questions, and revisit these characters that I'd come to really love - it was pretty awesome. Then, of course, came the hard part. We had to find a new primary artist for the series (titled HALLOWEEN TEAM: SHADOWS) due to conflicts on the part of original artist Matt Shults. Eventually, we did find a great new artist in Bugra Berah - who's got a very sleek, modern style that fit the darker tone of the sequel series well. Matt agreed to come back to draw flashback sequences in each issue, too. And after a lot of work on the part of Bugra, Matt, and Pete at Comicker - we were finally able to release Issue #1 of Shadows, just in time for Halloween. There were some tough moments on the road to release, no question - but it was incredibly gratifying to get our first issue out there during Spooky Season. And then, straightaway, work began on Issue #2 ...

2025 really reinforced for me how tough it can be to make comic books. Especially for those of us who are trying to squeeze the work in around full time jobs and/or other commitments. Not to mention, the economics of making comics is very, very difficult. I guess it's a minor miracle that any indie comics get made at all. Promoting and marketing the comic can also be really tough, especially in a world where social media use has become extremely fragmented and algorithmic. I was super proud of all the publicity we were able to generate for the release of Shadows - but still, it could be frustrating to put so much effort in and not always see it translate to sales. Of course, I have been pursuing screenwriting and comic book writing for a long time now, so there's a part of me that is an eternal optimist. I believe strongly that we have a pretty great book in Halloween Team, and I remain confident that we can steadily build an audience over time - given the right exposure and opportunities. And for me, personally, I'd love to continue to build up a body of comics work that can help to generate more comics work. It's happening, bit by bit, and much slower than I'd like ... but I'm doing my best to get my name out there and build a solid rep as a comics writer. In addition to Halloween Team: Shadows, 2025 also marked the release of It's a Horror Show: The Found Footage Anthology - a super cool crowdfunded project that features horror shorts from a number of talented writers and artists, including a story written by me and drawn by the talented Lorry Jamison. Watching the teams behind this comic work to promote it was a valuable educational experience. I hope we get to collaborate further, and I'm hoping I can get some stories in more anthology books in the future.

I had two different comic books release this year with my name in the credits. So why do I still sort of feel like a wannabe? I don't know, I think I am still waiting for my Justice League style membership card that tells me, in no uncertain terms, that I'm officially in the club. I know ... it doesn't actually work like that. But hopefully 2026 provides some larger sign that I'm here, I've done it, I belong. We shall see. Certainly, I've got a lot more comic book related goals that I hope to achieve in 2026 and beyond. 

My own comic book writing aside, there were, once again, any number of truly amazing, awe-inspiring comic books that I read and greatly enjoyed over the past year. In my list below, you'll see a mix of old favorites and new stuff that quickly won me over and made a big impression. There are books from all-time favorite writers like Ed Brubaker and Greg Rucka, and books from newer discoveries like Ryan North. 

Finally, for anyone reading this who isn't necessarily a huge comics reader - what are you waiting for?! Seriously, there are so many fantastic books out there - in multiple genres - that you need to read. Hopefully the list below can serve as a beginner's guide, if you will, to some current and recent must-reads. After you finish checking out HALLOWEEN TEAM, of course!

 

DANNY'S BEST COMICS OF 2025:


1.) The Knives: A Criminal Book

- Surprise, surprise. My #1 comic book of 2025 is, once again, a graphic novel from the incredible creative team of writer Ed Brubaker and artist Sean Phillips. I know, enough already. But when they're this freaking good, I can't help but sing their praises and put them at the top of the list. 2025 saw the team return to their signature series, Criminal, following a multi-year absence. But man, was it worth the wait. The Knives was one of the best Criminal stories yet - another dark, pulpy crime-fiction masterpiece with memorable characters, masterful writing, and evocative art. 2026 is poised to be a big year for Criminal, with a star-studded streaming TV series on the way. But it will be hard to top the comic series, which has a near-perfect track record of delivering superlative stories. If you have any interest in crime/noir stories, then you absolutely need to read Criminal. And The Knives is a pretty great place to start.

2.) Wonder Woman

- While the cinematic future of Wonder Woman remains a mystery, the legendary DC character has had another incredible year in comics. A lot of the hype of late has gone to the (also very good) Absolute Wonder Woman book, which presents a re-imagined, dark and mystical and witchy version of the character. But in 2025 I was once again blown away by writer Tom King's run on the mainline WW book, which also features stunning art from Daniel Sampere. I loved King's big 2025 epic, which took C-list supervillain Mouse Man and turned him into the feared leader of an entire island of brainwashed subjects - who live in such fear of their evil leader that they have been trained to only ever utter one of two phrases: "Mice have ears" or "Mouse Man knows." I loved this story, one of King's best ever. A trippy, surreal saga that evoked classics like The Prisoner. A DC Comics highlight of 2025.

3.) Poison Ivy

- Alongside Wonder Woman, Poison Ivy was DC's other best ongoing series of 2025. In fact, it's been one of the best DC books going for a few years now - and thanks to the brilliant writing of G. Willow Wilson, it just keeps getting better. Wilson has accomplished the feat of making Ivy the most well-rounded and human she's ever been, while also putting her in the midst of some of the trippiest, most surreal adventures she's ever had. I'd compare it in some ways to Alan Moore's legendary run on Swamp Thing, and I don't say that lightly. A 2025 highlight was a special Annual issue featuring art by Fables' Mark Buckingham - with a fairy-tale story beautifully told by Wilson and drawn by Buckingham. 

4.) Fantastic Four / One World Under Doom

-  In 2025, writer Ryan North continued to absolutely crush it writing Marvel's Fantastic Four. And not only did he continue to do a bang-up job on the main FF book ... 2025 also saw North tasked with writing the FF-adjacent "One World Under Doom" event series, in which Doctor Doom, in Trump-like fashion, cons America and the world into installing him as their one true leader. Given that this appears to be the genuine will of the people, the FF and other heroes are faced with quite a moral and practical quandary in terms of how to put a stop to this. North brings unbridled imagination and genuine science fiction chops to these books, and if it were up to me, he'd continue to write Fantastic Four for years to come (although I'm also very excited that he's going to be writing DC's The Flash in 2026!).

5.) The Invisible Man

- James Tynion had another banner year in 2025. In addition to his regular ongoing books, like Department of Truth, Tynion continued to offer some incredibly strong takes on the classic Universal Monsters. Following his Dracula series last year, this year saw Tynion pen an Invisible Man series that is one of the best things he's written so far. So much so that it prompted me to watch the original 1930's film for the first time ever. Tynion's series, however, serves as a prequel to the film - providing one hell of a backstory for the iconic villain, in a way that really adds to the film and expands its lore considerably. I loved it. Tynion might be the best horror writer working in comics today.

6.) Lazarus Fallen

-  After a long absence, one of the best comic book series returned in 2025 for its grand finale. That's right, Lazarus is back! Written by Greg Rucka and drawn by Michael Lark, Lazarus is a gritty, near-future epic that has only become more scarily prescient as more time has passed. The book tells of a world run by a handful of "Families" - mega-corporations that each run a part of the world, and are now in the midst of a brutal, winner-take-all war. Each Family has a Lazarus - a genetically-engineered warrior who leads their army. But this book tells the ongoing saga of Forever Carlyle, Lazarus to the Carlyle Family, who slowly but surely begins to resist her programming and turn against her Family. It's awesome, epic stuff - and it's bold, on-the-money social commentary as well. Rucka is one of the best ever, and I'm happy that he's been able to take this series to the finish line in grand fashion.

 
7.) Vanishing Point

-  Mark Russell has become one of my favorite comic writers over the last several years. He's got a knack for quirky humor, imaginative world-building, and ambitious high-concept storytelling. All of that is evident in Vanishing Point, a Twilight Zone esque anthology series that features a new, original Russell-penned sci-fi parable in each issue. I'm absolutely digging this series so far. It scratches that Twilight Zone itch, but brings a unique voice and sensibility to the table. And Russell pulls no punches - some of the stories we've gotten thus far have been downright %$&#'ed up and disturbing. In other words, this series has become a must-read for fans of great science fiction storytelling.

 

8.) Aliens vs. Avengers

- Aliens vs. Avengers could have easily been a lame cash-grab. But in the hands of writer Jonathan Hickman, it was one of the coolest and most memorable series I read in 2025. I love the Alien franchise, and this series gleefully embraces the lore and themes of the entirety of the Alien filmography. At the same time, it tells one of the most epic and high-stakes Avengers stories I've ever read. It really is the best of both worlds, written in a way that only a true visionary like Hickman could pull off. If you happen to be a fan of both Marvel and Aliens, then this is a total must-read.

 

 

9.) The Department of Truth

-  James Tynion's now-long-running series continued to impress in 2025. It's The X-Files by way of David Lynch by way of American history - a supernatural conspiracy thriller that dives deep into the cultural fabric of America, exploring the ideas and the people (real and mythological) that shape this country. Tynion really went for it with this series in 2025, telling stories that directly examine today's America, the MAGA movement, and the divisions that threaten to tear us apart. With each passing year, this series further cements itself as one of the modern-day greats.

10.) Battle Beast

- As a huge fan of the Invincible comic series (and the more recent animated TV adaptation), it was an awesome surprise to find out that writer Robert Kirkman would, in 2025, re-team with artist Ryan Ottley and return to the Invincible universe. Now, Battle Beast seems like a tough sell as an ongoing series - he's a fun supporting character, but could he carry his own book? The answer is yes! Because Kirkman is doing a lot of world-building here - introducing a whole universe of intergalactic supporting characters and antagonists. He and Ottley are also, clearly, committed to simply making this the most over-the-top, ridiculously fun comic book possible. It's violent, action-packed, weird, crazy, twisted, and ridiculously entertaining.

 

THE NEXT BEST

 

 

11.) Two-Face

 

-  Writer Christian Ward crafted one hell of a story in this miniseries about the infamously duplicitous Batman villain. Casting Two-Face / Harvey Dent as an attorney in an underground criminal court made for a compellingly twisted take on the legal thriller. But this was also a character-first story, diving deep into Dent's fractured psyche.

 

 

12.) W0Rldtr33

 

-  Another great ongoing series from James Tynion, W0Rldtr33 got even stranger in 2025. The internet-conspiracy sci-fi thriller leapt forward in time, showing us the post-apocalyptic dystopia that resulted from the catastrophic events of the book thus far. This gave the series newfound momentum and got me hooked all over again.

 

 

13.) Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League

 

-  It has been a while since Greg Rucka wrote anything for DC. But Cheetah & Chesire is no run-of-the-mill DC superhero story. No, this is a smart, brainy, witty heist story that just so happens to involve a group of villains trying to rob the Justice League. With excellent art from Nicola Scott, this one has been a DC Comics highlight of 2025. 

 

 

14.) Star Wars: Legacy of Vader

 

- After an initial period of being really into the Marvel-published Star Wars comics, I'd sort of dropped off of them for a few years ... until now. I picked up Legacy of Vader on a whim, in part because I was curious to see if this comic could realize some of the wasted potential of Kylo Ren. As it turned out, this is one of the coolest Star Wars stories in years - a compelling character study that also fills in a lot of the questions I had around KR, and his spiritual connection to his grandfather Darth Vader. One of the best Star Wars comics to date.

15.) Redcoat

-  This final entry on my Best-Of list serves as a bit of a shout-out, in general, to the really great work that Geoff Johns and team are doing with Ghost Machine - the publishing label launched a few years ago that includes an interconnected universe of sci-fi and fantasy books. A few years in, Ghost Machine is really hitting its stride. Seeds planted early on are really sprouting into fruitful storytelling, and the books are starting to intersect in some really cool and interesting ways. My favorite of the bunch remains Redcoat - a supernatural, historical adventure story about a rogue-ish redcoat, named Simon Pure (though he's "anything but"), who also happens to be immortal. The whole slate of Ghost Machine books - including Geiger and Hyde Street - is really strong. But Redcoat, penned by Johns and featuring fantastic art from Bryan Hitch - is a consistent standout. 

OTHER FAVORITES FROM 2025

Love Spell

Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton
Black Canary: Best of the Best

Absolute Wonder Woman

Absolute Superman
Birds of Prey
Minor Arcana

Detective Comics
Geiger
Green Arrow
Batgirl

Batman: The Long Halloween - The Last Halloween

Batman & Robin: Year One 

Batman & Robin: Jason Todd

Batman: Dark Patterns

Snotgirl 

The Rocketfellers

Hornsby & Halo

The Thing

Superman Unlimited

Batman

Supergirl

Trinity: Daughter of Wonder Woman

Skinbreaker

Alien vs. Captain America

Mr. Terrific: Year One

Hyde Street

Lucky Devils

Bug Wars

Phantom Road

 

 

 WRITERS OF THE YEAR:

1.) James Tynion IV (The Invisible Man, The Department of Truth, W0RldTr33)
2.) Ryan North (Fantastic Four, One World Under Doom, Krypto: The Last Dog of Krypton)

3.) Tom King (Wonder Woman, Black Canary: Best of the Best)
4.) Ed Brubaker (The Knives: A Criminal Book)
5.) G. Willow Wilson (Poison Ivy)

6.) Greg Rucka (Lazarus Fallen, Cheetah & Cheshire Rob the Justice League)

7.) Geoff Johns (Redcoat, Geiger, Rook, Hyde Street)
8.) Mark Russell (Vanishing Point)

9.) Robert Kirkman (Battle Beast, Skinbreaker)

10.) Kelly Thompson (Birds of Prey, Absolute Wonder Woman)

 

ARTISTS OF THE YEAR:

1.) Daniel Sampere (Wonder Woman)
2.) Bryan Hitch (Redcoat)

3.) Ryan Ottley (Battle Beast)

4.) Sean Phillips (The Knives: A Criminal Book)

5.) David Finch (Skinbreaker)

6.) Mikel Janín (Detective Comics)

7.) Leslie Hung (Snotgirl)

8.) Gary Frank (Geiger)

9.) Michael Lark (Lazarus Fallen)

10.) Jonathan Luna (Love Spell)

THE BEST OF 2023 - The Best TV Of The Year

 

 THE BEST OF 2023 - The Best TV Shows of The Year

- 2023, what a year. For me personally, this has been one of the craziest years ever. A full year of dealing with Long COVID, a year and a half since it all began in Summer 2022. While there were some incremental improvements, I'm still dealing with it now - and yeah, it's not fun. So be safe out there. 2023 was a lesson in dealing with ongoing adversity. But even in the toughest of times, I still had film, TV, comics, and music - thank god. I never lacked in things to look forward to, to keep me occupied, to distract me, to provide escape, to make me think, to expand my horizons. Even when I couldn't physically travel far, I still - through the power of great storytelling - sailed the stars aboard the Enterprise, explored a vast and secret-laden underground silo, and drove around the country solving mysteries alongside a wise-crackin', lie-detecting woman-on-the-run. Yeah, times were tough. But there was some amazing TV in 2023 that helped to get me through. 

That isn't to say that 2023 was smooth-sailing, as far as TV goes. The entire entertainment industry was in upheaval. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes brought ongoing issues with payment and residuals to the forefront of public conversation - not to mention the use of AI as a means of cutting actual humans out of the creative process. Luckily, after a pair of prolonged strikes, major wins were eventually had for writers and actors. But there is still much work to be done, and still plenty of potential for studios to abuse their powers. We see that now with the constant cost-cutting in the name of shareholder appeasement, which includes removing TV series from streaming availability altogether (despite the original promise of streaming being a place where shows could be accessed at the viewer's leisure). We also continue to see series get canceled after having barely had a chance to find an audience, often after having been unceremoniously dropped in an overcrowded streaming market with barely any real promotion. Finally, there is that continued sense that in a post-Better Call Saul world, the great age of Prestige TV is in the rearview mirror. TV, for nearly twenty years now a place of experimentation and risk-taking and truly brilliant entertainment ... now starting to feel a bit like an IP factory filled with short-run series that are part of interconnected universes with a corporate mandate to, much like the studios themselves, expand infinitely or die.

And yet ... while you may need several streaming services to find it all, there was a metric ton of great TV this past year (and that's even with heavy hitters like House of the Dragon and The Handmaid's Tale MIA). There's so much - I still have dozens of shows on my "to-watch" list, from Shrinking to Slow Horses to The Diplomat to Reacher. Art finds a way. So let's get to it.

DANNY'S TOP TV SHOWS OF 2023:


1. RESERVATION DOGS

- Reservation Dogs third and final season solidified the show as one of the best ever. With a unique blend of magical realism, comedy, and very real pathos, this coming-of-age series set on a Native American reservation did what so many of the best TV series do - it gave us a story both hyper-specific and universal. I genuinely feel like I learned a lot from this show about Native American culture. But there were also so many times when the traditions, concerns, and family dynamics of these specific characters reminded me in various ways of my own upbringing. I will miss the Res Dogs, and I hope that those who haven't yet seen this amazing show will continue to discover it.

2. POKER FACE

- A streaming-age throwback of sorts to the case-of-the-week detective shows of yesteryear, Poker Face, nonetheless, felt like something new and different and very much welcome in the current TV landscape. What makes it so good though is the absolutely top-tier writing - fantastically constructed mysteries matched with sharp-as-a-tack (and oftentimes hilarious) dialogue. All brought to life by the instantly-iconic leading performance from Natasha Lyonne, who in each episode also happens to be surrounded by a murderer's row of supporting guest stars.

3. THE CURSE

- I had no idea what to make of The Curse, at first. And as I write this, I'm still eagerly waiting to see how it all ends. But with each passing week, I become increasingly sure of this show's genius. It's a brilliant new spin on the Nathan Fielder cringe TV brand, taking it to the world of scripted drama while maintaining that same sense of "holy $&%&, what is going on here?!" spectacle of Fielder's previous series. Emma Stone on this show though - wow. An acting master class. She and Fielder give us a scathing indictment of a Millennial generation gone wrong.

4. SILO

- The best sci-fi mystery series since Lost, Silo's first season absolutely gripped me from start to finish. I couldn't wait to find out more about the true nature of the show's mysterious setting - a massive underground silo completely cut off from the world above. All the while, I was willing to go wherever the show led me because of the incredible lead performance from Rebecca Ferguson - playing a badass underdog who I'd follow anywhere. A top-tier supporting cast - from Tim Robbins to Will Patton - solidified this show as something special. Bring on Season 2.

5. BEEF

- I don't make this comparison lightly, but Beef reminded me of Breaking Bad with the way it kept ratcheting up the stakes and the intensity, thrusting its normal-seeming characters into absolutely crazy situations that often made me think, with a smile on my face: "well, that escalated quickly." Beyond that though, Beef was a brilliant show about the anger that currently runs rampant in our society - and how even minor arguments can snowball into heated blood feuds. Steven Yeun and Ali Wong crushed it. Amazing television.

6. TED LASSO

- I didn't want to like Ted Lasso, at first. It was one of those shows that annoyingly became that show that people wouldn't stop fawning over. Early on, I didn't get it, and the show didn't 100% work for me. But I stuck with it and it grew on me. I liked S1, but I loved S2. And I loved S2 but I *really* loved S3. Such sharp writing, such perfect jokes, such a great ensemble of actors and memorable characters. I know some people didn't like S3 as much as I did, but for me, this was the season when the show leveled up and, for me, truly became an all-time fave.

7. PICARD

- The beginning of 2023 was a rough time. I was dealing with Long COVID flare-ups as well as an injury from a fall - all coupled with a difficult move to a new place. But each week for several weeks, I received the television equivalent of a warm hug from an old friend. Sir Patrick Stewart was, once more, Jean-Luc Picard, and one of the all-time great TV characters was back just when we needed him most. While the first two seasons of Picard tried their best to avoid leaning on nostalgia, S3 went all-in on it, and delivered a fitting epilogue to the entire Star Trek: The Next Generation era - bringing back nearly the entire cast of TNG. It was the best season of the series by far. It made me smile, laugh, and on many an occasion raise my fist in glory. What an ending.

8. JUSTIFIED: CITY PRIMEVAL

- Justified is one of my favorite shows ever - and it had one of the best final episodes ever - so I had mixed feelings about it coming back for another go. While City Primeval didn't necessarily feel essential, it was still damn good TV - especially given the context that since Justified's ending, well ... they just don't make TV shows like that anymore. Except here it was - more of that trademark sharp-as-glass writing, more of Timothy Olyphant being as great as ever as Raylan Givens, and yet another memorably awesome loose-cannon villian in Boyd Holbrook's Clement Mansell. Throw in great turns from Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and more and you've got yourself some old-school, peak-TV-era-esque appointment viewing.

9. THE LAST OF US

- Fans (myself included) of the Last of Us games knew that there was potential for the series adaptation to be something special. Even so, it was a bit surreal to see everyone obss over a story that videogamers had, years ago, discussed and analyzed to death. But even for those of us familiar with the post-apocalyptic storyline, there were still surprises to be had here. For one, the incredible performances by Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey as Joel and Ellie - giving a new life to these characters. For another, new expansions to this universe that quickly became instant-classics - like the seminal third episode that gave us a ballad of Bill & Frank, that stands among the best single episodes of television I've ever seen.

10. THE BEAR

-  I am a latecomer to The Bear, only recently having binge-watched the show. And ... wow. It lived up to the hype. This series is incredibly intense in a way that I can only describe as "Uncut Gems-esque." But it's also an incredible character study of flawed individuals. A funny, resonant look at a makeshift family that reminds me at times of The Sopranos. It's a look at how high-stress situations matched with modern day anxiety can make every day feel like a pressure cooker. Season 2 had some of the highest highs yet.

The Next Best:


11. ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING

- This smart, funny show hit another home run in Season 3 - once again combining a genuinely enthralling murder-mystery with the never-funnier hijinks of Steve Martin and Martin Short, plus a fantastic Selena Gomez. Not to mention an A+ supporting cast filled with great bit players top top bottom. Also, "Which of the Pickwick Triplets Did It?" was the fake TV song of the year.

12. PAUL T. GOLDMAN

-  I became absolutely obsessed with Paul T. Goldman earlier this year. If you're a fan of weird mind-trip meta TV that leaves you wondering "wait, is this real or fiction?" then you need to watch this show. It's on Peacock. It's hilarious. It's mesmerizing. It's awkward as hell. Paul T. Goldman is a real person who thinks he's helping to make a movie based on his (heavily-embellished) book about his own life. But the show Paul T. Goldman is about the making of that not-actually-being-made movie (and various spin-offs!). But what it's really about is how the power of self-delusion can lead one man to self-mythologize to the point where he convinces himself that he's the hero of an adventure that never actually happened. This is genius stuff. Next level. Go watch it.

 

13. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

- What We Do In the Shadows had another great season - with a couple of instant-classic episodes. It's amazing how dark this show goes with its plotting and how the actors are called upon to be both extremely funny and to deliver on some genuinely intense/dramatic/horror-filled moments. On the whole, this is the best TV sitcom since Brooklyn Nine-Nine went off the air. And I can't believe next season will be its last. More!

14. THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER

-  In Mike Flanagan we trust. Flanagan's series - but this one in particular - are truly catnip for us writers. They're just so ... writerly. The Fall of the House of Usher was filled with long, flowery monologues and I loved it. Give me Bruce Greenwood delivering wonderfully-composed monologues all day. And give me this sort of character study meets dark social satire meets gothic horror all day as well. One of the best series from Flanagan yet.

15. BARRY

- On the whole, I absolutely loved the final season of Barry. To me, the show came out of the gate hot with an incredible first season, was up and down in S2, and then lost a lot of momentum in S3. But S4 really brought back the must-see feel of the early days and made Barry, once again, a show where I could not wait for each new episode to drop. Going to miss this darkly hilarious tale of a killer-trying-to-go-straight. Bill Hader - what a performance. When it was at its best, Barry was one of the greats.

 

16. THE RIGHTEOUS GEMSTONES

- S3 of The Righteous Gemstones was, once again, brilliant and hilarious. This send-up of Big Religion simply doesn't miss - and is always the perfect blend of high-stakes drama with insane humor. Nobody has made me laugh harder over the last fifteen years than Danny McBride. Well, except for maybe Walton Goggins as Uncle Baby Billy.

 

 

17. FARGO

- With its latest season, Fargo goes back to its roots. "Minnesota nice" is the name of the game. And Juno Temple crushes it as another memorable protagonist for this series - a woman who is, keeping in the spirit of this show and the movie that inspired it, much more than she seems. Series mastermind Noah Hawley is one of the best in the biz, and he's on top of his game here - aided by a killer supporting cast that includes Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jon Hamm doing memorable work.

18. BLACK MIRROR 

 

- Finally, we got more Black Mirror in 2023! One of the best series of the last decade was back. And while this season didn't necessarily produce any instant-classic episodes, I've realized, over time, that a lot of this new season has really stuck with me. "Beyond the Sea" and its harrowing ending. "Joan Is Awful" and its timely social commentary. "Demon 79," which got me really into the band Boney M for a brief period. Writer/creator Charlie Brooker is a genius in my estimation, and Black Mirror remains arguably the greatest series to come out of the streaming era. 

 

 

19. BLUE EYE SAMURAI

- It's always fun when a show comes out of nowhere and absolutely kicks your ass. And Blue Eye Samurai is nothing if not kick-ass - a bloody and brutal revenge tale set in 17th century Japan. With eye-melting animation, fantastic voice work, and an instantly-iconic lead character in Mizu - this one is going to be something special when all is said and done.

 

20. WINNING TIME

- The second (and tragically, final!) season of Winning Time was absolutely fantastic. And I'm still kind of baffled how this wasn't a huge hit? HBO Sunday night pedigree, A-list cast, larger than life sports heroes / cultural icons. What happened? Regardless, this show about the Showtime Lakers really improved season over season, as it focused in on the basketball of it all.

21. SCOTT PILGRIM TAKES OFF

- This Netflix animated series gave us a funny, surprising new direction for the Scott Pilgrim story that smartly re-contextualizes Scott Pilgrim vs The World and shows some interesting new sides to the characters that we know and love from the film and the original comics. So many great little moments, many a geek-out-worthy reference, and super cool animation to boot. Plus, the entire cast of the movie returns to voice their characters!

22. PERRY MASON

- The first season of Perry Mason picked up stream towards the end of its run. But the second season rode that wave of momentum and delivered a great season of television of start to finish. The great Matthew Rhys rocked it in the lead role. Juliet Rylance, Shea Whigham, and a number of other top-tier talents rounded out the cast. This felt like legit Prestige TV at a time when that's becoming more rare. Moody, rich, dense, smart. Wish we'd get more.

23. INVINCIBLE

- I'm a huge fan of the Invincible comic book series, and it's been awesome to see Robert Kirkman's superhero saga come to life as a TV series. The Amazon series is a remarkably faithful adaptation both in terms of plot and aesthetic, but the stacked voice cast and interesting divergences from the comics help give it its own identity. At the end of the day though, Invincible has such a unique take on superhero storytelling and such a distinct vibe - it's just uber-satisfying to see it adapted so well.

24. JURY DUTY

- One of the big comedy sensations of 2023, Jury Duty matched a killer premise with perfect casting. This reality-meets-fiction series placed a real-life everyman in a fake jury pool filled with not-real actors, including a game James Marsden playing an out-there, narcissistic version of himself. And the results were often drop-dead hilarious.

25. OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH

- S2 of Our Flag Means Death was a fun and surprisingly poignant season of television. Rhys Darby (as "The Gentleman Pirate" Stede Bonnet), Taika Waititi (as Blackbeard), and the entire supporting cast were once again fantastic. And I loved some of the new characters - with The Pirate Queen Zheng Yi, played by Ruibo Qian - being a new favorite. As with S1, I was continually amazed at how this series works as a rip-roaring pirate adventure, a heartfelt romance, and as a really funny comedy.

Just Missed the Cut:

- The Afterparty

- The Great North

- Beavis & Butthead

- Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

- Cunk On Earth

- Rick & Morty

- Loki

- I Think You Should Leave

- Riverdale

- Big Mouth 

- American Horror Story: Delicate

- Good Omens

INDIVIDUAL AWARDS:


The Best TV Heroes of 2023:

1.) Juliette Nichols - Silo
2.) Captain Jean-Luc Picard - Picard
3.) Raylan Givens - Justified: City Primeval
4.) Charlie Cale - Poker Face
5.) Ramona Flowers - Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

The Best TV Villains of 2023:

1.) Clement Mansell - Justified: City Primeval
2.) Roderick Usher - The Fall of the House of Usher
3.) Fuches and NoHo Hank - Barry
4.) Arthur Pym - The Fall of the House of Usher
5.) Lucas Lee - Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
 

The Best TV Anti-Heroes of 2023:

1.) Joel and Ellie - The Last Of Us
2.) Loki - Loki
3.) Barry - Barry
4.) Mizu - Blue Eye Samurai
5.) Dorothy "Dot" Lyon - Fargo

THE BEST OF 2015 - The Best COMICS Of The Year

THE BEST COMICS OF 2015:

- 2015 felt like the year that Image Comics and other like-minded publishers began to seriously dominate the comics industry. This was a year in which Marvel and DC had a lot to live up to. Not only were they competing with each other, but they were competing with the more-popular-than-ever movie and TV versions of their characters and stories. In years' past, the comics always had the better stories. But this year, The Flash TV series seemed to better capture the essence of what DC Comics is all about than maybe any comic that DC themselves put out. On the Marvel side, there were some huge comic book bright spots (Ms. Marvel continues to be something special), but little in the comics seemed to match the fever-pitch excitement that the Marvel movies have been able to generate. I'm not sure what's going on with the Big Two, or why their books have felt so relatively lackluster of late. But what I do know is that Image happily stepped up to fill the void. The publisher has been on a roll for a while now, but in 2015 the amount of great books they were putting out seemed to reach critical mass.

The Image revolution has led to more great comics than I can keep track of. Seemingly every other week, a new #1 comes out that comes highly recommended. New books from old favorites, and new books from fresh new voices. In 2015, we got not one, not two, but three ongoing comics from one of comics' premiere writers, Brian K. Vaughan. Given that he had completely disappeared from the industry for an extended period, following the conclusion of Y: The Last Man, this felt like a minor miracle. And his latest series, Paper Girls, is on its way to becoming a new classic. Other favorite writers - from Greg Rucka to Jeff Lemire - came out with great new comics. Rucka's Black Magick was an out-of-the-gate dose of awesomeness. Lemire's latest, Descender, is one of the coolest sci-fi comics in years. If there was one newer writer who seemed to own 2015 though, it was Jason Aaron. Aaron has been around for a little while, but in 2015 he kind of became "the man." He wrote maybe the best ongoing comic out there, Southern Bastards. He launched a new, edgy book that is shaping up to be something great in The Goddamned. He wrote a few superhero books, including the newly-launched Dr. Strange. And as if that wasn't enough, he anchored the launch of Marvel's new Star Wars line of comics, writing the flagship Star Wars book and making it way better than it had any right to be.

Speaking of Star Wars ... there were a metric ton of Star Wars comics this year (big surprise, right?) now that Marvel gained publishing rights by way of the almighty Disney empire. What was actually a surprise though was how good the books all were. It helped that Marvel got top-notch writers - like Aaron, Rucka, Kieron Gillen, Mark Waid, and more to pen the books, and amazing artists to seal the deal. I am sort of shocked at how much Star Wars stuff I read in 2015. I didn't intend to, but every time a new book launched, I saw one of my favorite writer's names on the cover.

It's going to be an interesting 2016 - not just in terms of comics, but in terms of movie and TV show adaptations. Garth Ennis is one of the best-ever comic book writers - up there in stature, in my opinion, with the greats of the medium. And yet, his comics have never really been adapted for any other medium. That's going to change big-time with the launch of the Preacher TV series in 2016. Will the show maintain the comics' extreme nature and no-holds-barred social commentary? And what will happen when Ennis' even more extreme series, The Boys, becomes a TV show? As a big Ennis fan, I'm excited to see his works go mainstream in the coming year. And yeah, there will be a bunch of Marvel and DC movies and TV series, but hey, you don't need *me* to tell you about 'em.

Back to comics though - the best books that are out there at the moment are all great examples of what the medium has to offer. Diverse characters, diverse genres, diverse creators - something for everyone. Sure, comics still have a long way to go in this respect. But the strides made in 2015 are also nothing to sneeze at. In any case, I've talked at length before about the ease with which one can now buy, read, and even binge-read great comics series. So if you've got an iPad or Kindle then hurry up and get to readin'. I mean, you could simply consume the same entertainment as everyone else, and just get the stuff that's been focus-tested, massaged by executives, and primed for four-quadrant success before it ever hits a screen. Or, you could read comics and get the good stuff when it's hot and fresh and unfiltered.

So here are my picks for the best books of the year. All come highly recommended, and all are a few mere clicks away from your reading enjoyment.


DANNY'S BEST COMICS OF 2015:

1.) Southern Bastards

- I jumped on the Southern Bastards bandwagon earlier this year, and never looked back. With this ongoing comic, writer Jason Aaron has created a world that calls to mind the violent, hard-boiled Western-noir of TV series like Justified - albeit with a hyper-pulpy, over-the-top twist. It's Friday Night Lights on acid - a dark tale of Southern justice in a small Texas town where football is life and where the local high school coach is also the de facto crime boss who rules over the citizenry with an iron fist. The first story-arc of the book centered on Earl Tubbs, who returns to town to try to rid it of the man known as Coach Boss. The second arc centered on Boss and his backstory. But in 2015, the series took some surprising left turns - branching out to tell one-off stories about the book's various supporting characters. In doing so, each new issue of Southern Bastards helped to fill in the book's tapestry of colorful characters and dark secrets. In any case, this feels like the new comic to beat. Aaron has raised his game and is crafting what is, to me, *the* must-read book of the moment.

2.) Paper Girls

- It still feels like writer Brian K. Vaughan is just getting ramped up with his epic space adventure Saga. But in the midst of churning out new issues of that book, Vaughan late this year launched Paper Girls - and the first issue was one of the best #1's I've read in years. The story - about a group of teenage newspaper delivery girls in 1980's suburbia, who find themselves caught up in a crazy time-travel adventure - is a rip-roaring nostalgia trip that feels like a lost Spielberg movie from back in the day. Vaughan has perfectly captured the sense of wonder mixed with slice-of-suburbia Americana that those classic Amblin movies embody, but he's also given the book an additional post-modern twist. By giving his papergirls a glimpse of our future, Vaughan puts this more innocent era into new perspective. Really though, Paper Girls is just a fun, smart, incredibly creative sci-fi adventure. It's Vaughan at the top of his game.

3.) Multiversity

- Multiversity kicked off in 2014 and wrapped up this year with its final four issues, plus a sprawling Guide to the Multiverse special. In a year that was, overall, a bit lackluster for DC, Multiversity stands as the publisher's crowning achievement. It's Grant Morrison's love-letter to DC's weird and wild history - a tour through multiple worlds, each with its own unique attributes, each with its own looping commentary on comic book history. Morrison has long been obsessed with metafiction and fourth-wall-breaking experimentation with narrative. And those obsessions are fully realized here, with comics that speak directly to the reader, making the very act of reading the comic integral to the fates of the characters inside. It's a head-trip, but head-trips are what Morrison does best - and Multiversity is among his trippiest - and best - works yet.

4.) The Fade Out

- Ed Brubaker's maxi-series is a moody look at Hollywood's golden age - a film-noir murder mystery that positively immerses the reader in a world of glitz, glamour, lies, and scandal. The story centers around an it-girl starlet whose murder prompts her writer friend to uncover the conspiracy behind her death. And the book is another example of why Brubaker is one of the best writers working in comics today. Following up on his fantastic series Fatale, The Fade Out re-teams the writer with artist Sean Philips. Philips is a master at doing atmospheric noir art, and he's also at his best with this one. If you're a fan of Brubaker and Philips' previous collaborations, then The Fade Out is a no-brainer. If not, it's high time to get onboard with these guys and their comics - they're one of the best teams in the biz.

5.) Ms. Marvel

- In a relatively short time, writer G. Willow Wilson has made Kamala Kahn - aka Ms. Marvel - into one of the best, most endearing, most vital characters in the entire Marvel stable. Ms. Marvel quite simply overflows with humanity and heart. It's funny, witty, action-packed, and relatable. It's classic superheroics in the grand Marvel tradition, but it's also something entirely new and fresh and so very needed. In a world that tells us that we should hate Muslims, Kamala is a Muslim hero and a legit inspiration in the way that the best superheroes always are. She's a hero who shows us that there *is* a better way, that we *can* find common ground, and that we're *all* in this fight together. I'll go so far as to say that Kamala is giving inspiration to girls, to Muslims, and to a generation of superhero fans (me included!) in the same way that Superman and Captain America once did. She's awesome. But I'm not just a fan of what Ms. Marvel represents - all that aside, this is consistently the best superhero book out there.

6.) Saga

- Saga has been *the* comic for the last few years, and it's showing no signs of slowing down. This is the comic you give to your non-comic-reading friends to show them what comics can be. This is the comic that gets people talking. This is the real-deal big-deal of the comics world. Part of the secret to its success is that, as he did with Y: The Last Man and Ex Machina, writer Brian K. Vaughan is crafting a sci-fi epic that's *really* about the everyday issues that we here on planet earth are facing right now. The characters in Saga may have wings and/or horns, but they are more real-seeming than just about any other fictional characters I know. The other big reason for the book's success is the consistently stunning art from Fiona Staples. Oh man, is this book amazing to look at. And it's the same thing - a mix of characters that feel real with stuff that's totally unreal - from aliens who have TV's for heads to giant tree-spaceships. Finally, Saga isn't afraid to change things up. Recent issues have seen a multi-year time-jump that poses a lot of questions about what's happened and where this is all going. I can't wait to find out.

7.) Black Magick

- Okay, I'm sort of ranking this one highly based on speculation that it's going to be really good for a long while. But two issues in, and I'm totally sold on the idea that Black Magick could be the next big thing. Writer Greg Rucka is always reliable as a source of great comics (his other book, Lazarus, has been a favorite for the last few years) - and this story, about a police detective who's also a witch, is a great blend of vintage Rucka (gritty police drama!) with new territory for the writer (magic!). Also - holy lord - the artwork! Artist Nicola Scott is *killing* it so far. I've been a fan of hers for a while from her DC work. But with Black Magick, she's taking it to a whole new level, with an eye-popping black and white style that mixes in selective splashes of color. This one is one to watch - but it's already on a course to be something very special.

8.) The Walking Dead

- I've been pretty frustrated with The Walking Dead TV series of late, but man, the comic that started it all is still going strong. In fact, I've been really digging recent plotlines involving a group of zombie-emulating antagonists known as The Whisperers, and a brewing war between them and Rick's crew. Robert Kirkman remains a writer who knows how to craft a story that has you desperately turning pages in order to find out what happens next. I don't know how he does it. I say this often, but it bears repeating - if you are disillusioned with the TV show, you owe it to yourself to check out Kirkman's comics. There's a reason why it's one of the top-selling comics year in and year out - it's quite simply the best book out there at keeping you on the edge of your seat and wondering what the hell is going to happen next.

9.) Descender

- There's been a resurgence of real sci-fi in comics of late, and Descender is leading the charge. Writer Jeff Lemire is another perennial favorite, but this is definitely something different from him. In the past, with books like Sweet Tooth and Trillium, the world-building was always secondary to the character stuff. But here, Lemire is really going for broke - crafting a future-verse full of rich mythology. The story centers around a lifelike android who finds himself on the run - chased across the universe by forces who believe he holds the key to explaining a great disaster that befell humanity decades earlier. There's some sprawling, Mass Effect-scale world-building going on here, but Lemire is also layering in great characters and emotional stakes. Plus, the art from Dustin Nguyen is the artist's best-ever - fluid, expressive line-work that really brings Lemire's story to life.

10.) Invincible

- Invincible has been one of my favorites for years now, but I'm still a constant advocate for it because it still sometimes seems to be a bit under-the-radar. Robert Kirkman's other big epic (begging to be a TV show for whoever is willing to spend the money) is so consistently good because it's a superhero comic with no corporate obligations. Whereas Superman or Spider-Man will always, inevitably, return to the status quo, Invincible is constantly evolving. This year, Kirkman cleverly played with this idea in his "Reboot?" story-arc, in which a back-to-basics continuity-wipe was teased out as a sort of jab at how frequently the reset button is pushed over at Marvel and DC. It's a perfect example of how Invincible can be wonderfully tongue-in-cheek. At the same time, the book can be legitimately dramatic when it wants to be. But month in, month out, it's a great read. I hope that Robert Kirkman keeps telling Invincible stories for a long time to come.

THE NEXT BEST:

11.) Alex + Ada

-My pick for the best book of 2014, Alex+ Ada - the incredible story of a man who falls in love with an illegally-modified android - wrapped up this year with its final chapters. I'll admit, the book lost a little momentum as it came to its conclusion. But it was still, overall, an amazing read. Can't want to see what's next for this creative team.

12.) Sex Criminals

- Sex Criminals would definitely be ranked higher on my list, if only it came out more frequently. But when new issues have graced us with their presence, it's always a reminder that Sex Crims is fantastically good reading. It's funny, it's bold, it's got some of the best writing - courtesy of Matt Fraction - in all of comics (or anywhere, for that matter). If you're not familiar with the book - well, just read it. Don't be intimidated by the title. Just trust in Fraction. Here's hoping for much more of this one in 2016.

13.) Lazarus

- Lazarus is another favorite that still kicked a lot of ass in 2015 - it just seemed to lose some of its narrative momentum by coming out less frequently. But hey,  I still love it. It's Game of Thrones meets The Hunger Games - if Katniss was a genetically-altered warrior who wielded a razor-sharp sword. In any case, I'm excited to see where the story goes in 2016 following the war-between-families that raged for much of this past year. And also, Lazarus is going to be a TV show!

14.) Jupiter's Circle

- This is sort of an interesting one. A while back, prolific writer Mark Millar did a comic called Jupiter's Legacy - all about the rebellious sons and daughters of a Justice League-esque group of superhero legends. But Legacy was cut short after only several issues, set to return at some unspecified point in time. But in the meantime, we've gotten a whole series called Jupiter's Circle, which gives us the backstory of those superheroic parents. Really though, this is an excuse for Millar to do a story about supers in 50's America who pretended to be clean-cut role models but were actually involved in all sorts of scandal. It's classic, Watchmen-esque superhero deconstruction, but done really well.

15.) Star Wars

- Marvel's Star Wars comics have been really good. And Jason Aaron's title - simply titled "Star Wars," has been the best of the bunch. Taking place between A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, the Star Wars comic, at its best, has felt like a missing movie in the Star Wars saga - a brisk, cinematic adventure involving all the main Star Wars players. It cleverly fills in story gaps from the original movies, and, in 2015, was just what the doctor ordered to get the hype machine rolling prior to The Force Awakens.

16.) Escape From NY

- Here's one that I had zero expectations for, but that became one of my favorite monthly reads. Spinning off from the cult-classic John Carpenter movie, the Escape From NY comic takes place in the aftermath of the original film - detailing the further adventures of the legendary Snake Plissken. The comic is a ton of fun, and totally captures Carpenter's subversive spirit. There's even a story-arc that serves as a direct sequel to the movie - in which Snake returns to the prison-state of New York - that feels every bit like a lost Carpenter movie we never got.

17.) Silver Surfer

- A consistent favorite since the team of Dan Slott and Mike Allred took over, The Silver Surfer continued to delight in 2015. Sure, there was some sort-of forced tie-in to Marvel's overarching Secret Wars event, but Slott used the story as an opportunity to have the Surfer face an end-of-universe cataclysm. Mostly though, the pairing of a humanized Surfer with his human companion Dawn Greenwood gives the book a whimsical, space-adventure feel. Mike Allred's one-of-a-kind art (seriously, the guy is simply the best) only adds to the cosmic grooviness of it all.

18.) Batman

- Under the watchful eye of writer Scott Snyder, the monthly Batman book has been DC's most consistent source of quality storytelling for the last five years, since the dawn of the "New 52." This year, Snyder aimed high and took risks. After an apocalyptic final confrontation between Batman and The Joker, both go missing. To fill the vacuum, Commissioner Gordon assumes the roll of Batman - donning a mechanized Bat-Suit to help him fight Gotham's criminal element. The result is a new kind of Batman - part policeman, part hero. And it's been a wild ride so far - following Gordon's struggles as The Bat, following the mystery of what happened to Bruce Wayne, and following Snyder and artist Greg Capullo as they continue to redefine and re-shape Batman.

19.) The X-Files: Season 11

- Yeah, I'm incredibly psyched that The X-Files will be back on TV in January. It's been a long time coming. But luckily, the excellent comics series has done a good job of keeping the fire burning and the quest for the Truth going in the show's absence. In particular, "Season 11" has been a step up from previous X-Files books, delivering sequels to fan-favorite episodes like "Home," as well as a very compelling myth-arc about a returned, grown-up Gibson Praise who's gone over to the dark side even as he's become more powerful than ever. The series does a great job of capturing the voices of the characters, and has set the stage nicely for things to come - both on and off the air.

20.) Bitch Planet

- Kelly Sue DeConnick's grindhouse feminist sci-fi women-in-prison story is, you guessed it, one of a kind. Insane in the best way possible, the series is wildly and blatantly about female empowerment, even as it plays with the cliches and extremes of vintage exploitation flicks and grindhouse tropes. The book is powered by a righteous sense of anger and purpose, even as the storytelling is unabashedly fun and over-the-top. I'm digging it, and it no-doubt affirms DeConnick - who created a legion of fans via her work on Captain Marvel and its Carol Corps - as one of the brashest, brassiest voices in comics.

RUNNERS UP:

Harley Quinn
Velvet
Batgirl
Plutona
Sinestro
Howard the Duck
Darth Vader
Secret Wars
War Stories
Chrononauts
We Stand Our Guard
Superman/Wonder Woman
Planet Hulk: War Zone
East of West
Grayson

SPECIAL MENTIONS:

New Comics:  THE GODDAMNED and JACKED

- There were some GREAT brand-new comics that launched at the very end of 2015 that I think deserve mention, if only because they got off to such great starts and will very likely be on the 2016 list. One is the latest from Jason Aaron, THE GODDAMNED - a violent, brutal, uncompromising look at life in the ancient biblical world, pre-Flood, when it was kill or be killed. There's never really been a story like this (save maybe for parts of Darren Aronofsky's movie Noah), and it's clear that this is going to be a hell of a ride. Meanwhile, writer Eric Kripke has made JACKED one to watch in 2016. The story of a middle-aged schlub who gets superpowers, this is a great twist on the classic superhero origin story, written with a distinct comedic voice. I can't wait to see where it goes.

Finales: FABLES and HAWKEYE

- Two all-time classics came to an end in 2015 with one-shot final-issue specials. After a long delay, the final issue of Matt Fraction and David Aja's acclaimed run on Marvel's Hawkeye finally came out, and man, it was a bittersweet moment. The team's run on Hawkeye is one of the best runs of a superhero book - hell, of any comic book - I've ever read. Funny, poignant, poetic, visually-incredible - it's an indisputable modern classic. The finale wrapped up Fraction's take on Clint Barton and Kate Bishop with style and pathos - a fitting exclamation point for an amazing run.

Similarly, the long-delayed Fables finale came out in 2015, ultimately released as an entire volume of the series - in the form of a giant-sized final-issue that featured an epic ending to the long-running series. Saying goodbye to Fables was, for me, a big deal. I'd been reading it since the beginning, having picked up the first trade paperback while in college in Boston. I read Fables every month since, enjoying the main series as well as the spin-offs like Jack of Fables and Fairest. The series had its ups and downs over the years, but I will say that it went out on a high note, with a compelling final storyline that pitted sister against sister, culminating in a final showdown between Snow White and Rose Red. At its peak, Fables was truly something special - a subversive take on classic fairy tale characters, now living in secret in New York City after having been exiled from their homeland. Its versions of classic characters became classic in their own right - with Fables' Snow White, Rose Red, Bigby Wolf, Flycatcher, Boy Blue, Cinderella, Jack of Tales, and countless others becoming all-time favorites of mine as the years went on. And man, talk about all-time great comic book runs. Not only did writer Bill Willingham write hundreds of issues and dozens of story-arcs, but artist Mark Buckingham - his work on Fables - penciling nearly every issue of the series - is one of the greatest ever artistic achievements in comics. Buckingham's incredible, evocative art - with its themed page designs and iconic character looks - was perhaps my favorite thing about this series. In any case, the book is now closed on Fables - happily ever after, etc. No question, one of the great comics of all time.


WRITERS OF THE YEAR:

1.) Jason Aaron (Southern Bastards, Star Wars, The Goddamned)
2.) Brian K. Vaughan (Paper Girls, Saga, We Stand Our Guard)
3.) Ed Brubaker (The Fade Out, Velvet)
4.) Greg Rucka (Lazarus, Black Magik)
5.) Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead, Invincible)
6.) G. Willow Wilson (Ms. Marvel)
7.) Jeff Lemire (Descender, Plutona)
8.) Matt Fraction (Sex Criminals, Hawkeye)
9.) Mark Millar (Jupiter's Circle, Chrononauts)
10.) Grant Morrison (Multiversity, The Nameless)

ARTISTS OF THE YEAR:

1.) Nicola Scott (Black Magik)
2.) Fiona Staples (Saga)
3.) Sean Phillips (The Fade Out)
4.) Cliff Chiang (Paper Girls)
5.) Mike Allred (Silver Surfer)
6.) Babs Tarr (Batgirl)
7.) Dustin Nguyen (Descender)
8.) Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals)
9.) Ryan Ottley (Invincible)
10.) Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead)

THE BEST OF 2012 - The Best COMICS Of The Year

THE BEST COMICS OF 2012:

- There are certain things I'm going to miss as we enter the new digital age of comics. Trying to hold on to the way things were, I still make regular trips to the local comic shop, purchasing traditional physical copies of favorite books as well as the occasional trade paperback collection. But 2012 was the year that I fairly definitively went digital. It was a tough transition, but also freeing. There's still a lot I don't love about reading comics on my iPad, but there are also a ton of benefits. An obvious one is the lack of clutter that comes with no longer buying a weekly stack of new books. But a less obvious upside is the evolving way in which I'm finding and discovering new material to read. In the past, comics were limited in terms of discoverability. The choices were either keep up with a book month-to-month, or else catch up months - or years - later by reading trade paperback collections. But in that crucial in-between window, when a book was a couple issues in and starting to gain steam, finding back-issues and catching up was a hunt and a chore. But now, suddenly, you've got a whole library of new and recent issues at your fingertips. Diving into a highly-recommended comic series is now as easy as a few points and clicks. The same applies for many older issues and series as well. Digital comics store Comixology keeps expanding and adding to its library of classic series, and it's nirvana for fanboys and fangirls who want to seek out more old-school material. In particular, I'm loving the additions of content that are not available in trade paperback in full or at all. It's almost overwhelming - the complete run of Mark Waid on The Flash, the complete Suicide Squad, The Dark Knight Returns, Watchmen, American Flagg -  all these classics, with more added every week, all available with the touch of a button. But what's more, Comixology is sort of comics' version of Hulu and DVR combined. Miss an issue? It's there. Want the latest issue on day-of-release? It's there? Heard good things about Saga, and want to quickly spead-read through the first 9 issues? A snap. What this has led to, I think, is a potential new golden age for out-of-the-box comics and new franchises. Before, a lot of comics purchasing was driven by habit. Trying out a new series was a risk, so why bother? Now, there's more opportunity than ever to grab new readers and get people caught up. I think it's only a matter of time, too, before we start seeing first issues available as free for a limited time, and other incentives to encourage sampling. Already, Comixology is doing a lot of 99 cent sales that encourage bulk purchases. Although digital sadly closes some doors, it opens, I think, many new ones.

This goes hand in hand with my overall feeling this year that, while I still loved comics, I was really ready for something new. DC's New 52 initiative was a good break-away point for me. I'm still reading quite a few DC titles, but I just don't have the same investment in the universe I once did. Maybe that will change, but for now, too few of the rebooted titles sustained the level of quality to keep me interested. And the titles I used to read because I had an attachment to the characters I'd grown up with - well, they no longer felt the same. With that said, 2012 was the perfect time to branch out and dive into new material that was standalone and not part of a shared narrative universe. More and more, Image Comics was the place I turned to. Image is now officially the best publisher in the biz, the place where the smartest creators are going to tell their own original stories. Stalwarts like Robert Kirkman's THE WALKING DEAD and INVINCIBLE have now been joined by exciting new titles like Brian K. Vaughan's SAGA, Ed Brubaker's FATALE, and Jonathan Hickman's THE MANHATTAN PROJECTS. Image is just killing it these days. They are doing innovative, edgy stories in all different genres - noir, sci-fi, humor, horror. It's the perfect antidote for Marvel and DC's everything-old-is-new-again approach to many of their stories.

Of course, Image's success has come, a bit, at the expense of DC's fabled (pun sort of intended) Vertigo imprint. Books like Saga that might once have lived there are now at image, and titles like the fantastic SWEET TOOTH, and the long-running Hellblazer, are coming to an end.  Many of Vertigo's characters - Constantine, Swamp Thing, etc. - have been brought back into the fold of DC Comics proper. And Karen Berger, the longtime leader of the imprint, is now set to depart for other opportunities. Many of my all-time favorite comics have come from Vertigo, so it's a little sad to see the line diminished. But again, Vertigo's loss is other's gain, and now you've got Image, IDW (publisher of the seminal LOCKE & KEY), and others all competing for similar types of titles. All that said, Vertigo still published a couple of my favorite comics of 2012. THE NEW DEADWARDIANS was one, the other, my pick for comic of the year - the instant-classic, insanely great miniseries PUNK ROCK JESUS.

I also don't mean to imply that there aren't some great superhero books at the moment. DC has done two very smart things, and that's putting its current MVP writers Scott Snyder and Jeff Lemire on multiple titles. Snyder's BATMAN run has been phenomenal - his last major arc, which introduced the criminal conspiracy known as The Court of Owls, was a modern classic. And he's topping it right now, unbelievably, with his ultra-creepy Joker story, "Death of the Family." Snyder has also done great work on SWAMP THING, working with Lemire and his ANIMAL MAN title on the excellent crossover story, "Rotworld." Lemire has also done great work since taking over JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK, providing a great home for DC's stable of supernatural characters. DC also put out the controversial BEFORE WATCHMEN this year. Lo and behold, it's actually been quite good, for the most part. Creators like Darwyn Cooke have done great things with the prequel series, and while its mere existence might make Alan Moore grumpy (or grumpier), it turns out that Before Watchmen has been one of the most consistently good reads week in and week out in the comics world.

Sadly, some true icons and legends of the medium were lost this year. Chief among them, the great JOE KUBERT - one of the great artists of all time. Kubert had a naturalistic, expressive style that made him the definitive artist of characters like Hawkman. He also created the legendary wartime hero Sgt. Rock, and drew him and his comrades-in-arms in Easy Company with unmatched emotion and fluidity. Kubert also founded the Kubert School, an art academy that produced hundreds of great comics artists over the years (not to mention his sons, Andy and Adam, great artists in their own right). One of the bittersweet things about 2012 was losing Kubert, but also getting some last, great work from him in various stories, including the JOE KUBERT PRESENTS miniseries. In it, his art is as sharp as ever.

I'll also take a moment to mention the passing of a legend whose work influenced comics, films, TV, books, and countless imaginations. RAY BRADBURY, one of my biggest heroes, passed away this year, and the world is an emptier and duller place without Bradbury's unparalleled presence in it. The author of Farenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and The Illustrated Man - among many others - Bradbury was a founding father of modern sci-fi. But more than that, he was an incredible storyteller, commenting on what was and speculating about what might be. A few years ago, at Comic-Con in San Diego, I saw a then-elderly Bradbury speak, and it was an experience that will always stick with me. The sense of wonder and the passion for stories that Bradbury, at 90, still had - I'll never forget it. I bring this up here because comics are, ultimately, for me, about infinite possibilities and mind-expanding ideas. And that too, was what Ray Bradbury's work embodied.

Overall, this was a really interesting, really transitional year for comics. There was some really great work being done, but a lot of it outside the ultra-mainstream. But then again - thanks to digital, thanks to the internet, thanks to a changing comics culture - the comics mainstream is becoming an increasingly malleable and ever-expanding thing.

DANNY'S BEST COMICS OF 2012:


THE BEST MINISERIES AND SPECIALS:

1.) Punk Rock Jesus

- My pick for overall best comic of the year, Punk Rock Jesus reminded me instantly of 80's-era, auteur-driven comics like Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns. Written and drawn by Sean Murphy, Punk Rock Jesus takes place in a near-future America where Jesus Christ has been cloned for the purpose of a reality TV show. Gradually, the clone rebels against his corporate creators and religious-zealot supporters and forges his own identity. It's a story that might sound hokey on paper, but Sean Murphy brilliantly uses the premise as a means to explore religion, politics, business, and the American dream. This feels like the kind of risky, rebellious stuff that they just don't make anymore - it's got the same gritty, relevant, nihilistic feel of something like Watchmen. And the art - wow. I was a fan of Sean Murphy before this for his work on books like Joe the Barbarian, but this is a whole new level. Punk Rock Jesus is THE must-read comic of 2012.


2.) The New Deadwardians

- Written by fan-favorite Dan Abnett, this engrossing eight-parter told the story of an Edwardian England overrun by zombies. The added twist is that, in order to survive the zombie apocalypse, large swaths of Brits have given themselves "the cure," aka, turned themselves into vampires! It's a totally over-the-top premise, but The New Deadwardians is actually a very smart mystery dealing with a murder in this land now filled with the undead. Lots of twists, turns, and great character moments made this book a fantastic read.


3.) Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre

- A number of the Before Watchmen books have been good - Minutemen, Rorschach, Dr. Manhattan, The Comedian, and Moloch were all really well done. But Silk Spectre - the book I had the least excitement for, actually turned out to be the ambitious project's crown jewel. Written by Darwyn Cooke and drawn with cartoonish abandon by Amanda Connor, Silk Spectre was a a trippy meditation on legacy, adulthood, and finding one's own path - all set amidst a psychedelic 60's backdrop.


4.) The Secret Service

- Written by Mark Millar (Kickass) and drawn by Dave Gibbons (Watchmen), The Secret Service has been a really fun miniseries thus far. It involves a British street thug whose life takes a sharp right turn, when he finds out that his enigmatic uncle is actually a certified super-spy - who's come to take his nephew under his wing and train him to be an elite agent. It's one of the best stories Millar has crafted in some time, and I'm curious to see where it goes as it continues into the new year.


5.) Joe Kubert Presents

- A showpiece for the legendary artist, only two of six issues of this anthology have yet been released, but I'm giving it a spot on the list because it's been so enjoyable thus far. Each issue is a mix of original stories written and drawn by Kubert, as well as others from writer/artists he hand-picked for inclusion. There's some great stories in these, but also an added layer of weight and bittersweetness knowing that Kubert died just prior to the first issue's release. This, however, is a fitting departing gift from a true master.


THE BEST ONGOING SERIES:


1.) Saga

- One of the great joys of 2012 was seeing one of my favorite writers, Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man) return to comics after a long absence. Man, did I miss the guy. No one else has BKV's knack for dialogue, for crafting all-too-human characters (even in a story like this one, where they're not actually human), or for telling an epic story filled with twists, turns, and jaw-dropping cliffhangers. Simply put, BKV is the best in the biz, and he's showing why, again, with Saga - a universe spanning space-opera that's like Star Wars meets Y meets Romeo and Juliet. Fiona Staples' digital art is similarly jaw-dropping, giving Saga a look and feel like nothing else out there. Get on board now, people - this is a future classic in the making, and the Best New Comic Book of 2012, by a landslide.


2.)  Batman

- Scott Snyder and artist Greg Capullo have made DC's relaunched Batman title THE must-read superhero book of 2012 and beyond. While I've been largely sour on DC's rebooted franchise titles, Batman has been a roller-coaster ride, with top-notch storytelling and one modern-classic tale after another. The Court of Owls storyline was great, the current Joker-centric storyline, "Death of the Family," is even better - creepy, disturbing, and intense as all hell. If you ever wanted to dive in to some good Batman comics, now is the time. Start with last year's Batman #1 and work your way through - each and every issue of Snyder's run has been a keeper.


3.) Sweet Tooth

- Jeff Lemire's post-apocalyptic saga has been racing towards its impending conclusion, and even though I'll be sad that the story is over ... man, I can't wait to see how it ends. Sweet Tooth has been probably my favorite comic of the last couple of years. It's a great story with great characters and a sense of mystery and adventure unlike anything else. Lemire's writing is full of humanity and emotion, but his weird, stylized art creates an unsettling, atmospheric mood. In 2012, we finally learned the origins of the plague that wiped out much of humanity and birthed Sweet Tooth, and we also saw the story build to a climactic showdown in Alaska, where badass antihero Jeppard is prepping for his final stand - trying to protect the boy he's come to love as a son from those who would harm him. Lemire is to be commended for his amazing run on this book.


4.) The Walking Dead

- Everyone now knows The Walking Dead from the TV series, but the comic where it all started continues to be a great read - going to dark and disturbing places that even the TV show wouldn't dare tread. I've been catching up via trade paperback, so I'm still a little behind the monthly books. But after a bit of a lull, I felt Kirkman got back on track with the buildup to and aftermath of the landmark issue #100. The events of that issue, thanks to new villain Negan, are horrifying, shocking, and exactly the sort of balls-to-the-wall stuff that made The Walking Dead a phenomenon in the first place. Read it if you dare.


5.) Animal Man

- Here's that Jeff Lemire guy again (and it won't be the last time he's on this list, either). Lemire continues to hit it out of the park on Animal Man, telling the kinds of nightmarish stories that made the title pop back in the day under Grant Morrison's pen, but adding a new, humanistic twist. Buddy Baker's relationship with his wife and children has never felt so real or relatable, for example. And that makes all the crazy, messed-up horror that Baker gets mixed up in that much more disturbing and engrossing.


6.) The Manhattan Projects

- Jonathan Hickman has quite the wild imagination. His new book The Manhattan Projects is, easily, one of the most wonderfully weird things I've ever read. It explores the concept of The Manhattan Project in the 30's as being much more than just a group trying to build an atomic bomb, but a top-secret super-science lab that creates portals to other worlds, artificial life, clones, androids, and anything else that you, I, or Hickman can think of. Hickman has populated the book with real-life figures like Einstein and Oppenheimer, but his versions are like nothing you've seen before. A twisted, insane, and trippy look at the fringes of modern science.


7.) Fatale

- Ed Brubaker knows how to do hard-boiled crime-fiction well, but he's outdoing himself with Fatale. The book follows an immortal femme fatale across the decades as she tries to escape her past, all the while luring any number of helpless paramours into her bed and into her service. This is pitch-black noir with a supernatural twist, and the moody art from Sean Phillips plunges you into a world of shadows and hidden dangers.


8.) Swamp Thing

- Scott Snyder's other DC book that I'm digging is Swamp Thing, a worthy heir to the character's storied legacy. Swamp Thing has been telling a pretty epic story, as Alec Holland wages all out war with the demonic Arcane. Snyder brings a real knack for psychological horror to the book, but he's also able to make it into a grand adventure. As Swamp Thing's been enmeshed in the "Rotworld" storyline, it's taken on a big-event, anything-can-happen feel.


9.) Invincible

- Everyone knows Robert Kirkman from The Walking Dead, but I'm also a huge fan of his other major ongoing book, Invincible. This is another one I've been reading in trade format - so I'm a little behind - but that I can't get enough of when I get my hands on each new volume. Invincible is the most fun superhero book published today - it's got its own epic mythology that at times satirizes classic comic book conventions to great effect. But it also is epic, dark, and intense when it wants to be. Kirkman knows how to crank up the volume and tell a big, shocking storyline. Invincible is superhero comics crack.


10.) Justice League Dark

- One more from Jeff Lemire. Since taking over this book several months back, Lemire has made it an instant standout. In fact, his first big storyline, pitting a group of magical heroes, led by John Constantine, against an occult enemy in a war for the Books of Magic (a story which also saw the return of Tim Hunter, aka the original Harry Potter), was downright epic. Lemire brought his knack for tight plotting, great twists, and fun characterization to the table, and the results are striking. Also striking: the painted art of Mikel Janin, which is absolutely amazing to look at.

SPECIAL MENTION:

- One of the best comics I read this year was LOCKE & KEY. I'm still catching up, so I haven't read the latest volumes yet. But man, it's been an incredible, harrowing, engrossing, mind-blowing journey so far. Joe Hill (son of Stephen King), clearly shares his dad's knack for epic horror - Locke & Key is a book that mixes humor and heart and whimsy with moments that are downright scary and disturbing. The plotting is second to none - as I plowed through each volume, I couldn't stop reading. The art by Gabriel Rodriguez is awesome as well - stylized and unique, but ultra-fluid, expressive, and evocative. I can't wait to read the rest of the story as Joe Hill's saga unfolds into 2013.

WRITERS OF THE YEAR:

1.) Scott Snyder (Batman, Swamp Thing)
2.) Jeff Lemire (Sweet Tooth, Animal Man, Justice League Dark)
3.) Brian K. Vaughan (Saga)
4.) Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead, Invincible)
5.) Darwyn Cooke (Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre, Before Watchmen: Minutemen)
6.) Sean Murphy (Punk Rock Jesus)
7.) Dan Abnett (The New Deadwardians)
8.) Jonathan Hickman (The Manhattan Projects, Fantastic Four)
9.) Mark Millar (Hit-Girl, The Secret Service)
10.) Ed Brubaker (Fatale)

ARTISTS OF THE YEAR:

1.) Fiona Staples (Saga)
2.) Sean Murphy (Punk Rock Jesus)
3.) Greg Capullo (Batman)
4.) Mikel Janin (Justice League Dark)
5.) J.H. Williams III (Batwoman)
6.) Amanda Connor (Before Watchmen: Silk Spectre)
7.) Jason Fabook (Detective Comics)
8.) Ivan Reiss (Aquaman, Justice League)
9.) Fernando Pasarin (Green Lantern Corps)
10.) Darwyn Cooke (Before Watchmen: Minutemen)